Cornea Transplant Essay

BIOLOGY ESSAY Discuss the role of Human transplants in society There are many types of organs in our body. Each organ has their own function and they are important. If an organ is damaged or diseased, without medical help, a person could die. The cornea is very special and is an important part of human body. It helps to protect the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. The cornea acts as the eye’s outermost lens. It functions like a window that controls and focuses the entry of light into the eye. The cornea also serves as a filter, screening out some of the mist damaging ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight.Without this protection, the lens and the retina would be highly susceptible to injury from ultraviolet radiation. (SOLL EYE) A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure to replace part of the cornea with corneal tissue from a deceased donor. Cornea transplant apply for people who have vision problem caused by thinning of the cornea, severe infections or injuries to scarring of the cornea or vision loss caused by cloudiness of the cornea. The method of cornea surgery is complex. Sometimes, the body rejects the transplant tissue. This occurs in a small number of patients (The New York Times).It occurs in about one out of three patients in the first five years (Medline Plus). According to Alabama Eye Bank, more than 90% of cornea transplant operations successfully restore the recipient’s vision. Other dangers for a corneal transplant are bleeding, infection of the eye, Glaucoma (high pressure in the eye than can cause vision loss) and swelling of the front of the eye (Medline Plus). Certainly, the medical provider would take every possible precaution to prevent such complications because it can permanently damage the eyes.The surgery consists of the removal of a circular piece of the affected cornea and replacing it with a piece of donor cornea of exactly the same size or shape. It is sewn into place with very fine stitches. Eyes are never removed or replaced during the operation. The body can reject the new cornea sometimes and this is a very negative result of this surgery. 3% to 5% people get scarred and swollen in their eyes after the surgery according to Dr. Paul Driver. However, there are still some positive about the corneal surgery. It mproves people’s vision and has a positive impact on their social and educational development (SOLL EYE). There are many benefits for patients who receive a cornea transplant. The recovery time of corneal transplant is faster than other transplants. People who get the transplant can leave the hospital in a day. With almost all the other surgeries and other transplants, they require people to be hospitalized. Also, the success probability of cornea transplant is higher than other surgeries and patients enjoy good vision for many years (Winchester Hospital). Although the transplant has many benefits, it also has some limitations.In some cases, the body rejec ts the new cornea. Recognizing the warning signs of problems is the best way to prevent corneal transplant rejection. Those symptoms are redness, pain, sensitive to light and decreased vision that last more than 12 hours (Cleveland Clinic). Also, cornea infections are still be a problem that science is trying to prevent. Eye drops are used to prevent infection but also prevent rejection. Rejection can be stopped in most cases, especially if it is diagnosed and treated timely. If treatment fails, another transplant will be needed.However, it is more difficult and the chances of success are not as good as with the first transplant (net doctor). And still, there are cases when a donor cornea cannot be found to use in the transplant, because the donors are not available. In Europe, an Opt-out approach has the greatest impact on the number of preventable deaths that occur because of the lack of donated organs. This approach requires each individual to make a minor action in declaring his or her desire to refrain from donating according to Opt-out laws. Family do not involve in this, it would not make any changes unless that person say no to donation.In the United States, the system is the opposite of Opt-out, and it is called Opt-In. Many states find a way to encourage the donations to be made by allowing the agreement to be noted on the driver’s license. Donor signs up for an individual’s wish to be a donor. Individual people have to say yes to be a donor. This means the number of donors starts from a small number. It is a pure consent system rather than an extended opt-out system. (NHSBT) There are more than 10 million people waiting for corneas but there are less people contribute corneas (Sight Life).Some people don’t want to contribute it because of their religious beliefs make them think they cannot contribute anything on their body after death. Most people think that dead people do not need their organs anymore; they should give them to someone who does and prefer an Opt-out approach. The cornea transplant costs a lot of money. According to Eye Surgery Center, it costs 7500 to 10000 dollars to get a cornea transplant. This expensive price also can be a problem. Some poor people cannot get the transplant because they do not have enough money. The situation can cause people to commit robbery.Even some people kidnap because of this expensive operation prices. For example, on NTD Television in China on Aug. 1, 2012, there was a report about a Korean couple that visited China and the woman was kidnapped. After few days, the woman was found dead with all of her organs removed. This kind of situation is a very serious problem. People commit crimes because of this expensive price that they cannot afford it. Over 111000 people need organ transplants. Thousands of people die each year before a transplant can be located and people have to wait for a long time.Increasing the number of donors would help end the needless sufferi ng and would save lives. I know it’s hard to think about what are going to happen to your body after you die, but being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver. Citation: â€Å"Corneal Transplant Improves Vision and Daily Life for Some Children. † American Academy of Opthalmology . American Academy of Opthalmology , 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Cornea transplant. † MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Community, Health, You don't need your eyes when you're dead but there people do. UPWORTHY. UPWORTHY, 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Problems . † SOLL EYE . SOLL EYE, 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplantation. † netdoctor. netdoctor, 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal conditions and diseases. † Cleveland Clinic . Cleveland Clinic, 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplant . † Winchester Hospital . Winchester Hospital, 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Developed by, RelayHealth. â€Å"Corneal Transplant. † CRS – Adult Health Advisor (2012): 1. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Education and Training, Myths and Facts about Cornea Transplant . † Alabama Eye Bank.Alabama Eye Bank, 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Corneal Transplantation. † Eye Surgery Center. Eye Surgery Center, 2009. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Health Guide, Corneal Transplant. † The New York Times. The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Something about Organ Donation. † Donation after Death. Donation after Death, 2013. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"The Traffickers . † NTD Television. NTD Television , 2013. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"The World Through New Eyes. † SightLife. SightLife, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Why do donors tick the opt-out box for eye? .† BBC News. BBC News, 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 5 Feb. 2013.

Discuss How Far Sociologists Would Agree

Many sociologists (e. g. Goran Therborn) argue that the typical nuclear family has disintegrated due to many different reasons, for example, the rise in feminism and women gaining more independence; higher diversity of relationships for example higher divorce rates, higher number of families co-habiting. his is because families aren’t like what they used to be. In the nuclear families today, the roles of the mother and father are no longer segregated conjugal roles. In the nuclear family today roles are changing and developing into integrated conjugal roles.Partners are becoming more egalitarian which is leading to the nuclear symmetrical family. Due to the symmetrical family developing socialists believe the idea of the ‘new man’. A man that shares housework and the responsibility of the children. As a result of the feminist movement women gained independence, particularly within the work place. Women became more career orientated and less financially dependent o n men. Marriage was no longer a necessity in order to gain financial security so many women would wait much longer to marry, if indeed they chose to at all.People were (and are) marrying later; marriage rates decreased; divorce rates increased; cohabitation became more popular. A change in divorce laws – I think in the 70s-80s somewhen – made it much easier to be able to divorce. As a result of all of these changes, and other factors, stepfamilies have become more prevalent. ‘Stepfamilies' is a widely used term for a number of different types of family, e. g. the origins of the stepfamily – was it following the death of the spouse/mother/father, or the divorce of the couple in question?Whilst the concept of the ‘nuclear family' used to be the most dominant ‘type' of family, families vary so much nowadays that one cannot refer to any single type of family as ‘normal' or ‘typical'. Another thing not to forget is the increased acceptan ce of homosexual relationships and families, in addition to the improvements in science which allow homosexual couples to have children and also the civil partnership laws which now in effect allows homosexual couples to get married. Certainly a deviation from the ‘nuclear family' but people are becoming more and more acceptable of these different ‘types' of families.A nuclear family is today seen as only one of many family types in modern day society, there are many different variations. Some sociologists say that nuclear families is and should remain the norm, whilst others believe that society is now too diverse to simply have only one family type. A reason in particular that nuclear families are no longer the norm is That, divorce rate has increased. Research shows that now 40% of marriages now end in divorce. This leads to lone-parent families and re-constituted families. The increase in divorce may be due to the fact that the independence in women has risen.Within the 1940’s women were seen simple as housewives and mother, an education within their life wasn’t even thought about. Whereas today women now are just as likely to go to higher education as men and therefore this gives them much more status and in dependence, also the fact that women gained the right to vote e due to Emilie Pankhurst also increased their reputation consequently now they feel that the can ‘live on their own two feet’ without the financial support from a male role. Feminists support the increase in divorce rate as women do no longer have to rely upon a male role to succeed within life.Feminists believe that the family exploits women as they serve the men which oppress the women. However the Marxist group argue that the independence in women is a bad thing, as it is causing a rise in divorce which is almost half of all marriages per year. Marxist sociologist Fredrian Engels states that ‘women are a mere instrument for child production. ’ Marxists believe that society is divided into two classes and that you should just live with your ascribed status, which for women is to maintain their stereotypical role of being a housewife. They believe that’s how women should still be seen within society.

Bosnian Refugee Life in America Essay Example for Free

Bosnian Refugee Life in America Essay Thousands of refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina have fled to the United States to seek protection from the ethnoreligious conflicts of the region. To best assist these families, service providers must understand their wartime and migration experiences and their culture. The purpose of this article is to review the literature relevant to working with Bosnian Muslim refugees as well as to understand the uruque issues facing this population. The authors’ interest in Bosnian Muslim refugees is a personal one. Between 1992 and 2001, nearly 3,500 Bosnian refugees escaping ethnic cleansing and war migrated to Bowling Green, a small city of 50,000 in rural southcentral Kentucky. The Bowling Green International Center has been a part of the local community since 1979 and actively works with the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). For more than 25 years, the center has assisted thousands of refugees of many nationalities in their migration to the United States and the local community. According to the center’s director, Marty Deputy, Bosnians make up the largest percentage of refugees that have relocated to Bowling Green (personal communication, February 3, 2005). Deputy also indicated that while Bosnian refugees have adapted well to the local community, they still face many challenges because of their experiences in Bosnia in addition to their integration into a new culture. One of the issues that continue to haunt many Bosnian refugees is post-traumatic stress—a result of war and genocide. Post-traumatic stress is particularly an issue for the adult women, who experienced the trauma of rape and sexual assault as well as witnessing the murder of their children and spouses. According to Deputy (personal communication, February 3, 2005), social workers should approach Bosnian families and children with cultural competence. If visiting a Bosnian home, for example, removing one’s shoes when entering is a display of respect and sensitivity. A willingness to drink a strong cup of Bosnian coffee is also appreciated. Social workers also must be sensitive about body language and speech tone. It is also important not to assume that all Bosnians are alike. As with all cultures, there is tremendous variation in the Bosnian culture, along with individual differences in personality and environmental experiences. Bosnian Muslim Experiences in the War The 1991 census for Bosnia-Herzegovina shows that Muslims made up 43. 7% of the total population of 4. 3 million people. Serbs accounted for 31. 3% and Croats 17. 3% (Bringa, 1995). Serbs identified the Muslims’ majority population base in Bosnia-Herzegovina as its strategic strength (Cigar, 1995). In 1992, therefore, the Serbs declared war and began a campaign of ethnic cleansing to eradicate non-Serbs. The term â€Å"ethnic cleansing† stands for the policy of ridding an area of an undesirable national group to create a homogenous region; it represents a type of genocide that is designed to spread terror (Friedman, 1996; Weine & Laub, 1995). Serbia’s initial rationale for its policy was promulgated by the belief that the newly formed state of Bosnia-Herzegovina would create national minorities of the Serb population and eventually destroy the Serb populace as a discrete and unique nation (Friedman, 1996). The prospect of acquiring material goods from the Muslims—land, livestock, houses, cars, and cash—apparently was an additional powerful incentive for many Serbs (Cigar, 1995; Sells, 1998). The indigenous Bosnian Serb population was drawn into a terror campaign of killing and mayhem so the non-Serbian populations would never return. This persecution ultimately led to more than one million Balkan refugees migrating to the United States and other countries. The types of experiences they endured in their homeland before emigrating dramatically influenced their initial adaptation to these new environments. Resettlement and Adaptation Issues As difficult as the war-related experiences were, migration to resettlement countries signaled a transition to new types of struggles for Bosnian refugees. Unlike immigrants who leave their homes for a variety of reasons, refugees leave in order to survive, and they face a new realm of stressors as they attempt to rebuild their lives in exile (Keyes, 2000; Worthington, 2001). Such stressors include difficult transit experiences; culture shock; adjustment problems related to language and occupational change; and disruption in their sense of self, family, and community (Lipson, 1993; Worthington, 2001). Additionally, refugees leaving Bosnia-Herzegovina often have suffered multiple losses, such as severance from family and friends who have been left behind or killed, displacement from their homes and communities, social isolation, and the premature death of their children. Such an accumulation of loss can leave a sense of unresolved grief that can significantly impact mental health and future functioning capacity (Akhtar, 1992; Fullilove, 1996; Sundquist & Johansson, 1996; Worthington, 2001). When refugees cross national boundaries seeking asylum, they typically find themselves in an alien social environment with norms that challenge their traditional patterns of family interaction (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). Most Bosnian refugees have a hierarchical familial power structure and clear role definitions; in the homeland, authority was typically gender-based, with males maintaining instrumental roles and females fulfilling nurturing responsibilities. A traditional Bosnian woman’s commitment to her family includes observing strict codes of privacy and public silence on any issue that might bring shame on the family, such as family discord. For many women, this privacy mandate deters them from divulging details about marital strife or child maltreatment by spouses to outsiders such as work colleagues, community members, and mental health professionals. Consequently, Bosnian female refugees continue to be caught between traditional role models prevalent throughout the former Yugoslavia’s patriarchal society in the 20th Century and the expectations of their new culture. The Bosnian family’s patriarchal patterns of behavior tend to be challenged on arrival in the United States, particularly around work-related issues. Women are more likely than men to find jobs in the low-wage labor market, and in becoming the breadwinners exposed to the outside world, they risk upsetting a family equilibrium based on male authority (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). For Bosnian men, key ethnic and social boundary markers of their lives had evaporated; because of their grief over this, many seemed paralyzed in their attempt to move forward in their new life. Bosnian refugee children also face immense acculturation pressures (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). They often are torn between the beliefs, customs, and values learned in their native culture and the often unrealistic expectations of the new one. The pressure to assimilate the cultural norms of their new country can be intense and extremely stressful. Their parents often lack the material resources and support systems to adequately assist them in navigating the complex terrain of foreign school systems, pervasive racism, and intolerance (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). Consequently, many feel as if they are alone in a foreign, sometimes unforgiving new cultural milieu. To further complicate the situation, family roles often reverse as children typically become more fluent in English faster and adapt more quickly to the customs of the new country (Potocky, 1996). Because children are thrust into the role of serving as the interpreters and negotiators of cultural norms for their parents, respect for the authority of elders is often undermined (Carlin, 1990; Drachman; 1992). Even though most teenagers in the United States feel a certain amount of intergenerational tension, the adolescents of refugees often experience the pull of two vastly different worlds: those of their American peers and their parents (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). They also feel subjected to the xenophobia of their American peers, who often ridicule others who they label as â€Å"different. † Immigration to the United States has provided Bosnian Muslim refugee families with many challenges as they struggle to adapt to their new lives. At first glance, their experiences may be similar to that of other immigrants, raising the familiar questions about how to perpetuate the faith of their forebears among their offspring or how to best preserve cherished cultural practices (Yazbeck- Haddad & Esposito, 2000). But there are some real differences. With the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, the potential for a xenophobic reception of Muslim immigrants and refugees by Americans has intensified. For example, disputes over the building of mosques represent a key source of friction for most Westerners (Pipes & Duran, 1993). While Bosnian Muslim families may encounter the same issues earlier generations of immigrants faced, they also are burdened with the question of whether their children will be accepted in the United States, and whether Islam can ever be recognized as a positive force that contributes to a pluralistic, multicultural nation (Yazbeck-Haddad & Esposito, 2000). Culturally Competent Practice with Bosnian Muslims When working with Bosnian Muslim refugees, service providers need to learn as much as possible about their culture, particularly given the pivotal role that ethnoreligious identity has played in their war-related experiences (Witmer & Culver, 2001). Bosnian men and women tend to adhere to traditional gender roles; connected with this issue is the intense stigma attached to the sexual violation of women. This stigma frequently led women to refrain from disclosing war rapes to their families (Witmer & Culver, 2001). Bosnian Muslims typically act in ways that preserve the positive image of the family’s identity, especially males, who see openly revealing vulnerability or suffering as a sign of great personal weakness (Weine et al. , 1997). Family is the most important social structure across the urban and rural regions of Bosnia (Mojica-Castillo, 2001). Up until the 1970s, adult children commonly lived with their parents and multiple generations lived in the same house. But today, twoparent families predominate in this region with extended family members often living nearby. A cluster of shoes can typically be found outside a Bosnian home (Mojica-Castillo, 2001). This is because it is customary to remove street shoes and leave them at the door. Bosnians maintain a strong social tradition of neighborliness. The drinking of strong coffee or the sharing of food, accompanied by the essential element of lively conversation, is an important aspect of social life. Traditional music and folk dances are an important part of cultural celebrations. A basic principle of generalist social work is that practitioners need to be able to intervene on behalf of various systems, including individuals, families, orgaruzations, and communities. Additionally, the generalist social worker operates within an ecological framework that attempts to improve coping patterns for a better match between the client system’s needs and the characteristics of his or her environment. An empowerment approach to generalist practice assumes that clients can draw from existing competencies and reservoirs of strength. Empowerment indicates the intent and the processes of assisting client systems to discover and expand the tools and resources around them (Furuto, 2004). Swift and Levin (1987) referred to empowerment as an evolution from dependence to independence and interdependence. Gutierrez (1990) described empowerment as â€Å"the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations† (p. 140). The strengths perspective enhances the concept of empowerment with its focus on promoting healing. Healing implies both wholeness and the inborn ability of the mind and body to resist and regenerate when faced with disruption, disorder, or disease (Furuto, 2004). Ethnic and religious identity may lead to discrimination when the refugee is seeking a job that requires intervention on a more personal level. Long-term difficulty in finding a job that provides the family with adequate income may cause low self-esteem and family tension culminating in violence (Furuto & Murase, 1992). Various system levels often must be addressed simultaneously (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). Western thinking on designing comprehensive mental health services is mostly based on the individual as the primary system targeted for intervention; hence, existing services tend to be designed for a North American population (Mooren & Kleber, 1999). Furthermore, treatment of mental health disorders typically follows a medical model using talk therapy and drugs. Western theories also emphasize intrapersonal processes in isolation from the cultural context. The prevailing view that the responses to trauma are individual centered is in keeping with this tradition. Service providers must use the refugees’ own, indigenous cultural definitions of health and illness when making mental health assessments (Boothby, 1996; Wing Sue, Ivey, & Pedersen, 1996). For example, a Bosnian client who had the Western diag nosis of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder â€Å"refused medication saying that there was nothing wrong with him that medications could fix, and insisted that the clinician understand that his current condition was a result of the wrongs that had been done to him, and not because of anything that was wrong with him† (Weine & Laub, 1995, p. 255). To address the issue of respecting the client’s definition of the issue, Yuen (1999) promoted a more holistic biopsychosocial model of intervention when working with Bosnian children and their families; hence, the importance of using an ethnically sensitive ecological framework becomes a second principle of culturally competent practice. A third principle is to respect the indigenous strengths and resources within Bosnians that empower them to cope with their own experiences. Chow & Yuen (2000) noted the necessity for an empowerment and capacity building model where refugees become partners in the design and elivery of services within their community. Efforts to design and deliver human service programs should include using indigenous Bosnian religious and cultural organizations, as well as self-help groups (Chow & Yuen, 2000). Conclusion After Bosnians flee their homeland, they need protection in the asylum country. This necessitates supportive policies and macrolevel intervention competence. The main policy that guides refugee resettlement in the United States is Public Law 96-212, the Refugee Act of 1980 (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). Based on the goal of helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible, the act defines self-sufficiency as not receiving welfare benefits (Potocky, 1996). As such, this policy may be ineffective in helping refugees to settle in an optimal manner. To become truly self-sufficient, service providers need to redefine success in more progressive ways, such as helping refugees to effectively deal with resettlement issues relating to acculturation, psychological trauma, and intergenerational conflict—all of which can impede long-term economic self-sufficiency. This new goal requires adequate fiscal resources to develop programs and engage in active community outreach (Mayadas & Segal, 2000). Social services must aspire to restore the psychological health and dignity of these families and children, who have seen the worst side of human nature. Helping them establish a positive self-image is critical to their success. While the genocide of family members and violent acts can never be forgotten, surrounding Bosnian Muslim refugees with a network of positive, supportive services can help them establish a solid foothold in the United States. Bosnian Refugee Life in America. (2017, Mar 02).

Criminology journal article critical evaluation Essay

Criminology journal article critical evaluation - Essay Example Therefore, qualitative analysis will allow any researcher to document and bring out relationships between the research question and data sources , develop patterns and trends, themes and categories, which best helps a researcher to understand the data and make meanings from the trends established. This makes qualitative analysis through surveys the best research approach to employ in any social phenomena. Yang & Wayckoff (2010) in their research Perceptions of safety and victimization: does survey construction affect perceptions? Clearly indicate the appropriateness of a survey in establishing trends, themes, and relationships between collected data sets and the subjects to better understand a social issue. The research seeks to establish whether question order in surveys involving victimization have any effect on the answers provided by respondents, in establishing the respondent’s characteristics, and question order effects in understanding the best way to arrange questions in a survey involving victims of criminology. This study aims at establishing social relationships between crime victims and survey questions to measure how such victims would respond to questions related to victimization; this implies the research question just like any other social research questions aims at establishing patterns and trends to make a hypothesis regarding the behavior of such victims in answering survey questions. As Livesey (2006) explains, such a study would apply a positivists approach in methodology which makes it possible to establish social behavioral patterns. Therefore, the survey methodology as used in this research is appropriate and ideal in bringing out behaviors of such crime victims in a survey. The main motivation in justifying the use of surveys in qualitative research in the study above is that such an approach will enable the researchers to develop various explanations of both social and cultural phenomena as would be observed from the data set co llected (Zakaria, 2004). Such a survey would lead to a naturalistic way of exploring the data in a qualitative –descriptive approach, an approach which is ideal in understanding and interpreting data collected and observed in the best objective way possible (DeLyser, 2008). Through such research methodology, the aims of the research which are investigating the effects of question ordering in surveys for crime victims will be effectively realized. Wilmot (2009) explains that in qualitative research, the use of non-probability approach is critical and a researcher has to have a complete sample with no statistical representative. Therefore, the best approach in such a survey would be to use purposive sampling. The characteristic of individuals have to be reflected in the selection process to reflect both diversity and breadth of any sample population. Consequently, the researchers settled on carrying out the research in a university due to the high prevalence of victimization in universities, high rates of campus crimes, and growing concerns as a result of the high crime rates among parents (Jenning et al, 2007). Though such a sample could be considered to limit the generalization of such findings, the researchers explained that the university in which the research was carried out comprises of diverse student population with a random sample of student populatio

Hitler and the collapse of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hitler and the collapse of Germany - Essay Example The first four years of its existence, 1919-23 were surrounded by instability and chaos due to a number of reasons. The signing of the treaty of Versailles in June 1919 led to the state being ‘robbed’ of its assets by its Western Counterparts. The German people viewed it as not only the handing over of their land and industrial resources but of their pride and honor as well. This is why many people never came to fully accept the Weimar Republic. From the very beginning, the Weimar Republic faced a number of problems which included tough political opposition, from the left and the right of Weimar itself, economic instability, hostility from the western Allies, and ever increasing inflation. The Republic was under constant threat from political opponents, left, right and center, like the communist leaders Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht. There were uprisings in various parts of Germany, attempts to take over Berlin and about 376 political murders. These rebellious attacks continued until November 1923, when they came to a halt with the failed â€Å"beer hall putsch† attempt by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. Another reason why the Weimar Republic failed was that it was a democratic system and Weimar Germany had been given a purely democratic constitution. But Germany had never been a democratic state and the entire concept was new for it. Also, the general population itself had little trust in the government and the people were disappointed and shattered after Germany’s fall in the World War One. But one of the most serious problems that Germany had to face during those times was the brutal economic conditions. The cost of war was heavy on the state and it had to give up 6.600 million as compensations and damages to the Western Allies. It lost vital portions of land under the treaty of

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EVALUATION Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EVALUATION - Assignment Example Firstly, the game leads to participants pushing their bodies to the limits. Secondly, they use drugs to gain extra strength and outdo their competitors. Lastly, the participants contact injuries such as concussions (Arkinstall, p, 2). Participants in the game of football harm their bodies by pushing it to the limit. The coaches in this game do not consider the fatigue generated by players in consecutive matches. Players end up straining their muscles due to restless playing in different matches in different tournaments. The existence of a super player in the team leads to overworking of the player to retain the title or class of the team(Arkinstall, pp, 2-3). Football as a sport is also a competition. For players to maintain their standards in the world of football, they end up using hardcore drugs such as cocaine and bang. An example of such players is Diego Maradona, who has become an addict of drugs because of football. In the world of football, many upcoming young talents force the elder players to engage in drugs to maintain their positions (Arkinstall, pp, 2-4). Due to increased competition, players get rough in the field to earn a position in their teams. Due to this, they develop injuries such as concussions. The injuries keep on recurring that risk the life of players. For these reasons, strict measures and rules should be put in place (Arkinstall, pp,

Article Analysis Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Analysis Assignment - Essay Example The study investing the taser’s impact on the arrest of the criminals, it further tested whether the tasers affected the arrest process negatively or positively. It also investigated the extent to which the armed officers use the alternative types of arms and also the necessary alternatives that the officers use on tasers (Michael & Earl, 2014) In order to conduct this study, the author used experiment to determine the impacts on the use of tarser. Here, policemen were divided into two camps. One were allowed the use of tarsiers in law enforcement while the other group was denied the use of tarser. The results were later analyzed. The author also used secondary data to get information pertaining the use of force in order to carry out arrests and also maintaining law and order. He used already published information in form of books and journals (Michael & Earl, 2014). Since the use of force on criminals brought about a heated debate on whether it would be implied or not. The author collected information from activists who condemned this activity. He further used questionnaires which were administered to the common persons who gave their ideas on the impacts of taser to the suspects. He also engaged in focus discussion groups which contained all the relevant stakeholders (Michael & Earl, 2014). The study found that the officers who went to work with the tasers found it less likely to use other alternative forms of weapons in controlling the level of suspect resistance; the alternative arms in this case include the balloon, pepper spray and also the use of bear hands. It was also found that the officers found it difficult in applying other forms of arms in the case of suspect’s resistance (Michael & Earl, 2014). It was also found that the officers that went too tackle suspects were not easy in using the tarsiers in cases of resistant and violent suspects. Moreover there was no difference in behavior between

Describe how you understand ANOVA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe how you understand ANOVA - Case Study Example In order to contain the error and compare all groups simultaneously, the Analysis of Variance or ANOVA may be used. The ANOVA is a statistical method that compares the variance associated with groups of scores and the variance associated with individual differences among scores in order to test the significance of the difference between groups (Guilford, & Fruchter, 1973). According the Bass (2007), the ratio of the variance between groups (which occurs due to differences in the treatments) and the variance within groups (due to individual differences) tells us the extent to which the total variance may be attributed to the treatments or group distinctions. The null hypothesis for the ANOVA is that â€Å"the means for each group are the same at a given level of significance†, while the alternate hypothesis states that â€Å"the means are significantly different from each other†. The alternate hypothesis is true when the variations in the treatment levels are not due to error or individual differences but due to the differences in the treatment levels. This concept is explained very well by Bass (2007). Although it is important that these criteria be met in order for the statistic value to be strong and reliable; a slight deviation from the ideal is acceptable as the ANOVA is quite a robust statistic. The ANOVA statistic is calculated as the F statistic, and is based on the F distribution of scores (Bass, 2007). If the calculated value of the ANOVA is equal to or higher that the F statistic presented at the stated level of significance; then we reject the null hypothesis. On the other hand, if the F value calculated is lower to the tabulated value, we accept the null

Da Vinci †The Genius at the Venetian Las Vegas Essay Example for Free

Da Vinci – The Genius at the Venetian Las Vegas Essay While plenty of people are familiar with Da Vinci the painter not as many realize his prowess as a Renaissance man. Perhaps he was the first true man of so many talents that it was hard to peg him as one type of individual. In Da Vinci – The Genius you get a good look at the results of a great mind. You won’t see original works of art but instead you’ll see what has transpired from notes and drawings that Leonardo da Vinci created. Da Vinci was an artist, scientist, mathematician, architect, inventor and so much more. This enormous amount of brain power from one man has been highlighted in various forms before but this traveling exhibition highlights some of his inventions that today we might take for granted. As a result of the research to put together such an exhibition the idea of one large exhibition that celebrated Da Vinci and his Genius was created and can be viewed in Las Vegas. For the Mona Lisa he used oil paint, on poplar wood, there doesn’t seem to be any brush specifications, so we can just assume he used normal brushes. He employed a couple of techniques called sfumato and velature. Sfumato, roughly translated from Italian, means evaporated or vanished. This technique involves mixing light and dark paint, using tiny brush strokes, to create a smoky blend between the two colors. Velature is when an artist mixes paint on the canvas, instead of on a palette. Leonardo perfected both these techniques, as well as having his general knowledge of the human anatomy and the laws of nature to make his paintings more realistic. Da Vinci was left handed and did not force himself to switch like most people did then. In his day with quill pens, it was important to pull the writing instrument rather than pull it. When a right handed person writes left to write he or she pulls the pen and his or her hand does not smear wet ink. When a left handed person writes left to write he or she pushes the pen for less control and his or her hand smears the ink for less legibility. Rather than change his writing hand, he changed the direction in which he wrote. This allowed him to more quickly and easily write notes to himself without having to conform to the stifling conventions at the time, an overall goal of the renaissance.

Assess the Significance of Developments in Policing Essay Example for Free

Assess the Significance of Developments in Policing Essay There were many significant developments in policing which aided the effectiveness of law enforcement in Britain from the period of 1830 to 1965. Reasons as to why developments were necessary in this period; firstly between the years 1829 – 1850 there was a steady increase in crime[1]. Secondly as time progressed criminals came up with ways to beat the policing system, therefore it was necessary for policing in Britain to develop, in order to keep on top of crime. Development factors such as; the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Force, passing of key legislation were key developments in policing which influenced law and order. Other developments such as the reformation of prisons and developments in technology, coupled with roles of individuals such as; Elizabeth Fry and high profile cases like that of Oscar Wilde, also contributed to the effectiveness of law enforcement in the 19th and 20th century. The first significant development in British policing, which notably advocated effective law enforcement was the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Force in 1830. This was a significantly fundamental advancement in law enforcement as it was the first time in British history that an organised policing force was introduced and it updated the predated system of watchmen and bow street runners. However, the force was met with varying attitudes from the public, much of which was sensationalised by the media[2]. Other major Acts were implemented to support the Metropolitan police, especially forces outside of London, for example; the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. This was a significant development as it nationalised the police force therefore allowing effective law enforcement to take place throughout the country, unlike before where it was restricted to London[3]. However the effectiveness of these developments can be questioned, as police officers were often criticised for being drunks and bullies[4], therefore they were mistrusted by the general public. There were further attempts to nationalise the police force, such as the Rural Constabulary Act 1839. This was a significant development in law  enforcement as the legislation focused nationalising policing in rural areas. On the other hand, the enforcement of the Act was optional[5] thus limiting its effectiveness, as many boroughs were apprehensive of its creation. Nevertheless further legislation was pioneered in the form of the County and Borough Police Act of 1856, which saw every county having to acquire a professional police force[6]. The government encouraged the development and gave incentives such as; paying for clothing and wage to efficient police forces[7]. Officers therefore, would have felt a sense of duty to their jobs accurately as they had respectable positions. Additional legislation allowed the policing forces of Britain to develop into further branches, such as the establishment of the C.I.D in 1877 which investigated homicides. This development was pivotal as it loosened pressure on the Metropolitan police force and allowed a select force to focus on a case. However, the birth of the C.I.D incurred with the Turf Fraud Scandal, thus leaving the public suspicious and distrustful of the establishment. The C.I.D’s first major test came in the form of the Jack the Ripper Case in 1888[8], which instilled fear throughout the nation. Conversely the case was significant in another light, as police performance was repeatedly criticised for its incapability and slow work. Other cases such as The Arrest of Scotland Yard[9], did not help the detective forces as they were again shown as an inefficient and corruptive detectives. The development of the C.I.D also brought about the development of the Special Irish Branch in 1884, both which showed their significance as they foiled the assassination attempt of Queen Victoria at her Golden Jubilee in 1887[10]. This was a significant case as it showed the public that both, the C.I.D and the Special Branch were effective developments of law and order as cooperative work between forces ensured the protection of the Queen and thus the nation. It is apparent that other factors contributed in influencing effective law and order and not only developments in policing, for instance the reformation of prisons. Prisons in the 18th century have been criticised for their poor sanitation, poor food and living conditions. It was remarked that felons in Britain lived â€Å"worse than dogs or swine†[11]. Humanitarian Elizabeth Fry campaigned for the separation of women and children from male  prisoners, especially after she witnessed the appalling conditions in prisons[12]. Her work was promoted throughout the House of Commons and with the support of Sir Robert Peel; they introduced a series of prison reform including the Gaols Act 1823. This showed the strong public opinion on issues regarding law and order, especially as intervention of influential individuals was evident. By 1840 the government had recognised that prisons needed to be modernised, such as the Pentonville prison in 1842. Developments such as these meant that wardens could control prisons better and new regimes could be exercised, such as the separate system, where inmates were kept in solitary confinement from the beginning of their sentence. This development aided effective law and order as there were reported cases of reformed criminals, however the system sent many insane or led them to suicide, questioning the regime and the governments handling on the treatment of criminals. Furthermore, prisons had been nationalised in 1877[13], this coupled with the harsh regimes led to a steady fall in crime[14], proving the effectiveness of this development on law and order. Further legislation such as the Prison Act 1898, reasserted the idea of reformation as the main role in prison regimes. This led to a dilution of the separate system, the abolition of hard labour, and established the idea t hat prison labour should be productive. The argument of the reformation of prisons brought attention to young offenders. Transportation itself had ended in 1852, as reformists viewed it as a lenient punishment, however under the Reformation School Acts (1854); courts were allowed to send children for transportation[15] setting double standards within society, whilst historians argue that there were little, if any boundaries between children and adults[16]. The Children’s Act of 1908, established juvenile courts[17] and also banned prison sentences to those less than 14 years of age. This was significant in influencing effective law enforcement, as children were seen with sympathy and compassion. The legislation also showed that boundaries were being set for adults and children. During this period there was a general feeling that children were committing crime due to inadequate discipline and education at home, thus the Borstal System was introduced[18]. The main elements in the borstal programs included; education, regular work, vocational training, and group  counselling, however the Borstal System proved to be ineffective as 75% of inmates still re-offended[19] . Further developments came into fruition in the form of technology, which greatly influenced effective law and order. It has been argued that were being increasingly caught[20], for instance, advancements through the development of finger printing in 1901[21]. The development aimed to prevent criminals from concealing previous convictions. This development contributed to effective law and order as a database of criminals was created which the police could use as a reference for repeat offenders. Other tools which helped the police force included Radio telegraphy and the use of the 999 system in 1910. These developments influenced effective law and order as the police was able to communicate better with not only one another, but also with those in need of help. However the effect of the modernisation of the police force meant that there was increasing reliance on electronical and technological methods, thus alienating the average police man from his community[22]. It can be argued that the use of media had also affected the influence the effectiveness of law and order as public opinion had been influenced through the use of various Medias. The Oscar Wilde Case of 1895[23], exemplified how societies stereotypical immoralities i.e. homosexuality, could be used against someone in a court of law and order and convict them as a criminal. Other cases, for instance the Derek Bentley Case of 1952[24], showed further miscarriage of justice, as the wrong person was hung. This case was significant in influencing law and order as the media attention helped increase societies widespread doubt in the justice system. An added incentive that motivated the public’s change of attitude towards capital punishment and the miscarriage of justice was the Ruth Ellis Case of 1955[25]. It was evident from this case, that Ellis was did not receive the correct legal representation in court and the case was not thoroughly investigated. It was found out after the trial; Ellis was a victim of domestic violence, which could have been the cause for her crime of passion. These high profile cases strengthened the public’s resolve on the issue of the barbarity of capital punishment and the ever present fact that there was  no reprieve for those who were convicted and hung. This led to the profoundly significant changes in legislation which influenced effective law and order; the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act of 1965[26]. This was paramount in policing legislation as the death penalty was abolished. The abolition was a significant change in the 20th century as capital punishment was seen with much aversion both from the public and judges alike, who were especially reluctant to hand out death penalties. In conclusion developments within policing which significantly influenced effective law and order in the period 1830-1965 were vast and all had varying impact on society. Legislation such as the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 and the Rural Constabulary Act of 1839, ensured society was protected by an organised, efficient national police force. However officers were distrusted by the general public, therefore they had many hurdles to face before having a significant impact on society. However one cannot base the effectiveness of law and order within this period solely on developments in policing, as there were other contributory factors. For example; reformation of prisons through work of individuals such as Elizabeth Fry, the establishment of the C.I.D, technological developments such as finger printing and DNA sampling and high profile cases like that of Oscar Wilde. These developments greatly advanced effective law and order, as one can base the suggestion of decreasing crime rate during 1830-1965[27] on these as well as the developments in policing. Bibliography Books Trend of Crime 1750 – 1900 – Ian Dawson Crime and Punishment: A Study Across Time – Roger Whiting 1968 D.Taylor. ‘Crime, Policing, Punishment in England 1750-1914’ The Victorian Underworld, Donald Thomas 1998 Police and Prisons – P. F. Speed 1970 Crime and Punishment through time, John Murray History of Police in England and Wales – T. Crithchley 1978 Websites www.historyhome.co.uk www.learnhistory.org.uk www.parliament.uk/ www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_and_Borough_Police_Act_1856 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper#Investigation www.suite101.com/content/the-jubilee-plot-to-kill-queen-victoria-a290563 www.howardleague.org/index.php?id=elizabethfry www.howardleague.org/history-of-prison-system/ www.crimezzz.net/forensic_history/index.htm www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_wilde www.innocent.org.uk/cases/derekbentley/index.html www.stephwn-stratford.co.uk/ruth_ellis.htm www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/71/enacted

Reflection on a business education course

Reflection on a business education course Reflection according to Walker E. S (2006) p 216 has been defined as a process regarding thinking about and exploring an issue of concern, which is triggered by an experience. This simply means that for there to be a reflection, there has to be an experience, irrespective of it being positive or negative. Leaver- Dunn et al were also noted in Walker E. S (2006) p 216 that reflection has the ability to distinguish between the expert practitioners and their peers. To start with and looking way back to the beginning of this particular course it is interesting to note that being an international student from Nigeria and studying Marketing Communications in the University of Bedfordshire was an experience never to be forgotten, i have been through various forms of transformation, since the session started in September 21st,2009. Transformation theory, that was initially developed by Jack Mezirow, identifies a process of change that begins with an experience one cannot incorporate into the mental matrix built from prior life experience, and which usually includes the following components: a disorientating dilemma, self examination, a critical assessment of assumptions, the recognition that others have gone through similar processes, the exploration of options for forming new roles, relationships or actions, the formulation of a plan of action and reintegration into the experience with new, transformed perspectives. Fuguan Tan (2009) Talking about transformation, i personally come from a country that the educational system is totally different from that of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. I was able to come to terms with the fact that there existed a school calendar that will be strictly followed and i saw myself in an organised setting. At first i had problems coming to terms with being the only Nigerian girl in my class until later when i was joined by another fellow from my home country, this gave me a bit of confidence as to facing the challenging course. In the words of Aileen C. and Elaine E, (2004) they wrote that thoroughly reflecting on practice is actually a central feature of effective learning, they went on to define reflection as focusing on the immediate, thereby presenting the details of a problem or task. As an individual i agree with the need to reflect or rather focus on the immediate, this will definitely help to make corrections for the future and not make the same mistakes already made if at all there was any. Further in the words of Horton-Deutsch. S and Sherwood Gwen (2008, p 947) reflection involves thinking about experience, which leads learners to a fuller understanding of what they know and increases their potential for leadership. Also true in my perspective is the argument of Horton-Deutsch, who wrote that it is important to reflect or think back on the experience, which will in turn improve the individuals knowledge about a particular situation or increase the potential for greater heights. In most cases it is believed that the experience for studying abroad has great potential for transforming international student. I must say i went through some stages of transformation such as encountering change, engaging in reflection, reconfiguring perceptions and re-acclimating to the situation. Fuguan Tan (2009) Worthy of note is the point that throughout my study in my home country , there has never been an opportunity for me to reflect, this made it rather impossible for me to have a re-think on my mistakes, and there was also no opportunity to make corrections. 5.2 WHAT DOES REFLECTION MEAN? Cunliffe, (2004, p. 414) defines reflection as the means or process through which an experience in the form of thought, feeling, or action, is examined to analyze its meaning while it is happening or subsequently. Kember et al., (2000), wrote that reflection does represent a point on a learning continuum which is then characterised by habit at one end and critical reflection at the other. To Schon (1983) reflection is referred to as the ability to rethink ones prior thoughts and action in context, both to surface assumptions as well as to make meaning. Reflection, as written in Klenowski V and Lunt I (2008) is mostly defining with regards to conceptual components and theoretical perspectives. Horton-Deutsch S and Sherwood Gwen (2008) explained that Reflection is about learning from experience, a critical aspect of knowledge development and a skill essential to leadership development. They both went on to argue on the basis that reflection goes far beyond ordinary empirical knowing, but it also combines personal and ethical ways of knowing. Korthagen F and Vasalos A (2005) wrote that the essential importance of reflection is to learn from experiences. Woerkom M (2010) referred to reflection in Deweyans perspective as instrumental learning; he went further to note that it is the assessment of assumptions implicit in beliefs about how to solve problems. In this particular definition, reflection thus also includes an element of criticism but refers more to instrumental thinking, which is concerned with how to solve a problem. In contrast, Mezirow defines critical reflection as addressing the question of the justification for the very premises on which problems are posed or defined in the first place and examination of their sources and consequences. Critical reflection cannot become an integral element in the immediate action process but requires a hiatus in which to reassess ones meaning perspectives and, if necessary, to transform them. Critical self-reflection refers to the most important learning experience. It means reassessing the way we have posed problems, our own meaning perspectives, as well as reassessing our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling, and acting. Some of the scholars perceived reflection, as critical reflection or critical thinking. It is therefore often not clear what the difference is, or even if there exist a difference, between these terms. Dewey, who is perceived as the founder of the concept of reflection, sometimes uses the terms reflective thinking and critical thinking interchangeably. Scott. G.S (2010) 5.3 RECOLLECTIONAND PROCESS OF REFLECTION OF REFLECTION The theoretical framework for reflection according to Korthagen F and Vasalos A (2005, p48) is referred to as ALACT model. This model is said to rely on the assumption that by nature people reflect on their experiences. The model also describes a structured reflective process, but on the other hand, the model did not take note about the content of reflection. On the other hand Scott. G S (2010) p 434 argued that the benefit of reflection has got extensive theoretical support in literature, though Scotts definition of reflection is not without its own argument. He went on to write that the critical theorists reflection is considered to require the surfacing of assumptions relative to situations and surrounded firmly power relations, control and the transformation of belief and values. Reflection was interchangeably used by management theorists as personal, psychological change rather than social change Scott. G.S (2010) p 434 The role of student reflection is an integrated learning process, and reflection has three stages: a review of experience, analysis, and re-evaluation (Peltier, Drago, 2004; Peltier et al., 2005). The initial stage of this process is the review of experience and presupposes awareness. That is, it presupposes that the experience in question has been brought into consciousness. The term reflection is frequently used very loosely and this can easily obscure the disciplined and challenging nature of such learning. Reynolds (1999) distinguishes between critical reflection an approach in which both experience and its social and political contexts are examined, reflection which focuses on the individual and gives little attention to social or political processes, and critical thinking, a term which he argues is usually used to signify a disciplined approach to problem solving (Reynolds, 1999, p. 173). He went on to claim that in the management literature critical reflection is being used in the weaker sense to describe thoughtful analysis or problem solving (Reynolds, 1999, p. 177). With regard to reflection and learning, Argyris and Schon distinguish between single loop and double loop learning. For the exercise of single loop learning it is possible by observing and reflecting on our own actions, to make a description of the tacit knowing implicit in them (Schon, 1987, p. 25).This enables us to analyse and evaluate such knowledge. However, double loop learning involves not only reflecting on ones actions, but also exploring the assumptions and theories-in use which are embedded in those actions. Walsh (2009) 5.4 PERSONAL FEELINGS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE The discomfort that was felt at the beginning of the dissertation was overwhelming. It all started the first day that we were told to prepare for the first dissertation presentation, as i faced the fear i still was able to gather knowledge. I wondered in the beginning if i could cope with the work ahead of me, but with the encouragement of mentors i was able to face it and carry on. Reflective thinking is to be used to enhance decision skills, cultural sensitivity, and teamwork, not simply express feelings or record in a diary what occurred, McInnis-Bowers et al. (2010) In the words of Scott S G (2010) reflection, is referred to as the process of rethinking ones prior thoughts and actions in context to surface assumptions and make meaning. Reflection represents one point on a learning continuum that is characterized by habit at one pole and critical reflection at the other. During the course of my study particularly during the period i was writing up my dissertation, the experience i had has thought me to believe in myself and stop thinking i cannot do it. It has thought me to always face my tasks with whatever challenges that come with it. From this experience i have realised that there is no two ways about succeeding except through hard work and there is a saying that goes thus Proper, Preparation, Prevents, Poor, Performance 5Ps. The first feedback i had with my group members for the progress in the Trident campaign which marked the kick off for the final dissertation. It did not seem a good start to me, because my group had a lot of things to work on and it was obvious not every group member was willing to work. Although the feeling did not serve as a drawback it only meant i had to work harder. On that day we were advised on the three vital aspects of the dissertation which included the campaign plan and report, literature review and finally the reflection. Before we attended the second feedback, myself and the other three group members met on three occasions where we delegated work to each member on the task ahead, most of the time it was two of the four members that was active, and on several instances i personally encouraged them to put in more effort so we all can achieve success at the end of the piece of work. The second feedback which was on the tenth of March, was attended by two supervisors and again i was not happy with myself as no thorough research was done, my input was not good enough and when we were asked what our campaign strategy meant, none of my group members could respond, this became a bit depressing. Looking forward to a sixty unit module i felt really down, but then it became a challenge. The problem that was posed was the inability to put literature together to back our arguments up but at the latter stage things got better. Again in the beginning it looked like we had difficulty interpreting the brief, as we came up with several propositions, objectives and strategy which seemed not to make sense, for this reason the task became more competitive as the other two groups had the same topic and it seemed my group was not making a head way. 5.5 GROUP DYNAMICS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE Within my group i happened to be the only female amongst three guys and i thought this reason will make them more active than i am but the reverse was the case, this was the reason why in the beginning i had mixed feelings about working within a group, as it seemed everyone had a level of understanding and this means it takes a brilliant one to be able to achieve success. I had no choice at that point as we had a little group of twelve in the entire marketing communications, masters degree class, which made it really obvious to be able to distinguish between the brilliant and dull students. Several times i was not happy with the groups i fall into, but with determination to excel i usually face it, and i never regretted my decisions as i never failed a group work. According to Moon (2004, p. 136) when considering the university perspective on experiential learning and reflection, it becomes apparent, that the fact that all education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative he also argued that a distinction needs to be made between what she terms informal reflection and academic reflection the latter being a formal process. Walsh (2009) At a point during the group meetings i became so unhappy and i told other group members i was no longer interested in the work though this was not a true statement from my heart, i was probably too upset, but with time i was able to calm myself down and cope even though things did not work out as planned On several occasions there existed misunderstanding and i personally found out that there was need for these misunderstanding as it helps in moving forward most of the time. Again many at times a member within the group was used to saying he works better under pressure and this did not go well with me as i do not work well under pressure, instead i do the opposite meaning i plan my time and i appreciate time management and not fire brigade approach in carrying out my task. Many times after a misunderstanding there exist dialogue and apologies will be made by the necessary group members and then the task continues, interestingly we tend to achieve more at this time. Another point worthy to note at this time is that working within a group gives a knowledge about the office environment, where one will be working with other members of staff and if a task is to be carried out, there will be no opportunity to choose who to and who not to work with. Each time i think of this i am encouraged to cope within any group i find myself and try to corporate and have a good team spirit. Reflection then, in the words of Scott G S (2010) p 432 is the process or means by which an experience, in the form of thought, feeling, or action, is examined to distil its meaning while it is happening or subsequently. Reflection is fodder for self-regulation in an environment where what we define as useful and effective behaviour changes continuously. With reference to the words of Scott (2010) i had different reactions to every situation that i was faced with, always thinking back that i had a degree in a different educational setting and now a masters in Europe. At that point it was obvious something was not right as the first and second feedback did not yield a positive result, but something i held on to was the words given by the supervisors, which i pondered on, i went on to sent my piece of work to the tutors over the internet, again little improvement was made, it all became worrying but i never give up. What happened next? I suggested we needed to meet a tutor and start afresh, interesting, we approached him and he was happy to lead us aright, every group member attended this meeting and things began to change. From the proposition, target audience, strategy and very many useful advices was given. Most importantly we were told to include some theories of learning and reflection to buttress some points, this period was a well cherished one as it marked the beginning of a turn around. My role within the group was a very vital one as the other members do contact me to know what the next step was, i was always be called upon to divide the task and explain what we did so far including the future plan. I enjoyed doing this as i have always seen myself as a charismatic leader, of course a leader by example. 5.6 LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE PROJECTS When one talks of success story, that does not literarily mean the results for the dissertation is out already but the fulfilment and the joy that comes to mind knowing basically that the group work and the individual part was done and submitted in due time is worthy of note. Soon after the summer holiday started two of the four group members did travel to their home country leaving just two people to deal with the work. Sincerely things went slow but at each time a meeting was arranged and there was progress at every meeting coupled with misunderstandings. On the eighth of June, we had a final group presentation with feedback, which marked the final day of the course, to our greatest surprise the proposition we have changed time and time again, target audience segmentation and the tag line began to communicate, it became obvious that the group was on track even though the actual presentation got lost in a missing flash drive. The group was advised to do more research and understand the target audience and what needs to be done to communicate the brand (Trident chewing gum) is the strategy and implementation. Throughout this same month and July communication continued online as it became a bit difficult to meet in the university since the library closed earlier than usual. Each part of the campaign was dealt with rigorously and the power point slides were put together then the report followed afterwards. Scott G. S (2010) p 433 was earlier quoted in the report where he noted that John Dewey is considered a key originator of thinking about reflection. Dewey argued in his own words that reflective individuals have certain characteristics, which includes open-mindedness, which illustrates the will power within an individual to accept intellectual responsibility for ones own views, wholeheartedness this simply means, a willingness to face fears and uncertainties, and finally enthusiasm. Reflection is concerned with practices and actions, especially professional practice in fields such as school teaching (Allen, 1992; Beyer, 1989; Collier, 1999), nursing (Burns Bulman, 2000), social work (Fook, 1996), and management communities of practice (Welsh Dehler, 2004). Reflection also generates inquiry and a search for meaning; it provides the potential to see things in a way they have not been understood before. More simply, reflective practice contributes to learning. What i have learnt that will be forever useful to me is the ability to dialogue, this a very important instrument particularly in a group work scenario. Again it is good to listen to the leader as two wrongs can never make a right, it is totally unfair when team members refuse to listen to the leader, and obviously things will not go well. I have also learnt that in the future i understand clearly the basis of my task before i kick off with work on it, as this delayed my group from moving forward during the presentation, as though we were moving around within the same circle, before we got our priorities right. The means of reflection is most often dialogue through which subjective and objective experience is processed, questioned, and meaning is made of it. Reflection through dialogue demonstrates students learning through their ability to conceptualize what they have learned, the meaning it has for their present and future, and the recognition that they are neither the same person as they were a few years previously nor should they expect to be a few years hence. Baker, Jensen, and Kolb (2002) labelled this approach to learning the inside-out approach. Scott G. S (2010) p 433 5.7 CONCLUSION In concluding this reflection report it is interesting to note that learning can be considered as a process of argumentation in which thinking, reflecting, experiencing and action are different aspects of the same process. It is also a practical argumentation with oneself and in collaboration with others that actually forms the basis of learning. (Pavlica et al. 1998: 145) in Corley A and Eades E (2004, P 138) During the review of literature it was noted according to Jeffrey D et al. (2000) that reflection is not an entirely new process and some writers trace it to the work of Socrates, they went on to describe reflection as a process of disengaging from or stepping back from an experience and taking time to deliberately and carefully review it, think about it and construct meaning from it, however reflection is said to have a past, present and future element. In this report the writer has been able to reflect generally about the past experience, looking through the beginning of the marketing communications masters degree first impression, through to the present time which has to do with the experience while writing up the dissertation, it is also interesting to note that the writer also discussed briefly of future expectations and learning from the past experience that can positively affect the future work. Having reflected on my experience from first day of university up until the days of my final dissertation, i will say i have actually enjoyed the entire process. Meeting friends from other parts of the world was a good thing to remember, with no exceptions of my tutors who were always there, and willing to help with whatever need we might have during the course of study. However i quit e agree with the idea of personal reflections as it gives the opportunity to think back and make amends as required. This in turn will have a positive effect on an individual. REFERENCES Miriam Catterall, Pauline Maclaran, and Lorna Stevens (2010) Critical Reflection in the Marketing Curriculum Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 24 No. 3, December 2002 184-192 Scott. G Susanne (2010) Enhancing Reflection Skills through Learning Portfolios: An Empirical Test. Journal of Management Education 34(3) 430-457. The Author(s) , http://www. sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Fuguan Tan (2009) Tri-fold Transformation: An International Adult Students Reflections on Online Learning. Walker E. S (2006). Journal Writing as a Teaching Technique to Promote Reflection Journal of Athletic Training Vol. 41, No 2 p216-221 Klenowski Val and Lunt Ingrid (2008) Enhancing learning at doctoral level through the use of reflection. Taylor Francis Walsh Anita (2009) Modes of Reflection: Is it possible to use both individual and collective reflection to reconcile the three-party knowledge interests in workplace learning? European Journal of Education, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2009, Part I _1389 385 Aileen Corley and Elaine Eades (2004) Becoming critically reflective practitioners: academics and students reflections on the issues involved. Pp. 137-144. Human Resource Development International, Taylor and Francis Limited Horton-Deutsch Sarah and Sherwood Gwen (2008) Reflection: an educational strategy to develop emotionally- competent nurse leaders. Journal of Nursing Management, 16, 946-954 Doyle, Wendy; Young, Jeffrey D (2000).Managing Development: Making the most Experience and Reflection. Fall2000, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p18 Marianne van Woerkom, (2010) Advances in Developing Human Resouces. The Concept of Critical Reflection and Its Implications for Human Resource Development Advances in Developing Human Resources Vol. 6, No. 2 p 178-192

Realism in the Movie, Training Day Essay -- Training Day Movie

"Realism in, art and literature, [is] an attempt to describe human behavior and surroundings or to represent figures and objects exactly as they act or appear in life" (Realism 1). During the 1840's through the 1890's realism was present in much of the literature from the United Sates and Europe. It has been said that realism is easily visible in many pieces of modern literature and even in present day films. In 2001, the movie Training Day was released into theaters. Many critics agreed that the movie was very realistic. In fact, the main actor Denzel Washington was presented with an academy award for his performance in Training Day. Training Day can be considered realistic, but many aspects of the film show little realism. The movie, Training Day, demonstrates how some police officers take advantage of their positions which is realistic. Mikkelsen states that, ?The new movie Training Day is an excellent fictional demonstration of how the State, in this case the police, provide a ?legalized channel for crime? (Mikkelsen 1).? It is hard to define the line between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing to stop a crime. As Mikkelson explains, ?Many of the events are to be expected: violence against suspects, confiscation and use of drugs and especially money, violations of due process, graft (Mikkelsen 1).? At the end of the movie the main character is murdered and the police department makes up a story venerating his death in a positive manner. In all truth Harris was murdered by the Russians because he lost his temper and killed someone who was ?talking trash? about him. This is shown when Mikkelsen says, ?The state must defend cops, when possible, because publicity about ?bad cops? does not reflect well o... ...od and bad in life. Training Day scripted too much negativity into a movie that took place over only one day, and that is why it is not realistic. Work Cited Mahesh, Chitra. Entertainment: Training Day. 29 Sept. 2003. Mikkelsen, Anders. Training Day. 1 Nov. 2001. 29 Sept. 2003. Mr. Cranky?s rating: Training Day. 29 Sept. 2003. Parks, Matt. ?Training Day? Reviewed- The Violent Bear it Away. 16 Feb. 2002. 29 Sept. 2003. ?Realism (art and literature).? Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. MSN Learning and Research. 29 Sept. 2003.

Taking a Deeper Look at The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Essay

Taking a Deeper Look at The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Winner of multiple awards such as the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize, August Wilson is known most for his forceful cultural plays. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wilson was born to a white father that later abandoned his family, and a black mother. Wilson dropped out of school in the ninth grade after being accused of plagiarism. Wilson after went to public libraries and read various books; this was an initiation for Wilson and his successful future. When Wilson first started writing he didn’t think he was able to write his own works because of such great writers before him. â€Å"Quote black literature criticism†. However Wilson has managed to accomplish great works such as his second Pulitzer Award winning play, The Piano Lesson. The play introduces an outstanding and dynamic cultural view of many black Americans in the twentieth century. It conveys a family feud that is set off by a piano, a miraculous piano. In The Piano Lesson, August Wilson introduces two siblings, Boy Willie Charles and Berniece Charles Crawley, set in 1937. Wilson first reveals that Boy Willie lives in Mississippi, and Berniece lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (set of the play). This identification of the two allows the audience and reader to know that there is and will be a difference between the two siblings. The play is about the two siblings and their conflict between the piano. During slavery time, Boy Willie and Bernieces’ grandfather’s (Willie Boy Charles) slave owner Sutter had exchanged their grandmother and uncle for the piano as a gift for his wife. After getting worn out of the piano, Sutter’s wife missed her slaves so much, Sutter had Willie Boy to hand-carve the faces of his wife and son’s faces on the legs of the piano. However, Willie Boy didn’t stop there; he carved all of their ancestors on to the piano. The conflict between Boy Willie and Berniece is set off when Berniece’s husband dies due to stealing the piano with Boy Willie. Because of this, Berniece blames her brother for the cause of her husband’s death. She moves to Pittsburgh after and leaves Boy Willie. When the land that their ancestors worked on is offered to Boy Willie, Boy Willie decides to sell the piano as a down payment. Boy Willie thinks that it’ll b e better to have the land and m... ...to sit in her home unused. She loses all ties with her heritage while in Pittsburgh and only praises the piano for it’s meaning from what she sees on the outside of the piano. The song symbolizes how worthy the piano is; it has to be played. The song is also what makes Sutter’s ghost disappear at the end of the play. It plays a very important role in the play in that it was taught to Berniece by her mother. Perhaps her mother appeared to Berniece spiritually at the end of the play to urge Berniece to play the song again to get rid of Sutter’s ghost. Having Sutter’s ghost appear to Berniece doesn’t only motivate her to play the song, but also sends Boy Willie back to Mississippi. After frightening both Berniece and Boy Willie, it is clear to the two that the piano is more significant than they both thought before. August Wilson does a very fine job by presenting three symbols: the piano, Sutter’s ghost, and the song. All three symbols play major roles and are the foundations of the play. The symbols here allows the reader and audience to tie the history of the Charles family and the feud between Boy Willie and Berniece together. It’s a relation between the past and the present. Taking a Deeper Look at The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Essay Taking a Deeper Look at The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Winner of multiple awards such as the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize, August Wilson is known most for his forceful cultural plays. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wilson was born to a white father that later abandoned his family, and a black mother. Wilson dropped out of school in the ninth grade after being accused of plagiarism. Wilson after went to public libraries and read various books; this was an initiation for Wilson and his successful future. When Wilson first started writing he didn’t think he was able to write his own works because of such great writers before him. â€Å"Quote black literature criticism†. However Wilson has managed to accomplish great works such as his second Pulitzer Award winning play, The Piano Lesson. The play introduces an outstanding and dynamic cultural view of many black Americans in the twentieth century. It conveys a family feud that is set off by a piano, a miraculous piano. In The Piano Lesson, August Wilson introduces two siblings, Boy Willie Charles and Berniece Charles Crawley, set in 1937. Wilson first reveals that Boy Willie lives in Mississippi, and Berniece lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (set of the play). This identification of the two allows the audience and reader to know that there is and will be a difference between the two siblings. The play is about the two siblings and their conflict between the piano. During slavery time, Boy Willie and Bernieces’ grandfather’s (Willie Boy Charles) slave owner Sutter had exchanged their grandmother and uncle for the piano as a gift for his wife. After getting worn out of the piano, Sutter’s wife missed her slaves so much, Sutter had Willie Boy to hand-carve the faces of his wife and son’s faces on the legs of the piano. However, Willie Boy didn’t stop there; he carved all of their ancestors on to the piano. The conflict between Boy Willie and Berniece is set off when Berniece’s husband dies due to stealing the piano with Boy Willie. Because of this, Berniece blames her brother for the cause of her husband’s death. She moves to Pittsburgh after and leaves Boy Willie. When the land that their ancestors worked on is offered to Boy Willie, Boy Willie decides to sell the piano as a down payment. Boy Willie thinks that it’ll b e better to have the land and m... ...to sit in her home unused. She loses all ties with her heritage while in Pittsburgh and only praises the piano for it’s meaning from what she sees on the outside of the piano. The song symbolizes how worthy the piano is; it has to be played. The song is also what makes Sutter’s ghost disappear at the end of the play. It plays a very important role in the play in that it was taught to Berniece by her mother. Perhaps her mother appeared to Berniece spiritually at the end of the play to urge Berniece to play the song again to get rid of Sutter’s ghost. Having Sutter’s ghost appear to Berniece doesn’t only motivate her to play the song, but also sends Boy Willie back to Mississippi. After frightening both Berniece and Boy Willie, it is clear to the two that the piano is more significant than they both thought before. August Wilson does a very fine job by presenting three symbols: the piano, Sutter’s ghost, and the song. All three symbols play major roles and are the foundations of the play. The symbols here allows the reader and audience to tie the history of the Charles family and the feud between Boy Willie and Berniece together. It’s a relation between the past and the present.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: essays research papers

1984 I think that today's society is a "half version" of George Owell's novel, 1984, in some ways it is similar and in others, uniquely different. The closest we come today to a "Big Brother" is the mob. The people are also controlled by watchful security cameras and subliminal messages. However, something in life today is very different from that of 1984, it is the people. In the words of the famous lyricist, "Power to the People." In analyzing "Big Brother," there are similarities between it and the mob. The Mafia is a crime family that can see everything, there is no going against the mob or else someone is going to die. The Mafia is so widespread that it has operatives all over keeping an eye out for cops or law enforcement, this is the Mafia's "telescreens" (Orwell 6). Another startling similarity between the mob and "Big Brother" is the Mafia's strange way of making someone disappear or "vaporize" (Orwell ). Almost unknowingly a person's identity can be changed, altered, or deleted. Authorities use security and surveillance cameras to observe criminal activities or possibly every day activities. Too much surveillance liberties are given to police or FBI. By using hi-tech cameras which can actually document a person's life. Unknowingly, there may be a cute little camera installed in the bedroom. Another way that today's society controls the masses is subliminal messages. Illegal now, subliminal messages were widely used in the entertainment business, especially during the fifties. An example is that movie makers would add a split-second commercial add for popcorn and soda during a movie. Customers would actually be manipulated into buying these products. Even though, this kind of brainwashing is illegal, it is still very hard to detect, who's to say that we are not bombarded by subliminal messages just by watching commercials on television. This is too risky, to think that a person's actions and emotions can be swayed by someone else's perversion's. Again, this is very similar to 1984. Of all the things there are today that would make it impossible for there to be an inner or outer party, as in 1984, is that there is each other. No matter how hard our government tries, they cannot reach everyone. Contrary to 1984, where they do get everyone, I feel that was extreme and unlikely. I find it highly unlikely that a form of government can find a way to get the whole

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 3

God, it stank. RashelJordan had seen a lot of vampire lairs in her seventeen years, but this was probably the most disgusting. She held her breath as she stirred the nest of tattered cloth with the toe of one boot. She could read the story of this collection of garbage as easily as if the inhabitant had written out a full confession, signed it, and posted it on the wall. One vampire. A rogue, an outcast who lived on the fringe of both the human world and the Night World. He probably moved to anew city every few weeks to avoid getting caught. And he undoubtedly looked like any other homeless guy, except that none of the human homeless would be hanging around aBoston dock on a Tuesday night in early March. He brings his victims here, Rashel thought. The pier's deserted, it's private, he can take his time with them. And of course he can't resist keeping a few trophies. Her foot stirred them gently. A pink-and-blue knit baby jacket, a plaid sash from a school uniform, a Spiderman tennis shoe. All bloodstained. All very small. There had been a rash of missing children lately. TheBoston police would never discover where they had gone-but now Rashel knew. She felt her lips draw back slightly from her teeth in something that wasn't really a smile. She was aware of everything around her: the soft plash of water against the wooden pier, the rank coppery smell that was almost a taste, the darkness of a night lit only by a half moon. Even the light moisture of the cold breeze against her skin. She was aware of all of it without being preoccupied with any of it-and when the tiny scratch sounded behind her, she moved as smoothly and gracefully as if she were taking her turn in a dance. She pivoted on her left foot, drawing her bokken in the same motion, and without a break in the movement, she stabbed straight to the vampire's chest. She drove the blow from her hips, exhaling in a hiss as she did it, putting all her strength behind it. â€Å"Gotta be faster than that,† she said. The vampire, skewered like a hot dog, waved his arms and gibbered. He was dressed in filthy clothing and his hair was a bushy tangle. His eyes were wide, full of surprise and hatred, shining as silver as an animal's in the faint light. His teeth weren't so much fangs as tusks: fully extended, they reached almost to his chin. â€Å"I know,† Rashel said. â€Å"You really, really wanted to kill me. Life's tough, isn't it?† The vampire snarled one more time and then the silver went out of his eyes, leaving only the look of astonishment. His body stiffened and slumped backward. It lay still on the ground. Grimacing, Rashel pulled her wooden sword out of the chest. She started to wipe the blade on the vampire's pants, then hesitated, peering at them more closely. Yes, those were definitely little crawly things. And the blankets were just as repulsive. Oh, well. Use your own jeans. It won't be the first time. She carefully wiped the bokken clean. It was two and a half feet long and just slightly, gracefully curved, with a narrow, sharp, angled tip. Designed to penetrate a body as efficiently as possible-if that body was susceptible to wood. The sword slipped back into its sheath with a papery whisper. Then Rashel glanced at the body again. Mr. Vampire was already going mummified. His skin was now yellow and tough; his staring eyes were dried up, his lips shrunken, his tusks collapsed. Rashel bent over him, reaching into her back pocket. What she pulled out looked like the snapped-off end of a bamboo backscratcher-which was exactly what it was. She'd had it for years. Very precisely, Rashel drew the five lacquered fingers of the scratcher down the vampire's forehead. On the yellow skin five brown marks appeared, like the marks of a cat's claws. Vampire skin was easy to mark tight after death. â€Å"This kitten has claws,† she murmured. It was a ritual sentence; she'd repeated it ever since the night she'd killed her first vampire at the age of twelve. In memory of her mother, who'd always called her kitten. In memory of herself at age five, and all the innocence she'd lost. She'd never be a helpless kitten again. Besides, it was a little joke. Vampires†¦ bats. Herself†¦ a cat. Anybody who'd grown up with Batman and Catwoman would get it. Well. All done. Whistling softly, she rolled the body over and over with her foot to the end of the pier. She didn't feel like carting the mummy all the way out to the fens, the salt marshes where bodies were traditionally left inBoston . With a mental apology to everybody who was trying to clean up the harbor, she gave the corpse a final push and listened for the splash. She was still whistling as she emerged from the pier onto the street. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go— She was in a very good mood. The only disappointment was the constant one, that it hadn't been the vampire, the one she'd been looking for ever since she'd been five years old. It had been a rogue, all right-a depraved monster who killed human kids foolishly close to human habitations. But it hadn't been the rogue. Rashel would never forget his face. And she knew that someday she would see it again. Meanwhile, there was nothing to do but shish-kebab as many of the parasites as possible. She scanned the streets as she walked, alert for any sign of Night People. All she saw were quiet brick buildings and streetlights shining pale gold. And that was a shame, because she was in terrific form tonight; she could feel it. She was every bloodsucking leech's worst enemy. She could stake six of them before breakfast and still be fresh for chemistry first period at Wassaguscus High. Rashel stopped suddenly, absent-mindedly melting into a shadow as a police car cruised silently down the cross-street ahead. I know, she thought. I'll go see what the Lancers are up to. If anybody knows where vampires are, they do. She headed for the North End. Half an hour later she was standing in front of a brownstone apartment building, ringing the buzzer. â€Å"Who's there?† Instead of answering, Rashel said, â€Å"The night has a thousand eyes.† â€Å"And the day only one,† came the reply from the intercom. â€Å"Hey there, girl. Come on up.† Inside, Rashel climbed a dark and narrow stairway to a scarred wooden door. There was a peephole in the door. Rashel faced it squarely, then pulled off the scarf she'd been wearing. It was black, silky, and very long. She wore it wrapped around her head and face like a veil, so that only her eyes showed, and even they were in shadow. She shook out her hair, knowing what the person on the other side could see. A tall girl dressed like a ninja, all hi black, with black hair falling loose around her shoulders and green eyes blazing. She hadn't changed much since she was five, except in height. Right now she made a barbaric face at the peephole and heard the sound of laughter behind the door as bolts were drawn. She waited until the door was shut behind her again before she said, â€Å"Hi, Elliot.† Elliot was a few years older than she was, and thin, with intense eyes and little shiny glasses that were always slipping off his nose. Some people would have dismissed him as a geek. But Rashel had once seen him stand up to two werewolves while she got a human girl out a window, and she knew that he had practically single-handedly started the Lancers-one of the most successful organizations of vampire hunters on the east coast. â€Å"What's up, Rashel? It's been a while.† â€Å"I've been busy. But now I'm bored. I came to see if you guys had anything going.† As Rashel spoke, she was looking at the other people in the room. A brown-haired girl was kneeling, loading objects from boxes into a dark green backpack. Another girl and a boy were sitting on the couch. Rashel recognized the boy from other Lancers meetings, but neither of the girls were familiar. â€Å"Lucky you,† Elliot said. â€Å"This is Vicky, my new second-in-command.† He nodded at the girl on the floor. â€Å"She just moved toBoston ; she was the leader of a group on the south shore. And tonight she's taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill. We got a lead that there's been some activity out there.† â€Å"What kind of activity? Leeches, puppies?† Elliot shrugged. â€Å"Vampires definitely. Werewolves maybe. There's been a rumor about teenage girls getting kidnapped and stashed somewhere around there. The problem is we don't know exactly where, or why.† He tilted his head, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"You want to go?† â€Å"Isn't anybody going to ask me?† Vicky said, straightening up from her backpack. Her pale blue eyes were fixed on Rashel. â€Å"I've never even seen this girl before. She could be one of them.† Elliot pushed his glasses higher on his nose. He looked amused. â€Å"You wouldn't say that if you knew, Vicky. Rashel's the best.† â€Å"At what?† â€Å"At everything. When you were going to your fancy prep school, she was out in theChicago slums staking vampires. She's been inL.A. ,New York ,New Orleans†¦ even Vegas. She's wiped out more parasites than the rest of us put together.† Elliot glanced mischievously at Rashel, then leaned toward Vicki. â€Å"Ever heard of the Cat?† he said. Vicki's head snapped up. She stared at Rashel. â€Å"The Cat? The one all the Night People are afraid of? The one they're offering a reward for? The one who leaves a mark-â€Å" Rashel shot Elliot a warning look. â€Å"Never mind,† she said. She wasn't sure she trusted these new people. Vicky was right about one thing: you couldn't be too careful. And she didn't like Vicky much, but she could hardly turn down such a good opportunity for vampire hunting. Not tonight, when she was in such terrific form. â€Å"I'll go with you-if you'll have me,† she said. Vicky's pale blue eyes bored into Rashel's a moment, then she nodded. â€Å"Just remember I'm in charge.† â€Å"Sure,† Rashel murmured. She could see Elliot's grin out of the corner of her eye. â€Å"You know Steve, and that's Nyala.† Elliot indicated the boy and girl on the couch. Steve had blond hair, muscular shoulders, and a steady expression; Nyala had skin like cocoa and a faraway look in her eyes, as if she were sleepwalking. â€Å"Nyala's new. She just lost her sister a month ago,† Elliot added in a gentle voice. He didn't need to say how the sister had been lost. Rashel nodded at the girl. She sympathized. There was nothing quite like the shock of first discovering the Night World, when you realized that things like vampires and witches and werewolves were real, and that they were everywhere, joined in one giant secret organization. That anybody could be one, and you'd never know until it was too late. â€Å"Everybody ready? Then let's go,† Vicky said, and Steve and Nyala got up. Elliot showed them to the door. â€Å"Good luck,† he said. Outside, Vicky led the way to a dark blue car with mud strategically caked on the license plates. â€Å"We'll drive to the warehouse area,† she said. Rashel was relieved. She was used to walking the city streets at night without being seen-important when you were carrying a rather unconcealable sword-but she wasn't sure that these other three could manage. It took practice. The drive was silent except for the murmur of Steve's voice occasionally helping Vicky with directions. They passed through respectable neighborhoods and venerable areas with handsome old buildings until they got to a street where everything changed suddenly. All at once, as if they had crossed some invisible dividing line, the gutters were full of soggy trash and the fences were topped with razor wire. The buildings were government housing projects, dark warehouses, or rowdy bars. Vicky pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car away from the security lights. Then she led them through the knee-high dead weeds of a vacant lot to a street that was poorly lighted and utterly silent. â€Å"This is the observation post,† Vicky whispered, as they reached a squat brick building, a part of the housing project that had been abandoned. Following her, they zigzagged through debris and scrap metal to get to a side door, and then they climbed a dark staircase covered with graffiti to the third floor. Their flashlights provided the only illumination. â€Å"Nice place,† Nyala whispered, looking around. She had obviously never seen anything like it before. â€Å"Don't you think-there may be other people here besides vampires?† Steve gave her a reassuring pat. â€Å"No, it's okay.† â€Å"Yeah, it looks like even the junkies have abandoned it,† Rashel said, grimly amused. â€Å"You can see the whole street from the window,† Vicky put in shortly. â€Å"Elliot and I were here yesterday watching those warehouses across the street. And last night we saw a guy at the end of the street who looked a lot like a vampire. You know the signs.† Nyala opened her mouth as if to say she didn't know the signs, but Rashel was already speaking. â€Å"Did you test him?† â€Å"We didn't want to get that close. We'll do it tonight if he shows up again.† â€Å"How do you test them?† Nyala asked. Vicky didn't answer. She and Steve had pushed aside a couple of rat-chewed mattresses and were unloading the bags and backpacks they'd brought. Rashel said, â€Å"One way is to shine a flashlight in their eyes. Usually you get eye-shine back-like an animal's.† â€Å"There are other ways, too,† Vicky said, setting the things she was unloading on the bare boards of the floor. There were ski masks, knives made of both metal and wood, a number of stakes of various sizes, and a mallet. Steve added two clubs made of white oak to the pile. â€Å"Wood hurts them more than metal,† Vicky said to Nyala. â€Å"If you cut them with a steel knife they heal right before your eyes-but cut them with wood and they keep bleeding.† Rashel didn't quite like the way she said it. And she didn't like the last thing Vicky was pulling out of her backpack. It was a wooden device that looked a bit like a miniature stock. Two hinged blocks of wood that fit snugly around a person's wrists and closed with a lock. â€Å"Vampire handcuffs,† Vicky said proudly, seeing her look. â€Å"Made of white oak. Guaranteed to hold any parasite. I brought them from down south.† â€Å"But hold them for what? And what do you need all those little knives and stakes for? It would take hours to kill a vampire with those.† Vicky smiled fiercely. â€Å"I know.† Oh. Rashel's heart seemed to thump and then sink, and she looked away to control her reaction. She understood what Vicky had in mind now. Torture. â€Å"A quick death's too good for them,† Vicky said, still smiling. â€Å"They deserve to suffer-the way they make our people suffer. Besides, we might get some information. We need to know where they're keeping the girls they kidnap, and what they're doing with them.† â€Å"Vicky.† Rashel spoke earnestly. â€Å"It's practically impossible to make vampires talk. They're stubborn. When they're hurt they just get angry-like animals.† Vicky smirked. â€Å"I've made some talk. It just depends on what you do, and how long you make it last. Anyway, there's no harm in trying.† â€Å"Does Elliot know about this?† Vicky lifted a shoulder defensively. â€Å"Elliot lets me do things my way. I don't have to tell him every little detail. I was a leader myself, you know.† Helplessly, Rashel looked at Nyala and Steve. And saw that for the first time Nyala's eyes had lost their sleepwalking expression. Now she looked awake- and savagely glad. â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"We should try to make the vampire talk. And if he suffers-well, my sister suffered. When I found her, she was almost dead but she could still talk. She told me what it felt like, having all the blood drained out of her body while she was still conscious. She said it hurt. She said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Nyala stopped, swallowed, and looked at Vicky. â€Å"I want to help do it,† she said thickly. Steve didn't say anything, but then from what Rashel knew of him, that was typical. He was a guy of few words. Anyway, he didn't protest. Rashel felt odd, as if she were seeing the very worst of herself reflected in a mirror. It made her†¦ ashamed. It left her shaken. But who am I to judge? she thought, turning away. It's true that the parasites are evil, all of them. The whole race needs to be wiped out. And Vicky's right, why should they have a clean death, when they usually don't give their victims one? Nyala deserves to avenge her sister. â€Å"Unless you object or something,† Vicky said heavily, and Rashel could feel those pale blue eyes on her. â€Å"Unless you're some kind of vampire sympathizer.† Rashel might have laughed at that, but she wasn't in a laughing mood. She took a breath, then said without turning around, â€Å"It's your show. I agreed that you were in charge.† â€Å"Good,† Vicky said, and returned to her work. But the sick feeling in the pit of Rashel's stomach didn't go away. She almost hoped that the vampire wouldn't come.