Leadership And Teams Conformity - 929 Words

Leadership and Teams - Conformity Leadership with in teams has become the new standard in most contemporary business these days. The model of leadership one choses can help determine the success and effectiveness of a team. We will look into the model of servant leadership, the role conformity plays in teams, and how we can be a better manager. Servant Leadership Being a servant leader is a concept I explored in a previous class while researching Zappos.com, where they require all their managers to be servant leaders. The idea that a manager’s top priority is to assist their follower in succeeding by supporting and removing obstacles they may encounter is a noble undertaking. The two major responsibilities of leaders are people and production. Having a manager who is focused on the development and support of their employees, as well as being committed to removing and impediments for their employees should be positively affect the performance levels and employee satisfaction within their team. Research by Jones (2012) states, â€Å"Servant leadership can lead to greater organizational productivity as well as increased fiscal strength as evidenced by decreased turnover, increased job satisfaction, and increased revenues. The participants also shared an almost unanimous belief that they should set the standard for excellence within their organization and to not only serve the followers at work, but to lead in service within their communities† (p. 32) . In order for servantShow MoreRelatedLeadership And Teams : Conformity1278 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Teams – Conformity Conformity continues to be an expectation and need in many groups. The ability for a group to resolve differences or come up with the required conclusion could require that one or more people in the group need to conform with a premise that the majority considers. This paper will present answers to the following questions. Does the desire to be accepted as a part of a group leave one susceptible to conforming to the group’s norms? Can a group exert pressure that’sRead MoreLeadership And Teams : Conformity1003 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership and Teams – Conformity Teams are prevalent in all walks of life. People participate in teams through church, volunteering, school, sports, and now in the workplace. Working together in teams in the workplace is becoming increasingly popular. So much so that Robbins, S. P., De Cenzo, D. A., Coulter, M. (2015) states that and estimated 80% of Fortune 500 companies have at least half their employees working in teams. Teams are thought to outperform individual work and help achieve organizationalRead MoreWhat Is Team Leadership Theory?907 Words   |  4 Pagesgroup norms, resulting in discouraged creativity, and decisions void of critical thinking. Because team-based structures are popular in today’s companies, it is important for managers to understand how to avoid conformity pitfalls. When utilizing team leadership theory, managers can mitigate negative consequences that group conformity instigates, by offering a leadership style that facilitates team member autonomy, creativity, healthy debat e, and openness to new ideas. Human beings innately seekRead MoreHow Groups Can Resolve Conflicts1678 Words   |  7 Pagessometimes there can be conflicts in groups that can be a little more difficult to resolve than others. When this happens the last resort for teams is to turn to a third party intervention in order to really resolve the issue. It is best that groups avoid this type of resolution simply because conflicts with and between the team should usually stay within the team. When a third party is brought in it can sometimes add more confusion or should I say â€Å"fuel to the fire† simply because another opinion isRead MorePlot Summary of Remember the Titans Essays1240 Words   |  5 PagesRemember the Titans is a film from 2000 displaying a true story of a racially divided football team from the 1970s. The movie highlights the relationships of the black and white people, and how they learned to interact with each other in a time when this was not the way of life. It brings up a number of quest ions throughout, of what is right and what is wrong, and really challenges the characters, making it a very interesting movie to watch. I have seen this movie many times, and each time I feelRead MoreAuthentic Dissent And The Devil s Advocate1640 Words   |  7 Pagesunderlying the influential rule of consensus (Conway, Schaller, 2005). The first method relates to simple conformity (Conway, Schaller, 2005). Aware of the social rejection that frequently attends deviance, individuals tactically choose to go along with the crowd even if they do not privately validate the popular opinion (Conway, Schaller, 2005). But consensus motivates more than mere conformity (Conway, Schaller, 2005). Others’ actions are an vital means over which knowledge about the world is expanded;Read MoreLeadership Role and Style: Personal Narrative1080 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿During my past employment, I had the chance to exercise leadership roles, managing a group of three, and train new employ ees. One way to motivate them was to let them leave early on the last working day of the week. I also empowered them by providing them some consulting work, which they felt that it was shown to the client as their own work in order for them to feel that they were part of the team and have a sense they belong to the organization. Therefore, this behavioral approach that I exercisedRead MoreQuestions On Group And Team Terminology And Concepts From A Theoretical Perspective1516 Words   |  7 Pagesassignment is to further develop your knowledge of group and team terminology and concepts from a theoretical perspective. Task Answer each of the following questions as a separate section in your essay. Remember that your response to each question is to be more than an impression, but rather is to be illustrative of research and the application of the theoretical to real world situations involving groups and teams. 1. How do Norms and Conformity Affect Group Behavior? 2. Define synergy and interdependenceRead MoreLeadership Styles From The Canadian Military Journal ( Cmj ) Essay1074 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Leadership is defined by Peter G. Northouse as â€Å"a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal†. One’s leadership style can shape a subordinate’s approach and place emphasis to the task or mission at hand as well as accomplishing long term objectives. The role of any leader is to provide direction and guidance to those who may fall under his/her command. The manner in which leadership is applied, especially in today’s society and ever-changingRead MoreWhy Do People Conform?1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of conformity among individuals have long been debated and researched in recent decades. It is for this reason that conformity is an intriguing psychological concept. It causes sound-minded individuals to go against their best judgement, to engage in behaviour which they usually would not engage in, even accept and welcome an idea they internally disagree with, all in order to not be a deviant from t he group. It is thus interesting to look at the factors which cause people to conform,

Booker T Washington Free Essays

Booker T. Washington and the Struggle Against White Supremacy One of the most powerful black leaders to have ever live, this is what some people argued of Booker T. Washington. We will write a custom essay sample on Booker T Washington or any similar topic only for you Order Now With a black mother and white father he never knew, Washington was born into slavery near Hale’s Ford in Franklin County, Virginia. He worked growing up, and then attended Hampton Institute, a school designed to educate African and Native Americans. I don’t think he knew, that anybody knew, how much he would change the world over his lifetime. There were many racists view’s back then. Booker T. Washington learned how to work around whites to get what he wanted, and took many tours around the United States to teach other blacks. Racism has been around for years, and remains around today. The difference is that it was much more cruel back then. There were many racist views expressed by whites toward blacks in the 19th century. After Reconstruction, whites began to really express these views. They had seen that blacks had been involved in many black political activities and it pissed them off. They also were mad since they had lost the Civil War. They claimed that: â€Å"Blacks had had their fair chance, had demonstrated their present incapacity for self-government, and could justifiably be relegated, for time being at least, to an inferior status. † Black people where humiliated, beaten, and thrown in jail, and even killed. Whites also controlled blacks’ futures economically. They established black codes to ensure that blacks had stable labor force, which designated â€Å"servants† as employees and â€Å"masters† as employers. This prevented blacks from vagrancy or loitering, making them work even if they did not want to. Booker T. Washington was a very smart man, well at least I think he is. He knew how to get what he wanted, the psychology of â€Å"Black Survivalism†. He uses many survivalist tactics he used on white people to gain improved living conditions for blacks. Many people feel that he was a sellout, he was, but it gained from it. Washington believed that black people’s problems would be solved if they worked like whites needed. If they would abide by the law and cooperate, the industrial education would provide them with an economic niche. Eventually, he believed this would lead to economic independence. Of course, white people thought that Washington was trying to promote segregation and black inferiority. He was not trying to promote segregation, but he was going for black inferiority. Black people needed to do this. Washington was basically saying that if black people continued to work in their field, and other fields, they had the upper hand. They would learn all the techniques, and know everything about that field. Whites did not work, so they knew nothing. Without the blacks, they could not make any money. Booker T. Washington took many tours. The tour that I was most interested in was his tour of Florida. This caught my attention I live here in Florida. This is apart of its history. Washington started his tour of Florida on March 1, 1912. It lasted from March 1st til March 7th. His tour was sponsored by The Florida State Negro Business League. FSNBL was made up of businessmen and women who believed that they could form a â€Å"good strong organization† that would â€Å"benefit and up build the colored race†. They accomplished exactly what they wanted. Booker T. Washington’s first stop on the was Pensacola. Pensacola was the home of Matthew Lewey, the publisher of the first black newspaper in Florida, the Florida Sentinel. This was not only Lewey’s home though, it was mine also. I lived in Pensacola most of my life before moving to Tallahassee. A Negro business community, is what Washington had called Pensacola in 1907. To him it represented â€Å" that healthy progressive communal spirit, so necessary to our people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By 1910, the city had declined from their â€Å"black progress and success†. Yet, here he was making his first stop here five years later. March 1, 1912 he spoke at the Opera House in Pensacola. His speech was heard by over two thousand people. There were eight hundred whites in attendance, the rest were black. In his speech he gave encouragement and moral advice. Saying: â€Å"We not only have the advantage in a state like Florida of securing land, but the further advantages of finding plenty of work,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There are few if any members of our race who have spent any considerable length of time in seeking labor, labor seeks them. Our condition is different from laboring people in many parts of the old world where they have to spend days and sometimes months in seeking labor and then are not able to find it. Washington left Pensacola for Tallahassee. He made a quick stop in Quincy to visit the Dunbar Graded School. When he arrived in Tallahassee he was greeted with a parade. This parade was led by the FAMC band. FAMC is now Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. The band is now known as the Marching 100. Reading about my school in this book made me ev en more proud to be a rattler. The parade also consisted of black artisans, professional men, and farmers. Washington gave his speech on â€Å"Some of the Essential Things In Race Development†. Afterwards he was invited to FAMC for a formal reception. Washington then gave another encouraging speech. He complemented FAMC, saying: â€Å"the State of Florida†¦has provided for the Negros in this state the best plant with the best equipment of any state in the Union. † â€Å"I am glad to add that it is the best kept up plant, the cleanest, and the most systematically arranged of any that I have ever seen. † Booker T. Washington visited Lake City, Ocala, Tampa, Lakeland, Eatonville, Palatka, Daytona Beach, and finished his tour in Jacksonville on March 7, 1912. How to cite Booker T Washington, Papers Booker T Washington Free Essays Industrial Revolution in America (1870-1900) demanded a new social order and improved schooling system, new life philosophy and labor relations. Booker T Washington was one of the leaders who foreshadowed industrial changes and saw roots of social transformations in improved educational facilities and new philosophy of education. Thesis The main contribution of Washington is a new vision of education (â€Å"industrial education†), participation in political, economic and social life and support of industrial and personal development of black population and the South. We will write a custom essay sample on Booker T Washington or any similar topic only for you Order Now Washington transformed traditional education and created a new concept of ‘industrial education’. He supposed that moral training was much more important than intellectual instruction. He believed that the black race should abstain from politics and civil rights agitation until industrial education should have done its work. Industrial education was not so much technical as moral (Verney 38). Washington explained that ‘industrial education’ should help a man to improve his self-image and level of professional skills. In order to promote eh idea of â€Å"industrial education† and support black population, Washington opened his own school in 1881 in Alabama. The main benefit of this school was that Washington applied his philosophy of education to conditions of Southern regions and economic development of the South. â€Å"Its programs emphasized industrial training as a means to self-respect and economic independence for black people† (Washington 50271). Booker T Washington was an advisor of the African American community taking an active part in political, economic and social life of this period. In many cases Washington not only seemed to agree with those whites who were moderate in their racial views and conservative in their economic views, he actually did agree with them, and they correctly sensed his response (Brock n. d. ). Following Verney (2001): In his solicitation for funds in the North, he carried letters of endorsement from a succession of Alabama governors and superintendents of education, for whom Tuskegee Institute was both an economic stimulant and a social tranquilizer (67). Washington had a great impact on political life in the region trying to solve racial problems and segregation. Financially, he received support from philanthropists, and introduced and organized educational programs for black students. In social sphere he had a great impact on views and life perception of black population promulgating ideas of equality and skillful labor (Verney 87). Publicly, Washington accepted a separate and unequal life for black people, but accepted black strength, self-improvement, and mutual aid. Booker T Washington supported industrial development in all spheres of life reinterpreting the role of black people in economy. â€Å"With the coming Industrial Revolution of the North, Washington envisioned many economic opportunities for freedmen in the South† (Brock n. d. ). Washington supported the idea of industrialization of the South and economic development of the poor regions. â€Å"This industrial training, emphasizing as it does the idea of economic production, is gradually bringing the South to the point where it is feeding itself† (Washington n. d. ). He saw improved position of black people as the main source of industrial development of the nation (Verney 87). Washington supported and welcomed industrial Revolution and economic progress through new educational approaches and social support of the coming changes. He stated that Industrial revolution opened new perspectives and opportunities for a wide number of people employed in industry including black population and former slaves. Washington supposed that industrial development of the South and improved conditions of life would benefit the whole country. He saw â€Å"industrial education† and personal development of black population as the main engine of Industrial Revolution. Works Cited 1. Brock, R. E. N. d. Cast Down Your Buckets Where You Are. 07 June 2007, from http://afgen. com/cast_down. html 2. Washington, B. T. n. d. The Awakening of the Negro (1896). 07 June 2007, from http://xroads. virginia. edu/~hyper/WASHINGTON/awakening. html 3. Washington, Booker Taliaferro. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2004. 50271. 4. Verney, K. J. Art of the Possible: Booker T. Washington. Garland Publishing Inc, US, 2001. How to cite Booker T Washington, Papers

Lewis Latimer Analysis Essay Example For Students

Lewis Latimer Analysis Essay Lewis Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848. He was the son of George and Rebecca Latimer, escaped slaves from Virginia. When Lewis Latimer was a boy his father George was arrested and tried as a slave fugitive. The judge ordered his return to Virginia and slavery, but the local community to pay for George Latimers freedom raised money. George Latimer later went underground fearing his re-enslavement, a great hardship for Lewis family. Lewis Latimer enlisted in the Union Navy at the age of 15 by forging the age on his birth certificate. Upon the completion of his military service, Lewis Latimer returned to Boston, Massachusetts where he was employed by the patent solicitors Crosby ; Gould. While working in the office Lewis began the study of drafting and eventually became their head draftsmen. During his employment with Crosby ; Gould, Latimer drafted the patent drawings for Alexander Graham Bells patent application for the telephone, spending long nights with the inventor. Bell rushed his patent application to the patent office mere hours ahead of the competition and won the patent rights to the telephone with the help of Latimer. Hiram Maxim, founder of the U. S. Electric Light Co., at Bridgeport, CN, and the inventor of the Maxim machine gun, hired Lewis Latimer as an assistant manager and draftsman. Latimers talent for drafting and his creative genius led him to invent a method of making carbon filaments for the Maxim electric incandescent lamp. In 1881, he supervised the installation of the electric lights in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Lewis Latimer was the original draftsman for Thomas Edison (who he started working for in 1884) and as such was the star witness in Edisons infringement suits. Lewis Latimer was the only African American member of the twenty-four Edison Pioneers, Thomas Edisons engineering division of the Edison Company. Latimer also co-authored a book on electricity published in 1890 called, Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System. Lewis Latimer had many interests. He was an inventor, draftsman, engineer, author, poet, musician, and, at the same time, a devoted family man and philanthropist. He married Mary Wilson on December 10, 1873. Lewis wrote a poem for his wedding entitled Ebon Venus that was published in his book of poetry, Poems of Love and Life. The Latimers had two daughters, Jeanette and Louise. Some other patents of Lewis LatimerLewis Howard Latimer U.S. Patent #247,097 (co-inventor Joseph V. Nichols) 9/13/1881 Electric lampLewis Howard Latimer U.S. Patent #252,386 1/17/1882 Process of manufacturing carbonsLewis Howard Latimer U.S. Patent #557,076 3/24/1896 Locking rack for hats, coats, and umbrellas

Small States Essay Example

Small States Essay Why do political demands for smaller states and bifurcation arise? There are, of course, emotional considerations like culture, language, religion and a sense of economic and regional deprivation. But more importantly, politicians envision additional posts of power as chief ministers or ministers, leaders of the opposition, Assembly speakers and so on. Similarly, government servants think of becoming chief secretaries or secretaries, DGs of police, chief-engineers, directors and so on.A common notion is that a larger share of central funds would flow into a new state compared to when it is a region in a larger state. Most also believe that a new capital city would provide better living conditions. Arguments are set forth that a smaller state with less number of districts would diminish the span of control of state-level functionaries. And that reduced distances between the state capital and peripheral areas would improve the quality of governance and administrative responsiveness and accountability.However, this can easily be achieved with strong regional administrative units in larger states. Evidence shows that both large and small states have fared well and that poor performance is not necessarily linked to size. In fact, today, technology can help make governing larger territories easier and bring even far-flung areas closer. Much more than the size of a state, it is the quality of governance and administration, the diverse talent available within the state’s population, and the leadership’s drive and vision that determine whether a particular state performs better than the others.A small state is likely to face limitations in terms of the natural (physical) and human resources available to it. Moreover, it will lack the kind of agro-climatic diversity required for economic and developmental activities. It would also be restricted in its capability to raise resources internally. All these factors would only make it more dependent on the Centre for financial transfers and centrally-sponsored schemes.Further, increasing the number of states in the country would expand the span of control of the central ministries dealing with states and of party high commands dealing with state party units. A new small state may find itself lacking in infrastructure (administrative and industrial), which requires time, money and effort to build. Some may argue that it is with this very purpose of developing infrastructure that demands for the creation of smaller states are encouraged.But experience shows that it takes about a decade for a new state and its government and administrative institutions to become stable; for various issues of division of assets, funds and of the state civil service(s) to get fully resolved; and for links to the new state capital to stabilise. The cost of this transition is not low and the state’s performance may suffer during this interim period. So, the rationalisation of some existing state boundaries and reorganising territories may be desirable for reasons of physical connectivity.And even as this and other socio-political factors could be considered by a new State’s Reorganisation Commission, a change merely for the sake of having a small state is not desirable. Moreover, we cannot fix a state’s optimum size on a whim. It calls for a thorough evaluation of physical features like land quality and topography, agro-climatic conditions, socio-cultural factors, natural and human resource availability, density of population, means of communication, existing administrative culture and effectiveness of its district and regional administrative units and so on.There are numerous demands for smaller states in different parts of the country. However, smaller states are not a panacea for India’s myriad problems. Neither can they resolve issues faced by various regions and sections of society. Larger states may be, in fact, more economically- and financially-viable and better capable of serving people and achieving planned development. If the administration in a large state suffers from inefficiencies, what is the guarantee that it will become competent by merely creating a smaller state?

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Essay Example

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Essay Example The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Paper The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Paper Jeffrey Reiman, author of The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison, first published his book in 1979; it is now in its sixth edition, and he has continued to revise it as he keeps up on criminal justice statistics and other trends in the system. Reiman originally wrote his book after teaching for seven years at the School of Justice (formerly the Center for the Administration of Justice), which is a multidisciplinary, criminal justice education program at American University in Washington, D. C. He drew heavily from what he had learned from his colleagues at that university. Reiman is the William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy at American University, where he has taught since 1970. He has written numerous books on political philosophy, criminology, and sociology. Reiman states his thesis in the Introduction. He claims that the goal of the American criminal justice system is not to eliminate crime- or even to achieve justice- but to project to the people an image of the idea that the threat of crime eminates from the poor. The system must maintain a large population of poor criminals, and to this end, it must not reduce or eliminate the crimes that poor people commit. When crime declines, it is not because of our criminal justice policies, but in spite of them. In testing this idea, Reiman had his students construct a correctional system that would maintain a stable and visible group of criminals, rather than eliminating or reducing crime, and they suggested the following: enact laws against drug abuse, prostitution, and gambling; ive police, prosecutors, and judges broad discretion in deciding who gets arrested, charged, and sentenced to prison; make the prison experience demeaning; do not train prisoners for jobs after release; deprive offenders of certain rights for the rest of their lives. The system that emerges is what we have today. In the chapter, Crime Control in America, Reiman suggests that the system has been designed to fail. Imprisoning drug offenders, for instance, does nothing to reduce the number of drug offenders in society because they are immediately replaced. The decline in violent crime is more attributable to demographic changes than to enforcement efforts. Most of the decline in crime results from forces beyond the control of the criminal justice systems. Reiman also feels that we could reduce crime if we wanted to do so, and that our excuses are not really answers to the problem, but merely excuses to explain why the system fails. We know the causes of crime- poverty, prison, and drugs- yet we do nothing to change how these things operate, such as banning guns and decriminalizing drugs. In the chapter, A Crime by Any Other Name . . . Reiman considers how language is used to identify some actions, and he argues that such things as workplace-related deaths that could be prevented should be considered crimes, as well. As far as the criminal justice system is concerned, the face of crime is young, male, poor, and black. Reiman believes that the criminal justice system helps create this reality, projecting a particular image of crime and hiding the larger reality of social injustice and even white-collar crime. They identify crime as a direct, personal assault and ignore many other damages caused by carelessness and greed of a different order. Reiman details threats from the workplace, the health care system, the use of chemicals by various companies, and poverty itself, none of which are considered crimes. Reiman feels that the criminal justice system distorts the image of what truly threatens society. In the chapter, . . . And the Poor Get Prison, Reiman points out what many have noted- that the offender in prison is most likely someone from one of the lowest social and economic groups in the nation. The poor are more likely to be arrested for a particular crime, while wealthier people are merely warned. Reiman uses evidence of the differential treatment of blacks for several reasons: 1) blacks are disproportionately poor; 2) the factors that are most likely to keep an offender out of prison do not apply to poor blacks; 3) blacks and whites in prison come from the same general socio-economic status; 4) race adds to the effects of economic condition; and 5) the economic powers in America could end or reduce racist bias in the criminal justice system if they wanted to do so. Reiman believes they see it as to their economic advantage not to curb crime. He inds that police, prosecutors, and judges all make certain that the poor are more likely to go to prison than the well-to-do. This should not be the case, given that white-collar crime is costly, widespread, and rarely punished. Even when arrested and convicted, white-collar criminals do not do the same amount of time as the poor, and do not go to the same prisons. In his chapter, To the Vanquished Belong the Spoils, Reiman considers w hy the criminal justice system is failing and finds that it is not an accident, but rather an intentional action by the rich and powerful to keep the system operating as it is. He does not say this is a conspiracy and offers reasons why a conspiracy theory does not explain what has happened. The poor are more likely to be victims, as well, and they lack the money or power to change the system in any way. On the other hand, those who are in a position to change the system are not in enough jeopardy to initiate change. The criminal justice system is extremely visible in American society and popular culture, and there is an ideology of criminal justice that is implicit, concentrating on individual wrong-doers and directing our attention away from social institutions and their actions. This distorts the nature and reality of the problem facing society. Because there is an association between crime and poverty in the popular mind, there is also a bias against the poor. In the concluding chapter, Reiman considers what he calls the Crime of Justice, or the crime society is perpetrating against the poor and powerless by allowing the system to continue as structured, and, in effect, create crime rather than reducing it. The goals of protecting society and promoting justice are both ill-served under the current system. Taken as a whole, Reimans book puts forth a solid argument that the system does not serve the public as presently constituted, and the proof is not merely in growing or diminishing crime rates, but in incorporating a broader concept of social justice into the system itself. Certain specific actions might be taken, such as decriminalizing drugs or reducing the number of guns in circulation, but clearly each of these ideas has massive opposition waiting to stop any such effort. Reimans concept of social justice is more n keeping with sociological theories that find systemic reasons for crime, which is quite different from the prevailing individual actor theories that are so embedded in the system. Reiman is less convincing in the way he describes the system as intentionally bias, for he makes it sound as if it were an organized conspiracy. That is simply not the case. The book is provocative and has many good ideas, including a thorough analysis of the current criminal justice system a nd how that system may b changed to better represent, serve, and protect ALL Americans.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors and How They Work

Carbon Monoxide Detectors and How They Work According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. Carbon monoxide detectors are available, but you need to understand how they work and what their limitations are in order to decide whether or not you need a detector and, if you purchase a detector, how to use it to get the best protection. What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas. Each carbon monoxide molecule is composed of a single carbon atom bonded to a single oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas, and oil. Where is Carbon Monoxide Found? Carbon monoxide is present in low levels in the air. In the home, it is formed from incomplete combustion from any flame-fueled (i.e., not electric) device, including ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, furnaces, fireplaces, grills, space heaters, vehicles, and water heaters. Furnaces and water heaters may be sources of carbon monoxide, but if they are vented properly the carbon monoxide will escape to the outside. Open flames, such as from ovens and ranges, are the most common source of carbon monoxide. Vehicles are the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. How Do Carbon Monoxide Detectors Work? Carbon monoxide detectors trigger an alarm based on an accumulation of carbon monoxide over time. Detectors may be based on a chemical reaction causing a color change, an electrochemical reaction that produces current to trigger an alarm or a semiconductor sensor that changes its electrical resistance in the presence of CO. Most carbon monoxide detectors require a continuous power supply, so if the power cuts off then the alarm becomes ineffective. Models are available that offer back-up battery power. Carbon monoxide can harm you if you are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide in a short period of time, or to lower levels of carbon monoxide over a long period of time, so there are different types of detectors depending on how the level of carbon monoxide is measured. Why is Carbon Monoxide Dangerous? When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it passes from the lungs into the hemoglobin molecules of red blood cells. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin at the same site as and preferentially to oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin interferes with the oxygen transport and gas exchange abilities of red blood cells. The result is that the body becomes oxygen-starved, which can result in tissue damage and death. Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning cause symptoms similar to those of the flu or a cold, including shortness of breath on mild exertion, mild headaches, and nausea. Higher levels of poisoning lead to dizziness, mental confusion, severe headaches, nausea, and fainting on mild exertion. Ultimately, carbon monoxide poisoning can result in unconsciousness, permanent brain damage, and death. Carbon monoxide detectors are set to sound an alarm before the exposure to carbon monoxide would present a hazard to a healthy adult. Babies, children, pregnant women, people with cir culatory or respiratory ailments, and the elderly are more sensitive to carbon monoxide than healthy adults. Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector? Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up. What Do I Do if the Alarm Sounds? Dont ignore the alarm! It is intended to go off before you are experiencing symptoms. Silence the alarm, get all members of the household to fresh air, and ask whether anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If anyone is experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911. If no one has symptoms, ventilate the building, identify and remedy the source of the carbon monoxide before returning inside, and have appliances or chimneys checked by a professional as soon as possible. Additional Carbon Monoxide Concerns and Information Dont automatically assume that you need or dont need a carbon monoxide detector. Also, dont assume that you are safe from carbon monoxide poisoning just because you have a detector installed. Carbon monoxide detectors are intended to protect healthy adults, so take the ages and health of family members into account when assessing the effectiveness of a detector. Also, be aware that the average life span of many carbon monoxide detectors is about 2 years. The test feature on many detectors checks the functioning of the alarm and not the status of the detector. There are detectors that last longer, indicate when they need to be replaced, and have power supply backups you need to check to see whether a particular model has the features you require. When deciding whether or not to purchase a carbon monoxide detector, you need to consider not only the number and type of carbon monoxide sources but also the construction of the building. A newer building may have more airtight construction and may be better insulated, which make it easier for carbon monoxide to accumulate.

Literacy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literacy - Assignment Example Where students are likely to benefit from these skills as it improves their general literacy and help them have better quality f education, teachers are also required to develop them, as they are fundamental for providing quality education and also enhance their performance levels. In addition to that, the scope of developing literacy and numeracy in adults has also increased which tends to bring more responsibility to educators. One of the important areas surrounding poor literacy skills is inability to understand the text being read. Where reading itself is a fundamental skill that is being developed from the inception of education, ability to gain knowledge of context in multiple frames is rather difficult to develop. This issue is further accompanied by inability to perform academic research and also filter out relevant sources to develop necessary understanding. The problem further enhances due to presence of multiple and non-reliable data available on web and out-of-date library resources. Also, ability to identify scholarly and academically relevant sources to support education has a critical value for present day students. Last element of this issue is to deliver the knowledge in writing. This skills required development of sound grammar as well as extensive vocabulary. With limited reading being performed and lesser attention given this area, students find it difficult to communicate what they know well which not only affects their grades but also their self-confidence. Another dimension of the issue being discussed is to have suitable knowledge of numerical data and relevant mathematical concepts. The problem increases when there are word problems as deducing meaning out of written text and converting it into numeric data and further applying appropriate methods and procedures meant for problem solving. Hence, in order to develop numeric skills, it is essential that a student is able to derive correct

Critical analysis of EU law system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical analysis of EU law system - Essay Example In 2001 was accepted the new constituent Treaty, which has received the name the Treaty of Nice and is one of the major founding treaties of the European Union. According to this Treaty, which has come into force in 2003, were made essential changes in institutional structure, to process of formation and functioning of institutes of EU. The Nice Treaty, "once it comes into force, will allow for more categories of cases to be moved from the jurisdiction of the ECJ to that of the European Court of First Instance (CFI) and from that of the CFI to new judicial panels hearing appeals in special in special areas of the law that are of lesser importance for the general evolution of the European Union"3. Since May, 1st, 2004 10 more Member states has entered the European Union and the general number of Member-states has reached twenty five4. The European Union is becoming the leading economic world centre, has sharply strengthening its political influence on a world scene, having united the states, which population is made nearby half milliard people. And all these people have right, which must be efficiently protected. Issues of cognition, perfection, and realization of law have always been of great value for communication and interaction of people, resolution and prevention of conflicts between them. Historical way of the development of legal matter and spirit of different people was long and complex. It took some thousand years for people in their majority to understand, from the very beginning intuitively, and then more and more deliberately, the sense and the role of law in their lives. Nowadays these issues continue to remain topical, being shown both inside of the personal, and in interpersonal communications, in mutual relations between various associations, communities, and states.Research of above mentioned issues should be begun with a human being, whose essential features, ideal and behavioural images obviously or implicitly are connected with the law. Only a person among all other live beings possesses an intellect and is capable to feel and realize law, to observe legal establishments, and to adapt to legal activity. Any person is a social essence, who in the course of communication with similar like he/her can improve legal norms, create more and more convenient models of public behaviour. Living in this word, a human being lives in a legal system and owing to some social, economic, political and other factors of development cannot exist without the law. According to Chauhan (2004, p. 1), "human beings are rational beings. They, by virtue of their being h uman, possess certain basic and inalienable rights which are commonly known as human rights. These rights of human beings are not derived from being a national of certain state, but belong to them because of their very existence and are based upon the attributes of human personality"5. As a matter of fact we may consider the relations between a human and the law from two sides. From the one side a person acts only as a user, a consumer of this law. But there is the other side of these relations, when a person acts as a creator of this law. First of all it is necessary to understand that the law is an integral quality of a human and a property of its objective reality6. The European

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Essay Example for Free

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Essay The death penalty is an issue that has the United States quite divided. While there are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount of opposition. There are five different forms of execution in the United States: hanging, electrocution, lethal injection, lethal gas, and firing squad. All of these should be illegal. Capital punishment is defined as killing of someone for a crime. But also, murder is defined as killing one human being by another. Both are acts of violence. There is nothing more inhumane than tolerating the killing of another human being. According to the Abolitionists, capital punishment is nothing but an act of violence. There are 32 states with the death penalty, and they must change. These states need to abolish it on the grounds that it carries a dangerous risk of punishing the innocent, is cruel, and for religious reasons. The United States needs to abolish capital punishment in the states that allow it. To fully understand why they should abolish the death penalty, I will first analyze the reasons why they should. First reason the death penalty should be abolished is because the risk of punishing somebody innocent. â€Å"We’re only  ­human, we all make mistakes,† is a commonly used phrase, but it is tried and true. Humans, as a species, are famous for their mistakes. However, in the case of the death penalty, error becomes too dangerous a risk. The innocent lives that have been taken with the approval of our own government should be enough to abolish capital punishment. The wrongful execution of an innocent person is an injustice that can never be rectified. There’s always the chance of the innocent being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A handful of evidence from a strong lawyer could sentence someone to life in prison, and even the death penalty. One could be spending and ending his life in captivity for simply walking down the wrong street on the wrong day. That person does not deserve to serve the time that’s not rightfully his. It’s a small fault in the justice system that is not easy to overcome. In the case of the death penalty, error becomes too dangerous to risk. The innocent lives that have been taken with the approval of our own government  should be enough to abolish capital punishment. Another reason to abolish the death penalty is because it is cruel. Many people favor the death penalty because it helps families get over the wrong done to the family; however, in most cases, closure is not the result. Losing a loved one, no matter how that person is lost, is unbearable. Pain like this is shocking and the victim’s family holds onto the hope that the execution of the murderer will bring relief and closure. Nevertheless, when execution day arrives, the pain is not eased. No relief can be gained, for their pain is an unavoidable, natural process of life. They believe that they are different from those who have taken their loved ones and they demonstrate their  ­difference by refusing to sink to a murderer’s level. According to Edna Weaver, whose daughter was murdered in New Jersey, expressed relief that the defendant was spared the death penalty. She said that she did not want William Severs Jr. executed for killing Tina Lambriola in 2002 because she wanted to spare his mother the pain of losing a child. Im so thankful it came out the way it did. . . . I wouldnt want another mother to feel like I do its a feeling I could never put into words. . . . At least his mother will be able to write to him, she will be able to send things to him, Weaver stated. Finally, the last reason they should abolish capital punishment is because religious reasons. Many religions, such Catholicism, follow the rules that God sent to use through the Ten Commandments. One of the most important of those ten states, â€Å"Thou shall not kill.† If you are executing an individual, that clearly violates this commandment. Murdering any person, no matter what the individual has been convicted of, is a mortal sin. In the Old Testament; the Lord said that it is okay to give a man Capital punishment if he has committed serious crime. Then in the New Testament he said we should not take the life of another man but if that man disobeys the laws of his country then he shall be punished equally according to what he had done. With the many advances that society has made, executing people for crimes the person may have or may not have committed is still practiced. It violates so many religious beliefs. It is a cruel and unusual practice that must be done away with. Society must advance and eliminate the death penalty. We need to understand that the best way to prevent any possible  murders in the future is not let the killer walk free. Nothing good comes of hate, and nothing good can ever come from capital punishment. It cannot continue to be accepted by a nation that claims to have liberty and justice for all. The death penalty is murder on the sly and it’s dead wrong.

We Must Stop Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Childre

Child abuse is one of the most tragic problems in America today. Each year, over three million American children are beaten, neglected, or sexually abused by their parents or guardians. Infants only a few days old as well as teenagers are subject to child abuse. There are four types of child abuse: physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Child abuse is a serious problem that plagues America's youth and must be stopped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical abuse is one form of child abuse. According to social agencies, beatings of children have multiplied over the past twenty years. Physical abuse is any abuse that is harmful to the child. This kind of abuse includes the physical discipline which results in observable injuries on the child. It also includes use of a life-threatening weapon, like a gun or a knife, against a child and any abuse resulting in death. Any abuse which results in a sever injury requiring prompt medical attention, that could be life threatening, that could cause mental and/or physical impairment, could cause disfigurement, or chronic pain is too classified as physical child abuse. Another form of physical abuse is any knowing or willful mistreatment which in the opinion of a licensed medical doctor causes great bodily harm and/or results in hospitalization for treatment of this injury or condition; this may include physical injury sustained as a result of abuse or conditions which result from a parent's willful failure to act to stop this from happening to the child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical neglect is defined as failure to provide for a child's physical survival needs to the extent that there is harm or risk of harm to the child's health and safety. Physical neglect includes these four things: inadequate food, inadequate shelter, inadequate medical care, and inadequate supervision. Forty-two percent of all child abuse reports involve allegations of physical neglect. The inadequate food element includes a child intentionally or deliberately not getting fed or given water. It also includes a diagnosis by a physician of failure to thrive because of a parent's failure to feed the child. Inadequate shelter includes prolonged and serious illness resulting from exposure to the elements or to serious dangerous substances as evidenced by serious injury. Inadequate medical care encompasses the child not receiving medic... ...ssaults, ignoring and indifference, or constant family conflict. It also includes punishments like locking the child in a dark closet. Sometimes such behaviors can cause serious mental disorders. If a child is degraded enough, the child will begin to live up to the image that is being communicated by the abusing parent or caretaker. This type of abuse is the hardest kind to notice because it leaves no bruises. A child who is emotionally abused may seem withdrawn, or act out frustration by abusing other children, animals, or belongings. Child abuse is a serious problem that plagues America's youth and must be stopped. Physical abuse and physical neglect can hurt someone to the point of having to visit the hospital or even death. Sexual abuse can cause injury and scar someone for life with the memories of the act or acts of sexual abuse the child had done to him/her. Emotional abuse can also scar someone for life in the sense that it can change your all around behavior about the world and everyone in it because of one incident or a series of acts that occurred in your childhood. Child abuse must be stopped in order to have a normal and prosperous youth of tomorrow. We Must Stop Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Childre Child abuse is one of the most tragic problems in America today. Each year, over three million American children are beaten, neglected, or sexually abused by their parents or guardians. Infants only a few days old as well as teenagers are subject to child abuse. There are four types of child abuse: physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Child abuse is a serious problem that plagues America's youth and must be stopped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical abuse is one form of child abuse. According to social agencies, beatings of children have multiplied over the past twenty years. Physical abuse is any abuse that is harmful to the child. This kind of abuse includes the physical discipline which results in observable injuries on the child. It also includes use of a life-threatening weapon, like a gun or a knife, against a child and any abuse resulting in death. Any abuse which results in a sever injury requiring prompt medical attention, that could be life threatening, that could cause mental and/or physical impairment, could cause disfigurement, or chronic pain is too classified as physical child abuse. Another form of physical abuse is any knowing or willful mistreatment which in the opinion of a licensed medical doctor causes great bodily harm and/or results in hospitalization for treatment of this injury or condition; this may include physical injury sustained as a result of abuse or conditions which result from a parent's willful failure to act to stop this from happening to the child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical neglect is defined as failure to provide for a child's physical survival needs to the extent that there is harm or risk of harm to the child's health and safety. Physical neglect includes these four things: inadequate food, inadequate shelter, inadequate medical care, and inadequate supervision. Forty-two percent of all child abuse reports involve allegations of physical neglect. The inadequate food element includes a child intentionally or deliberately not getting fed or given water. It also includes a diagnosis by a physician of failure to thrive because of a parent's failure to feed the child. Inadequate shelter includes prolonged and serious illness resulting from exposure to the elements or to serious dangerous substances as evidenced by serious injury. Inadequate medical care encompasses the child not receiving medic... ...ssaults, ignoring and indifference, or constant family conflict. It also includes punishments like locking the child in a dark closet. Sometimes such behaviors can cause serious mental disorders. If a child is degraded enough, the child will begin to live up to the image that is being communicated by the abusing parent or caretaker. This type of abuse is the hardest kind to notice because it leaves no bruises. A child who is emotionally abused may seem withdrawn, or act out frustration by abusing other children, animals, or belongings. Child abuse is a serious problem that plagues America's youth and must be stopped. Physical abuse and physical neglect can hurt someone to the point of having to visit the hospital or even death. Sexual abuse can cause injury and scar someone for life with the memories of the act or acts of sexual abuse the child had done to him/her. Emotional abuse can also scar someone for life in the sense that it can change your all around behavior about the world and everyone in it because of one incident or a series of acts that occurred in your childhood. Child abuse must be stopped in order to have a normal and prosperous youth of tomorrow.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 6

I hadn't realized how late it was until I showed up at Seth's around two. He actually wasn't writing for a change, and I found him sprawled on the couch, flipping through late night television programming. â€Å"Hey,† I said, dropping my coat and purse near the door. He glanced up from the TV. Its light cast ghostly shadows on his face in the darkness. â€Å"Sorry it's so late. Something came up.† â€Å"Yeah,† he said, voice still flat. â€Å"I can tell.† Immediately, I caught his meaning. It was a sign of how well he'd come to know me and recognize subtle succubus signals. I was wreathed in Jude's life energy. Immortals would actually perceive it as a literal glow. Mortals couldn't see it, but they could sense something insanely alluring and attractive about me. Usually, they just wrote it off as a sign of my beauty. Seth knew better. When he sensed it around me, he knew what I'd been doing. I hated for him to see me like this, but it was inevitable. â€Å"Sorry. It's what I do. You know that.† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed, sounding tired – mentally tired, not physically tired. He straightened up. â€Å"But did you have to do it tonight? You trying to punish me for standing you up?† I sat down in the armchair across from him. The energy from Jude burned through me and made me feel alive. I didn't want a fight with Seth to ruin my good mood, particularly after I'd been so annoyed for most of the evening. â€Å"I did it to survive. I wasn't trying to get back at you.† He sighed and stared off into a dark corner. â€Å"It's so hard sometimes.† I moved over to the couch, scooting up beside him. â€Å"I know.† He slid his arm around my shoulders and regarded me with a look both tender and exasperated. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against my neck. The small touch made my blood burn. â€Å"God, you're beautiful. I just wish it wasn't the result of some other guy.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"Me too.† â€Å"Sorry I blew up.† â€Å"You call that blowing up?† I asked. â€Å"That was nothing.† â€Å"And I'm sorry I stood you up. That wasn't right.† Seth had moved up my neck and now nibbled my ear. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. â€Å"It's okay,† I assured him. â€Å"Really.† â€Å"You're awfully forgiving.† â€Å"Hey, what can I say? Christmas love and kindness, right?† He laughed and ran his fingers through my hair. â€Å"For someone allegedly so evil, you sure are good.† â€Å"Well,† I said, pressing into him. â€Å"I'm not that good. I'm thinking some very bad thoughts right now.† â€Å"Yeah. Me too. If our thoughts condemn us, I think I'm headed straight for Hell.† â€Å"No, you aren't. Hugh says your soul's like a supernova. You're going straight to the pearly gates.† Warm love and desire enfolded us, supplanting the cold tension. Yet as we curled up and chatted about light topics, I couldn't help but morosely think this was a common scene between us. Fight. Brood. Apologize. Snuggle. In all the fantasies of a stable relationship that I'd harbored over the last millennium, this pattern had never been a part of them. After a while, we sort of surpassed snuggling and moved onto something of a more adult nature. At least I did. Sometimes Seth could be coaxed into sating his lust, though it always made him incredibly self-conscious. Me, I loved watching him come. He was always so damnably blas? ¦ that seeing him lose control in an orgasm almost did more for me than my own climax. He apparently had the same feelings toward me and was content to simply watch me touch myself tonight. After not getting off with Jude, I was more than happy to take things into my own hands. When I finished, languid and content afterward, he lay down on the couch beside me, lacing his fingers with mine. â€Å"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that,† he sighed. â€Å"You should finish yourself off.† â€Å"I'm okay.† â€Å"You sure?† He smiled. â€Å"Self-control, Thetis. Self-control. Besides, I have a good imagination. Sometimes it's enough to pretend I'm the one doing that to you.† I shivered as an image of Seth played in my mind, his body inside of me while I came, muscles clenching around him as I cried out his name and dug my nails into his back. â€Å"Jesus,† I said softly, closing my eyes. â€Å"Yeah.† We realized then that it was really late and started getting ready for bed. When I emerged from the bathroom after brushing my teeth, I found him waiting for me in the bedroom with a small box. He handed it over. â€Å"I told you I had an early present.† I turned the package over in my hands, running my fingertips over the edges. It had been wrapped in gold paper and had a red bow. Judging from the sloppy wrapping and misaligned ribbon, I was willing to bet he'd wrapped it himself. I offered up a small grin. â€Å"It's way too early. Presents before Christmas? That's not right. I mean, I'm not that evil.† He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, looking supremely pleased with himself. â€Å"Well, I am. I guess my soul just dimmed a little. Open it.† Sitting down as well, I hesitantly tore the paper. There was no question in my mind that this was a jewelry box. The question was: What kind? Seth occasionally showed a romantic spirit, but he wasn't the type to do anything crazy like propose. At least I didn't think so. Hoping for a tennis bracelet, I instead found a ring. But it wasn't an engagement ring, not in the current way of thinking. It was one of the modern recreations of the Byzantine rings. Only this wasn't one of the ones we'd seen at Erik's, not exactly. It was platinum for one thing, glowing soft and silvery in the dim lighting. The smooth disc on top had a dolphin engraved in it, decorated with a few tiny, embedded sapphires. I stared at it, unsure what to say. â€Å"Do you like it?† Seth asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. â€Å"I†¦yeah. Yes, I do. Very much.† My words came out haltingly. â€Å"You seemed so sad about losing the other one that I thought maybe this would be a nice substitute.† He looked so rapt and excited that I couldn't bear to tell him that not only had I not lost the original ring, I'd actually hidden it away in the closet so as never to see it again. This one was very different, true, but the similarities were strong enough to dredge up all the dark feelings I tried to keep buried, memories of a sunny day long ago when my husband – the husband I'd eventually betrayed – had slipped the other one onto my finger at our wedding. â€Å"It's beautiful,† I said after a long stretch of silence, needing to reassure him. It had been very kind, after all. Seth didn't know my history or the pain intertwined with it. â€Å"Why a dolphin?† â€Å"Yeah†¦it's kind of cutesy and trendy, but†¦well, none of those Greek letters meant much to me. But I read something about dolphins being important in old religions on Cyprus, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That brought a true smile to my face. â€Å"Yeah. They were. Messengers from the sea gods. Good fortune and all that.† Something occurred to me. â€Å"We saw these at Erik's, like, a couple days ago – but not this one. How'd you get it? Did he have more in stock? Or did you go somewhere else?† His eyes crinkled with amusement. â€Å"Hey, I'm learning your powers of persuasion. I got in contact with the artist and commissioned it.† Good lord. Seth had had a custom ring – a platinum custom ring – made right before Christmas. And he'd had it done in a matter of days. The cost must have been through the roof. The queasy feeling in my stomach intensified. Observing my silence, his smile faltered. â€Å"You sure you like it?† â€Å"Yeah, yeah†¦of course. I just†¦I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. It's great.† I slipped it onto my right ring finger. It fit perfectly. Hesitantly, I met his eyes. â€Å"This is a, uh, friendship ring right?† â€Å"Yeah, don't worry. If I propose, you'll know it. For one thing, I'll be hyperventilating.† A sly smile – surprisingly sexy – turned up his lips. â€Å"And it'll be a ruby.† â€Å"Rubies? No diamonds? Too expensive for the old writer's salary, huh?† He made a disparaging grunt at that. â€Å"No, I just think diamonds are common, that's all. If I get married, it'll be because something uncommon is occurring. Besides, you wear a lot of red, right? I know how important it is for your accessories to match.† I snorted at that and let him draw me into the bed. He fell asleep quickly, as always, but I lay there, touching the ring. Its metal had warmed to my skin, and I could trace the dolphin and sapphires with my fingertip. The unpleasant memories the ring stirred up hadn't abated, but somehow, lying in his embrace, they seemed a little less painful. Sleep finally came to me, and I immediately started dreaming – the dream. I was back in the kitchen, surrounded by all the same vivid sights, smells, and sounds as before. My hands in the water. The scent of orange soap. â€Å"Sweet Home Alabama.† It was a repeat of what I'd seen before, my dream-self washing dishes and humming along to the music. She glanced behind her into the other room. This was where the dream had ended last time. Now it kept going. A little girl sat in the living room, about two years old. She was on a blanket on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals and other toys. She clutched a plush giraffe in her hands. It rattled when she shook it. As though sensing my dream-self's gaze, the little girl looked up. She had plump cheeks that hadn't quite lost their baby fat. Wispy, light brown curls covered her head, and her hazel eyes were large and framed with dark lashes. She was adorable. Behind her on the couch, Aubrey lay curled up in a tight little ball. Another cat – covered in orange-and-brown patches – sprawled nearby. I'd never seen it before. A delighted smile spread over the little girl's face, creating a dimple in one check. A powerful wave of love and joy spread through my dream-self, emotions that my watching self felt. I knew then – knew in a way I couldn't explain but knew with absolute certainty – that this girl was my daughter. I woke up. Just like last time, morning had arrived with almost no passage of time for me. Sunlight again poured through the windows, and beside me, Seth still slept. Also like last time, my energy was gone. I was drained. But the ache of that missing energy was nothing compared to the ache I felt from being ripped out of the dream, of being stripped of the powerful emotions my dream-self had felt for that little girl. Her daughter. My daughter. No, that was impossible, I scolded myself. Succubi could have no children. I'd left that path behind when I sold my soul. It had felt so real, though. So intense. It was impossible for me to have a child, but in that dream, she had been mine. No doubts. Even now, I felt that maternal tug, and not having her here right now tore at my heart. And again, I told myself that was stupid. Dreams weren't real. That's why they were†¦well, dreams. And I had bigger problems to deal with. Like the missing energy. Beside me, Seth stirred and unconsciously pulled the covers around him, leaving me uncovered. I yanked them back, and he turned toward me, opening sleepy eyes. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"What gives?† â€Å"Not you, apparently.† â€Å"Not you either, apparently.† â€Å"Hey, I'm the evil one, remember?† We bantered a bit more and continued playing tug-of-war with the covers. I put on a smiling face so I wouldn't have to explain my problems to him. Finally, I slipped away, though part of me wished I could stay in bed for the rest of the day. Dreaming. But Seth had writing to do, and I had an afternoon shift to work. Back home, I found Vincent up and around, making breakfast in the kitchen with Yasmine. They greeted me boisterously, giggling over some conversation that had occurred before my entrance. â€Å"You want some eggs?† he asked me, catching a stick of butter tossed over by Yasmine. Presumably they'd gone grocery shopping since I hadn't had any butter in my kitchen before this. Or any food, really. â€Å"No thanks,† I said, settling myself on a stool. â€Å"I already ate.† â€Å"You're missing out,† she said. â€Å"Vincent makes eggs that are so decadent, they're totally sending him straight to Hell.† Setting a skillet on the stove, he turned on the burner, listening to the clicking sound made while the gas took a moment to ignite. â€Å"Oh, it's the eggs that are going to do it, huh? Last time you told me it was going to be my parking.† The angel's eyes sparkled with mischief. She'd pulled her sleek black hair up into a ponytail, making her look very young. Ironic, considering her age was beyond human or succubus comprehension. â€Å"Oh, geez. Yeah. I forgot about that. Huh. Now there's a toss-up. I'm not sure which is going to send you down below faster. Needing a stick of butter to cook two eggs or parallel parking three feet from the curb.† He jabbed her arm with a wooden spoon. â€Å"Three feet? You know, I've never even seen you drive a car. The only thing you drive is me – crazy.† â€Å"Oh yeah, whatever. You were crazy before I ever came along.† Glancing back and forth between them as they bickered further, I realized they'd forgotten my presence. Feeling intrusive, I discretely backed away, down the hall and to my bedroom. Closing the door, I glanced in astonishment at Aubrey. She sprawled on my bed, warmed by a patch of sunshine. â€Å"Has that been going on all morning, Aub?† Yawning, she blinked at me with green eyes and then curled into a perfect white ball – similar to the position I'd seen her in in the dream. She covered her face with one paw. Um, okay. This was unexpected. I mean, was I crazy? Or had they†¦had Yasmine and Vincent been flirting? I mean, sure she was a friendly angel and everything, but that†¦yes, the more I thought about it, the more I believed they had been flirting. More than flirting. Weirder still, it hadn't been the kind of banter two people toss back and forth during the courtship phase either. It was the familiar teasing of two people who had been together for a long time, two people so utterly comfortable in each other's presence that they could almost finish each other's sentences. It was like the phenomenon Erik had described with Seth and me. â€Å"They're in love,† I told Aubrey disbelievingly. She continued to ignore me. How did that even work? They couldn't be sleeping together. I'd learned a while back that doing that would make an angel fall, and Yasmine was still clearly on the side of truth and justice. So what did that mean? Was it okay if an angel loved a human so long as they stayed physically apart? Something inside of me didn't think so. After seeing how prudish Joel had been, I felt pretty confident even a chaste love affair wouldn't fly with him or the others. So none of them probably knew, not even Carter. And honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to know. I was a sucker for star-crossed lovers, but those relationships never actually ended well. Grabbing some clothes and heading for the shower, I realized I might be witnessing a romance even more fucked up than my own. Who'd have thought that could happen? I guessed with angels, miracles really were possible. I finished showering and drying my hair, still pondering the puzzle of this love affair. I headed back out to the living room, wondering if I'd find more flirtatious behavior. Instead, what I found was a familiar and unwelcome immortal signature. Slimy and musky. Niphon was sitting on my couch.

Cohesion policy good and bad practices

Introduction: Lithuania (along with the other Baltics) is the success story of EIJ structural fund absorption. Bulgaria (along with Romania) is the worst performer. Lithuania has contracted projects for 87% (‚Â ¬6_4 billion) of available funds as of November 2012 and paid out 54% (‚Â ¬4 billion) to beneficiaries. Bulgaria absorbed only ‚Â ¬2 billion of an available ‚Â ¬9. 5 billion between 2007 and 2011. Key factors affecting absorption capacity of structural funds: I _ Use of pre-accesslon funds 2 Political will 3. wealth/polltlcal legitimacy of regions . Human resources 5. Knowledge of available funds 6. corruption and transparency 7. r Is It Just a question of TIME (and size)? Bulgaria: Joined EU in 2007 having spent very little ot its pre-accession aid. Multiple corruption and transparency scandals: tunds are withheld and projects are delayed. Change ot government in July 2009 with creation ot new administrative units to handle structural funds. The qu ality of human resources is low in regional/municipal administrations: 4% speak English, the same people used for planning as for valuation, 201 1 sees improvements: 27 municipal information centres set up, number of prosecutions over misappropriation of funds increasing (but the absorption rate slightly lower than 2010).Lithuania: ELI member since May 2004. Population 3. 2 million compared to Bulgaria's 7. 5 million. Flexible economy: experienced rapid growth before the 2009 crisis (with help of pre-accesslon fundsL and rebounded relatively quickly after huge contraction. In 2004-06 priority was accorded to spending EIJ money according to all rules and procedures. Start of 007-2013 programming period absorption rate was similar to EUIO average (approx. 45%)

Dlamming the door Essay Example

Dlamming the door Essay Example Dlamming the door Essay Dlamming the door Essay There was more to that poem but I would rather not finish it now. After writing that poem I crept out of the house. I knew then, that I had to go to that lake. I left the house, slamming the door as I went. I went through the park, not the childrens one but the big one, which connects to the old meadow and hill. No one had been there for a very long time. I ran through the park and through the meadow, twisting my ankle on long tufts of dead grass. Nobody looked after that meadow so it looked like a necropolis but smelt distinctively of manure. I ran to the peak of the big hill, feeling the cold breeze sweeping along my face. My adrenaline was pumping. As I was standing at the top of that hill, I dont remember how, but I suddenly slipped. I tumbled down and lost control. Although it was only two minutes it seemed to last forever. I was encrusted in leaves and dried mud. I got up brushing out my hair with my fingers like a clumsy comb. I looked straight ahead of me, and there right before my eyes was that lake. The one I saw in my dream or close enough anyway. I inhaled the stench of wet moss, the silence around me was deafening. I took a second glance at the lake. I kneeled down and touched the water. Beautiful cold water, ripples glistening. I took a deep breath One, two, three. I plunged forward. I lay there for a few minutes, and then I felt myself being lifted out of the water. I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up but a man was saying, No, lie down; you are going to be fine. I remember seeing flashing lights and hearing a policemans car siren. After that traumatic experience and a few counselling sessions, my mother decided it was best for us to move. We went to Birmingham. I tried to move on, but all those memories from killing those innocent creatures for revenge came back to haunt me. Years went by, I got married and had two children. I promised myself that my history would not repeat itself. I did not want to raise my children to be spineless, cold murderers. Sometimes I try to forget about my past, but deep down I know that the past will always lie beneath me. 4:00pm. The kids should be home any minute now. I heard keys rustling through the door. I put the kettle on. Everything should be fine now. Psychoanalysis is now complete. I moved on right?

Australian Oligopolistic petition-Free-Samples for Students

On 30 th May 2017, the Financial Review published an article by James Frost titled; â€Å"Treasurer attacks banks, pushes out levy due date.† This article is centered on Treasurer Scott Morrison’s speech wherein he criticized the Australian banking sector as an oligopoly whose continued operation has had detrimental financial disadvantages to all Australians. The Treasurer argued that the cheap funding costs, internal modelling benefits and dominant market share have placed the big four banks at an advantageous position thus enabling them squeeze petitors to the wall. The treasurer referred to the House of Representatives Economic mittee whose review of the big four banks concluded that the banking sector is an oligopoly with the major banks having significant pricing power. This concentration of market power in the sector is a systemic risk that continues to hurt the economic interests of the population at large. Mr. Morrison stated that the government was keen on altering the state of affairs and the planned introduction of the bank levy was a move towards improving petition in the banking sector, although concerns remain whether the levy costs will be passed on to customers. However, there were mixed reactions when it came to light that as per the draft legislation, the first payment had been pushed back to March 21 st .   While this push had been said to affect revenue collections, the Bankers Association Chief Executive Anna Bligh we ed the move to avoid â€Å"rushing a hastily designed policy.† Further concerns have been raised with respect to the draft legislation such as the likely tax grab effect on all accounts and the fact that the policy is not intended to apply to foreigners. Whereas neoclassical economists have elaborated what a petitive market entails, politics and business lobbying have made meaningless the idea of petition in Australia’s banking sector. Though the Australia Bankers Association argues that the banking market is petitive, of all the over 100 banks, societies and credit union operating in Australia, it is only four banks that control over 84 per cent of the mortgage market in Australia (The Australia Institute, 2017). The four banks have drawn benefit from the banking oligopoly that focuses on safe and high-margin mortgages (Janda, 2016). The banks managed to convince the regulatory body to allow them set aside lower sums of money to cover potential losses. This move allowed the banks to provide more mortgages without necessarily having to raise more capital from shareholders. As a result of this immense market dominance, it is argued that the big banks were abusing their market power. This dominance enabled them to enjoy record h igh profit margins for many financial years but scandals involving rigging of interest rates, poor financial advice and insurance frauds brought into question the exploitation and unaccountability that these banks have enjoyed for so long (Kaye and Westbrook, 2016). As of late 2016, there was a public outcry to alter the status quo to correct the financial systemic errors and it was agreed that reform had to be undertaken to cure the situation. Consequently, a parliamentary inquiry into the major banks was missioned with the objective of encouraging petition and monitoring the sector closely. The House Economics mittee made proposals thereafter to have reports filed to the government twice yearly and r mended the doing away with constraints in obtaining licenses. To ensure transparency in loan pricing, it was proposed that banks should be required to share with each other customer data. Further r mendations included the setting up of a Banking and Financial Sector Tribunal at the cost of the banks and that banks had to name executives responsible for major breaches a panied with a detailed explanation of the specifics of the breaches (Shapiro, 2016). In the 2017 budget, the Treasurer seems to have taken huge consideration of the need to introduce reforms to the banking sector. These reforms entail a bank levy in the form of tax targeting the major banks and the introduction of further measures that will promote petition and accountability in the banking system (Hawkins and Sanyal, 2017). From the foregoing discussion, it emerges that the major causes of the so-called systemic errors in the banking sector are as a result of lack of petition and transparency in the sector. The 2017 budget reforms are therefore a we ed move that should be zealously implemented to cure the defects in the banking sector. One r mendation to achieve this ou e is to address the concern that the banks may pass the tax costs to the customers. Although it has been assured that the tax does not apply to bank deposits or mortgages, it is r mendable that the Australian petition and Consumer mission should monitor closely to ensure the banks do not mislead customers in a bid to defeat the objectives of the reforms. Further, there is also need to address the unfair advantage that is enjoyed by the major banks due to the generally accepted assumption that in the event of a crisis, these big banks will most certainly receive government support. This perception endears these banks to financiers as opposed to their petitors. To ensure this inequity is removed from the picture, reforms should be adopted to provide for a criteria of ensuring that the small banks also receive monetary support from the government in the event of a crisis. This measure will lead to the realization of a fairly petitive market in terms of the neoclassical economic standards. The fact that Australia’s banking sector is an oligopoly is undisputed. It is mendable that the government is taking measures to address the disquiet that has been evoked by the unpleasant state of the sector. Politics aside, all stakeholders need to work together to ensure the proposed reforms are fully effected and that further measures as r mended above are taken to ensure   fair petition and transparency are upheld. This way, confidence and trust will be restored in the financial sector of the economy. The government should also focus on other sectors of the economy that are not petitive enough such as the energy sector Degotardi, M. (2012). petition in Banking. [Pdf] Available at: https://www2.deloitte /au/en/pages/ economics /articles petition-in-banking.html [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Frost, J. (2017). Treasurer delays bank levy, pushes petition argument. [Online] Financial Review. Available at: https://www.afr /business/banking-and-finance/financial-services/bank-levy-bill-introduced-aims-to-aid petition-in-oligopoly-market-20170530-gwg7pv [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Hawkins, P. and Sanyal, K. (2017). A levy on major banks and improving accountability for bank executives – Parliament of Australia. [Online] Aph.gov.au. Available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201718/Banks [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Janda, M. (2016). The banks are too big for the nation's good — here's why. [Online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-31/janda-aus-banks-are-too-big/7789830 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Kaye, B. and Westbrook, T. (2016). Australian watchdog says bank 'oligopoly' needs more reform. [Online] U.S. Available at: https://www.reuters /article/us-australia-banks-idUSKCN12E0F3 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Morrison, S. (2017). Building an accountable and petitive banking system | The Hon Scott Morrison MP. [Online] Sjm.ministers.treasury.gov.au. Available at: https://sjm.ministers.treasury.gov.au/media-release/044-2017/ [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Shapiro, J. (2016). Bank oligopoly 'adverse' for consumers. [Online] Financial Review. Available at: https://www.afr /business/banking-and-finance/financial-services/bank-inquiry-report-targets-big-four-oligopoly-20161124-gswfb5 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. The Australia Institute. (2017). Bank customers pay for oligopoly. [Online] Available at: https://www.tai.org.au/node/614 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017] With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Romania Risk Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Romania Risk Assessment - Assignment Example The new state which is now Romania gained independence in 1877 from the traditional Ottoman Empire. The economy of the country is anchored on services and production of different electric energy and machines with some of the key companies being OMV Petron and Automobile Dacia. Currently the country is regarded as upper-middle income with a super high human development index. Despite the continuous growth in the country, there are a number of challenges and risks that the nation faces that it should deal with to see a continuous growth of the economy and cohesion amongst the people. ("Romania: Risk ratings", 2010, Business Europe, 2010) 3 Romania is located on the South East of Central Europe. It border black sea between Ukraine and Bulgaria. The country which is 92,043 sq. miles in area size also borders Serbia, Hungary and Moldova. Romania has a population of roughly 20 million with a temperate continental climate. The country’s largest city, Bucharest is the sixth largest city in terms of size and population within the European Union. Romania is within the traditional territories of the former Roman province of Dacia. It was formed in 1859 via a unique personal union of the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. The new state which is now Romania gained independence in 1877 from the traditional Ottoman Empire. The economy of the country is anchored on services and production of different electric energy and machines with some of the key companies being OMV Petron and Automobile Dacia. Currently the country is regarded as upper-middle income with a super high human development index. Despite the continuou s growth in the country, there are a number of challenges and risks that the nation faces that it should deal with to see a continuous growth of the economy and cohesion amongst the people. ("Romania: Risk ratings", 2010, Business Europe, 2010) Risk is the potential loss of something of value. When it is not handled