Race and Ethnicity in the US Education System Essay

The United States has a strong history of immigration. As a result it has become a nation composed of different races and different peoples coming from different ethnic backgrounds. This has impacted American society in terms of the economy, the peace and order situation, employment, and the education system. These things are constantly interacting to create opportunities and problems for all US citizens. But in recent decades – in spite of the rhetoric on equal opportunity for all Americans – numerous studies show that minorities are in a disadvantage. Two major ethnic groups, the African Americans and Hispanics are finding it hard to succeed in a highly competitive world and the root cause why many of them are poor, unemployed and involved in a life of crime is the lack of access to quality education. Background The United States was founded by immigrants coming from Europe. After a few centuries these immigrants had taken over major portions of the United States, that it is no longer proper to call them immigrants. But in recent decades there was a new wave of immigration that swept across America; it was an influx of migrants coming from Asia, Latin America, and Mexico. The last two will comprise the second largest minority group in the US – the Hispanics. In May 2006 the US Census Bureau provided the following statistics: Hispanics are the largest subgroup (42. 7 million) roughly half of all the minorities in the US (Sullivan, 2007). Furthermore, according to experts, â€Å"The terms ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ are used interchangeably by the U. S. Census Bureau †¦ to identify persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, Spanish, and other Hispanic descent; they may be of any race† (Kohler & Lazarin, 2007). In this paper the terms â€Å"Hispanic† and â€Å"Latinos† will also be used interchangeably. African Americans on the other hand are also a part of the minority group but they achieve that status via a different route. African Americans did not arrive in America through traditional means of migration. They were forcefully taken from their homeland and sold to American plantation owners as slaves. At any rate, when both African American and Hispanic groups entered America they started from a disadvantageous position and that is why even today they find it hard to experience upward mobility in American society. In spite of the rhetoric on equality and civil liberties there are many Americans who are living like second-class citizens in their own country. In order to improve the lives of those who belonged to minority groups there is a need for assimilation; an increase in funding in areas where there is a high concentration of African Americans and Hispanics; and to change the mindset of the members of these minority groups so that they will value the importance of education in their lives and the lives of their children.

Mid “Witchery”

A wise woman was asked to present the baby to the world and predict its fortune. A wise women, or witch was the priestess who instructed women in blood, birth, and the magic of it all. The French word for midwife means â€Å"wise woman†. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia the â€Å"art of attending women in childbirth† is called midwifery. Midwives and their practices date back as far as ancient biblical, Greek and Roman times. Before the emergence of obstetrics, midwives and their practices were not considered an important part of the medical establishment.In it's beginning midwives had no formal training and relied solely on experience and the teachings from mother to daughter within the profession. Wise women were the healers of the ancient world, it was during this time that wise women and witch became synonymous. In the beginning of recorded history people lived in small groups as a tribe. Within the tribes men were in charger of the survival of the group. He was the protector and the hunter. Women's roles revolved around their power to give birth. They were the nurtures of the family and the healers of both the physical and the spiritual.Women were a sacred part of the group and this arose to the worship of the Goddess. (Aisles, 1-7) There were many goddesses and myths associated with birth. One of the Greeks most sacred Goddess's was Artemisia (also known as the Roman Goddess Diana). When Artemisia was born she assisted her mother in the birth of her twin brother Apollo. She became the protector of women and made decisions regarding who would live and die during birth. (Encyclopedia mythical: Artemisia) Hake was an Egyptian Goddess. She had a frogs head which was a symbol of life and fertility.She was also known as the Goddess of the last stages of birth. Although the word midwife did not exist at that time, the occupation of a midwife held the title of â€Å"the servants of Hake. (Hake; Encyclopedia Mythical) The Celtic Goddess Brig it is very interesting because she went from pagan mythology to Christianity and sainthood. Brigit was known as the Goddess with three aspects. She was a the patroness for blacksmiths, for poetry, and for healing and fertility. Brigit has a seasonal holiday on the calendar of paganism called Iambic which is celebrated on February first.It is a celebration to usher in the spring. Christians accepted Brigit as a surrogate mother to Christ and changed the pagan Iambic to Candelas. She was cannonaded as SST. Brigit. (Brigit; Encyclopedia Mythical) During the Goddess era, myths revolved around the goddesses who helped women. Women Goddess's were the mothers of all. Shrines and temples were erected to the worshiping of these women. But all the good that surrounds women and their knowledge comes to an end with the emergence of a patriarchal God. Christianity changed the view of women as Gods.Eve, in the bible is solely responsible for all the evil in the world. In Genesis, it is Eve that i s tempted by the serpent and brings shame upon herself and Adam with a punishment to last for eternity and all generations. God says: I will greatly increase your pangs in haltering; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. [Gene. 3:6] With Christianity in the forefront of spirituality and religion comes one of the darkest times for women. Midwives were there to help women with the difficulties of childbearing.They helped teach women techniques that would help move along the birth and keep the mothers as comfortable as possible. Since the pains of childbirth was there punishment for sins, anyone who helped in eased this pain were considered to be working with Satan. Women working with Satan were witches. In 1486 the church used a book written by Jacob Springer and Heimlich Kramer called the Mallets Maleficent or better known as â€Å"The Witches Hammer†. It was and instructional book for witch hunters. Midw ives had two chapters devoted to them and their practices.The practice of child birth was set to change according to the church. (Summers) â€Å"No one does more harm to the Catholic faith than midwives† (CTD. In Rehiring and English 13). Midwifery was now being moved to the medical profession. Everything that women taught and used during child birth was now being scrutinized. Instead of litigating the knowledge women healers possessed, it was set in motion the total eradication of midwives altogether. The church set a course to rid society of magic. While boosting professional physicians the acts committed by untrained midwives was now a low status position to hold.Life and death had a value that belonged to God and professional physicians. The church's position held that professionalism placed on the doctor put him on the side of God, while the female midwife became the personification of evil. In the book â€Å"Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A history of Women Healersâ₠¬ , the author makes this statement: When faced with the misery of the poor, the Church turned to the dogma that experience in this world is fleeting and unimportant. But there was a double standard at work, for the Church was not against medical care for the upper class.Kings and nobles had their court physicians who were men, sometimes even priests. The real issue was control: Male upper class healing under the auspices of the Church was acceptable, female healing as part of a peasant underclass was not. â€Å"(Rehiring and English 13) The clergy noticed that women regarded midwives to an important status and plotted to have it stopped. Rehiring and English 11-12) With the â€Å"Mallets† in hand, the church was armed and ready for war. Midwives were watched closely and if a child died a midwife could be charged at sacrificing that child's soul to the devil.It became important for midwives to have witnesses and control of all situations. Midwives were given a chance to sig n documents stating that they would not perform rituals or use magic in anyway. These women found favor by following rules of men and training under them. These women Joined in on the witch hunts and became the ones to help search out midwives who were found o be witches. Eighty percent of witches were women and a third of those women were in fact midwives. Approximately sixty thousand women were executed as witches for three century.Cones) The scope of the witch trials is more then can be expressed and midwives are only one representation of the women accused of witchcraft. It is more notable that the witch trials were about religious authority over woman and the abuse of women by men. It has been over three hundred years since the Salem Witch trials. It is Americas worst history of witch hunts. Today there are many powerful women around the world. These women hold important positions in business, hospitals and even government offices. Midwifery has made a come back in the area of obstetrics.Many doctors offices offer midwife services to clients. Women are interested in the experience of having a midwife rejoice in their celebration of life. But even with all of the accomplishments women have made they still struggle for equal rights. In 1992 Pat Robertson wrote in a fund raising letter, â€Å"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill heir children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. † There again is the accusation of witchcraft.

Hispanic Groups Living in US Essay

It is very common for someone walking down the streets of any American city and hears Spanish spoken. The federal government of America coined this term ‘Hispanic’ way back in 1970’s to refer people tracing their origin in Spanish speaking countries which were former Spanish colonies or those who can trace their origin to Spain or its territory. This represents a varied range of countries and ethnic groups with different social, political and emotional experiences. A large part of Hispanics still try to characterize themselves in terms of their individual ethnic identity as Mexican, Cuban, and others rather the whole term ‘Hispanic’. Hispanic Americans, n. d. ) The wide range of the Hispanic group includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, El Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, Columbians, Central and South Americans among others. The Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and Cubans form the largest part of the Hispanics living in America. (Tienda and Mitchell, 2006) America’s cultural canvas is very vivid as each group brought their respective culture’s specialty with them which has totally mingled in the main force. The Hispanic community has left their mark over traditions, customs and cultures throughout the country and the bilingual education structure of America displays the growing importance in the country as they are the largest minority community. It has been noticed that people from the Hispanic groups have done well in various fields and their progress is something to be watched. The 2002 census showed the Mexicans forming the largest part of the population with 66. 9%, followed by Central and Latin Americans at 14. 3%, third position held by Puerto Ricans, others 6. % and last Cubans at 3. 7%. (The Hispanic Population, 2002) Majority of the Hispanics are native born neutralizes citizens or have acquired legal residency status. They are largely concentrated in the west part of the country especially the urban areas of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. There is a tendency among them to live in family units which are generally large in size unlike the non-Hispanic Whites. In comparison to Whites communities, the rate of unemployment and poverty is much more in the Hispanic groups. Mexican Americans are the one to form the largest part of the Hispanic population living in America and they are also the largest group of White Hispanics. The Mexican immigration could be traced in the past decades as they started establishing themselves in the 1600s in southwestern parts of the country who later became New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas. (Stacy, 2002) The work at railroads and steel industry of the Midwest America attracted them in the 1800s and this immigration is still continued to the present time. Today majority of Mexican Americans are U. S. born citizens. The major causes behind the migration of Mexicans to America are self-liberty, quality education, modes to improve economic condition and achieve good living standard. Spanish is the main language for Mexican Americans, some of them are monolingual. But most can fluently speak both English and Spanish. The attitude of the Mexican Americans is something to be watched as more than 90% of them are literate. Their respect towards others is also acclaimed as their communications are respectful in manner. They are one of the strict believers in the concept of familism (Nash, 2007) and value family considerations over individual as well very much rely on family in times of crisis. Patriarchy is the trend of Mexican American family. Earlier, they used to neglect family planning but at present time they have been active in that. Largely they are the followers of Roman Catholicism. They look at churches as powerful source of hope, faith and strength while spirituality and religion play significant role in times of illness, health and life. Their housing conditions are really bad as they live in colonies not appropriate for living to low-income. Central and South Americans stand second in the American Hispanic population. They owe their origin to different countries such as Guatemala, Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Argentina among others. These groups of people display a vast diversity due to their different origins. Most of them migrated from their respective countries in the period of 1970s and 1980s when the region was going through political turbulence. Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala were suffering from civil wars that made their people to flee in search of stable life. In the present time too, the immigration is on due to different causes. Although many of them arrived in U. S. as refuges, gradually they acquired political asylum from the state. Cheap accommodation and easy immigrant services made most of the Central and South Americans settle in California. They speak other languages rather than Spanish, which is a main language, such as French and Portuguese. Though Catholicism is the main religion, Protestants and Jews as well as other beliefs are followed by this group. They have high religious values. Males are treated as the head of the family. Due to intermarriage among this group and other Hispanics or Europeans, they have become much diversified. The education level of Central and South Americans is much appreciable than other Hispanics but still they lack behind in employment tin respects of other groups. Third largest group belonging to Hispanic community are the Puerto Ricans as they became U. S. citizens after Jones Act of 1917. (Stacy, 2002) But they are not allowed to vote in U. S. Presidential elections. They are mainly settled in industrial areas such as the states of Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, and New York due to the availability of employment opportunity. Wherever they settled, they tried to hold on their tradition and culture and formed various groups and organizations to support them. Puerto Rican Americans pay huge respect to education but still they maintain a low level than other Hispanics which makes parents encourage their children to pursue good education for better future. They are bilingual speaking both Spanish and English. The expressive nature of Puerto Ricans and their hospitality is well known. They possess high respect for women, parents and elderly people and family units that they even allow more than one family living together. Puerto Ricans are followers of Catholicism and seek support from religion and spiritualism in tough situations. Their approach to health and illness is based on these beliefs. Cubans too comprise a significant part of the Hispanic community. Cuban immigration to America can be traced back to history but the major wave was created during the political turmoil of 1959 which still continues today. They have their bases at Miami, Florida and New Jersey. They can be considered as the most affluent among all the Hispanic groups due to their well performance in education, which led to better employment opportunities and a good quality lifestyle. Till recent past they faced problem in speaking English, but nowadays they have overcome that. The Cuban Americans are very much into their culture that they most often do not show much interest in the Anglo culture. They hold a rather conservative outlook towards politics due to their experience in their native country. They possess diverse beliefs of religion; still Catholicism is more prevalent among them. They stand against communism holds much important place in U. S. The Hispanic groups in spite of their various origins share some commonalities as well some major differences among them. Spanish is a bond that binds all of them, while most of them are bilingual. Approach towards education is another common factor between them as all the groups show very much respect to education as they know it is the only key to good living. Religion too makes them stand on a common platform as most of the Hispanic Americans are followers of Catholicism. Political perspective is one thing that creates differences among these groups as each of them has their respective political idea. Cuban Americans support Republicans as they are inclined towards conservative idea of politics whereas Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Central and South Americans have a liking for democrats. Still, Catholic faith, language and belief in their respective culture make them stand on a single platform.

Smoking Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smoking - Statistics Project Example male, this shows that more male than female smoke, results also show that among the states Utah has the least number of smokers while Kentucky has the largest number of smokers, the following is an analysis of the 2006 data retrieved from US census website. Data was retrieved from the US census website www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0197.xls. The data contains the percentage of those who smoked in each state and the percentage of male and female who smoked in each state. The data is appropriate in that it will help in the comparison of the percentage of smokers in each state. This analysis will help in the formulation of policies that aid in reducing the number of smokers and promoting health among the citizens. States with high percentage levels of smokers can adopt policies existing in low percentage states and therefore promote a healthy population. Data was retrieved from the US census due to availability, another reason why this data was selected was due to completeness of the data, the other reason is that data is accurate and reliable given that the data base is maintained by the state. An analysis of the mean percentage value for all the states show that the mean percentage value of all those who smoke in all the states is 20.34%, the mean percentage value for male individuals is 22.17% and18.64% for female individuals. The following chart summarizes the results: In July 2006 the US census estimated the population size to amount to 298,362,973, this means that the number of smokers was 20.20% X 298,362,973= 60, 269321; therefore approximately over 60 million individuals were smokers in the year 2006. From the above chart it is evident that all those who smoke 54.55% are male while only 45.45% are female. This means that given that those who smoked amounted to 60,269321 this means that the number of male individuals who smoked amounted to 54.55% X 60,269321 = 32,874,175 while the number of females amounted to approximately 45.45% X 60,269321

Control & instrumentation engineering Lab Report

Control & instrumentation engineering - Lab Report Example Also, the machine runs on all types of quality of clothes and has no effect on the lower quality It is also assumed that the input from the environment is the same for different environmental conditions with a constant room temperature of 25degrees Celsius. The control program is also assumed to be an open loop control system where by the input data is generated from sensors within the machine, thus errors that might occur due to the incorrect measurements are accounted for within the control Laplace transforms equation. His allows for a smooth operation with little disruptions from the interrupts to the system as a result of input values. The open nature of the control loop subjects the system to technical errors such as the continuous gain in the systems hence the project assumes they are accounted for by the Laplace transform equation. The program is expected to respond in real time to changes in the variables from its environment. Once the door is opened, no response is expected until the door is closed and a start button is pressed where the start and locked led lights are automatically switched on. This is a response from the input and a state indicator of the processing activity. All the buttons are linked through a PLC link and act as sensors in this project where the user determines the exact input values. Automatically the machine picks up the signal to switch the hot valve and the tub fillings function. The output is documented by the lighting of the light emitting diodes on machine display panel. An input to show that the liquid sensor detector indicates the tub is full and turns on a light emitting diodesindicating the tub is half full. However, in a manual setting the sensor runs automatically sending a signal to the open loop control system. After a set time expected of the final washing machine the tub full button is pressed which allows for the signal to change and show a tub full signal and subsequently initiating a

Beowulf Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beowulf Comparison - Essay Example Characterization entailed the poet’s imagination and the themes around those times with most poems having protagonists and antagonists. This is why the poems had aspects of heroes, battles, bravery, loyalty, feuds, meditations on fate and life including harsh aspects such as exile, monsters, as well as transience and treasure. ‘Beowulf’ is no different from Old English poems, one of them being ‘Battle of Maldon’. Both poems are written in Old English, which uses a different kind of grammar from the modern one. ‘Battle of Maldon’ is an old English poem written in Anglo-Saxon style (Bowman 91-115). The old English evolved to what is spoken in the present times and tended to be Germanic while exhibiting minimal French and Latin influence. In order to understand the poem in a deeper sense, students should be somehow familiar with Anglo-Saxon poetry rudiments. Anglo-Saxon poets used alliterative verse. This form of verse uses alliteration as the major stylistic device to join lines of poetry. This is the opposite of devices used in structuring rhymes. In alliteration, the a-verse or first half of a line is linked with the b-verse or second half via similar initial sounds. Additionally, a caesura divides the two halves. This is a pause usually represented in the form of a gap appearing on a page. The poems have reduced elements of internal rhyme but have repeated phrases, which they reused. Both ‘Battle of Maldon’ and ‘Beowulf’ are a series of stanzas, which narrate of heroic, mythical events from a Germanic past and end with the poet’s plight. The Anglo-Saxon style depicts a form known as accentual verse with four beats in each line meaning every half line has two beats. Alliteration is fulfilled in the poem through use of epithets, which is a formula of pronunciation different from the modern English. Another significant stylistic device in Beowulf is the

Marketing strategies of automobile companies Research Paper

Marketing strategies of automobile companies - Research Paper Example In this context, it can also be stated that when applying its penetration strategy, the company plans to launch its products at higher prices to the prevalent high income group customers, in order to attract them in the US luxury car markets (Basuki, 2008). Moreover, the organization is also focusing on product line development through design differentiation and fuel efficiency strategies, which would be beneficial for the organization in obtaining better sales revenue and environmental competence, thus obtaining both profit and sustainable growth (Clothier, 2013). Similarly, BMW is also planning for developing and expanding its product line as well as technology efficiency strategies by launching various luxurious models in the US market by the year end 2013. Furthermore, it is also planning for continuous expansion in its future marketing performances. This would also facilitate the organization to gain greater profits by delivering quality assurance to the customers in terms of fu el efficiency and environmental accountability. Another globally reputed automotive brand, Audi is also reported to be focusing on technology efficiency strategies in its marketing plans. As revealed in the article, the company plans to implement this particular strategy by introducing various models such as A6 and A7 Sedans along with Q5 SUV by 2014. The implementation of these marketing strategies would facilitate customers in purchasing quality cars according to their demands owing to the wide variety of the company’s product line, which, in turn, shall ultimately lead towards its better profits and sustainability for the organizations (Clothier, 2013). In reference to marketing strategies identified in Clothier (2013), it can be observed that most of the... Similarly, BMW is also planning for developing and expanding its product line as well as technology efficiency strategies by launching various luxurious models in the US market by the year end 2013. Furthermore, it is also planning for continuous expansion in its future marketing performances. This would also facilitate the organization to gain greater profits by delivering quality assurance to the customers in terms of fuel efficiency and environmental accountability. Another globally reputed automotive brand, Audi is also reported to be focusing on technology efficiency strategies in its marketing plans. As revealed in the article, the company plans to implement this particular strategy by introducing various models such as A6 and A7 Sedans along with Q5 SUV by 2014. The implementation of these marketing strategies would facilitate customers in purchasing quality cars according to their demands owing to the wide variety of the company’s product line, which, in turn, shall ul timately lead towards its better profits and sustainability for the organizations (Clothier, 2013).In reference to marketing strategies identified in Clothier (2013), it can be observed that most of the automobile companies are emphasizing on innovative marketing through technology advancements, brand positioning through customer oriented planning as well as competitive promotion of the planned launches (Lokhande & Rana, 2012). For instance, most of the leading car companies such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi are focusing on innovative product.

MGMT 4350 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MGMT 4350 - Essay Example and the processes of change and transition in order to articulate all the available mental and physical resource to ensure that the process goes on seamlessly. This paper seeks to discuss the various factors worth considering while managing change and transition. Particularly, the paper will focus on managing an organization culture transition in a student organization in which I am the leader. Â   The change transition objective is to change the organizational culture of our students’ organization. The university requires that students form a student union that will be mandated with the responsibility of representing the issues to the university management board. The student union is a leadership team selected, through voting, by the university students. The university implemented the student union in early 1950s. Therefore, most of the organizational culture of the student union reflects the ideas that the university senate had in 1950s. The university and world at large has undergone tremendous changes in various facets of life. Many changes have occurred in the management styles due to improvement in technology and the emergence of new theories and models of leadership. Therefore, the student union has been left behind with its old organizational culture when other universities have embraced the power of information technology in management. In order to make the stu dent union to cope with the challenges of modernity, the organizational culture needs to be changed from the conventional leadership culture to technologically powered type of organizational culture. The transition seeks to transform the student union from conventional based to technologically based organizational culture. The student union is ripe and ready for transition. Indeed, the challenges that the student union is facing is overwhelming. The conventional type of organizational culture has become a burden for the student union in terms of meeting its obligations. Since the student union is

Delegating responsibilities is the key to effective management Assignment

Delegating responsibilities is the key to effective management - Assignment Example ted in many organizations, resulting in role duplication, confusion and overlaps that cause conflicts between members of an organization, and also results in inefficient use of manpower (Rao & Krishna, 2005:412). Thus, possessing the right delegation skills is very important, since poor delegation can be very disruptive and even destructive of an organization. Good delegation is associated with developing people within the organization to achieve their maximum potential, motivating workers and enhancing teamwork. In addition, effective delegation is a prerequisite for grooming the right successor to a management or any other relevant organizational position (Agarwal, 1986:172). This way, delegating responsibilities does not only make the management of an organization very effective, but it also helps in saving both time and resources, which would be applied towards training different organizational members for different leadership positions in the organization. On the other hand, the failure to delegate responsibilities effectively can cause frustration, de-motivation and confusion, which end up in a cycle of organizational conflicts and poorly accomplished tasks (Muir, 1995:6). Therefore, delegating responsibilities is not the key to effective management per se, but the effectiveness with which such delegation is done. This makes delegation skills a very important management skill that is worth improving for the managers (DuBrin, 2012:287). In fact, delegating responsibilities does not only help the management to share tasks and activities and have them accomplished, but is also the basis of the futuristic strategy for succession planning and personal development, and a necessary pre-condition for awarding promotions (Rao & Krishna, 2005:408). In this respect, through effective delegation of responsibilities, the management is able to solve several organizational issues that would require individual investment of time and resources. Thus, delegation is the

Forecasting key financial variables in Shariah Based Financial Research Paper

Forecasting key financial variables in Shariah Based Financial instruments - Research Paper Example ique, yield to worst (YTW) to indicate the lowest expected yield, it was observed that a normalized value of 2.57% was at stake hence, investments were likely to yield 97.43% of the expected value at maturity. Based on 1-3 year investment and normal investments, balanced scorecard analysis Evaluateed that variable-income investment was much flexible but volatile to market shocks. On the other hand, it is observed that long-term fixed-income securities are much reliable but earn little income since they are not flexible. In the United States, the population of Muslims has increased dramatically since the past twenty years. Further, there are strong indications that the wealth of the population has also grown more rapidly. In turn, the United States has developed a market for financial and banking alternatives that are compliant with the Shariah principles, as well as the religious and moral law of the Islam. The concept of Shariah compliant or Islamic finance is typically based on the core tenets of the Islamic religion pertaining to property rights, economic and social justice, and distribution of wealth as well as its governance. Among the fundamental features of the Islamic finance system is the Prohibition of Gharar (ambiguous deals and contracts) and Riba that is interested (Kabir and Mahlkrecht 201, 74). According to proponents, Islamic finance significantly contributes to the global financial system stability. Apparently, the performance as well as the relative stability of the Islamic banks and financial institutions frequently originate from the unique features of the financial instruments they provide. The Islamic finance system insists on asset backing as well as the principle of risk sharing. This helps in ensuring the direct connection between the activities of the real sector and financial transactions. In this case, this paper focuses on quantitative forecasting and analyzing volatility of Sukuk financial instrument by considering benchmarking and

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 91

Assignment Example In the opinion of court â€Å"pain and suffering† and â€Å"mental suffering† are core elements of damage. In that regard, they lead to personal injury as well as malicious prosecution cases. Therefore, failure of the insurer to owner the insurance contract caused the plaintiff to suffer emotionally due to the that she was in dare need money to support her family, thus inviting the â€Å"compromise† of her claim. The issue is whether the plaintiff who is the beneficiary of the estate. That is insurance policy cover of her deceased husband suffered any loss after as a result of denial compensation by the insurer on her bide thereof. The court also adopted objective standard to measure the severe emotional distress suffered by plaintiff due to the variation of mental consequences suffered by individuals in justification of their decision. This case is governed by Illinois law as abases in determining the matter at hand in recover the damages suffered by plaintiff due to a sever distress. There are also some cases of this similar which have been handle by the supreme court of Illinois, it now become prudent to make such presumption based on references thereto. The information in paragraph 8 has been organized in way that produce a clear picture in elaborating the issue and facts that would substantiate the matter alleged. The connector; â€Å"as to the reason that† has been used to transition from one element of other parts of the paragraph to another. The California court case of Siliznoff, Crisci, and Fletcher, are very precedence in determining the alleged act of insurer in law of tort. In these cases the judgment was affirmed by the supreme court of California where a damage of $25,000 was paid in compensation of mental suffering caused by insurance company in their refusal to owner the settlement within the limit of the liability policy. The objective of procuring the insurance

The Gileadean regime and how are these portrayed Essay Example for Free

The Gileadean regime and how are these portrayed Essay There are also few occasions in the telling of her story where Offred seems almost inconsolable through sheer desperation as a result of the lack of normality in her life, I want her back (her mother), I want everything back, the way it was. She is desperate to escape from this regime which has bound her to such alienation. She wants to love and be loved once again. When Offred looks inside herself in her moments of nostalgia, she does find a set of memories that allow her to recall a sense of herself. She can remember her job, her love for her husband, her daughter, her mother, her friends; particularly Moira, her education and the successes and failures of everyday life. Throughout the book she tries to hold on to these, but eventually they begin to fade away. Luke and her daughter slip into past tense. She fears that she is finally betraying Luke when she has her affair with Nick, and she feels erased by time, no longer a presence in her daughters existence. I sit in the chair and think about the word chair. It can also mean the leader of a meeting. It can also mean a mode of execution. It is the first syllable in charity On many occasions throughout the novel Offred plays with language. Language is one of the central symbolic themes of the novel and it is something that is restricted and demoted in Gilead. Barbara Hill Rigney2 described Atwoods use of such a mechanism in the Handmaids Tale to represent Offreds oppression as: Language is a fragile protest, but it represents the only salvation possible. I believe this is absolutely true in that Offred being able to relate her story to somebody else is what keeps her sane. It gives her some form of escape where she does not have to be someone she isnt, yet she can choose to be exactly what she wants; its her story, her choices. According to Amin Malik1 what makes Atwoods book such a moving tale is its clever technique in presenting the heroine initially as a vice like sleepwalker conceiving disjointed perceptions of its surroundings, as well as flashing reminiscences about a bygone life. As the scenes gather more details and momentum, Offreds narrative transfigures into a full roundedness that parallels her maturing comprehension of what is happening around her. Atwood skilfully manipulates the time sequence between Offreds past (pre-Gilead) and the present: those shifting reminiscences offer glimpses of a life, though not ideal, still filled with energy, creativity, humaneness and a sense of selfhood, a life that sharply contrasts with the alienation, slavery and suffering under totalitarianism. 1. Amin Malik, Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and the Dystopian Tradition, 1987 2. Barbara Hill Rigney- Atwood Critic Published by Macmillan Press 1987. Dec 2003 Miss. Slocombe Nasima Begum 12B Pg 1 of 3 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

Inter-Professional Education, Working and Learning

Inter-Professional Education, Working and Learning What do you understand by the terms inter professional education (IPE), inter professional working (IPW) and enquiry based learning (EBL)? Discuss the potential benefits and difficulties associated with them The modern NHS is constantly evolving and arguably has done so since its inception. This evolution has been on many different levels. In this essay we shall consider some of the changes in the professional working and learning practices of the nurse with consideration of the topics of inter professional education (IPE), inter professional working (IPW) and enquiry based learning (EBL). We shall consider each in turn and then examine its relevance to modern day practice. Interprofessional education (IPE), IPE has been defined in a number of ways. One of the most complete is: The application of principles of adult learning to interactive, group-based learning, which relates collaborative learning to collaborative practice within a coherent rationale which is informed by understanding of interpersonal, group, inter-group, organisational and inter-organisational relations and processes of professionalisation. (Gough D.A et al. 2003) When reading the literature on the subject, one quickly becomes aware that there are a number of commonly used terms that are virtually synonymous with IPE, and contribute to the â€Å"semantic quagmire† referred to in the McPhearson paper (discussed later) that surrounds terms such as multi-disciplinary learning and multi-professional education. (Scottish Office 1998). In broad terms they describe the process whereby two (or more) professions or disciplines come together for the purposes of learning (Jackson, N et al. 2004). The important functional features of such a system are not that the individuals concerned learn the same material together but that there is a learning both about and from each other to improve collaboration and the overall quality of care provided and it is this latter feature which distinguishes the term IPE from the rest of the group mentioned earlier. (NCIHE 1997) The emergence of multidisciplinary teamwork and the seamless interface concepts (Yura H et al. 1998) have highlighted the need for smoother integration of both processes and knowledge (as well as other less tangible concepts such as mutual respect and understanding) between the caring professions. (CAIPE 1997) Quite apart from the ideological requirement for such processes to be adopted, we note that there is an increased pressure of guidances coming from central sources, primarily the Dept. of Health, that specify IPE as essential to the task of healthcare professionals and also a number of enquiry reports (such as the Kennedy report and other in the field of child abuse and mental health such as the Laming inquiry (2003)) that have highlighted the need for strengthening both IPE and interprofessional working Interprofessional Working (IPW) IPW is, to a large extent, a direct and natural consequence from the adoption of the concepts of IPE. (Molyneux J 2001). In essence, it describes the process of healthcare professionals collaborating in working together more effectively to improve the quality of patient care thereby allowing for both flexible and coordinated services and a skilled and responsive workforce. (McNair R et al. 2001). We should note that the adoption of IPW is seen as a key element in the optimum working of multidisciplinary team working which allows healthcare professionals to work competently and confidently across previously defined professional boundaries and it enables effective role substitution (Finch J et al. 2000) Enquiry based learning (EBL) This is essentially a description of a process of learning that is driven by a process of enquiry. It is complementary to the process of project based learning (PBL) which is determined by the end point of the solution of a problem and usually requires the creation of a finished product such as a project report or a dissertation. EBL is characterised by deep involvement and engagement with a complex problem and incorporates structures and forms of support which can help the student carry out their enquiries and can cover a broad spectrum of different approaches. The characteristic feature of this type of structured learning is that the tutor establishes the topic and the student then pursues their own lines of enquiry, both seeking evidence to support their views and also taking responsibility to present this evidence appropriately. In the words of Barrett: It promotes personal research†¦ the student becomes familiar with the multifarious resources at their disposal such as e-journals and databases. There is the opportunity to support one another in research and explore different avenues of information. The whole experience becomes one of interchange where students can share opinions, research and experience to achieve an end result. (Barrett et al. 2005) Collaborative working In essence, the forgoing paragraphs all come under the over-reaching concept of collaborative working. This is not an isolated academic concept, it is a very practical one. The literature on the subject is very informative. If we consider a number of specific examples from recent journals, we can cite the paper by Rogowski (J A et al. 2001) which produced an ingenious design of study to assess the degree to which a number of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) could make improvements in both the quality of care and also the economic functioning of their departments by embracing the concept of collaborative multidisciplinary working. Ten NICUs adopted the collaborative multidisciplinary working model and their outcomes were compared with nine â€Å"controls† who did not. The paper is both long and complex and the analysis is exhaustive but, in essence, the authors concluded that such collaborative working practices could certainly achieve cost savings (which were comparativel y easy to quantify). They noted that these were certainly obtainable in the short term and most were sustainable in the long term. They also commented on the improvements in the quality of care parameters (which were much harder to quantify). There was an improvement in a number of indices of quality of care including patient (parent) satisfaction levels, staff satisfaction levels and this was not accompanied by any reduction in clinical outcome. On a wider consideration, one can turn to the paper by Anderson (P et al. 2003) Which describes the WHO’s collaborative survey on the management of alcohol problems in a primary health care setting. The paper starts with the premise that the handling of alcohol-related problems in primary healthcare is poor (and cites many reasons for this). (Aalto, M et al. 2001) . The relevance to our discussions here is that the paper considers the outcomes in this area when such problems are treated by the GP alone and when they are treated by a multidisciplinary primary healthcare team (IPW) and it is clear that the later group has a generally better outcome. These two papers are presented to support the hypotheses that IPW and collaborative working are not simply new mechanisms without foundation or substance, they are a demonstration of their ability to work in a practical field. If we now consider the benefits and shortcomings of IPE and IPW within the context of the modern NHS, we note that there is not only a consideration of the benefits of IPW between the various healthcare professional’s specialties but some authors also call for IPW between those healthcare professionals who work in primary healthcare teams and those who work in a hospital setting. The current structure of the NHS is such that hospital based practitioners tend to train, work, and have their horizons limited by the confines of the hospital environment. When the patient leaves this environment they become â€Å"someone else’s problem† and the care is then taken over by another team of healthcare professionals. Parsell ( G, et al. 1998) calls for both IPE and IPW to accommodate this rather artificial divide and to educate healthcare professionals into the consideration that it is the patient who is the constant factor and that considerable levels of collaborative work ing are required to provide optimum levels of patient care. A more recent paper by McPherson (K et al. 2001) takes this argument a stage further. It is both analytical and well written and the authors have an impressive pedigree (two professors of medicine and a lecturer in health administration). The paper puts education at the centre of the modernisation debate They make the very pertinent observation: Most health needs require the collaboration of a group of health professionals. The professionals involved may work together in the same space or be scattered throughout several hospital departments or sectors of care. Whether or not the caregivers see themselves as part of a team, each patient depends on the performance of the whole. The paper then makes a number of analyses form both practical experience of the authors and the current literature. They suggest that, in order to work well a work group or team should have the following characteristics: Clear aim: shared understanding of goals. Clear processes: knowledge of (and respect for) others contributions, good communication, conflict management, matching of roles and training to the task. (Headrick L A et al. 1998) Flexible structures that support such processes: skilled staff, appropriate staffing mix, responsive and proactive leadership that emphasises excellence, effective team meetings, documentation that facilitates sharing of knowledge, access to needed resources, and appropriate rewards. (Firth-Cozens J 2000) The authors cite an impressive and persuasive evidence base that IPW and collaborative working have been demonstrated to produce patient benefit in a number of specific areas including reduced mortality for the elderly. (Rubenstein L Z et al. 1991), morbidity after CVA (Langhorne P et al. 2001) and mortality after CABG (OConnor G T et al. 1996) to mention just three. Despite these clear and demonstrable benefits, the authors make the point that IPW is not just something that happens when professional training is completed, it should ideally be considered as part of a continuum of learning starting with the pre-qualification experience, continuing into postgraduate education, and extending into continuing professional development. They make a call (which has been echoed by many others viz. CGME 2000) for learning in the field of healthcare to be about healthcare as a whole, rather than a series of disjointed â€Å"chapters† in order to help the developing healthcare professionals to acquire a deeper understanding of the processes of care and also to prepare the professionals to be in a better position to contribute to the development of a better system in the fullness of time One of the impediments to a wholehearted embracing of these concepts is perhaps a clinging onto the older concepts of trying to blur boundaries between what a nurse and a doctor might do or perhaps how an occupational therapist or a psychologist might approach management issues. It seems to be a fundamental issue that need to collectively understand the different ways of thinking and problem solving that the different specialties require so that the different skills and knowledge bases can be combined in a way that benefits patients. (Koppel I et al. 2001) Part of the requirement of the writing of this essay is to reflect on the experiences gained in the EBL group work and the learning derived from the research for this essay. Gibbs reflective model is ideal for this purpose. The descriptive elements are largely contained within this essay and, in addition, my experiences within the various groups. It has to be said that the groups that I was involved with were largely harmonious and entered into the various learning exercises in a spirit of self-help. I am aware however, that a number of the other groups did not share this experience and I have been told about a number of heated discussions that apparently tool place within these other groups. My feelings are that instinctively I find the former more conducive to a positive learning experience. Although it can be useful to enter into a heated debate on a subject, it rarely helps to persuade you to a different point of view. (Taylor, E. 2000). The evaluation of the episode was that it gave me a personal insight into how other healthcare professionals consider and manage problems in their own sphere and, as such, I feel that I have learned a great deal and formed a deeper understanding of their perceptions and knowledge of certain issues. In terms of what I might have done differently, I believe that I was able to assimilate a great deal of useful information from these groups which will almost certainly help me in my professional career. On reflection, I think that I was not as vociferous as I might have been in putting my own viewpoint forward, and it occurred to me that the other healthcare professionals in the group may therefore not have had the same opportunity to assimilate my particular viewpoints and opinions and may therefore have been disadvantaged by this. (Palmer 2005). It is certainly clear to me that there is considerable benefit to be obtained in both IPE and IPW and the mechanism of EBL is a valuable tool to obtaining that benefit. In terms of a discrete action plan, I have every intention of engaging as fully as I can in any further measures in this regard and will try to make my own viewpoint available for others to assess and assimilate as actively as I have tried to assess and assimilate theirs. (Van Manen, M. 1997). I feel that this is a positive step in making all of us more fully professional and able to contribute more fully to the healthcare systems that we will eventually work in. References Aalto, M., Pekuri, P. and Seppa K. (2001)  Primary health care nurses and physicians attitudes, knowledge and beliefs regarding brief intervention for heavy drinkers.  Addiction 96 : 305–311 Anderson P, Eileen Kaner, Sonia Wutzke, Michel Wensing, Richard Grol, Nick Heather, and John Saunders 2003 ATTITUDES AND MANAGEMENT OF ALCOHOL PROBLEMS IN GENERAL PRACTICE: DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON FINDINGS OF A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE SURVEY Alcohol Alcohol., November/December 2003 ; 38 : 597 601. Barrett T, MacIbrahim I, Fallon H (eds) 2005  Handbook of enquiry and problem based learning  Galaway : CELT 2005 CAIPE (1997)  Interprofessional Education A Definition.  CAIPE Bulletin. No. 13, 19. CGME 2000  Council on Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. Collaborative education to ensure patient safety: report to US Department of Health and Human Services and Congress. A Report on a Joint COGME-NACNEP meeting and implications of the IOM Report. Washington, DC: Health Resources and Services Administration, 2000 : 9–18. Finch J, May C Mair F et al 2000  Interprofessional education and teamworking: a view from the education providers.  British Medical Journal 321 : 1138-40. Firth-Cozens J. 2001  Multidisciplinary teamwork: the good, bad, and everything in between.  Quality in Health Care 2001 ; 10 : 65–6. Gibbs, G 1988  Learning by doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning methods EMU Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. 1988 Gough D.A., Kiwan D., Sutcliffe K., Simpson D. Houghton N. (2003).  A systematic map and synthesis review of the effectiveness of personal development planning for improvement student learning  London : EPPICentre, Social Science Research Unit. 2003 Headrick L A, Wilcock O M, Batalden P B. 1998  Interprofessional working and continuing medical education.  British Medical Journal 1998 ; 316 : 771–4 Jackson, N. Ward, R. 2004  A fresh perspective on progress files. A way of representing complex learning and achievement in higher education  Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education Vol. 29 : No. 4, August 2004. Koppel I, Barr H, Reeves S, et al. 2001  Establishing a systematic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of interprofessional education.  Issues in Interdisciplinary Care 2001 ; 3 : 41–9. Laming, Lord. 2003  The Victoria Climbie inquiry: report of an inquiry by Lord Laming.  London: The Stationery Office. 2003 Langhorne P, Duncan P. 2001  Does the organization of postacute stroke care really matter?  Stroke 2001 ; 32 : 268–74. McNair R, Brown R Stone N et al (2001)  Rural interprofessional education: promoting teamwork in primary health care education and practice.  Australian Journal of Rural Health 9 : s19-s26. McPherson K, L Headrick, and F Moss 2001 Working and learning together: good quality care depends on it, but how can we achieve it? Qual. Health Care, Dec 2001 ; 10 : 46 53. Molyneux, J. (2001)  Interprofessional teamworking:what makes teams work well?  Journal of interprofessional care. vol. 15. (1) p29-35. NCIHE 1997  The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1997) Higher education in the learning society : Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into higher Education  London : HMSO. 1997 OConnor G T, Plume S K, Olmstead E M, et al. 1996  A regional intervention to improve the hospital mortality associated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. JAMA 1996 ; 275 : 841–6  Palmer 2005  In Learning about reflection from the student Bulpitt and Martin Active Learning in Higher Education. 2005 ; 6 : 207-217.  Parsell G and J Bligh 1998 Interprofessional learning Postgrad. Med. J., Feb 1998 ; 74 : 89 95. Rogowski J A, Jeffrey D. Horbar, Paul E. Plsek, Linda Schuurmann Baker, Julie Deterding, William H. Edwards, James Hocker, Anand D. Kantak, Patrick Lewallen, William Lewis, Eugene Lewit, Connie J. McCarroll, Dennis Mujsce, Nathaniel R. Payne, Patricia Shiono, Roger F. Soll, and Kathy Leahy 2001 Economic Implications of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Collaborative Quality Improvement Pediatrics, Jan 2001 ; 107 : 23 29. Rubenstein L Z, Stuck A E, Siu A L, et al. 1991  Impacts of geriatric evaluation and management programs on defined outcomes: overview of the evidence.  J Am Geriatr Soc 1991 ; 39 : 8–16S ; discussion 17–18S. Scottish Office (1998)  Higher Education for the 21st Century: Response to the Garrick Report.  London: HMSO. 1998 Taylor, E. (2000).  Building upon the theoretical debate: A critical review of the empirical studies of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory.  Adult Education Quarterly, 48 (1) , 34-59. Van Manen, M. (1997)  Linking Ways of Knowing with Ways of being Practical.  Curriculum Inquiry 6 (3) , 205-228. Yura H, Walsh M. 1998  The nursing process. Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating. 5th edition. Norwalk, CT: Appleton Lange, 1998. ################################################################ 19.11.06 Word count 3,069 PDG.

The Role That Perception Plays Psychology Essay

The Role That Perception Plays Psychology Essay To a great extent, our behavior is fashioned by our perceptions, personalities, emotions and experiences. In this essay, the role that perception plays in affecting the way that we see the world and its impact on our work related behaviors will be examined. Perception is the process by which individuals select, organize, and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment (Ivancevich, Konopaske, Matteson). Perception and reality however can be two entirely different things and in addition to this, the perceptions of two or several different people will very rarely be the same even when reflecting back on the same incident or event. It can therefore be argued that the accuracy of ones interpretation of a given situation will determine the effectiveness of their response to it and essentially, the outcome. This is why perception is an essential factor to be considered when examining Organizational Behavior. More often than not a manager is rated differently by his or her subordinates. The importance of taking perception into consideration in an organization cannot be overlooked by the managers themselves. The way a manger perceives an employee within an organization should not be influenced by their stature or position as with different situations for which perceptions have to be primarily based as closely as possible on solid facts. The below table depicts significant mean differences of perception between supervisors and their subordinates on a scale from 1-5. On these grounds, three distinct factors that contribute to perceptual differences and the perceptual process among people at work arise: The Perceiver (Factors of influence: past experiences, needs or motives, personality, values and attitudes). The Situation or Setting (Factors of influence: physical, social, and organizational). The Perceived or Object/Target (Factors of influence: characteristics of the perceived person, object, or event, such as contrast, intensity, figure/ground separation, size, motion, and repetition or novelty). It must not however be overlooked that although these factors help in shaping the perception of individuals, they may also sometimes distort such perceptions. Fig 2 (Kondalkar 2007, p.117) THE PERCEPTUAL PROCESS There are several stages that determine a subjects perception and reaction as a result of processing information; these information processing stages are best depicted in the following figure. The information-processing stages are divided into information attention and selection; organization of information; information interpretation; and information retrieval. Fig 3 (Schermerhorn,, Grant Osborn 2002, p.32) Our senses are repeatedly overloaded with too much information to process, unless our minds are selective in what to absorb and what to overlook we would quickly become debilitated as a result of this overload of information. Much of this mental sieving is done consciously and the perceiver is full-aware that they are processing information. This function of the mind is referred to by Schermerhorn, Grant Osborn as selective screening. On the other hand, this selective screening process can take place sub-consciously without the awareness of the perceiver. When the mind is functioning like this, it is normally whilst performing a task such as walking and talking on ones mobile phone at the same time, in other words, walking devoid of consciously thinking of the act walking. The ability of the mind to slip out of this sub-conscious state is there in event of a non-routine occurrence, however if not done quickly enough an accident can occur. Despite selective screening taking place in the attention stage, it is still necessary for this information to be organized in such a way that it can be retrieved efficiently. Cognitive frameworks known as schemas help us achieve this by acquiring knowledge through experience. A self schema is created by ones self awareness and is rooted around their appearance, behavior and personality. A person schema refers to the way by which one tends to categorize others based on prominent features normally regarding such demographic characteristics as gender, age, able-bodiedness, and racial and ethnic groups; this is commonly referred to as stereotyping or prototyping. Once this stereotype is created it is then stored in the long term memory for future reference. Once formed a stereotype may be difficult to change and will tend to last a long time (Schermerhorn,, Grant Osborn). On this note it can be said that our tendency to create stereotypes can be attributed to our memories oversimplifying of processed information in order to prevent overloading. A script schema is the mental acquisition of the necessary steps which need to be taken in order to complete a given task (based on experience), such as a manager running a meeting. Finally, person in situation schemas are combinational and are built around people (self and person schemas) and events (script schemas). As is made apparent in the above figure, schemas have a powerful impact on the organizational and other stages of the perception process. Schemas are primarily automatic and sub-conscious responses that free up space in order to maximize ones mental capacity for controlled processing. From the moment that ones mind is drawn in by a stimulus and this information has been processed the next course of action is to expose the underlying reasons behind it. This is otherwise known as interpretation. This method of deduction applied the same situation by two different people will not necessarily lead to the same interpretation. To utilize information stored in ones memory it has to be retrieved. This is depicted by the retrieval step in the above figure. From time to time all of us have difficulty with the recollection of stored information in our memories, more precisely, our memories tend to crumble and only provide us with partial bits of the information we are attempting to recall. Schemas play an important role in this as they make it difficult for us to remember traits or characteristics not relatable to ourselves. PERCEPTUAL DISTORTIONS It should now be clear that varying viewpoints in perception result in different people seeing different things and consequently attaching different meanings to the same stimuli. When examining the dynamic between the perceiver and the other subject, the accuracy of interpersonal perception and judgments made can be influenced by factors such as the nature of the relationship between the two parties, the order and amount of information received by the perceiver and the overall extent of interaction. There are five main features that can lead to perceptual problems: Stereotyping Stereotyping is the tendency that people have to attach positive or negative labels on others based around their own personalized process of categorization and perceived similarities. This perception is normally centered on what is expected, in this respect, by the perceiver. As mentioned earlier on, stereotyping or prototyping is the minds way of simplifying its intake of stimuli in order to prevent overloading itself (a form of selective screening). The perceiver will tend to place the subject into a preconceived group in which they feel that they best fit. Therefore questionable pre-judgments are formed. Despite the fact that this process condenses information stored in the memory, some extremely negative implications arise which can lead to situations of bigotry or bias. At the workplace, stereotyping can have negative effects on an employee as a negative preconception will normally have the capability to stick and as a result stigmatize and hinder the subjects career. The Halo Effect The Halo Effect occurs when one single characteristic of a person or situation is used by the perceiver to create an overall image or impression. This effect triggers the shutting out of any other relevant characteristics. A specific negative impact of The Halo Effect is what Mullins refers to as perceptual blindness, more specifically this is when rash judgments are made and other important stimuli are simply overlooked as a result of utilizing only what is readily available at that instance. Another phenomenon known as the Rusty Halo Effect exists; this is where general judgments are made on what can be justified and isolated incidents and a person subjected to this can be wrongfully branded as something that they are not. Perceptual Defense Perceptual Defense is a mechanism that surfaces when someone unknowingly or knowingly filters out specific parameters from a given situation that they may find threatening or intimidating. This inadvertently leads to people selectively striking from their minds information that does not support their opinions or points if view. Projection Perception is distorted by feelings and emotions. Projection can result from people overemphasizing undesirable traits that they see in others, whilst at the same time; refuse to see such traits in themselves. Projection also implies attributing or projecting ones own feelings, motives or characteristics to other people (Mullins). This implies that people will tend to be more favorable towards others who seem to be more relatable to them in terms of character, emotional state or momentary state of mind. According to Freud, projection is a means by which we protect ourselves from acknowledging that we possess undesirable traits and assign them in exaggerated amounts to other people. The Self Fulfilling Prophecy This phenomenon arises when a person or situation is hijacked by the misconception of the perceiver or perceivers and consequently ends up becoming that very delusion. This can be attributed to peoples strong desire to validate their own perceptions whilst disregarding the actual reality of the situation. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT In certain situations, we all attempt to depict our attitudes, personality and competence to others by putting particular emphasis on the way that we physically present ourselves. A job interview is a common example of this; which is referred to as impression management. In the forming of an impression, more emphasis is put on some bits of information than others. It has been proven through research that truly first impressions count, this is formally known as the primacy effect. Interestingly enough, it has also been proven that a negative impression is less likely to change than a positive one. DISTORTION MANAGEMENT In a healthy working environment, the collective perceptual process, at some level should be regulated or supervised. This responsibility, known as distortion management, falls to the managers and supervisors of an organization. A manager who successfully practices distortion management should willfully balance conscious and sub-conscious (automatic and controlled) information processing at the attention and selection stage (refer to Fig 3). Responsibilities of theirs such as performance assessment and clear communication require conscious information processing which will potentially be a hindrance to other job responsibilities. Together with this, managers should strive toward seeking out disconfirming information (concerning previous deductions that they have reached in assessing a subordinate or situation) that will help level out their typical perception of information, thereby avoiding bias. Particular care has to be taken when considering the range of schemas and stereotypes at the information organizing stage. A manager should make a point to expand on his/her schemas and even consider replacing them all together with more precise or wholesome ones. Additionally they should acknowledge that the retrieval stage of the memory can be imprecise. With this in mind a manager should never rely too much on schemas and sensitivity toward perceptual distortions should be ever-present. ATTRIBUTION THEORY The attribution theory focuses on how people attempt to understand the causes of a certain event, assess responsibility for the outcomes of the event and evaluate the personal qualities of the people involved in the event. There are internal and external attributions that can be linked to causes of behavior. Internal causes are within the control of the individual, whereas external causes are variables within a persons environment. There are several factors that can influence internal and external attributions these include: Distinctiveness: consistency of a persons behavior across situations. Consensus: likelihood of others responding in a similar way. Consistency: whether an individual responds the same way across time. In addition to these three influences, two errors have an impact on internal versus external determination: The fundamental attribution error: This applies to the evaluation of someone elses behavior whereby success is attributed to situational factors and failure to personal factors. The self-serving bias: This applies to the evaluation of ones own behavior, where success is attributed to personal factors and failure to situational factors. CONCLUSION All problems encountered throughout the course of this paper point directly toward the massive degree of bias which lurks within the perceptual process. Both personally and professionally, people strive to exist in a world ruled by certainty, more specifically their own certainty and it is our individual perceptual systems that oversee this. The underlying absurdity behind all of this is that it is this very idea that is our downfall; as this system is overrun with errors and bias at the same time. And although we are conscious of this and attempt to rectify these glitches, we are essentially working against our perceptual system in its natural state.

P. H. Delamotte Photograph of the Interior of the Crystal Palace Essay

P. H. Delamotte Photograph of the Interior of the Crystal Palace After a successful year of housing the Great Exposition, the Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton was disassembled and moved to Sydenham, where it stood for the next 85 years (Hobhouse, 32). The Palace, built for the 1851 World's Fair in London, was an architectural and engineering wonder modeled after the bridge and train shed construction of the mid-nineteenth century. The structure had been designed to be quickly assembled out of prefabricated members and easily rebuilt elsewhere. Its light construction was made possible to use of thin cast iron prefabricated elements combined with wood and a glazed outer shell. The Crystal Palace housed the most spectacular collection of artistic and industrial wonders ever assembled in one place thus far. Visitors came from all over the world to see this display of power at the "Exhibition of the Works of All Nations" which was organized by Prince Albert and Henry Cole (Beaver, 12). The success of the Crystal Palace that cost "a penny per cubic foot" (Hobhouse, 39) brought Joseph Paxton much praise as well as a knighthood. The structure at Hyde Park was designed as a temporary building, able to be constructed and disassembled easily. During the Great Exposition the Crystal Palace housed the works of craftsmen, engineers and artists. The most popular of these exhibits was a crystal fountain made especially for the exhibition (Beaver, 47). The full 33,000,000 cubic feet of Crystal Palace was filled with displays and people crowding the aisles examining these wonders (Hobhouse, 39). When the Fair closed the fate of the Crystal Palace was a topic of extreme importance. Its popularity was obvious and Paxton suggested transforming... ...reat Britain. London: The Arts Council, 1965. Beaver, Patrick. The Crystal Palace, 1851-1936: a portrait of Victorian enterprise. London, Hugh Evelyn Ltd., 1970. Briggs, Asa. Iron Bridge to Crystal Palace: impact and images of the Industrial Revolution. London: Thames and Hudson in collaboration with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, c1979. Hitchcock, Henry Russell. The Crystal Palace: the structure, its antecedents and its immediate progeny: and exhibition. Northampton, Mass.: Smith College Museum of Art, 1952. Hobhouse, Christopher. 1851 and the Crystal Palace; being an account of the Great Exhibition and its contents; of Sir Joseph Paxton; and the erection, the subsequent history and the destruction of his masterpiece. London, Murray, 1950. Newhall, Beaumont. The History of Photography: from 1839 to the present. New York: Museum of Modern Art. 1982.

To His Coy Mistress - Andrew and Marvell The Flea - Richard Donne :: English Literature

To His Coy Mistress - AndrewMarvell The Flea - RichardDonne Which of the two poets is more likely to succeed in the seduction of the two women? At first glance it seemed to me obvious that Marvell would unquestionably be more successful in seducing the woman. Marvell because he shows more emotion and sincerity (baring the second stanza) towards the woman who he is talking to, however after considering Donne's unorthodox approach I was into rethinking my decision. I do believe however that both men are not as genuine as they look in their attempts to show their 'love' for the women. Donne starts off well in his poem well the tone is bright humorous and intimate. He praises the girl and says that if they had all the time in the world then he wouldn't mind waiting until she loved him. ('Had we but world enough and time, This Coyness lady would be no crime'). This to me is a good way to start, he Marvell keeps the tone light ant affectionate and emotional ('For, Lady you deserve this state, and nor would I love at lower rate.') On the other hand he mentions only her physical beauties and there is no mention of her personality ('Two hundred to adore each breast but thirty thousand to the rest'). Although it keeps an intimate mood it gives a hint that he only wants her for her body i.e. to have sex, and he does not really love her and this could be a vital mistake. Marvell shows a severe sense of sincerity in the last two lines of the second stanza. He moves away from the playful & sexually teasing tone to a more affectionate and loving tone. I believe this is to show a sense of admiration for the woman (For, lady, you deserve this state Nor would I love at lower rate) The language used in the second stanza, together with some strong imagery changes the tone dramatically. The tone is now chilled dark at in a way aggressive ('my echoing song; then worms shall try That long preserved virginity and your quaint honour turned to dust.'). This brings the woman who he is speaking to back from the fantasy world which he talks of in the first stanza, and back to reality. He reminds the woman that life does not last forever and they must make the most of their lives. ('Times winged chariot hurrying near'). In my opinion although this stanza adds an edge to the poem, it severely damages his chances of seducing the woman. The first four lines of the stanza are packed with positive and

How hedge funds are structured Essay

Hedge funds are investment partnerships with the scope of investing in any kind of market securities including real estates, derivatives, currencies, commodities among many others. The funds play essential roles in decreasing the mispricing activities in the financial markets. They are considered significant in the provision of liquidity both during the calm and stressful periods. The funds add depth and scope in the capital markets and provide an important source of transferring and diversifying risks by taking risks that would have instead lingered in the balance sheets of numerous financial organizations. Various brokerages have offered hedge fund among other instruments. Firstly, the regional brokerage offers such instruments because of its potential higher return. Being a limited partnership, the hedge fund only has a little regulation, which means that different investment strategies such as financial leveraged or short positions can be used throughout their investment. They will seek to provide the exploited investment opportunities through different investment vehicles. Involved strategies include ultimate analysis of the publicly traded companies with an emphasis on the small and medium enterprises that are also involved in the conduct of business activities. The modern hedge fund structure includes an incentive-based fee based on a certain percentage of profits and a fee of assets under management. With an excellent performance of a hedge fund manager, the firm can maximize the returns and minimize market risk and thus earn high commissions in both up and down market by picking a good stock. From the history record, the energy prices usually have a high correlation with inflation. In the periods of rising inflation, the energy funds are doing better in the market. Its past performance was unusual in such a volatile and cyclical industry. Thus, it provides investors with a good diversification tool. This is also why such brokerages would like to offer energy fund. For the investors, the hedge funds bring a higher return for them. For the firm, their competitiveness is increased. The hedge funds are vital in maintaining competitive edges in capital markets. Brokerages provide essential research details that attract investors as well as financial capital that fasten economic growth. The dynamic hedge fund reports are provided to show the numbers, size, and locations of the funds. They show experiences of growth over periods of time which is measured either by the number of issued funds or rather the assets that are under the management. In addition to the above, they show the accountability and transparency by offering information associated with the financial health of the types of companies in the target for investment. Regional brokerages offer such instruments to enable investor protection from risks that are associated with hedge funds. It offers a guidelines to investors. The reports show the overvalued and undervalued equity securities. They reveal the funds with highly expected returns which one can invest in. The activist hedge fund intends to increase the benefit of the shareholder through the company ownership and the demands that are made in favor of improving the management and the business strategies.

Creative writing assignment Essay

To describe myself in three adjectives, one of the words would have to be that Im ambitious. To be ambitious is to be eager and greatly desirous. For example, I play on an ice hockey team and lots, if not all, are all skating drills where its really tiring, but yet, the day before practices, I am always excited and eager to play the next day, where I no that many other players hate going to practices. Another example would be that I make many goals that I always try my best to achieve which most of the time motivate me to try even harder. For example, at the beginning of grade seven, I made a goal to be on the honor roll while being on as many school teams as possible for each of my years at junior high, and I achieved that goal with flying colors. This year, my goal is to make it on the honor roll once again and also to be on the junior volleyball school team, and by making that a goal for me, it makes me try even harder to achieve it. The second word I would use to describe myself would be trustworthy. To be trustworthy is to be reliable and to be worthy of confidence. I use this word to describe myself because I am the kind of person that you can trust with anything from something in words or something material. If someone were to tell me something with confidence that I wouldnt tell another person, that someone wouldnt have to worry because I would never break the trust that that someone puts in me. If someone has enough confidence in me to tell me something or ask me to hold something for him or her, it shows me that they have trust in me, to me, that is a big complement, and if I were to break that trust, I would lose that complement forever. For example, my parents trust me enough to stay home alone from time to time, and the only reason they do is because I havent broken their trust before. The third and final word I would use to describe myself is athletic. Unlike the other adjectives I used, athletic is a word that always pops into my head whenever I am asked to describe myself. Although it isnt as deep as the other two, I felt the need to put it as one of my three adjectives because without it, it just doesnt feel like me. The reason I use this word to describe myself is simple, because I play a lot of sports and I enjoy them more then anything. Ive been athletic about all my life, and I feel it is important for everyone to be physically fit especially while youre young, it  makes u feel better about yourself and even has many long term life saving effects.

Martial Law Reflection Paper

Colleen Gatchalian September 17, 2012 II – Ilang-ilang Soc Sci 2 MARTIAL LAW REFLECTION PAPER During our humanities week in my high school, we commemorated the 40th anniversary of Martial Law as the Social Science activity. 1 There were exhibits, rituals, talks, and many experiences shared and throughout all this, I have come to realize how lucky I am, that I have the freedom all those heroes during martial law fought for, without breaking a sweat. 2 I realized how blessed I am, that I can do what I want to do, when I want to, because of heroes who sacrificed their lives for that. 3 I learned about the importance of freedom, love for country, sacrifice, and remembering all those who have done something worthwhile. 4 During the tribute to Pisay martyrs, I really took the time to remember and value everything they did for our country. 5 I still have those rice grains we were asked to keep in my desk drawer, and every day when I open the drawer to get paper or a pen, I always remember what the grains represented – the fruits of the labor that all the martyrs went through. During the talks in the gym and in the small group discussion, I learned about the blood and sweat that all the Filipinos wasted fighting martial law. 7 Honestly, I never think of martial law heroes when I see or hear the word â€Å"hero†, because I mostly think of the heroes from the Spanish era, but then I realized that this was just a modern version of what happened to our country during the Spanish era – the people made so many sacrifices and lived through horrible and torturous times. I learned about all the hardships Filipinos went through, and the many things they weren’t allowed to do, along with the very few things they were actually allowed to do. 9 I do realize that I am only supposed to cite one important thing I learned, but I feel it necessary to enumerate all these, because I feel that they are of equal importance. 10 Freedom is very important, because it is one of the things in life that people look forward too – making their own choices, and doing what they want, when they want. 11 Love for country is also important, because your country is the place where you were born and where you live, you grew up in its culture, and you act like someone who grew up in it; you can’t just throw it aside, rather, you have to fight for it, love it, and honor it, because it is yours. 12 I consider sacrifice as one of the most important things I have learned during the talk, because without sacrifice, there would be no heroes who gave us what we have today. 13 Sacrifice is a virtue we must all have, and something we must use when it comes to people whom we love. 14 Lastly, remembering all our heroes is important, because not all of us will just lay down our lives for our country, because it takes a great deal of love for our country, and of course courage, to sacrifice for one’s country. 15 Just like what Elias said in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, we must â€Å"remember those who fell in the night without seeing the dawn. 16 We have to value all our heroes for what they did, and strive to become like them in serving our country. 17 Assuming I was a Pisay student during the martial law era, I would definitely join an activist group, because I feel that the power the people hold is without a doubt larger than whatever power any leader holds; therefore, if a lot of people revolt against martial law, the time will come when the leader will have to give up and do what the people want, just like what happened during the People Power Revolution. 18 However, inside school, I would start an activist group. 19 I don’t have the courage to start an activist group outside of school because I don’t have the authority and I am not comfortable doing so, but once inside my school, I will do what I want to go against Marcos and his ridiculous martial law declaration. 20 Likewise, I feel that fighting for a cause is more effective if more people unite and do it all together. 21 Being a Pisay student also means being an â€Å"Iskolar ng Bayan†; therefore, I have to fulfill the duties of being an â€Å"Iskolar ng Bayan†. 22 In doing so, I can show my appreciation of the deeds of the heroes and martyrs of Martial Law by always remembering them during National Heroes Day and valuing what they did whenever it’s September 21. 23 Also, I will try to find my own way to serve my country as they did, so to use my talents in a proper way, and to give back to the country that gave me my exceptional high school education. 24 Also, I will bring up the subject of martial law heroes whenever the subject of Filipino heroes comes up and most of all, I will reasure the freedom that I have with all my heart and treat it as the most precious thing I can ever possess to value everything that the heroes and martyrs did for all of us. 25 I can’t begin to imagine a life without freedom. 26 I salute to all the martial law heroes who laid down their lives to give me and every other Filipino the freedom each of us deserves. 27 And so to end my reflection paper, I’d like to say thank you to every hero who gave me my freedom, both named and unnamed. 28

International Data Communications Essay

Just like in end terminal / customer premise equipment (CPE) distribution, countries in European countries experience new applications and data services relatively in the same time with other regions like Asia and North America (USA and Canada). Figure 1 shows the current figure of telephone users in the world based on regions. Figure 1 Main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants (1994 -2004) Source: ITU. â€Å"The Digital Divide at a glance. † 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.itu. int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/stats/ In terms of mobile service penetration rates, Europe is the leader since it currently composes of more than 570 million mobile subscribers and a mobile penetration of over 70%. It leaves other regions behind in mobile penetration rate in which Africa only accounts for 9%, America records 42%, and 19% in Asia Pacific. The high penetration rate has put mobile subscribers in Europe to surpass those in fixed phone lines. This situation also holds true for data communication in the region in which according to ITU (2005), the region has penetration rate above 50%, especially in Western Europe while the rest past of the region only records 20% of Internet penetration rate. However, like its Asian counterparts, some countries in Europe also experiences uneven users since in Russia, for instances, vast majority of subscribers located in large urban centers. 1. M-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges Moreover, the advancement of telecommunications and internet technologies has created new model of commerce, the borderless commerce or e-commerce. The terminology refers to cross-nations or even cross-continents trade and commerce. This development goes further as Internet is accessible not only via desktop computers but also via mobile devices like PDAs and mobile phones. The benefit of using mobile commerce (m-commerce) is attractive. Say, a woman is shopping at a mall and decides to buy some clothes. Unfortunately, when she is at a cahier, she finds that her debit card has no enough balance to pay the clothes or her credit cards are out of limit. In this situation, she called her husband to transfer some money to her account. Although her husband is in a meeting that is far from a bank, he is still able to do the fund transfer by using his mobile phone and log into a bank’s mobile portal. Finally, in few minutes, the woman’s bank account has enough balance to pay the clothes. Similarly, mobile phones can also act as a virtual debit card when it is used as a payment method for vending machines. The method of this transaction is by sending sms (short message services) from users’ mobile phones and typing the short number that is displayed in the vending machines. When the server of the vending machines received this sms, they ask the telecommunication carrier to deduct some amount of money from the person’s prepaid balance or to add a transaction into his next billing statement.

Twilight 22. HIDE-AND-SEEK

22. HIDE-AND-SEEK It had taken much less time than I'd thought – all the terror, the despair, the shattering of my heart. The minutes were ticking by more slowly than usual. Jasper still hadn't come back when I returned to Alice. I was afraid to be in the same room with her, afraid that she would guess†¦ and afraid to hide from her for the same reason. I would have thought I was far beyond the ability to be surprised, my thoughts tortured and unstable, but I was surprised when I saw Alice bent over the desk, gripping the edge with two hands. â€Å"Alice?† She didn't react when I called her name, but her head was slowly rocking side to side, and I saw her face. Her eyes were blank, dazed†¦ My thoughts flew to my mother. Was I already too late? I hurried to her side, reaching out automatically to touch her hand. â€Å"Alice!† Jasper's voice whipped, and then he was right behind her, his hands curling over hers, loosening them from their grip on the table. Across the room, the door swung shut with a low click. â€Å"What is it?† he demanded. She turned her face away from me, into his chest. â€Å"Bella,† she said. â€Å"I'm right here,† I replied. Her head twisted around, her eyes locking on mine, their expression still strangely blank. I realized at once that she hadn't been speaking to me, she'd been answering Jasper's question. â€Å"What did you see?† I said – and there was no question in my flat, uncaring voice. Jasper looked at me sharply. I kept my expression vacant and waited. His eyes were confused as they flickered swiftly between Alice's face and mine, feeling the chaos†¦ for I could guess what Alice had seen now. I felt a tranquil atmosphere settle around me. I welcomed it, using it to keep my emotions disciplined, under control. Alice, too, recovered herself. â€Å"Nothing, really,† she answered finally, her voice remarkably calm and convincing. â€Å"Just the same room as before.† She finally looked at me, her expression smooth and withdrawn. â€Å"Did you want breakfast?† â€Å"No, I'll eat at the airport.† I was very calm, too. I went to the bathroom to shower. Almost as if I were borrowing Jasper's strange extra sense, I could feel Alice's wild – though well-concealed – desperation to have me out of the room, to be alone with Jasper. So she could tell him that they were doing something wrong, that they were going to fail†¦ I got ready methodically, concentrating on each little task. I left my hair down, swirling around me, covering my face. The peaceful mood Jasper created worked its way through me and helped me think clearly. Helped me plan. I dug through my bag until I found my sock full of money. I emptied it into my pocket. I was anxious to get to the airport, and glad when we left by seven. I sat alone this time in the back of the dark car. Alice leaned against the door, her face toward Jasper but, behind her sunglasses, shooting glances in my direction every few seconds. â€Å"Alice?† I asked indifferently. She was wary. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"How does it work? The things that you see?† I stared out the side window, and my voice sounded bored. â€Å"Edward said it wasn't definite†¦ that things change?† It was harder than I would have thought to say his name. That must have been what alerted Jasper, why a fresh wave of serenity filled the car. â€Å"Yes, things change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she murmured – hopefully, I thought. â€Å"Some things are more certain than others†¦ like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds – make a new decision, no matter how small – the whole future shifts.† I nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"So you couldn't see James in Phoenix until he decided to come here.† â€Å"Yes,† she agreed, wary again. And she hadn't seen me in the mirror room with James until I'd made the decision to meet him there. I tried not to think about what else she might have seen. I didn't want my panic to make Jasper more suspicious. They would be watching me twice as carefully now, anyway, after Alice's vision. This was going to be impossible. We got to the airport. Luck was with me, or maybe it was just good odds. Edward's plane was landing in terminal four, the largest terminal, where most flights landed – so it wasn't surprising that his was. But it was the terminal I needed: the biggest, the most confusing. And there was a door on level three that might be the only chance. We parked on the fourth floor of the huge garage. I led the way, for once more knowledgeable about my surroundings than they were. We took the elevator down to level three, where the passengers unloaded. Alice and Jasper spent a long time looking at the departing flights board. I could hear them discussing the pros and cons of New York, Atlanta, Chicago. Places I'd never seen. And would never see. I waited for my opportunity, impatient, unable to stop my toe from tapping. We sat in the long rows of chairs by the metal detectors, Jasper and Alice pretending to people-watch but really watching me. Every inch I shifted in my seat was followed by a quick glance out of the corner of their eyes. It was hopeless. Should I run? Would they dare to stop me physically in this public place? Or would they simply follow? I pulled the unmarked envelope out of my pocket and set it on top of Alice's black leather bag. She looked at me. â€Å"My letter,† I said. She nodded, tucking it under the top flap. He would find it soon enough. The minutes passed and Edward's arrival grew closer. It was amazing how every cell in my body seemed to know he was coming, to long for his coming. That made it very hard. I found myself trying to think of excuses to stay, to see him first and then make my escape. But I knew that was impossible if I was going to have any chance to get away. Several times Alice offered to go get breakfast with me. Later, I told her, not yet. I stared at the arrival board, watching as flight after flight arrived on time. The flight from Seattle crept closer to the top of the board. And then, when I had only thirty minutes to make my escape, the numbers changed. His plane was ten minutes early. I had no more time. â€Å"I think I'll eat now,† I said quickly. Alice stood. â€Å"I'll come with you.† â€Å"Do you mind if Jasper comes instead?† I asked. â€Å"I'm feeling a little†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't finish the sentence. My eyes were wild enough to convey what I didn't say. Jasper stood up. Alice's eyes were confused, but – I saw to my relief- not suspicious. She must be attributing the change in her vision to some maneuver of the tracker's rather than a betrayal by me. Jasper walked silently beside me, his hand on the small of my back, as if he were guiding me. I pretended a lack of interest in the first few airport cafes, my head scanning for what I really wanted. And there it was, around the corner, out of Alice's sharp sight: the level-three ladies' room. â€Å"Do you mind?† I asked Jasper as we passed. â€Å"I'll just be a moment.† â€Å"I'll be right here,† he said. As soon as the door shut behind me, I was running. I remembered the time I had gotten lost from this bathroom, because it had two exits. Outside the far door it was only a short sprint to the elevators, and if Jasper stayed where he said he would, I'd never be in his line of sight. I didn't look behind me as I ran. This was my only chance, and even if he saw me, I had to keep going. People stared, but I ignored them. Around the corner the elevators were waiting, and I dashed forward, throwing my hand between the closing doors of a full elevator headed down. I squeezed in beside the irritated passengers, and checked to make sure that the button for level one had been pushed. It was already lit, and the doors closed. As soon as the door opened I was off again, to the sound of annoyed murmurs behind me. I slowed myself as I passed the security guards by the luggage carousels, only to break into a run again as the exit doors came into view. I had no way of knowing if Jasper was looking for me yet. I would have only seconds if he was following my scent. I jumped out the automatic doors, nearly smacking into the glass when they opened too slowly. Along the crowded curb there wasn't a cab in sight. I had no time. Alice and Jasper were either about to realize I was gone, or they already had. They would find me in a heartbeat. A shuttle to the Hyatt was just closing its doors a few feet behind me. â€Å"Wait!† I called, running, waving at the driver. â€Å"This is the shuttle to the Hyatt,† the driver said in confusion as he opened the doors. â€Å"Yes,† I huffed, â€Å"that's where I'm going.† I hurried up the steps. He looked askance at my luggage-less state, but then shrugged, not caring enough to ask. Most of the seats were empty. I sat as far from the other travelers as possible, and watched out the window as first the sidewalk, and then the airport, drifted away. I couldn't help imagining Edward, where he would stand at the edge of the road when he found the end of my trail. I couldn't cry yet, I told myself. I still had a long way to go. My luck held. In front of the Hyatt, a tired-looking couple was getting their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. I jumped out of the shuttle and ran to the cab, sliding into the seat behind the driver. The tired couple and the shuttle driver stared at me. I told the surprised cabbie my mother's address. â€Å"I need to get there as soon as possible.† â€Å"That's in Scottsdale,† he complained. I threw four twenties over the seat. â€Å"Will that be enough?† â€Å"Sure, kid, no problem.† I sat back against the seat, folding my arms across my lap. The familiar city began to rush around me, but I didn't look out the windows. I exerted myself to maintain control. I was determined not to lose myself at this point, now that my plan was successfully completed. There was no point in indulging in more terror, more anxiety. My path was set. I just had to follow it now. So, instead of panicking, I closed my eyes and spent the twenty minutes' drive with Edward. I imagined that I had stayed at the airport to meet Edward. I visualized how I would stand on my toes, the sooner to see his face. How quickly, how gracefully he would move through the crowds of people separating us. And then I would run to close those last few feet between us – reckless as always – and I would be in his marble arms, finally safe. I wondered where we would have gone. North somewhere, so he could be outside in the day. Or maybe somewhere very remote, so we could lay in the sun together again. I imagined him by the shore, his skin sparkling like the sea. It wouldn't matter how long we had to hide. To be trapped in a hotel room with him would be a kind of heaven. So many questions I still had for him. I could talk to him forever, never sleeping, never leaving his side. I could see his face so clearly now†¦ almost hear his voice. And, despite all the horror and hopelessness, I was fleetingly happy. So involved was I in my escapist daydreams, I lost all track of the seconds racing by. â€Å"Hey, what was the number?† The cabbie's question punctured my fantasy, letting all the colors run out of my lovely delusions. Fear, bleak and hard, was waiting to fill the empty space they left behind. â€Å"Fifty-eight twenty-one.† My voice sounded strangled. The cabbie looked at me, nervous that I was having an episode or something. â€Å"Here we are, then.† He was anxious to get me out of his car, probably hoping I wouldn't ask for my change. â€Å"Thank you,† I whispered. There was no need to be afraid, I reminded myself. The house was empty. I had to hurry; my mom was waiting for me, frightened, depending on me. I ran to the door, reaching up automatically to grab the key under the eave. I unlocked the door. It was dark inside, empty, normal. I ran to the phone, turning on the kitchen light on my way. There, on the whiteboard, was a ten-digit number written in a small, neat hand. My fingers stumbled over the keypad, making mistakes. I had to hang up and start again. I concentrated only on the buttons this time, carefully pressing each one in turn. I was successful. I held the phone to my ear with a shaking hand. It rang only once. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† that easy voice answered. â€Å"That was very quick. I'm impressed.† â€Å"Is my mom all right?† â€Å"She's perfectly fine. Don't worry, Bella, I have no quarrel with her. Unless you didn't come alone, of course.† Light, amused. â€Å"I'm alone.† I'd never been more alone in my entire life. â€Å"Very good. Now, do you know the ballet studio just around the corner from your home?† â€Å"Yes. I know how to get there.† â€Å"Well, then, I'll see you very soon.† I hung up. I ran from the room, through the door, out into the baking heat. There was no time to look back at my house, and I didn't want to see it as it was now – empty, a symbol of fear instead of sanctuary. The last person to walk through those familiar rooms was my enemy. From the corner of my eye, I could almost see my mother standing in the shade of the big eucalyptus tree where I'd played as a child. Or kneeling by the little plot of dirt around the mailbox, the cemetery of all the flowers she'd tried to grow. The memories were better than any reality I would see today. But I raced away from them, toward the corner, leaving everything behind me. I felt so slow, like I was running through wet sand – I couldn't seem to get enough purchase from the concrete. I tripped several times, once falling, catching myself with my hands, scraping them on the sidewalk, and then lurching up to plunge forward again. But at last I made it to the corner. Just another street now; I ran, sweat pouring down my face, gasping. The sun was hot on my skin, too bright as it bounced off the white concrete and blinded me. I felt dangerously exposed. More fiercely than I would have dreamed I was capable of, I wished for the green, protective forests of Forks†¦ of home. When I rounded the last corner, onto Cactus, I could see the studio, looking just as I remembered it. The parking lot in front was empty, the vertical blinds in all the windows drawn. I couldn't run anymore – I couldn't breathe; exertion and fear had gotten the best of me. I thought of my mother to keep my feet moving, one in front of the other. As I got closer, I could see the sign inside the door. It was handwritten on hot pink paper; it said the dance studio was closed for spring break. I touched the handle, tugged on it cautiously. It was unlocked. I fought to catch my breath, and opened the door. The lobby was dark and empty, cool, the air conditioner thrumming. The plastic molded chairs were stacked along the walls, and the carpet smelled like shampoo. The west dance floor was dark, I could see through the open viewing window. The east dance floor, the bigger room, was lit. But the blinds were closed on the window. Terror seized me so strongly that I was literally trapped by it. I couldn't make my feet move forward. And then my mother's voice called. â€Å"Bella? Bella?† That same tone of hysterical panic. I sprinted to the door, to the sound of her voice. â€Å"Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again!† Her voice continued as I ran into the long, high-ceilinged room. I stared around me, trying to find where her voice was coming from. I heard her laugh, and I whirled to the sound. There she was, on the TV screen, tousling my hair in relief. It was Thanksgiving, and I was twelve. We'd gone to see my grandmother in California, the last year before she died. We went to the beach one day, and I'd leaned too far over the edge of the pier. She'd seen my feet flailing, trying to reclaim my balance. â€Å"Bella? Bella?† she'd called to me in fear. And then the TV screen was blue. I turned slowly. He was standing very still by the back exit, so still I hadn't noticed him at first. In his hand was a remote control. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then he smiled. He walked toward me, quite close, and then passed me to put the remote down next to the VCR. I turned carefully to watch him. â€Å"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?† His voice was courteous, kind. And suddenly it hit me. My mother was safe. She was still in Florida. She'd never gotten my message. She'd never been terrified by the dark red eyes in the abnormally pale face before me. She was safe. â€Å"Yes,† I answered, my voice saturated with relief. â€Å"You don't sound angry that I tricked you.† â€Å"I'm not.† My sudden high made me brave. What did it matter now? It would soon be over. Charlie and Mom would never be harmed, would never have to fear. I felt almost giddy. Some analytical part of my mind warned me that I was dangerously close to snapping from the stress. â€Å"How odd. You really mean it.† His dark eyes assessed me with interest. The irises were nearly black, just a hint of ruby around the edges. Thirsty. â€Å"I will give your strange coven this much, you humans can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing – some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interest at all.† He was standing a few feet away from me, arms folded, looking at me curiously. There was no menace in his face or stance. He was so very average-looking, nothing remarkable about his face or body at all. Just the white skin, the circled eyes I'd grown so used to. He wore a pale blue, long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans. â€Å"I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?† he asked, hopefully it seemed to me. â€Å"No, I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to.† â€Å"And what was his reply to that?† â€Å"I don't know.† It was strangely easy to converse with this genteel hunter. â€Å"I left him a letter.† â€Å"How romantic, a last letter. And do you think he will honor it?† His voice was just a little harder now, a hint of sarcasm marring his polite tone. â€Å"I hope so.† â€Å"Hmmm. Well, our hopes differ then. You see, this was all just a little too easy, too quick. To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck.† I waited in silence. â€Å"When Victoria couldn't get to your father, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to come to Phoenix to pay your mother a visit. I'd heard you say you were going home. At first, I never dreamed you meant it. But then I wondered. Humans can be very predictable; they like to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. And wouldn't it be the perfect ploy, to go to the last place you should be when you're hiding – the place that you said you'd be. â€Å"But of course I wasn't sure, it was just a hunch. I usually get a feeling about the prey that I'm hunting, a sixth sense, if you will. I listened to your message when I got to your mother's house, but of course I couldn't be sure where you'd called from. It was very useful to have your number, but you could have been in Antarctica for all I knew, and the game wouldn't work unless you were close by. â€Å"Then your boyfriend got on a plane to Phoenix. Victoria was monitoring them for me, naturally; in a game with this many players, I couldn't be working alone. And so they told me what I'd hoped, that you were here after all. I was prepared; I'd already been through your charming home movies. And then it was simply a matter of the bluff. â€Å"Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping you're wrong about your boyfriend. Edward, isn't it?† I didn't answer. The bravado was wearing off. I sensed that he was coming to the end of his gloat. It wasn't meant for me anyway. There was no glory in beating me, a weak human. â€Å"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little letter of my own for your Edward?† He took a step back and touched a palm-sized digital video camera balanced carefully on top of the stereo. A small red light indicated that it was already running. He adjusted it a few times, widened the frame. I stared at him in horror. â€Å"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add.† He stepped toward me, smiling. â€Å"Before we begin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt a curl of nausea in the pit of my stomach as he spoke. This was something I had not anticipated. â€Å"I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, and I was so afraid Edward would see that and ruin my fun. It happened once, oh, ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me. â€Å"You see, the vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice that your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked – I never will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans – and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the nineteen-twenties it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then.† He sighed. â€Å"I destroyed the old one in vengeance.† â€Å"Alice,† I breathed, astonished. â€Å"Yes, your little friend. I was surprised to see her in the clearing. So I guess her coven ought to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get you, but they get her. The one victim who escaped me, quite an honor, actually. â€Å"And she did smell so delicious. I still regret that I never got to taste†¦ She smelled even better than you do. Sorry – I don't mean to be offensive. You have a very nice smell. Floral, somehow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He took another step toward me, till he was just inches away. He lifted a lock of my hair and sniffed at it delicately. Then he gently patted the strand back into place, and I felt his cool fingertips against my throat. He reached up to stroke my cheek once quickly with his thumb, his face curious. I wanted so badly to run, but I was frozen. I couldn't even flinch away. â€Å"No,† he murmured to himself as he dropped his hand, â€Å"I don't understand.† He sighed. â€Å"Well, I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message.† I was definitely sick now. There was pain coming, I could see it in his eyes. It wouldn't be enough for him to win, to feed and go. There would be no quick end like I'd been counting on. My knees began to shake, and I was afraid I was going to fall. He stepped back, and began to circle, casually, as if he were trying to get a better view of a statue in a museum. His face was still open and friendly as he decided where to start. Then he slumped forward, into a crouch I recognized, and his pleasant smile slowly widened, grew, till it wasn't a smile at all but a contortion of teeth, exposed and glistening. I couldn't help myself- I tried to run. As useless as I knew it would be, as weak as my knees already were, panic took over and I bolted for the emergency door. He was in front of me in a flash. I didn't see if he used his hand or his foot, it was too fast. A crushing blow struck my chest – I felt myself flying backward, and then heard the crunch as my head bashed into the mirrors. The glass buckled, some of the pieces shattering and splintering on the floor beside me. I was too stunned to feel the pain. I couldn't breathe yet. He walked toward me slowly. â€Å"That's a very nice effect,† he said, examining the mess of glass, his voice friendly again. â€Å"I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?† I ignored him, scrambling on my hands and knees, crawling toward the other door. He was over me at once, his foot stepping down hard on my leg. I heard the sickening snap before I felt it. But then I did feel it, and I couldn't hold back my scream of agony. I twisted up to reach for my leg, and he was standing over me, smiling. â€Å"Would you like to rethink your last request?† he asked pleasantly. His toe nudged my broken leg and I heard a piercing scream. With a shock, I realized it was mine. â€Å"Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?† he prompted. â€Å"No!† I croaked. â€Å"No, Edward, don't-† And then something smashed into my face, throwing me back into the broken mirrors. Over the pain of my leg, I felt the sharp rip across my scalp where the glass cut into it. And then the warm wetness began to spread through my hair with alarming speed. I could feel it soaking the shoulder of my shirt, hear it dripping on the wood below. The smell of it twisted my stomach. Through the nausea and dizziness I saw something that gave me a sudden, final shred of hope. His eyes, merely intent before, now burned with an uncontrollable need. The blood – spreading crimson across my white shirt, pooling rapidly on the floor – was driving him mad with thirst. No matter his original intentions, he couldn't draw this out much longer. Let it be quick now, was all I could hope as the flow of blood from my head sucked my consciousness away with it. My eyes were closing. I heard, as if from underwater, the final growl of the hunter. I could see, through the long tunnels my eyes had become, his dark shape coming toward me. With my last effort, my hand instinctively raised to protect my face. My eyes closed, and I drifted.