Computer utilization in ONE African or Mid-Eastern country as compared Essay

Computer utilization in ONE African or Mid-Eastern country as compared with computer utilization in the United States - Essay Example these social differences at the cultural level, the UAE is quickly becoming one of the most progressive users of computers in the world in areas of business, education, and general consumer society. In the United States, it is quite common to find people of varying demographics using the Internet for personal needs, varying from social networking sites, to online shopping, to even education by attending distance learning universities. There is no specific user profile for the Internet in the United States simply because it is quite common for people of all age and educational demographics to have a personal computer in their households. However, in the United Arab Emirates, the Internet user profile is typically a younger and professional male compared to the United States (Shen & Shakir, 2009). Where in the U.S. it is common to find a young male or female visiting social networking sites such as YouTube or Facebook, this goes against the traditional collectivist principles that founded the UAE regarding what is considered acceptable for gender roles. Many Arab youth females cannot show their faces to anyone unless they are in their close family and because of this they often d o not play online games, visit chat rooms, or even send emails (Shen & Shakir). This cultural difference tends to limit the Internet user profile to mostly professional and educated young men. Yahoo! Is becoming the number one Internet website in the UAE, where this is not especially true in the United States. Regular Yahoo! users in the UAE have crossed 1.5 million (ameinfo.com, 2006). In the U.S., it is common to have youths visiting Yahoo! for its Chat, Games and Music options. However, the UAE commonly finds people over the age of 30 on Yahoo! utilizing its more professional services such as Yahoo! News and Finance (ameinfo.com). This is a demographic difference in computer utilization between the UAE and the U.S. where in the West sites like Yahoo! are more for recreation where in the

Tonnage of the world Essay Example for Free

Tonnage of the world Essay A View From The Bridge is about a family, who live in Red Hook, the gullet of New York, which swallows the tonnage of the world. This family of three, comprising of an Uncle, Aunty and niece, are ordinary working class citizens who try to deal with some common, and uncommon problems in their lives. These problems include growing up and learning to let go, and conflicts with other relatives. From the first few lines of dialogue, I thought that Eddie and Catherine had a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship because when Catherine says Hi, Eddie! the stage directions tell us that Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it To me, it seems that one would not be shy when ones niece said Hi, and also Eddie was pleased about it which led me to believe that the nature of their relationship was of that sort. Catherine buys a new skirt, which Eddie thinks is too short. Catherine tells Eddie that its the style now and that it isnt too short when she stands up. Eddie retaliates by saying that shes gotta sit down sometimes. Catherine carries on by saying if you see me walkin down the street to which Eddie quickly reacts by saying that shes walkin wavy. Catherine is adamant that shes not walking wavy, but then Eddie says that he dont like the looks theyre givin her in the candy store. This conflict is caused at the beginning of the play by Catherine growing up, and attracting the attention of male admirers, something that Eddie doesnt seem to like. Beatrice thinks that Eddie treats Catherine like a baby, as when she has the opportunity to become a stenographer, Eddie comes out with a feeble excuse to persuade her to not to take the job; I know that neighbourhood, B. I dont like it. Beatrice then says to Eddie that if nothin happened to her in this neighbourhood it aint gonna happen no place else, and makes a personal attack on him by saying shes seventeen years old, you gonna keep her in the house all her life? Beatrice doesnt understand Eddie as she thinks that he wants Catherine to have a good job, earning good money, but then he treats her like a child, so I think that Beatrice views Eddies relationship with Catherine as a father-daughter relationship; Eddie acting overprotective, and trying to make Catherines decisions for her. Rodolfo and Marco arrive in America, which has a dramatic impact on Eddies and Catherines relationship. As soon as Rodolfo arrives, we see that Catherine is attracted to him. She is enthralled by his singing and wondrously in love with his hair. When Catherine and Rodolfo go to the Brooklyn Paramount, Eddie tries to have a private conversation with Catherine, hinting at Rodolfo to go away. Catherine sticks up for Rodolfo saying, why dont you talk to him Eddie? He blesses you, and you dont talk to him hardly. This gives Eddie the chance to be ironic by saying, I bless you and you dont talk to me. Eddie feels that Catherine is running away from him, hence making their relationship together drift further and further apart. There is strong evidence that Eddie doesnt like Catherine going out with Rodolfo when they go to see a film at the Brooklyn Paramount. Eddie tells Beatrice that Rodolfo gives him the heebie-jeebies, and that he sings on the ships. Beatrice asks Eddie why he doesnt want Catherine Rodolfo to get married, as hes a nice fella, hard workin, and that hes good lookin. Also, Eddie seems to have a problem with Rodolfos wacky hair and that he just hopes thats his regular hair. Eddie is trying to insinuate that Rodolfo is gay or homosexual. Beatrice thinks Eddies crazy or sumpm, and tries to ignore his ridiculous remarks. Eddie also is very paranoid as he waits for Rodolfo and Catherine outside the house, treating them as little children; Its after eight. In the boxing scene, Eddie shows Rodolfo couple a passes, whilst everyone else watches them. Rodolfo dont know how to, but Eddie insists that he does. Beatrice asks Eddie whats he got to learn that for? and Eddies response is that somebodys liable to step on his foot or sumpm. Beatrice then tells Rodolfo to go ahead, as Eddies a good boxer and that he could learn from him. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Catherine is making coffee, unaware what is going on in the other room. When Catherine does come in the room, she asks Beatrice what are they doin? with alarm. Beatrice replies by telling her that hes teachin him, and that hes very good! in a calm and relaxed way, as she only senses the comradeship, until Eddie mildly staggers Rodolfo, causing Marco to rise and Catherine to panic, shouting Eddie! After this incident, Rodolfo asks Catherine to dance, to the song, Paper Doll, which he sang when he arrived in the flat. This shows us that Rodolfo is standing up to Eddie, as when he first sang the song, Eddie told him to stop, in case he got picked up. Instead, he decided to dance to it, which is a safer option and may make Eddie a little bit angry. Meanwhile, Eddie sits down in his chair, when Marco places a chair in front of him. He asks Eddie Can you lift this chair? to which Eddie replies, What do you mean? Marco shows Eddie to lift it from the back, using only one arm. Eddie tries twice, but fails. By now, everyone is watching as Marco lifts the chair higher and higher, until the chair is raised over his head. Marco then smiles, triumphantly, leaving Eddie to absorb his look, and making him look weak and inferior; perhaps a warning telling him not to overstep the mark. In the boxing scene, each character feels differently towards Eddie, whether it is they feel threatened by Eddie, by him causing them direct anger, or by him causing anger, indirectly and vice versa. An example of direct anger being when Rodolfo was hit by Eddie, causing him anger as a result of Eddies action towards him. An example of indirect anger was when Rodolfo was hit by Eddie, causing Catherine anger, but not directly from Eddie towards her.

Setting And Story :: essays research papers

Setting and Story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting in the story, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, is very important to the story as a whole. In many situations it is needed to relay important ideas. There are three main things in the plot that give the story this special touch. One example is the color of the rooms of the abbey. The next thing is the seclusion of the abbey, This gives the characters a false sense of security and a sort of dramatic irony to the reader. The third thing in the setting was the era that story took place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The colors of the rooms play an important role in the story. Each room seems to take on a kind of theme some more obvious than others. The Black room represented the â€Å"Red Death† even though this is not stated the reader can assume this because the people avoid that room during the story. No one enters it until the â€Å"Red Death† kills the prince in it. The rooms add a lot to the story. They help convey the idea that their are two forces at work. The good and the bad, the bad being the red death, and the good being the party, full of life and excitement. They also help the reader see that the people would rather forget about the plague outside, and that helps the reader realize why the people where so opposed to the â€Å"Red Death† when he made his appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The seclusion of the abbey also adds to the story. The seclusion of the abbey gives the characters a sort of false sense of security. The characters believed that they would be safe from the plague by boarding up the gates and sealing themselves inside. When they where actually locking themselves into there own deaths, and by locking and welding the gates the author brings the attention of dramatic irony to the reader.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third thing in the plot that had a significant effect on the story was the time the story took place. The effect of this ordeal accruing during medieval times is the reader associates all the suspicions and mythological ideas of that time with the story, allowing the reader to more actually experience the emotions of the people of that time.

Kidney Stones Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Out of every thousand people in the United States, one person can say that they have experienced one of the most painful episodes one can go through. Some have said that compared to this, pregnancy is easy. Over half a million people will experience kidney stones this year, and a third of them will be hospitalized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kidney stones are hard, crystalline deposits in the kidney. They are usually hexagonal, eighty percent of which are made of calcium. These calcium stones are two to three times more common in men, and are most likely to reoccur. The calcium oxalate versions most likely result from eating specific food. One percent of stones are cystine stones, which have to do with the hereditary disorder cystinuria. Struvite makes another small percentage, and grow very large primarily in women, producing kidney damage and obstruction of the urinary tract. Struvite stones consist of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, and are also called infected stones because they only form in infected urine. Another 8 percent of stones are made of uric acid, and half of the men that have this also have gout. These stones vary in size from microscopic to an inch in diameter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several symptoms of kidney stones. One is slowly increasing pain in the lower back and pelvis area, eventually leading to the groin. A constant urge to urinate is also a symptom. One of the more obvious ones is blood in th...

Analysis Essay

I. Frethorne, Richard. On Indentured Servitude. Edited by Howard Zinn, Anthony Arnove. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2009 II. Frethorne talks about his miserable experience to be an indentured server. He writes the letter to his parents and describes the horrendous conditions he is in. Frethorne states some vital facts. He also writes that people who suffer as indentured servants are willing to lose either leg or arm but to move back to England. According to Frethrone he is working on plantation somewhere in Virginia that is located about ten miles away from Jamestown. He is begging his parents to either send him some money for good living or help him to return to England. Richard Frethorne emphasizes that his life depends on his parents and he hopes that his family is doing fine. III. Richard Frethorne’s letter provides and illuminating picture of the hardships of colonization in the early seventeenth century, especially for the class of indentured servants. Combating isolation, disease, homesickness, hunger and discomfort, Frethorne and his fellow settlers struggled to make a success of their fledgling community. Life in early Virginia was particularly challenging because of the shortage of supplies, the prevalence of disease, and tense relations with the Native Americans. The source is relevant to our course because it describes the social issue that was discussed in our class. Indentured servitude was cheaper for the rulers of British Empire before the moment when indentured servants became capable of surviving the seven-year period and acquiring the land that was promised to them. After that moment slavery of African Americans was demanded. IV. This source influences the interpretation of the historical narrative by providing extra information about the real situation in the colonies. People in England thought that indentured servitude was not a dangerous thing and was an easy way of claiming some land in America. However, Frethorn’s letter to his parents proves the opposite of what was thought. By provided examples of harsh conditions he states that all the servants who already arrived to America had desire to move back to England. He has no money to live. He is starving and afraid of the Indians invading, he begs his parents to hurry up and help his soon for his life depends on it. Of course there is possibility of poor Frethorne to exaggerate because the letter was addressed to his parents; therefore, he has a good discretion of what it might have been like to live  in New England at the time he was there in 1623. Indentured Servitude was a form of slavery but with a better name instead of calling things wit h its names.

Life is a Journey Vs Life is a Battle Essays - Adler, Alfred Adler

Life is a Journey Vs Life is a Battle Essays - Adler, Alfred Adler Life is a Journey Vs. Life is a Battle English 100 Effective College English I Prof. Stef Donev April 20, 2012 Adult Education Mortimer J. Adler makes many points in Adult Education, that gives understanding of what being educated is. Not only does Adler claim that wisdom and maturity is gained later on in life, but is also determined with the life experiences that one surpasses and goes through. There are some strong points that Adler states, but there are quite a few of them I completely disagree on myself. In one of Adlers statements, he informs that even though you have a high school diploma or degree, they are not educated. Part of the matter why I agree on this, is for the reason that when people finish any type of schooling, they are handed a paper perceiving that they graduated but are still in my opinion, not educated. Therefore, this still does not give them a level of maturity that most people have. It all depends on ones life occurrences that determines their level of maturity. Adler states many things I can definitely agree upon. He explains in We all know, and no one can deny, that no child- in school or at the moment of graduation is an educated person (59) , that even though you graduate or earn a degree, it does not automatically signify that you are educated. For the reason being, he is saying this because there are more things to learn in life and things that one will experience as life goes on. Adler also clarifies that just because you have finished what you have been striving for in school, there are still things that one has not been educated with even after you have accomplished schooling. When Adler speaks of I do not care what their chronological age is, whether it is fifteen or twenty-two. If they are still within the walls of a school, college, or university, they are children. They are living a protected, and in many ways an artificial life (61) he strongly informs us this, for the reason being that children are still dependent amongst their parents or guardians. They are provided shelter, clothes, and still are kept from the cruel reality of what the world has to offer them. Adlers sayings are meaning that you have not yet experienced the level of maturity that older individuals have gone through. Therefore, people that are in school, graduated or individuals that have earned a degree still lack life experience. I agree with this because, I still have not yet faced or experienced the harsh life after schooling, noting that I still am in school myself. I also correspond to the fact that we all cant mature without aging. He says this in, We cannot be mature without being aged, and aged through pain and suffering and grief. This kind of suffering, children are spared, but they pay a price for being spared it. I also agree on the fact that we all cant mature without aging. They remain immature, irresponsible, and unserious, in the basic sense of the world. (61) I completely disagree that they wont remain irresponsible and unserious as Adler addressed, but will eventually overcome them as life goes on. An example of what some people lack experience in are having children, getting married, paying bills, going to work, having someone dependent on one another. These are the experiences that help you mature. aging is part of what makes us mature. (61), which Adler states in the article. Some may agree, and some may not but thats how life is, in my opinion. The unremitting process of a learning experience that Adler tries to portray, is one of the main and strongest points in all of this article. It takes a great number of years to gain wisdom. Even after school there are many things that people will encounter in life to gain the knowledge needed. But even though the years you take for reaching a proper education wont be as needed, it will take years to accommodate intelligence or be wise and that is the most important thing. Knowing that the education learned, it will still become an impact later on in life. I feel

Profile of Serial Rapist and Torturer David Parker Ray

Profile of Serial Rapist and Torturer David Parker Ray David Parker Ray, also known as the Toy-Box Killer, was a serial rapist and torturer and suspected serial killer. Police in Arizona and New Mexico suspect that Ray was responsible for the murders of at least 60 people, based on accusations by his accomplices. Ray earned the moniker the Toy-Box Killer because he spent $100,000 sound-proofing and stocking a truck trailer with devices used to torture his victims. He referred to the trailer as the toy box. Early Years Ray was born in Belen, New Mexico, on November 6, 1939. His parents, Cecil and Nettie Ray, were poor and lived with Netties parents on a small ranch where they raised David and his younger sister Peggy. Cecil was an abusive drunk who lashed out at his wife and children. He eventually left Nettie and the children when David was 10 years old. After Cecil divorced Nettie, the decision was made to send David and Peggy to live with their grandparents on their rural ranch in Mountainair, New Mexico. Life for David and Peggy took a dramatic turn. Their grandfather, Ethan Ray, was nearing 70 years old and lived with strict standards which he expected the grandchildren to follow. Failure to follow his rules would often result in the children being physically disciplined. At school David, who was tall, shy and awkward, had a hard time fitting in and was often bullied by his classmates. Much of his spare time was spent alone drinking and using drugs. It was during this time that David Ray began to develop his secret fascination of sadomasochism. David Rays sister discovered his collection of erotic photographs of acts of bondage and sadomasochistic drawings. After high school, he worked as an auto mechanic before joining the Army, where he again worked as a mechanic. He received an honorable discharge from the Army. Years later, he told his fiancà © that his first victim was a woman he tied to a tree and tortured and murdered when he had just become a teenager. Whether this was true or materialized out of his constant fantasies of bondage and torture is unknown. The Escape On March 22, 1999, in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, 22-year-old Cynthia Vigil, covered in blood, naked and with a metal choker collar padlocked around her neck, was running for her life. She had no idea where she was and desperate to find help before her captors caught up with her, she spotted a mobile home with the front door opened. Cynthia ran inside, pleading for help from the shocked homeowner. The police arrived shortly afterward and listened as Cynthia told her terrifying story of kidnap and torture. Held as a Sex Slave She told them that a man and a woman had kidnapped her and held her as a sex slave for three days. There she was raped and tortured with whips, medical instruments, electric shock, and other sexual instruments until she managed to escape. The bruises, burns and puncture wounds that covered her body backed up her story. According to Cynthia, she met her captors in  Albuquerque  while working as a prostitute. The man had offered her $20 in exchange for oral sex and they went to his RV. Inside there was a woman who helped the man tie and gag her, along with placing a metal collar around her neck. They drove for over an hour before stopping and dragged Cynthia inside a trailer where she was chained to a bedpost. She then listened to an audiotape describing what would be happening to her while she was there. On the tape, a man she assumed was David Ray, explained that she was now a sex slave and she was to refer to him only as master and the woman with him as mistress and never to speak unless spoken to first. She would be naked and chained up, fed, and cared for like a dog. She would be tortured, raped, perform for friends while having sex with animals, subjected to anal penetration with large dildos and placed in various positions which exposed the private areas of her body. She was also warned that she was one of many slaves that had been held captive and many of those who did not cooperate, died. Fighting For Her Life A FBI team investigates the toy box trailer. Joe Raedle / Getty Images By the third day of her captivity, Cynthia had been exposed to electric shocks, endured being cattle prodded, whipped, and had medical instruments and large dildos inserted into her vagina and rectum. She was hung up and raped repeatedly by David Ray. Cynthia was certain that soon she was going to be killed. She managed to escape after Ray left the trailer and she got a hold of the keys and unlocked herself from the chain. She tried to call 9-1-1 but was interrupted by her female captor. The two fought and Cynthia managed to grab an ice pick and stab the woman in the neck. She then ran from the house and kept running until she found the mobile home. Cynthia provided the police with the location of the trailer, but they were already at the home after the 9-1-1 call abruptly ended. Inside The Toy Box David Parker Ray and his girlfriend, Cindy Lea Hendy were apprehended. During questioning the two stuck to the same story - that Cynthia was a heroin addict and they were trying to help her detoxify. A search of Rays property told another story. Inside Rays mobile home the police found evidence that backed up Cynthias story, including the audiotape. Inside another trailer that sat next to the mobile home was what detectives assumed was the Toy Box as Ray called it. Inside were various instruments of torture, drawn pictures of how Ray would torture his victims and various restraints, pulleys, whips, and sexual devices. However, the most shocking piece of evidence was a videotape of a woman being tortured by the couple. Ray and Hendy were arrested and charged with multiple counts including kidnapping. As the investigation continued, additional evidence revealed that there had been many more victims and more than just Ray and Hendy involved in the crimes. Investigators also suspected that along with Ray being a serial rapist, he was also likely a serial killer. Angelica Montano The problem that the authorities faced was Cynthias credibility. She was an admitted prostitute and there was no way to prove that she was not there willingly. But then, after the newspapers ran the story about the couples arrest, another victim came forward. Angelica Montano told police that she had also been kidnapped, raped and tortured by Ray and Hendy for three days, then drugged and left by a highway out in the desert. She was found by the police, but for unknown reasons, her complaint against the couple was never followed up. She decided to pursue it again after she saw that the two had been arrested. Kelly Garrett Investigators also found the woman that was on the videotape after they identified a tattoo on her ankle. Kelly Garrett, who was found in Colorado, had been married just a few days before she was held captive by Ray and his daughter, Jesse Ray. Jesse Ray, who was friends with Garrett, took her to a bar and drugged the beer that she was drinking. As Garrett struggled to leave the bar, Ray hit her on the head from behind. She was subjected to torture and rape for three days, then drugged and left on the side of the road near her in-laws home. Garretts in-laws assumed she had been on a drug binge, and she was still too confused to recall exactly what had happened. As a result, she was asked to leave and she returned to Colorado. As time went on she remembered more about her ordeal, but she still suffered from amnesia. Cindy Hendy: A Quick Turnaround Once in custody, Cindy Hendy was quick to turn on Ray in a plea deal that included a reduced sentence. She told investigators that Ray told her about 14 murders that he had committed and where some of the bodies had been dumped. She also told of some of the different ways Ray would torture his victims which included using a mirror which was mounted in the ceiling, above the gynecologist-type  table  he used to strap his victims to so that they would have to watch was being done to them. Ray would also put his victims in wooden contraptions that bent them over and immobilized them while he had his dogs rape them and sometimes other friends.   She also gave the names of other accomplices, which included Rays daughter, Glenda Jesse Ray and Dennis Roy Yancy. According to Hendy, Jesse and Dennis had participated in the murder of Dennis ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Marie Parker. Dennis Roy Yancy: The Fear Factor Yancy was brought in for questioning and eventually admitted to being present when Ray and his daughter Jesse kidnapped Parker and took her to the Toy Box. After three days of torture, Ray and Jesse told Yancy to kill her, which he did by strangling her with a rope. Yancy said Ray threatened to kill him if he ever told anyone about it. Glenda Jean Jesse Ray: Complete Denial Jesse Ray denied having anything to do with her father, the abductions, or with the murder of Marie Parker. Sentencing Joe Raedle / Getty Images Cindy Hendy was sentenced to 36 years as agreed to in the plea bargain. She also testified against Ray during his trials. Dennis Roy Yancy received two 15-year sentences for second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He was released after serving 11 years, but returned to custody until 2021, after violating his parole. Jesse Ray was found guilty of kidnapping women for sexual torture and was sentenced to nine years in prison, six of which could be served out of prison and on parole. It was decided that David Parker Ray would be tried separately for each victim - Cynthia Vigil, Angelica Montano, and Kelly Garrett. He later agreed to a plea deal and he was sentenced to 224 years. Death On May 28, 2002, Ray died of a heart attack while on his way to an interrogation by state police at Lea County Correctional Facility.

buy custom The Relation of Emotional Experience and Expression to Nursing Career essay

buy custom The Relation of Emotional Experience and Expression to Nursing Career essay Researchers claim that there are several influences on emotional experience and expression. From the health nursing perspective, the ability or inability of a person to express emotions can be viewed as a medical condition. It can be diagnosed and the victim subjected to treatment. Additionally, both emotional experience and expression are dependent on an individual's past experience that encompasses the environment he/she is living in. Depending on the nature of risk, individuals will express their emotions differently, which will help to make an accurate diagnosis. According to Wade and Tavris (2000), several variables affect the way people experience and express emotions. The authors provide display rules, technology, emotional cognition, gender and its roles, emotional intelligence, and personality (Wade Tavris, 2000). These factors can be either causes of emotional and behavioral diseases or symptoms of the diseases. They are important in the nursing profession to identify or help diagnose an emotional problem. They inform about the type of a patients background, which, undoubtedly, may be the cause of emotional problem. Additionally, these factors, for example the display rules, show how different people who suffer from emotional diseases will express themselves. This, in turn, will give a hint on the level of the disease. In the nursing profession, emotions are used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). With the disease, people show different emotions. The disease comes as a result of unsatisfactory lifestyle or condition that one might have experienced. The ideas discussed in the book, such as culture, are important in determining the cause of the disorder (Wade Tavris, 2000). When people come from a culture that does not allow them to express themselves in the way they would like to, they will succumb to stress over time, which will influence on the way of expressing emotions later in life. The authors provide a good example by describing a situation in Japan where people are not allowed to expressemotions to people of their culture. In this case, people who probably have been hurt by their friend who is from the same culture will not express their feelings. The anger will accumulate and will only reveal in the form of a disease, PSTD. Additionally, geography of a place will help a registered nurse (RN) who is managing a case or is in the process of diagnosing to understand the disorder expressed by the patient. A patient with PSTD will likely show signs of the disease depending on the area he/she comes from. People from different geographical locations express emotions differently (Wade Tavris, 2000). For example, people living in South America touch each other more often than people in the north. Patients in America having PSTD would be suffering the effect of seeing their loved one being touched by a friend or neighbor, and they may interpret it as infidelity. As such, they will develop stress and may change the way of expressing their emotions. Such information will assist the RN to arrive at a correct diagnosis. The other members of subgroups within bigger cultures will experience moments that will interfere with their emotions, experiences, and expression. The information about the link between subcultures and emotions is helpful to a nurse in diagnosing PSTD (Wade Tavris, 2000). A good example is people who form a religion that believes diseases are curable, and they do not have to go to the hospital for treatment. A member of such a group may develop a disease and never consult a doctor. As a result, such person will progressively change regarding the type of illness they experience. All the aforementioned factors including technology use, gender roles, and sex of an individual give important information for an RN to diagnose PTSD. On the other hand, such information is also helpful in explaining the type of behavior or level of the disease (Wade Tavris, 2000). A patient with PSTD will either show intensification, de-intensification, simulation, inhibition or masking. An RN will be in a better position to get to the starting point of the diagnosis. A persons behavior is a helping factor in the management of the disease. A good example is when a PSTD patient will mask his/her genuine emotions. In that case, an RN will try to investigate the reasons that make the patent mask the emotion, and upon identifying such objects the medical workers will be in a position to administer change mechanisms. Moreover, information about emotional experiences and expression is helpful to the nursing fraternity in determining the type of emotional and behavioral disorder of a patient. Information about emotional intelligence will guide an RN in understanding the ability of a patient to accurately perceive emotions, understand them, and provide room for their growth. Such information is used in testing the effectiveness of treatment methods that patients have been exposed to (Wade Tavris, 2000). When a patient with an emotional disorder including PSTD arrives at a hospital and is put on medication, it is crucial to review the medication periodically in order to determine that it is working as planned. One way to do this is by testing the emotional intelligence of a patient. Results obtained will demonstrate if the case management plan should be restructured. Undoubtedly, nurses also use information about emotional contagion to diagnose a patient with emotional problems. Information about contagion is necessary for medical science as it shows the extent to which a patient can mimic other people's emotion. If they are in a position to mimic, then an RN will be sure that they are fit. If they are not, the nurse will be informed that the patient has an emotional problem hence emotional disorder (Wade Tavris, 2000). Additionally, information about a patient's personality is used in diagnosis. It helps a nurse to understand the reasons why the patient suffers from a particular emotional problem. Thus, it will guide the decision-making process of the nurse regarding the type of environment which they should expose the patient to in order to ease the process of healing. Buy custom The Relation of Emotional Experience and Expression to Nursing Career essay

Emirates Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emirates Airlines - Research Paper Example In terms of innovation, it is the first airline which has introduced â€Å"Audio Video on Demand† for their passengers in all the classes. It remains first in terms of introducing the in-flight calling and the concept of the onboard spa. Emirates Airlines is also known as the first airline which has initiated the internet and Wi-Fi facility inside the flight. The product offering of Emirates Airlines includes ‘ICE’ package.Information: Allows the customers to remain updated with the current news from BBC website. It also enables them to take a vision from the external cameras of aircraft. Communication: Enables the passengers to contact anyone via mail, SMS and phone call.Entertainment: The passengers can watch their favorite shows and also can play games. Due to introducing innovation in its operation and providing various facilities, Emirates Airlines is regarded as the prestigious company in the developed as well as emerging market. It is regarded as a fierce c ompetitor especially in the premium sector because it is leading the airline segment (â€Å"Emirates Group Careers†). The company has coped up with the economic downturn by improving its efficiencies as well as by introducing innovations in its operations (â€Å"Emirates†).Opportunities: Emirates Airlines is incessantly innovative and due to the advancement of its technology, it is making excessive profit. Its association with Qantas enables them to draw more Australian passengers.

Types Of Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Types Of Energy - Essay Example This form of energy is obtained by the conversion of wind energy a utilizable form of energy, for example, making electricity using wind turbines, wind pumps for pumping water, windmills for mechanical power or sails to propel ships. The important features of this form of energy include being clean, plentiful, renewable and zero emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) when in use. Large-scale production of wind power generation is done in wind farms which consists hundreds of single wind turbines connected to a network of electric power transmission. Its production is influenced by wind distribution in terms of strength and speed. This makes the production of wind power to be limited to certain places that experience winds that are substantially strong to turn turbines. This could be onshore and offshore places. Offshore wind power production involves the construction of wind farms inside in water bodies to generate electricity. Better wind speeds are available in these places compared t o on land/onshore. Some of the largest onshore wind farms are found in the US.Unlike other forms of energy, the production of wind power does take away farms from farm owners and neither does it render the land unusable for other purposes. It is highly compatible with agriculture. According to American Wind Energy Association (2009), landowners in the US receive a rental income of between $3,000 to $5,000 for each wind turbine as they continue to graze cattle or grow crops up to the foot of the turbines. In comparison to fossil fuels and other sources of power, the effects of wind power on the environment are less problematic. Their trends for the production and use of wind power have been rising and as of 2011, a total of 83 countries worldwide are using this form of energy on the commercial basis (REN21, 2011). Despite having lower levels of adverse environmental effects, wind power is not suitable for some places like Pitchandikulam because the area is forested. Trees act as windbreaks and therefore they reduce the speed and strength of the wind. This means that wind blowing over Pitchandikulam does not have sufficient power to turn turbines for generating electricity from wind. Pitchandikulam is also surrounded by other communities belonging to Auroville Green Belt and these communities are also forested and this reduces the power of the wind reaching this place. Pitchandikulam does not have an area with a very high altitude compared to its surrounding areas. This could have enabled it to utilize high-altitude winds for the generation of wind power. Alternatives energy supply or solution for Pitchandikulam which does not have a negative effect on the environment Wind power as a clean source of power could be the most suitable for Pitchandikulam. The alternative energy solutions or supplies for Pitchandikulam that do not have a negative effect on the environment is solar power. Solar power is a form of energy that is obtained from the conversion of sunlight into electricity. This is achieved through the use of various technologies that can be categorized as either active or passive depending on the mechanism through which they capture, convert and

Dell development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dell development - Essay Example Dell has to rethink its strategy of direct selling and is now attempting to sell through retailers globally. Although at every stage they have been quick in recognizing opportunities and translating it into action by innovating new products, but their profits and revenue has gone down remarkably. New product development requires ingenuity in product designing and creation and then market analysis. They did make extensive efforts to identify target group while designing the new products. Their ideas, concept and technology development were all in place but of late competition has overtaken them. They did capture a good market share not just in the US but even in other countries but due to their marketing approach and low-cost computers the advantage that they gained due to new product development was lost. While Dell did involve itself in all these activities, but research suggests that their direct selling concept seems to have now been the cause of their downslide. The right resourc es have also to be allocated to the NPD process, which is where Dell lacked.

Draper IT(case study) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Draper IT(case study) - Assignment Example Company is investing heavily to remain competitive in the market but the current business needs to revive. The out sourced IT division has been sold to Hardy media solutions eighteen months ago. Hardy's performance and poor services also dissatisfied the previous customers. Due to the problems faced by Drapes, it started developing its ERP system with the view that in future company has to remain competitive in the market place. It has to improve its services, launch new products, which should be cost effective as well as technologically best in the market. Recently company has more business options, which could be explored by the company and to motivate its managers to grab the opportunities, so that performance of the company could be improved. As we already know that the said company draper is medium sized IT company. The company is in the business of providing technological solutions to its clients. It is a fast moving technologically complex and innovative industry dominated by lots of firms with well-developed communication and technological innovations. The firms which cannot be able to keep pace with innovations forced out of the business. So industry has been affected by external environment as well as internal changes. So any analysis or strategy, which could be formed in and around company, must follow the various strategic management paths. Companies must not only developed new businesses, but also carefully prune, harvest or divest tired, old businesses in order to release needed resources and reduce costs. The overall evaluation of a business's strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is called SWOT Analysis. SWOT analysis consists of an analysis of the external and internal environment. A SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capabilities of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development. In general, a business unit has to monitor key macro-environment forces (demographic-economic, technological, political-legal and socio-cultural) and microenvironment actors (Customers, Competitors, distributors and suppliers) that affect its ability to earn profit (Johnson, & Scholes, 2002). Then, for each trend or development, management needs to identify the associated marketing opportunities and threats. Each business needs to evaluate its internal strengths and weaknesses in marketing, finance, manufacturing and organizational capabilities. In applying the SWOT Analysis it is necessary to minimize or avoid both weaknesses and threats. Weaknesses should be looked at in order to convert them into strengths. Likewise, threats should be converted into opportunities. Lastly, strengths and opportunities should be matched to optimize the potential of a firm. So applying SWOT analysis on draper engineering Ltd. as discussed above as follows: Strength: Draper Engineering Ltd. is an industry, which is growing and progressing all around world. In present circumstances, IT is an industry, which is an integral part of almost every industry, and human life cannot be thinking of without information technology. So being in an industry, which is growing, and progressing Draper Engineering Ltd. have an inherent strength of the industry as a whole. Draper has sufficient number of clients and market. It is a medium sized company and already has four

There are three topic in the file. choose one of them. thanks Essay

There are three topic in the file. choose one of them. thanks - Essay Example From the inception of patriarchal society, women’s labor has been carefully and systematically neglected and pushed to the background. It has never been acknowledged as pertinent to the main economic sources and centers of power. America, with its Puritan origins, strictly adhered to narrow gender roles, as religion dictated. The duties of women had been, traditionally, confined to the home and the hearth. They were the biblical ‘helpmates’, the passive caretaker of their children and their husband, while men were exalted as brave, noble and powerful in their ability to provide for and protect their women. In the 19th century, rapid industrialization produced a demand for cheap labor in America. Rural men who began to throng the busy cities in search of work seized this opportunity. Economy saw a shift from an agrarian mode to the dominance of waged labor. The vision of the earning man and the meek mother and wife – the ‘angel of the house’ - b ecame a cultural stereotype that was repeatedly reinforced through the literature and the politics of the day. However, the social climate was slowly changing. During the 1820s, women, especially young farm girls, began to participate in waged work as demand for labor rose. Women began to occupy a substantial position in the economic scheme of the newly industrialized nation. (Figart 1) The division between the spheres of the glorified male and degraded female labor saw a definite change in the 20th century United States. Emma Goldman, in her radically anarchist essay, champions the rights of worker, both male and female, over the state-issued exploitative policies of a greedy, capitalist society (Goldman). American Women Workers in the early 20th century As women became integrated within the larger economic network, the number of paid women workers began to increase. In the 20th century, for the first time in the history of the nation, women labor became an ‘established prese nce’ in the industrial set up. (Figart) However, while capitalist exploitation was a predominant evil of the American society, severe gender bias created an added problem for the female workers. In the early 20th century, they were still social and cultural stigmas associated with married women workers, unless they could provide evidence severe financial necessity. Furthermore, on the hand, the patriarchal order of society began to perceive threats in the increasing number of financially independent women who were now competing with men for their of the job market, since female labor cost less and were more easily exploitable. The women were not only victimized by their employers, economically and physically, but also by the larger society through marginalization and stigma. Racial and class divisions were crucial features of labor politics. When the viciousness of the First World War (1914-1918) took the men away from home, white, middle class women began to emerge from thei r sheltered existence and took on the novel role of the ‘breadwinner’. Previously, waged work was limited to the colored, poor or immigrant women. Now, with the inclusion of the educated middle women’s work, for the first time, gained an amount of prestige and social approval that

Draper IT(case study) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Draper IT(case study) - Assignment Example Company is investing heavily to remain competitive in the market but the current business needs to revive. The out sourced IT division has been sold to Hardy media solutions eighteen months ago. Hardy's performance and poor services also dissatisfied the previous customers. Due to the problems faced by Drapes, it started developing its ERP system with the view that in future company has to remain competitive in the market place. It has to improve its services, launch new products, which should be cost effective as well as technologically best in the market. Recently company has more business options, which could be explored by the company and to motivate its managers to grab the opportunities, so that performance of the company could be improved. As we already know that the said company draper is medium sized IT company. The company is in the business of providing technological solutions to its clients. It is a fast moving technologically complex and innovative industry dominated by lots of firms with well-developed communication and technological innovations. The firms which cannot be able to keep pace with innovations forced out of the business. So industry has been affected by external environment as well as internal changes. So any analysis or strategy, which could be formed in and around company, must follow the various strategic management paths. Companies must not only developed new businesses, but also carefully prune, harvest or divest tired, old businesses in order to release needed resources and reduce costs. The overall evaluation of a business's strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is called SWOT Analysis. SWOT analysis consists of an analysis of the external and internal environment. A SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capabilities of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development. In general, a business unit has to monitor key macro-environment forces (demographic-economic, technological, political-legal and socio-cultural) and microenvironment actors (Customers, Competitors, distributors and suppliers) that affect its ability to earn profit (Johnson, & Scholes, 2002). Then, for each trend or development, management needs to identify the associated marketing opportunities and threats. Each business needs to evaluate its internal strengths and weaknesses in marketing, finance, manufacturing and organizational capabilities. In applying the SWOT Analysis it is necessary to minimize or avoid both weaknesses and threats. Weaknesses should be looked at in order to convert them into strengths. Likewise, threats should be converted into opportunities. Lastly, strengths and opportunities should be matched to optimize the potential of a firm. So applying SWOT analysis on draper engineering Ltd. as discussed above as follows: Strength: Draper Engineering Ltd. is an industry, which is growing and progressing all around world. In present circumstances, IT is an industry, which is an integral part of almost every industry, and human life cannot be thinking of without information technology. So being in an industry, which is growing, and progressing Draper Engineering Ltd. have an inherent strength of the industry as a whole. Draper has sufficient number of clients and market. It is a medium sized company and already has four

Case study analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Analysis - Case Study Example Proper communication channels in an organization aids in the processes of solving problems and communicating the processes of problem solving to all the concern parties in a timely manner (Villines, 2011). In the current business environment, large volume of information is communicated using advanced technological tools to enhance performance and profitability of the organization. Communication creates organizational excellence which stems from the dedication of the people who are effectively communicated to the deliver their best to the organization they work for (Heath, 2006). British petroleum is one of the largest energy players in the global market based on market capitalization and scales of operations. It is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom and has operational presence in several countries across the world and is thus considered as the fifth largest energy multinational in the world. It repackages the refined oils and distributes to different parts of the world as e ither gas, petrochemical and other forms of gas used to drive industries and machines across the world. In the United States, BP America is the largest subsidiary of BP with operations in the United States and southern American continent (Hearit, 2006). On the 20th April 2010, one of the worst disasters hit BP America that culminated into one major organization struggle in an effort to reduce the damage and restore the image of the company. The company’s oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico caused mass spillage into the sea resulting into major environmental destruction, loss of life and interruption of naval activities in the area. During this crisis, the organization adopted a communication approach that enabled its stakeholders and the society at large to respond whenever a situation arose (Coombs, 2007). In this paper, the communication strategies used by BP America will be evaluated in line with organizational communication theories and perspectives. The case study will seek to answer vital questions on the communication approach and response approaches that the company adopted during this time and how these strategies enabled the company to rise to its feet after the disaster. While analyzing BP communication strategies, this case study will a number of organizational communication principles that were applied. It will provide basis for the communication approach the company adopted during this conflict and crisis and how it enabled it to restore normalcy. The management and leadership of BP America will also be paced into perspective as the paper will seek to highlight the communication response that the management adopted during this point in time. Strategic communication approaches used by BP America The BP oil spill occurred at a time when the world communication approach had revolved into a major issue in organizations as it holds the key to any organizational success. Strategic organizational communication is defined as the ability for an organi zation to ineptly analyze the facts involved in a situation while selecting the best approach to deliver it to the eager public. This communication approach seeks to achieve specific targets and is directed at specific people with the belief that the people will buy that idea the organization is selling (Hearit, 2006). In making

Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’ Essay Example for Free

Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’ Essay â€Å"Maybe reflective practices offer us a way of trying to make sense of the uncertainty in our workplaces and the courage to work competently and ethically at the edge of order and chaos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ghaye, 2000, p.7) Reflective practice has burgeoned over the last few decades throughout various fields of professional practice and education. In some professions it has become one of the defining features of competence, even if on occasion it has been adopted mistakenly and unreflectively to rationalise existing practice. The allure of the ‘reflection bandwagon’ lies in the fact that it ‘rings true’ (Loughran, 2000). Within different disciplines and intellectual traditions, however, what is understood by ‘reflective practice’ varies considerably (Fook et al, 2006). Multiple and contradictory understandings of reflective practice can even be found within the same discipline. Despite this, some consensus has been achieved amid the profusion of definitions. In general, reflective practice is understood as the process of learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and/or practice (Boud et al 1985; Boyd and Fales, 1983; Mezirow, 1981, Jarvis, 1992). This often involves examining assumptions of everyday practice. It also tends to involve the individual practitioner in being self-aware and critically evaluating their own responses to practice situations. The point is to recapture practice experiences and mull them over critically in order to gain new understandings and so improve future practice. This is understood as part of the process of life-long learning. Beyond these broad areas of agreement, however, contention and difficulty reign. There is debate about the extent to which practitioners should focus on themselves as individuals rather than the larger social context. There are questions about how, when, where and why reflection should take place. For busy professionals short on time, reflective practice is all too easily applied in bland, mechanical, unthinking ways, Would-be practitioners may also find it testing to stand back from painful experiences and seek to be analytical about them. In this tangle of understandings, misunderstandings and difficulties, exactly how to apply and teach reflective practice effectively has become something of a conundrum. This paper explores current ideas and debates relating to reflective practice. In the first two sections, I review key definitions and models of reflection commonly used in professional practice. Then, in the reflective spirit myself, I critically examine the actual practice of the concept, highlighting ethical, professional, pedagogic and conceptual concerns. I put forward the case that reflective practice is both complex and situated and that it cannot work if applied mechanically or simplistically. On this basis, I conclude with some tentative suggestions for how educators might nurture an effective reflective practice involving critical reflection. Defining reflective practice †¦reflection can mean all things to all people†¦it is used as a kind of umbrella or canopy term to signify something that is good or desirable†¦everybody has his or her own (usually undisclosed) interpretation of what reflection means, and this interpretation is used as the basis for trumpeting the virtues of reflection in a way that makes it sound as virtuous as motherhood. Smyth (1992, p.285) The term ‘reflective practice’ carries multiple meanings that range from the idea of professionals engaging in solitary introspection to that of engaging in critical dialogue with others. Practitioners may embrace it occasionally in formal, explicit ways or use it more fluidly in ongoing, tacit ways. For some, reflective practice simply refers to adopting a thinking approach to practice. Others see it as self-indulgent navel gazing. For others still, it  involves carefully structured and crafted approaches towards being reflective about one’s experiences in practice. For example, with reference to teacher education, Larrivee argues that: â€Å"Unless teachers develop the practice of critical reflection, they stay trapped in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations. Approaching teaching as a reflective practitioner involves fusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity† (Larrivee, 2000, p.293). In practice, reflective practice is often seen as the bedrock of professional identity. â€Å"Reflecting on performance and acting on refection†, as McKay (2008, Forthcoming) notes, â€Å"is a professional imperative.† Indeed, it has been included in official benchmark standards laid down for professional registration and practice (see table 1 in Appendix 1). One example is in the way it has been included, explicitly and implicitly, in all Project 2000 curricula for Nursing Diplomas, while reflection is highlighted as a pivotal skill to achieve required Standards of Proficiencies in nursing and other health professional education (NMC, 2004; HPC, 2004). It has also become a key strand of approaches to the broader field of continuing professional development, work-based learning and lifelong learning (Eby, 2000; HPC, 2006). Given its growing emphasis in professional practice and education, it would seem important to explore the concept of reflective practice in some detail. To this end, this section distinguishes between different types of reflective practice and looks at the sister concepts of reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity. Reflection ‘in’ and ‘on’ practice Dewey (1933) was among the first to identify reflection as a specialised form of thinking. He considered reflection to stem from doubt, hesitation or perplexity related to a directly experienced situation. For him, this prompted purposeful inquiry and problem resolution (Sinclair, 1998). Dewey also argued that reflective thinking moved people away from routine thinking/action (guided by tradition or external authority) towards  reflective action (involving careful, critical consideration of taken-for-granted knowledge). This way of conceptualising reflection crucially starts with experience and stresses how we learn from ‘doing’, i.e. practice. Specifically Dewey argued that we ‘think the problem out’ towards formulating hypotheses in trial and error reflective situations and then use these to plan action, testing out our ideas. Dewey’s ideas provided a basis for the concept of ‘reflective practice’ which gained influence with the arrival of Schon’s (1983) ‘The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action’. In this seminal work, Schon identified ways in which professionals could become aware of their implicit knowledge and learn from their experience. His main concern was to facilitate the development of reflective practitioners rather than describe the process of reflection per se. However, one of his most important and enduring contributions was to identify two types of reflection: reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) and reflection-in-action (thinking while doing). In the case of reflection-on-action, professionals are understood consciously to review, describe, analyse and evaluate their past practice with a view to gaining insight to improve future practice. With reflection-in-action, professionals are seen as examining their experiences and responses as they occur. In both types of reflection, professionals aim to connect with their feelings and attend to relevant theory. They seek to build new understandings to shape their action in the unfolding situation. In Schon’s words: The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation. (Schon, 1983, p. 68) For Schon, reflection-in-action was the core of ‘professional artistry’ – a concept he contrasted with the ‘technical-rationality’ demanded by the (still dominant) positivist paradigm whereby problems are solvable through the rigorous application of science. A contemporary example of this paradigm is the evidence-based practice movement, which favours quantitative studies  over qualitative ones, and established protocols over intuitive practice. In Schon’s view, technical-rationality failed to resolve the dilemma of ‘rigour versus relevance’ confronting professionals. Schon’s argument, since taken up by others (e.g. Fish and Coles,1998), was as follows: Professional practice is complex, unpredictable and messy. In order to cope, professionals have to be able to do more  than follow set procedures. They draw on both practical experience and theory as they think on their feet and improvise. They act both intuitively and cr eatively. Both reflection-in and on -action allows them to revise, modify and refine their expertise. Schon believed that as professionals become more expert in their practice, they developed the skill of being able to monitor and adapt their practice simultaneously, perhaps even intuitively. In contrast, novice practitioners, lacking knowing-in-action (tacit knowledge), tended to cling to rules and procedures, which they are inclined to apply mechanically. Schon argued that novices needed to step back and, from a distance, take time to think through situations. Whether expert or novice, all professionals should reflect on practice – both in general and with regard to specific situations. Schon’s work has been hugely influential some would say ‘canonical’ – in the way it has been applied to practice and professional training and education. For example, in the health care field, Atkins and Murphy (1993) identify three stages of the reflective process. The first stage, triggered by the professional becoming aware of uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, is akin to Schon’s ‘experience of surprise’ (what Boyd and Fales, 1983, identify as ‘a sense of inner discomfort’ or ‘unfinished business’). The second stage involves a critical analysis of feelings and knowledge. The final stage of reflection involves the development of a new perspective. Atkins and Murphy argue that both cognitive and affective skills are prerequisites for reflection and that these combine in the processes of self-awareness, critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation (see Appendix 2). In the education field, Grushka, Hinde-McLeod and Reynolds (2005) distinguish between ‘reflection for action’, ‘reflection in action’ and ‘reflection on action’ (see Appendix 3). They offer a series of technical, practical and critical questions for teachers to engage with. For example, under reflection for action teachers are advised to consider their resources and how long the lesson will take (technical); how to make the resources relevant to different learning styles (practical); and to question why they are teaching this particular topic (critical). Zeichner and Liston (1996) differentiate between five different levels at which reflection can take place during teaching: 1. Rapid reflection immediate, ongoing and automatic action by the teacher. 2. Repair – in which a thoughtful teacher makes decisions to alter their behaviour in response to students’ cues. 3. Review – when a teacher thinks about, discusses or writes about some element of their teaching. 4. Research – when a teacher engages in more systematic and sustained thinking over time, perhaps by collecting data or reading research. 5. Retheorizing and reformulating – the process by which a teacher critically examines their own practice and theories in the light of academic theories. While Schon’s work has inspired many such models of reflection and categories of reflective practice, it has also drawn criticism. Eraut (2004) faults the work for its lack of precision and clarity. Boud and Walker (1998) argue that Schon’s analysis ignores critical features of the context of reflection. Usher et al (1997) find Schon’s account and methodology unreflexive, while Smyth (1989) deplores the atheoretical and apolitical quality of his conceptions. Greenwood (1993), meanwhile, targets Schon for downplaying the importance of reflection-before-action. Moon (1999) regards Schon’s pivotal concept of reflection-in-action as unachievable, while Ekebergh (2006) draws on  phenomenological philosophy to argue that it is not possible to distance oneself from the lived situation to reflect in the moment. To achieve real self-reflection, she asserts, one needs to step out of the situation and reflect retrospectively (van Manen, 1990). Given this level of criticism, questions have to raised about the wide adoption of Schon’s work and the way  it has been applied in professional practice and education (Usher et al, 1997). There have been calls for a m ore critical, reflexive exploration of the nature of reflective practice. Reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity Contemporary writing on reflective practice invites professionals to engage in both personal reflection and broader social critique. For example, work within the Open University’s Health and Social Care faculty has put forward a model whereby reflective practice is seen as a synthesis of reflection, self-awareness and critical thinking (Eby, 2000) (see figure 1). In this model, the philosophical roots of reflective practice are identified in phenomenology (with its focus on lived experience and personal consciousness) and also in critical theory (which fosters the development of a critical consciousness towards emancipation and resisting oppression ). Self-awareness Roots: phenomenology The cognitive ability to think, feel, sense and know through intuition To evaluate the knowledge derived through self-awareness to develop understanding Reflection Roots: existential phenomenology and critical theory -interpretive and critical theory tool for promoting self- and social awareness and social action improving self-expression, learning and co-operation links theory and practice Reflective Practice Critical thinking Roots: scepticism and critical theory identifying and challenging assumptions challenging the importance of context to imagine and explore alternatives which leads to reflective scepticism Figure 1 Skills underpinning the concept of reflective practice. Other authors argue for the concept of critical reflection, which is seen as offering a more thorough-going form of reflection through the use of critical theory (Brookfield, 1995). For adherents of critical reflection, reflection on its own tends to â€Å"remain at the level of relatively undisruptive changes in techniques or superficial thinking† (Fook, White and Gardner, 2006, p.9). In contrast, critical reflection involves attending to discourse and social and political analysis; it seeks to enable transformative social action and change. For Fook (2006), critical reflection  Ã¢â‚¬Å"enables an understanding of the way (socially dominant) assumptions may be socially restrictive, and thus enables new, more empowering ideas and practices. Critical reflection thus enables social change beginning at individual levels. Once individuals become aware of the hidden power of ideas they have absorbed unwittingly from their social contexts, they are then freed to make choices on their own terms.† Fook and Askeland argue that the focus of critical reflection should be on connecting individual identity and social context:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Part of the power of critical reflection in opening up new perspectives and  choices about practice may only be realized if the connections between individual thinking and identity, and dominant social beliefs are articulated and realized.† (Fook and Askeland, 2006, p.53). For Reynolds (1998), four characteristics distinguish critical reflection from other versions of reflection : (1) its concern to question assumptions; (2) its social rather than individual focus; (3) the particular attention it pays to the analysis of power relations; and (4) its pursuit of emancipation (Reynolds, 1998). By way of example, Reynolds argues that when managers critically reflect (rather than just reflect) they become aware of the wider environment in which they operate. They begin to grasp the social power exercised by their organisation through its networks and relationships. : In the field of teaching, Brookfield (1995) characterises critical reflection as ‘stance and dance’. The critically reflective teacher’s stance toward teaching is one of inquiry and being open to further investigation. The dance involves experimentation and risk towards modifying practice while moving to fluctuating, and possibly contradictory, rhythms (Larrivee, 2000). A key concept giving momentum to the idea of reflective practice involving both personal reflection and social critique is reflexivity. Reflexive practitioners engage in critical self-reflection: reflecting critically on the impact of their own background, assumptions, positioning, feelings, behaviour while also attending to the impact of the wider organisational, discursive, ideological and political context. The terms reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity are often confused and wrongly assumed to be interchangeable. Finlay and Gough (2003, p. ix) find it helpful to think of these concepts forming a continuum. At one end stands reflection, defined simply as ‘thinking about’ something after the event. At the other end stands reflexivity: a more immediate and dynamic process which involves continuing self-awareness. Critical reflection lies somewhere in between. Previously, I’ve proposed five overlapping variants of reflexivity with critical selfreflection at the core: introspection; intersubjective reflection; mutual collaboration; social critique and ironic deconstruction (Finlay, 2002, 2003). These variants can similarly be applied to  distinguishing between the types of reflection practitioners could engage in when reflecting on practice. Reflective practice as introspection involves the practitioner in solitary self-dialogue in which they probe personal meanings and  emotions. Intersubjective reflection makes the practitioner focus on the relational context, on the emergent, negotiated nature of practice encounters. With mutual collaboration, a participatory, dialogical approach to reflective practice is sought what Ghaye (2000) calls a ‘reflective conversation’. Here, for example, a mentor and student, or members of a team, seek to solve problems collaboratively. Reflective practice as social critique focuses attention on the wider discursive, social and political context. For instance, the practitioner may think about coercive institutional practices or seek to manage the power imbalances inherent in education/practice contexts. Finally, reflective practice as ironic deconstruction would cue into postmodern and poststructural imperatives to deconstruct discursive practices and represent something of the ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings in particular organisational and social contexts. At the very least, a critical and possibly satirical gaze could be turned to challenging the ubiquitously unreflexive rhetoric of reflective practice. In practice, introspection is the dominant mode of reflective practice. Sometimes presented as merely a promising personal attribute (Loughran , 2006), it is a predominantly individualistic and personal exercise (Reynolds and Vince, 2004) in which practitioners tend to focus on their own thoughts, feelings, behaviours and evaluations. This passes as legitimate ‘reflective practice’ which professionals then can use to advance their cause to fit formal requirements for continuing professional development. While such reflective practice may take place in dialogical contexts such as supervision sessions, the onus stays on the individual practitioner to reflect upon and evaluate their own practice. What is lacking is any mutual, reciprocal, shared process. Institutional structures and quality assurance  systems encourage, perhaps even require, this individual focus. It starts early on during professional education and training where learners engage professional socialisation and are taught how to reflect, using structured models of reflection. One of the consequences of the lack of consensus and clarity about the concept of reflective practice is the proliferation of different versions and models to operationalise reflective practice.

Nelson Mandela Leadership Style

Nelson Mandela Leadership Style Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the leader and father of South African population, will turn 92 years on the 18th of July. Born in Transkei, a village in the south-eastern area of South Africa, he was exposed to the African history from his childhood due to his father being the chief of the village. As a result he gained a deeper understanding of the African government and the unfair and inhuman treatment by white people. Once again his father influenced his life path as he was the one who gave the permission for Rolihlahla, to join elementary school where he was given the English name, Nelson. Calling it fate or destiny Mandela in his biography wonders if his teacher gave him that name after the British sea captain Lord Nelson (Mandela N., 1994). Moving on with his education, Nelson enrolled in the Fort Hare University. At that point, his leadership skills unfolded, winning an expulsion from University for leading a student strike. Thus, he completed his degree in law at the University of South Africa (Notable Biographies, 2010). On the other hand, his personal life included three marriages resulting in having six children, twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren (Mandela N., 1994). A point of reference is the time, in 1943, that Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) as an activist. Only eight years later, his first major presidential position was in place as the president of the ANC Youth League which he co-founded. Since its foundation, ANC aims to enhance the human rights and living conditions of black people in South Africa. ANC was the reason for Mandela to be sent in jail for nine months since he participated in protest activities. However, in 1960, ANC Youth League lost financial and militant support thus being banned. This made Mandela to realise that peaceful behaviour was not the method to change things in Africa. Pride and anger for the unfairness he was forced to face, necessitated him to form a military group that was operating illegally, called The Spear of the Nation. They were fighting the government in silence through sabotage. For instance, they were destroying peoples properties (Notable Biographies, 2010). Prior to this, in 1952, Mandela launched the first black legal company in South Africa. He was offering his legal advices to black people for free or low cost. However, seven years later, new laws were passed, forcing the creation of separated homelands for black people enhancing the racial segregation (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). The later, let Mandela to become more active towards protecting the rights of black people. This resulted in Mandela being arrested and imprisoned in Johannesburg Fort, in 1962, for five years, although managing to escape. That did not last for long as he was arrested again and accused for sabotage and treason. As a consequence Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment. The first eighteen years of his imprisonment were in Robben island prison (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). This as he himself described, was a prison with maximum security, forcing them to work hard, humiliating them and living under inhuman conditions. In 1968, his mother and his son died but he was not permitted to attend either of the funerals. Contrary to that and to the treatment received by the government, he never stopped supporting his beliefs thus rejecting a liberation offer by the president of South Africa, PW Botha. Moving on in the time of the imprisonment, better and more human conditions were offered to him in 1988 as he underwent a prostate surgery. Eventually, after twenty-seven years in prison and as a response to worldwide calls, Nelson Mandela was finally released in 1990 and elected as the president of ANC (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). However if an evaluation was to be made for his life so far, the suffering he encountered is clearly shown. The government did not allow him any visitors and they considered discussions regarding Mandela as illegal. However, these decisions against Mandela increased peoples perception about him, both worldwide and locally. On the top, in peoples minds Mandela was synonym to words like fairness, ethnical right and leader. He became an international symbol against racism (Notable Biographies, 2010). After being released from prison Mandela did not stop fighting for the black people. He started discussions with the existing president of South Africa, F.W. de Klerk, concluding that only a compromise between black and white people will prevent the occurrence of a civil war in their country. Eventually, the establishment of the new democratic government was a fact. This new government was giving the right to vote to all South Africans (Notable Biographies, 2010). The upcoming years of his life were the rewards for his nonstop race for equality. In 1993 he was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize due to his achievement of the equality in voting rights. A year later, black South Africans and Mandela were allowed to vote for the first time in their life. The result was internationally expected. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). During the years of his presidency, he tried hard to minimise the various political differences in South Africa. Moreover, he tried to build up a healthier economy in combination with establishing a more solid democracy. Additionally, he was one of the supporters of clearing peoples criminal record if that was created during the years of racism by the countrys government (Notable Biographies, 2010). Ending a successful century his duration as his countrys president ends in 1999. However, his political career doesnt end. He was placed at the position of the statesman where he was acting as the third party in the process for peace (Notable Biographies, 2010). The first decade of the new century found Mandela facing the accursed disease, as he was diagnosed with prostate cancer but he fought and succeeded for once more in his life. As all things come to an end, at the age of eighty-five he retired from the public life. However, only two years ago at the age of ninety, he showed that his vision of equality and fairness never stopped bothering him. Through a speech he urged and tried to inspire the young generation to continue the fight for social justice (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). Summing up his career, The United Nations General Assembly declares July 18 Mandela Day as a tribute to his contribution to world freedom (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). In general, Nelson Mandela can be characterised as an excellent leader, with good judgement and listening skills, sensitive and open-minded. He was an intelligent leader since it requires good strategic plan and clever manoeuvre in order to defeat your enemies without humiliating them. Once, he stated that my life was shaped by custom, ritual and taboo and this was the alpha and omega of our existence (Mandela N., 1994). This excellent knowledge of his origin enabled him to be more confident of what he was fighting for. Thus his vision of a peaceful South Africa without any racial segregation became a more approachable target. This explains one of his favourite quotes; a good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination (Brainy Quotes, 2010). Moreover, he was exposed to significant leadership education throughout his career. For instance, seeing the world from your enemys eyes enables you to identify easier their strengths and weaknesses, planning a more effective strate gy (Times Magazine, 2008). The worldwide discussion of whether you are born or developed as a leader is not a question for Nelson Mandela. It is unanimously believed that Mandela had the charisma to be a leader. This is supported by his acts throughout his life and the recognition he faced worldwide. Scanning Mandelas life, it can be seen that the way to lead the people was influenced from his childhood. This is because he used to attend the local tribal meetings, where he was observing the speakers, and absorbing every small detail of leadership characteristics. These principles were his significant tools throughout his political life. In his biography, he notes that in the meetings he was just concluding the discussions, most of the times without adding anything new but taking everyones talk into consideration (Mandela N., 1994). Strategically he admits that in the back of his mind he was following a well planned schedule. A leader is like a shepherd he supports, in a way that the flock thinks that it rules, but actually the shepherd directs the movements from start till the end (Mandela N., 1994). Moving on with the evaluation of Mandelas characteristics, one can describe Mandela as team manager. This is because he was a supporter and a listener of his followers concerns but he always had in mind his primary goal, being both task and people oriented. He tried to motivate people by making each individual to feel necessary and important thus increasing their willingness to help and achieve their goal. Making a critical analysis of Mandelas overall attitude, characteristics of a level five leader can be observed, i.e. Mandela represents an executive leader. This is because there is a combination of professional will and personal humility. Being focused on his main goal, he was not afraid of being dishonoured. For instance, his life imprisonment showed that he was not afraid to accept the consequences of his own acts even though humiliation was present. Showing professional will, even when he was in the plane to be taken to Robben Island he did not stop thinking as a leader. He was looking at the area as a strategist where he was trying to find ideal places to launch his army in order to continue fighting for his vision (Mandela N., 1994). This way of thinking also characterise him as a strategic innovative leader. As a transformational leader he showed his various ways of leadership. He was engaged in individualized consideration and this can be proved by his refusal towards the president P.W. Botha to release him from prison. Furthermore his boxing training enhanced his skills. Attracted by the science of boxing, i.e. the democratic and strategic rules that needed to be followed and not the violence of it, Mandela used the sport to improve his leadership initiative and self confidence. This attitude categorises Mandela as an alchemist and achiever. Renamed voluntarily by his boxing colleagues, Chief, showed that his leading skills were used even during his daily routine (Mandela N., 1994). All the aforementioned characteristics show his authenticity as a leader. One can be completely persuaded that he knew how to manage his skills and which personality traits to reveal for each occasion. Two important quotes that he used throughout his life were firstly that If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart (Brainy Quotes, 2010). This shows that he knew the way to cope with people and influence them. Secondly, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world (Brainy Quotes, 2010). In order to achieve his vision he always had in mind that goodness and forgiveness are two important aspects to fulfil. To sum up, Mandelas life and actions made people realize that everyone can have a dream, big or small, good or bad. However, this does not mean that it will be publicly accepted. People will fight ones vision but looking at Mandelas story what stays in mind is that, you should never give up. Developing a well organised plan and creating a well structured strategy are the key components for a successful path to be followed. Although Nelson Mandela spent many years in prison, he never stopped trying to transform his vision into reality. In an article in Guardian newspaper he states that if people of courage and good conscience are prepared to stand and fight there is nothing we cannot achieve (The Guardian, 2010). Thus leading with vision, courage and always being a shepherd is the lesson gained from Nelson Mandelas leadership. References: Brainy Quotes. 2010. Nelson Mandela Quotes. [online] accessed at: 14/06/2010 Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html Mandela N. 1994. Long Walk to Freedom. Autobiography Notable Biographies. 2010. Nelson Mandela. Encyclopaedia of World Biography. [online] accessed at: 14/06/2010 Available at: http://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Mandela-Nelson.html Telegraph.co.uk. 2010. Nelson Mandela Timeline. Telegraph Media Group Limited. [online] accessed at: 14/06/2010 Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/7819734/Nelson-Mandela-timeline.html The Guardian. 2010. My hero Nelson Mandela by Gordon Brown. [online] accessed at: 15/06/2010 Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/apr/17/nelson-mandela-hero-gordon-brown Times Magazine. 2008. The Secrets of Leadership from Nelson Mandela. [online] accessed at: 15/06/2010 Available at: http://www.deliverfreedom.com/blog/time-magazine-the-secrets-of-leadership-from-nelson-mandela/

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay -- Ethical Issues, Religious Fanati

Fundamentalism is a strict adherence to a set of ideas or beliefs that are conservative in nature. It is a pejorative term usually associated with religious fanaticism. Usually, this is what comes to mind when there is mention of a fundamentalist. However, in Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist starring the protagonist Changez, a Pakistani Princetonian who is a top-ranked employee at a prestigious New York valuation firm, turns out not to be an Islamic fundamentalist, but a reluctant fundamentalist of US Capitalism. Hamid challenges readers to reevaluate their preconceived notions and prejudices of people different from themselves in post 9/11 America by employing the use of motifs, aphorism, and suspense, to create a conflation of corporate culture and violence in the form of an allegorical frame story. This story not only proves relevant in historical contexts pertaining to the United States and their involvements in past wars, but also in contemporary settings, as in the current ongoing wars. Simply put, history repeats itself. The story takes place within the span of a day, as Changez approaches an American in the district of Old Anarkali in Lahore, Pakistan. He invites the American to have tea with him, which eventually leads into dinner and continues on into the late evening while he recounts the events of his life which has led up to their fated encounter. The story is told in the second-person narrative, meaning the voice of the American is never heard, but his reactions are implied and guided by Changez. In this way, the audience plays an interactive part in the story, enabling the reader to identify with both parties and make judgements about the outcome of the story. The author constantly plays with the idea... ... by the hand. But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is the holder of your business cards† (Hamid 184). And with that, the author leaves us with a cliffhanger, for us to determine the ending however we see fit. Hamid has made clear that ideas and truths are all relative, that people should actively search for answers, instead of believing everything they are told. His characters allowed us to exercise our intuitions in search of hidden truths, and mostly to reaquaint ourselves with the elusive, common sense. The aphorism, focus on the fundamentals, is accentuated even further by the suspenseful ending and challenges us to ponder the wisdom of the story, when we consider whether or not the fully-bearded Changez has become another type of fundamentalist.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Character Analysis Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, is described by the unknown author of Gawain and the Green Knight as "the good knight" and "most courteous" (Norton, 204 & 215). Although young, Gawain understands the true meaning of chivalry and honor, therefore bases his lifestyle on the knightly Code of chivalry. This is exemplified through various tests that he faced, both with the Green Knight, and with the Knight's wife. If all knights were like Gawain, then the Round Table would be a much better place. The first character test he is put to occurs when he faces the supernatural forces of the Green Knight during the New Year's celebration at Camelot. As the Round Table is faced with an extraordinary challenge, to swing at the stranger with an ax, Gawain bravely steps in for King Arthur when no one else is willing. He is fearful that Arthur will endure some great danger by partaking in the stranger's game, therefore he would rather subject himself to the danger and protect Arthur. He is able to save his lord from any possibility of jeopardy and his fellow knights of humiliation by jumping up from the dinner table and screaming: "Would you grant me the grace, To be gone from this bench and stand by you there, If I without discourtesy might quit this board,... When such a boon is begged before all these knights, though you be tempted thereto, to take it on yourself While so bold men about upon benches sit†¦ I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; And the loss of my life would be least of any; That I have you for uncle is my only praise; My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth; And for that this folly befits not a king, And 'tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine, And if my claim be not comely let all this court judge, in sight." (Norton, 209) This shows the respect that Gawain has for his king. He is a great knight, but he modestly says that "the loss of my life would be least of any." He knows that he is a great knight and is extremely important to the unity of the Round Table, but he would rather stay humble and retained than to call himself superior.

How Our Ability to Get a Job Will Be Influenced

Explain how our ability to get a job will be influenced by our availability and access to resources There are many factors that influence one’s ability to get a job. These can range from a person’s age, gender and education to a person’s lack of communication skills or contacts. These are known as resources. Certain resources can be available to someone depending on their capability to build and maintain them. The availability of resources to a person can influence who they are, how they live and even effect how they are able to get a job.Resources can be either positive or negative in someone’s life. Positive resources allow and give a person better chances, especially when I comes to applying for and upholding a job. Access to resources that are of the positive nature are always a bonus for someone who wishes to excel in their life as well as their job. There are a vast range of resources such as â€Å"richer† lifestyle, better clothes, developmen t of skills, higher education, better contacts and a higher regard in society. Being from a high status group often means that a person has more money.Having more money available to one’s lifestyle allows for a lot of these positive resources become a reality. Having better clothes and a richer lifestyle can become a reality if a high income is made. However not all resources are influenced by money. Resources such as contacts and social skills are made through one’s own personal skills. Having a vast range of positive resources gives a person the opportunity to demonstrate their full potential straight way which gives a person a better opportunity to obtain the job that they are applying for.The type of job also depends on the types of resources are needed for the applicant to uphold. Having a lack of resources available to one during an interview for a job could see the applicant unfit, as they do not meet the required outlines of the job. Poor communication skills, lack of education, lack of presentation skills can limit a person’s chances of getting the job they want. They are often the result of having a limited income. Resources are very important when applying for a job and the more positive esources someone has the better chance of obtaining the job. They influence one’s ability to get a job and are found as either positive or negative. It’s clear to see that someone having positive resources that fit the criteria of a certain job is going to have the upper hand when finally obtaining that job. However it is obvious that it all depends on the type of job that someone is applying for because someone can be over qualified when applying for a job.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Paying Respects Gilbert Bendetti liked his job, really liked his job. It was a government job, of sorts, so the benefits were good and the work easy. He liked working nights, too, it was quiet and he was usually in the morgue by himself, so he didn't have to feel self-conscious about his weight or his bad skin. He liked playing with computers and the lab equipment, and he liked answering the phone and acting official. Being the night man at the coroner's office would have been a great job even if he didn't get to fuck the dead, but with that, it was heaven. Tonight Gilbert was bubbling with anticipation. They had wheeled Miss Right in that afternoon and left him explicit instructions not to put her away, but to let her sit out to thaw for the autopsy. Some psycho had put her in a freezer. Sick bastard had put TV dinners under her arms. Now she was curled up on a gurney, teasing him. That cocktail dress, that red hair – he could hardly wait. He checked the log and locked his skin books in the desk drawer, then loosened his lab coat and went down the hall to test her for flexibility. The last time he checked she'd started to get a little flexibility, but he knew that inside she was – well – frigid, despite the Salisbury-steak gravy dripping from under her arms. He pushed through the glass door into the holding room and there she was, just as he had left her, her pouty lips beckoning to him, her lovely legs curled up behind her. â€Å"My angel,† Gilbert said, â€Å"shall I help you with those pesky panty hose?† He straightened her legs on the gurney and pushed her skirt up. She was still a little chilly, but she was movable. Good, once rigor mortis set in, passion could put you into positions that would challenge a yoga master. Gilbert had thrown his back out more than once. Her panty hose were sheer black, but except for her right big toe, her feet were dusty. She must have been walking in her stocking feet. Indulging himself in some foreplay, Gilbert had sucked her big toe clean shortly after they brought her in. Foreplay, sorta. He considered testing her with the meat thermometer, but she was so perfect, he didn't want to mark that lovely body. He reached up under her skirt, grabbed the waistband of her panty hose, and began to work them down. â€Å"Black lace panties, my goodness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He tried to remember her name, then checked her toe tag. â€Å"My goodness, Jody, how did you know I liked black lace?† He peeled her panty hose off, stopping to loosen the toe tag first, then ran his hands up her thighs after the lace panties. â€Å"And a natural redhead,† Gilbert said, dropping the panties on the floor. He stepped back a moment to admire her and slip out of his lab coat. He locked the wheels on the gurney, pulled the TV dinners out from under her arms, and unzipped his pants. â€Å"This is going to be so good. So good.† He climbed over the end of the gurney, careful to stay balanced. Nothing ruined the mood more than toppling to the linoleum and bashing your skull. He licked a path up the inside of her leg. â€Å"Tommy, that tickles,† she said. Gilbert looked up. No, it's my imagination. He returned to his pleasure. â€Å"No, let me shower first,† she said. She sat up. Gilbert pushed himself backward so violently that the gurney went up on its end, dumping Jody on the floor. Gilbert backed away from her holding his chest, his breath refusing to come, bis withering willy waving in front of him. Jody climbed to her feet. â€Å"Who are you?† Gilbert couldn't talk. He couldn't breathe. It felt as if barbed wire had been looped around his heart and was being yanked by a team of horses. He backed into a rack of drawers, banging his head. Jody looked around. â€Å"How did I get here? Answer me.† Gilbert gasped and fell to his knees. â€Å"Where's Tommy? And where the fuck are my panties?† Gilbert was shaking his head. He rolled on his side, took two more tortured breaths, and died. â€Å"Hey!† Jody said. â€Å"I need some answers here.† Gilbert didn't answer. Jody watched the black aura of his dying fade away, leaving only the residual heat signature of his body. â€Å"Sorry,† she said. She looked around: the gurney, the big file drawers of the dead, the instruments of dissection – this sure looked like the morgues in the movies. Something had gone seriously wrong while she slept. She checked her watch, but it was gone. The wall clock over Gilbert's body read 1 a.m. Why did I wake up so late? I've got to find Tommy and find out what happened. She picked up her panties from the floor and wiggled into them. The panty hose she left where they lay, instead looking around for her shoes. She didn't see them. She didn't see her purse anywhere either. Money. I'm going to need cab fare. She crouched by Gilbert's body and rifled through his pockets, coming up with thirty dollars and some change. Almost as an afterthought she tucked his exposed member back into his pants and zipped him up. â€Å"I did that for your family, not for you,† she said. Then thought, I'm getting worse than Tommy, talking to dead people. She started toward the door, then stopped and looked at the wall of drawers. The scenario cane over her like a sudden sneeze. Tommy is probably in one of those drawers. The vampire killed him, and when the coroner came, they thought I was dead too. But why did he spare me? And why did it take so long to wake up? Maybe it was that med student. Maybe when I missed the meeting he told the cops when to find me. But he didn't know how to find me. She went though the glass doors and down the hall where she stopped at the phone and called the loft. No answer. She dialed the Marina Safeway's number. â€Å"Marina Safeway.† She recognized Simon McQueen's drawl. â€Å"Simon, this is Jody. I need to talk to Tommy.† â€Å"Who? Who did you say you were?† â€Å"It's Jody. Tommy's girlfriend. I need to speak to him.† Simon was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was an octave lower. â€Å"You don't know where Flood is?† â€Å"He's not there?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Is he okay?† â€Å"In a manner of speakin', he's okay. What about you? You feelin' all right?† â€Å"Yes, Simon, I'm fine. Where's Tommy?† â€Å"Well, ain't you a wonder. You're sure you feel okay?† â€Å"Yes. Where's Tommy?† â€Å"I can't tell you over the phone. I'll come get you. Where are you?† â€Å"I'm not sure; just a second.† Jody ran to the front door. The address was printed on the glass. She went back to the phone and gave Simon an address two blocks away. â€Å"Let me get someone to cover my section. I'll be there in a half hour.† â€Å"Thanks, Simon.† Jody hung up. What in the hell was going on? While she waited for Simon to arrive, Jody parried the propositions of two guys in a Mercedes who had mistaken her for a hooker. Not an unreasonable mistake considering she was standing barefoot on a back street in a low-cut cocktail dress on a cold San Francisco night. Finally, when she told them she was an undercover cop, their resolve softened and they drove off hanging their heads. Simon rounded the corner five minutes later and skidded to a stop in a cloud of smoking rubber and testosterone. He threw the door open for her. â€Å"Get in.† Jody leaped into the passenger seat. Simon seemed a little surprised that she hadn't used the two steps mounted under the door. â€Å"You're steppin' high tonight, darlin',† Simon said. Jody closed the door. â€Å"Where's Tommy?† â€Å"Hold your horses, I'll take you to him.† Simon put the truck in gear and roared off. â€Å"You sure you're feeling all right?† â€Å"Yes, I'm fine. Why couldn't you tell me what happened to Tommy on the phone?† â€Å"Well, he's hiding out. Seems the police want him for some murders.† â€Å"The Whiplash murders?† â€Å"Those be the ones.† Simon looked at her. â€Å"Ain't you cold?† â€Å"Oh, I lost my coat.† â€Å"And shoes?† â€Å"Yes, and shoes. Some guys were chasing me.† Jody knew she didn't sound very convincing. They were headed down Market toward the Bay Bridge. Simon grinned and pushed his black Stetson back on his head. â€Å"You don't get cold, do you, darlin'?† â€Å"What do you mean?† Simon hit the electric-lock button; Jody heard the lock go thunk at her side. Simon said, â€Å"You don't get hot either, do you? Or sick. Do you get sick?† Jody hugged the door handle. â€Å"What are you getting at, Simon?† Simon reached inside his jacket and came out with a Colt Python revolver. He pointed it at her and cocked it. â€Å"Now I know bullets might not kill you, but I'll bet they hurt like hell. And I put some little wood pegs in the hollow points just in case that does the job.† Jody had no idea what a bullet would do to her and she didn't want to find out. â€Å"What do you want, Simon?† Simon pulled the truck into an alley and switched off the engine. â€Å"Couple of things. I don't know which I want first until you answer some questions.† â€Å"Whatever you want, Simon. You're Tommy's friend. You don't have to be a hard-ass, just ask.† â€Å"That's right sweet of you, darlin'. Now tell me, do you get sick?† â€Å"Everybody gets sick, Simon. I get a cold every now and then.† Simon dug the gun into her ribs. â€Å"Don't bullshit me now. I know what you are.† Jody looked closely at Simon for the first time. He was burning up, the heat coming off him in red waves, even in the relative warmth of the truck cab. But below the heat aura she saw something else that she hadn't seen the first night she'd met him. Maybe because she hadn't known what to look for. Under the heat signature Simon was ringed by a thin black corona, as she had seen on other people – the death aura, but thinner, as if it was just growing. She said, â€Å"Are you sure you're not just being an asshole again, Simon? Holding up your friend's girlfriend?† â€Å"Don't get slippery on me, Red. I saw you sleeping that day we partied at your house. I touched you. You're cold as a witch's titty. And Flood always complainin' about you sleeping all day. And how he had to have them turtles alive. But I didn't put it all together until the Emperor started screaming about vampires and the cops took Flood away.† â€Å"You're nuts, Simon. None of that proves anything. There's no such thing as vampires.† â€Å"Oh yeah? Well, you know why they arrested Tommy?† â€Å"No, I didn't know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because they found you dead in the freezer, that's why. He's in for your murder, missy. I still had some doubts until you called just now. You'll be my first dead piece of ass, not counting the time I choked my chicken over a picture of Marilyn.† Jody was stunned. A wave of panic swept through her, the inner voice shouting, Kill him, hide; kill him, hide. She fought it back. â€Å"You're doing this because you want sex?† â€Å"Well, that's part of it. You see, I ain't been well laid for five years – since I picked me up this bug. It's kinda hard to get yourself into a good three-toweler when you got the dick of death. I ain't no ass bandit, though. I let some whore from Oakland fix me up with a speedball. Six of us shared the needle.† â€Å"You're dying of AIDS?† Jody asked. â€Å"No need to candy-coat it, darlin'. Just come right out and say it.† â€Å"Sorry, Simon, but when someone has a gun on me and tells me he's going to rape me, I forget my manners.† â€Å"Ain't going to be no rape unless you want it. The other thing is more important.† â€Å"Other thing?† â€Å"I want you to change me into a vampire.† â€Å"No, you don't, Simon. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"I don't need to know, darlin'. I know I'm going to die if you don't. It ain't just HIV anymore, it's full-blown. I can hardly get my boots on and off from the sores. The doctor's got me on enough pills to choke a horse. Now do it.† Jody felt for him. For all his arrogant cowboy panache, she could tell he was afraid. â€Å"I don't know how, Simon. I don't know how I was changed. It just happened.† He dug the barrel of the gun up under her breast and slid across the seat next to her. â€Å"You just bite my damn neck. Now do it!† â€Å"That doesn't work. That would just kill you. I don't know how to turn you into a vampire.† Simon took the gun out of her ribs and held it against her thigh. â€Å"I'm going to count to three, then I'm going to shoot you in the leg if you don't start turning me. Then I'm going to count to three and shoot you in the other leg. I didn't want to do this, but you got to see.† Jody could see tears welling up in Simon's eyes. He didn't want to do this, but she knew he would. She wondered even if she knew how to turn him if she would do it. â€Å"Simon, please, I really don't know how to turn you. Let me go. Maybe I'll find out.† â€Å"I don't have the time, darlin'. If I have to trade the daylight for a lifetime of nights, I'll take the nights. I'm counting now. One!† â€Å"Simon, don't. Just wait.† â€Å"Two!† Jody watched a tear roll out of his eye. She felt his body tense and looked down at the gun. The tendons in his hand were tightening. He was going to do it. â€Å"Three!† Jody shot out her right hand, palm open, and hit Simon under the chin while sweeping the gun away from her leg with her right. The gun went off, sending a bullet through the floorboard. The explosion covered the noise of Simon's neck snapping but she could feel the crunch against her palm. Simon slumped back in the seat, his head thrown back and mouth open as if he were frozen in a laugh. Over the ringing in her ears Jody could hear his last breath squeaking out of his lungs. The black aura around him faded away. She reached over and straightened his Stetson. â€Å"God, Simon, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.† Rivera drove. Cavuto sat in the passenger seat smoking and talking on the radio. He keyed the mike. â€Å"If anyone sees the Emperor tonight, detain him and call Rivera and Cavuto. He's wanted for questioning but he's not, I repeat not, a suspect. In other words, don't scare him.† Cavuto hung the mike on the dash and said to Rivera, â€Å"You really don't think that this is a waste of time?† â€Å"Like I said, Nick, homicide and the coroner are the only ones who know about the blood loss. Our guys wouldn't leak, but even if there was a leak in the coroner's office, I can't imagine anyone telling the Emperor. Whoever did these murders is behaving like a vampire. Maybe he thinks he's a vampire. So to catch him, we have to pretend we're tracking a vampire.† â€Å"That's bullshit. We've got enough evidence on the kid to get an indictment right now, and by the time forensics gets done with his apartment we'll have enough for a conviction.† â€Å"Yeah,† Rivera said, â€Å"except for one thing.† Cavuto rolled his eyes. â€Å"I know, you don't think he killed anyone.† â€Å"And neither do you.† Cavuto chomped his cigar and looked out the car window at a group of winos milling on a corner by a liquor store. â€Å"Do you?† Rivera insisted. â€Å"He knows who did. And if I have to walk his cute little ass right up to the chair to get him to tell, I will.† A call came over the radio. â€Å"Go ahead,† Cavuto said into the mike. The dispatcher's voice crackled over the speaker. â€Å"Unit ten is holding the Emperor at Mason and Bay. Do you want them to bring him in?† Cavuto turned to Rivera and raised his eyebrows. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"No, tell them we'll be there in five.† Cavuto keyed the mike. â€Å"Negative, we're on our way.† Three minutes later Rivera pulled the unmarked Dodge into a red zone behind the cruiser. The two uniformed officers were playing with Lazarus and Bummer, whose armor rattled and clanged as they frisked. The Emperor stood by, his wooden sword still in hand. Rivera got out of the car first. â€Å"Good evening, Your Majesty.† â€Å"Give me a fucking break,† Cavuto said under his breath as he hoisted his bulk out of the car. â€Å"And a good early morning to you, Inspector.† The Emperor bowed. â€Å"I see the fiend has us all burning the midnight oil.† Rivera nodded to the uniforms. â€Å"We got it, guys, thanks.† One of the uniforms was a woman. She shot Rivera a dirty look as she headed for the cruiser. Rivera turned his attention back to the Emperor. â€Å"You've been busy calling in reports of a vampire in the City.† The Emperor frowned. â€Å"And I must say, Inspector, I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of promptness of your response.† â€Å"Eat me,† said Cavuto. â€Å"We've been busy,† Rivera said. â€Å"Well, you're here at last.† The Emperor waved to Bummer and Lazarus, who were waiting at his heel. â€Å"You know the men?† â€Å"We've met,† Rivera said with a wave. â€Å"Your Majesty, you reported seeing a vampire† – Rivera pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket – â€Å"three different times over the last month and a half.† Rivera took a copy of Tommy's mug shot from his notebook and held it out to the Emperor. â€Å"Is this the man you saw?† â€Å"Heavens no. That's my friend C. Thomas Flood, aspiring author. A fine, if confused, lad. I arranged for his employment at the Marina Safeway.† â€Å"But he's not the man you reported as being a vampire.† â€Å"No. The fiend is older, and has sharp features, of Arab descent, I would guess, if he were not so pale.† Cavuto stepped up and took the picture from Rivera. â€Å"You reported the body they found in SOMA, but you said you didn't see anything. Did you see this man anywhere near the scene?† â€Å"The victim was a friend of mine, Charlie. He left his mind in Vietnam, I'm afraid, but a good soul just the same. He had been dead for some time when I found him, though. The fiend left him there to rot.† Cavuto bristled. â€Å"But you didn't see this vampire guy at the scene either.† â€Å"I have seen him in the financial district, once in Chinatown, and at the marina last night. In fact, that young man gave me sanctuary at the Safeway.† Cavuto's beeper went off. He ignored it. â€Å"You saw Flood and this vampire guy together?† â€Å"No, I ran from the wharf when the fiend materialized out of mist.† â€Å"I'm outta here,† Cavuto said, throwing up his hands. He checked his beeper and went back to the car. Rivera held his ground. â€Å"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my partner needs to learn some manners. Now, if you can just tell me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cavuto beeped the horn and hung his head out the window. â€Å"Rivera, come on. They found another one. Let's go.† â€Å"Wait a second.† Rivera took a business card out of his wallet and gave it to the Emperor. â€Å"Highness, could you call me tomorrow, around noon? I'll come get you wherever you are – buy you and the men some lunch.† â€Å"Of course, my son.† Cavuto yelled out the car window, â€Å"Let's go, this one's fresh.† â€Å"Be careful,† Rivera said to the Emperor. â€Å"Watch your back, okay?† The Emperor grinned. â€Å"Safety first.† Rivera turned and walked to the car. He was still shutting the door as Cavuto pulled away from the curb. Cavuto said, â€Å"Another snapped neck. Body's in a pickup off of Market. Uniforms found it five minutes ago.† â€Å"Blood loss?† â€Å"They knew enough not to say over the radio. But there's a witness.† â€Å"Witness?† â€Å"Homeless guy sleeping in the alley saw a woman leaving the scene. There's an all-points out for a redheaded female in a black cocktail dress.† â€Å"You're bullshitting.† Cavuto turned and looked him in the eye. â€Å"The Laundromat ninja returns.† â€Å"Santa Fucking Maria,† Rivera said. â€Å"I love it when you speak Spanish.† The radio crackled again, the dispatcher calling their unit number. Rivera grabbed the mike and keyed it. â€Å"What now?† he said.