Essay For Future Plan In Medicine

Respected Madam,I am an international medical graduate from WHO medical school directory listed institute –SMIMER (Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education & Research) during year 2013. During next 10 years, I dream to become Infectious Diseases specialist, as hospitalist as well as academician who serve all the time for better health of patient and society. I believe it is important to learn advanced practice and systemic approach in the field of Internal Medicine of developed country. In several under-developed and developing countries, in remote and suburban areas, population is increasing fast which will be in dire need of better and affordable health care.As academician, I want to share knowledge and train future generation clinician to follow best practices. I believe with graduation in Internal Medicine form United States of America will help me to serve them and realize my dream. I wish to enhance my knowledge and learn practice by being shadow of physicians and staff in the â€Å"INTERNAL MEDICINE† department at your esteemed  institute. The experience will provide me opportunity to have close observation of health care system in USA. With participation global observership program, I can definitely advance step further in my future plan & also provide me institutional level experience for my Internal Medicine.Residency & post graduate program will fulfill my thrust in research field which is totally ignored area in home country. The opportunity will also boost my performance and prospect of getting a â€Å"INTERNAL MEDICINE† residency match when I apply next September. I will be obliged to become part of one world’s most advanced healthcare systems. I understand that the observership program does not involve direct patient interaction and it may not be remunerated. I am willing to follow any instructions and regulations you deem necessary. I will be very grateful if you can place me for a month of JULY-AUGUST 2014 ob servership rotation in the internal medicine department.Yours Sincerely,  Jugal Chahwala

Global Civil Society Essay

Over the years the civil societies have increasingly played a major role in global governance. Their involvement has attracted a lot of attention where people are skeptical about what are global civil societies. The rate at which the global civil societies are emerging as well as their political role in the globe has received a lot of attention from scholars around the world. The big question has always been how the global social society which includes the social movement and not governmental organization can form a coalition and influence the global policies. Studies have also been focused on empirical as well as the normative perspective of the global civil societies. The normative perspective of these studies focus on whether the role of the global civil society is legitimate. Whether the global civil societies have a role in making global policies and policy making democratic has been the big question (Hofmann, 2005). With the current globalization and deregulation, the role of non governmental organizations and civil movement is becoming increasingly important in the making of global policies. There is increasingly high number of key policies directly affecting a country that is made outside the state where the process is likely to be undemocratic. For this reason many of the scholars view global civil society as a potential force that is essential in making the globalization process more civilized and democratic (Colas, 2002). Global Civil Society Over the years, the meaning of civil society and their political influence has varied from time to time. Moreover, they also vary theoretically and activities undertaken from place to place. While today civil societies are separate from the states, the political thought in the 16th century did not separate the civil societies from the state. In the 17th century, civil societies included profit making organization which is not the case today. The global civil society can be seen as the political space where nonprofit making organization voluntarily and deliberately influences the governance of the society. The voluntary and deliberate acts of the civil societies influence the rules which include the policies, norms and structures that are essential in the governance of the society. The actions of the civil societies focus on both the formal and informal structures in the society. For example, they may focus on the legislation as well as the gender roles in the society or the general social order (Scholte, 2002). However, it is difficult to draw a line between the voluntary activities that influence governance and formal or market activities. For example, some civil societies are involved in the implementation of formal policies while some others are involved in business activities to raise money that is used in the funding of their campaigns. Moreover, there many cases of government and cooperate organization that have incorporated some civil societies. In pure terms, the activities of civil societies should not include or be related to quest for power which excludes political parties from the list or any monetary gains which excludes cooperate organizations and commercial media houses. The civil society therefore has several actors which includes academic institution civil movements, social advocates, lobby groups faith based organization, human rights advocates and social networks. Philanthropic organizations and organization that profit humanitarian aids are also civil societies (Scholte, 2002). However, political scientists have been skeptical about the definition of global civil society. Some scholars have disagreed with the general assumption that all civil societies that operate in different countries can be termed as global civil societies. These scholars have argued that considering transnational civil societies as global civil society is an attempt to include all non governmental organizations operating transitionally in the bracket. This will include the quasi Christian movements which are the remnants of missionaries from Europe operating in different parts of the world. These skeptics have suggested that global civil societies those civil organizations uphold universal values in the globalizing world while effectively using globalization to promote universal values. They view global civil societies as movements and organizations that use globalization to universalize the world (Anderson & Rieff, 2004). Some political scientists have also been skeptical about the values symbolized by global civil societies and their supporters. Rather that taking democracy as the basic value in the society, majority of the global civil societies appear to have taken human rights as the basic society value. Despite this the democracy in the world is greatly dependent on the role of the global civil societies. As the civil societies promote human rights, it is important to note the loopholes for human rights violation created by the democracy deficit that is present in many parts of the world. However, it is indisputable that although the global civil societies have focused on promotion of human rights, they have played an important role in the support of democracy. Some people have argued that the civil societies have concentrated more on human rights in the global society at the expense of democracy but it is evident that the two values complement each other and are both indispensable in every society (Anderson & Rieff, 2004). Examples of global civil societies that have taken an active role in global governance are the non governmental organizations. These organizations were not active in the world affairs until the United Nations was founded in 1945. The formation of the United Nations introduced provisions that made private civil organizations stronger and formal as well as enhancing the role of the role of the United Nations in the social and economic affairs of the world. There are numerous organizations all over the world that are described as non governmental organizations. Some of them operate as transnational organization while other operates at the national level. However, these non governmental organizations have fundamental characteristics. They are all independent from political influence or control by the state. There are other characteristics that exclude some organization from NGOs such as political parties, profit making organizations, and criminal groups. These conditions must be met for the organization to be recognized by the United Nations as a non governmental organization. However, some recognized non governmental organizations have been linked to political parties while many others are involved in commercial activities such as selling publications and consultancy to generate income. Nonetheless, there are no cases where non governmental organizations are incorporated in the government bureaucracy, in political parties or commercial organizations. NGOs therefore are organizations that work together with a common goal and do not aim at attaining political power, accumulating wealth or being involved in criminal activities (Willets, 2006). Global Governance Global governance is one of the most important aspects of the modern world as a result of globalization. It is a political and social interaction between nationals and societies of the world with an aim of developing solutions to the problems facing a particular society or state as a result lack of compliance. Global governance has also been referred to as world governance. In the modern world, no societies can life under social and political exclusion from the rest of the world. The world societies are becoming more and more interdependent with the rise of globalization which is as a result of human societies interrelating with each other especially in international trade. This has created the need for global governance in the context of the global world which stipulates the regulations that govern the society at the global scale (Scholte, 2005). In simple terms, global governance is a stipulation of regulations that are set to organize different groups of people on a global scale. Historically, governance could not be separated from political authority and political institutions. The traditional definition of governance is based on the formal political institutions that organizes the relations between different societies and has the authority to enforce and implement policies. A formal global government with political structures and authority may not exist for global governance. Some scholars have therefore suggested that global governance is the act of managing the global affairs without a global formal government. It is a well organized cooperation between societies of the world with concrete arrangement used in solving problems. Many organizations are involved in global governances which includes principally the United Nations and global civil societies. Global governance involves formal institutions and processes as well as informal mechanisms and institutions that work together in complex environment. The collective interests of different societies, individuals, markets, nationals and organizations are articulated in the global governance while upholding the rights and obligations of individuals (Weiss, 1998). Democracy has been an important principle that governs the global governance. Democracy determines whether the exercise of power as well as the sources of power is legitimate. Legitimate exercise of power is mandated by the people being governed who have the democratic rights to determine how they will be governed. Moreover, the individuals or institutions that are given the political powers should be worth the confidence the society places on them. Democracy is important in the global governance to reduce the possibility of leaving important decisions affecting the world societies the world to some international undemocratic institutions which may not be legitimate. Global governance requires some levels of representation of the global societies from different states or administrative units who are elected directly by the society members to represent their interests. More importantly the role of global civil societies that promote human rights and democracy by influencing policy making is important in global governance (Scholte, 2007). The development of international organizations as a result of global governance has introduced vicious institutions in the world that make important decisions affecting the world societies. This has created some inadequacies in the ability of the global governance to meet the needs of the world society. This is basically due to absence of morality, economic powers, legal foundations, democracy and good leadership. The lack of adequate legitimacy due to lack of legal foundations is the major challenge that affects the ability of global governance to organize and manage the world societies. The inadequacies in global governance are an impediment to the ensuring fair play in the world with the rise of globalization 9 Van Rooy, 2004). Examples of global governance agencies include the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization among others. These organizations were formed with the mandate of management of the social, economic and political affairs of the global world (Scholte, 2004). Global Civil Societies and Global Governance Democracy and accountability of any form of governance is essential. The case is not different in global governance. In governance guided by the principles of democracy and accountability, the leaders are answerable to their subjects for their good and bad acts. When democratic leaders perform well in their governance, they are supported by the general public. On the other hand, they are responsible for their errors and owe an explanation to the public which may force them to resign from office. However, there has been very little democracy and accountability when the arrangements in the global governance are considered. Over the years there has been unprecedented increase in the laws and institutions that affects societies in all over the world or in a given region of the world. Despite the increase in transnational policies, there regulation mechanisms are ineffective or inexistence. There is no democracy in the running of suprastate policies and institutions nor are the leaders accountable (Scholte, 2000). With this regard, there is a common belief that the global civil societies can save the situation. The world society who have been in one way or another affected by global governance due to lack of democracy and effectiveness believes that their help can only come from the organizations such as the united nations, the world trade organization and other global institutions that can influence the formulation and implementation of global policies. The disadvantages societies have also laid their hopes on global civil societies such as community based organizations, religious groups, think tanks, social and economic forums, trade unions, professional organizations and NGOs to increase their involvement in global governance (Wolf, 2006). Over the years, the civil societies have played an important role in influencing governance in the society. As the world changes the system of governance is also changing into a polycentric structure with the global and regional governance, state and substate governance. This has resulted into redirection of civil societies efforts from the traditional governance at the state level to other sites that have emerged in the complex society. The rise of globalization has made global governance inevitable which has created new needs for institutional accountability (Fraser, 2005). The involvement of global civil society in global governance has become an essential role of the civil society. A very good example is the anti globalization movement that protested against the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, think tanks and forums that have proposed various changes in the global economy as well as human right movements that have advocated for the enhancement of arms controls across the borders and management of conflicts in different parts of the world. An important role has also been played by women associations who have made numerous attempts with much success in the promotion on of gender sensitivity in the global society. In the rise of global environmental degradation, it is important to note the role of environmental movements who have played an important role in the formulation and implementation of strict global environmental regulations. Trade unions have also played an important role in the promotion of international standards in the workplace. There are a large number of civil societies that are involved in the promotion of health and development and have taken an active role in the management of funds allocated to healthcare. There are also involved in the control of diseases that are considered as transworld which includes Aids, malaria and other epidemics that require global attention. There are other global civil societies that are directly involved in global governance arrangements that affect vulnerable groups such as women, children and the consumers (Scholte, 2004). Majority of the global governance institutions and agencies have realized the importance of global civil society in effectively carrying out their roles and have devised different mechanisms that are intended to accommodate the civil societies initiatives. Many of the global governance structures have developed channels that improve communication with the public through their websites and other communication channels that are aimed at addressing the concerns raised by civil societies. The result has been more accountability and transparency as the global governance agencies release more and more information to the public through the civil societies. As a method of promoting democracy within, these agencies have created room for the participation of civil societies and interest groups in their activities including workshops and conferences. Briefings to the civil societies, appointment of liaison officials from the civil societies and adoption of guidelines in personnel recruitment as stipulated by interest civil group has also increased accountability in global governance. Some global governance bodies have had formal arrangement to incorporate civil societies and interest groups in the management of their affairs where they include them in their advisory boards and the process making and implementation processes (Scholte, 2004). An example of an active involvement of civil societies in the global governance is the briefing of the International Monetary Fund to over one thousand global civil society through a quarterly newsletter. This ensures that the regulatory body is accountable and effective in carrying out its mandate. The World Bank also ensures that the information on the activities of the agency is freely accessible especially to interest civil groups and the general public. The united nation is the largest and most influential global governance agency in the world. In every United Nations global summit, the views of the civil society is put into consideration with them holding a parallel forum in every summit. Notable global civil society includes the Non Governmental Liaison Service which works with different institutions in the United Nations and the International Labor Organization which represents workers organizations and trade unions. In the years 2003, the World Trade Organization noted the important role played by civil societies and appointed a civil society advisory board (Scholte, 2004). The civil societies have played an important role in the promotion of accountability, effectiveness and democracy in global governance. They have played an important role in the promotion of transparency in the global governance formal and informal structures (Rhodes 1997). They promote democratic governance by pressing the agencies to disclose more information on their activities. This has increased public visibility through mass media, publications and websites which makes these agencies more accountable for their activities. Civil societies not only advocate for transparency of global governance agencies but also effective transparency. They understand that releasing the information to the public is one thing and understanding the details is another thing (Scholte et al, 1999). Monitoring and review of global governance policy is also an important role of the civil societies in ensuring effective, accountable and democratic governance. They act as the public watchdogs in the formulation and implementation of the policies. They ensure that the agencies comply with the stipulated guidelines, the official resolutions and declarations. They have also been involved in the review of global governance policies and how they affect different societies of the world. These reviews have been instrumental in uncovering incompetent implementers, shortfalls and the dangers associated with such policies. The civil societies have also played a role in ensuring that the global governance structures and policies do not result into ethnic strife and uprising. This in many cases may result from the dissatisfaction of some society with the distribution and misuse of resources from global governance agencies such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. The civil society has also created channels through which different societies can forward their concerns, promoted formal accountability and in general advanced democracy in global governance (Scholte, 2004). Conclusion The global societies have played an important role in the promotion of democracy in the national as well as the global governance. However, political scientists are skeptical about the definition of global civil societies. In the current wave of globalization, global governance has become an important phenomenon due to the need to organize the world society as a result of interdependence. The role of the civil society is therefore essential in ensuring that the activities of the governance agencies are effective, accountable and democratic. Bibliography: Anderson, K. and Rieff, D. (2004) ‘â€Å"Global Civil Society†: A Skeptical View’, in Anheier, Helmut, Marlies Glasius and Mary Kaldor (2004) (eds. ). Global Civil Society 2004/5. London: Sage. Colas, A. (2002) International Civil Society, Polity Press, Cambridge Fraser, N. (2005) ‘Reframing Justice in a Globalizing World’, New Left Review, 36; pp. 69-88. Hofmann, J. (2005) â€Å"(Trans-) Formations of Civil Society in Global Governance Contexts – Two case studies on the problem of self-organization†, in: Gunnar Folke Schuppert (Hrsg. ): Global Governance and the Role of Non-State Actors, Band 2 der Reihe „Schriften zur Governance-Forschungâ€Å", Nomos-Verlag: Baden-Baden Karns, M. & Mingst, K. (2004). International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance, Lynne Rienner, Boulder. Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997) Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Open University Press, Buckingham. Scholte, J. A. (2007). Civil Society and Legitimation of Global Governance. CSGR Working Paper No. 223/07. Scholte, J. A. (2005). Globalization: A Critical Introduction, Palgrave: Basinstoke. Scholte, J. A. (2004). Civil Society and Democratically Accountable Global Governance Government and Opposition Ltd, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK: 9600 Garsington Road, Scholte, J. A. (2002) ‘Civil Society and Democracy in Global Governance’, Global Governance, 8, pp. 281-304. Scholte, J. , O’Brien, R. & Williams, M. (1999) ‘The WTO and Civil Society’, Journal of World

Aggregate Demand and Supply Models Essay

As it stands currently the existing effect of the economic factors on aggregate demand and supply are: unemployment, consumer income, and interest rates. In this paper we identify the existing effect of the economic factors on aggregate demand and supply. The American people have little to no income when unemployed, this in turn causes a decrease in demand for the economy. This type of event causes the aggregate demand to curve to the left. One of the main reasons unemployment remains high to this day is the lack of demand. A shortfall in aggregate demand is precisely the type of issue that can be addressed by monetary policy, however, to do so we need continuous monetary stimulus to progress toward maximum employment stability. The crash of the housing market has set tremendous limitation on consumer and their spending. Sternness on behalf of the government to a certain extent has decreased aggregate demand during this recovery period. These actions have directly impacted growth. Wh at this means to us is that lower government spending and higher taxes call for disposable income for consumers, work for government contractors diminishing, and a decrease in government payroll. Another factor that has had great effect and impact are the levels of uncertainty. The events leading to this state have yet to be resolved which in turn have caused a lack of willingness and confidence within consumers. In the beginning the levels of uncertainty reflected the force of influence the recession had on us as consumers. This is something that had not been experienced in several years which made it difficult for us to handle or even find a way to get by in a more successful demeanor. After extensive research and analysis it is safe to say the supply-side considerations explain some of the rise in unemployment, which once again confirm the lack of demand as well as the fact that the economy is suffering first and foremost of a weak demand rather than a shortage of supply. References Williams, J. C. (2013, February 25). The Economy and Fed Policy: Follow the Demand. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Retrieved from http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2013/february/economy-fed-policy-follow-demand/ Thoma, M. (2012, March 28). Demand, not supply, is restraining the economy. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57405230/demand-not-supply-is-restraining-the-economy/

Help Desk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Help Desk - Essay Example Otherwise you risk sending the customer away. Mobile email and broadband solutions, as well as collaboration tools like web video conferencing enable businesses of all sizes to remain professionally operational at all times. They give you the freedom to work in the way that you need to from any number of locations, so you can respond to colleagues and customers in the way that suits you, and them, best. And now with hosted services available, it’s even easier to stay in-touch as there’s no initial investment or expensive IT infrastructure to maintain as this can all be managed by a service provider on your behalf. In research, Vertex, a customer service company in the UK, found that customer response time should be between two and four hours. It should be long enough to address the query properly and to respond with enough detail but its also short enough not to result in a follow-up email asking, ‘Did you get my first email?’ A large international information hosting company is documented for its customer-friendly approach and fast response times. It’s no answer machines and no voicemail: customers will get straight through to the can work on resolution their problems. It claims to answer â€Å"99.4 per cent of support calls with real folks among 5 seconds†. These days over hr of Fortune one thousand companies2 commit to establish on-line communities by 2010 and to deliver client service social networking retailers. However, the key issue to recollect is that theres no purpose in having or developing contact channels if you are doing not perpetually monitor them and use them to reply back to customers. Many corporations area unit currently interacting with customers via mobile applications that build transactions quicker and less complicated, nonetheless still personalized. As an example, in the UK, Ocado3, a grocery delivery company, helps you to

Consider the strengths of any civil claims that may be available for Essay

Consider the strengths of any civil claims that may be available for Jane, Bob, Sam, Dave and Mel to pursue - Essay Example He also adds that the car had only done 10,000 miles. These facts about the car impress Andy, and another seconding from his best friend Sam on the car, he accepts to purchase it for  £8,000. Andy leaves HOTMOTORS happy after getting what he wanted and thinking it was a hot bargain, only to later realize that the sales representative fooled him into buying an old junk. For instance, that very day he causes an accident when he bumps into Jane, the motorist in front of him at a road junction near his home, after the brakes of the car failed to work properly, and thus, he has to pay up Jane for the damages caused on her car. In addition, he experiences more problems with the car in a four weeks period after its purchase, inclusive of an unusual wear of the tyres, which then requires a replacement with four new ones at the cost of  £360. The HOTMOTORS garage also fails to fix the problems on Andy’s car when he takes it to them owing to the backlog of work. After this incident, Andy realizes the true condition of his car when an experienced mechanic at the garage looks and examines its state. Dave confirms that to Andy everything contrary to what he previously believed was the true condition of the car. For starters, the car is worth nothing, but a mere  £40 as scrap because of its old conditions and demanding repairs such as a 100,000 mileage, requirement of a new engine and a gearbox. Andy refuses to pay the mechanic’s bill of  £150 out of anger, and drives out to his friend’s house who advised him to buy the car. He smashes his friend’s car, a new BMW causing him damages worth  £3,000 in retribution, and then drives to HOTOMOTORS where, finding the sales representative, punches him in the nose causing him to bleed for lying to him about the condition of the car. The wife of the sales representative faints after witnessing the bloody state of her husband falls down and suffers a concussion leading to a perm anent memory loss. Although the

Sales Development and Merchandising Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sales Development and Merchandising - Case Study Example The secondary source of information was the brochures and promotional material that the hotel manager provided as well as various hotel guides, reviews on the internet and the corporate website. I also stayed at the hotel for a day to get a feel of its environment, ambience and service and to understand its positioning fully. All the information and observations were recorded and classified into various subtopics. These included general information, consumer insights, desired positioning and image for Holiday Inn and communication strategy. These were then analyzed and feedback was incorporated into the assignment to give it a logical finish. Even though access to the hotel was fairly easy, certain problems were encountered in doing the assignment. Often customers had highly skewed perspectives of the hotel. Most had a very good opinion of the hotel while few also hated the international chain. However, it was alarming that no one considered the hotel to be moderate or average. To eliminate this skew ness from the sample, customers were encouraged to present a balanced picture of the hotel, detailing both the pros and cons. Sometimes this required prompting on part of the interviewer. Secondly certain formats and samples ... Even though I stressed on the importance of the information, the management was highly unwilling to furnish me with the same. Therefore I asked them to erase the confidential information and just present me with format of documents such as the order form format etc. Hotel Summary Holiday Inn is a 5-star hotel with all the services that make it a pleasure to stay at. It offers facilities and features which are exclusive to holiday inn and are not offered anywhere else. These include indoor water parks which provide an opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment within the premises of the hotel. It is a highly unique feature. It has a feature of kids eating for free which exists for most hotel packages and offers a discounted rate for senior citizens. It also has a unique reward program for group meetings. The hotel comes across as a convenient refuge for people. Its sup is mainly convenience with a bit of relaxation thrown in. In all its offers such as advance booking and park, stay and go for hurried travelers. The hotel is offering packages in line with its current sup and positioning. All its communications focus on the convenience aspect with some depiction of the relaxation opportunities as well. This can be deduced from the website which has related links for traveler's right on the main page, so that customers do not have to look elsewhere. Also, the information on the website is highly organized. and well classified. There's a lot of focus on corporate customers which again endorses the convenience positioning. It also has an image associated with being economical and being good value for money. It does not target the elites or very rich people. It offers services of Wife, spacious guest rooms, full service

Understanding Mental Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Understanding Mental Health - Essay Example The term mental health refers to a state of complete cognitive, psychological, emotional and social well-being of a person. Or in other words, it may also be termed as the absence of any mental disorder or disease. This paper aims at analyzing the case study of Peter, a man who is chronically suffering from addiction to alcohol and drugs. The World Health Organization however advocates that mental health is â€Å"not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (WHO, 2001, p.1). It offers a much more comprehensive definition of the term by stating that mental health is â€Å"a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". WHO stresses that mental health "is not just the absence of mental disorder† (WHO, 2001, p.1) The Med lexicon’s Medical Dictionary (2010) defines mental health as â€Å"emotional, behavioral, and social maturity or normality; the absence of a mental or behavioral disorder; a state of psychological well-being in which one has achieved a satisfactory integration of ones instinctual drives acceptable to both oneself and ones social milieu; an appropriate balance of love, work, and leisure pursuits† (Neer aja & Anuradha, 2014, p. 87) . Hence, the three basic ideas that can be inferred from the two definitions about mental health are: firstly, that mental health is an essential part of human health; secondly, that mental health is a wide concept and cannot be defined as merely the absence of disease; and thirdly, that mental health is intricately connected to physical health and behavior. (Herrman, Saxena & Moodie, 2005) Though Peter was not suffering from any obvious physical disease or disorder, his addiction to alcohol and drugs had severely affected his

Aviation Perspective Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aviation Perspective - Research Paper Example FAA Regulations 14 CFR Part 91 covers the general operating and flight rules. The operations covered by the FAA Regulations 14 CFR Part 121 include air carrier certification. On its part, FAA Regulations 14 CFR Part 135 covers the operating requirements for the planes. FAA Regulations 14 CFR Part 141 covers outlines the requirements for the certification of aviation training schools. By description, the AIM is the official guide to Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures. The best place to find meanings of standard FAA acronyms and abbreviations is from the free dictionary of the acronyms (http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/FAA). It contains a varied number of meanings for the same abbreviation (United States, 2009). NOTAM is a legal and unclassified notice, usually filed with due authority from the aviation. Its main significance is to alert pilots of significant potential hazards within the prospective route or specific locations that put the plane at risks of mishap. The kind of NOTAM that would give information about specific location is the D NOTAM due to its ability to easen information identification. The Technical Operations Services provides information to pilots abut NOTAMs that are likely to affect their flights. The service department is reachable on telephone via (888) 876-6826 and (540) 422-4262. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is a domestic restraint on a given area of airspace because of movement of government VIPs, natural disasters, special events, or any other unusual events. The relevant authorities give them on a daily basis but vary from place to place. Precisely, the rationale for TFRs include movement of the president and the vice president from place to palace and other government VIPs, special events usually after a given period of time such as during the visits by UN officials. It may also be due to

INVESTIGATE A FAMILY VIOLENCE TOPIC AT A NATIONAL LEVEL Research Paper

INVESTIGATE A FAMILY VIOLENCE TOPIC AT A NATIONAL LEVEL - Research Paper Example (Severson, 2011) It was reported in the Seattle Times on April 2, 2007 that Rebecca Griego was â€Å"stalked and murdered at the University of Washington by an abusive ex-boyfriend, who then killed himself.† (Carr, et al, 2007) It was reported by The New York Times on the 10th day of April 2011 that a woman was killed by her boyfriend who inflicted multiple stab wounds. Neighbors heard her screaming but by the time the police located her it was too late. An article published in The New Citizens Press October 23, 2009 reports that in 2007 45 individuals were killed in Michigan in domestic violence related homicides in Michigan. The weapons of choice is stated to have been a firearm and over 50% of the victims were killed by a firearm and 25% of the victims were killed by being stabbed. In 40% of the cases, the relationship had ended or was going to end. Most of the cases had a prior history of domestic violence, all except two of the domestic homicides were perpetrated by males . It was reported January 27, 2010 by the Houston Chronicle that the pastor of a church located in the area of Houston had been accused of domestic violence. The victim was the pastor’s estranged wife.

Prevention of Nursing Home Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prevention of Nursing Home Abuse - Essay Example They are also not in a position to communicate the abuse and thus suffer in silence (IQ Nursing Homes.com, 2008). According to the reports from the U.S. General Accounting Office, 43% of elderly population will live in a nursing home during a lifetime and of these atleast 3 million will be subjected to abuse and atleast 300,000 will die following abuse and neglect at nursing homes (cited in Roberts, 2004). Abuse and negligence leads to violation of human rights of the elderly people who deserve to be respected and have the right to live with dignity and comfort. Infact, the very purpose of admitting then to nursing homes is to make them feel comfortable and get assistance round the clock. Exploitation of their physical and mental vulnerability by means of abuse and neglect needs to be condemned and prevented. Many organizations, groups, laws and reports have devised methods of prevention of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. This article explores some of the measures which help prev ent abuse and neglect. Abuse in the elderly can be physical, sexual, emotional or even wrongful death. Financial exploitation and abuse can also occur. Most of the times, abuse occurs by the staff of the nursing home. However, abuse can occur from other residents of the nursing home too. This article mainly concentrates on abuse from the staff. Abuse of the residents can lead to many consequences which vary in intensity ranging from mild discomfort to serious consequences like dehydration, starvation, serious injuries, bedsores and even death. The most common forms of abuse are neglect and caretaking mistreatment (Griffore et al, 2009). In majority of cases, abuse is not obvious and may be missed easily if a family member or a loved person is not watching intentionally.

Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay Example for Free

Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay The Allegory of the Cave is one of Greek philosopher Plato’s most well known works. It is an extended allegory, where humans are depicted as being imprisoned by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. In the allegory of the cave Plato wanted to show how true reality is not always what it seems. A group of prisoners were chained up in a cave since there childhood, each prisoner was chained to each other by their heads.The prisoners were forced to face a blank wall while they were in the cave. Behind the prisoners there was a fire however the prisoners could not see the fire but between the prisoners and the fire there would a be puppet show where people would walk, talk and carry objects to keep the prisoners amused. The prisoners perceive only shadows of the people and things passing on the walkway; the prisoners hear echoes of the talk coming from the shadows. They perceive the shadows and echoes as reality. Whilst in the cave one prisoner is set free. He stands up and turns around and is forced to look at the fire, after the pain in his eyes from the fire he struggles to see anything. The prisoner is dragged out of the cave and into the world above. At first, the prisoner is so dazzled by the light that he can only look at shadows, then at reflections, then finally at the real objects like trees, flowers and houses. He sees that these are even more real than the shadows were, and that those were only copies of reality. The prisoner has now reached the cognitive stage of thought. He has caught his first glimpse of the most real thing, which is the Forms. In the film The Matrix, the humans trapped in the Matrix are like the people in the cave. They see only what the machines want them to see, but they believe they see reality as it really is. They accept what their senses tell them all that exists. Neo suspects that this is all a lie, but he’s not sure how the Matrix works. Morpheus, who runs the resistance to the Matrix, brings Neo into the Resistance, believing that Neo is the person who has been foreseen by the Oracle to be able to defeat the Matrix In The Allegory of the Cave the people creating the shadows represent the powerful people in society. In The Matrix the puppet-handlers are the machines controlled by Artificial Intelligence. The puppet-handlers use fake surroundings as a way to manipulate the information that the prisoners receive. While the prisoners are being fooled and influenced by the fake reality, the puppet-handlers are too because they are also living inside the artificial world they have created as well. Neo lives in world which is controlled by the matrix agents just like Platos prisoner lives in a world (cave) controlled by the form holders. They both manage to escape from the world as they know it and come to know the world as it really is. Neo, with some help from Morpheus, comes to realize that the life he as been leading so far is nothing but the life of a slave, shaped under the control of the Matrix, protected by the agents. Platos prisoner comes to realize first that the shadows he is looking at are not the truth, they are just shadows cast on the wall by the form holders. He sees the fire and as he follows the path which leads him outside of the cave, he sees the sun and everything else illuminated by it. The characters, simultaneously experience shock and then a feeling of fear when they first perceive what is real. Neo is able to see how humans are grown, hooked on wires, an element which symbolizes control just like the chains which tie the prisoners in Platos cave. In the movie as Morpheus and the group decided to leave the matrix they get attacked by the agents, the agents in the movie are just like the government in the allegory. Morpheus decided to flight against the agents will the rest of the group including Neo decided to get out of the matrix but what they dont know is that they were set up by one of there own Cypher. Cypher hates knowing the truth he wants to go back to his normal comfortable life in the matrix he doesnt want to be part of the experience anymore, so he makes a deal with the agents to get his normal life back he tricks Morpheus. The agents and the government are the same they are like the puppets in the allegory fooling the society to make them believe what they want me to believe not allowing them to see what is the truth. Unlike Plato’s prisoner, who managed to find his way out of the cave without any help from others, Neo is helped out by Morpheus. Neo is then faced with a moment of choice would he take the blue pill and stay in the world of the matrix which is the world of the senses or take the red pill, and come to know reality as it objectively exists. He chooses the red pill therefore giving himself the opportunity to experience the world of the mind, the real world and finds it as mind-blowing as Plato’s prisoner finds the enlighten world outside of the cave. The Mirror right after Neo took the red pill and the distorted spoon illusion before Neo went to the Oracle are simply products of the mind. It is in Plato’s Allegory of the cave where this illusion is happening. It is the mind that makes the spoon and the mirror distorted. It is the mind that makes the spoon inexistent, which is considered to be the truth. This spoon is the copy of the spoon of perfection in the world of forms. The spoon does not move by itself but Neo makes it move. In the Allegory Plato says that the freed prisoner would be confused at what he saw. When Neo is finally confronted with the real world, he is in a state of uncertainty. The realization of the truth is so overwhelming that he throws up and passes out. In The Allegory of the Cave, the Freed prisoner might even feel that what he was seeing now was the illusion and the shadows on the wall were actually more real. The freed prisoners first reaction would be to turn around and return to the false reality because it is less painful and more familiar to him. According to Plato, the freed prisoner must have started to question what he saw in front of him and wondered about where the shadows came from. He must have sensed that something was wrong and he wanted to know the truth. This theme is also found in the movie, Neo is very much like the freed prisoner. As Morpheus tells Neo, Youre here because you know something. Morpheus realizes that Neo has a place in society and is there because of what he knows. For Neo to realise this Morpheus says ‘free your mind, let go of doubt’. In conclusion, Platos story of the cave brings up many philosophical points; and, most importantly, it addresses the issue of societys role in our lives. Trinity tells Neo ‘The Matrix can not tell you who you are.’ It seems that the differences between The Allegory of the Cave and The Matrix do not prevent them from telling a similar story about the unreliability of the senses. We find Neo, at the end of the film, doing more than simply bending the laws of physics with the Matrix. It seems like he has stepped almost entirely out of that very world. He does not, however, appear in two places at once, but his destruction of one of the agents, and his ability to fly, says that the laws of physics are bent.

The Pros and Cons of Computers Essay Example for Free

The Pros and Cons of Computers Essay Boon: 1. The technology savvy children of today have accepted the computer as an integral part of their lives. 2. With the help of computers and internet, it is now much easier for children to access information of all sorts. 3. With the help of computers, education has become interesting. Children can now search any topic, for example science or social studies, under the sky with the help of search engines like Google and Yahoo. 4. Children learn new things faster and are up to date with the latest happenings around the globe. 5. E-learning is the latest trend these days. Various educational portals have come up. The purpose is to help children in their education. Bane: 1. Computer is a machine that makes everything on the Internet so easily accessible that it is difficult to keep children away from things they are not supposed to know at a certain age. 2. Children spend much time in playing games or social networking rather than their education and learning. 3. As everything is just one click away, children are becoming lazy and have lost the habit of manually referring to books or even dictionary. 4. They like to spend much time on the computer rather than playing outdoor games. They do social networking only on the Internet rather than going out and playing with friends. 5. The new disease on the computer or to say Internet is the ‘virtual world’. It is a computer-based simulated environment. A user takes an avatar and lives it virtually on the computer. It has its own negative effects, the user starts losing grip on the real world.

UK Alcohol Prevention Programs in Schools: Critique

UK Alcohol Prevention Programs in Schools: Critique A critique of a particular method of prevention or intervention with reference to alcohol Drug and alcohol abuse is a major concern for governments in most Western countries. Each year significant amounts of funds are designated to try and tackle the problems that alcohol abuse causes. In Britain we are constantly reminded of our so called binge drinking culture and the damaging effect this is having on our society. Between 1993 and 2005, mortality rates from alcohol related diseases increased by 99% among males and 67% amongst females. Figures from the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit show that the financial cost to the country of alcohol misuse is somewhere in the region of  £20 billion a year (2004). None of this has been aided by longer opening times, alcohol being more readily available from a variety of sources and for much cheaper than it has ever been before. The UK government is aiming to devolve responsibility for dealing with alcohol related problems to a local level. In a recent white paper entitled Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (2006), there is a clear expectation that local agencies have to work in partnership to tackle the problems caused by alcohol misuse. This means that there is more pressure on local stakeholders such as schools to take on the responsibility of introducing programs to prevent alcohol abuse. This essay will attempt to provide a critique of schools-based intervention programs. It is widely accepted that schools-based intervention programs can lead to a better understanding of substances such as alcohol and can therefore result in better attitudes when it comes to the use of those particular substances. Studies have also shown that well designed programs can lead to reduced usage of alcohol in the long term as well. This essay will provide a rather broad look at schools-based programs and provide a more general critique rather than focussing in one on particular program. It is hoped that by doing this, it will be possible to utilize more of the academic research that exists and provide a more complete picture of the successes and the problems that these particular programs encounter. Because there is such a wealth of academic research in this area, this essay will be broken into 3 separate parts. The first will provide a meta-analyses where different types of programs are compared against each other. The second part of this essay will look very briefly at which mediators or characteristics of the programs are leading to a reduction in alcohol use. The final part of the analysis will look at studies that compare different programs and determine which are the most successful programs. It is important to note that this study will not be location specific because of the wealth of research there is into other countries. The essay will end with a conclusion that will use all the research gathered to form a critique of schools-based intervention programs. Perhaps the most useful meta-analyses comes from Tobler et al (2000) who looked at 144 separate studies involving 207 schools-based programs. They found that the most effective way of reducing substance use was by employing interactive methods which encouraged the participants to exchange ideas and learn refusal skills. Cuijpers (2002) states that, â€Å"receiving feedback and constructive criticism in a no threatening atmosphere enables students to practice newly acquired refusal skills† (p. 1012). The least successful programs according to Tobler et al (2000) were those that used non-interactive methods such as those that looked at the knowledge of the harm alcohol can do. The interactive programs used methods based on social influence. Donaldson et al (2002) state that this is, â€Å"enhancing an adolescents ability to resist passive social pressure†. (p. 291). These particular programs were found to be more effective and superior to programs utilizing non-interactiv e methods. However, Tobler et al (2000) are not able to identify what specific components of the interactive programs are most successful at limiting substance use. Another useful meta-analyses was conducted by White and Pitts (1998). Although they looked at far fewer studies than Tobler et al (2000), they still came up with some interesting findings. They found that the effectiveness of such programs could be improved if there were additional components that weren’t necessarily school related such as a mass media campaign or booster sessions. They go on to argue that another factor that can affect schools-based intervention programs is the intensity of the program. They found that the most effective programs had 10 or more sessions. A final meta-analyses comes from Rooney and Murray (1996). They came to many of the same conclusions as White and Pitts (1998) such as the intensity of the program. They also found that combining lots of different components could have a significant impact on the success of program. For example, the use of booster sessions and using trained teachers side by side with same-age peer leaders. Programs that did this were more likely to have success in limiting alcohol use amongst those young people participating. It would now be useful to look at the particular characteristics, or mediators, of these programs. As Cuijpers (2002) states it is important to know, â€Å"whether drug use is reduced by the intervention, whether the mediating variables are influenced by the intervention, and whether the mediating variables do have a mediating role in the reduction of substance use† (p. 1016). It is possible to identify several key mediators across many of the studies conducted in schools-based intervention programs. Wyn et al (2000) argue that key mediators are based around social influence factors such as those aimed at the acceptability of the use of alcohol, knowledge about how prevalent the misuse of alcohol is and how peers would perceive the use of alcohol. This essay will now focus on three mediators and look at how effective they are in schools-based intervention programs. These mediators will be booster sessions, peer versus adult led programs and the use of community involvement in addition to schools-based intervention programs. Booster sessions are those sessions taken on after the initial program has ended. There seems to be little conclusion in the research if booster sessions are an effective addition to intervention programs. Botvin et al (1983) and Dijkstra et al (1999) argue that they are where as Shope et al (1992) state that they have no effect at all. However, it should be noted that those in agreement state that these booster sessions are only effective if they are peer led rather than teacher led. One has to take into account other mediating factors when considering booster sessions as an effective method of intervention. Cuipers (2002) argues that peer led sessions are more likely to be effective versus adult or teacher led sessions. In her study of the existing research she finds that peer led programs are more effective in the short-term but that after a year the difference in effectiveness between peer and adult led programs is negligible. She goes on to argue that the, â€Å"research suggests that the effectiveness of a prevention  program is determined by several characteristics of the programs. The leader may constitute  one of those characteristics† (p. 1018). Community involvement is a very interesting area of study and one that has been widely covered. In the past few years there has been a realisation that for any form of social change there has to be involvement from more than one source. There is also a realisation that individual communities know how to best deal with their own problems. This is why the UK government has devolved so much to a local level, from the creation of Primary Care Trusts to dealing with the problems that alcohol abuse causes, there is an understanding that communities know best how to tackle their problems. The methods used can vary considerable from community to community but they may include media campaigns, community task forces and parental intervention (Holder, 2004). It might be helpful to look at one such example of a community led intervention program in the UK. The Broad Street Business Improvement District (BID) in Birmingham is one such example of a community led intervention program. This program was initiated in 2005 as a response to anti-social problems caused by the large number of bars and clubs on Broad Street and also the disproportionately high number of alcohol related deaths in the region (Rao and Kemm, 2006). This partnership is made up of many local agencies such as property owners/developers, business representatives, the city council, the police, the leisure forum, and the city centre neighbourhood forum. The BID have undertaken several projects which according to their annual report included, â€Å"(a) street wardens (b) additional street cleansing (c) floral dressing (d) marketing programme (e) communication and public relations (f) safer business area (g) lighting and gateway features (h) a business led partnership†. The results from this community led intervention have been largely positive. Crime has dropped in t he Broad Street area by almost 60% between June 2005 and May 2006. A survey conducted in 2006 found that 78% of respondents felt that safety was good and 27% felt that it was safer than 2005. Although the Broad Street BID doesn’t completely relate to schools-based programs, it would be fair to assume that schools in the area will be benefiting from this improvement. Any sort of community involvement creates a greater sense of responsibility and even though this particular scheme is not directly targeting young people, it is surely having an impact on schools-based intervention programs. This essay has provided a broad look at schools-based intervention programs as a method of prevention of alcohol abuse. There is no doubt that this is an important role that schools play. However, some programs can be ineffective and have little or no impact. This essay has highlighted some of the characteristics of programs that are most likely to succeed. They should use interactive delivery methods, they should be based on the social influence model, they should be supported by the wider community and they should use peer leaders in conjunction with trained teachers. It is clear that in the UK we need to be doing more in our schools. The school is an important battleground when it comes to preventing alcohol and drug based abuse in the future. However, government figures would suggest that not enough is being done or if it is being done, it is being done in the wrong way. What this essay has hopefully demonstrated as well is that we shouldn’t just leave it to the schools to run these programs. Families and the wider community should also share some of the responsibility. All agencies involved need to be working in a co-ordinated fashion to try and support the work that the schools are doing. Although this critique has been rather broad in scope and not specifically related to the UK, it was felt that in order to give a more complete picture of the problems and opportunities encountered by schools-based programs it was best to utilize as much of the research as possible. As has been hopefully demonstrated, the schools-based approach does present with numerous problems, especially if done in the wrong way. However, with the right mix of components, these programs can have a lasting impact on children and young people and their attitudes to alcohol use. Perhaps it should be left to individual communities to decide what mix works best for them. The governments role should be supporting that through funding, training and providing additional components such as a media campaign. Bibliography and References: Botvin, G. J., Renick, N. L., Baker, E. (1983). The effects of scheduling format and booster sessions on a broad spectrum psychosocial approach to smoking prevention. Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 6, pp. 359–379. Broad Street BID, A brighter, safer, cleaner, the story so far, Annual Report, 05-06 Cuijpers, P. (2002). Effective ingredients of school-based drug prevention programs: A systematic review, Addictive Behaviours, 27, pp. 1009-1023. Dijkstra, M., Mesters, I., De Vries, H., van Breukelen, G., Parcel, G. S. (1999). Effectiveness of a social  influence approach and boosters to smoking prevention. Health Education Research, 14, pp. 791–802. Holder, H.D. (2004). Community action from an international perspective. In R. Muller and H. Klingemann (Eds.) From Science to Action? 100 Years Later, Alcohol Policies Revisited, pp. 101-112. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic. Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. (2004). Alcohol harm reduction strategy for England.  London: Prime Ministers Strategy Unit Rao, J. Kemm, J. (2006). Alcohol in the West Midlands, a review of alcohol and alcohol services in the West Midlands. West Midlands Public Health Group. Rooney, B. L., Murray, D. M. (1996). A meta-analysis of smoking prevention programs after adjustment for errors in the unit of analysis. Health Education Quarterly, 23, pp. 48–64. Shope, J. T., Dielman, T. E., Butchart, A. T., Campanelli, P. C., Kloska, D. D. (1992). An elementary schoolbased  alcohol misuse prevention program: a follow-up evaluation. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 53,  106–121. Tobler, N. S., Roona, M. R., Ochshorn, P., Marshall, D. G., Streke, A. V., Stackpole, K. M. (2000). Schoolbased adolescent drug prevention programs: 1998 meta-analysis. Journal of Primary Prevention, 20, pp. 275–336. White, D., Pitts, M. (1998). Educating young people about drugs: a systematic review. Addiction, 93, pp. 1475–1487. Wynn, S., Schulenberg, J., Maggs, J. L., Zucker, R. A. (2000). Preventing alcohol misuse: the impact of refusal skills and norms. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 14, pp. 36–47.

Matthew Arnolds Dover Beach Essay -- Matthew Arnold Dover Beach Essay

Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' employs the sounds of language in three ways, through onomatopoeia to aurally represent the actions occurring on the beach, a varying meter which mirrors the varying heights of the waves on the beach, and a rhyme scheme which searches for its identity. In each stanza of the poem when the sounds of language are chaotic, the visual descriptions in the poem are tranquil, but when the visual descriptions are chaotic, the sounds of language become tranquil. This never resolved struggle represents the struggle the speaker finds himself in, which is about looking for something in his world which sounds and looks agreeable with his beliefs. The first stanza of the poem visually describes a tranquil ordinary beach scene, but through the sounds of language the reader learns the speaker sees the beach in more chaos than the visuals suggest. Passive verbs that dominate the first five lines of the poem such as ?is? (line 1) and ?lies? (line 2), as well as describing the sea as ?calm? (line 1) and the moon as ?fair? (line 2) contribute to the tranquil visual image of the beach. However, onomatopoeia, rhythm and rhyme do not agree with the tranquil beach scene. For example, onomatopoeia serves to aurally represent the violent action of the waves on the pebbles. The pebbles are already in a chaotic state with their ?grating roar? (line 9). Then the waves come and, ?draw back, and fling? (line 10) the pebbles to create more chaos. ?Fling? ends the line on a chaotic note. This process is aurally represented by, ?begin, and cease, and then again begin? (line 12). The line presents the reader with a beat that further emphasi zes the chaotic pattern of the waves and pebbles. T... ... until the darkness leaves and light can enter. The poem ends with the speaker finding what he wants to hear to put him at peace, silence. His loved one has listen to him throughout the poem and has not once spoken. The speaker wants someone he can talk to that will listen to him during the faith crisis. There may be more than a crisis of faith in the speaker?s life, but faith is the most important problem he wants fixed, since the entire third stanza is devoted to ?The Sea of Faith? (line 21) However, the speaker still sees the world as a chaotic lie, which over shadows seeing his loved one with him listening to him. Aural peace has been achieved while visual peace has not. Works Cited: Arnold, Matthew. Dover Beach. Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. ARP. 7th ed. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. 715-716.

Borderline Personality Disorder :: essays research papers

Why Are Women Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder More Than Men? Borderline Personality Disorder is diagnosed predominantly in females. There is approximately a 3:1 female to male gender ratio for this disorder. Theories of why Borderline Personality Disorder occurs more often in women -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sexual abuse, which is common in childhood histories of borderline patients, happens more often to women than men. - Women experience more inconsistent and invalidating messages in this society. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women are more vulnerable to BPD because they are socialized to be more dependent on others and more sensitive to rejection. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clinicians tend to be biased. Studies have shown that mental health professionals tend to diagnose BPD more often in women than in men, even when patient profiles are identical except for the gender of the patient. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men seek psychiatric help less often. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men are more likely to be treated only for their alcoholism or substance abuse; their borderline symptoms go unnoticed because BPD is assumed to be a women’s disorder. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female borderlines are in the mental health system; male borderlines are in jail. (www.bpdcentral.com) Skodol, A. & Bender, D (2003) have also addressed several theories as to the gender bias with this diagnosis. Their research on gender bias in borderline personality disorder indicates that: -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The elevated base rate of women in clinical settings may be one of the reasons why clinicians perceive more women to have BPD. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women and men present with different symptoms patterns, such as the criterion of identity disturbance, which tends to be significantly more common among women. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female patients tend to receive unwarranted diagnoses of BPD more often when the clinician is a women, which suggests less acceptance of borderline-like traits and behaviors in women by women. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sampling bias in research -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biological differences in which men show more aggression and externalizing behavior patterns and women show more behavioral inhibition and internalizing. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociocultural differences Johnson, DM., Shea M.

Joan of Arc :: essays research papers

Choose one of the women discussed and decide which of the â€Å"syndromes† you think society would have applied to her and why? Do you agree or disagree?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan of Arc the Patron Saint of France could have very easily been characterized under many â€Å"syndromes† by her society. Joan being a virgin and highly religious could have been viewed under the Chaste Syndrome, she may have been viewed under the Tomboy Syndrome for being a warrior and dressing like a man, or she may have been viewed under the Shame Syndrome for taking command of the French army leading them to defeat over England. Joan possibly could have been viewed by society under a culmination of all these â€Å"syndromes†, being called a Warrior Queen. It is difficult to choose just one of Joan’s abnormality’s or shall I say â€Å"syndromes† according to her society, but the Chaste Syndrome describes her the best from my view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan being a virgin, which is none of my business or her community’s, and showing a venerance to God correlates closely to the image of the Virgin Mary. Joan being such a close resemblance to the Virgin Mary would allow her society to classify her under the Chaste Syndrome. Throughout the classroom reading assignment on Joan of Arc I get the impression she is pristine and wants nothing but to obey the voices of St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. When being interrogated she says, that the voices â€Å"told her to fight boldly and God would help her.† Joan’s society would have hopefully seen her under the Chaste Syndrome, she was one to be revered and emulated much like that of the Virgin Mary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion my opinion stands in disagreeance with Joan’s society for one reason, a syndrome is defined as a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterized a particular abnormality.

Polaroid Case Analysis

IIM Indore| Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution system| Logistics Management system| | Submitted to| Prof. S. Venkatramanaiah| | Group 2 | AludaiyaarasuAsvin VMohan M S Prabu PRajasekar VijayaraghavanSrinivasan DK. M. Venkatraj| Synopsis: Polaroid Corporation, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a company marketed a wide variety of instant photographic products for consumers and industries. After the deregulation of US motor industry consolidation of the warehouses in US took place, which resulted in an improved service level and reduced costs.Overwhelmed by the consolidation results, the management wanted to consolidate the subsidiaries’ warehouses in the Europe to a direct distribution. There were around Twelve European subsidiaries each where headed by general manager. Of that France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom together have accounted 70 – 80% of the sales. The Polaroid had three primary production areas in Vale of Leven, Scotland, Enschede, Netherlands and one in Cambridge itself. The site at Enschede also served as a central distribution site and export center known as International Distribution center (IDSC) that served all the international subsidiaries.Each European subsidiary had their own warehouse to cater as a buffer and for customizing the orders, special packaging and rush orders. As the measures for the economic integration of the European Community also made the direct distribution as an impetus option which could be used to save the transportation cost by 25%. But there was a resistance by the general managers of the European subsidiaries because of various problems like layoff, Buffer reduction, depriving the responsibility and above all, they felt that IDSC management team didn’t had the management skill. They were also skeptic about the outcome after implementation.Tom carrol, Director of International Distribution and customer service had different options before him. Like total handover to a t hird party or implement the direct centralized distribution. For Direct distribution, in the first place, he was contemplating in picking the first subsidiary to be centralized among the different options of Austria, UK, Italy and Germany Case Analysis: Problem Statement: For effective implementation of Centralized warehouse system in Europe for reducing the operational cost in spite of mounting opposition from the General Managers of European subsidiaries Options:Following are the different distribution system present to serve the European subsidiaries from Enschede, 1. To upgrade present IDSC warehouse to handle direct distribution to all the European Subsidiaries 2. To have a central ware house in Enschede and two satellite regional warehouse in southern France and a facility in Denmark 3. To allow a third party logistic provider to handle the direct distribution and warehousing in addition to the transportation service Reasons for opposition to plan: Following are the different concern raised by the General Managers of All the European Subsidiaries, 1.Doubt on the capability of the ISDC in Encshede to handle the requirements of all the European subsidiaries 2. Concern on lose of flexibility to respond to changes in the market which the subsidiaries considered the reason for their success 3. There is no financial benefit seen in reducing the inventory level as the subsidiaries are not charged for the inventory they hold 4. Doubt on whether the cost savings quoted could be achieved 5. Loss of warehouse was seen as substantial loss in their power 6. Subsidiaries considered the quality of Enschede as weak 7.Will lose a buffer between central distribution system and the customers 8. ISDC blamed for inbound transportation delays 9. Country specific objections like, a. Idiosyncrasies of trucking industry in Italy would make it difficult to do business differently b. Belgium and Netherland has achieved direct distribution only because of the fact that they had sma ll sales volume and they were located close to Enschede 10. Opposition from Unions in different subsidiaries against the layoff could cause serious problems like high severance package and possible strikes Benefits Of Centralized Warehouse system:By implementing Centralized warehouse system, Polaroid would achieve a net annual savings of $5. 7 Million. Savings through reduction of workforce will be $2. 5 Million and Warehouse rental savings will be $1 Million Factors supporting Central Warehousing: 1. Successful implementation in US and savings derived 2. Forthcoming liberalization of cross-border transportation 3. Efforts by Logistic providers for pan-European service capabilities 4. Post liberalization transportation in Europe would reduce by 5-25% Analyzing Service Demand pattern:Country| Photographic Dealers| Hypermarkets/Retailers Warehouse| Wholesalers| Special Markets| Direct service | Nature of Service Demand (Remarks)| France| 70%| 20%| 10%| -| -| 1) Shipment of products di rectly to individual 2) Direct delivery to retail outlets &retail establishments| Germany| 0%| 85% – 90%| 10%-15%| -| -| 1) Highly demanding compared to other European subsidiary 2) Strongly opposed late or incomplete orders| Italy| 45%| 10%| 40%| 5%|   | Characterized most flexible| UK| -| 20%| 45%| 20%| 35%| Some of Accounts considered extremely demanding|From above table we could infer that Germany and France are seeking high level of service which calls for high operational cost. So if Central warehouse system is being implemented it would be better if they first start with Italy as the customers are not much demanding and also the account size is equivalent to other subsidiary. The successful implementation in ITALY would act as good reference point. Analyzing â€Å"Candidates† for Implementation:Country| Positive Factors| Negative factors| Other Remarks| UK| Extensive support from Rod Bishop, Manager UK| Servicing customers considered risky as sea transport req uired| Stringent service requirement from Bishop| Austria| Small Account| Located far from ISDC| Success in Austria will not have great impact as the account served is low| Italy| Product Theft in transit| Low service level demanded. Customers highly flexible| Memorandum Regarding distribution| From above table and from service demand pattern it can be clearly seen that Italy would be the best option for rolling the plan as 1.Much of the demand arises from the dealers ( 20 main dealers) and 45% from Wholesalers , therefore the cost of servicing would be less as compared to UK’s some of the important accounts which calls for greater service 2. Also the customers in Italy are flexible which implies that they will tolerate the poor service quality in initial period of direct distribution implementation Analyzing Net inventory level and Order, Line fill rate: Country| Line Fill rate| Order Fill rate| Net Inventory level ($ in Million)| France| 97%| 91%| 6. 1| Germany| 92%| 69%| 4 . 53| UK| 92%| 75%| 4. 32| Italy| 76%| 51%| 6. 28| From above table it is clear that though the inventory level in Italy is very high they have very low order and line fill rate. This shows a poor inventory management system and also improper ordering of SKU’s which might not be moving I the market. Therefore Italy seems to be a best candidate for implementing the Centralized distribution as the presence of Warehouse does not add much value to the business.Conclusion: Polaroid can go for Centralized Warehouse management strategy, to start with Italy and then slowly moving to other subsidiaries like France and Germany where service demand level is very high. Also Polaroid should look for the option of including third party logistics because they will have expertise in managing warehousing and transportations better than Polaroid. Calculations: Given data: 1. France , Germany, Italy and UK make nearly 70% t0 80% European sales 2.Total European sales = $504. 5 Million 3. Sales o f Germany = 30% of total European sales 4. COGS/ Total sales ratio = 0. 5073 ( from exhibit 1) Assumptions made 1. 70% of European sales are equally contributed by UK, France and Italy 2. Average price per unit = $125 3. Average inventory value= $ 7. 12 million ( based on Exhibit 7) Parameters /Country| Germany| France| UK| Italy| Sales ($) (in Millions)| 151. 35| 117. 72| 117. 72| 117. 72| Sales (Units)| 1210800| 941733| 941733| 941733|Distribution channel| Wholesaler (10-15%) Retailers (85%)| Specialty (70%) photographic dealers Hyper markets (20%) Wholesalers (10%)| Wholesalers (45%) Direct service (20%) Retailers (15%)| Photographic dealers (45%) Wholesalers (40%) Hypermarkets (10%) Special markets (5%)| Current Capability| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Line fill rate| 95%| 95%| 94%| 88%| Order Fill rate| 81%| 90%| 94%| 62%| Annual Inventory turn| 11| 8| 8| 8| Labour savings (in 1000 $)| 570| 488| 242| 243| Facilities savings (in 1000 $)| 150| 300| 150| -|

Dr Jekyll

sTara Stockage Mr. Robinson Dorian Gray and Jekyll Hyde Comparison Essay A March 22, 2013 Comparative Essay The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are both written during the same time period which take place in the 1800s which is the Victorian era. Both stories take place in London. These novels both are written in regards to the gothic style of writing. The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde vs. The Picture of Dorian Gray. The novels, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr.Hyde; written by author Robert Louis Stevenson; and, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde, share the theme of contrast of human nature and personality. One of the aspects that both Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray have in common is the contrast of human nature. Just as Jekyll claims that â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two†, Dorian proposes that â€Å"Each of us has Heaven an d Hell in him†. In both stories the characters have a way of overlooking the evidence of their own mistakes.Jekyll calms himself by thinking that â€Å"It was Hyde . . . and Hyde alone that was guilty† and by this he was trying to fix the wrongs that Hyde committed. Dorian on the other hand attempted to apologize to Sibyl by writing her a letter after which made him feel as if he was forgiven. Shortly after finishing the letter he learn about Sibyl’s death and overlooks the first changes that his painting goes through and blocks the guilt by thinking â€Å"What did it matter what happened to the colored image on the canvas?He would be safe. That was everything† Dorian says these words to help him escape the obvious truth. The internal conflict of Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde also can be compared to Oscar Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Gray. Both Mr. Jekyll and Gray go through many experiences that lead them to live a double life. Jekyll i s curious scientist who drinks a potion that makes him turn into a vulgar and tempered man. Jekyll likes the idea of becoming someone else, without anybody truly knowing who Mr. Hyde is.Dorian Gray is a curious and young gentleman who also falls victim to his hope to stay young forever, without anybody really knowing what his true practice is. When we compare both Dorian Gray and Jekyll it is important to say that they both are seen as normal kind good man that both have a dark secret. As being Mr. Hyde, Jekyll feels like he has more freedom to do whatever he wants without being caught as his real self. Both Gray and Jekyll desire to live a life of freedom from discrimination and act towards any wish, but in the end it brings trouble to both because they are hurting people at the same time.Another comparison of these characters is that throughout their experiences, they finally come to terms with their mistakes and the basis to the problem. They both ended their life in their own te rms, by killing the monster that they had become. Gray killed himself by ultimately slaying his portrait that represented the horror and real person that he had become, while Jekyll poisoned himself. I believe in the end they did have sympathy for the horrible things that they had committed, and that is why they killed themselves. Killing themselves, relived them from what they had to live with for the rest of their lives.I feel that the authors of the novels chose to describe the charters this way to have a certain impact of the audience. I believe the authors wanted to make the readers see both sides of the character through a different view point. Also I believe they also wrote it because the authors were describing the person they wish they could be. I believe both authors believe that human nature is always changing. I think that the artist are saying that during their time period known and the Victorian era the human nature of people were always changing .

Protective Factors for Adolescents from Dysfunctional Family Dynamics Essay

The family is the major social unit for emotional development in adolescents. The family is an integral social system, held together by strong bonds of affection and caring; at the same time, family members exercise control, approval, and dissent for each other’s actions (Husain & Catwell 1992). As part of this interaction, every family has a structure, whether dysfunctional or functional, chaotic or rigid. This family organization helps it to achieve goals within a developmental time frame and to survive as a unit. Of all the changes in family life during the 20th century, perhaps the most dramatic and the most far-reaching in its implications-was the increase in the rate of divorce. The increase in marital dissolution has had major implications for the settings in which children are nurtured and socialized. The definition of dysfunctional family, however, differs widely among the studies, comprising more general definitions of negative rearing practices and altered family dynamics and specific and narrow criteria of family transition, socio-economic status and unhappy marriage. II. There are children growing up in situations where the interactions between family members are far from healthy. The dynamics of a dysfunctional family can range from the very bizarre to the sublimely subtle. Children who are developing both physically and psychologically are misfits. The sad part of this syndrome is that the children have very little say as to what goes into the formation of their own personalities. They have to play with the hand that is dealt. Too often society waits `until children have many years of physical or psychological abuse before trying to intervene. Once these children begin to manifest their dysfunctional behaviors, it is often too late or extremely difficult to turn them around. The key players in a dysfunctional family are, of course, the parents or parent. Dysfunctional parents come in all sizes and shapes, with the most obvious being the alcoholic, the abuser, and the mentally disturbed. There is, however, a more subtle level of dysfunction in families (Husain & Catwell 1992). Overprotective parents not only stifle the decision-making process with this kind of behavior, they are constantly making their children feel less than whole. Parents who always make decisions for their children-from deciding when they get up in the morning or when it is time for the bath-are creating individuals who rely on other to make their decisions-creating followers instead of leaders. In families where dysfunctional rules are rigidly adhered to, individual development and expression is discouraged. Children in these families may reach young adulthood less prepared to function in intimate relationships such as close friendships, dating and marriage. The quality of these premarital relationships contributes to one’s decision to marry, and strongly predict marital satisfaction (Amato & Sobolewski 2001). In families where highly dysfunctional rules have promoted unhealthy family process, future relationships may be negatively influenced. A considerable amount of money is being spent on the drug problem, but most of the money is going into law enforcement, incarceration, and rehabilitation programs. These are important areas that need funding; however, there seems to be little emphasis on prevention. If we could raise a generation of children who were psychologically healthy, who respected themselves, and had high self-esteem, they would have no desire to engage in self-destructive behavior. It is simple economics-supply and demand-if we do not demand or desire drugs and alcohol, then the profit motive erodes and suppliers will disappear. Even if we took drugs and alcohol off the streets, we would still have that segment of our population that is dysfunctional. These children are simply the products of their environment. If we are to change the way they view themselves and life, we must provide them with a healthy environment in which to grow and learn. Its’ time parents and guardians are held accountable for the behaviors of children (Amato 2000). Parents, who do not show a reasonable amount of love, respect, and discipline toward their children should be identified and be made to assume some of the consequences of their children’s behaviors. III. It is estimated that over seven million American adolescents-one in four-are extremely vulnerable to multiple high-risk behaviors and school failure while another seven million are at moderate risk (Amato 2000). In today’s society, adolescents are apt to become involved with damaging behaviors, particularly those associated with alcohol, drugs, sexual activity, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy. An authoritarian power structure is one in which parents impose their values upon their adolescent children. These children see the adults in the family as demanding and restrictive. Adolescents frequently have no alternative but to break the rules. Even as the adolescent grows older, authoritarian parents have difficulty renegotiating outdated rules. Individuals with divorced parents are at increase risk of experiencing psychological problems in adulthood. Although good reasons exit for assuming that the quality of parent-child ties mediates some of the long-term negative effects of parental divorce (Jekielek 1998). Unfortunately, along with these pressures, many young people lack guidance and support. The path to adulthood has been described as one of isolation. During adolescence, exploratory behavior patterns emerge. Many of these behaviors carry high risks and have resulted in an unprecedented number of alcohol-related accidents and school dropouts. The need to develop self-esteem and inquiring minds among our youth has never been more necessary. It is our belief that every youth in our nation, poor or rich, advantaged or disadvantaged, should have the opportunity to achieve success, not just minimum competence. This is the challenge to our society as a whole-our educational, community and social-support systems. However, it also is direct challenges to individuals to keep families maximize their potential. Unfortunately, many families are unable to cope with the problems faced by adolescents. Many adolescents are growing into adulthood alienated from others, and with low expectations of themselves. There is greater likelihood that they will become unhealthy, addicted, violent, and chronically poor (Amato & Sobolewski 2001). Equally disturbing is that adolescents from the more affluent communities are displaying similar problems. On the other hand, less advantaged families, in struggling to make a living, do not have the time to build family relationships. In a time of great change, many parents are confused about their roles and relationships and are less aware of the new temptations faced by their adolescents (Jekielek 1998). IV. Marital dissolution is a process that begins before physical separation and continues after the marriage is legally ended. These stressful circumstances are likely to impact negatively on children’s psychological adjustment. Consequently, the relatively high level of psychological distress among adult children who grew up in divorced families may represent a simple continuation of emotional problems that began in childhood. Parental divorce negatively affects the quality and stability of children’s intimate relationships in adulthood. The risk of marital disruption is higher for those who experienced parental divorce as children. Our culture presently provides largely negative role models for the divorcing family. Language for divorced families lacks the capacity to derail a present relational system except in terms of a past relationship. The dramatic role transactions and systematic reorganization necessitated by divorce puts stress on the whole family. This can bring on critical family dysfunction in all the major transitions. A dysfunctional family is defined as one in which the emotional needs of its members are not meet (Husain & Catwell 1992). It is assumed that this emotional abandonment has a deleterious effect on a child’s development. The explication of the various losses experienced by children from these families is common. These losses include, but are not limited to, the loss of one’s childhood, the loss of a relationship with oneself, the loss of security, and the loss of freedom. The loss of one’s childhood, however, is simply indicative of a second and more significant loss, that of a nurturant parental figure (Amato 2000). Rather than missing something they didn’t have, this loss is a longing for; and missing, an idealized and fantasy parent. Although parents in dysfunctional homes are physically present, they are emotionally absent, and therefore they are unavailable to function as nurturant parents. Unlike a child who experiences the actual death of a parent, who eventually finds a substitute parental figure, a child in dysfunctional home has no such substitutes. To compensate for this parentless home, children in dysfunctional homes may adaptively develop a fantasy parent, a good and nurturant parent, much like the invisible fantasy companion that so many young children create and enjoy. This fantasy parent is perhaps based on television characters or on characteristics of the parents of their peers. V. During the children’s adolescence, parent’s decision-making becomes even more difficult due to the complexity of such issues as discipline, schooling, and intimacy. The adolescents are constantly very vesting changes in the rules and in the process parents may disagree with each other. Adolescents are adept at recognizing this ambivalence and may play one parent against the other. Most of the problems seen in dysfunctional families with adolescents also occur in normal families; however the rate of dysfunction is much higher in families that have maladaptive methods of solving problems. In fact, in many dysfunctional families adolescence related issues are a continuation of prior parental difficulties. However, an implicit goal for every family, even a very unhealthy one, is the growth and preservation of its members. The family’s parameters undergo continuous evaluation as the adolescent goes through a period of change-physiological, cognitive, emotional or behavioral. This period of change necessitates a series of psychosocial adjustments within the family, the major one focusing on the adolescent’s primary developmental task of becoming independent from parents. References: Amato, P. (2000). Consequences of divorce for adults and children. Journal of Marriage and the Family. Vol. 62 No. 4 Nov. 2000 pp. 1269-1287. Amato, P. & Sobolewski, J. (2001). The effects of divorce and marital discord on adult children’s psychological well-being. American Sociological Review. Vol. 66 No. 6 Dec 2001, pp. 900-921. Husain, S. & Catwell, D. (1992). Fundamentals of child and adolescent psychopathology. Washignton, DC: American Psychiatric Press. Jekielek, S. (1998). Parental conflict, marital disruption and children’s emotional well-being. Social Forces. Vol. 76 No. 3 Marc

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-One

Why do they always want to be on top of buildings? Bonnie thought irritably. Inside. Inside is nice. No one falls to their death if they're inside a building. But here we are. Stargazing from the top of the science building while on a date with Zander was romantic. Bonnie would be al for another little nighttime picnic, just the two of them. But partying on a different roof with a bunch of Zander's friends was not romantic, not even slightly. She took a sip of her drink and moved out of the way without even looking as she heard the smack of bodies hitting the ground and the grunts of guys wrestling. After two days of living with Zander, she was beginning to get the names of his friends straight: Tristan and Marcus were the ones rol ing around on the floor with Zander. Jonah, Camden, and Spencer were doing something they cal ed parkour, which mostly seemed to involve running around like idiots and almost fal ing off the roof. Enrique, Jared, Daniel, and Chad were al playing an elaborate drinking game in the corner. There were a few more guys who hung around sometimes, but this was the core group. She liked them, she real y did. Most of the time. They were boisterous, sure, but they were always very nice to her: getting her drinks, immediately handing her their jackets if she was cold, tel ing her that they had no idea what she saw in a loser like Zander, which was clearly their guy way of declaring how much they loved him and that they were happy he had a girlfriend. She looked over at Zander, who was laughing as he held Tristan in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over the top of Tristan's head. â€Å"Do you give in?† he said, and grunted in surprise as Marcus, whooping joyful y, tackled them both. It would have been easier if there were other girls around that she could get to know. If Marcus (who was very cute in a giant shaggy-haired Sasquatch kind of way) or Spencer (who had the kind of preppy rich-boy elegance that some girls found extremely attractive) had a regular girlfriend, Bonnie would have someone to exchange wry glances with as the guys acted like doofuses. But, even though a girl would occasional y appear clinging to the arm of one of the guys, Bonnie would never see her again after that night. Except for Bonnie, Zander seemed to travel in an almost exclusively masculine world. And, after two days of fol owing the macho parade around town, Bonnie was starting to get sick of it. She missed having girls to talk to. She missed Elena and Meredith, specifical y, even though she was stil mad at them. â€Å"Hey,† she said, making her way over to Zander. â€Å"Want to get out of here for a while?† Zander wrapped his arm around her shoulders. â€Å"Um. Why?† he asked, leaning down to kiss her neck. Bonnie rol ed her eyes. â€Å"It's kind of loud, don't you think? We could go for a nice quiet walk or something.† Zander looked surprised but nodded. â€Å"Sure, whatever you want.† They made their way down the fire escape, fol owed by a few shouts from Zander's friends, who seemed to think he was going on a food run and would shortly return with hot wings and tacos. Once they were a block away from the rooftop party, the noise faded and it was peaceful, except for the distant sound of an occasional car on the roads nearby. Bonnie knew she ought to feel creeped out, walking around at night on campus, but she didn't. Not with Zander's hand in hers. â€Å"This is nice, isn't it?† Bonnie said happily, gazing up at the half moon overhead. â€Å"Yeah,† Zander said, swinging her hand between them. â€Å"You know, I used to go on long walks – runs, real y – with my dad at night. Way out in the country, in the moonlight. I love being outside at night.† â€Å"Aw, that's sweet,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Do you guys stil do that when you're home?† â€Å"No.† Zander hesitated and hunched his shoulders, his hair hanging in his face. Bonnie couldn't read his expression. â€Å"My dad †¦ he died. A while ago.† â€Å"I'm so sorry,† Bonnie said sincerely, squeezing his hand. â€Å"I'm okay,† Zander said, stil staring at his shoes. â€Å"But, y'know, I don't have any brothers or sisters, and the guys have sort of become like a family to me. I know they can be a pain sometimes, but they're real y good guys. And they're important to me.† He glanced at Bonnie out of the corner of his eyes. He looked so apprehensive, Bonnie felt a sharp pang of affection for him. It was sweet that Zander and his friends were so close – that must have been the family stuff he had to deal with the other night. He was loyal, that much she knew. â€Å"Zander,† she said. â€Å"I know they're important to you. I don't want to take you away from your friends, you goof.† She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the mouth. â€Å"Maybe just for an hour or two sometimes, but not for long, I promise.† Zander returned the kiss with enthusiasm, and Bonnie tingled al the way down to her toes. Clinging to each other, they made their way to a bench by the side of the path and sat down to kiss some more. Zander just felt so good under her hands, al sleek muscles and smooth skin, and Bonnie ran her hands across his shoulders, along his arms, down his sides. At her touch, Zander suddenly winced. â€Å"What's the matter?† she said, lifting her head away from his. â€Å"Nothing,† said Zander, reaching for her. â€Å"I was just messing around with the guys, you know. They play rough.† â€Å"Let me see,† Bonnie said, grabbing at the hem of his shirt, half concerned and half wanting to just check out Zander's abs. He had turned out to be surprisingly modest, considering they were sharing a room. Wincing again, he sucked his breath in through his teeth as Bonnie lifted his shirt. She gasped. Zander's whole side was covered with ugly black-and-purple bruises. â€Å"Zander,† Bonnie said horrified, â€Å"these look real y bad. You don't get bruises like that just messing around.† They look like you were fighting for your life – or someone else was, she thought, and pushed away the words. â€Å"They're nothing. Don't worry,† Zander said, tugging his shirt back down. He started to wrap his arms around her again, but Bonnie moved away, feeling vaguely sickened. â€Å"I wish you'd tel me what happened,† she said. â€Å"I did,† Zander said comfortingly. â€Å"You know how crazy those guys get.† It was true, she'd never known guys so rowdy. Zander reached for her again, and this time Bonnie moved closer to him, turning her face up for his kiss. As their lips met, she remembered Zander's saying to her, â€Å"You know me. You see me.† She did know him, Bonnie told herself. She could trust Zander. Across the street, Damon stood in the shadow of a tree, watching Bonnie kiss Zander. He had to admit he felt a little pang, seeing her in the arms of someone else. There was something so sweet about Bonnie, and she was brave and intel igent under that cotton-candy exterior. The witchy angle added a little touch of spice to her, too. He'd always thought of her as his. Then again, didn't the little redbird deserve someone of her own? As much as Damon liked her, he didn't love her, he knew that. Seeing the lanky boy's face light up in response to her smile, he thought maybe this one would. After making out for a few more minutes, Bonnie and Zander stood up and wandered, hand in hand, toward what Damon knew was Zander's dorm. Damon trailed them, keeping to the shadows. He huffed out a breath of self-mocking laughter. I'm getting soft in my old age, he thought. Back in the old days he would have eaten Bonnie without a second thought, and here he was worrying about her love life. Stil , it would be nice if the little redhead could be happy. If her boyfriend wasn't a threat. Damon ful y expected the happy couple to disappear into the dorm together. Instead, Zander kissed Bonnie good-bye and watched as she went inside, then headed back out. Damon fol owed him, keeping hidden, as he went back to the party where they'd been before. A few minutes later, Zander came down again, trailed by his pack of noisy boys. Damon twitched in irritation. God save me from college boys, he thought. They were probably going to gorge themselves on greasy bar food. After a couple of days of watching Zander, he was ready to go back to Elena and report that the boy was guilty of nothing more than being uncouth. Instead of heading toward the nearest bar, though, the boys jogged across campus, quick and determined, as if they had an important destination in mind. Reaching the edge of campus, they headed into the woods. Damon gave them a few seconds and then fol owed. He was good at this, he was a predator, a natural hunter, and so it took him a few minutes of listening, of sending his Power out, of final y just racing through the woods, black branches snapping before him, to realize that Zander and his boys were gone. Final y, Damon stopped and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The woods were silent except for the innocent sound of various woodland creatures going about their business and his own ragged panting. That pack of noisy, obnoxious children had escaped him, disappearing without the slightest trace. He gritted his teeth and tamped down his anger at being evaded, until it was mostly curiosity about how they'd done it. Poor Bonnie, Damon thought as he fastidiously smoothed and adjusted his clothing. One thing was abundantly clear: Zander and his friends weren't entirely human. Stefan twitched. This was al just kind of strange. He was sitting in a velvet-backed chair in a huge underground room, as col ege students roamed around arranging flowers and candles. The room was impressive, Stefan would give them that: cavernous yet elegant. But the little arrangements of flowers seemed chintzy and false somehow, like a stage set in the Vatican. And the black-masked figures lurking in the back of the room, watching, were giving him the jitters. Matt had cal ed him to tel him about some kind of col ege secret society that he'd joined, and that the leader wanted Stefan to join, too. Stefan agreed to meet him and talk about it. He never was much of a joiner, but he liked Matt, and it was something to do. It would take his mind off Elena, he'd thought. Lurking around campus – and it felt like lurking, when he saw Elena, with the way his eyes were irresistibly drawn to her even as he hurried out of sight – he'd watched her. Sometimes she was with Damon. Stefan's fingernails bit into his palms. Consciously relaxing, he turned his attention back to Ethan, who was sitting across a smal table from him. â€Å"The members of the Vitale Society hold a very special place in the world,† he was saying, leaning forward, smiling. â€Å"Only the best of the best can hope to be tapped, and the qualities we look for I think are very Wellexemplified in you, Stefan.† Stefan nodded politely and let his mind drift again. Secret societies were something he actual y knew a little about. Sir Walter Raleigh's School of Night in Elizabethan England wrestled with what was then forbidden knowledge: science and philosophy the church declared out of bounds. Il Carbonari back home in Italy worked to encourage revolt against the government of the various city-states, aiming for a unification of al of Italy. Damon, Stefan knew, toyed with the members of the Hel fire Club in London for a few months in the 1700s, until he got bored with their posturing and childish blasphemy. Al those secret societies, though, had some kind of purpose. Rebel ing against conventional morality, pursuing truth, revolution. Stefan leaned forward. â€Å"Pardon me,† he said politely, â€Å"but what is the point of the Vitale Society?† Ethan paused midspeech to stare at him, then wet his lips. â€Å"Well,† he said slowly, â€Å"the real secrets and rituals of the Society can't be unveiled to outsiders. None of the pledges know our true practices and purposes, not yet. But I can tel you that there are innumerable benefits to being one of us. Travel, adventure, power.† â€Å"None of the pledges know your real purpose?† Stefan asked. His natural inclination to stay away was becoming more resolute. â€Å"Why don't you wear a mask like the others?† Ethan looked surprised. â€Å"I'm the face of the Vitale for the pledges,† he said simply. â€Å"They'l need someone they know to guide them.† Stefan made up his mind. He didn't want to be guided. â€Å"I apologize, Ethan,† he said formal y, â€Å"but I don't think I would be an appropriate candidate for your organization. I appreciate the invitation.† He started to rise. â€Å"Wait,† said Ethan. His eyes were wide and golden and had a hungry, eager expression in them. â€Å"Wait,† he said, licking his lips again. â€Å"We †¦ we have a copy of Pico del a Mirandola's De hominis dignitate.† He stumbled over the words as if he didn't quite know what they were. â€Å"An old one, from Florence, a first edition. You'd get to read it. You could have it if you wanted.† Stefan stiffened. He had studied Mirandola's work on reason and philosophy with enthusiasm back when he was stil alive, when he was a young man preparing for the university. He had a sudden visceral longing to feel the old leather and parchment, see the blocky type from the first days of the printing press, so much more right somehow than the modern computer-set books. There was no way Ethan should have known to offer him that specific book. His eyes narrowed. â€Å"What makes you think I'd want that?† he hissed, leaning across the table toward Ethan. He could feel Power surging through him, fueled by his rage, but Ethan wouldn't meet his eyes. â€Å"I †¦ you told me you like old books, Stefan,† he said, and gave a little false laugh, gazing down at the tabletop. â€Å"I thought you would be interested.† â€Å"No, thank you,† Stefan said, low and angry. He couldn't force Ethan to look him in the eye, not with al these people around, so after a moment, he stood. â€Å"I refuse your offer,† he told Ethan shortly. â€Å"Good-bye.† He walked to the door without looking back, holding himself straight and tal . He glanced at Matt, who was talking to another student, as he reached the door and, when Matt met his eyes, gave him a shrug and a shake of the head, trying to telegraph an apology. Matt nodded, disappointed but not arguing. No one tried to stop Stefan as he left the room. But he had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was something wrong here. He didn't know enough to dissuade Matt from joining, but he decided to keep tabs on the Vitale Society. As he shut the door behind him, he could sense Ethan watching him.