Edward Tufte Graphics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Edward Tufte Graphics - Essay Example In addition he insists that an excellent graphic should be one that is multivariate. Eventually, he insists that an excellent graphic should speak nothing but the truth (Tufte’s principles 2009). Hence, any good graphic should exhibit these. In relation to principles of graphical integrity, Tufte insists that it has to be detailed and clear. He advises that the graphic has to be thoroughly labeled and should be able to show data variation. He adds that the graphic should not quote any data out of the context. Furthermore, the principle warns of exceeding the dimensions of data depicted by the graphic (Darzynkiewicz, Robinson & Roederer 2009, p. 45). Hence, graphic integrity is a very useful tool graphic representation. Concerning the principles of data graphics, Tufte insists that any graphic information should above all things show the data. He insists that the data-ink ratio should be maximized in the graphic (Darzynkiewicz, Robinson & Roederer 2009, p. 45). Data-ink ratio i s simply the core of a graphic that cannot be erased. It could also imply data ink divided by the total ink that was used to print the graphic. It is basically the arrangement of non-redundant ink in relation to variation in the presented numbers (Darzynkiewicz, Robinson & Roederer 2009, p. 45). ... Tufte insisted that people should forgo chartjunk, including the grid, the duck and moire vibration (Liere, Adriaansen & Elena 2009, p. 6). For any good graphic, details of no importance should not be included. Tufte also came up with the principle of erasing and data-ink maximization so as to be applied in some graphical designs (Liere, Adriaansen & Elena 2009, p. 6). He insisted that if these principles were applied on the scatter plot and the box plot among others, new designs would be created. He insisted that for the scatter plot, one could edit the frame lines in order to display the minimum, maximum, median and the two quartiles for both variables (Liere, Adriaansen & Elena 2009, p. 6). In relation to the principle of multi-functioning graphical elements, Tufte insists that any graphical element is one that carries data information plus performs design functions left to non data ink. In following this principle, one is able to display several pieces of data at the same time in one graphic (Mizuno & Sheldon 2012). The principle basically mobilizes every graphical element sometimes several times in order to depict or show data. The graphical element that plots or locates or plots data is referred to as the data measure (Mizuno & Sheldon 2012). One can build data measures from data though it will increase the dimensionality of the graphic plus the quantitative details. He adds that varying shades of grey depict varying quantities in a better way than color, since they possess a natural visual hierarchy. In addition, graphical information can be organized for different aspects of data at different visual angles. Also, Tufte insists that for the

Overview Segmenting B2c Markets Marketing Essay

Overview Segmenting B2c Markets Marketing Essay Over the years, the traditional face of marketing has changed. Whilst organisations recognize that they can no longer take their customers loyalty for granted, and need to adopt ongoing marketing strategies to stay ahead of their competitors (A general review, 2006, p. 23-25). Consequently, the target and strategy are crucial for a companys marketing. The company aims to bring a new brand of multivitamins called Supreme to the market. The product range includes Multivitamin and Iron, Multivitamin and minerals, Zinc, Cod Liver Oil, Effervescent Vitamin C, and Evening Primrose Oil. These different Multivitamins were identified through initial market research undertaking with the proposed target market. Indeed, it needs a detailed analysis for the segmentation and targeting process in order to reach the affluent end of the market. Therefore, it must be focus on the strategy such as segmentation, the differences between B2C and B2B for segmentation processes; the marketing phrase of targeting and how to make a segment and target market for the new range of products. Market segmentation is the process through, which consumers needs and desires, purchasing behaviour and buying habits are identified in order to divide the overall market for certain products into several consumer group market segments. Mass production, mass communication, technology, globalisation has helped create larger and lucrative potential markets. Organisations do not have the resources to or the inclination to be a single force within a loosely defined market (Brassington and Pettitt, 2006, p.193). The whole market can be seen as an orange, each segment of the orange represents a different market based upon geographic, demographic, Geodemographic, psychographic and behavioural similarities. According to the geographical factors for consumers segmentation, is where the geographical position and geographical environment variables to segment the market. Because in different geographic environments customers may have different needs and preferences for the same kind of products. According to statistics, personality factors subdivision is by age, sex, occupation, family income, family, life cycle, race, religion, nationality, variables, thus the market will be divided into different groups. Additionally, geodemographic combines demographic and geographic information together to help organizations know where the customers are and how many people there are. And then, the psychological factors, groups consumers according to their life style, personality, purchasing motivation, attitude, on different variables subdivided into the different groups. At last, the behavioural factors subdivision is that according to the consumers to purchase or used a commodity of time, purchase quantity, purchase frequency and the brand loyalty variables to segment market. segmenting B2B markets Business to business (B2B) segmentation is focused on the organization and the individual buyers. Macro Segmentation is based on the characteristics of organisations and the broader purchasing contexts they operate within. It assumes organisations will exhibit similar patterns and needs, reflected by their same buying behaviour. Bases used for macro segmentation are easily obtained from secondary information and grouped into two main categories which are organisational characteristics and product or service application. There are three organisational characteristics which are size, location and usage rate. Generally, the size of an organisation can make a difference in suppliers and purchasing. Organisations may sell according to the geographic concentration of the industries to serve. Additionally, the quantity of product purchased can categorise the difference in potential customers. Product or service application is the second group of segmentation based on acknowledge that the sa me goods can be used in many different ways. Looking at customer groupings within specific industries defined by standard industrial classification (SIC) codes. The SIC codes help identify sectors with a greater propensity to use particular products for particular applications. For example, glass has many uses to the motor industry.furthermore, Micro segmentation within macro segment a number of smaller micro segments may exist (Brassington and Pettitt, 2006, p.195).To focus on these, the organisation needs to have a detailed knowledge of individual members of the macro segment; while their management philosophy, decision-making structures, purchasing policies and strategies and their needs and wants. Much Information on these can come from published sources, past experience of potential buyer, sales force knowledge and experience, word-of-mouth, or the first hand from potential buyer. Overall, it has a number of ways to be able to segment business to business market to relate the n ature of product sold and the buying organisation. segmenting B2C markets In B2C (business to consumer) markets, there are five main categories of segmentation which are defined geographic, demographic, geodemographic, psychographic and behaviour based. Between them, they cover the full range of characteristics, such as descriptive, measurable, tangible or intangible, relating to the buyers lifestyle and the relationships with the product (Brassington and Pettitt, 2006, p.220). Geographic segmentation, it can be defined as the location for the consumer and based on the regional variables like region, country, city, climate, population density, and traffic. Demographic segmentation variables include age, gender, race, income, family lifecycle, occupation, education, religion, socioeconomic and nationality. Many of these variables have standard categories for the consumers values. Geodemographic segmentation is based on the analysis of people by where they live (Sleight, 1997, p.16) and combines geographic and demographic information together. Psychographic segmentation involves intangible variable such as lifestyle, activities, attitude, interests, values and opinion of the potential customer. Behavioral segmentation is based on actual customer behavior or the individuals relationship with the products. Some variables include benefit sought, end use, usage rate, brand loyalty, buyer readiness, price sensitivity and occasions. All the relevant characteristics from these five categories are suit for the market to segment. 2.4 targeting The target market is identified through market segmentation organisations provide appropriate products and services to meet the needs of customer or several sub-markets. There are three types of targeting for marketing mix strategies which are undifferentiated strategy, differentiated strategy and concentrated strategy. Firstly, the undifferentiated strategy approach is the demanding of the three approaches that assume the whole market is one great homogeneous unit without differences individuals in the market. Secondly, the differentiated strategy contains the development of a number of individual marketing mixes, each of them serve the different segment (Brassington and Pettitt, 2006, p.212). Finally, the concentrated strategy is the most focused approach and involves serving one specific segment. It can lead to detailed understanding of the target segments needs and wants. Discussion The differences between B2B and B2C on the segmentation The B2C markets have some similarities with B2B segmentation. However, the main distinction between both approaches is that a consumer purchases on emotion and a business purchases on logic, although they both selling a product or a service to the individual or groups, the marketing is difference for business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C). The B2B market relies on very different sales strategies to be successful than the business to consumer market because the B2B sales market very relies on relationship selling and the sales can obtain in a longer term sales cycle than B2C(business to consumer) sales. The main difference is that consumer segments always much larger in terms of number of potential buyers. Consumer segmentation also bases on the buyers lifestyle and context because of most consumers purchases fulfill high-end needs rather than simply functional ones (Brassington and Pettitt, 2006, p.197). Certainly, they also have the difference segmentation for their different marketing. By the previous analysis of B2B segmentation, its divided into macro and micro variables or bases. Macro segmentation is the whole market share common general characteristics which have three characteristics are size, location and usage rate; micro segments based on differences in specific buying characteristics. In contrast, in consumer markets, in other words, it is B2C market; five main categories of segmentation are defined as geographic, demographic, Geodemographic, psychographic and behaviour. Thus they can divide into different aspects to segment the B2C market. For example, age, according to the age level to segment the market because these different kinds of multivitamins for different age level have different efficacy. Such as children need iron and zinc, multivitamin and minerals for teens and young, effervescent vitamin C for middle and cod liver oil and evening primrose oil for elderly. In addition, the gender and education level as target. Like high school, college and university, on the different level of studying they need different nutrients to supplement. Furthermore, not the same level of income for the individuals also can decide the different markets. Such cod liver oil and evening primrose oil is much expensive than the other multivitamins. Additionally, ethnic or religious background also can act as a basis to segment a market. Like as some religions cannot consume cod. Moreover, the family life cycle also is a point to have the market. For example, newly married, married for 10 20 years, with or without children. Overall, they both have different property to have the way to segment the market they needed for B2C and B2B. At the end, all the multivitamins products will have the appropriate market in the small groups to sale because of the market have segmented different layer based on the market segmentation standards. segment the market for the new multivitamins It is suggested that two main strategies to segment and target the market for the new multivitamins. One is the brand strategy and another one is the pricing strategy. Firstly, As Ruvalcaba and Elkes (2008) suggest: we have to find a way to diverge from others, to differentiate your offering through your branding work so that the offering stands out as relevant and superior in value to a clear target market. The brand is to give owner produce value-added of intangible assets, it could be used to separate with other competitors products of name, terminology, symbols or design and their combination, value-added source from the products impression of consumer heart formed. Businesses that are at the top of consumers minds have a high market share. Consistent, creative advertising will get the business top of mind awareness (TOMA RESEARCH, 2010). Brand awareness refers to the strength of a brand presence of a brand in the memory of a consumer. Brand awareness can create a reason to buy as well as a basis for a customer relationship (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). For example, according to the brand awareness and radiation region, the new products can be divided into areas brand, domestic brands and international brand thus the new products have the different market in the geographic area. For multivitamins, the key proposition of the supreme brand is healthy. The main elements of the proposition include the kinds of multivitamins that different populations needed and keep healthy. Moreover, supreme follows a strategy of product innovation, in order to achieve a long term objectives. It takes the form of timely new product launches to enable the brand to more closely meet the needs of different types of consumers in different areas. Secondly, pricing strategy is another popular strategy which utilize for marketing. The limited use of pricing as a strategic tool to gain and hold competitive advantage has created an opportunity for companies willing to redesign their competitive portfolios and go with unorthodox strategy mixes (Thompson Coe, 1997). Cutting price of the products can be considered as an easiest way to absorb the customers. Therefore, pricing control also can be used to segment the different suitable markets. For example, the actions for the new product market can be cutting down the price to open the new market for new products in order to make more consumer known about these products, like have a small gifts if buying a bottle of multivitamins, buying one more than getting another free one or special discount for different type of multivitamins that have different kinds of efficacy, in particular date are very popular in sales industry to obtain more benefit. These actions also can execute in the center of city or the town center to segment the market. The effect of cutting price may increase the quantity demanded, however, a major barrier to the use of value pricing has been the belief that industrial markets are largely inelastic, therefore, price will not be a major determinant of quantity demanded (Barney, 1991). The reason for that is for the company, it is difficult to find the exact right price that matches the expectations of customers. Besides, blindfolded cutting price will lead an unhealthy competition environment with competitors. The result of conflicting on sale  is all companies losing profits at the end. For short term, it could be suitable, acceptable and feasible, but for long term, for example, once the customers have get used to buy the product on a sale price, it is difficult to raise the price again. Then it is unacceptable, the risk is too high. The customers would not consider the price seriously again. Therefore, the pricing strategy is not suitable for long term. Focus on fits the two main criterions of a good marketing strategy. The key of marketing is value, which can be defined as a ratio between benefits and costs between the customer gets and the organizations gives. The suitability of target is obvious, no matter improves the brand awareness, the quantity of product or the price control to share the same purpose, which is to gain profit. It is the mission of marketing. All these two aspects help the supreme to reach the goal, thus brand positioning and price consideration is suitable. Although there are risks, such as investment in advertising and building sponsor relationship with other organisations will cost, it is deemed worth the risks. Overall, continual segmentation is vital to fully understand consumer needs and changing habits. This will help provide appropriate produces to satisfied their needs and wants. Conclusion Segmentation is the tool that enables supreme to identify different groups of customers and markets, and provide the best possible products to meet individual or groups requirements. It also brings a number of benefits to both the consumer and the organization. The new multivitamins market consists of different consumers with differing needs. Focusing on branding positioning is a comprehensive strategy for the new multivitamins products to achieve a successful marketing. Whereas, as a diversified product, it should use many ways and the marketing segment strategies to sale in order to get the profit. In other words, the multivitamins still needs to focus on the different segmenting market. Alluring more consumers and keeping the regular customers in main areas to build brand loyalty are the main missions at present. They are still the primary objects for multivitamins to make profit and sustain operation.

Claudio and Heros Relationship vs. Beatrice and Benedicks :: Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare Love Essays

Claudio and Hero's Relationship vs. Beatrice and Benedick's The main topic of discussion is based around the relationships of Claudio and Hero and how their relationship differs from Beatrice’s and Benedick’s. The idea of marriage is an important factor. In Shakespeares time marriage was seen as an obligation and your wife would be ‘chosen’ for you. The decision making was made by the men. It was a very patriarchal society. Beatrice is a prime example of one of Shakespeare’s strong characters. She refuses to marry because she has not found the perfect equal partner and is unwilling to eschew her liberty to the will of a controlling husband. In her frustration and rage about Hero’s mistreatment, Beatrice rebels against the unequal status of women in Renaissance society. â€Å"O that I were a man for his sake! Or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake!† she passionately exclaims. â€Å"I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving†. Beatrice relates to women in a modern society because of her attitude towards society’s norms at that time. Benedick is the wilful lord who vows never to marry. He engages with Beatrice in a competition to outwit and outsmart each other, but to his observant friends he seems to feel some deeper emotions below the surface. Beatrice and Benedick have a more modern idea of a relationship. In Shakespeare’s time the idea of marriage was very different from today. Women had no freedom to marry for love, whereas today women have a lot more freedom and power to make their own choices. Love and marriage are the two most striking ideas in Much Ado About Nothing. The play ends with the union between a fair young woman and a

Healthcare Ethics Essay

To start with, the problems that arise in delivery of a baby where there are many problems encountered with the mother being a high risk case with any existing severe medical conditions posing pregnancy a high risk one or instances where the infant is being diagnosed to have a very fatal condition and its survival is not possible, in which ethically it is best to abort the baby, but the mother wants to take the risk which is indeed unethical. In such cases the patient should be counseled and made aware of the possible problems that has to be faced in the future. With the new reproductive technologies being brought in, there are a number of people opting for these technologies even though in some cases where it is known that it would not be a successful one. Ethically, undue usage of medical resources knowing the fact that the outcome is not going to give any positive result is against the ethical rules, because resources are to be used at a very limited pace, keeping in mind their availability. So the usage of resources are correlated with the issues where the risks are being taken which are unethical. It holds good in medical research where there are many times when the resources are unnecessarily wasted every now and then until they derive at what was intended to be derived without keeping in mind the harm caused, but just thinking about the beneficial outcome. The physician or a practicing health care official have many responsibilities and ethical means to be followed in his/her daily practice or career. Maintaining the confidentiality of the patient, where the patient would not want anybody other than the doctor has to be maintained respecting the thoughts and trust of the patient. Similarly, the physician has to tell the truth regarding the illness and its course if it is going to show a positive outcome or not, instead of keeping the patient in darkness and hope. Depending on the verdict of the physician it will enable the patient to make decisions as in to continue the treatment or stop the treatment or change to some other sort of treatment. This will help the physician and the managing staff to take decisions as well. Autonomy of a person or patient in ethical issue is very important and the one that has to be considered firstly. It solely lies in the patient to take decision or do what the patient wants. Autonomy plays a different role when it comes to children and infants where the parents play a vital role in giving or making a decision regarding the child. When it comes to the mentally ill its the related family members who take the decision. It lies in the consent of the families for the consent of the families for the treatment or withdrawal of treatment keeping in mind the best interests and well being of the children and the mentally ill. Geriatric age group forms a significant percentage of population and they need special care . Providing care to them when they are ill or long term care centre should be done ethically keeping in mind that they are people who need special attention. Ethical issues raised by development in modern medicine are many where there are conflicting views, thoughts and opinions about various issues. Among these issues are the euthanasia and physician assisted suicide which has raised a number of questions if it is ethical or unethical. Most countries are against such practice but few countries have made it legal. I would definitely consider the issues taught and discussed in the class if I face a situation like this in my practice. I am sure I would able to think better in an ethical manner in such situations after attending this class. Withdrawing treatment is another questionable issue, where in ethically it is approved because in a situation where the patient is in a permanent vegetative state or coma and no treatment is going to improve the condition of the patient it is better to withdraw treatment rather than prolong the treatment without any improvement is just not done, because by doing so the patient and his family are spending a huge amount of money on such care. End of life decision making is very crucial where ethically it depends on the patient in a state of competency, if not on the patient’s family. Ethically, by no means can the patient’s family make decisions when the patient is competent. The physician also plays a huge role in such a situation as he has to guide the patient and his family to do what is best in the interest of the patient. The health care ethics class has brought into light many ethical formulations that I need to know and practice as a physician. It helped me get better knowledge in topics like care of the elderly, care of the infants, mentally ill, how to manage the resources, about genetic testing, euthanasia and autonomy.

Reflection Using The Gibb’s Reflective Cycle model Essay

In order to help me with my reflection I have chosen Gibbs (1988), as the model to help guide my reflective process. This model comprises of a process that helps the individual look at a situation and think about their thoughts and feelings at the time of the incident. Reflective skills help us to think about what could have been done, so that if a similar situation occurs again the experience gained can be used to deal with the situation in a professional manner (Palmer et al 1997). To enable me to use this situation for my reflection the patient will be referred to as â€Å"James†. This is in order that his real name is protected and that confidentially maintained in line with the An Bord Altranais Code of Professional Conduct (2000). James, a seventeen year old boy was admitted with a fractured wrist who suffers with schizophrenia. Jame’s condition caused him to have delusions and hallucinations which made him act inappropriately towards other patients and staff. He found it hard to relax and paced the ward a lot. James constantly needed reassurance and would ask other patients and staff if he was all right. His questioning involved wanting to know if he was in trouble and if his eye balls were ok. Everyone would reply to his questions by saying: â€Å"yes James you are all right, your eyeballs are fine and no you are not in any trouble‟, but this was not enough, you also had to give the â€Å"thumbs up† as well to assure him that he was fine. When James became agitated he would act out by kicking people. Due to his small size and light weight, the kick was usually light and didn’t hurt but sometimes it had strength in it. This acting out led me to question my preceptor if James’s kicking was behavioural or part of the illness and why it hadn’t been dealt with. My preceptor relayed to me that the nurses had used various techniques including behavioural therapy to stop James’s kicking but nothing had worked. Doctors had also tried a number of different drugs to help James with his schizophrenia but nothing had worked for him there either. He had been taking Clozaril for a few months but it was not doing anything for his psychotic symptom s. James was even sent to the Maudsley hospital in England (a world leader in psychiatry research) to see if they could help him or if they had any ideas that could help him in his treatment but experts were mystified with him there also. Mealtimes were a very difficult process with James. If he could get away with it, he would never eat. He would play around with his food, smell it, ask if it was poisoned and ask various  questions to distract the nurse from what he or she was trying to do (which was trying to get James to eat). It was a very tedious task for the nurse in charge of him that day to get him to eat. The nurses always handled it professionally and with a lot of patience. Usually by the end of the meal James had eaten almost half of it and so would also have to drink a fortisip later to make up for his lack of dietary intake. One evening after a long and tiring day, the nurse in charge of James was busy and I was put in charge of him eating his dinner. As usual the task was very hard and James didn’t seem to take me very serious. I tried to emulate what I had seen the other nurses do but James would hardly touch his food. He even began spitting out his food on the plate and this really disgusted me. I tried not to let him know what I was thinking and behave like a professional. I also tried to encourage him by saying â€Å"come on now James, just a little bit more â€Å"and he did the usual by trying to distract me and asking questing like â€Å"Am I dead, I’ve no eyes†, but I wasn’t having it. This process went on for what seemed like an eternity and I was beginning to get very frustrated. I finally said to him, â€Å"if you don’t eat your food, I’m goanna have to feed you like a little baby†. I then took his fork, scooped up some food and held it in front of him. I then said â€Å"now open your mouth†. It was then that it finally dawned on me what I was doing and I immedia tely stopped. I was filled with embarrassment as I realised the implications of my actions. I glanced around at the other tables to see if the other nurses and patients had seen or heard me, but they had not. I felt very glad that no one had witnessed my actions but also very ashamed of myself for what I had done. James didn’t seem very bothered by me and carried on with his questions. I was glad he didn’t seem angry or upset by what I had said but I also wondered if my actions had an effect on his unconscious feelings. When I had first saw James I was very intimidated and a little scared of him because he was very confrontational and tended to lash out. What was good about this experience was that I had finally gotten over my fear of him. By challenging him to eat, I felt more assertive and empowering. Kilkus (1993) claims that using assertive behaviour in nursing, empowers the nurse and is an invaluable component in the profession. The negative side to this incident was that I became too forceful and domineering. By saying to him â€Å"I’m goanna have to feed you like a little baby† was very sarcastic of me  and subconsciously I was even mocking him. It also could have made James associate food with negative feelings and that would have set the nurses back in their progress with getting him to eat. Jacobsson et al (2004) asserts that food psychologically, can be associated with positive feelings of well-being and comfort or it can be associated with negative feelings of sorrow or b urden. Although James did not react to what I had said, this did not mean he did not comprehend it. It is common for schizophrenia sufferers to appear as though they have a lack of feelings. This is so, due to damaged pathways connecting the brain to facial expressions. Although it is possible that these feelings cannot be expressed, emotions are felt inside (Kring et al. 1993). James may not have understood the underlying meaning of what I was saying to him but we as human beings can convey and relate to others through expressions, gestures and body language. Whether one comprehends what you are saying or not, one can understand what you are really saying by how you hold yourself, showing how you feel and sometimes what you are thinking (Kozier et al. 2004). James often had trouble communicating what he wanted to say, which is a common aspect of the illness (Kring et al. 1993), and would often throw out words that made no sense to us. Sometimes he would talk about something that meant something else entirely different, for instance he might say; â€Å"Am I dead, I’ve no eyes† but would mean â€Å"I am worried about something†. Only the other nurses would know what he meant as they had experience with James over time. That evening while trying to get James to eat, he said â€Å"Am I dead, I’ve no eyes† and I took it as one of his usual ramblings that meant nothing. I should not have taken it at face value and tried to understand where it was coming from. If I am to become an effective nurse in the future I must have good communication skills with my patients. Only through good communication skills will I be able to establish the patient’s usual forms of communication and social interactions and identify any difficulties the patient may be experiencing. I must also learn how to treat the patient as an individual with their own individual needs and concerns (Taylor et al. 200 8).By saying to James â€Å"I’m goanna have to feed you like a little baby† was very belittling of me. Perhaps a subconscious part of me was annoyed by his disease and I just did not want to deal with it. Eventually, when I become a staff nurse I will have to deal with psychiatric patients, and so I must learn to be open to the  patient (whether they have schizophrenia, Bipolar or any other psychiatric illness) by not having any prejudicial thoughts or perceptions. I must learn to show acceptance and respect (Browne, 1993). I was feeling very tired that evening and so because I was tired, I was probably a little irritable as well. Due to the way I felt and having the tedious task of getting James to eat, I may have acted in a way that I would not have, if I had not been tired. How nurses feel when they are tired may negatively impact their judgment and increase patient errors (Townsend &Anderson, 2009).Once I am a qualified staff nurse I am sure there will be days where I will be feeling very tired but that does not mean using the way I feel as a means to justify my actions. I must be a professional at all times, tired or not. Nursing is a professional practice that is constantly ev olving (Fasoli, 2010), and I as a nurse must act as a professional if I am to succeed in the profession. As a student nurse I need try to understand why James did not want to eat. One of the telltale signs of people with schizophrenia disorders is a deterioration in self-care skills. Individuals with the illness may not be interested in eating, may distrust the food and/or maybe too busy to eat or take care of themselves (Brooking et al. 1996). I was not taking this into consideration when I was trying to get him to eat his dinner. As a novice in the nursing profession, I could put this incident down to inexperience (Benner,1984). I could also put this experience down to bad judgement and bad communication skills on my behalf. Communication is not only the foundation of humanity but it is also the most crucial aspect of nurse-patient interactions (Taylor et al. 2008). I should not have tried to force James to eat. I should have kept trying to convince him to eat in a positive and understanding way (just like how I saw his nurse do before). By forcing James to eat I acted like a bully an d could have subconsciously made him associate eating with negative feelings (Jacobsson et al. 2004). I also could have shown more patience and empathy towards James. As a student nurse I must have patience and empathy for patients and also be sensitive to the patient’s psychological needs (Scully & Dallas, 2005). If this situation were to happen again, I would first examine my self-awareness. According to Bulman & Schutz, (2004, p.29) â€Å"Self-awareness may be described as the foundation skill upon which reflective practice is built†. It enables the nurse to view themselves in a specific situation and monitor what effect he  or she has on the situation and what effect the situation is having on him or her. Nurses with a healthy self-awareness are likely to have a positive effect on patient care. Having a good sense of self-awareness is also necessary for creating therapeutic relationships with one’s patients. As a student nurse I must also learn to communicate to the patient with knowledge and awareness in order to strive for the best for them. Through self- awareness I would have realised that I was tired and kept in mind not to let it have a negative effect on the patient. This is also another way to describe â€Å"reflection in action†. It is whereby the practitioner recognises a situation or problem and thinks about it while still carrying out an action (Schon, 1987). Also if this situation were to happen again I would remember what I had learned by my previous experience. My experience with James has taught me a lot about self-awareness, communicating effectively, empathy, patience, having a comprehension of the patient’s illness, respect, empowerment, not putting my feelings before the patients and staying positive. When this incident occurred I wanted to bury my head under the sand and wish that it never happened, but now I am grateful that it did happen because it gave me an opportunity to look deeper into the situation and deeper into myself. Using the Gibb’s Reflective Cycle model (Gibbs, 1988), has helped me to analyse what took place and examine my own insight and take on what happened. This experience was a learning curv e for me as a novice and it will be beneficial to my learning experience as I have many learning needs as a student nurse. I know realise that only through experience and reflection will I be able to learn from them(Benner, 1984).

Biography of Augusto Pinochet, Chiles Military Dictator

Biography of Augusto Pinochet, Chile's Military Dictator Augusto Pinochet (November 25, 1915–December 10, 2006) was an army officer and dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990. His years in power were marked by inflation, poverty, and the ruthless repression of opposition leaders. Pinochet was involved in Operation Condor, a cooperative effort by several South American governments to remove leftist opposition leaders, often by murder. Several years after stepping down, he was charged with war crimes concerning his time as president but died in 2006 before being convicted on any charges. Fast Facts: Augusto Pinochet Known For: Dictator of ChileBorn: Nov. 25, 1915 in Valparaiso, ChileParents: Augusto Pinochet Vera, Avelina Ugarte MartinezDied: Dec. 10, 2006 in Santiago, ChileEducation: Chilean War AcademyPublished Works: The Crucial DaySpouse: Marà ­a  Lucà ­a  Hiriart  Rodrà ­guezChildren: Augusto Osvaldo, Jacqueline Marie, Lucà ­a, Marco Antonio, Marà ­a Verà ³nicaNotable Quote: Everything I did, all my actions, all of the problems I had I dedicate to God and to Chile, because I kept Chile from becoming Communist. Early Life Pinochet was born on Nov. 25, 1915, in Valparaiso, Chile to descendants of French settlers who had come to Chile more than a century before. His father was a middle-class government worker. The eldest of six children, Pinochet married Marà ­a  Lucà ­a  Hiriart  Rodrà ­guez in 1943 and they had five children. He entered Chilean War Academy when he turned 18  and graduated in four years as a sub-lieutenant. Military Career Begins Pinochet rose quickly through the ranks despite the fact that Chile was never at war during his military career. In fact, Pinochet never saw combat while he was in the military; the closest he came was as the commander of a detention camp for Chilean Communists. Pinochet lectured at the War Academy and wrote five  books on politics and warfare. By 1968, he was promoted to brigadier general. Pinochet and Allende In 1948, Pinochet met future President Salvador Allende, a young Chilean senator who was a socialist. Allende had come to visit the concentration camp then run by Pinochet, where many Chilean Communists were being held. In 1970, Allende was elected president, and he promoted Pinochet to be commander of the Santiago garrison. Over the next three years, Pinochet proved invaluable to Allende by helping put down opposition to Allende’s economic policies, which were devastating the nation’s economy. Allende promoted Pinochet to commander-in-chief of all Chilean armed forces in August 1973. The Coup of 1973 Allende, as it turned out, had made a grave mistake by putting his trust in Pinochet. With the people in the streets and the countrys economy in shambles, the military moved to take over the government. On Sept. 11, 1973, less than three weeks after he had been made the commander-in-chief, Pinochet directed his troops to take Santiago, the capital, and he ordered an airstrike on the presidential palace. Allende died defending the palace, and Pinochet was made part of a four-man ruling junta led by the commanders of the army, air force, police, and navy. Later, he seized absolute power. Operation Condor Pinochet and Chile were heavily involved in Operation Condor, a collaborative effort among the governments of Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay to control leftist dissidents such as the MIR, or Movement of the Revolutionary Left, in Bolivia, and the Tupamaros, a band of Marxist revolutionaries that operated in Uruguay. The effort consisted mainly of a series of kidnappings, disappearances, and assassinations of prominent opponents of the right-wing regimes in those countries. The Chilean DINA, a feared secret police force, was one of the driving organizations behind the operation. It is unknown how many people were killed during Operation Condor, but most of the estimates range well into the thousands. The Economy Pinochet’s team of U.S.-educated economists, who were known as â€Å"the Chicago Boys,† advocated lowering taxes, selling state-run businesses, and encouraging foreign investment. These reforms led to sustained growth, prompting the phrase â€Å"The Miracle of Chile.† However, the reforms also led to a decline in wages and a spike in unemployment, and there was a severe recession from 1980 to 1983. Steps Down In 1988, a nationwide referendum on Pinochet resulted in a majority of the people voting to deny him another term as their president. Elections were held in 1989 and the opposition candidate, Christian Democrat  Patricio Aylwin, was victorious. However, Pinochet’s supporters continued to hold enough influence in the Chilean parliament to block many proposed reforms. Pinochet remained in office until Aylwin was installed as president on March 11, 1990, although as an ex-president he remained a senator for life. He also kept his position as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Legal Troubles and Death Pinochet might have been out of the limelight, but the victims of Operation Condor did not forget about him. In October 1998, he was in the United Kingdom for medical reasons. Seizing upon his presence in a country with an extradition treaty, his opponents brought charges against him in a Spanish court in connection with the  torture  of Spanish citizens in Chile during his rule. He was charged with several counts of murder, torture, and kidnapping. The charges were dismissed in 2002 on the grounds that Pinochet, by then in his late 80s, was too unhealthy to stand trial. Further charges were brought against him in 2006, but Pinochet died on December 10 of that year in Santiago before the prosecution could proceed. Legacy   Many Chileans are divided on the topic of their former dictator. Some say they see him as a savior who rescued them from the socialist policies of Allende and who did what had to be done in a turbulent time to prevent anarchy and communism. They point to the growth of the economy under Pinochet and claim he was a patriot who loved his country. Others say he was a ruthless despot directly responsible for thousands of murders, in most cases for no more than thought crimes. They believe his economic success was not all it seemed because unemployment was high and wages were low during his rule. Regardless of these differing views, it is undeniable that Pinochet was one of the most important figures of the 20th century in South America. His involvement in Operation Condor made him the poster boy for violent dictatorship, and his actions led many in his country never to trust their government again.   Sources Dinges, John. The Condor Years: How Pinochet and His Allies Brought Terrorism to Three Continents. Paperback, Reprint edition, The New Press, June 1, 2005.ï » ¿The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2018). Augusto Pinochet: President of Chile.

3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization

3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization 3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization 3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization By Mark Nichol Here are my responses to readers about questions regarding whether to use uppercase or lowercase letters in certain contexts. 1. Would you write, â€Å"I study algebra,† or â€Å"I study Algebra†? â€Å"I’m enrolled in algebra II,† or â€Å"I’m enrolled in Algebra II†? Is the following sentence correct? â€Å"The school offers algebra, French, physics, Spanish, Geometry, and english.† When you refer to an academic subject, write, for example, â€Å"I study algebra.† (Capitalize only names of languages and other proper nouns.) However, when the reference is to a course in which an academic subject is taught, write, for example, â€Å"I’m enrolled in Algebra II.† The terms in this revision of your final sample sentence are styled correctly: â€Å"The school offers algebra, French, physics, Spanish, geometry, and English.† See also the first item in this post. 2. One of our counties considers itself â€Å"the birthplace of prohibition.† My question is whether prohibition should be capitalized. I’ve seen it done that way before but can’t remember if it may have been only in the context of references to the era or the Eighteenth Amendment.† When referring to the principle rather than the era or the legislation, I’d lowercase the word: â€Å"The nonpartisan organization focused on the single issue of prohibition.† But in reference to the specific US government policy during the 1930s (or any other similar official policy in another country), capitalize the term. And if the county actually markets itself with the slogan â€Å"The Birthplace of Prohibition,† acknowledge that epithet by writing, â€Å"The county considers itself the ‘Birthplace of Prohibition’†). 3. What are the rules for saying something starts with a capital letter? Which one is correct: â€Å"The word God has a capital G,† or â€Å"The word God has a capital g†? No resource I know of refers to this specific point about naming a letter as a letter, so in this case I must defer to usage. â€Å"The word God has a capital G† may seem redundant, but that’s the prevailing style. Otherwise, when the reference is not specifically to an uppercase letter, the lowercase form should be used. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past FormPreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

6 Steps of the Scientific Method

6 Steps of the Scientific Method The scientific method is a systematic way of learning about the world around us and answering questions. The key difference between the scientific method and other ways of acquiring knowledge are forming a hypothesis and then testing it with an experiment. The Six Steps The number of steps can vary from one description to another (which mainly happens when data and analysis are separated into separate steps), however, this is a fairly standard list of the six  scientific method steps that you are expected to know for any science class: Purpose/QuestionAsk a question.ResearchConduct background research. Write down your sources so you can cite your references. In the modern era, a lot of your research may be conducted online. Scroll to the bottom of articles to check the references. Even if you cant access the full text of a published article, you can usually view the abstract to see the summary of other experiments. Interview experts on a topic. The more you know about a subject, the easier it will be to conduct your investigation.HypothesisPropose a hypothesis. This is a sort of educated guess about what you expect. It is a statement used to predict the outcome of an experiment. Usually, a hypothesis is written in terms of cause and effect. Alternatively, it may describe the relationship between two phenomena. One type of hypothesis is the null hypothesis or the no-difference hypothesis. This is an easy type of hypothesis to test because it assumes changing a variable will have no effect on the outcome. In reality, you probably expect a change but rejecting a hypothesis may be more useful than accepting one. ExperimentDesign and perform an experiment to test your hypothesis. An experiment has an independent and dependent variable. You change or control the independent variable and record the effect it has on the dependent variable. Its important to change only one variable for an experiment rather than try to combine the effects of variables in an experiment. For example, if you want to test the effects of light intensity and fertilizer concentration on the growth rate of a plant, youre really looking at two separate experiments.Data/AnalysisRecord observations and analyze the meaning of the data. Often, youll prepare a table or graph of the data. Dont throw out data points you think are bad or that dont support your predictions. Some of the most incredible discoveries in science were made because the data looked wrong! Once you have the data, you may need to perform a mathematical analysis to support or refute your hypothesis.ConclusionConclude whether to accept or reject your hypothesi s. There is no right or wrong outcome to an experiment, so either result is fine. Note accepting a hypothesis does not necessarily mean its correct! Sometimes repeating an experiment may give a different result. In other cases, a hypothesis may predict an outcome, yet you might draw an incorrect conclusion. Communicate your results. The results may be compiled into a lab report or formally submitted as a paper. Whether you accept or reject the hypothesis, you likely learned something about the subject and may wish to revise the original hypothesis or form a new one for a future experiment. When Are There Seven Steps? Sometimes the scientific method is taught with seven steps instead of six. In this model, the first step of the scientific method is to make observations. Really, even if you dont make observations formally, you think about prior experiences with a subject in order to ask a question or solve a problem. Formal observations are a type of brainstorming that can help you find an idea and form a hypothesis. Observe your subject and record everything about it. Include colors, timing, sounds, temperatures, changes, behavior, and anything that strikes you as interesting or significant. Variables When you design an experiment, you are controlling and measuring variables. There are three types of variables: Controlled Variables:  You can have as many  controlled variables  as you like. These are parts of the experiment that you try to keep constant throughout an experiment so that they wont interfere with your test. Writing down controlled variables is a good idea because it helps make your experiment  reproducible, which is important in science! If you have trouble duplicating results from one experiment to another, there may be a controlled variable that you missed.Independent Variable:  This is the variable you control.Dependent Variable:  This is the variable you measure. It is called the  dependent variable  because it  depends  on the independent variable.

Composer biography (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Essay

Composer biography (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) - Essay Example When he was four years old, he composed a song with his younger sister Alexandra. He began piano lessons at the age of four, with a local teacher. He soon learnt to read music as well as his teacher in three years. He became familiar with Frederic Chopin’s mazurkas. In 1850, Tchaikovsky was sent to the prestigious Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St.Petersburg , an all boys school. He studied there for nine years. He was popular among his peers, and had intense emotional ties with several boys. As music was not given much importance in the institute, Tchaikovsky’s father paid for his piano lessons from Rudolph Kundiger outside the School,. In the meantime, Pyotr’s mother died due to cholera., which had a great emotional impact on the boy. When he was seventeen, Tchaikovsky was influenced by the Italian music instructor, Luigi Piccioli. Tchaikovsky loved Italian music, and it influenced his compositions. He admired Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He graduated in 1859 from the Imperial School of Jurisprudence and started working as a junior civil servant. He worked there for three years although he did not like the work. Realizing that his vocation was music, he resigned from the post to study music. According to Daniel.G.Mason, who writes in his â€Å"Personal Life†, Tchaikovsky was a â€Å"ready improviser†, and could play music well for dancing, and was blessed with a â€Å"rich sense of harmony†. When Tchaikovsky joined St. Petersburg Conservatory and studied music, he was one of its first students. After graduating in 1865, he got a job as a teacher of music theory in the Moscow Conservatory. According to Mason, Tchaikovsky now had â€Å"the courage to attempt his first symphony’’, ‘Winter Dreams.’ He was so overwrought by nerves, that he stopped composing anything in the night.. In the first ten years in Moscow, he produced varied kinds of music from operas to string quartets, which built up his reputation His first opera,

Social Aspects of Alcohol Uses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Social Aspects of Alcohol Uses - Research Paper Example According to the report findings to some people in the society, the preference they give alcohol exceeds that of food. On certain occasions, a number of men and women in today’s societies have lost their lives because of excessive alcohol consumption. Consequently, the increasing need for what is commonly referred as ‘liquid refreshment’ is becoming a major influence on community’s evolution. Many societies consider the drinking behavior as important for the entire social order. Nonetheless, for a modern complex society that has subgroups of people with different ages, the pattern that each group reflects special distinctiveness and the society’s cultural frame. Therefore, the drinking cultural practice ranges from keen immersion to complete rejection.This study discusses that  in many societies, people drink to celebrate, relax, and to socialize. However, its consumption has a strong effect and may vary differently from every user. Conversely, a n umber of factors determine how an individual may act under the influence of alcohol.   These factors include; age, health status, frequency of drinking, amount of alcohol consumed, and the family history. Many people from different societies reason that drinking alcohol in itself is not a problem but drinking excess alcohol may have negative consequences. Also, a variety of risks associated with excess alcohol consumption may result. When both the youth and the old consume alcohol, it enters the bloodstream, and the effects can be felt after about ten minutes of consumption. The concentration of alcohol increases in the body as one continues to consume more alcohol.

Argumentive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Argumentive - Essay Example Similarly mass murders are carried out by boys more often. Results show that all these teens seemed to have harbored a deep feeling of hopelessness or rage. Other factors that compel boys to respond more to peer pressure includes the violence and music they face while playing video and television games (Decter, pars. 11-13). In the process of trying to prove themselves, boys tend to get attracted to power. With power comes responsibility. Misuse of it leads to delinquent behaviors. To be a part of a specific group, adolescents acquire specific traits. This helps them in socializing and the peer pressure compels them to remain rooted to those traits. A social ecological influence leads a person to adopt specific behaviors and hinders them from doing certain things. Certain studies are carried out that report the affect of peers on tendency towards delinquent behaviors. One such study is carried out that uses data from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. They conclude fro m this data that adolescents who hang around with delinquent peers tend to be more delinquent. Also, if the choice of their friends is not structured, they develop a tendency to be delinquent. They also conclude that to some extent age, gender, institution, or family structure does not intervene from the influence adolescents accept from their peers. This study has also divided their results based on socialization and opportunity models. A number of social and parental control variables are also considered in this study. This helps understand the impact of social circle of peers and their tendency to be delinquent (Haynie, pars 1-7). Delinquent behavior is not only the result of peer pressure but also societal issues that push people towards such extremes. Studies have shown that adolescents are forced towards delinquent actions to avoid being the outcast in a society. They get addicted to please people and do things to get in their good book that they won't do under normal circumst ances. Adolescents need to stay focused on principles in order to realize they are not crossing any lines when it comes to moral values. This can be achieved through values taught at their homes. It needs to be strongly embedded in the child's brain that they understand who they are and what they need and what ways are moral or immoral to attain their goals. The development of this understanding is only possible if the family is complete and not a broken home. Single parents may not be able to instill a sense of responsibility in their teens alone. They might require additional help as in the case of Hubert who was supervised by his mother alone. She had to look after other children as well and to make his space in society among people who do not mock him, he joined a gang. The importance of the role of father supervision in a boy's life is highlighted in this case. Adolescents who get carried away due to peer pressure need to be guided by a trusted but authoritative family member w ho can influence the adolescent and make the teen realize the implications of their actions (Greer, pars 2-4). The role of parents in controlling delinquent behaviors has been discussed a lot in the past. It has been noted that parents who spend more time with their children and keep in touch with their social circle seem to prevent them from delinquent company. This phenomenon can be categorized as exposure control as the parents control who their

Company Law and Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Company Law and Virtue Ethics - Essay Example A promoter main duty is to offer sufficient funding or capital for the company and to ensure that all the formalities required by the statute of incorporation are met. The promoters have a fiduciary duty to the company and its shareholders. The promoters cannot use secret corporate information for their personal gain or advantage. Becky and Asif can sue Candy to reclaim the gift of Rex 2010 for breach of fiduciary duties. Promoters normally owe fiduciary duties to the company that they are forming. They should thus disclose any profit they are making from the promotion either to the company shareholders or to an independent board. The company may sue a promoter for disgorgement of the profit and for rescission in case there is a breach of duty. Becky and Asif can also replace Candy as a shareholder because the gift of Rex 2010 created a conflict of interest between Candy and the company. When shareholders have a conflict with the decision taken by one of the employees, he or she can be changed or replaced in accordance with its articles or the pertinent law provisions. Furthermore, a company enjoys an independent existence and is used by shareholders to achieve the shareholder's economic purposes. The company can thus be used as a means of replacing or seeking compensation from Candy because she created a risk of loss of compensation for the company. The gift was a business courtesy- it was a gift from a client. Before accepting the gift, Candy should have informed the other partners and not kept the gift for personal use, instead, she created a conflict of interest by having a business relationship with Yienshiu. The most imperative character of Candy’s job was not to acquire a secret gain at the expense of the company. Candy-a promoter- had a legal obligation not to make secret proceeds from promoting the company without the consent of the other promoters (Tengku Abdullah v Mohd Latiff bin Shah Mohd,[1996] 2 MLJ 265). She also had the legal duty of dis closing to the Company about the gift by Yienshiu. She was not transparent in her dealings with the other shareholders and thus did not remain true to her fiduciary duties (Fairview Schools Sdn. Bhd v Indrani a/p Rajaratnam (No1)[1998] 1 MLJ 110). The rights of the two shareholders-Becky & Asif- were harmed by an act done to the company, it is to the company that they should look to institute appropriate action because though the company and shareholders suffered the same wrong, it is only the two shareholders right that was infringed. Candy was seen by Becky and Asif as a fiduciary of the company because her relationship with the other shareholders was supposed to be one of confidence and trust. Candy owed legal and ethical duties to the company as well as to Becky & Asif which she did not honor. She did not exercise due care while carrying out her duty and did not subordinate her personal interests to the organization of the company. Candy abused her position of reliance at the co mpany in spite of the fact that Becky & Asif expected her to devote her full working efforts and time to the interests of the company and to stay away from any doings that would conflict or distract the company interests.

HSA 530 week 2 db1 adn db2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HSA 530 week 2 db1 adn db2 - Coursework Example With HR function changing in recent years, a lot of responsibilities have shifted from the higher line to the line managers, activities like recruitment and subject setting are done by the line managers. Further, the drive towards individualization of the employment relationship has placed a new dimension of responsibilities on the shoulders of line managers. Among them is the emergence of collective pay, pay awards that are related to individual performance; which have made the role of line managers increasingly influential in HR. Research has found that where employees have a positive relationship with their front line managers, their likelihood of job satisfaction is high, commitment and loyalty; which are associated with high levels performance in turn (Fallon, JR &McConnell, 2012). The availability of Human Resource (HR) manager in a healthcare facility is very essential for the provision of essential services to the customers. The HR manager has a couple of important roles that they play in the running of the healthcare facility and some of those roles are discussion briefly in this section. First, they are responsible for staffing and placement as they advise the management on the best candidates for various positions and the right workforce needed for the facility. Their roles also extend to legal research on healthcare to find out on the rules and regulations that govern healthcare employees. Management of employees and decision-making are other responsibilities of the HR managers and this shows how important these managers are in the healthcare facilities today (Fallon, JR &McConnell, 2012). Human Resource Management has various functions as it has been noted in the above segments, but the most important function of HR in my opinion is the Organizational Development (OD). OD can be defined as an intentionally or deliberately planned approach to enable an organization increases its efficiency for the

Essentials of Organisational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Essentials of Organisational Behavior - Essay Example For a company to survive in the current economic climate it is therefore imperative that it creates good organizational behavior policies that will enable it to increase employee productivity, company survival and increase profitability. The two principal outcomes of organizational behavior are job performance and employee organizational commitment. Since most employees want to perform their jobs well and remain in the organizational for a long time; improving their working conditions and creating a feeling of commitment to the company can greatly improve business performance (Nair, 2010). Aspects of organisational mechanisms including organisational culture and structure, group mechanisms constituting teams and leaders interact with individual characteristics such as personality and ability together with individual mechanisms such as job satisfaction ,motivation ,learning and decision making and also stress at workplace to influence an employee’s job performance and organisational commitment (Mullins, 2006). One way of improving business performance is by hiring creative talented and outgoing individuals. This can only be achieved through an intensive interviewing and screening process that allows the management to assess the personality traits and cultural aspects of the potential employees that are values that might affect the way they will act once hired, the type of tasks they will be interested in and how they will potentially react to events that happen at the place of work (Glynn, 1995). This intensive screening and interviewing process is also very important in assessing the cognitive abilities of the potential employees. This includes both verbal and qualitative abilities. Emotional skills including emotional regulation and awareness of others are also assessed. There is also need to assess the physical abilities such as strength and endurance. This way the management ensures they hire the best possible employees and this greatly improves business performance (Schermerhorn, 1996).

HSA 530 week 2 db1 adn db2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HSA 530 week 2 db1 adn db2 - Coursework Example With HR function changing in recent years, a lot of responsibilities have shifted from the higher line to the line managers, activities like recruitment and subject setting are done by the line managers. Further, the drive towards individualization of the employment relationship has placed a new dimension of responsibilities on the shoulders of line managers. Among them is the emergence of collective pay, pay awards that are related to individual performance; which have made the role of line managers increasingly influential in HR. Research has found that where employees have a positive relationship with their front line managers, their likelihood of job satisfaction is high, commitment and loyalty; which are associated with high levels performance in turn (Fallon, JR &McConnell, 2012). The availability of Human Resource (HR) manager in a healthcare facility is very essential for the provision of essential services to the customers. The HR manager has a couple of important roles that they play in the running of the healthcare facility and some of those roles are discussion briefly in this section. First, they are responsible for staffing and placement as they advise the management on the best candidates for various positions and the right workforce needed for the facility. Their roles also extend to legal research on healthcare to find out on the rules and regulations that govern healthcare employees. Management of employees and decision-making are other responsibilities of the HR managers and this shows how important these managers are in the healthcare facilities today (Fallon, JR &McConnell, 2012). Human Resource Management has various functions as it has been noted in the above segments, but the most important function of HR in my opinion is the Organizational Development (OD). OD can be defined as an intentionally or deliberately planned approach to enable an organization increases its efficiency for the

The white mountains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The white mountains - Essay Example Surprising tones were displayed among the bands of earth made visible by road cut-throughs. These bones of the mountains, the strata that reveal their core construction, only serve to heighten our perception of the volume of rock we’re seeing and the weight of patient time it has taken for wind and weather to sculpt the billowing rounded crests we see emerging around every angle we look. Even the chatter in the car during the drive takes on new dimensions with the changing scenery. While we start with discussions of a suitably frivolous nature, by the time we’ve hit the true mountains our conversation has taken on new weight and purpose. We begin discussing our destination point, The Old Man of the Mountain, and how it came to be. This was a rock formation chiseled out of a cliff’s edge by wind, water, weather and the natural rock fracturing that occurs as a result of constant changes in temperature. The formation closely resembled the features of a craggy old man in profile. The formation collapsed in 2003, the year after our visit. Our stories of how we’d first heard about the Old Man and how we eventually came to the decision to visit slowly began to taper off as the grandeur of the mountains surrounding us began working on our subconscious. With the revelation of each new vista, we began losing track of our conversation, allowing sentences t o dangle without completion as we were struck silently breathless at a new view. Then, suddenly, we were there, at the lookout point just off the freeway that affords a perfect view of the Old Man in profile as he gazes over a spectacular view of Profile Lake. The lake isn’t often mentioned in descriptions of the site and makes a stunning and sometimes surprising counterpoint to the face. He exists in awesome, mystifying reality, poking out from the side of the cliff in perfect detail. It is surprising to us how

Effects of the War on Nationalism and Unionism

Effects of the War on Nationalism and Unionism The Great War proved to be a catalyst for profound change across the whole of Europe and beyond. Ireland proved to be no exception as the effects of the Great War changed nationalism and unionism in various ways. Some of those changes could have been predictable in 1914, whilst others could not have been. The constitutional future of Ireland had already caused much controversy before the Great War and that controversy did not decline just because Britain and therefore Ireland were fighting a war. Unionism was perhaps a more unified feature of Irish society and politics. In contrast, nationalism was split between the moderates that supported Ireland having Home Rule within the United Kingdom and the republicans that favoured a united Irish republic. The circumstances created by the Great War plus the actions of unionists, nationalists, republicans, and finally the British government all brought changes to nationalism and unionism. These changes will now be outlined. England and later Britain had been trying to impose its control over Ireland since the 12th century. Nationalism and unionism had been the reactions of the Irish to those attempts to make them obedient, if not loyal subjects of the British State. The nationalists were descended from the Irish who had resented, or even resisted British control. The overwhelming majority of the nationalists were Catholics and formed around two-thirds of the Irish population. The unionists on the other hand were strongly in favour of maintaining the union of Britain. Unionism was strongest in the Protestant dominated counties of Ulster amongst the descendants of the Ulster plantations. Unionism held the advantage of having aims that never changed whilst nationalism had the disadvantage of being divided between moderates and republicans, even though people with nationalist or republican sympathies formed a majority of the population (Wilson, 1989 p. 21). Nationalism had failed to achieve Home Rule in the 1880s, yet under the Liberal government that the Irish nationalist MPs backed, Home Rule seemed destined to be implemented after it passed through Parliament in 1912. The House of Lords managed to block its passing for two years, although it had just lost its power to veto legislation after the passing of the Parliament Act of 1911 (Ferriter, 2005 p. 123). However, the move towards Home Rule had provoked a militant unionist response in the form of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) countered by the moderate Irish Volunteers and the more hard-line Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The UVF, which was led by Sir Edward Carson used all the means possible to prevent Home Rule, and would have proved a formidable force for any Irish government in Dublin to defeat (Stewart, 2001 p. 166). The British were concerned about instability and possible civil war in Ireland during 1912 through to 1914. The first change the Great War brought was that many nationalists and unionists got behind the British war effort. Home Rule was put on ice until after the war finished. The British government could have used that extra support from both nationalism and unionism to its ultimate advantage yet proved incapable of doing so (Ferriter, 2005 p.111). Before any of the thousands of volunteers had been sent to the front line the British government’s decisions meant that the Great War would change nationalism and unionism. Instead of maintaining the good will of nationalists, the British government clearly showed its preference to those unionists who had volunteered for military service. The UVF seemed to be rewarded for its almost treasonable resistance to Home Rule by being enlisted as a whole and as a separate division. The moderate nationalists who had been in the Irish Volunteers were denied their own division. Redmond and the other moderates felt that the nationalists were being treated unfairly, despite supporting the British war effort (Madden, 2005, p.92). Nationalism more than unionism started to change once Irish troops started to get killed in the Great War. The Unionists views about remaining within the United Kingdom did not alter, regardless of how many of them were killed in the war. For nationalism, the deaths of so many of its most capable and moderate advocates changed the balance between moderate nationalism and republicanism. However, even as the death toll mounted amongst the nationalist volunteers fighting in the Great War, the majority of nationalists did not favour the foundation of a republic, just the implementation of Home Rule. There was resentment that the unionists received better treatment in the army than the nationalists did. There was also resentment that the unionist dead received more respect, even though nationalists also paid the ultimate price for fighting in the Great War. The Irish Volunteers had split over the issue of enlisting in the British Army. The vast majority of the volunteers did enlist and ca lled themselves National Volunteers whilst only a minority refused to enlist yet kept the name of Irish Volunteers. Between 150,000 to 158,000 joined the British Army, whilst 8,000 to 12,000 stayed behind to safeguard Home Rule from unionism or a change in British policy (Jackson, 1999 p. 198). However, it would not be Irish blood spilt in France or Belgium that would change nationalism and unionism during the Great War. In the end it would prove to be Irish blood spilt in Dublin that caused the most dramatic changes. Members of the IRB believed the Great War offered the opportunity to launch a major rebellion against the British whilst the British Army was fighting and therefore unable to concentrate its firepower against any rebellion. Republicans claimed such a strategy was taking advantage of circumstances that might only be available for a short period, if Britain were on the winning side in the Great War such opportunities would be lost. The IRB were joined by Sinn Fein and the Irish socialist movement of James Connelly (Moody Martin, 2001, p.256). The plans of a national uprising by the IRB were scuppered by the Royal Navy, which captured the German ship bringing weapons to the rebels. Instead of cancelling the rebellion altogether the IRB uprising still went ahead in Dublin. Slim chances of victory had been turned into no chance of survival let alone victory. The majority of people in Dublin originally saw the uprising as foolish and unjustified (Ferriter, 2005 p. 130). The Easter Rising of 1916 was an unmitigated disaster from a military and strategic perspective that resulted in around 450 deaths. (Madden, 2005, p.95). From the aspect of turning a majority of nationalists towards supporting a united Irish republic it was success, yet it was not the rebels that died in the fighting that aroused the upsurge in republican sentiment. This upsurge was due to the British government allowing the British Army to execute a handful of rebels after the rising. The executions were a serious blunder as it made the rebels martyrs for the Irish Republican cause and greatly undermined the British control of Ireland, except for Ulster. The British Army had intended to execute over 90 rebels, yet the death of the 15 rebels it did execute proved disastrous (Madden, 2005 p. 96). The Unionists regarded the Easter Rising as an act of treason; a sign that nationalism in general and republicanism in particular could not be trusted (Wilson, 1989 p. 45). Perhaps the greatest change to unionism as a result of the Easter Rising was the determination to remain within the United Kingdom, even if that meant partitioning Ireland in to two distinct nationalist and unionist parts. The Great War used up men, money, and resources in great quantities. The British government compounded its loss of support within the nationalist community by contemplating to extend conscription to Ireland. The Somme offensive in 1916 forced the introduction of conscription to the rest of the United Kingdom following the catastrophic losses caused. (Stewart, 2001, p.167). In all the British Army lost 794, 000 troops killed, wounded and missing in action during the Somme offensive, Irish nationalists and unionists were killed in their thousands (Castleden, 2005 p. 460). The republicans made further in roads into persuading nationalists that a republican solution was the best way to get the British out of Ireland. The British government did not introduce conscription into Ireland; the republicans in general and the Irish Republican Army / Sinn Fein (IRA) had gained further propaganda successes specifically. David Lloyd George met with both Carson and Redmond, promising Carson a permanent partition, whilst assuring Redwood it would be only a short-term partition (Madden, 2005, p.99). The Great War offered chances for nationalism and unionism to change, the war itself did not change everything. It was the republicans that prospered most from these changes due to Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins taking advantage of the circumstances the Great War had brought, especially after the Easter Rising (Wilson, 1989 p. 47). The Great War revealed the flaws in the political thought and strategy of the moderate Irish nationalists. The Irish Parliamentary Party had seen its greatest achievement of Home Rule suspended by the start of the war. Redmond believed that nationalism could achieve a compromise with British imperialism, a belief shattered by the Great War. Redmond also underestimated the potential of republicanism and misunderstood the aspirations of unionism. It was unionism and republicanism that changed Ireland profoundly after the end of the Great War (Ferriter, 2005 p. 130). Therefore, the Great War did change nationalism and unionism in various ways. Its first change was to suspend the Ulster crisis of 1912-14 and prevent the possibility of civil war in Ireland at that time. The outbreak of war was initially greeted with enthusiasm within nationalism and unionism. The British government gained a great deal of support from both communities, although it would eventually squander support from the nationalists. Only the republican fringe within nationalism did not support Britain’s war effort, regarding the Great War as an opportunity to end British rule in Ireland. Moderate nationalism was greatly changed by the Great War. The finest supporters of moderate were gunned down on the Western Front, whilst unionism increased its influence with the British government, with Carson serving in the war cabinet, whilst Redmond refused to do so. Unionism was proud of the sacrifices it made for King and country whilst moderate nationalism was weakened by being s een as sacrificing so many lives for an occupying power that did not seem to appreciate those sacrifices. The Easter Rising and its brutal suppression and the unwise execution of 15 rebels was the main catalyst for change with the British government foolishly making martyrs for the Irish republicans. Moderate nationalism was the main casualty of the Great War in Ireland. Republicanism was greatly strengthened after the Easter Rising, whilst unionism was grimly determined to hold onto Ulster. The Great War only delayed civil war in Ireland; the end of moderate nationalism and the misjudgements of the British government would allow extremism to take hold. This cause of events almost inevitably led to the partition of Ireland. Nationalism, unionism, republicanism, or the British government could no longer expect to control the whole of Ireland. The Great War changed things in favour of the republican and unionist extremists, the IRA and Sinn Fein proving especially astute at taking adv antage of those circumstances. Bibliography Castleden, (2005) Events that changed the world, Time Warner Books, London Ferriter D, (2005) The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000, Profile Books, London Jackson A, (1999) Ireland 1798 – 1998: Politics and War, Oxford Madden F J M (2005) teach yourself – the history of Ireland, Hodder Education, London Moody T W Martin F X (2001) The Course of Irish History, Mercier Press, Cork and Dublin Stewart A T Q, (2001) The Shape of Irish History, The Blackstaff Press, Belfast Wilson T, (1989) Ulster Conflict Consent, Basil Blackwell Ltd, Oxford

Global Warming - Mitigation is Not Feasible Essay examples -- Climate C

Global Warming - Mitigation is Not Feasible I am in the adaptation group, and I am trying to help my teammates by providing information on the greenhouse gas emissions due to transportation sector. I will provide facts that mitigation in transportation is a near failure. The whole purpose of my part in the group is to attack the opponent in the area of greenhouse gas emissions. From the EPA, the major cause of rising global temperature, part of the climate change, is due to excessive greenhouse gas emissions. They will contribute to warm up the Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing radiation and altering the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. 15,000 pounds of those are emitted annually per person in the US, for which 12500 pounds are carbon dioxide. Transportation sector constituted 27% of the US greenhouse gas emissions. Despise decreases in other sectors, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sector have been rising 1-4% steadily in the last five years. Transportation mode alternation will affect the emissions in the long run since transportation mode is considered a long-term energy consumption pattern. From the US Census 2000, the vehicle occupancy data will help us better understand the details in the transportation modes in the US. The average vehicle occupancy varies from 1.057-1.145 person per car. Carpool programs can only increase the vehicle occupancy up to 2.27 person per car, which is not up to half of the vehicle’s capacity. The veh...

U.S. Monetary Policy and What the Federal Reserve :: essays research papers

U.S. Monetary Policy and What the Federal Reserve does. According to the Congressional Budget Office monetary policy is, â€Å"The strategy of influencing movements of the money supply and interest rates to affect output and inflation. An "easy" monetary policy suggests faster growth of the money supply and initially lower short-term interest rates in an attempt to increase aggregate demand, but it may lead to a higher rate of inflation. A "tight" monetary policy suggests slower growth of the money supply and higher interest rates in the near term in an attempt to reduce inflationary pressure by lowering aggregate demand.† In the United States it is the Federal Reserve System that is responsible for defining and implementing these policies. In the United States the Federal Reserve is made up of a Board of Governors, which consists of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Of these seven, the president appoints one to be chairman of the Board of Governors. The curre nt chairman of the United States Federal Reserve is Alan Greenspan. With the appointment of Alan Greenspan to chairman, monetary policy in the United States changed from a monetarism view, an approach based on a constant growth in the money supply, to a mixed policy. With a mixed policy, inflation is monitored and controled via the iterest rate that banks charge, along with an understanding of unemployment and business cycles. Only a few days ago chairman Greenspan adressed congress and stated that the â€Å"central bank would keep raising interest rates and gave little hint of when it might stop.† This increase of the interest rate would tend to slow inflation as well as possably decrease labor costs and increase productivity. The Federal reserve â€Å"views labor costs as the most important source of inflation, both because labor costs amount to more than two-thirds of total costs and because they can feed a self-perpetuating spiral of higher prices and higher wage demands.† So wat is the reason for the chairman of the Board of Governors to address congress? If the public is informed of the Federal reserves stance and commitment to lower or keep inflation in check we should see lower wages and in turn lower prices.

The Host Chapter 38: Touched

â€Å"What do I think about what?† â€Å"About our†¦ discussion out there,† Ian clarified. What did I think about it? I didn't know. Somehow, Ian was able to look at things from my perspective, my alien perspective. He thought I had earned a right to my life. But he was†¦ jealous? Of Jared? He knew what I was. He knew I was just a tiny creature fused into the back of Melanie's brain. A worm, as Kyle had said. Yet even Kyle thought Ian had a â€Å"crush† on me. On me? That wasn't possible. Or did he want to know what I thought about Jared? My feelings on the experiment? More details about my responses to physical contact? I shuddered. Or my thoughts on Melanie? Melanie's thoughts on their conversation? Whether I agreed with Jared about her rights? I didn't know what I thought. About any of it. â€Å"I really don't know,† I said. He nodded. â€Å"That's understandable.† â€Å"Only because you are very understanding.† He smiled at me. It was odd how his eyes could both scorch and warm. Especially with a color that was closer to ice than fire. They were quite warm at the moment. â€Å"I like you very much, Wanda.† â€Å"I'm only just beginning to see that. I guess I'm a little slow.† â€Å"It's a surprise to me, too.† We both thought that over. He pursed his lips. â€Å"And†¦ I suppose†¦ that is one of the things you don't know how you feel about?† â€Å"No. I mean yes, I†¦ don't know. I†¦ I -â€Å" â€Å"That's okay. You haven't had long to think about it. And it must seem†¦ strange.† I nodded. â€Å"Yes. More than strange. Impossible.† â€Å"Tell me something,† Ian said after a moment. â€Å"If I know the answer.† â€Å"It's not a hard question.† He didn't ask it right away. Instead, he reached across the narrow space and picked up my hand. He held it in both of his for a moment, and then he trailed the fingers of his left hand slowly up my arm, from my wrist to my shoulder. Just as slowly, he pulled them back again. He looked at the skin of my arm rather than my face, watching the goose bumps that formed along the path of his fingers. â€Å"Does that feel good or bad to you?† he asked. Bad, Melanie insisted. But it doesn't hurt, I protested. That's not what he's asking. When he says good†¦ Oh, it's like talking to a child! I'm not even a year old, you know. Or am I now? I was sidetracked, trying to figure out the date. Melanie was not distracted. Good, to him, means the way it feels when Jared touches us. The memory she provided was not one from the caves. It was in the magic canyon, at sunset. Jared stood behind her and let his hands follow the shape of her arms, from her shoulders to her wrists. I shivered at the pleasure of the simple touch. Like that. Oh. â€Å"Wanda?† â€Å"Melanie says bad,† I whispered. â€Å"What do you say?† â€Å"I say†¦ I don't know.† When I could meet his eyes, they were warmer than I expected. â€Å"I can't even imagine how confusing this all must be to you.† It was comforting that he understood. â€Å"Yes. I'm confused.† His hand traced up and down my arm again. â€Å"Would you like me to stop?† I hesitated. â€Å"Yes,† I decided. â€Å"That†¦ what you're doing†¦ makes it hard for me to think. And Melanie is†¦ angry at me. That also makes it hard to think.† I'm not angry at you. Tell him to leave. Ian is my friend. I don't want him to leave. He leaned away, folding his arms across his chest. â€Å"I don't suppose she'd give us a minute alone?† I laughed. â€Å"I doubt it.† Ian tilted his head to one side, his expression speculative. â€Å"Melanie Stryder?† he asked, addressing her. We both started at the name. Ian went on. â€Å"I'd like the chance to speak with Wanda privately, if you don't mind. Is there any way that could be arranged?† Of all the nerve! You tell him I said no chance in hell! I do not like this man. My nose wrinkled up. â€Å"What did she say?† â€Å"She said no.† I tried to say the words as gently as they could be said. â€Å"And that she doesn't†¦ like you.† Ian laughed. â€Å"I can respect that. I can respect her. Well, it was worth a try.† He sighed. â€Å"Kind of puts a damper on things, having an audience.† What things? Mel growled. I grimaced. I didn't like feeling her anger. It was so much more vicious than mine. Get used to it. Ian put his hand on my face. â€Å"I'll let you think about things, okay? So you can decide how you feel.† I tried to be objective about that hand. It was soft against my face. It felt†¦ nice. Not like when Jared touched me. But also different from the way it felt when Jamie hugged me. Other. â€Å"It might take a while. None of this makes any sense, you know,† I told him. He grinned. â€Å"I know.† I realized, when he smiled then, that I wanted him to like me. The rest-the hand on my face, the fingers on my arm-I still wasn't sure at all about those. But I wanted him to like me, and to think kind things about me. Which is why it was hard to tell him the truth. â€Å"You don't really feel that way about me, you know,† I whispered. â€Å"It's this body†¦ She's pretty, isn't she?† He nodded. â€Å"She is. Melanie is a very pretty girl. Even beautiful.† His hand moved to touch my bad cheek, to stroke the rough, scarring skin with gentle fingers. â€Å"In spite of what I've done to her face.† Normally, I would have denied that automatically. Reminded him that the wounds on my face weren't his fault. But I was so confused that my head was spinning and I couldn't form a coherent sentence. Why should it bother me that he thought Melanie was beautiful? You've got me there. My feelings were no clearer to her than they were to me. He brushed my hair back from my forehead. â€Å"But, pretty as she is, she's a stranger to me. She's not the one I†¦ care about.† That made me feel better. Which was even more confusing. â€Å"Ian, you don't†¦ Nobody here separates us the way they should. Not you, not Jamie, not Jeb.† The truth came out in a rush, more heated than I'd meant it to be. â€Å"You couldn't care about me. If you could hold me in your hand, me, you would be disgusted. You would throw me to the ground and grind me under your foot.† His pale forehead creased as his black brows pulled together. â€Å"I†¦ not if I knew it was you.† I laughed without humor. â€Å"How would you know? You couldn't tell us apart.† His mouth turned down. â€Å"It's just the body,† I repeated. â€Å"That's not true at all,† he disagreed. â€Å"It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that body, but the things you do with it. You are beautiful.† He moved forward as he spoke, kneeling beside the bed where I lay and taking my hand again in both of his. â€Å"I've never known anyone like you.† I sighed. â€Å"Ian, what if I'd come here in Magnolia's body?† He grimaced and then laughed. â€Å"Okay. That's a good question. I don't know.† â€Å"Or Wes's?† â€Å"But you're female-you yourself are.† â€Å"And I always request whatever a planet's equivalent is. It seems more†¦ right. But I could be put into a man and I would function just fine.† â€Å"But you're not in a man's body.† â€Å"See? That's my point. Body and soul. Two different things, in my case.† â€Å"I wouldn't want it without you.† â€Å"You wouldn't want me without it.† He touched my cheek again and left his hand there, his thumb under my jaw. â€Å"But this body is part of you, too. It's part of who you are. And, unless you change your mind and turn us all in, it's who you will always be.† Ah, the finality of it. Yes, I would die in this body. The final death. And I will never live in it again, Melanie whispered. It's not how either of us planned our future, is it? No. Neither of us planned to have no future. â€Å"Another internal conversation?† Ian guessed. â€Å"We're thinking of our mortality.† â€Å"You could live forever if you left us.† â€Å"Yes, I could.† I sighed. â€Å"You know, humans have the shortest life span of any species I've ever been, except the Spiders. You have so little time.† â€Å"Don't you think, then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ian paused and leaned closer to me so that I couldn't seem to see anything around his face, just snow and sapphire and ink. â€Å"That maybe you should make the most of what time you have? That you should live while you're alive?† I didn't see it coming the way I had with Jared. Ian was not as familiar to me. Melanie realized what he was going to do before I did, just a second before his lips touched mine. No! It wasn't like kissing Jared. With Jared, there was no thought, only desire. No control. A spark to gasoline-inevitable. With Ian, I didn't even know what I felt. Everything was muddled and confused. His lips were soft and warm. He pressed them only lightly to mine, and then brushed them back and forth across my mouth. â€Å"Good or bad?† he whispered against my lips. Bad! Bad, bad! â€Å"I-I can't think.† When I moved my mouth to speak, he moved his with it. â€Å"That sounds†¦ good.† His mouth pressed down with more force now. He caught my lower lip between his and pulled on it gently. Melanie wanted to hit him-so much more than she'd wanted to punch Jared. She wanted to shove him away and then kick his face. The image was horrible. It conflicted jarringly with the sensation of Ian's kiss. â€Å"Please,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Please stop. I can't think. Please.† He sat back at once, clasping his hands in front of him. â€Å"Okay,† he said, his tone cautious. I pressed my hands against my face, wishing I could push out Melanie's anger. â€Å"Well, at least nobody punched me.† Ian grinned. â€Å"She wanted to do more than that. Ugh. I don't like it when she's mad. It hurts my head. Anger is so†¦ ugly.† â€Å"Why didn't she?† â€Å"Because I didn't lose control. She only breaks free when I'm†¦ overwhelmed.† He watched as I kneaded my forehead. Calm down, I begged her. He's not touching me. Has he forgotten that I'm here? Doesn't he care? This is me, it's me! I tried to explain that. What about you? Have you forgotten Jared? She threw the memories at me the way she'd done in the beginning, only this time they were like blows. A thousand punches of his smile, his eyes, his lips on mine, his hands on my skin†¦ Of course not. Have you forgotten that you don't want me to love him? â€Å"She's talking to you.† â€Å"Yelling at me,† I corrected. â€Å"I can tell now. I can see you concentrate on the conversation. I never noticed before today.† â€Å"She's not always this vocal.† â€Å"I am sorry, Melanie,† he said. â€Å"I know this must be impossible for you.† Again, she visualized smashing her foot into his sculpted nose, leaving it crooked like Kyle's. Tell him I don't want his apologies. I winced. Ian half smiled, half grimaced. â€Å"She doesn't accept.† I shook my head. â€Å"So she can break free? If you're overwhelmed?† I shrugged. â€Å"Sometimes, if she takes me by surprise and I'm too†¦ emotional. Emotion makes it hard to concentrate. But it's been more difficult for her lately. It's like the door between us is locked. I don't know why. I tried to let her out when Kyle -† I stopped talking abruptly, grinding my teeth together. â€Å"When Kyle tried to kill you,† he finished matter-of-factly. â€Å"You wanted her free? Why?† I just stared at him. â€Å"To fight him?† he guessed. I didn't answer. He sighed. â€Å"Okay. Don't tell me. Why do you think the†¦ door is locked?† I frowned. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe the time passing†¦ It worries us.† â€Å"But she broke through before, to punch Jared.† â€Å"Yes.† I shuddered at the memory of my fist striking his jaw. â€Å"Because you were overwhelmed and emotional?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What did he do? Just kiss you?† I nodded. Ian flinched. His eyes tightened. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"When Jared kisses you, you are†¦ overwhelmed by emotion.† I stared at him, worried by the expression on his face. Melanie enjoyed it. That's right! He sighed. â€Å"And when I kiss you†¦ you aren't sure if you like it. You are not†¦ overwhelmed.† â€Å"Oh.† Ian was jealous. How very strange this world was. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't be. I told you I'd give you time, and I don't mind waiting for you to think things through. I don't mind that at all.† â€Å"What do you mind?† Because he minded something very much. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. â€Å"I saw how you loved Jamie. That was always really obvious. I guess I should have seen that you loved Jared, too. Maybe I didn't want to. It makes sense. You came here for the two of them. You love them both, the same way Melanie did. Jamie like a brother. And Jared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was looking away, staring at the wall over me. I had to look away, too. I stared at the sunlight where it touched the red door. â€Å"How much of that is Melanie?† he wanted to know. â€Å"I don't know. Does it matter?† I could barely hear his answer. â€Å"Yes. It does to me.† Without looking at me or seeming to notice what he was doing, Ian took my hand again. It was very quiet for a minute. Even Melanie was still. That was nice. Then, as though a switch had been flipped, Ian was his normal self again. He laughed. â€Å"Time is on my side,† he said, grinning. â€Å"We've got the rest of our lives in here. One day you'll wonder what you ever saw in Jared.† In your dreams. I laughed with him, happy he was joking again. â€Å"Wanda? Wanda, can I come in?† Jamie's voice started from down the hall and, accompanied by the sound of his jogging steps, ended right outside the door. â€Å"Of course, Jamie.† I already had my hand held out to him before he shrugged the door aside. I hadn't seen him nearly enough lately. Unconscious or crippled, I hadn't been free to seek him out. â€Å"Hey, Wanda! Hey, Ian!† Jamie was all grins, his messy hair bouncing when he moved. He headed for my reaching hand, but Ian was in his way. So he settled for sitting on the edge of my mattress and resting his hand on my foot. â€Å"How are you feeling?† â€Å"Better.† â€Å"Hungry yet? There's beef jerky and corn on the cob! I could get you some.† â€Å"I'm okay for now. How are you? I haven't seen you much lately.† Jamie made a face. â€Å"Sharon gave me detention.† I smiled. â€Å"What did you do?† â€Å"Nothing. I was totally framed.† His innocent expression was a bit overdone, and he quickly changed the subject. â€Å"Guess what? Jared was saying at lunch that he didn't think it was fair for you to have to move out of the room you were used to. He said we weren't being good hosts. He said you should move back in with me! Isn't that great? I asked him if I could tell you right away, and he said that was a good idea. He said you would be in here.† â€Å"I'll bet he did,† Ian murmured. â€Å"So what do you think, Wanda? We get to be roomies again!† â€Å"But Jamie, where will Jared stay?† â€Å"Wait-let me guess,† Ian interrupted. â€Å"I bet he said the room was big enough for three. Am I right?† â€Å"Yeah. How did you know?† â€Å"Lucky guess.† â€Å"So that's good, isn't it, Wanda? It will be just like before we came here!† It felt sort of like a razor sliding between my ribs when he said that-too clean and precise a pain to be compared to a blow or a break. Jamie analyzed my tortured expression with alarm. â€Å"Oh. No, I mean but with you, too. It will be nice. The four of us, right?† I tried to laugh through the pain; it didn't hurt any worse than not laughing. Ian squeezed my hand. â€Å"The four of us,† I mumbled. â€Å"Nice.† Jamie crawled up the mattress, worming his way around Ian, to put his arms around my neck. â€Å"Sorry. Don't be sad.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† â€Å"You know I love you, too.† So sharp, so piercing, the emotions of this planet. Jamie had never said those words to me before. My whole body suddenly felt a few degrees warmer. So sharp, Melanie agreed, wincing at her own pain. â€Å"Will you come back?† Jamie begged against my shoulder. I couldn't answer right away. â€Å"What does Mel want?† he asked. â€Å"She wants to live with you,† I whispered. I didn't have to check to know that. â€Å"And what do you want?† â€Å"Do you want me to live with you?† â€Å"You know I do, Wanda. Please.† I hesitated. â€Å"Please?† â€Å"If that's what you want, Jamie. Okay.† â€Å"Woo hoo!† Jamie crowed in my ear. â€Å"Cool! I'm gonna go tell Jared! I'll get you some food, too, okay?† He was already on his feet, bouncing the mattress so that I felt it in my ribs. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You want something, Ian?† â€Å"Sure, kid. I want you to tell Jared he's shameless.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Never mind. Go get Wanda some lunch.† â€Å"Sure. And I'll ask Wes for his extra bed. Kyle can come back in here, and everything will be like it should be!† â€Å"Perfect,† Ian said, and though I didn't look at his face, I knew he was rolling his eyes. â€Å"Perfect,† I whispered, and felt the razor's edge again.