Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 25

~Part III Hunters Chapter 25 All Dressed Up Tommy stormed around the loft collecting beer cans and breakfast plates and carrying them to the kitchen. â€Å"Bitch!† he said to Peary. â€Å"Shark-faced bitch. It's not like I have any experience at this. It's not like there's Cosmo articles on how to take care of a vampire. Bloodsucking, day-sleeping, turtle-hating, creepy-crawling, no-toilet-paper-buying, inconsiderate bitch!† He slammed an armload of dishes into the sink. â€Å"I didn't ask for this. A few friends come over for breakfast and she goes bat-shit. Did I make a fuss when her mother came over with no notice? Did I say a word when she brought a dead guy home and shoved him under the bed? No offense, Peary. Do I complain about her weird hours? Her eating habits? No, I haven't said a word.† â€Å"It's not like I came to the City saying, ‘Oh, I can't wait to find a woman whose only joy in life is sucking out my bodily fluids. Okay, well, maybe I did, but I didn't mean this.† Tommy tied up a trash bag full of beer cans and threw it in the corner. The crash reverberated through his head, reminding him of his hangover. He cradled his throbbing temples and went to the bathroom, where he heaved until he thought his stomach would turn inside out. He pushed himself up from the bowl and wiped his eyes. Two snapping turtles regarded him from the tub. â€Å"What are you guys looking at?† Scott's jaw dropped open and he hissed. Zelda ducked under the foot of fouled water and swam against the corner of the tub. â€Å"I need a shower. You guys are going to have to roam around for a while.† Tommy found a towel and wrestled the turtles out of the tub, then stepped in and ran the shower until the water went cold. As he dressed he watched Scott and Zelda wandering around the bedroom, bumping into walls, then backing up and slumping off until they hit another wall. â€Å"You guys are miserable here, aren't you? No one appreciates you? Well, it doesn't look like Jody's going to use you. Whoever heard of a vampire with a weak stomach? There's no reason for all of us to be miserable.† Tommy had been using the milk crates he'd carried Scott and Zelda in as laundry baskets. He dumped the dirty laundry on the floor and lined the crates with damp towels. â€Å"Let's go, guys. We're going to the park.† He put Scott in a crate and carried him down the steps to the sidewalk. Then went back up for Zelda and called a cab. When he returned to the street, one of the biker/sculptors was standing outside of the foundry, blotting sweat out of his beard with a bandanna. â€Å"You live upstairs, right?† The sculptor was about thirty-five, long-haired and bearded, wearing grimy jeans and a denim vest with no shirt. His beer belly protruded from the vest and hung over his belt like a great hairy bag of pudding. â€Å"Yeah, I'm Tom Flood.† Tommy set the crate on the sidewalk and offered his hand. The sculptor clamped down on it until Tommy winced with pain. â€Å"I'm Frank. My partner's Monk. He's inside.† â€Å"Monk?† â€Å"Short for Monkey. We work in brass.† Tommy massaged his crushed hand. â€Å"I don't get it.† â€Å"Balls on a brass monkey.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said, nodding as if he understood. â€Å"What's with the turtles?† Frank asked. â€Å"Pets,† Tommy said. â€Å"They're getting too big for our place, so I'm going to take a cab over to Golden Gate Park and let them go in the pond.† â€Å"That why your old lady left all pissed off?† â€Å"Yeah, she doesn't want them in the house anymore.† â€Å"Fucking women,† Frank said in sympathy. â€Å"My last old lady was always on me about keeping my scooter in the living room. I still have the scooter.† Obviously, in Frank's eyes, Tommy should be carrying Jody out in a crate. Frank thought he was a wimp. â€Å"No big deal,† Tommy said with a shrug, â€Å"they were hers. I don't really care.† â€Å"I could use a couple of turtles, if you want to save cab fare.† â€Å"Really?† Tommy hadn't relished the idea of loading the crates into a cab anyway. â€Å"You wouldn't eat them, would you? I mean, I don't care, but – â€Å" â€Å"No fucking way, man.† A blue cab pulled up and stopped. Tommy signaled to the driver, then turned back to Frank. â€Å"I've been feeding them hamburger.† â€Å"Cool,† Frank said. â€Å"I'm on it.† â€Å"I have to go.† Tommy opened the cab door and looked back at Frank. â€Å"Can I visit them?† â€Å"Anytime,† Frank said. â€Å"Later.† He bent and picked up the crate containing Zelda. Tommy got in the cab. â€Å"Marina Safeway,† he said. He would be a couple of hours early for work, but he didn't want to stay at the loft and risk another tirade if Jody returned. He could kill the time reading or something. As the cab pulled away he looked out the back window and watched Frank carrying the second crate inside. Tommy felt as if he had just abandoned his children. Jody thought, I guess not everything changed when I changed. Without realizing how she got there, Jody found herself at Macy's in Union Square. It was as if some instinctual navigator, activated by conflict with men, had guided her there. A dozen times in the past she had found herself here, arriving with a purse full of tear-smeared Kleenex and a handful of credit cards tilted toward their limit. It was a common, and very human, response. She spotted other women doing the same thing: flipping through racks, testing fabrics, checking prices, fighting back tears and anger, and actually believing salespeople who told them that they looked stunning. Jody wondered if department stores knew what percentage of their profits came from domestic unrest. As she passed a display of indecently expensive cosmetics, she spotted a sign that read: â€Å"Melange Youth Cream – Because he'll never understand why you're worth it.† Yep, they knew. The righteous and the wronged shall find solace in a sale at Macy's. It was two weeks until Christmas and the stores in Union Square were staying open late into the evening. Tinsel and lights were festooned across every aisle, and every item not marked for sale was decorated with fake evergreen, red and green ribbon, and various plastic approximations of snow. Droves of package-laden shoppers trudged through the aisles like the chorus line of the cheerful, sleigh-bell version of the Bataan Death March, ever careful to keep moving lest some ambitious window dresser mistake them for mannequins and spray them down with aerosol snow. Jody watched the heat trails of the lights, breathed deep the aroma of fudge and candy and a thousand mingled colognes and deodorants, listened to the whir of the motors that animated electric elves and reindeer under the cloak of Muzak-mellowed Christmas carols – and she liked it. Christmas is better as a vampire, she thought. The crowds used to bother her, but now they seemed like†¦ like cattle: harmless and unaware. To her predator side, even the women wearing fur, who used to grate on her nerves, seemed not only harmless, but even enlightened in this heightened sensual world. I'd like to roll naked on mink, she thought. She frowned to herself. Not with Tommy, though. Not for a while, anyway. She found herself scanning the crowds, looking for the dark aura that betrayed the dying-prey – then caught herself and shivered. She looked over their heads, like an elevator rider avoiding eye contact, and the gleam of black caught her eye. It was a cocktail dress, minimally displayed on an emaciated Venus de Milo mannequin in a Santa hat. The LBD, Little Black Dress: the fashion equivalent of nuclear weapons; public lingerie; effective not because of what it was, but what it wasn't. You had to have the legs and the body to wear an LBD. Jody did. But you also had to have the confidence, and that she'd never been able to muster. Jody looked down at her jeans and sweatshirt, then at the dress, then at her tennis shoes. She pushed her way through the crowd to the dress. A rotund, tastefully dressed saleswoman approached Jody from behind. â€Å"May I help you?† Jody's gaze was trained on the dress as if it were the Star of Bethlehem and she was overstocked with frankincense and myrrh. â€Å"I need to see that dress in a three.† â€Å"Very good,† the woman said. â€Å"I'll bring you a five and a seven as well.† Jody looked at the woman for the first time and saw the woman looking at her sweatshirt as if it would sprout tentacles and strangle her at any moment. â€Å"A three will be fine,† Jody said. â€Å"A three might be a bit snug,† the woman said. â€Å"That's the idea,† Jody said. She smiled politely, imagining herself snatching out handfuls of the woman's tastefully tinted hair. â€Å"Now let's get the item number off of that,† the woman said, making a show of holding the tag so that Jody could see the price. She sneaked a look for Jody's reaction. â€Å"He's paying,† Jody said, just to be irritating. â€Å"It's a gift.† â€Å"Oh, how nice,† the woman said, trying to brighten, but obviously disgusted. Jody understood. Six months ago she would have hated the kind of woman she was pretending to be. The woman said, â€Å"This will be lovely for holiday parties.† â€Å"Actually, it's for a funeral.† Jody couldn't remember having this much fun while shopping. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry.† The woman looked apologetic and held her hands to her heart in sympathy. â€Å"It's okay; I didn't know the deceased very well.† â€Å"I see,† the woman said. Jody lowered her eyes. â€Å"His wife,† she said. â€Å"I'll get the dress,† the woman said, turning and hurrying away. Tommy had only been in the Safeway once before when it was still open: the day he applied for the job. Now it seemed entirely too active and entirely too quiet without the Stones or Pearl Jam blasting over the speakers. He felt that his territory had been somehow violated by strangers. He resented the customers who ruined the Animals' work by taking things off the shelves. As he passed the office he nodded to the manager and headed to the breakroom to kill time until it was time to go to work. The breakroom was a windowless room behind the meat department, furnished with molded plastic chairs, a Formica folding table, a coffee machine, and a variety of safety posters. Tommy brushed some crumbs off a chair, found a coffee-stained Reader's Digest under an opened package of stale bear claws, and sat down to read and sulk. He read: â€Å"A Bear's Got Mom!: Drama in Real Life† and â€Å"I Am Joe's Duodenum†; and he was beginning to feel a pull toward the bathroom and the Midwest, both things he associated with Reader's Digest, when he flipped to an article entitled: â€Å"Bats: Our Wild and Wacky Winged Friends† and felt his duodenum quiver with interest. Someone entered the breakroom, and without looking up, Tommy said, â€Å"Did you know that if the brown bat fed on humans instead of insects, that one bat could eat the entire population of Minneapolis in one night?† â€Å"I didn't know that,† said a woman's voice. Tommy looked up from the magazine to see the new cashier, Mara, pulling a chair out from the table. She was tall and a little thin, but large-breasted: a blue-eyed blonde of about twenty. Tommy had been expecting one of the box boys and he stared at her for a second while he changed gears. â€Å"Oh, hi. I'm Tom Flood. I'm on the night crew.† â€Å"I've seen you,† she said. â€Å"I'm Mara. I'm new.† Tommy smiled. â€Å"Nice to meet you. I came in a little early to catch up on some paperwork.† â€Å"Reader's Digest?† She raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh, this? No, I don't normally read it. I just spotted this article on bats and decided to check it out. They're our wild and wacky winged friends, you know?† He looked at the page as if to confirm his interest. â€Å"For instance, did you know that the vampire bat is the only mammal that has been successfully frozen and thawed out alive?† â€Å"I'm sorry, bats give me the creeps.† â€Å"Me too,† Tommy said, throwing the magazine aside. â€Å"Do you read?† â€Å"I've been reading the Beats. I just moved here and I want to get a feeling for the City's literature.† â€Å"You're kidding. I've only been here a few months myself. It's a great city.† â€Å"I haven't had a chance to look around much. Moving and everything. I left a bad situation back home and I've been trying to adjust.† She didn't look at him when she talked. Tommy assumed at first that it was because she found him disgusting, but after studying her he realized that she was just shy. â€Å"Have you been to North Beach? The Beats all lived there in the fifties.† â€Å"No, I don't know my way around yet.† â€Å"Oh, you have to go to City Lights Books, and Enrico's. And the bars up there all have pictures of Kerouac and Ginsberg on the walls. You can almost hear the jazz playing.† Mara finally looked up at him and smiled. â€Å"You're interested in the Beats?† Her eyes were wide, bright, and crystal-blue. He liked her. â€Å"I'm a writer,† Tommy said. It was his turn to look away. â€Å"I mean, I want to be a writer. I used to live in Chinatown, it's right next to North Beach.† â€Å"Maybe you could give me directions to some of the hot spots.† â€Å"I could show you,† Tommy said. As soon as he said it he wanted to retract the offer. Jody would kill him. â€Å"That would be wonderful, if you wouldn't mind. I don't know anyone in the City except the other cashiers, and they all have home lives.† Tommy was confused. The manager had said that she had recently lost a child. He assumed that she was married. He didn't want it to appear that he was trying to make a move on her. He didn't really want to make a move on her. But if he were still single, unattached†¦ No, Jody wouldn't understand. Having never had a girlfriend before, he'd never been tempted to stray. He had no idea how to deal with it. He said, â€Å"I could show you and your husband around a little and the two of you could have a night on the town.† â€Å"I'm divorced,† Mara said. â€Å"I wasn't married very long.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Tommy said. Mara shook her head as if to dismiss his sympathy. â€Å"It's a short story. I got pregnant and we got married. The baby died and he left.† She said it without feeling, as if she had distanced herself emotionally from the experience – as if it had happened to someone else. â€Å"I'm trying to make a new start.† She checked her watch. â€Å"I'd better get back up front. I'll see you.† She stood and started to leave the room. â€Å"Mara,† Tommy called and she turned. â€Å"I'd love to show you around if you'd like.† â€Å"I'd like that. Thanks. I'm working days for the rest of the week.† â€Å"No problem,† Tommy said. â€Å"How about tomorrow night? I don't have a car, but we can meet in North Beach at Enrico's if you want.† â€Å"Write down the address.† She took a slip of paper and a pen from her purse and handed it to him. He scribbled the address and handed it back to her. â€Å"What time?† she asked. â€Å"Seven, I guess.† â€Å"Seven it is,† she said, and left the breakroom. Tommy thought: I'm a dead man. Jody turned in front of the mirror, admiring the way the LED fit. It was cut down to the small of her back and had a neckline that plunged to the sternum, but was held together at her cleavage with a transparent black mesh. The saleswoman stood beside her, frowning, holding larger sizes of the same dress. â€Å"Are you sure you don't want to try the five, dear?† Jody said, â€Å"No, this one is fine. I'll need some sheer black nylons to go with it.† The saleswoman fought down a grimace and managed a professional smile. â€Å"And do you have shoes to match?† â€Å"Suggestions?† Jody asked, not looking away from her reflection. She thought, I wouldn't have been caught dead in something like this a few months ago. Oh hell, I'm caught dead in everything now. Jody laughed at the thought and the saleswoman took it personally and dropped her polite smile. An edge of disgust in her voice, she said, â€Å"I suppose you could complete the look with a pair of Italian fuck-me pumps and some maroon lipstick.† Jody turned to the dowdy woman and gave her a knowing smile. â€Å"You've done this before, haven't you?† After a visit to the shoe department, Jody found herself at the cosmetics counter where an ebullient gay man talked her into â€Å"doing her colors† on the computer. He stared at the screen in disbelief. â€Å"Oh my goodness. This is exciting.† â€Å"What?† Jody said impatiently. She just wanted to buy some lipstick and get out. She'd satisfied her shopping Jones by reducing the woman in evening wear to tears. â€Å"You're my first winter,† said Maurice. (His name was Maurice; it said so on his badge.) â€Å"You know, I've done a thousand autumns, and I get springs out the yin-yang, but a winter†¦ We are going to have fun!† Maurice began piling samples of eye shadow, lipstick, mascara, and powder on the counter next to the winter color palette. He opened a tube of mascara and held it next to Jody's face. â€Å"This one's called Elm Blight, it approximates the color of dead trees in the snow. It complements your eyes wonderfully. Go ahead, dear, try it.† While Jody brushed the mascara onto her lashes, using the magnifying mirror on the counter, Maurice read from the Winter Woman's profile. â€Å"‘The Winter Woman is as wild as a blizzard, as fresh as new snow. While some see her as cold, she has a fiery heart under that ice-queen exterior. She likes the stark simplicity of Japanese art and the daring complexity of Russian literature. She prefers sharp to flowing lines, brooding to pouting, and rock and roll to country and western. Her drink is vodka, her car is German, her analgesic is Advil. The Winter Woman likes her men weak and her coffee strong. She is prone to anemia, hysteria, and suicide. † Maurice stepped back from the counter and took a deep bow, as if he had just finished a dramatic reading. Jody looked up from the mirror and blinked, the lashes on her right eye describing a starlike Clockwork Orange pattern against her pale skin. â€Å"They can tell all of that from my coloring?† Maurice nodded and brandished a sable brush. â€Å"Here, dear, let's try some of this blush to bring up those cheekbones. It's called American Rust, it emulates the color of a 63 Rambler that has been driven on salted roads. Very winter.† Jody leaned on the counter to allow Maurice access to her cheeks. A half hour later she looked in the mirror, rotated now to the non-magnified side, and pursed her lips. For the first time she really looked like a vampire. â€Å"I wish we had a camera,† Maurice gushed. â€Å"You are a winter masterpiece.† He handed her a small bag filled with cosmetics. â€Å"That will be three hundred dollars.† Jody paid him. â€Å"Is there somewhere I can change? I'd like to see how I look with my new outfit.† Maurice pointed across the store. â€Å"There's a changing room over there. And don't forget your free gift, dear, the Needless Notions Lotion Collection, a fifty-dollar value.† Maurice held up a plastic faux-Gucci gym bag full of bottles. â€Å"Thanks.† Jody took the bag and sulked off toward the changing room. Halfway across the store she picked up the sound of the dowdy saleswoman from evening wear and turned to see her talking to Maurice. Jody focused and could hear what they were saying over the crowd and Christmas Muzak. â€Å"How did it go?† asked the woman. Maurice grinned. â€Å"She went away looking like a Donner Party Barbie.† The woman and Maurice exchanged a gleeful high five. Bitches, Jody thought.

Aggression and gender on sports and exercise psychology

Aggression in sports can be looked at from different perspectives like hostile aggression or violence which is intended to harm someone or psychologically, or instrumental aggression with a goal twin and not to harm and assertive aggression which is a legitimate force with no intent to harm.In some cases sports and exercises are seen as means of controlling aggression in the society. Some argue that sport allows someone to pen up their aggression in an assertive manner. This notion however creates an argument on whether violence in the society is controlled by sports or it’s the sports that facilitate more violence (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).Various theories can be used to explain the nature of aggression in sports and exercises: the instinct/ biological theory which is bent on people are born aggressive which is not believed anymore, the frustration drive theory where one commits an act of aggression as a release, the revised frustration concept which determines if one will rep eat that behaviour for example, the reaction of a coach toward your aggressive behaviour and social learning theory which involves reinforcement and influence and repeating actions that one sees in sports (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).There are various factors that promote aggression in sports and exercise like heat when temperature exceeds the optimal, loud noise and crowding like when riots occur. Psychological factors like low scoring sports and alcohol which can impair the judgement and induce violence.Other key factors include sociological factors like hooliganism and the media. Sport related factors like point spread, playing at home or away, a win or a loss and the standings of the game or sport (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).Aggressive acts are highly motivated, have tremendous release of physical energy and people not afraid of failure or getting hurt. Acts of aggression take place when official appear biased in low scoring games, fans unrealistic expectations of the team, early fouli ng game, player frustration, strong fan attachment to teams, where standings or records are highly different, losing, pain, embarrassment and playing poorly or unusual excitement when one cannot calm (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).There are various recommendations to reduce aggression in sports. The management should deal with alcohol at sporting events, choose calmer colors and make sports events family oriented. The media can help people approach sports in a more humanistic way.Coaches should promote sportsmanship while the officials need to be objective and change the rules of punishments. Players and fans should have individual responsibility (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).On the gender aspect the tendency for men to manifest a higher level of aggressiveness than men is quite evident. In connection to that men perceive aggression in sports to be more legitimate than men. In most cases in sports that are considered male oriented men display more aggression.Generally women tend to be less inv olved in violent or aggressive sports and exercises. Sports whose officials are female also tend to record less cases of aggression than those officiated by men. Again in most games gender has displayed impacts on instrumental aggression because men display more instrumental aggressive acts than females especially in those games are masculine characteristic (Weinberg, & Gould 2007).In other studies men have displayed more stereotypes in officiating than women, for example they tend to penalize women more than men especially in the male dominated sports.In conclusion aggression and gender greatly influence sports and exercise psychology. Gender also influences aggression in some sports.

Writing Assignment - Model in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment - Model in Action - Essay Example Trinity College of Management was in the process of formulating a business proposal to attract funds from a funding agency. The project was the continuation of a public welfare program.. However the College fell short on the target of the number of beneficiaries in the previous year’s implementation. Though this short fall was quantitatively less, it was limiting the chance of the college getting continued funds. The ethical decision making process involved in the scenario was the analysis of the alternatives proposed to solve the problem. Three alternates were suggested, of which the first was to have relentless efforts in order to achieve the shortfall in the number of beneficiaries by the time the proposal was submitted. Another possible option was to hype figures in the proposal than the actual achievements and the last alternative was to keep the proposal going with the actual figures. These alternates were evaluated in the ethical decision making process. Though no ethical issue was realized in the first and the third alternatives, the suggestion to hype the figures involved an ethical issue and had to be evaluated for its intensity. The hype in the number of beneficiaries was found to be miniscule in comparison with the total achievement and the total cost involved. The moral cause of the project was not affected hugely due to the shortfall and thus the hype was found not to be a major ethical concern. The individual factors for alternative evaluation include Quantitative factors and Qualitative factors. (Nair & Oommen, 1994).The proposal for the trial to achieve the shortfall failed in this evaluation process as the quantitative factor of operational cost for its implementation could not be afforded. A minor qualitative factor of the inter-organizational relationships was realized in the second option but the success of the project implementation and the resultant improvisation in the relationships with the

The heart of darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The heart of darkness - Essay Example As for the â€Å"Financial Crisis Inquiry Report,† it examines the roots of America’s financial crisis. Kurtz and the people involved in the financial crisis underwent a process of dehumanization, because the power of capitalism and imperialism consumed them and turned their hearts into a dark shade of greed and arrogance. Kurtz loses his humanity, because capitalism and imperialism provided him with God-like powers. His main purpose was to deliver the goods back to the company through leading the natives. Marlow hates the â€Å"physical† and material foundations of imperialism: â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look at it too much† (Conrad 69). But Kurtz found imperialism appealing, because he had self-interests to look after. In the story, Kurtz has changed from a simple human being into a savage beast. He y earned for the best and the most number of ivories, since he wanted to become rich and be fitting for his â€Å"Intended.† His economic goals became political, as the hunt for ivories turned into a power game.

Techniques in the Management of Dyspnea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Techniques in the Management of Dyspnea - Essay Example It is a generally stressful experience and can cause limitations in one’s functions and activities. When patients’ conditions deteriorate then the dyspnoea can also get worse. In effect, the more that they would be exposed to the risk factors associated with the condition, the more that they are likely to experience dyspnoea. This paper shall seek to establish the different techniques by which dyspnoea can be managed or treated. This paper is being carried out in order to arrive at a comprehensive and scholarly discussion on the subject matter. Physiology of dyspnoea In considering the physiology of dyspnoea, this is a condition which can arise from respiratory diseases which present in various abnormalities inside the afferent pathways, the efferent pathways, or the central control centres of the respiratory system (Irwin, et.al., 1997, p. 5). Dyspnoea is said to be caused by the interruption of the relationship between the force produced by the respiratory muscles and the consequence change in the muscle length (Weisman, et.al., 2002, p. 92). Based on the Thoracic society, the respiratory output is caused by the respiratory neurons during automatic reflex breathing. Corollary discharges play a role in respiratory effort and can sometimes cause dyspnoea. The mechanical receptors in the joints and muscles of the chest are also programmed to send signals to the brain. According to Altose, et.al., (1989, p. 145) vibrations during inspiration activates these receptors which can change dyspnoea scores among COPD patients. From the above possible physiological pathways, feelings of dyspnoea may manifest. Now, different techniques on the management and treatment of dyspnoea shall be discussed. Techniques in the management of dyspnoea Symptomatic management The first step in the management of dyspnoea is its symptomatic management. Dyspnoea is one of those symptoms which need fast and efficient management. Failing to immediately manage it can lead to str ess, anxiety, loss of consciousness, angina, and other serious conditions. The symptomatic management can either be through the implementation of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Treatment of dyspnoea The treatment of dyspnoea was considered in a study by Sassi-Dambron, et.al. (1995). The authors carried out a randomized clinical trial in order to establish a pulmonary program focusing on coping strategies for dyspnoea without exercise training. About 89 patients with COPD were enrolled in the study. These respondents were assigned to either a pulmonary rehabilitation treatment or general health education groups. The pulmonary training involved progressive muscle relaxation, breathing retraining, pacing, self-talk, and panic control (Sassi-Dambron, et.al., 1995). The study involved tests of 6-minutes walking distance, quality of well-being, psychological function, and dyspnoea measures at baseline, after treatment, and 6 months after treatment. After the 6-week tre atment, the study was able to establish that there was no difference seen in the control and in the test group in the different variables used to measure dyspnoea (Sassi-Dambron, et.al., 1995). This study implied that even with the application of dyspnoea management strategies, the lack of exercise training would still produce a negative outcome for the patient in terms of dyspnoea release. It is therefore important to consider a

Cleaning and Maintenance of Capital Kitchen Equipment Assignment

Cleaning and Maintenance of Capital Kitchen Equipment - Assignment Example In our discussion, we shall consider dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, ranges/cookers and ventilation equipment. We shall further look at how best we can maintain the equipment to ensure they retain quality. Imagine washing 1,000 dishes manually. A lot of time will be spent scrubbing the dishes, which leads to fatigue. You may have to employ the services of more than one person. You will need plenty of soap. If in a busy setting, such as hotels with a large turnover of the customers, it may end up being a major expense. Many people with such needs end up acquiring a dishwasher. Unlike manual cleaning, a one-time purchase makes the cleaning more efficient. A dishwasher is mechanical and cleans many dishes at once. It uses electric energy. It has rotating sprays of hot water that clean the oily and greasy dishes. Detergent and water is sprayed at first to clean them, after which it is drained and clean water sprayed to rinse them. A heating element in the washer is then used to dry th e dishes (Sforza, 2014). Ovens are heat-insulated machines that can achieve very high degrees of heat. They are used in both a domestic and a commercial and industrial setting. In a domestic setting, they are machines used for cooking. They can also be used to heat the house, bake and even dry some materials. In a commercial setting, ovens are used for large-scale baking, pottery, metalwork, amongst other activities involving a lot of heat but have to be customized for these duties (Sforza, 2014).

Trading Simulation Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trading Simulation Report - Essay Example A portfolio once built and left alone is of no use. Hence, I have decided to carry out a trading simulation and an in depth analysis of the four companies that have been chosen by me. As all four of these companies provide different products and services, it is almost obvious that different returns are expected from each of these companies. Although the portfolio had been developed keeping in mind mainly the long term aspects but analysing it a short term may give us an insight about the future. The four companies that had been considered, along with an introduction and a summary of their latest performance, are: Johnson & Johnson Pfizer Exxon Mobil Walmart Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson is a multinational U.S based company. It was founded in 1886. It deals in pharmaceutics, medical devices along with the manufacturing of consumer packaged goods. Johnson & Johnson comprises of One of the world’s biggest and diversified medical devices company The 6th biggest company with respect to biologics and also with respect to consumer health. Ranked 8th with respect to the world’s biggest pharmaceutics company The headquarters of Johnson & Johnson is situated in New Brunswick, which is in New Jersey USA. The Johnson & Johnson family includes around about 275 operating companies around the globe. Johnson & Johnson employees around about one hundred and twenty eight thousand people in more than sixty countries. Pfizer Pfizer was founded in 1849. Its founding members included two cousins, namely, Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart. Pfizer is the biggest pharmaceutical company with respect to the revenue it generates. Its headquarters in based in New York, USA while the headquarters of its research program is in Connecticut, USA. Although it has many research facilities around. Pfizer has acquired many renown and established pharmaceuticals on its way to success. The companies acquired include Pharmacia and Wyeth. The latter at its time, 2009, was considere d as the biggest merger since the Bellsouth and AT& T in 2006. Exxon Mobil Exxon Mobil is a Multinational oil and gas company based in USA. Its headquarters is in Irving, Texas. Exxon Mobil was actually formed through merger of Exxon and Mobil in1999. Exxon Mobil is believed to the world’s biggest traded company publicly in the field of Oil and Gas. Walmart The home office of Walmart is situated at 702 SW 8th Street Bentonville. Walmart is a multinational retail company. It basically operates through warehouses and departmental stores. It has around about 10,800 stores across 27 countries. It also operates through websites in 10 countries. It employees above two million people worldwide and is considered as the largest employees recruiting worldwide. It is also estimated that around about 245 million people visit its outlets worldwide on a weekly base. The company was founded in 1962 and is now the largest retailer of USA. Recent Performance According to the first quarter rep orts 2013 of Pfizer Profit of Pfizer has seen an increase of about 53%, that is, an increase from 1.78 billion dollars to 2.75 billion dollars a year before. Earnings per share experienced an increase of 14 cent from a year ago, that is, from 24 cents to 38 cents Adjusted earnings saw a decrease of 3 cents as compared to a year

Reflective paper in PALLIATIVE CARE 260 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective paper in PALLIATIVE CARE 260 - Essay Example The pain that the patient was going through usually brought in him feelings of depression and hopelessness, especially with the realization that chances of survival were slim. The patient had decided to make an end of life plan in the last 6 months of the 45th year, which doctors had assured him would not end before he died. For sure, he died in the 5th month. The end of life plans included a will, which he gave me to give his son after he completed high school. To him, I was more understanding than his 16 year old son who had lost his mother in a tragic road accident. He was the only child in the family and my uncle felt that he could be spoiled if he was exposed to the wealth before completion of his final year in high school. Care was provided for the patient to improve his quality of life and also ensure that it would be prolonged to last at least six months from the date that the doctors diagnosed him with terminal illness. Counselors from the local health center used to visit the patient’s home once per week to comfort him regarding the possibility of his life being prolonged despite the illness. Sometimes the local preacher who worked hand in hand with the healthcare professionals would accompany them to provide spiritual nourishment to the patient. The patient used to sigh with relief every time the group visited the home. He asserted that he felt taken care of and never suffered from rejection. The care that he received was similar to the palliative care that Lee et al. (2002) argued is significant for a society that has value for its members. According to him, people need to be encouraged even if it is known that there are slim chances for survival. The trauma of being aware that the day of dying is nearing may lead to stress and fear especially during the night when everybody else retires to sleep. Loneliness engulfs the ailing person and the fact that the exact time he/she will die is not known generates anxiety and feelings of

The Case of Cross-Border Chemicals Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The of Cross-Border Chemicals - Case Study Example g weakness in the NAIOS treaty, and so the governments of Rantania, Aldor, and Pell put forward drafting a regional treaty on vital environmental concerns in this meeting. The biggest environmental issues involve pollution, protection of the endangered Red Crane, health and environmental effects of TCP, and food security. The issues are spread across all the states, with each state being affected with one or more of the issues. However, it is expected that all the issues will be resolved upon drafting and implementing the regional environmental treaty Firstly, the treaty will develop mechanisms and parameters that will define the boundaries that must not be crossed when it comes to these environmental issues. For instance, the use of TCP is beneficial to farmers because it increases yield, but excessive use will be curbed as much as possible. The treaty will define the boundaries and limits which when breached will call for appropriate action against the violators. Secondly, the treaty will define the course of action to be followed whenever the treaty’s terms are violated. For instance, what kind of measures will be taken against violators, and the procedures involved in adopting such measures. Finally, the treaty will define and explicitly state how future environmental issues will be addressed. It is important to note that this treaty is intended to solve current and future issues, and therefore will be dynamic and

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Management - Essay Example All these factors are not driven on product and service quality but, also on how to achieve them, so it does not entails the latter two but also quality assurance and control of the process in addition to the end product for an overall even and good quality. Contrary to the other software development, which can be termed in many different ways good examples, are software application development, software design, platform development, and many others. However, all said it is the development of a software product, they may include research in development of new designs, photo typing, reuse modification, maintenance, and re-engineering of result oriented software products. By trying to define it, we can say it is a structure driven on development of a software product. Then in trying to understand the two first, let us look at the former software development projects. There are different approaches of software development. Nevertheless, all this approaches share a common understanding a nd towards the following laid down processes: analysis of the problem, a market research on the problem, coming up with requirements for the proposed business solution. There is also generating a planned design for the solution based on the software, implementation of the software, a test drive for the software, use of the software in the market and lastly maintenance and fixing of any abnormalities in its use (Brooks 2005). Software development project are projects just like any other and to relate them to quality management one has to simplify the and try to understand them that way as to have a clear understanding of the two of them .quality management can be a big element too a smooth running of a software development project. Through quality management, a software development project is derived. for one to come up with a workable and profitable project one has to use and implement the workability’s and elements of quality management for this reasons we have to look at th e ways and elements of quality management to understand the similarities, success and failures of software development projects as it is as any other project in quality management. There are certain elements that are adhered to in quality management that are essential and vital to project control these are; organization structure, responsibilities, data management, processes including purchasing’ resources natural and human resources, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, product quality, maintenances, sustainability and transparency. All this factor has to be incorporated in system development project for it is to be viable (Brooks 2005). For a viable system, quality system adhere to certain elements that are co related and brings out a good relationship between the two that is quality management and system development success these are personnel training and qualification; control of product design, documentation, product design and its purchasing power, product id entification, traceability at all stages of production. Process of controlling and defining the production both the systems and the product at the same time in this scenario. The production software, inspection should be defined and controlled and ensuring the test equipments is measured to standard. There is need for process validation, acceptance of products, reduction, and control of

Project Work Essay Example for Free

Project Work Essay Hindus around the world will observe the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with special prayers, meditation, devotional songs, and religious discourses on January 12, 2013. Swamijis birthday is also celebrated as Indias National Youth Day that is commemorated with processions, youth conventions, seminars, yoga, sports, and other cultural activities. To mark Swami Vivekananda 150th birth anniversary year (January 2013-January 2014) many organizations are gearing up to celebrate the event along with millions of devotees of the Swami across of the world. The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission have already taken up a number of important service projects which were dear to Swami Vivekananda. These projects include integrated child development, empowerment of women, and alleviating poverty. Besides, the Mission will produce films and distribute books on the message of Swami Vivekananda to various libraries and will hold national and international seminars in various places on Swami Vivekanandas contribution to Indian and international cultures. The RK Math and Mission will do a live telecast of the celebrations which will be held at its Headquarters Belur Math in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. It has launched a special commemorative website that aims to provide a glimpse into the various facets of the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The Malaysian government also released a commemorative postal stamp to mark the occasion last year. A variety of activities is in the offing to commemorate Swamiji’s immense contribution to the making of India as a nation. The occasion: the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Gopalkrishna Gandhi is a former Governor of West Bengal. His tribute was commissioned by The Hindu on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda (12 January 2013) was celebrated all over India and in different countries of the world. Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Year-long events and programs were organised by different branches of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, central government and different state governments of India, education institutions, youth groups etc. Bengali film director Tutu (Utpal) Sinha made a film- â€Å"The Light: Swami Vivekananda†, as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. In 2011 Malaysian government introduced a postal stamp to mark the occasion. Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The Union Human Resources and Development Ministry and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) of India asked all schools to celebrate birth anniversary of Vivekananda in schools to renew the interests of school children in the works and ideals of Vivekananda. A senior CBSE educational official told in statement– The NCERT officials said that the council is preparing a supplementary book containing the thoughts of 15 great thinkers of India. The expert committee for textbook development will endeavour to include names not included so far, subject to the load of syllabus and textbook material on children, remaining within acceptable limits. Political parties of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka venerated Vivekananda at different functions and events across the city. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the life and teachings of Vivekananda has been a great inspiration to her and she considers Vivekananda as her political teacher. She sanctioned a fund of 20 million (US $370,000) on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government for the welfare of Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the state. In 2012, a 3-day World Congress of Religions conference was organised by the Institute of World Religions of the Washington Kali Temple, Burtonsville, Maryland, in association with the Council for A Parliament of World Religions, Chicago, Illinois to commemorate birthday of Swami Vivekananda. The event commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of India’s visionary monk, Swami Vivekananda, who addressed the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago in September 1893, passionately calling for both tolerance and universal acceptance as a path to eliminate the evils of sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism and engage all the world’s religious and spiritual community leaders in efforts to forge a new global civil society. A bilingual film â€Å"The Light: Swami Vivekananda† was made in India as tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. The director of the film Tutu Sinha told in an interview– â€Å"I have always wanted to make a film on Swami Vivekananda. Bengali theatre group Lokkrishti staged a drama Biley to commemorate the birth anniversary. Bengali theatre actor Debshankar Haldar played the role of Swamiji in this drama. Celebration in Chicago, Illinois, USA: Chicago celebrated Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary on a grand scale. Chicago immortalizes Swami Vivekananda with many landmark monuments like Swami Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago and Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen, a larger-than-life size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda and the Vivekananda Spiritual Centre at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, a bronze plaque at the Art Institute of Chicago commemorating his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions. The City of Chicago has also immortalized Swami Vivekananda by naming a long stretch of prestigious downtown marketplace Michigan Avenue. The stretch in front of the Art Institute has been named as Swami Vivekananda Way. Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in India and all over the world on January 12, 2013. The government of India has originally planned to celebrate the birth anniversary for a year and launched it on January 12, 2012, but the celebration has been extended for two years ending on January 12, 2014. The government of India has set up a National Committee under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and a National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister and released Rs. 00 crore to the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission in Belur for the celebration. It also established in 2012 a new visiting professorship in Indian studies with a gift of $1. 5 million at University of Chicago to commemorate the legacy of spiritual leaders Swami Vivekananda. In India, the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, and Vivekananda Kendra and the Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, and other organizations are planning to celebrate the occasion for one year from January 12, 2013. On that day, Dr. Man Mohan Singh will also release a movie shot at Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen in the USA and other historic places in Chicago connected with the life of Swami Vivekananda. In Chicago, the 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda will be celebrated with major functions to be held at Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen and at the nearby Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont. Other official celebrations are expected to be held at the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago. According to an Indian Embassy official in Washington, the Consulate General of India in Chicago is coordinating with all the institutions in the city with the support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and India’s Ministry for Culture. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh-USA (HSS-USA) has also chalked out an elaborate year-long celebration with a series of programs involving children, the youth and the elderly. The theme of the celebration is â€Å"Universal peace through Dharma and Yoga,† which is the message of Swami Vivekananda. While the newly-built Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple of Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago in Homer Glen, with its serene ashram-like ambience, plans to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary after Arti on January 12, 2013, in the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago complex, where the imposing statue of Swami Vivekananda stands under a beautifully decorated canopy and the newly constructed and Indianized Vivekananda Spiritual Centre are located, will celebrate the event for two days — January 12 and 13. The other events being planned during the yearlong celebration, include conferences to be addressed by scholars and senior monks of the Ramakrishna Mission from around the world; a mini-parliament of religions with participation of representatives from various faiths; a program in honour of Swami Vivekananda at the Art Institute of Chicago; a bus tour of places associated with Swami Vivekananda; a lecture by Asim Chaudhuri, author of â€Å"Swami Vivekananda in Chicago;† publication of a calendar featuring photographs of Swami Vivekananda and information about his life; a display on the people and places associated with Swami Vivekananda in Chicago; a guide book with colour photos of the places associated with Swami Vivekananda in Chicago; and framing and installing panels on life of Swami Vivekananda. Celebration in Pakistan: Pakistani Hindus celebrated 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda. The brewing Indo-Pak tension was no dampener for the Hindus in Pakistan who celebrate d the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with cultural programmes and religious quiz competitions. President of Pakistan Hindu Seva Welfare Trust (PHSWT) Sanjesh S. Dhanja told TOI that they held a function at Radha Krishna temple, Steel Town, about 60km from Karachi, to mark the occasion. There are very few Hindus in Pakistan who know about the legendary spiritual leader so we decided to celebrate his birth anniversary to generate awareness, said Dhanja. Detailed lectures on the life and teachings of Vivekananda were delivered and a quiz competition was held. Patron of PHSWT Mukhi Odha Mal said, This is first of its kind programme ever held in Pakistan on Vivekananda since Partition and I saw a lot of enthusiasm among the Hindu community especially the younger generation. Priest of temple Ramesh Kumar Acharya said that young children were highly impressed by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Now it is one of our missions to make birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda an annual affair in Pakistan he said. Sanjesh said that on the occasion they also held 2nd Bhagwat Gita Quiz Competition. The first such competition was held in the month of June 2012. Sanjesh said, â€Å"A Hindu, Baboo Kothari, who had arrived to participate in the birth celebration function of Swami Vivekananda, coming all the way from Mitti in Sindh was so much impressed with the function that he announced to hold birth celebration function of Swami Vivekananda in Hanuman Temple every year. Reacting on the brewing tension between India and Pakistan, Sanjesh said, â€Å"Our aim is to spread the message of peace.

State of Alabama Child Care Center Regulations

State of Alabama Child Care Center Regulations Patricia Berry Abstract The requirements for childcare centers, be it licensed Day Care or Home-based, varies by state. This assignment is to give the requirements as set by the State of Alabama for both types of facilities. Profound apologies offered to my professor for using easy-way-out by the shortcut of a copy/paste, which is the less attractive method in completing this assignment. The end-results are in pointing out the credibility and responsibility of those that care for children. State of Alabama Child Care Center Regulations From the DHS Child Care Services Division in Alabama are as follows: Agency Information Day Care Centers Home-based day care State Of Alabama Department Of Human Resources: Child Care Services Division Address: 50 Ripley Street Montgomery, AL 36130 Phone Number: 1-866-528-1694 Director: Must be at least 19 years old Possess a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED); Must have at least 20 clock hours of training in administration and management and at least four clock hours of training in quality child care; Must have one of the following: 120 clock hours of preparation in child care and at least 12 months of operating experience as a child care worker or teacher or as a manager in a licensed child care or a state approved setting; -Or- Possesses certificates from one of the following: Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate or a Certified Child Care Professional certificate from the National Child Care Association (NCCA) in addition to a minimum of twelve months experience as a child care worker, teacher, or manager in a licensed child care or other state approved setting; -Or- Possesses an Associate’s degree in child development or early childhood education and a minimum of nine months of working experience as a child care worker or teacher or as a director in a licensed child care or other state approved setting; -Or- Possesses a Bachelor’s degree in child development or early childhood education with a minimum of six months working experience as a childcare worker, a teacher, or director in a licensed childcare or other state approved setting. On going training is a requirement by state regulations. Owner/Provider: Must be at least 19 years old; Must have a high school diploma or a GED; Must have 24 clock hours of preparation in child care and development Childcare training shall include hours in each of these areas: Child Development; Health, Safety and Universal Precautions; Quality child care and licensing; The Childcare Professional and the Family; Language Development; Positive Discipline and Guidance. Must reside in the house. Prior to initial licensing, the applicant/licensee shall submit to the Department a current Infant-Child (Pediatric) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certificate (CPR) and a current First Aid Certificate. Thereafter, the licensee shall have at least twenty clock hours of training related  to child care each year. Documentation of training shall be on file in the home. Childcare training shall include hours in each of these areas: Child Development; Health, Safety and Universal Precautions; Quality Child care and Licensing; The Childcare Professional and the Family; Language Development; Positive Discipline and Guidance. Training in CPR and First Aid shall not be counted toward required training hours. Further training is required for uninterrupted licensing of home-based care. Teachers: Must be at least 19 years old; Must have a high school diploma or a GED (general equivalency diploma); and Must have a minimum of twelve clock hours training in childcare and development. On-going training/retraining is required. Assistant/Substitute Must be at least 19 years old; Must have a high school diploma or a GED; Must be available to help if caregiver must leave; Name, age, address, phone number, medical, and reference data must be on file at home. Documentation of a current Infant-Child (Pediatric) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certificate (CPR) Assistants: Must be at least 16 years old; Must have finished eighth grade; Must be supervised by a teacher; Must not be included in the staff: child ratio Physical Space 32 square feet of indoor activity space for each child, designated areas of indoor activity space shall be provided for each grouping of children. Bathrooms, kitchens, isolation room, office, halls used as passageways, and storage  areas shall not be considered when computing activity  space. Physical space DHS has the right to restrict or limit the use of specific areas of the home, such as but  not limited to: outdoor play areas; bathrooms; rooms used by the children. -There shall be at least thirty-two (32) square feet of usable indoor floor space for each child the home is licensed or permitted to serve. Number and ages of children served: -Not to exceed, at any time, the number of children for which the center is licensed (stated on the license) Number and ages of children served: -The age range of the children received for care shall conform to the specifications  on the license/permit. -There can be no more than 6 non-related children allowed. -No home shall be licensed for more than three children younger than twelve  months of age. Nutrition and meals: Meals and snacks provided by the center for infants/toddlers shall comply with infant and child meal and snack patterns [shown in Section M., 2., page 73]. (DHR, 2009) Nutrition and meals: The licensee shall provide breakfast or a morning snack, a mid-day meal and at least one afternoon snack each day for the children in care. Meal and snack components and serving sizes [shall comply with patterns shown in Section M., on page 64.] (DHR, 2009) Conclusion Web sites often post a list of regulations for childcare centers for the benefit of newcomers to a state. One website, which encompasses the basic data in each locale, is the Childcare Aware.org website. Information includes regulations and important contacts and valuable resources Military families have found this helpful when transferring to a new duty station. The information posted is easy to navigate and understand. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) provide accredited information in the â€Å"Child Care Aware ®, a program of Child Care Aware ® of America, is partly funded by the Office of Child Care (OCC), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health Human Services.† (NACCRRA, 2015) In reading over the list of both business positions, I find the most notable differences in requirements of Daycare and Home-based daycare are the director and teacher qualifications. What I do find the most disturbing is the minimum age allowed for both is nineteen (19) years of age. Granted, if a person has the certified credentials, the state licensing bureau will allow the public or private business to operate. Safeguards such as surprise inspections would tend to keep the directors more observant of proper operation requirements. My question is, however, how could a nineteen year old acquire the business knowledge at such a young age? Home-based daycares operate as babysitting mode while Daycares are more educational based for toddlers and older children. Infants benefit from interaction by responsible adults who are caring for them while the parent is away, which is evident in either daycare or home-based care. Lack of certified personnel (could) harm a child in either business. It is a parent’s responsibility to check thoroughly the credentials of any establishment prior to leaving their child in the hands of caretakers Website Credibility Ratings: Alabama Department of Human Resources found at http://dhr.alabama.gov. The State of Alabama is a credible website in that it lists the exact expectations and requirements of all out-of-home childcare. The regulations listed as per the State of Alabama Legislation, which are easily cross-referenced. This website is not a politically run site which invites blogs and advertisements. When cross-referencing any regulation, one can find the citation within the State of Alabama’s laws. If one wishes to take it further, searching within the State of Alabama and its legislative branch of state senators, the original bills and can be found by title or by the names of original house bills as presented to the state. NACCRRA, or National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies found in numerous locations, listed and categorized in ChildcareAware.org. NACCRRA is responsible for overseeing the content of Childcare Aware. This website has the list of professionals in the field of childcare. The website also includes the accreditation link for education in the childcare field as well as a convenient interactive map to find the specifics of each state for the licensing guidelines. Finally, the website does provide compliant business reference of childcare facilities that adhere to the specifications under the NACCRRA. It is not a politically biased source, nor is it a blog. References DHR, (2009). Retrieved from http://dhr.alabama.gov/documents/MinimumStandards_DayCare.pdf DHR, (2009). DHR, (2009). http://dhr.alabama.gov/documents/MinimumStandards_DayCareFamilyHomes.pdf NACCRRA (2015). State Child Care Licensing. Retrieved from http://www.naccrra.org/about-child-care/state-child-care-licensing I would like to add a personal note, (and apologize to my professor for doing so in a formal assignment.) In the early 1980’s there were few regulations covering home-based care. I left my four children, ages 5 months to 6 years old, under the care of a person, recommended by a friend, while I worked full time. One day my husband and I arrived to pick up the children in the late evening. The youngest daughter, just barely 5 months old was in the woman’s lap, crying uncontrollably. The caretaker stated that she had been this way for three hours, (and yet she had failed to call me). What I noticed immediately was her right arm was dangling and not tensed up with fist balled like her left side. In questioning the caretaker, she claimed not to have a clue what was wrong with the baby’s arm. We left the other three children with her and headed straight to the hospital. After processing and viewing the x-ray, local police arrived at the Navy hospital. Not being allowed to see or comfort my baby, but I managed to sneak a peak of the x-rays from a distance. The x-rays revealed the tiny upper arm, the bones formed an â€Å"X,† it was no small wonder why the child was so distraught. The authorities chose to accuse me personally with abuse upon my child. The authorities continually refused to check my whereabouts for the entire day by checking with my employer, which would prove that I did not harm my child. After months of harassment by both Navy and civilian officials, they finally checked both my alibi and the background of the caretaker and her family. This turnabout came when I finally stated that I would sue all involved parties if they did not cease the endless barrage of accusations. The discovery included the revelation that the woman and her older son (age 15) were unfit to be caretakers due to history of mental illness (now called Bi-polar). She finally admitted to the authorities that she and her oldest son had intentionally snapped the baby’s arm. They were frustrated that at 5 months of age the baby was not yet flipping over or attempting to sit up. I had filled the woman in on the baby’s slow development prior to hiring her services. The baby contracted meningitis when she was in the newborn nursery (as h ad over 90 others during that time); her cognitive and physical development was months behind the standard ‘charts’ for heathy children. I had stayed at the hospital with my one-week-old daughter, defying orders to go home and just forget her. (The commander in charge of the unit said that I already had three children at home, and if I lost her, it would not make any difference! This angered me. They made me stop breast-feeding, claiming the spinal meningitis could have been spread by doing so. When they finally discovered that one infected nurse had caused the outbreak, there was no official apology issued the parents.) I watched babies surround me die from this horrible infection. Those that died did not have their parents with them, holding, rocking, and consoling their babies. (This is yet proof more that a parents contact with their babies gives the infant the love and support so very much required in their cognitive growth.) Sixty-five infants died during a span o f one week. Now that laws and regulations are in place for those that care for our children, if we do not thoroughly check out a person or business, we can blindly place our children in harm’s way.

Looking At Romantic Period Poetry

Looking At Romantic Period Poetry In the Romantic Period in England there was a shift taking place in literature. Poets of the time period believed that a personal relationship with God or the Universe was more important than a larger collective religious or political one. The introduction of the Romantic Period in the Norton Anthology of British Literature states, And the pervasiveness of nature poetry in the period can be attributed to a determination to idealize the natural scene as a site where the individual could find freedom from social laws (Greenblatt, 1377). The poets of that day also believed that one could receive that personal relationship through the natural world. Literature focused on the individual great or small and was much more personal than it had been in the past. In accordance with the importance of the individual, Romantic poets expressed an importance and love of nature in their poetry. The poets William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley use their interpretations of nature, although differe nt, to express the romantic idea of individualism. These poets used nature to express their feelings toward the individual and the importance they placed on a personal relationship with ones inner self as well as God. William Wordsworth loved nature and lived in remote natural regions of England for much of his life. He had a relationship with the natural world that he lived in and around and this is evident in his writing. His poetry describes how he learns more about himself, and his relationship with God through learning and becoming more acquainted with nature. This principle is portrayed in this passage of Wordsworths Tintern Abbey. He says, For I have learned/ To look on nature, not as in the hour/ Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes/ The still, sad music of humanity,/ Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power/ To chasten and subdue. And I have felt/ A presence that disturbs me with joy/ Of elevated thoughts a sense sublime/ Of something far more deeply interfused/ Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns/ And the round ocean and the living air,/ And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:/ A motion and a spirit, that impels/ All thinking things, all objects of all thought, / And rolls through all things (Wordsworth, 88-102). This passage describes how Wordsworth has learned to feel the power of God or the Universe through nature. He has an individual spiritual experience when he looks at the natural world that he could not experience with masses of people in a church or in everyday society. He then goes on to say that nature is a very important to him and is in a way a part of who he is. Wordsworth, when speaking about himself in this passage, says that he is well pleased to recognize/ In nature and the language of the sense/ The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,/ The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul/ Of all my moral being(Wordsworth, 107- 111). To Wordsworth, nature was so important to him because he felt as if it was a part of him. He felt it was his compass and guide in his life. His view of nature is that he has grown and expanded because of what he experienced from it. This individual relationship he had with nature affected him so much it guided his actions in politics, religion, and other facets of life. He uses nature to symbolize himself and his soul. Individualism is shown in Wordsworths depiction of the natural world because in essence he becomes nature in his writing. In similitude with Wordworths poetry, Percy Bysshe Shelley uses the natural world in his writing to express individualism but in a slightly different way. In Mont Blanc, Shelley uses the daunting description of the mountain and the land around it to suggest that imagination has a lot to do with what ones individual experience is from nature. He almost suggests that the mind is natures creator. In this passage from Mont Blanc, Shelley says, The everlasting universe of things/ Flows through the mind and rolls its rapid waves,/ Now dark-now glittering-now reflecting gloom/ Now lending splendour, where from secret springs/ The source of human thought its tribute brings/ Of waters,with a sound but half its own./ Such as a feeble brook will oft assume/ In the wild woods, among the mountains lone,/ Where waterfalls around it leap forever,/ Where woods and winds contend, and a vast river/ Over its rocks ceaselessly burst and raves (Shelley ,1-11). This excerpt shows Shelleys view of nature and the mind. He talks about how the universe flows through the mind and then he gives menacing descriptive imagery of woods, waterfalls, and the mountains. The imagery suggests that the mind or imagination was the creator of these daunting natural scenes. This shows Shelleys opinion of nature in regards to the human imagination and the individual. A further example is evident in another excerpt from Mont Blanc, The secret strength of things/ Which governs thought, and to the infinite dome/ Of heaven is as a law, inhabits thee!/ And what were thou, and earth, and stars, and sea,/ If to the human minds imaginings/ Silence and solitude were vacancy (Shelley, 139-145). This passage reinforces the contrast of Shelleys view of the human mind in regards to nature rather than the Wordsworthian view. Shelley firmly shows in his texts and particularly in Mont Blanc his belief in the natural world being born from the imagination of the individual ther efore giving power to the person who created it. Along with typifying the imagination as a creator of nature, individualism is discussed throughout his writing. Mont Blanc also displays the romantic notion of individualism through the discussion of the mind and human thought. The poem suggests that nature comes from the mind which creates a very personal and individual nature for everyone. In the mere suggestion of imagination and the human mind being the creator of nature, there lies individualism. The way Shelley portrays the individual in nature holds true to the Romantic notions of the time. Individualism is a very romantic principle that was becoming increasingly important in this time period. This power given to the individual mind to think, believe, and understand ones self was embodied through the natural world in the works of William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Wordsworth suggested that the individual mind gains power and understanding from and because of the influence of nature. Shelley believed that the individuals mind and imagination gives nature the power that it has over the individual. Although the method they used to establish individualism through nature was different, both of their works embodied that principle and epitomized the Romantic view of Individualism.

Hamlet :: Hamlet Shakespeare Summary Review Analysis

Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his father's death, but, because he is contemplative and thoughtful by nature, he delays, entering into a deep melancholy and even apparent madness. Claudius and Gertrude worry about the prince's erratic behavior and attempt to discover its cause. They employ a pair of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to watch him. When Polonius, the pompous Lord Chamberlain, suggests that Hamlet may be mad with love for his daughter, Ophelia, Claudius agrees to spy on Hamlet in conversation with the girl. But though Hamlet certainly seems mad, he does not seem to love Ophelia: he orders her to enter a nunnery and declares that he wishes to ban marriages. A group of traveling actors comes to Elsinore, and Hamlet seizes upon an idea to test his uncle's guilt. He will have the players perform a scene closely resembling the sequence by which Hamlet imagines his uncle to have murdered his father, so that if Claudius is guilty, he will surely react. When the moment of the murder arrives in the theater, Claudius leaps up and leaves the room. Hamlet and Horatio agree that this proves his guilt. Hamlet goes to kill Claudius but finds him praying. Since he believes that killing Claudius while in prayer would send Claudius's soul to heaven, Hamlet considers that it would be an inadequate revenge and decides to wait. Claudius, now frightened of Hamlet's madness and fearing for his own safety, orders that Hamlet be sent to England at once. Hamlet goes to confront his mother, in whose bedchamber Polonius has hidden behind a tapestry. Hearing a noise from behind the tapestry, Hamlet believes the king is hiding there. He draws his sword and stabs through the fabric, killing Polonius. For this crime, he is immediately dispatched to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, Claudius's plan for Hamlet includes more than banishment, as he has given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed orders for the King of England demanding that Hamlet be put to death. In the aftermath of her father's death, Ophelia goes mad with grief and drowns in the river. Polonius's son, Laertes, who has been staying in France, returns to Denmark in a rage. Claudius convinces him that Hamlet is to blame for his father's and sister's deaths. When Horatio and the king receive letters from Hamlet indicating that the prince has returned to Denmark after pirates attacked his ship en route to England, Claudius concocts a plan to use Laertes' desire for revenge to secure Hamlet's death.

Californias Promise Essays -- State Government, State Deficit

In the 1960’s California experienced reverence through the reputation of being a promising great state. The increasing population as well as the massive publicity, contributed in highlighting this notion. However, in 2011, California no longer holds the same reputation in the eyes of its residents. With a current state deficit of $25.4 Billion, many Californians believe that the state is hopeless and can no longer regain to its past stardom. Famed Historian, Kevin Starr argues that California has lost its promise entirely; however, California has not lost its promise entirely for the fact that California is still the eighth largest economy in the world. California is able to function even with a dysfunctional government and institutional structure. California still has the potential to recover its reputation as a great promising state. By tackling the state’s dilemma, we are able to understand why and how California lost its greatness. Once we analyze the core probl ems of the state, such as the initiative process, the state legislature, and misrepresentation of the public, we will have a better understanding of how to tackle the issue. First, an obvious problem of the state is the usage of the initiative process. Originally, it gave â€Å"Californians the power to propose constitutional amendments and law that fellow citizens will vote on without the legislature’s involvement (Van Vechten, 20).† However, today, special interest groups have used this process abusively. In fact, initiative campaigns became an industry of its own in California. According to Mathews and Mark, â€Å"in 1996, annual spending on initiative campaigns in California topped $140 million (Mathews and Mark, 68).† Special interests groups that are financially well o... ...tion of 38 million people, California still has the potential to be great. If in fact California lost its promise, the state would not have that large of a population nor would it have the eighth largest economy in world. The problem of California is in the structure of the legislature and the institutions and practices that it has. There are unchecked power given to the people through the initiative process and there are fundamental structural flaws in the state legislature. By addressing these problems and critically thinking what needs to be reformed, California can potentially get its old reputation. However, we must reform without unconsciously changing the right things in our state. If California just reforms in the same way it used to, the states’ future may be ruined. Innovative means of solution is needed in order to stir the state to the right direction.

Brain Busters: The History of Lobotomy and its Application to Neuroscience :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Brain Busters: The History of Lobotomy and its Application to Neuroscience "It seems possible that with additional experience and a minute study of the pathologic changes seen in the brain, the knife may be the means of restoring to reason many cases now considered incurable" --Emory Lamphear (1895) (5) In 1847 an Irish workman, Phineas Cage, shed new light on the field of neuroscience in a rock blasting accident which sent an iron rod through the frontal region of his brain. Miraculously enough, he survived the incident, but even more astonishing to the science community at the time were the marked changes in Cage’s personality after the rode punctured his brain. Where before Cage was characterized by his mild mannered nature, he had now become aggressive, rude and "indulging in the grossest profanity, which was not previously his custom, manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires" (1) according to the Boston physician Harlow in 1868. However, Cage sustained no impairment with regards to his intelligence or memory (1). This incident provoked scientists to ask the question, "can alteration of the brain structure lead to differences in personality?" and if so, then "are there specialized reg ions of the brain responsible for the function of different elements of our personal character?" Thus, completely by chance, the foundational discoveries for the development of frontal lobotomy were laid. Beginning in the late 1800’s, experimental surgeries involving various incisions slicing or destroying parts of the frontal cortex were performed on a variety of subjects in an effort to produce a calming effect in their behavior. In 1935, Dr. John Fulton presented the results of his research on a pair of chimpanzees at a conference for neurology. Fulton had "removed completely the frontal lobes" (4) of the chimps and observed that after the surgery they appeared significantly calmer than before the operation as he was unable to "generate experimental forms of neurosis in the animals"(1). Attending this conference were two neuro-scientists, Egas Moniz and Walter Freeman, both of whom would become major figures in the practice of lobotomy. Egas Moniz was particularly fascinated by the idea of the behavioral changes in Fulton’s chimps and posed the shocking question, "If the frontal lobe removal prevents the development of experimental neurosis in animals and eliminates frustrational behavior, why would it not be possible to relieve anxiety states in man by surgical means?

Narrative Argument About Education Essay

Reading the web is not the same as reading in the book or magazine or even newspaper. The information that you read from the internet may not stick with you as long as it would if you were to read a book, newspaper, magazine, or journal. This can’t be a hundred percent accurate for everyone, but according to most people that I have questioned, the information that they read from the web/internet doesn’t stick with them as long as it does when they read an actual book, newspaper, or magazine. Personal computers can be empowering tools in a way of learning about technology, but in my opinion they do no good for learning when it comes to critical thinking skills and gaining accurate information for yourself. Most of the web pages that are out there are not even filled with accurate information. If there is no context on the web for the research you are looking up, then neither is there any history for it. Nothing online has been indexed before 1980, so therefore; the information is not completely accurate and gainful knowledge. According to Judith Levine, most of the data her students net are like trash fish, and by that I feel like she means that the information that they get is worthless and will not help them in any way. I would have to say that I can agree with her statement because as a web surfer myself I don’t see how it helps me. Yes, it does give me certain education in the information that I am surfing about, but it does and will not help me as much as it would if I were to read a book about that very same subject. I can gain more knowledge and keep it memorized with a book much easier than I can surfing the web. Judith talks about her students not being able to concentrate when she asks them to organize their impressions into coherent stories, and I find that to be due to the lack of critical thinking skills from not reading books anymore and using this computer technology for all of their research and surfing articles. I feel like students don’t get the full education of the subject that they need when they shortcut it by using the web for their papers. I agree with Judith’s statement about the diagnosis of an epidemic attention deficit disorder. It can be caused by the casual clicking and pointing that has come to stand in for intellectual inquiry. Technology may empower, but when will the power of it be used? Students don’t read anymore and so their critical thinking skills are not as great as they could be if they would just read instead. They should be reading books like literature, history, poetry, and politics so they can be listening to people who know what they are talking about. Otherwise, the information they get will be of no use to them. â€Å"The search engines that retrieve more than 100,000 links or none at all, they will be awkward at discerning meaning, or discerning at all† (Paragraph 14). After reading the story of Judith Levine’s argument about using the web for research papers versus reading books, I can feel like I totally agree with her on every aspect. â€Å"Because reading makes you use your brain. While reading you would be forced to reason out many things which are unfamiliar to you. Reading improves your vocabulary: Remember in elementary school when you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? You get the same benefit from book reading. While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words you wouldn’t be otherwise.† â€Å"Reading also improves concentration and focus. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, internet posts or e-mails that might contain small chunks of information, books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, like a muscle, you will get better at concentration†Ã‚   Just like Judith talked about in her argument, she feels like the etiology of attention deficit disorder is due to the fact that students these days are not reading books anymore, but are only surfing the web which doesn’t help the brain to focus and concentrate. When students surf the web for answers there is no way of them being able to know if any particular fact is accurate or not. But when they read books it gives them better information that is sure to be accurate. So, when Judith Levine argues the point that she feels reading books, magazines, newspapers and etc. â€Å"are better that surfing the web, I would have to agree with her because it help us in our comprehension, practices our fluency, and many others. But nowadays, because reading books is boring and you have to read for almost a week or month, students today are so lazy to that and they always have the speech of, it’s a waste of time† â€Å"Using Computer is widely practice today’s generation. It is almost needed in the society. You can also be called an illiterate when you don’t know how to use it, because even a 7 years old kid can use the computer. Computers are easy to use, reliable, fast, and consume a short period of time† I believe that is why in the beginning of Judith’s argument she quoted Bill Gates statement after he bestowed a $200 million gift to America’s public libraries so they could hook up to the internet and I understand why he would feel the way he does about computers because of how popular they are in today’s society, but in my opinion I feel that they are not as empowering as people seem to think that they are. They will not give you the education and critical thinking skills that you need like books will do for you. So, therefore; I would have to agree with her argument towards Bill Gates decision and statement.

Feminist Criticism Theory in the Novel “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling

Literary Criticism I Feminist Criticism theory in the novel â€Å"Harry Potter† by J. K. Rowling Introduction According to Peter Barry’s book, Feminism was born because of women are disadvantaged by comparison with men and the unequal treatment towards women by men. Women ask for their rights, because they believed that they deserve equality. In this paper I will analyze the feminist approach through Harry Potter Novels by J. K. Rowling. As we all know, Joanne Kathleen Rowling a. k. a J. K. Rowling is a female British novelist.These Harry Potter and his adventures novels have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies to become the best-selling book series in history and been the basis for a popular series of films, in which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts as well as maintaining creative control by serving as a producer on the final installment. Rowling conceived the idea for the series on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. I’m lucky to have an incredible female writer for this analysis, but I won’t analysis this paper on the writer’s point of view or experience.I will challenge the representation of women as ‘Other’, as ‘lack’, and as part of ‘nature’. Harry potter is the story about wizard community. The main character is a male, but there are many parts in the story where the character female give big contributions. The first until the seventh book is the story about the adventure of Harry Potter to defeat Lord Voldemort. Where the female characters show the feminism because they play important roles and described to be as powerful as well. The analysis As I mention above, I will challenge the representation of women as ‘other’, as ‘lack’, and as part of ‘nature’ through these Harry Potter novels.The main characters of this story, well, of course, is a man called â€Å"Harry†. Harry has a close friend named Hermione Granger. Hermione’s described as â€Å"she has a bossy voice, bushy brown hair and large front teeth† in the first novel, the first impression of Hermione Granger shifts away from female stereotype of beauty. The next thing I know, Hermione is an intelligent woman. She had practice some simple spell and it worked for her where there is no one in her family have magic ability at all and Ron the other Harry’s close friends failed to use the spell.The other scene from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s stone novel is when Harry has to depend on Hermione when they have to pass the obstacle to find a stolen stone. According to traditional stereotype, women are always associated as emotionally weaker that men, which leads to the assumption as ‘lack’. However, in this scene, Hermione shows that she uses logic and act rationally that reveal her intelligent when there is no wizard (men or women) has uses logic to pass this obstacle before, even Harry the major character who is supposed to have more logic since he is a man, depends on her.In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione establishes S. P. E. W, S. P. E. W stands for â€Å"the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare†, she shows us that women also have equivalent in social power as men have. She concerns about the house-elves fate to serve the wizard family for lifetime without being paid. For her, it is slavery, although in this case the house-elves accept and understand their fates. Hermione decides there is a way to make a stand about elf-rights. Harry and Ron do not really support her actually for this movement, but Hermione doesn’t care.She struggles like what feminist do. She does the campaign that follows feminism general goal to bring positive changes in the society. Not only that, women reveals that they are weak in science and math, but great in language and art. But Hermione shows that she is not onl y capable in Ancient Rune (some kind of language subject at their school), history of Magic, but also Herbology (some kind of Biology subject), Potion (some kind of Chemistry subject), and Aritmanchy (some kind of Mathematic subject).She is even good in all subjects because she is the most brilliant student of the year, despite the fact that she is a muggle-born, which means she is not supposed to have Magic, but she has great ability in Hogwards. Hermione beats the ‘other’ concept as a woman. Next magnificent moment from Hermione is in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s stone when she manages to free herself and releasing the boys from the plant which snares them until they cannot breathe. She performs her human duty to help each other, she shows us that she strong enough to depends on herself and helps her friends at the same time.Hermione, as a woman has part of human ‘nature’ that a man has. In Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, Hermione also sa ves her friends in the very urgent situation. When they are caught for using Umbrigde’s heart to communicate, Umbridge forces them to say with whom they are communicating. She almost forces Harry to answer with Cruciatus Curse to torture him. Fortunately, with her ability to control emotion and doesn’t get panic, Hermione pretends to give up and will give honest answer to Umbridge. So she creates a story about weapon to trick Umbridge and bring her into The Forbidden Forest.This idea leads them into freedom. It shows Hermione’s ability to think clearly under pressure and does not let her emotion control her. Conclusion In conclusion, based on the analysis of challenging the representative of women as ‘Other’, as ‘lack’ and as part of ‘nature’, Hermione has broken the concept as ‘Other’ and as ‘lack’ that put women in negative sides and proven themselves as equal to men. She also shows us that women are part of ‘nature’; it shows how women have balance roles with men in the society. They have their own roles that as important as men.

Gossamer Book Report

Gossamer Plot Gossamer begins with the protagonist, Littlest being taught how to give people dreams by her instructor Fastidious. Littlest’s childish and playful nature annoys Fastidious greatly. At their home, the Heap, Fastidious complains about her student to Most Ancient, who is the leader. Most Ancient and Fastidious decide that Thin Elderly will become Littlest’s mentor. Littlest is part of a small colony of dream-givers. Through touching, they gather fragments such as colors, words, sounds, and scents. They then combine the fragments to become dreams, and give the dreams to humans, and sometimes pets.The giving of dreams is called the bestowal. Thin Elderly explains to be gentle in the touching and not to touch too deeply, because a dream-giver who picks up bad fragments of a memory becomes a Sinisteed, a horse-like creature who inflicts nightmares. Thin Elderly gladly discovers that Littlest has the â€Å"gossamer touch†, the ability to gather and bestow gently. An elderly woman and her dog Toby live in the house Littlest and Thin Elderly are assigned to. The woman decides that she is going to take an eight-year-old boy named John into her household. The social workers describe him as â€Å"angry. Another dreamgiver, Strapping, is assinged to give dreams to the boys mother. She was an intelligent woman, but was forbidden to participate in social and intellectual events by Duane, her abusive ex husband. John was taken away from her because it was not a good environment for a child. When John arrives at the woman's home, he acts violent and angry. The woman acts kind and tries to be understanding. At the dream-givers' Heap, Most Ancient reports that the Sinisteeds are gathering, intent on a particular victim. That night, Littlest and Thin Elderly hear a Sinisteed enter through the walls of the house. It inflicts John with a nightmare.He cries out in his sleep, and the woman calms him by reminding him of a happy memory. after, Littles t and Thin Elderly gather comforting fragments to help strengthen him after the nightmare. During the day, john’s mother talks on the phone, asking to have a receptionist's job and salary. She tells the listener to tell her son that he will be back home soon; that she loved him; and that she dreamed of him last night. H That night, Littlest decides she must touch the dog, trying to get fragments from him. Thin Elderly protests, because they aren’t supposed to touch living creatures, but allows her to do so.Littlest notices how attatched John was to a pink seashell, to Toby, and to a chrysalis he had found.. She gathers fragments from Toby, and bestows them as part of a dream. Thin Elderly is proud of Littlest's bestowal, because John is happy in his dreams. Littlest explains that the fragments she collected had a bit of a story in each one, which she put together in her mind. Johns mother begins working a school. She reflects on how bad her old life was for her son, Jo hn, because of Duane. She has hope now of making friends, which Duane had not allowed her to do. Strapping is satisfied with his work.Strapping discovers he has a liking and a hope for the woman. Accordingly he gives her dreams of hope, and of a future with her son. John tells a story to the woman about a young boy who ate dog food, because he had been ordered to by his father, who had seen the boy run naked through the house and pee on the floor. The father had accused the son of acting like a dog, and gave him dog food for all his meals. The woman realizes that John is telling a story about himself, explaining his past abuse. T That night, Littlest and Thin Elderly discover that a Horde of Sinisteeds are going to give nightmares to John and the woman.They respond by bestowing strengthening dreams. They are nearly killed in the stampede of the Horde. That is the story's climax. John begins school, and has become a much happier child. Littlest is given a medal for her work. She is t old that she is to be reassigned. She wishes to remain assigned to John, whom she has come to love and cherish, but is told that dream-givers are not allowed to feel human emotions. Littlest One's experience with the boy has helped her grow more mature, and as a result she is given the name Gossamer and given a new dream-giver, New Littlest One, to train.

Effects of Teenage Smoking

The Effects of Smoking on Adolescent Behavior and Their Ability to Perform Well in School James Grimes Eastern Kentucky University Abstract There is a considerable body of empirical research that has identified adolescent peer relationships as a primary factor involved in adolescent cigarette smoking. Despite this large research base, many questions remain unanswered about the mechanisms by which peers affect youths’ smoking behavior. Understanding these processes of influence is the key to the development of prevention and intervention programs designed to address adolescent smoking as a significant public health concern.In this paper, theoretical frameworks and empirical findings are reviewed critically which inform the current state of knowledge regarding peer influences on teenage smoking. Specifically, social learning theory, primary socialization theory, social identity theory and social network theory are discussed. Empirical findings regarding peer influence and select ion, as well as multiple reference points in adolescent friendships, including best friendships, romantic relationships, peer groups and social crowds, are also reviewed.Review of this work reveals the contribution that peers have in adolescents’ use of tobacco, in some cases promoting use, and in other cases deterring it. The Effects of Smoking on Adolescent Behavior and Their Ability to Perform Well in School Introduction Smoking by adolescents is a social activity and subject to peer pressure. Peers may offer information on where to buy cigarettes and even how to smoke them. Teenagers are often evaluated by the peers as to how cool he or she may be.Popular culture dictates an association between smoking and being a cool kid as much as wearing the right clothes, having a certain haircut, and being friends with the right people. In a since, smoking is a way of reflecting an identity. Knowing this one must ask is smoking by adolescents is really an act they wish to perform. W hether you smoke or not can determine who your friends may be. Kobus (2003) suggests that non smokers tend to befriend non smokers and smokers tend to befriend smokers. Non smokers that do become friends with smokers run a much higher risk at becoming a smoker themselves.Hypothesis In this study, I believe that adolescent who smoke will most likely have friends who smoke. I believe this study will show that 25% of the teenagers polled will be smokers and 80% of them will be friends with other smokers. It will also prove that the non smokers will be less likely to be friends with smokers. Literature Review Kobus (2003) suggests that peer relationships are the primary factor involved in cigarette smoking. Specifically, social learning theory, primary socialization theory, social identity theory and social network theory are discussed.Empirical findings regarding peer influence and selection, as well as multiple reference points in adolescent friendships, including best friendships, ro mantic relationships, peer groups and social crowds, are also reviewed. Patton, Hibbert, Rosier, Carlin, Caust, and Bowes (1996) state that an association of smoking with depression and anxiety has been documented in adult smokers. Subjects reporting high levels of depression and anxiety were twice as likely to be smokers after the potential confounders of year level; sex, alcohol use, and parental smoking were controlled for.Regular smokers were almost twice as likely as occasional smokers to report high levels of depression and anxiety. In trying to determine whether smoking can influence a student's school performance, Te-wei, Zihua, and Keeler (1998) report there’s no direct causation from smoking to school performance, but smoking might have an indirect effect, leading to other delinquency behaviors or drug abuse. These behaviors, in turn, could lead to poor school performance. However, the main argument against this hypothesis is that smoking is a relatively common beha vior relative to other factors that lead to antisocial behaviors.Methodology Population The population I used in this study of sophomore students in Ms. Powell’s math classes at McCreary Central High. I posted a survey to a web site and have asked all that would to take the survey. Instruments I started my survey by asking a yes or no question: â€Å"Do you smoke? † Then I asked all the non smokers the following 5 questions: 1. Are you male or female? 2. Does either of your parents smoke? 3. Do you feel pressure from your friends to smoke? 4. Would you have a best friend that smokes? 5. What is your average grade in school? Then I asked all smokers the following questions: 1.Are you male or female? 2. Does either of your parents smoke? 3. Do you pressure your friends to smoke? 4. Does your best friend smoke? 5. What is your average grade in school? Data Analysis At the time of writing this draft I have not collected any data yet. I will add this on my final draft. Disc ussion At the time I am writing the first draft I haven’t had enough time to collect the data for my paper. I have posted my questions using survey monkey to a web page at McCreary Central High where my wife teaches. She is going to ask student from her class to take the survey. So far I have only had 4 people take the survey.This is hardly enough to come to any conclusions. Conclusions In Conclusion, I plan on collecting the date from my surveys to analyze. Kobus (2003) concludes that adolescent peer relationships contribute to adolescent cigarette smoking. Youth who are friends with smokers have been found to be more likely to smoke themselves than those with only nonsmokers as friends. Best friends, romantic partners, peer groups and social crowds all have been found to contribute to the smoking or non-smoking behavior of teenagers. In some cases, peer influences promote smoking and, in other cases, they deter it.The mechanisms of peer influence appear to be more covert an d subtle than is thought commonly. That is, rather than be the result of direct and coercive pressures, decisions regarding smoking behavior have been found to reflect predetermined choices about fitting in, social approval, popularity and autonomy. Parents and the media have also been found to contribute to the smoking or non-smoking of youth.References Akers, R. L. , Massey, J. , Clarke, W. , ;amp; Lauer, R. M. (1983). Are Self-Reports of Adolescent Deviance Valid? Biochemical Measures, Randomized Response, and the Bogus Pipeline in Smoking Behavior. Social Forces, 62(1), 234-251. Freinkel, S. , Fuerst, M. L. , ;amp; Krieger, E. B. (1999). Teen Smoking: The Longest Drag. Health (Time Inc. Health), 13(6), 18. Kobus, K. (2003). Peers and adolescent smoking. Addiction, 9837-55. doi:10. 1046/j. 1360-0443. 98. s1. 4. x Patton, G. C. , Hibbert, M. , Rosier, M. J. , Carlin, J. B. , Caust, J. , ;amp; Bowes, G. (1996). Is Smoking Associated with Depression and Anxiety in Teenagers?. Americ an Journal Of Public Health, 86(2), 225. Te-wei, H. , Zihua, L. , ;amp; Keeler, T. E. (1998). Teenage Smoking, Attempts to Quit, and School Performance. American Journal Of Public Health, 88(6), 940-943.