Compensation (Human Resources) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compensation (Human Resources) - Essay Example ion is simply the salary of an employee while indirect compensation is more different for it includes legal obligation programs such as health insurance, retirement programs, paid leave or housing. Benefits and rewards receive by the employee from the employer is the non-monetary compensation. According to Tatum (2010), in order for employees to be more productive and motivated, business should provide more detailed incentive – the total compensation package. The package should be well designed to attract, retain, and motivate competent workers in the organization. To decide on what component to be included in the compensation package is far more complicated than just deciding on the payment of employees. The expectations of the employees on what would their compensation package consist of, would be a pressure for the organization. The components of the total compensation package include total compensation (base pay and incentives), benefits, work-life balance and training, career and personal growth (Construction Business Owner, 2007). These components are needed for an organization to survive into today’s tough business environment. Base pay and incentives are usually the largest component and the most common of a compensation package. These are important being the introduction of employment to assure that employees have comfort in their lifestyle. Salary would be based on the role of the worker on how the role is being delivered while incentive usually refers to the payment for performance. Benefits are the second component that typically provides: medical benefits, dental plan, paid time off, holidays, social security and many others (Construction Business Owner, 2007). Giving benefits to their employees are adopted by over 80 percent companies today. This component is important to attract employees who are looking for long-term and stable jobs that would surely build loyalty in the organization. Another component of compensation package is the work-life

The Financial Markets Essay Example for Free

The Financial Markets Essay The development of the regional markets to global level and innovative developments in the technology field has greatly boosted growth and expansion of financial markets. Capital markets in the emerging economies are quite evident and this is a direct result of global links in financial development policies. The rapid economic growth and industrialization process in the emerging economies is also attributed to the globalization of the financial markets which significantly promote capital inflows (Agtmael 2007). On the other hand, economic problems and financial crises in other nations could easily be transferred to other countries as a result of these interactions. This was evident with the Asian currency crisis of 1997 that affected the major economies of the Asian region; the Russian financial crisis that saw countries of former Soviet Union suffer an economic depression and the disintegration of the long-term capital management in 1998 (Kahn 1979). Many countries have now undertaken a process of finding a solution to such occurrences in future and the most notable research is that conducted by the Japanese central bank. The World Disinflation Trend Structural changes in the global financial market have influenced the international, market environment in terms of prices of products. In 1990s the world experienced a change in disinflation rates reflected by a notable increase in the supply of products to the world market as a result of the rapid industrialization in the emerging market economies. Development and innovative technology plus anti-inflation policies adopted by many nations also played a significant role in the disinflation development. The inflation rates in the Group of eight (G-8) countries declined by about 3-4%, these countries are the greatest economies in the World of all nations and they include; United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, Britain, Russia and France (Drori et,al 2006). Significant of them all is Japan which has experienced a faster deflation rate resulting in prices of consumer goods ranging from less than one to about zero percent. The European countries and the United States are the great beneficiaries of the disinflation phenomenon that resulted from the economic polices in the early 1990s. These nations has earned real economic base for their financial and commercial activities leading to a steady expansion of economy and consumer price stability (Kahn 1979). The European monetary union is a great success due to reduced inflation in the member countries. The great economic depression was an eye opener to most of the countries and this lead to change in economic policies of many central banks in different nations. Most of the nations that are in the developing stage are currently mare concerned about the threat of price decline which has not occurred for quite some time now since the great economic depression. These economic development have lead to better financial services in the US and European nations. The federal reserve reduced its rated from 6. 5 % to 1. 25% between 2001 and 2002, the European central bank on the other hand reduced refinancing rates by half and by the year 2003 it was about 2. 0 % from 4. 75% in the year 2001 (Drori et,al 2006). Central banks in the group of eight countries are concerned about calls by other economies to reduce short-term interest rates. Such conventional monetary policy is intended to stimulate economic activities that target the lower zero bound short term interest rates. Such policies are borrowed from the bank of Japan which established the trend in 2001 (IFM 2003).

Employee Performance Case Study

Employee Performance Case Study Problems inside the Slough branch and options to improve employee performance There are several key issues that impact the Slough branch. These include poor management, a lack of motivation of employees and ineffective communication between the workforce. The manager is perhaps one of the major problems in this subsidiary because his lack of professional management skills impacts on the employees and their work. As a manager and team leader, one aspect of supporting staff in periods of high demand is to help them manage their time more effectively and thereby help to reduce their stress levels and work pressures. Mr. David Brent, the manager of this branch, fails to do this for his staff. One failure on Brents part is his inability to deal with the impending merger with the Swindon branch. His lack of acknowledgment of the change results in unease amongst the workforce. His attitude in general is poor and he fails to act professionally. It has been suggested that considering training as an investment decision could vastly improve motivation in the workforce[1] but that this should only be done after careful consideration. Looking at the theory of leadership by Burrhus Skinner, an American psychologist, we assume that leadership capabilities are rooted in characteristics possessed by individuals and these skills are not necessarily in every individual[2]. If we consider the theory as true, we can easily conclude that David Brent is not a good leader as he does not have relevant characteristics. Referring to Peter Druckers ideas[3], the leaders job is to prepare people to execute and operate effectively and then give them freedom to do so. David Brent is failing to do this which suggests that specific training would be useful. In this case, introducing training is essential to improve the skills and the attitude of David Brent. With this type of training, the aim should be to change some of David Brents behaviour, par ticularly to his employees. For example, he must change the way he talks to his employees, he does not know how to interact in a professional way with them to the detriment of the managerial relationship. He also does not enforce order; nor does he follow company procedures. If these issues were properly addressed, then there is the possibility that staff motivation may increase knowing that proper leadership is in place. Another issue in this branch is the ineffective communication between all levels and departments of the workforce. This does not allow for improvement in the employees work and it often leads to them being lazy and unproductive and even, on occasions, disrespectful towards their colleagues. The employees, even if they attend some work meetings, are not able to express themselves properly because the manager does not allow them to do so. Instead, he spends much of his time in meetings trying to be friendly and relatable at the expense of communicating issues and tasks with the team. In this case, to improve and increase the communication in this branch, it would be useful to introduce a discussion group once a week[4]. This type of meeting would be with all key employees and the manager to talk about any problems and all situations approaching that week. All staff could be involved in identifying the vital goals and develop procedures and strategies to reach those goals. This session should ideally last about 30 minutes and be on a fixed day each week so that the whole team has a joint focus. Perhaps the biggest factor damaging the employees performance is the impending merger with the Swindon branch; the insecurity of their positions makes them worried. However, due to the poor management, the staff do not feel motivated to work as they are not held accountable for their actions. As they rarely get disciplined for their absence of productivity, they do not feel that they need motivation to work. Also they do not receive any feedback on how they work, meaning they cannot improve their performance or find out if they have done well. All these factors put their jobs at greater risk. One of the ways we could improve motivation in the work force is to consider Lockes theories on motivation and set specific goals for the employees to achieve[5]. Locke set out that it is through working to specific aims set by both manager and employee that a persons work can improve. This could be made possible by introducing one-on-one meetings between the manager and all members of staff. By having regular appraisals employees could track their performance and be motivated to improve as targets appear more achievable. These sessions should be done each week with all employees struggling with meeting their targets. Perhaps if the employees feel more motivated to achieve their targets they could begin to feel more secure in their positions at the company. Overall, I think that we should work very hard to change all the problematic and inappropriate situations because all the lies combined with unprofessional behaviour has deeply damaged the integrity of the Slough branch. Employee Appraisal for Gareth Keenan When deciding what appraisal system to use for Gareth Keenan I looked at many major models to find one which would best show his potential within the company. There are several jobs appraisal systems that could be used, however I have evaluated the strengths of these and concluded that the best system in Keenans case is Wether and Davis Ratings Scale[6]. I first looked at the Checklist method to try to evaluate Gareth Keenans work[7]. This system requires the user to work through a list of the employees capabilities and answer either yes or no. The problem I have found with this system is that it is not very motivational. By answering simply yes or no, the results are stark and it is difficult to motivate Keenan if his appraisal results mainly in no. It could be hard to see if he improved between meetings as this method may not show small improvements he has made. The second appraisal that I looked at is the Forced Choice Method[8]. This method is made in blocks of two or more, and the rater indicates which statement is most or least descriptive compared to the employee. Again, I find this procedure not useful for Gareth Keenan because the many aspects of his job may not be properly framed in this restrictive format. This employee has not got a big personality but he tries, often with bad results, to be a good supervisor and to be appreciated by the manager and the rest of the staff. He needs to see any improvements even if he does not yet do enough to be seen as a good employee and supervisor by them. This will allow him to gain confidence in what he does and set targets for improvement in all aspects of his job, not just ones set out in the Forced Choice Method. Overall I decided to use the Ratings method as it is the most simplistic and it allows for easy personalization relevant to the specific role and shows an easily understandable scale of competency. This table can show the various activities and performances required by the employee inside the workplace and crucially, it provides a scale of performance allowing for easy interpretation of key successes in Keenans work, as well as areas in need of improvement. This kind of appraisal can show every little improvement, or every worsening skill set, that the employee has therefore allowing for a clear sign of progression between ratings. This could be useful for Gareth Keenan because it should motivate him to improve and if the appraisals are held often enough, show his constant growth in areas for development. Also, as comments and suggestions can be attached to this appraisal system it can help him to change his approach to his work and suggest a change to his style of his communication for him to work on. Furthermore, I suggest a personality test[9] for Gareth Keenan, in order to understand which aspects of his personality he could work on more to improve his relationships with his coworkers. Bibliography Dwyer, J. R., Career Development and Advancement Patterns of Aboriginal Executives in the Canadian Federal Public Service, USA, 2000 Skinner, B. F., Science And Human Behavior, USA, 1965 Drucker, P., The Practice of Management, Oxford, 2007 Ledlow G., Coppola N., Leadership for Health Professionals, Burlington, 2011 Cole, G., A., Human Resource And Personnel Management, London, 2004 Aswathappa, K., Human Resource And Personnel Management, New Delhi, 2005 Manna, G., Introduzione alle tecniche per la valutazione della personalità  , Palermo, 2006 [1] Career Development and Advancement Patterns of Aboriginal Executives in the Canadian Federal Public Service, Rocky J. Dwyer, 2000. [2] Science And Human Behavior, B.F Skinner, 1965. [3] The Practice of Management, Peter Drucker, Classic Drucker Collection Edition 2007. [4] Leadership for Health Professionals, Gerald Ledlow and Nicholas Coppola, 2011. [5] Personnel and Human Resource Management, Cole G. A., 2004. [6] Human Resource And Personnel Management, K. Aswathappa, Fourth Edition 2005, p. 243. [7] Ibidem, p. 244. [8] Ibidem, p. 244/245. [9] Introduzione alle tecniche per la valutazione della personalità  , Giovanna Manna edito da Franco Angeli, 2006.

interculturalo event :: essays research papers

1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Describe the event, its purpose, the cultural group originating the event, and how you learned of the event. Believe it or not,(like everything else I’ve written about in this course) my cultural event was Italian/American in nature. The event in question was the marriage of an American groom and an Italian bride. The bride’s family consisted, in large part, of grandparents and older relatives that had been born and raised in Italy. Obviously the younger relatives were primarily second and third generation Italians as well. The groom and his family, on the other hand, were American mutts. Their cultural background was extremely diluted, consisting of a multitude of cultural circumstances. Seeing as the American groom (Richard) proposed, I suppose the origin of the event could be considered American, although without the consent of the Italian bride (Tessa), there would be no wedding, so let’s call it Italian/American in origin. My wife and I were invited to attend the wedding by her great-aunt, who comes from the Italian side of the union. 2) What element(s), if any, is/are similar in your culture? For the most part the wedding was just like any other American wedding. During the ceremony a couple of symbolic and superstitious traditions similar to American traditions were performed. First, whereas in American culture superstition dictates that the bride must have â€Å"something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue†, the Italian groom carried a piece of metal in his suit pocket to ward off evil eyes. I found the second action, one of symbolic nature, a bit odd. In American culture, couples frequently light unity candles to symbolize their lifetime union of happiness. The symbolic gesture in this wedding was a bit different though. The newly married couple smashed a vase, with the remaining pieces representing the number of years the couple is expected to be happily married. I found this act kind of strange. Suppose the vase only broke into two or three pieces (it didn’t, it shattered into hundreds). Such an occurrence would seem certain to dampe n the enthusiasm for a superstitious couple. Aside from a couple of exceptions, the rest of the wedding was similar to any other wedding, with a buffet of food, cash bar, and a D.J. spinning records (or cd’s, as the case may be). 3) What did you see and experience at this event that made you feel confident you understood accurately?

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated in Sarawak on 1 June every year. It is both a religious and social occasion. The word Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the native ethnic groups of Sarawak (and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan): the Iban, also known as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people, also known as Land Dayak. Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means â€Å"Dayak Festival†. Dayak would visit their friends and relatives on this day. Such visit is more commonly known as â€Å"ngabang† in the Iban language. Those too far away to visit would receive greeting cards. It started back in 1957 in a radio forum held by Mr Ian Kingsley, a radio programme organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak community. The mode of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts early. Tuak (rice wine) is brewed (at least one month before the celebration) and traditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk) are prepared. As the big day approaches, everyone will be busy with general cleaning and preparing food and cakes. On Gawai Eve, glutinous rice is steamed in bamboo (ngelulun pulut). In the longhouse, new mats will be laid out on the ruai (an open gallery which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The walls of most bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with Pua Kumbu (traditional blankets). A visit to clean the graveyard is also conducted and offerings offered to the dead. After the visit it is important to bathe before entering the longhouse to ward off bad luck. The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May. In most Iban longhouses, it starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed), signifying the non-interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men each dragging a chapan (winnowing basket) will pass each family's room. Every family will throw some unwanted article into the basket. The unwanted articles will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck. Around 6 pm or as the sun sets, miring (offering ceremony) will take place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual music) is performed. The Feast Chief thanks the gods for the good harvest, and asks for guidance, blessings and long life as he waves a cockerel over the offerings. He then sacrifices the cockerel and a little blood is used together with the offerings. Once the offering ceremony is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. Just before midnight, a procession up and down the ruai seven times called Ngalu Petara (welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a beauty pageant to choose the festival's queen and king (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is sometimes conducted. Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are served. At midnight, the gong is beaten to call the celebrants to attention. The longhouse Chief (tuai rumah) or Festival Chief will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wish each other â€Å"gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai† (long life, health and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. Some will dance to the traditional music played, others will sing the pantun (poems). In urban areas, Dayaks will organise gatherings at community centres or restaurants to celebrate the evening. Other activities that may follow the next few days include: cock-fighting matches, and blowpipe and ngajat competitions. On this day, 1 June, homes of the Dayaks are opened to visitors and guests. Traditionally, when guests arrive at a longhouse, they are given the ai tiki as a welcome. From time to time, guests are served tuak. This would be called nyibur temuai which literally means â€Å"watering of guests†. Christian Dayaks normally attend a church mass service to thank God for the good harvest. Gawai Dayak celebrations may last for several days. It is also during this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place, as it is one of the rare occasions when all the members of the community return home to their ancestral longhouse. Up till 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognise Dayak Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25 September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day. It was first celebrated on 1 June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community. Today, it is an integral part of Dayak social life. It is a thanksgiving day marking good harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or activities ahead.

Free Essays on Family Preservation

In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act passed (P.L. 96-272), which required child protection services (CPS) to make "reasonable efforts" to prevent children from being placed into foster care. From this law, human services agencies and child protection agencies began to focus on the development of family preservation services (FPS). The emphasis of FPS, cumulated in 1993 in the Family Preservation and Support Act, which encouraged states to begin or further develop FPS by providing funds. "By the mid-1990s, most states had passed some form of legislation requiring the provision of preventivite child welfare services...closely reflecting the Homebuilders model" (Linblad, Dore and Stern, 1998, pg. 14-15). The Homebuilders model "is based on a crisis intervention theory, social systems theory and social learning theory" (Linblad et al. 1998, pg. 15). Their goal is to "add resources to relieve pressure and to facilitate the development of a safe, nurturing environment for children within the context of family" (Kinney, Haapala, and Booth, 1991, pg 3). There are different models of FPS, although many recognize the Homebuilders model as the prototypical family preservation service, yet all models have five characteristics in common in order for them to be classified as FPS. First family preservation services are crisis oriented. "Crisis theory postulates that when people go through periods of high stress, their regular coping mechanisms break down, leaving them open to change in either a positive or negative direction." Families that are referred for FPS, are usually experiencing the possibility of their child/children being removed from the home by CPS or the environment of the home is so hostile that the parent is refusing to let the child/children live with them, or the child is running away. (Kinney et al. 1991, pg 15) FPS also has an emphasis on family strengths, and is family centered. Focusing on strength... Free Essays on Family Preservation Free Essays on Family Preservation In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act passed (P.L. 96-272), which required child protection services (CPS) to make "reasonable efforts" to prevent children from being placed into foster care. From this law, human services agencies and child protection agencies began to focus on the development of family preservation services (FPS). The emphasis of FPS, cumulated in 1993 in the Family Preservation and Support Act, which encouraged states to begin or further develop FPS by providing funds. "By the mid-1990s, most states had passed some form of legislation requiring the provision of preventivite child welfare services...closely reflecting the Homebuilders model" (Linblad, Dore and Stern, 1998, pg. 14-15). The Homebuilders model "is based on a crisis intervention theory, social systems theory and social learning theory" (Linblad et al. 1998, pg. 15). Their goal is to "add resources to relieve pressure and to facilitate the development of a safe, nurturing environment for children within the context of family" (Kinney, Haapala, and Booth, 1991, pg 3). There are different models of FPS, although many recognize the Homebuilders model as the prototypical family preservation service, yet all models have five characteristics in common in order for them to be classified as FPS. First family preservation services are crisis oriented. "Crisis theory postulates that when people go through periods of high stress, their regular coping mechanisms break down, leaving them open to change in either a positive or negative direction." Families that are referred for FPS, are usually experiencing the possibility of their child/children being removed from the home by CPS or the environment of the home is so hostile that the parent is refusing to let the child/children live with them, or the child is running away. (Kinney et al. 1991, pg 15) FPS also has an emphasis on family strengths, and is family centered. Focusing on strength...

Learn More About Marie Curie and Radioactive Elements

Learn More About Marie Curie and Radioactive Elements Dr. Marie Curie is known to the world as the scientist who discovered radioactive metals such as radium and polonium. Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist who lived between 1867-1934. She was  born Maria Sklodowski in Warsaw, Poland, the youngest of five children. When she was born, Poland was controlled by Russia. Her parents were teachers, and she learned at an early age the importance of education. Her mother died when she was young, and when her father was caught teaching Polish - which had been made illegal under the Russian government. Manya, as she was called, and her sisters had to get jobs. After a couple of failed jobs, Manya became a tutor to a family in the countryside outside Warsaw. She enjoyed her time there, and was able to send her father money to help support him, and also send some money to her sister Bronya in Paris who was studying medicine. Bronya eventually married another medical student and they set up practice in Paris. The couple invited Manya to live with them and study at the Sorbonne - a famous Parisian University. In order to fit in better at the school, Manya changed her name to the French Marie. Marie studied physics and mathematics and quickly received her masters degrees in both subjects. She remained in Paris after graduation and started research on magnetism. For the research she wanted to do, she needed more space than her small lab. A friend introduced her to another young scientist, Pierre Curie, who had some extra room. Not only did Marie move her equipment into his lab, Marie and Pierre fell in love and married. Radioactive Elements Together with her husband, Curie discovered two new elements (radium and polonium, two radioactive elements that they extracted chemically from pitchblende ore) and studied the x-rays they emitted. She found that the harmful properties of x-rays were able to kill tumors. By the end of World War I, Marie Curie was probably the most famous woman in the world. She had made a conscious decision, however, not to patent methods of processing radium or its medical applications. Her co-discovery with her husband Pierre of the radioactive elements radium and polonium represents one of the best-known stories in modern science for which they were recognized in 1901 with the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1911, Marie Curie was honored with a second Nobel prize, this time in chemistry, to honor her for successfully isolating pure radium and determining radiums atomic weight. As a child, Marie Curie amazed people with her great memory. She learned to read when she was only four years old. Her father was a professor of science and the instruments that he kept in a glass case fascinated Marie. She dreamed of becoming a scientist, but that would not be easy. Her family became very poor, and at the age of 18, Marie became a governess. She helped pay for her sister to study in Paris. Later, her sister helped Marie with her education. In 1891, Marie attended the Sorbonne University in Paris where she met and married Pierre Curie, a well-known physicist. After the sudden accidental death of Pierre Curie, Marie Curie managed to raise her two small daughters (Irà ¨ne, who was herself awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935, and Eve who became an accomplished author) and continue an active career in experimental radioactivity measurements. Marie Curie contributed greatly to our understanding of radioactivity and the effects of  x-rays. She received two Nobel prizes for her brilliant work, but died of leukemia, caused by her repeated exposure to radioactive material.

The 1800s and the U.S. Claim essays

The 1800s and the U.S. Claim essays In the 1800s, many countries were competing for ownership of the Pacific Northwest region, between Canada and the Oregon territories. Among these were Spain, Britain, the U.S., and Russia. They all wanted land, because with land came money, and with money came to power. The United States had the best claim to the Pacific Northwest region in the 1800's because of their attempts at the exploration of the entire area, the settlement that occurred because of this exploration, and the fur traders who were the first American residents of this area. There were many explorers and many exploratory attempts which helped to strengthen the claims of the U.S through the passing of information. One of the most famous of these was the Lewis and Clark expeditions. Lewis and Clark helped lay claim to the area through the knowledge passed on from the journals and records they kept. The knowledge that was gained from their explorations provided Americans with a fuller account of the potential and opportunity available in the Pacific Northwest. Robert Gray also helped to lay claim to the area with his discovery of the Columbia River. This attracted fur traders who came into this area and sealed the presence of the United States. These expeditions allowed the U.S. to find out what was in the area and gave them a chance to settle, improve the land, and produce from the land. The exploration of the Pacific Northwest led to settlements such as missions and residential land which was improved and produced from, further strengthening the U.S claim. The pioneers came to settle and improve the land. These pioneers came running because of the Oregon promoters. These people encouraged residence in this area through glittering articles in magazines and newspapers. Fur traders and early explorers told of scenic beauty and ideal climates luring many people towards the Pacific Northwest region. There were also the Homestead and Donation Land Acts which gave peop...

Learning Plan Outcome Report 2,000 words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Plan Outcome Report 2,000 words - Essay Example The revised learning objectives were acquiring skills of recovery nursing both in clinical assessment and management of the postsurgical patients in the immediate postoperative period in the recovery room. This learning would also provide opportunity for application of knowledge and skills in the real situation where the learning along with evidence from research in recovery room nursing would be understood and applied in order to be able to deliver most appropriate care for the postoperative patients in the recovery room (Williams et al., 2002). The best way, thus, would be to constantly update personal knowledge and skill learning. The competency standards talk about accountability, and the best method to ensure accountability is to deliver care based on the state of the art learning (ANMC, 2004b). Specifically the learning would involve clinical assessment (ANMC, 2004a) and management of respiratory problems, pain management, management of nausea and vomiting, and documentation of care. Ans 1. The aim of recovery room nursing is provision of intensive observation and care in the postoperative patients, especially when the procedure had been done under anesthesia (Leykin et al., 2001). Ans 2. Q2. What are the primary objectives of nursing care in the Recovery Unit Ans 2. The primary objectives are recognition of major potential problems associated with a specific surgical procedure and initiation of appropriate corresponding actions. The nurses must be able to identify and demonstrate general procedures which are routine in the recovery unit, where the care will be documented until consciousness and physical functions are totally back to normal for legal reasons. It is better they use an established scoring guide for this reason (Wilkins et al., 2009). Q3. What are the serious events in the recovery unit that a nurse must watch for Ans 3. Respiratory problem, cardiovascular problem, and hemorrhage. Respiratory arrest is not uncommon in this liable and vulnerable situation. The nurse must be able to take corrective action promptly (Leykin et al., 2001). Q4. What are the primary goals of recovery room nursing care Ans4. These involve continuous, close monitoring, vigilant patient assessment; safe recovery from anaesthesia & surgery; skilled nursing action & patient management; prevention of, or early recognition & intervention of post anaesthetic/surgical problems; short-term intensive care nursing leading to optimal patient outcomes (Radford, 2003). Q5. What should be focus in care Ans5. The nurses must be competent and continue to assess their own competence. Immediate postoperative recovery care is important since in this phase many patient deaths may occur. Most of the deaths occur due to specific anesthetic errors, errors in judgment, lack of vigilance, and these can be prevented. Nursing care must focus on prevention of complications and their treatment if they occur (Radford, 2003). Q6. What should be the staffing ratios Ans6. Depending on the care needs and criticality of the condition, the staffing ratio varies. There is a recovery patient classification system, and based on that there are 4 classes, I, II, III, and IV, where the nurse patient ratios should be 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3

Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Admission - Essay Example As students, we were regularly tasked with coming up with project in groups of five or thereof, these tasks equipped me with the ability to tolerate and work with people of different natures and principles contrary to mine. The tasks also gave me valuable knowledge on how to ensure maximum productivity in groups and meet deadlines. I can actively employ these skills in my professional life where I am tasked with working with my colleagues. I can also use the skills to ensure that deadlines are met to ensure maximum productivity My undergraduate studies gave me valuable lessons on leadership. The coursework contained tenets on business management and how to ensure business success (Norman 35) .In the classroom I learnt how to lead and handle crisis situations. As a project leader, I gained valuable knowledge on how to motivate my group members to ensure maximum productivity. I also learnt how to cope with uncooperative members. The leadership skills would prove invaluable to public service especially if given a managerial position. The ability to motivate my colleagues in situations where an institution is making losses would be necessary. It would also help me to maintain the morale of the employees. My experience as a volunteer with the World Health Organization was pivotal in my learning experience. Among the many students who volunteered during the 2004 cholera outbreak, only a few of us remained by the end of the containment period (Geudens 36). This experience taught me the value of commitment to set goals and agendas. I learnt that without commitment, one would not achieve the desired results. This skillset would be useful in my public service especially as pertains quality service delivery. Commitment to my duties will be important in the achievement of institutional goals and objectives. My six months training as a cadet in the military taught me how to cope with

MOVEO folding electric scooter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MOVEO folding electric scooter - Essay Example In marketing of MOVEO, a folding electric scooter of Antro group, an intensive research has been done in the markets globally to enable for the sale of moveo. This is in line with the strategies of a good marketing communication plan that requires intensive research before the launch of a plan to market a product in the market. The marketing of Moveo entails the understanding of in-depth target audiences. Moreover, the processes of selling, buying and communication need to be included in the marketing communication plan to enable for an effective marketing of Moveo. Marketing plan needs to outline interactions processes in procedures for an effective marketing. In this paper, marketing communication plan has the following tools and information that produces a foremost-speed marketing communications sketch for the purchase of moveo globally. First, the development of marketing communication arrangement has been considered, communications planning guide, marketing tactical plan, market ing budget plan and finally a schedule to prevent any constrains in the marketing of Moveo. The inclusion of the above procedures in the marketing plan creates overwhelming markets for the buying and selling of moveo products across the world (Boy Scouts of America, 2009). In the development of market communication plan, the figure below has been considered to show how different channels of communication work to enable for an effective buying and selling of Moveo in the global market. The development of the plan includes facing of materials by customers. The materials include press releases, brochures, web sites and trade shows (Clark, 2004). The marketing communication plan of moveo includes keeping the company voice in one, across vast number of products, customer interactions and regions, enabling varied groups of citizens to create incorporated infrastructure channels, assisting in the

The origin of islam, what is sunni and Shia what are the key Essay

The origin of islam, what is sunni and Shia what are the key differences between the two branches of islam and what kind of issues arise from the differences - Essay Example This paper presents an in-depth and critical analysis of the history of Islam and the major differences between the Shia and Sunni sects (Esposito 97). It does this by focusing on the origin and meaning of the religion and goes ahead to look at the differences between the beliefs hold by the Shia and Sunni and how they have impacted on their relationships. Islam is a religion that was coined from an Arabic word ‘salema’ which can be interpreted to mean ‘submission, peace or obedience.’ As a monotheistic religion, all Muslims (believers of Islamic faith) are required to submit to the Allah and worship Him as the only God. Meaning, they should submit to His will and always accept to obey His laws because it is the best thing to do by a believer as it can provide peace and fulfillment. Just like any other religion, Islam has a set of doctrines that are contained in a Quran-its main holy book. These were passed through Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). In terms of teachings, Islam has its unique set of doctrines that all its believers are expected to practice. These fundamental teachings can be summarized into five main pillars: shahadah; sawm; salat; zakat; and hajj. Each of these stipulates requirements that each and every Muslim needs to fulfill as part of their spiritual pursuit. For instance, according to shahadah, each and every believer should not believe in the existence of any other god rather than Allah and His prophet Mohamed (PBUH). On the other hand salat requires believers to say prayers to Allah five times per day. Meanwhile, zakat advocates for the contribution of alms by each and every believer so as to help the poor people who can not afford daily bread. Nonetheless, sawm requires every Muslim believer to perform the ritualistic annual fasting during the holy month of Ramadan (Esposito 91). Last, but not least, hajj, all able Muslim believers need to pay pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life time becaus e it is the holy city of

Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical and Moral Issues in Business - Essay Example For instance in India a person that eats cows is considered immoral by the majority of society due to the fact that the cow is a sacred animal. In America eating cow meat is a moral act. Managers of corporations often face ethical dilemmas in their decision making process. The decision of closing down an American factory in order to open up an operation in a foreign country is an example of an ethical dilemma. Many people belief that American corporations should look out for the best interest of its home country. Patriotism is a moral view that is very popular in the United States. The other side of the coin is that the company can lower its operating costs and increase profitability by closing down the factory in the U.S. and moving to an emerging economy such as India, China, or South Africa. Either decision is justifiable depending on the moral view of the company and its managerial staff. Personal ethics and business ethics are two distinct concepts that sometimes collide with each other. Characteristics associated with personal ethics include spirituality, virtue, morals, and altruism (Lichtman, 2010). A person’s personal ethics can influence his buying behavior. A person that has strong beliefs in environmentalism is more likely to buy an electric or hybrid car. Personal ethics may also influence other decisions in a person’s life such as his nutrition, religions beliefs, and lifestyle. The personal ethics of an individual determine how much he cares about others. People that are socially conscious are more likely to donate money to non-profit organizations such as Feed The Children. â€Å"Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality† (Schweitzer). A critical success factor for companies in the 21st century is business ethics. Business ethics refers to moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behavior by business people (Answers, 2012). Business ethics differs from personal ethics in

Research paper related to economic history Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Related to economic history - Research Paper Example For instance, in the case of natural resources, a country that exploits its resources efficiently will be more industrialized and developed as compared to a country that has left its resources idle. Therefore, the topic of economic performance in a country mainly deals with economic growth and development. The economic performance of a country refers to a combination of the country’s economic growth and development. Economic history asserts that a country’s economy could be growing yet leaving the country underdeveloped. Therefore, in order to assess the country’s economic performance, it is essential to address both the level of growth, and the level of development (Grabowski et al. 18). Generally, countries develop depending on the available growth. In economic history, different scholars define economic performance differently. For instance, while the physiocrats viewed agriculture as the main source of wealth, Adam Smith defined labor as the key source of wealth in a country. History of economic thought also identifies other economists such as Thomas Malthus who discussed population as being a key factor, which could hinder economic performance in a country. Malthus viewed population as a factor that a country ought to control in order to improve economic performance. Therefore, combining the works of all previous economists, economic history identifies the key factors affecting the economic performance of a country as discussed below. The level of the population in a country determines the overall production of the country. In addition, it also determines the GNP per capita of a country thus, determining the economic performance (Grabowski et al. 30). In economic history, the mercantilists asserted that high population was indeed favorable for the growth of the country since, it would ensure sufficient labor supply. On the other hand, other economists in economic history such as Adam Smith asserted that a high population is not a surety of

The origin of islam, what is sunni and Shia what are the key Essay

The origin of islam, what is sunni and Shia what are the key differences between the two branches of islam and what kind of issues arise from the differences - Essay Example This paper presents an in-depth and critical analysis of the history of Islam and the major differences between the Shia and Sunni sects (Esposito 97). It does this by focusing on the origin and meaning of the religion and goes ahead to look at the differences between the beliefs hold by the Shia and Sunni and how they have impacted on their relationships. Islam is a religion that was coined from an Arabic word ‘salema’ which can be interpreted to mean ‘submission, peace or obedience.’ As a monotheistic religion, all Muslims (believers of Islamic faith) are required to submit to the Allah and worship Him as the only God. Meaning, they should submit to His will and always accept to obey His laws because it is the best thing to do by a believer as it can provide peace and fulfillment. Just like any other religion, Islam has a set of doctrines that are contained in a Quran-its main holy book. These were passed through Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). In terms of teachings, Islam has its unique set of doctrines that all its believers are expected to practice. These fundamental teachings can be summarized into five main pillars: shahadah; sawm; salat; zakat; and hajj. Each of these stipulates requirements that each and every Muslim needs to fulfill as part of their spiritual pursuit. For instance, according to shahadah, each and every believer should not believe in the existence of any other god rather than Allah and His prophet Mohamed (PBUH). On the other hand salat requires believers to say prayers to Allah five times per day. Meanwhile, zakat advocates for the contribution of alms by each and every believer so as to help the poor people who can not afford daily bread. Nonetheless, sawm requires every Muslim believer to perform the ritualistic annual fasting during the holy month of Ramadan (Esposito 91). Last, but not least, hajj, all able Muslim believers need to pay pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life time becaus e it is the holy city of

Research paper related to economic history Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Related to economic history - Research Paper Example For instance, in the case of natural resources, a country that exploits its resources efficiently will be more industrialized and developed as compared to a country that has left its resources idle. Therefore, the topic of economic performance in a country mainly deals with economic growth and development. The economic performance of a country refers to a combination of the country’s economic growth and development. Economic history asserts that a country’s economy could be growing yet leaving the country underdeveloped. Therefore, in order to assess the country’s economic performance, it is essential to address both the level of growth, and the level of development (Grabowski et al. 18). Generally, countries develop depending on the available growth. In economic history, different scholars define economic performance differently. For instance, while the physiocrats viewed agriculture as the main source of wealth, Adam Smith defined labor as the key source of wealth in a country. History of economic thought also identifies other economists such as Thomas Malthus who discussed population as being a key factor, which could hinder economic performance in a country. Malthus viewed population as a factor that a country ought to control in order to improve economic performance. Therefore, combining the works of all previous economists, economic history identifies the key factors affecting the economic performance of a country as discussed below. The level of the population in a country determines the overall production of the country. In addition, it also determines the GNP per capita of a country thus, determining the economic performance (Grabowski et al. 30). In economic history, the mercantilists asserted that high population was indeed favorable for the growth of the country since, it would ensure sufficient labor supply. On the other hand, other economists in economic history such as Adam Smith asserted that a high population is not a surety of

Drama Part 1 Essay Example for Free

Drama Part 1 Essay The piece of Drama we have created is called The Fear of the Unknown. We looked at various ways of interpreting the title before agreeing on a suitable theme. Our story covers the death of a character and studies the reactions of characters in different situations. The actual cause of death is left to the imagination and is never actually mentioned. This links in with the title we were given. I am going to compare The fear of the unknown with the play The Woman in Black by Susan Hill and adapted by Steven Mallatratt. I will also use the Crucible text by Arthur Miller and Blue Remembered Hills text. In the Woman in Black as the actor approaches the house a gobo is shown to show Eel marsh house in the background. The house seems large and foreboding. This helps create an air of suspense with the audience who already have heard about the woman in black. This happens again when the actor approaches the door to the playroom whilst the music plays. Similarly, the actors in The Fear of the unknown create tension whilst approaching the house by talking quietly and discuss the house in their ghost story. The curse of the Woman in Black is similar to the curse placed on the house where a girl died many years ago. Many other people tell the story of the woman in black. The actor isnt superstitious so ignores them. He is lucky to escape with his life. In the fear of the unknown Stacey warns Sadie about the curse in the house where the girl died, Sadie believes the story but then still goes in the house, and doesnt return. This could also be compared to in the Crucible where the suspicion of witchcraft underlies everything. In the beginning of the play many people didnt even have suspicion of witches. Though the idea there were witches living within a community ate away at the people until people died. Many innocent people ended up hanging for witchcraft. The imagination of characters in the play we performed added to the tension created. This occurred frequently during the piece, for example when Charlie and Sadie appear at the door to Staceys party Stacey looks Sadie up and down. Sadie is instantly terrified of Stacey even though this is normal behaviour in her characters case. The same thing happens in Blue Remembered Hills when the siren goes to signal that a prisoner of war has escaped. Every noise sounds like the war prisoner approaching them and all the children believe the prisoner of war would kill them. You can also compare it to the Crucible where everyone suspects everyone else to be witches, and everyone turns on everybody else causing more havoc. To some extent this also happens in The Woman in Black as the actor is met by suspicious and hostile reactions when he attends the ladies funeral. Also everybody in the village believes in The Woman in Black and her terrible curse, this means all the characters would be on edge. In conclusion, I think our drama performance went well, our preparation could have been better but we all had different school activities on, which made it hard to rehearse. Near to the end of our rehearsals we threw one member of our cast out. This put us at a disadvantage but meant we worked better as a group in the end as we were all striving for a common goal. Our original ideas included; Bullying and the consequences of bullying, Relationships, and problems that could never be solved. We decided to work on the events leading up to an unnecessary death.

The Classification Of Fundamental Movement Skills

The Classification Of Fundamental Movement Skills The objective of this paper to have a literature review on fundamental movement skills and also to use the integrated approach of qualitative analysis of human movement to study the FMS performed by the child subject. The definition of FMS Fundamental movement skills are movement patterns that involve different body parts such as the legs, arms, trunk and head. Fundamental movement skills are the building blocks for playing games, sports, dance, gymnastics, outdoor education and physical recreation activities. The twelve common skills are balancing, running, jumping, catching, hopping, throwing, galloping, skipping, leaping, kicking, striking and dodging (Steps PD ,2007). The Classification of FMS Skills have many characteristics that can change in different environment, which makes classifying them difficult. In general, the Skill classification systems are based on the view that motor skills are affected by three factors: how precise a movement is whether the movement has a definite beginning and end whether the environment affects the performance of the skill (Brian Mac Sport Coach,1997) In this assignment, we will only look at Open and Closed skill classification. Open/Closed Skill Open skill is refers to the environment is constantly changing and so movements have to be continually adapted. Therefore, skills are predominantly perceptual and mostly externally paced; sports like Football is usually involve open skills. Close skill take place in a stable, predictable environment and the performer knows exactly what to do. These skills are not affected by the environment and tend to be habitual. Movements follow set patterns and have a clear beginning and end. The skills tend to be self-paced, for example a free throw in Basketball. The importance and relevance of developing FMS in children Fundamental motor skills provide a support base of movement from which more advanced skills can be developed. A child individual whose fundamental motor skills are not properly developed will not have a foundation upon which to build proficient movement forms. For example if a child is not able to balance, run, jump, throw, kick, strike, he will not be able to develop proficiency in playing soccer. The factors effecting the development of FMS Impairment Individuals with inherited impairment will have a significant constraint on the upper limit of performance attainable; there is no guarantee of success for an individual even with extensive and intensive specific practice. For example, one legged individual will definitely not able to dribble a soccer ball on the field. Social economic status Studies from WHO have showed that countries with higher socioeconomic status like UK, USA, Australia will have heavier or overweight kids who grow faster that those with lower socioeconomic status, for example in UK, a 3 years old kid are 1/2 taller than other countries like Laos. These overweight kids will usually spent more time on watching television than exercise; hence studies have shown that these kids tend to be less competent in the skill of running than non-overweight (Informa Health , 2010). Cultural This refers to cultural restriction in certain countries that do not allow individual to play or learn certain sports. Example, in middle countries like Iran because of its strict Islamic dress code, women are not allow to reveal any parts of the body such as face, hand and leg. This prohibits women gymnast in Iran to compete internationally, hence gymnastics is not a popular sport for women in Iran at all. Environmental Environmental constraints is refers to family or social support. Individual can reacts in many different ways to such constraints. This could either motivate an individual to greater heights or cause a dumper on the promising sport careers. School School with good coaching coach or teacher, sport science support, training equipment and facilities will usually have a positive impact on the individuals development of FMS as compared to those do not have. In Singapore this year another 9 primary schools and 6 secondary schools have been awarded the Program for School-Based Excellence and Niche Program status respectively. The awards aim to encourage greater diversity in schools by helping them to develop their strengths and unique niches. Students would have a more enriched educational experience by having more opportunities to grow in different areas of excellence like Sports. Assessment of FMS The assessment of movement skill is a critical component of many disciplines, In particular, the accurate information about the skill level of individual. There are several different ways to measure childrens performance of FMS, each with advantages and disadvantages, namely Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative assessment approaches involve measuring the product or outcome of the performance. Qualitative assessment focuses on the form or technique of the movement, namely how the skill is performed (Dr Beth Hands). The 4 stages of qualitative analysis of human movement written by Knudson and Morrison are Preparation, Observation, Evaluation and Diagnosis and Intervention (Duane V. Knudson Craig S. Morrison, 2002). Preparation The 1st of the 4 tasks of qualitative analysis is preparation. Kinesiology staff preparing for qualitative analysis must have some knowledge on the activity or movement, the performers, and able to give effective instruction as such professionals must continuously update their knowledge in all of these areas. In this experiment, the subject chosen is a 10 year old kid studying in a neighborhood school. He has no specialize training on athletics except from attending physical education lesson during school time. The critical features of the running movement suggested are as follow: Preparatory, Runners to your mark Hands sideways at starting line Stronger foot forward Opposite knee by opposite toe foot Head up and eyes looking forward about 2 feet Preparatory, Get Set Rear end raises up, butt is a little higher then shoulders Slowly raise to a standing position Head up and eyes Execution, Go Lands on ball of the foot Head stable Trunk stable Eyes focused forward Elbows bent at 90 Â ° Arms drive forward and back in opposition to the legs Non-support knee bends at least 90 Â ° during the recovery phase Observational strategy The 2nd task of qualitative analysis is observation. The observation for this experiment is based on a systematic observational strategy (SOS) to gather information about the critical features of a movement. An SOS can be organized based on the phases or sequence of the movement by balance or base of support, by the importance of critical features, or from a general impression to specific aspects of performance. The key elements of an SOS are: To focus attention, Control the situation so to optimize observation and the subjects performance, use variety of sensory information and the interaction of all the senses, not just vision for observation. Plan vantage points, viewing distances and numbers of observations, Plan the number of observations, Extend observational power using tools such as slow motion video replay. In this experiment, the observation is done by phases of the running movement. The 3 phases for the running movement observed are preparation, execution and follow through. A simple criteria sheet was developed to record the details of the observation in Appendix 1. Critical elements and observation remarks for the running movement were also detailed in Appendix 1. Evaluation and diagnosis of performance ( The 3rd task of qualitative analysis of human movement is the evaluation and the diagnosis of performance. The analyst must evaluate the strengths and weakness of the movements critical features. The process of diagnosis involves prioritizing the strengths and weaknesses so that intervention can be selected to improve performance. There are 6 rationales that may be used to prioritize intervention: Relating actions to previous actions, Maximizing improvement, Making the easiest corrections first (working in order of difficulty), Correcting in sequence, Moving upward from the base of support, Fixing critical features first. In this experiment, the evaluation done for the subject is as follow: The strength The subject is able to stand at the stronger foot forward before he runs; he is able to keep his eyes focused while is going forward. His truck is stable, and he is able to keep his elbows bent at 900 during the run. He is able to keep his arms swinging forward and back in opposition to the legs. He is able to land on ball of the foot or heels when he is running. The weakness The subject is not able to keep his head looking forward when he runs. His head is also tilt upwards; this may hurt his neck during the run. He tends to speed very fast during the initial stage of the run, and he gets very tired before he can finish the run. When he is running, he tends to open his hands, this has created more winds resistance (known as dragging). Validity and Reliability of the observation Validity is refers to the extent which a variable has been adequately measured, in the experiment conducted, the critical features of the running movement are captured using a video cam and it is later analyzed repeatedly using video playback, hence both the face validity and content validity relating to the running were captured and observed. Reliability refers to the extent to which any measuring procedure yields the same results on repeated trials. In the experiment conducted, intra-rater reliability was observed because the different experiment was conducted by the same analyst. In addition, Inter-rater reliability was also observed because the same subject was used in different trials. Intervention (Strategies for improving performance) The 4th task of qualitative analysis is the provision of some intervention to help the performer improve. Intervention includes traditional augment verbal feedback like using specific cue word or phrase for intervention and other methods such as using visual models, exaggeration, task modification, manual guidance, conditioning, attentional cueing, ecological intervention to teach and train a person to move better. Another consideration for those who wish to improve performance is the use of positive terms during feedbacks and in language that is age-appropriate or specific to the individual. So in this experiment, a variety of approaches of intervention are used for the subject for the 2 weakness as observed in the last topic. The use of age-appropriate cues when teaching the subject to close his hands when he run, example to tell the subject do not run like a duck, must close his hands. Demonstration by the instructors will be effective, because most people have a visual learning style. Using videos replays from the gold standards or poster of the key body positions in running will also effective. Through manual guidance by holding the subjects hand in specific position to give the subject a feel for the actual position or action or to ask subject to freeze on command so that the coach can manually change the subjects hand posture. Attentional cueing can involve the coach providing intervention as cue words to guide the subsequent performance. Cue words use like Close hands, should focus on the actions of the movement and teach the subject to become more aware of the movement. Conclusion Fundamental motor skills provide a wide base of movement abilities where more advanced skills can be developed. A child whose fundamental motor skills are not amply developed will not have a foundation upon which to build proficient movement forms. Using an integrated approach of qualitative analysis of human movement through preparation, observation, evaluation, diagnosis, intervention, coaches and teachers will able to improve the movement of the children. References Steps PD (2007). Foundation movement skill. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://www.steps-pd.co.uk/fms.htm Brian Mac Sport Coach (1997). Skill Classification. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://www.brianmac.co.uk/continuum.htm Informa Health (2010).International Journal of Pediatric Obesity. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17477160903271971 Dr Beth Hands. How can we best measure Fundamental Movement Skills. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://escalate.ac.uk/downloads/6831.pdf AD Okely ML Booth (2004). Mastery of fundamental movement skills among children in New South Wales: prevalence and sociodemographic distribution. Retrieved May 24, 2010 http://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(04)80031-8/abstract. Duane V. Knudson Craig S. Morrison (2002). Qualitative Analysis of Human Movement. Champaign IL: Human kinetics.

The Economic Viability of American Agriculture Essay -- Agricultural E

The Economic Viability of American Agriculture â€Å"Hey mom, what is for supper tonight?† â€Å"Oh I don’t know son, what do you feel like eating?† â€Å"Well, I think I would really like to eat some steak and mashed potatoes and maybe some green beans; but first off we could start with a nice fresh salad and finish up with a rhubarb pie.† â€Å"That all sounds great son, but unfortunately all we have here is the steak; I’ll have to go to the store and see what I can find.† Later that evening the supper the family had was exactly how the son wanted it to be: the steak, potatoes, green beans and the rhubarb pie to top it off. Where do you think all of these products come from? They all can be traced back to the very importance of the world’s agriculture. We sometimes may take for granted that whenever we want a specific product we can just go to the store and purchase it. All we do is buy it and then consume without even thinking of all the hard work and time that went into the making of that specific product. This proves how valuable agriculture is to the American population; it is basically the sole provider as a food source, no matter what size the farm is. Nowadays farming is starting to become harder and harder for the men and women who call it their jobs. They have less land and fewer resources to use and they have more mouths to supply. This poses a major question; is agriculture still economically viable? Through out the rest of this paper there will be certain points that will be able to prove if agriculture really is economically viable. Such points will include the size of the farm and the types of crops that are grown there. Another point that will be touched on is how well agriculture is publicized and how well the surro... ... same time. As an American attitude, agriculture needs to stay economically viable because of its importance to the human race. Bibliograhpy Sonja Brodt, Gail Feenstra, Robin Kozloff, Karen Klonsky, Laura Tourte, â€Å"Farmer-Community Connections and the Future of Ecological Agriculture in California†, Agriculture and Human Values (2006) Vol. 23 Pg. 75-88 Charles A. Francis, â€Å"Greening of Agriculture for Long-Term Sustainability†, Agronomy Journal September-October 2004 Vol. 96 Num. 5 Steven C. Blank, â€Å"Producers Get Squeezed up the Farming Food Chain: A Theory of Crop Portfolio Composition and Land Use†, Review of Agricultural Economics Vol. 23 Num. 2 Pg. 404-422 James W. Richardson, David P. Anderson, Edward G. Smith, â€Å"Can We Save the Traditional Family Farm?† Agricultural and Food Policy Center, Department of Agricultural Economics. February 2001.

Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving Essay -- Health Religion Papers

Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving The Purpose of Fasting Fasting is a body cleansing procedure during which food is restricted and only liquids are consumed. Strictly water fasts are the most brutal; herbal teas and juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables are consumed during a more liberal fast. Juice fasting is the preferred method amongst many doctors and European fasting clinics, perhaps because it is less harsh than other treatment plans. Today in the Western Hemisphere, many chronic health problems result from bad eating habits. There are a mix of people who are over-nourished, malnourished, or both. We eat chemically altered, high-fat toxic foods that do not provide a sufficient amount of essential vitamins and minerals to our bodies. Clogging of the eliminative systems with excess mucous is thought to sustain congestive diseases. Ineffective digestion and poor nourishment result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. A well-balanced diet can overcome this health crisis. A diet of raw foods and fluids helps cleanse the body, and fasting takes the cleansing a step further. Every fasting method, suited individually to a person’s needs, cleanses toxins from the person’s body. The nutrients in fresh juice provide energy and support to the body while stimulating the detoxification process by clearing waste from its systems. This detoxification process is an important corrective process in our nutritional cycle. We allow our body to breathe and naturally cleanse itself. (Haas) The Ancient Practice of Fasting The history of fasting goes back thousands of years. Many religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Eastern religions used and still use fasting as a healing process for spiritual purifica... ...an Anti-Aging Strategy- Is it Still Safe? Found at www.healthy.net/library/articles/chaitow/fasting.htm. Chaitow, L. Fasting, Mono-diets and Raw Food Days.Found at www.healthy.net/library/books/chaitow/chap13.htm. Haas, E. Fasting. Found at www.healthy.net/hwlibrarybooks/haas/detox/fasting.htm. Kernt, P. et al, ‘Fasting: the history, pathophysiology, and complications" Western Journal of Medicine (1982) 137:379-99 Kjeldsen-Kragh, J. et al, ‘Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis’ Lancet (1991) 899-904. NaturalDoc: Fasting and Health Vacations. Found at www.naturaldoc.com/. Protein and Nitrogen Homeostasis. Found at http://medtstgo.ucdavis.edu/endo/lecture/metProNit.htm True, G.N. How Fasting Can Slow You Down. Found at www.netasia.net/users/truehealth/Fasting.htm.

John Steinbeck Essay

John Steinbeck is simply one of America’s finest storytellers. He is an accomplished author and a Nobel Laureate in Literature. However, his road to success was not easy. His earlier novels failed to attract attention, and it took many years before he got the recognition he deserved. Like most writers, his experiences and his hometown were crucial in the creation of his stories. Thus, Steinbeck’s works were greatly influenced by his life and the environment in which he lived. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California (National Steinbeck Center [NSC], n. d. ). His parents were John Steinbeck, Sr., and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck. His father was a County Treasurer and his mother was a school teacher (NSC, n. d. ). It was his mother who was responsible for his love of reading and writing (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). His favorite books included Le Morte d’ Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Paradise Lost by John Milton (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He usually spent his summer vacations working on ranches and farms (NSC, n. d. ). It is from this experience where he derived his knowledge of the countryside and its people, which he later used in his stories (NSC, n.d. ). Steinbeck graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 (NSC, n. d. ), and proceeded to study marine biology in Stanford University (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). To pay for his education, he took many jobs, which led him to miss several quarters of school (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He was already a writer in college, with several poems and short stories included in university publications as proof (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1925, Steinbeck left Stanford University and proceeded to New York to start his writing career (NSC, n. d. ). He began his writing career in New York as a reporter for American (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Despite this brief writing stint, Steinbeck was still unsuccessful in terms of fiction. He failed to publish any of his written works, forcing him to return to California (NSC, n. d. ). He was still a writer, but he also had other jobs as well. His jobs included fruit picking, painting, surveying, being an estate caretaker and a house watchman (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1929, Cup of Gold was written when Steinbeck was a house watchman (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). It failed to return the publisher’s investment (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). His next two novels, The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown, were also unsuccessful (NSC, n. d. ). In 1930, Steinbeck married his first wife Carol Henning. The 30s also marked an improvement in his writing career, as his first literary success Tortilla Flat was published in 1935 (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Tortilla Flat was later adapted into a movie. Steinbeck’s success continued, with the release Of Mice and Men in 1937, and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939. Soon after, he won a Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath. During the Second World War, he went back to his journalistic roots, as a correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune (NSC, n. d. ). In 1942, Steinbeck’s relationship with Henning ended (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He then married Gwyndolyn Conger, but the marriage did not last (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1950, he married again, this time to Elaine Scott (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). It was also in the 50s when he published another great book of his, East of Eden in 1952 (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1962, Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (NSC, n. d. ). Four years after, he passed away, in the 20th of December (NSC, n.d. ). Steinbeck’s literary pieces are filled with references to his own life. The most prominent reference was the setting. Most of his stories, if not all, feature his hometown of Salinas. This is only proof that his hometown was very significant for him, that he refused to exclude it in his works. The Pastures of Heaven is a great example. There is a valley in California, which is located between Salinas and Monterey (Paik, 2006). The name of the valley is Corral de Tierra, but Steinbeck referred to this valley as â€Å"pastures of heaven,† hence the title of his book (Paik, 2006). Moreover, it was also found that since The Pastures of Heaven consists of short stories, Steinbeck’s intention to unify them may bear a similarity to Milton’s Paradise Lost (Meyer, 2007). This is no surprise, since it was one of his favorite books. Tortilla Flat is another Steinbeck novel which referenced his hometown. Tortilla Flat is another town in California, near Monterey. The theme of the story was based on King Arthur and the Round Table (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Steinbeck might have derived this idea from another favorite book of his, Le Morte d’ Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. In addition, he included the plight of farmers within the story (Pollock, 2006), the inspiration of which was probably taken from his summers as a farmhand. The Log from the Sea of Cortez is another Steinbeck text that, despite having no connection with California, was still a result of his life experiences. When Steinbeck was married to Carol, they lived in Pacific Grove (NSC, n. d. ). It was in Pacific Grove were he met Edward Ricketts, a marine biologist (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). They quickly became friends, probably because they shared the same interest in biology, which Steinbeck took in college. In 1940, Ricketts and Steinbeck boarded The Western Flyer, a fishing boat they hired for the expedition (Weiss, 1999). Both men explored the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez (Weiss, 1999). Steinbeck published the book Sea of Cortez, which was re-released as The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Weiss, 1999). Steinbeck’s maturity as a writer is difficult to trace, simply because he started out as a journalist and later became a fiction writer. News writing and fiction writing are two different fields, both of which are essential parts of Steinbeck’s career. Nonetheless, regardless of genre, Steinbeck’s talent is undeniable. Only he could write with a balance of â€Å"realistic naturalism† and â€Å"moral optimism† within his stories (Phillips, 2006). Consequently, Steinbeck’s writing strength lies on his social commentary, the focus of which was the economic struggles of laborers in the rural areas (Nobel Foundation 1962). His love for the California landscape is also another Steinbeck trademark, which is not always compatible with his straightforward sociological kind of writing (Nobel Foundation, 1962). Despite this, John Steinbeck remains a remarkable author whose legacy will stay for generations. He was one of the many who created literary masterpieces that was extremely influenced by his own life and the surroundings in which he lived. References John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. kirjasto. sci. fi/johnstei. htm Meyer, M. J. (2007). The Pastures of Heaven. The Literary Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. litencyc. com/php/sworks. php? rec=true&UID=7353 National Steinbeck Center (n. d. ). Biography. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. steinbeck. org/Bio. html Nobel Foundation (1962). Biography. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio. html Paik, F. (2006). Pastures of heaven. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. forbes. com/2001/11/09/1109how. html Phillips, B. (2006). SparkNote on East of Eden. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/eastofeden/context. html Pollock, F. J. (2006). SparkNote on Tortilla Flat. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/tortillaflat/context. html Weiss, D. (1999). The log of the sea of Cortez. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. ecotopia. org/about/cortez. html.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Seven

THE PROBLEM WAS, OF COURSE, that I soon lost myself in the darkness. After living in the wilds of Montana, I was used to how completely the night could swallow you once you stepped away from even the tiniest hint of civilization. I was even used to wandering the twists and turns of dark forests. But the St. Vladimir's terrain had been familiar. The woods of West Virginia were new and foreign, and I had completely lost my bearings. Once I was pretty sure I'd put enough distance between me and the motel, I paused and looked around. Night insects hummed and sang, and the oppressive summer humidity hung around me. Peering up through the leafy canopy of trees, I could see a brilliant sky of stars, totally untouched by city lights. Feeling like a true wilderness survivor, I studied the stars until I spotted the Big Dipper and figured out which direction was north. The mountains Sydney had driven us through had been to the east, so I certainly didn't want to go in that direction. It seemed reasonable that if I hiked north, I'd eventually hit an interstate and either hitchhike or walk my way back to civilization. It wasn't an airtight plan, but it wasn't the worst one I'd ever had, not by a long shot. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I managed to avoid most trees and other obstacles. Following the tiny road out of town would have been easier–but was also what Dimitri would expect me to do. I fell into a steady, subconscious rhythm as I made my way north. I decided it was a good time to check in on Lissa, now that I had time on my hands and no guardians trying to arrest me. I slipped into her mind and found her within the depths of the guardians' headquarters, sitting in a hallway lined with chairs. Other Moroi sat nearby, including Christian and Tasha. â€Å"They'll question you hard,' Tasha murmured. â€Å"Especially you.' That was to Christian. â€Å"You'd be my first choice if something illicitly blew up.' That seemed to be everyone's opinion. From the troubled look on her face, I could see Tasha had been as surprised by my escape as I had. Even if my friends hadn't filled her in on the whole story yet, she had probably pieced most things together–at the very least, who was behind it. Christian gave her as charming a smile as he could manage, like a kid trying to dodge being grounded. â€Å"They'll know by now that it wasn't caused by magic,' he said. â€Å"The guardians will have scoured every inch of those statues.' He didn't elaborate, not in public, but Lissa's mind was working along the same lines as his. The guardians would know now the explosion hadn't been elemental. And even if my friends were the primary suspects, the authorities would have to wonder–just as I had–how teenagers would get a hold of C4. Lissa nodded her agreement and rested her hand on Christian's. â€Å"We'll be okay.' Her thoughts turned to both Dimitri and me, wondering if we'd made it out according to the plan. She couldn't focus on finding Tatiana's killer until she knew we were safe. Like me, the breakout had been a hard choice: freeing me put me in more danger than keeping me locked up. Her emotions were keyed up, prickly and a bit wilder than I would have liked. So much spirit, I realized. She's using too much. Back at school, she'd managed it with prescription medication and later through self-control. But somewhere, as our situations grew increasingly complicated, she'd allowed herself to wield more and more. Recently, she'd used astonishing amounts, and we'd come to take it for granted. Sooner or later, Lissa's reliance on spirit would catch up with her. With us. â€Å"Princess?' A door across from Lissa opened, and a guardian peered out. â€Å"We're ready for you.' The guardian stepped aside, and inside the room, Lissa heard a familiar voice say, â€Å"Always a pleasure speaking with you, Hans. We should do it again sometime.' Abe then appeared, strutting out with his usual swagger. He stepped past the guardian in the doorway and gave Lissa and the Ozeras a winning, all-is-right-in-the-world grin. Without a word, he strode past them toward the hall's exit. Lissa almost smiled but reined it in, putting on a sober look as she and her companions entered. The door shut behind them, and she found herself facing three guardians seated at a table. One of them I'd seen around but had never met. I think his last name was Steele. The other two I knew well. One was Hans Croft, who ran the guardians' operations at Court. Beside him–to my astonishment–was Alberta, who was in charge of St. Vladimir's guardians and novices. â€Å"Lovely,' growled Hans. â€Å"A whole entourage.' Christian had insisted on being present when Lissa was questioned, and Tasha had insisted on being present with Christian. If Abe had known the interrogation time, he probably would have joined the group too, undoubtedly followed by my mother †¦ Hans didn't realize he'd dodged a house party. Lissa, Christian, and Tasha sat down opposite the guardians. â€Å"Guardian Petrov,' said Lissa, ignoring Hans's disapproval. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Alberta gave Lissa a small smile but otherwise kept in professional guardian mode. â€Å"I was here for the funeral, and Guardian Croft decided he'd like an outside opinion for the investigation.' â€Å"As well as someone familiar with Hathaway and her, uh, associates,' added Hans. Hans was the kind of guy who got straight to the point. Usually, his attitude bothered me–that was my normal reaction to most authority figures–but I did respect the way he ran operations here. â€Å"This meeting was intended just for you, princess.' â€Å"We won't say a word,' said Christian. Lissa nodded and kept her face smooth and polite, even though there was a trembling in her voice. â€Å"I want to help †¦ I've been so, I don't know. I'm so stunned about everything that's happened.' â€Å"I'm sure,' said Hans, voice dry. â€Å"Where were you when the statues exploded?' â€Å"With the funeral procession,' she said. â€Å"I was part of the escort.' Steele had a pile of papers in front of him. â€Å"That's true. There are plenty of witnesses.' â€Å"Very convenient. What about afterward?' asked Hans. â€Å"Where did you go when the crowd panicked?' â€Å"Back to the Council's building. That's where all the others were meeting up, and I thought it'd be safest.' I couldn't see her face but could feel her trying to look cowed. â€Å"I was afraid when things started going crazy.' â€Å"We also have witnesses to support that,' said Steele. Hans drummed his fingers on the table. â€Å"Did you have any prior knowledge about any of this? The explosions? Hathaway's breakout?' Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No! I had no clue. I didn't even know it was possible to get out of the cells. I thought there was too much security.' Hans ignored the dig on his operations. â€Å"You've got that bond thing, right? You didn't pick up anything through that?' â€Å"I don't read her,' explained Lissa. â€Å"She sees my thoughts but not the other way around.' â€Å"That,' said Alberta, speaking up at last, â€Å"is true.' Hans didn't contradict her but still wasn't buying my friends' innocence. â€Å"You realize, if you're caught concealing information–or aiding her–you'll face consequences almost as serious as hers. All of you. Royalty doesn't exempt you from treason.' Lissa lowered her gaze, as though his threat had frightened her. â€Å"I just can't believe †¦ I just can't believe she'd do this. She was my friend. I thought I knew her. I didn't think she could do any of these things †¦ I never thought she'd murder anyone.' If not for the feelings in the bond, I might have taken offense. I knew the truth, though. She was acting, trying to distance herself from me. It was smart. â€Å"Really? Because not long ago, you were swearing up and down that she was innocent,' pointed out Hans. Lissa looked back up and widened her eyes. â€Å"I thought she was! But then †¦ then I heard about what she did to those guardians in the escape †¦' Her distress wasn't entirely faked this time. She still needed to act like she thought I was guilty, but the news of Meredith's condition had reached her–which truly had shocked her. That made two of us, but at least I now knew Meredith was okay. Hans still looked skeptical at Lissa's change of heart but let it go. â€Å"What about Belikov? You swore he wasn't a Strigoi anymore, but obviously something went wrong there as well.' Christian stirred beside Lissa. As an advocate for Dimitri, Christian grew as irritated as us at the suspicions and accusations. Lissa spoke before Christian could say anything. â€Å"He's not Strigoi!' Lissa's remorse over me vanished, her old, fierce defense of Dimitri kicking in. She hadn't expected this line of questioning about him. She'd been preparing herself to defend me and her alibi. Hans seemed pleased at the reaction and watched her closely. â€Å"Then how do you explain his involvement?' â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' said Lissa, forcing her control back. Her heart was pounding rapidly. â€Å"He changed back. There's no Strigoi left.' â€Å"But he attacked a number of guardians–on more than one occasion.' It looked like Tasha wanted to interrupt now and defend Dimitri as well, but she visibly bit her lip. It was remarkable. The Ozeras liked to speak their minds, not always tactfully. â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' Lissa repeated. â€Å"And he didn't kill any of those guardians. Not one. Rose did what she did †¦ well, I don't know why. She hated Tatiana, I guess. Everyone knew that. But Dimitri †¦ I'm telling you, being Strigoi had nothing to do with this. He helped her because he used to be her teacher. He thought she was in trouble.' â€Å"That was pretty extreme for a teacher, particularly one who–before turning Strigoi– was known for being level-headed and rational.' â€Å"Yeah, but he wasn't thinking rationally because–‘ Lissa cut herself off, suddenly caught in a bad situation. Hans seemed to have realized quickly in this conversation that if Lissa was involved with recent events–and I don't think he was certain yet–she would have an airtight alibi. Talking to her, however, had given him the chance to pursue another puzzle in my escape: Dimitri's involvement. Dimitri had sacrificed himself to take the fall, even if it meant others not trusting him again. Lissa thought she'd made people think his actions were a former teacher's protective instinct, but apparently, not everyone was buying that. â€Å"He wasn't thinking rationally because?' prompted Hans, eyes sharp. Before the murder, Hans had believed Dimitri truly had become a dhampir again. Something told me he still believed that but sensed there was something big dangling before him. Lissa stayed silent. She didn't want people thinking Dimitri was Strigoi. She wanted people to believe in her powers to restore the undead. But if Dimitri helping a student didn't seem convincing enough to others, all that mistrust might surface again. Glancing at her interrogators, Lissa suddenly met Alberta's eyes. The older guardian said nothing. She wore that neutral, scrutinizing expression that guardians excelled at. She also had an air of wisdom about her, and Lissa briefly allowed spirit to show her Alberta's aura. It had good, steady colors and energy, and in Alberta's eyes, Lissa swore she could see a message, a knowing glint. Tell them, the message seemed to say. It'll create problems–but they won't be as bad as your current ones. Lissa held that gaze, wondering if she was just projecting her own thoughts onto Alberta. It didn't matter who'd come up with the idea. Lissa knew it was right. â€Å"Dimitri helped Rose because †¦ because they were involved.' As I'd guessed, Alberta wasn't surprised, and she seemed relieved to have the truth out there. Hans and Steele, however, were very surprised. I had only seen Hans shocked a few times. â€Å"When you say â€Å"involved,' do you mean †¦' He paused to structure his words. â€Å"Do you mean romantically involved?' Lissa nodded, feeling horrible. She'd revealed a big secret here, one she'd sworn she'd keep for me, but I didn't blame her. Not in this situation. Love–I hoped–would defend Dimitri's actions. â€Å"He loved her,' said Lissa. â€Å"She loved him. If he helped her escape–‘ â€Å"He did help her escape,' interrupted Hans. â€Å"He attacked guardians and blew up priceless, centuries-old statues brought over from Europe!' Lissa shrugged. â€Å"Well, like I said. He wasn't acting rationally. He wanted to help her and probably thought she was innocent. He would have done anything for her–and it had nothing to do with Strigoi.' â€Å"Love only justifies so much.' Hans clearly wasn't a romantic. â€Å"Shes underage!' exclaimed Steele. That part hadn't escaped him. â€Å"She's eighteen,' corrected Lissa. Hans cut her a look. â€Å"I can do the math, princess. Unless they managed some beautiful, touching romance in the last few weeks–while he was mostly in isolation– then there were things going on at your school that someone should have reported.' Lissa said nothing, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Tasha and Christian. They were trying to keep their expressions neutral, but it was obvious this news wasn't a surprise to them, no doubt confirming Hans's suspicions that illicit things had been going on. I actually hadn't realized Tasha knew about Dimitri and me and felt a little bad. Had she known that part of his rejection of her had been because of me? And if she knew, how many others did? Christian had probably tipped her off, but something told me more people were probably starting to find out as well. After the school's attack, my reaction had likely been a big clue about my feelings for Dimitri. Maybe telling Hans now wasn't so big a deal after all. The secret wouldn't be a secret much longer. Alberta cleared her throat, speaking up at last. â€Å"I think we have more important things to worry about right now than some romance that may or may not have happened.' Steele gave her an incredulous look and slammed his hand against the table. â€Å"This is pretty serious. Did you know about it?' â€Å"All I know is that we're getting distracted from the point here,' she replied, neatly dodging the question. Alberta was about twenty years older than Steele, and the tough look she gave him said that he was a child wasting her time. â€Å"I thought we were here to figure out if Miss Hathaway had any accomplices, not dredge up the past. So far, the only person we can say for sure that helped her is Belikov, and he did it out of irrational affection. That makes him a fugitive and a fool, not a Strigoi.' I'd never thought of my relationship with Dimitri as â€Å"irrational affection,' but Alberta's point was taken. Something in Hans's and Steele's faces made me think soon the whole world would know about us, but that was nothing compared to murder. And if it cleared Dimitri of being a Strigoi, then it meant he'd be imprisoned instead of staked if ever captured. Small blessings. Lissa's questioning continued a bit longer before the guardians decided she was free and clear of any part in my escape (that they could prove). She did a good job playing surprised and confused the whole time, even mustering a few tears over how she could have so misjudged me. She spun a little bit of compulsion into her act too–not enough to brainwash anyone, but enough that Steele's earlier outrage transformed to sympathy. Hans was harder to read, but as my group left, he reminded Tasha and Christian that he would be speaking with each of them later, preferably without an entourage. For now, the next person in the hot seat was waiting in the hall: Eddie. Lissa gave him the same smile she'd give any friend. There was no indication that they were both part of a conspiracy. Eddie nodded in return as he was called to the room for his interrogation. Lissa was anxious for him, but I knew his guardian self-control would make sure he stuck to the story. He probably wouldn't pull the tears Lissa had, but he'd likely act just as shocked by my â€Å"treason' as she had. Tasha left Christian and Lissa once they were outside, first warning them to be careful. â€Å"You've gotten out of this so far, but I don't think the guardians have completely cleared you. Especially Hans.' â€Å"Hey, I can take care of myself,' said Christian. Tasha rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. I see what happens when you're left to your own devices.' â€Å"Hey, don't get all pissy because we didn't tell you,' he exclaimed. â€Å"We didn't have time, and there were only so many people we could get involved. Besides, you've done your share of crazy plans before.' â€Å"True,' Tasha admitted. She was hardly a role model for playing by the rules. â€Å"It's just that everything's gotten that much more complicated. Rose is on the run. And now Dimitri †¦' She sighed, and I didn't need her to finish to guess her thoughts. There was a profound look of sadness in her eyes, one that made me feel guilty. Just like the rest of us, Tasha had wanted Dimitri's reputation restored. By freeing the queen's accused assassin, he'd seriously damaged any chance at acceptance. I really wished he hadn't gotten involved and hoped my current escape plan paid off. â€Å"This'll all work out,' said Christian. â€Å"You'll see.' He didn't look so confident as he spoke, and Tasha gave him a small, amused smile. â€Å"Just be careful. Please. I don't want to see you in a cell, too. I don't have time for jail visits with everything else going on.' Her amusement faded, and her outspoken activist mode kicked in. â€Å"Our family's being ridiculous, you know. Can you believe they're actually talking about running Esmond for us? Good God. We've already had one tragedy after another around here. At the very least, we should try to salvage something out of this mess.' â€Å"I don't think I know Esmond,' said Christian. â€Å"Moron,' she said matter-of-factly. â€Å"Him, I mean. Not you. Someone's got to talk sense into our family before they embarrass themselves.' Christian grinned. â€Å"And let me guess: you're just the one to do it?' â€Å"Of course,' she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. â€Å"I've already drawn up a list of ideal candidates. Our family just needs some persuasion to see how ideal they are.' â€Å"I'd feel bad for them if they weren't still being assholes to us,' Christian remarked, watching his aunt walk away. The stigma of his parents turning Strigoi still lingered after all these years. Tasha accepted it more gracefully–despite her complaining–if only to be able to participate in the Ozera family's larger decisions. Christian made no such attempts at civility. It was terrible enough to be treated as less than other Moroi, to be denied guardians and other things royals were entitled to. But from his own family? It was especially harsh. He refused to pretend it was acceptable. â€Å"They'll come around eventually,' said Lissa, sounding more optimistic than she felt. Any response of Christian's was swallowed when a new companion fell into step with them: my father. His abrupt appearance startled both of my friends, but I wasn't surprised. He probably knew about Lissa's interrogation and had been skulking outside the building, waiting to talk to her. â€Å"It's nice out,' said Abe amiably, looking around at the trees and flowers as though the three of them were on a nature walk through Court. â€Å"But it's going to be scorching when the sun comes up.' The darkness that was giving me so much trouble in the woods of West Virginia made for pleasant, â€Å"midday' conditions for those on a vampiric schedule. Lissa gave Abe a sidelong glance. With eyes well-tuned to low light, she had no difficulty taking in the brilliant teal dress shirt under his beige sports jacket. A blind person could have probably seen him in that color. Lissa scoffed at Abe's faked casualness. It was a habit of his, opening with small talk before moving on to more sinister topics. â€Å"You're not here to talk about the weather.' â€Å"Trying to be civilized, that's all.' He fell silent as a couple of Moroi girls passed them. Once they were well out of ear-shot, he asked in a low voice, â€Å"I assume everything went well at your little meeting?' â€Å"Fine,' she said, not bothering to fill him in about â€Å"irrational affection.' She knew all he'd care about was that none of their associates had been implicated. â€Å"The guardians have Eddie now,' said Christian. â€Å"And want me later, but I think that'll be it for all of us.' Lissa sighed. â€Å"Honestly, I have a feeling the interrogation was the easy part, compared to what's coming.' She meant figuring out who had really killed Tatiana. â€Å"One step at a time,' murmured Abe. â€Å"No point in letting the larger picture overwhelm us. We'll just start at the beginning.' â€Å"That's the problem,' said Lissa, kicking irritably at a branch lying across the cobblestone path in front of her. â€Å"I have no idea where to start. Whoever killed Tatiana did a good job covering their tracks and shifting it all to Rose.' â€Å"One step at a time,' repeated Abe. He spoke in that sly tone of his that annoyed me sometimes, but to Lissa today, it was grating. Until now, all of her energy had been focused on getting me out of jail and somewhere safe. That was the goal that had driven her and kept her going in my escape's aftermath. Now, after some of the intensity had faded, the pressure of it all was beginning to crash down on her. Christian put an arm around her shoulders, sensing her dismay. He turned to Abe, unusually serious. â€Å"Do you have any ideas?' Christian asked Abe. â€Å"We certainly don't have any real evidence.' â€Å"We have reasonable assumptions,' Abe replied. â€Å"Like that whoever killed Tatiana would have had access to her private rooms. That's not a long list.' â€Å"Its not short either.' Lissa ticked off people on her fingers. â€Å"The royal guards, her friends and family †¦ and that's assuming no one altered the guardians' records of her visitors. And for all we know, some visits were never logged at all. She probably had secret business meetings all the time.' â€Å"Unlikely she'd have business meetings in her bedroom, in her nightgown,' mused Abe. â€Å"Of course, it depends on the type of business, I suppose.' Lissa stumbled, realization stunning her. â€Å"Ambrose.' â€Å"Who?' â€Å"Hes a dhampir †¦ really good-looking †¦ He and Tatiana were, um †¦' â€Å"Involved?' said Christian with a smile, echoing the interrogation. Now Abe came to a stop. Lissa did the same, and his dark eyes met hers. â€Å"I've seen him. Sort of a pool boy type.' â€Å"He'd have access to her bedroom,' said Lissa. â€Å"But I just can't–I don't know. I can't see him doing this.' â€Å"Appearances are deceiving,' said Abe. â€Å"He was terribly interested in Rose back in the courtroom.' More surprise for Lissa. â€Å"What are you talking about?' Abe stroked his chin in an evil-villain sort of way. â€Å"He spoke to her †¦ or gave her some signal. I'm not really sure, but there was some kind of interaction between them.' Clever, watchful Abe. He'd noticed Ambrose giving me the note but hadn't fully realized what had happened. â€Å"We should talk to him then,' said Christian. Lissa nodded. Conflicting feelings churned inside of her. She was excited by a lead– but upset that it meant kind, gentle Ambrose might be a suspect. â€Å"I'll take care of it,' said Abe breezily. I felt her gaze fall heavily on him. I couldn't see her expression, but I did see Abe take an involuntary step back, the faintest glimmer of surprise in his eyes. Even Christian flinched. â€Å"And I'm going to be there when you do,' she said, steel in her voice. â€Å"Do not attempt some crazy torture-style interrogation without me.' â€Å"You want to be there for the torture?' asked Abe, recovering. â€Å"There won't be any. We'll talk to Ambrose like civilized people, understand?' She stared hard at him again, and Abe finally shrugged in acquiescence, as though being overpowered by a woman half his age was no big deal. â€Å"Fine. We'll do it together.' Lissa was a little suspicious at his willingness, and he must have picked up on that. â€Å"We will,' he said, continuing walking. â€Å"This is a good time–well, as good as any time–for an investigation. Court's going to get chaotic as the monarch elections get under way. Everyone here will be busy, and new people will start pouring in.' A breeze, heavy with humidity, ruffled Lissa's hair. The promise of heat was on it, and she knew Abe would be right about sunrise. It would be worth going to bed early. â€Å"When will the elections happen?' she asked. â€Å"As soon as they put dear Tatiana to rest. These things move fast. We need our government restored. She'll be buried tomorrow at the church with a ceremony and service, but there'll be no repeat of the procession. They're still too uneasy.' I felt kind of bad that she hadn't received a full queenly funeral in the end, but then, if it meant her true murderer was found, maybe she would have preferred it that way. â€Å"Once the burial happens and elections begin,' Abe continued, â€Å"any family who wants to put out a candidate for the crown will do so–and of course they'll want to. You've never seen a monarchial election, have you? It's quite a spectacle. Of course, before the voting occurs, all the candidates will have to be tested.' There was something ominous in the way he said â€Å"tested,' but Lissa's thoughts were elsewhere. Tatiana had been the only queen she'd ever known, and the full impact of a regime change was staggering. â€Å"A new king or queen can affect everything–for better or worse. I hope it's someone good. One of the Ozeras, maybe. One of Tasha's people.' She glanced hopefully at Christian, who could only shrug. â€Å"Or Ariana Szelsky. I like her. Not that it matters who I want,' she added bitterly. â€Å"Seeing as I can't vote.' The Council's votes determined the election's winner, so again, she was locked out of the Moroi legal process. â€Å"A lot of work will go into the nominations,' Abe explained, avoiding her last comment. â€Å"Each family will want someone to further their interests but who also has a chance of getting votes from–‘ â€Å"Oomph!' I was thrust harshly out of the calculating world of Moroi politics and back into the wilds of West Virginia–very painfully so. Something solid and fierce slammed me against the hard-packed earth, leaves and branches cutting my face and hands. Strong hands held me down, and Dimitri's voice spoke in my ear. â€Å"You should have just hidden in town,' he said, a little amused. His weight and position allowed me no room to move. â€Å"It would have been the last place I looked. Instead, I knew exactly where you'd go.' â€Å"Whatever. Don't act so smart,' I said through gritted teeth, trying to break out of his hold. Goddamn it. He was smart. And once again, the closeness of him was disorienting. Earlier, it had seemed to affect him too, but he'd apparently learned his lesson. â€Å"You made a lucky guess, that's all.' â€Å"I don't need luck, Roza. I'll always find you. So, really it's up to you how difficult you want this situation to be.' There was an almost conversational tone to his voice, made all the more ridiculous by the situation we were in. â€Å"We can do this over and over, or you can do the reasonable thing and just stay put with Sydney and me.' â€Å"It's not reasonable! It's wasteful.' He was sweating, from the heat and undoubtedly because he'd had to run pretty hard to catch up with me. Adrian wore a cologne that always made me heady, but the natural scent of Dimitri's warm skin was intoxicating too. It was amazing to me that I could keep noticing these little things–and be attracted to them–even when I was legitimately mad at him for keeping me captive. Maybe anger was a turn-on for me. â€Å"How many times do I have to explain the logic behind what we're doing?' he asked in exasperation. â€Å"Until you give up.' I pushed back against him, trying again to get loose, but all it did was put us closer together. I had a feeling the kissing trick wouldn't work this time. He jerked me to my feet, keeping my arms and hands pinned behind my back. I had a little more room to maneuver than I had on the ground, but not quite enough to break free. Slowly, he began trying to make me walk back toward the direction I'd come from. â€Å"I am not letting you and Sydney risk getting in trouble with me. I'll take care of myself, so just let me go!' I said, literally dragging my feet. Seeing a tall, skinny tree, I stuck one leg out and hooked myself onto the trunk, completely bringing us to a halt. Dimitri groaned and shifted his grip to get me away from the tree. It almost gave me an escape opportunity, but I didn't even manage two steps before he had a hold of me again. â€Å"Rose,' he said wearily. â€Å"You can't win.' â€Å"How's your face feeling?' I asked. I couldn't see any marks in the poor lighting but knew the punch I'd given him would leave a mark tomorrow. It was a shame to damage his face like that, but he'd heal, and maybe it would teach him a lesson about messing with Rose Hathaway. Or not. He began dragging me again. â€Å"I'm seconds away from just tossing you over my shoulder,' he warned. â€Å"I'd like to see you try.' â€Å"How do you think Lissa would feel if you got killed?' His grip tightened, and while I had a feeling he'd make good on his over-the-shoulder threat, I also suspected he wanted to shake me. He was that upset. â€Å"Can you imagine what it would do to her if she lost you?' For a moment, I was out of snappy retorts. I didn't want to die, but risking my life was exactly that: risking my life. No one else's. Still, I knew he was right. Lissa would be devastated if anything happened to me. And yet †¦ it was a risk I had to take. â€Å"Have a little faith, comrade. I won't get killed,' I said stubbornly. â€Å"I'll stay alive.' Not the answer he'd wanted. He shifted his hold. â€Å"There are other ways to help her than whatever insanity you're thinking of.' I suddenly went limp. Dimitri stumbled, caught by surprise at my sudden lack of resistance. â€Å"What's wrong?' he asked, both puzzled and suspicious. I stared off into the night, my eyes not really focused on anything. Instead, I was seeing Lissa and Abe back at Court, remembering Lissa's feeling of powerlessness and longing for her vote. Tatiana's note came back to me, and for a moment, I could hear her voice in my head. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives. â€Å"Youre right,' I said at last. â€Å"Right about †¦ ?' Dimitri was at a total loss. It was a common reaction for people when I agreed to something reasonable. â€Å"Rushing back to Court won't help Lissa.' Silence. I couldn't fully make out his expression, but it was probably filled with shock. â€Å"I'll go back to the motel with you, and I won't go running off to Court.' Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir needing to be found. I took a deep breath. â€Å"But I'm not going to sit around and do nothing. I am going to do something for Lissa–and you and Sydney are going to help me.'