Magazine Article on E-books

Cassettes-sidelined! DVDs –gathering dust! VHS-retired! Technology mutates and evolves leaving redundant platforms in its place. Much of the time technology is beneficial and change is good, however occasionally change is not so auspicious and we do not realise what we have lost until it’s truly gone. The book. The Bible, The odyssey and The Gruffalo (and that’s not even mentioning the poets).All books which have stood the test of time and are still being read as much today as the moment they were published; with these texts societies were bound and broken; lessons were learned and empires fell; all to the humble book. However the brazen veteran; the book; is endanger of being stripped of its crown by the young and brash E-book. In the words of Northrop Frye books are the only piece of technology which has not become socially defunct–Yet! They have stood firm whilst DVDs, tapes and vinyl like empires, rose and fell.However the frog like e-book with its dul l boring features and its fabulously annoying Wifi connectivity could be the bane of books. E-books are vastly growing in nature, like a weed; multiplying on every train, beach and plane you see them they are growing in number and his suggested by 2016 there will be nearly 10 billion of these dastardly devices roaming the world. Even the mere existence of E-books has created a whole new type of piracy where people are ripping off hard working authors and publishers by getting counterfeit e-books online for free.This illegal practice was consummated by the emotionless e-book. These characterless devices rob the tangible nature you get from books. The feel of the paper the smell of the ink all contribute to the sensation we get from reading. E-books rob this from us and sadly soon children will not understand this interaction as they will be more familiar with the blistering headache the monotonous e-book provides.

The Effect of the Invention of Basketball on American Society

For those who do not consider themselves basketball fans, the sport’s significance may seem irrelevant or of very little. While these people may not think to thank Dr. James Naismith for his invention of the game, we should all thank him for the major contributions he made and paths he paved for this country. Although basketball may be seen as just a sport played for fun and enjoyment, its invention’s impact on Americans was huge, positive, and everlasting. The inventor himself had a very strange and rough road to get to that infamous winter night that the game was created.James Naismith wasn’t born in your ideal view of a basketball setting, but in Canada. Both his mother and father passed away of typhoid fever before he had turned nine years old. James then moved in with his uncle in Springfield, Massachusetts, terribly overwhelmed and distressed. He dropped out of school at the age of fifteen because he saw â€Å"no need in learning more than he already knewà ¢â‚¬  (Hill 9). If Naismith would have actually gone along with this way of thinking, the journey to the invention of basketball could have ended right then and there.In fact, the only reason Naismith ever went to college was that his uncle wanted him to become a minister. He went on to attend Presbyterian College, where the invention was a great case of serendipity. While he was there, there were no sports being played between football and baseball season due to the cold weather. He noticed athletes were bored and as he would later write, he was â€Å"just trying to find a solution to a problem† (Hill 7). This indoor game played with peach baskets soon exploded in popularity and the rest was history.In the mid-1800s a majority, if not all, of American culture was adopted from another country. Baseball was being played, which was derived from the English game of cricket. The sport of lacrosse was learned from the Native Americans. We even cooked like Europeans and dressed li ke them. We, of course, had broken off politically, but we struggled to find difference materialistically. Basketball, however, fostered both pride and identity (Gems). The game was American-made and everyone wanted a part in it. A communal interest was taken and people were proud to call it theirs.The game taught, and still teaches, a great lesson in diversity. Lots of people grew to know the meaning of the word through their experiences with the sport. The term was significant in studying and analyzing other teams’ and players’ basketball approaches, such as the types of plays they ran or just how good they were. More importantly, however, diversity among people was discovered. The sport broadened stereotypes and views of other races. It allowed players to realize that there are no real differences. In the late 1890s, basketball’s very early days, ethnically diverse advocates of the game were very prevalent.Groups like the German Turners, Czech Sokols, and Pol ish Falcons loved the sport and â€Å"acquiesced to the interests of second-generation youths such as basketball† (Gems). Integration saw a huge advancement due to basketball. Teams all across the country were being formed and they would play against each other. Teams in this time were not allowed to be mixed. It was either a white team or an African American team. After a few years, â€Å"in the North, the African American teams proved to be the best† (Gems). This allowed the blacks to feel like, for the first time, they were not completely and utterly below the whites.African Americans found hope and determination through the sport in a time where society was so cruel to them. These players also gave the game something that would change basketball forever. They added a â€Å"style of play that†¦emphasized speed, agility, superior jumping ability and creative ball handling which today are hallmarks of the game that millions of Americans love† (Logan). Due to their capabilities and the racial diversity the sport of basketball quickly saw, African Americans were widely respected and accepted in professional leagues in the North soon after its creation.Also, children learned a lot about racial equality through playing ball in their communities. Although kids in the neighborhood became friends, children of varying races didn’t talk much until they played basketball where â€Å"[children] played basketball together, black and white, without incident† (Kelley). The tension, of course, was not completely gone, but once the games began race was forgotten. Even today the sport brings all kinds of people together in all levels of competition. Women gained a lot as well from this sport. Through playing, women began to feel quality as they reached the same stardom as men who also played.Even early on, â€Å"women’s games were known for having a strong male fan base as well as entire families in attendance† (Milner). I t would have been very rare before this for women to be so supported by men, and the public in the general. Women before Naismith’s time had little to no rights and were very restricted to the things they could do that men also did. Being able to play in professional leagues with men was a very big step for their gaining of equality. Eventually, the WNBA was created, becoming the first professional women’s league of the four major U. S. sports.Many international links were formed through basketball as well. The originally American sport rapidly spread to all parts of the world where the game was loved. Worldwide leagues have since been created, spreading competition, as well as the sport’s popularity. The U. S. however, displayed global dominance in the sport right away. America won the first seven gold medals in Olympic basketball after the sport was added permanently in 1936 (Milner). This case of superiority added even more to America’s sense of pride and identity. Like everything else, basketball is not, by any means, perfect.There are some flaws with the sport that can be seen as very problematic. However, these issues are not in the slightest case unique and would be very hard to eliminate completely. Throughout the basketball world, minors who showcase special talent or potential are often victims of illegal action. Through gambling, recruiting, and scandals, these young athletes are the center of black-market professionalism caused by â€Å"corporate money funneled into amateur sports† (Wetzel introduction). All members involved in these leagues are sucked into the corruption.Teams, coaches, and whole universities are often sucked into the aftermath of a scandal. This puts a bad label on sometimes undeserving participants. The sport, and everything that comes with it, also puts a multitude of pressure on kids. Shoe, companies with high deals to offer, make children feel like they must cooperate in order to have their dreams come true. Teenagers become more focused on the money than the sport they love. These campaigns startle â€Å"college, high school, and even junior high school students with ongoing exploitation† (Wetzel introduction).These campaigns also cause for some major let-downs. Aspiring young players who see these ads and promises of fame and fortune work hard only to have their dreams crushed. Some advocates of this way of viewing the inside of basketball may say that society should be appalled. According to Dan Wetzel, this is â€Å"an important alarm to society that for too long has ignored the dark business behind amateur sports- and what it does to those who play them† (introduction). However, I don’t see this as an overwhelming, shocking issue. Crime like this happens everywhere, and in all sports.There in no way to ensure that this isn’t done. We should focus more on the bright side of this culture Naismith has given us and not pick out the negative s. Those young athletes who do make it symbolize everything that amateur players play for. They look back and admire where they’ve been and how they got to where they are. They are filled with admiration of their hard work, the choices they made, and the chances they took. Aside from personal benefit, the rest of society greatly benefits economically from the sport as a whole. Television ratings and ticket sales let towns and businesses prosper.The amount of events pertaining to the sport is a great device to keep money circulating through cities. Also, the big time stars that certain cities produce often give back to their communities. Charities such as NBA Cares donate to organizations everywhere. This game, this sport, this way of life to some, has so much sentimental value. Basketball teaches so many lifelong lessons that can be applied to anything one does in his or her time. The game â€Å"promotes teamwork, spirit, and helps get children active† (Carlo). These t hree ideas are critical and very behooving in a variety of professions as well as walks of life all across the world.Basketball also teaches people to never give up. Through adversity, you must keep fighting and pushing through to advance and help your team succeed. Quitting never helps, and if one works hard enough, he will reach his peak, much like Naismith learned. Another great thing this game gives us is friendship. Adults everywhere share camaraderie with one another based on friendships from high school or college which all began on a basketball court. In the words of former NBA player and United States congressman, Bill Bradley, â€Å"basketball is the gift that never stops giving. The game is full of great joy and great memory.Its invention needs to be celebrated. † Basketball remains one of the driving forces behind Americans through its enjoyment and the life lessons that it teaches. We owe a large part of our sense of pride and identity to Dr. James Naismith. His invention over a hundred and twenty years ago made a huge impact on life back then, as it does now. Without him and his creation, many things that many people take for granted would not be able to be enjoyed. Many of the paths he indirectly paved for this country, and its citizens, goes unnoticed. However, this invention changed our culture and society forever.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 22

Flying from Seattle to San Francisco is easy, easier even than going to Las Vegas. It takes less than two hours, and tons of flights run each day. The whole trip should've been simple. I mean, there were days when I'd spent more time in traffic just trying to get from downtown Seattle to the suburbs. But I'd never flown on an airplane as a mortal. I was still determined to get to Seth, so there was no question that I was going to make this flight – only a lot of fear. I sat on the plane, waiting for takeoff, noticing things I'd never paid much attention to before. Were the engines usually that loud? Was that fuel I smelled? Was that a crack in the window, and if so, would the whole thing hold when we were airborne? I'd never done much more than politely watch the flight attendants' safety demo, but this time, I hung on to every detail. I had a lot on the line now – like, my life. An immortal could survive a plane crash. It wouldn't be pretty, but it was possible. Now? Now I faced all the risks the rest of the human world did. My fears were unfounded, of course. The flight was smooth and easy, just as fast as I'd expected. Flying really was the safest form of travel. That hadn't changed. Only my perceptions of the world had. I made the trip white-knuckled and breathed a deep sigh of relief when the plane landed. By the time I'd rented a car and was settled into my hotel room, I still had a couple hours before Seth's signing. My hotel was only a couple of blocks from his store – I'd planned it that way – and there was little for me to do except wait. Wait and obsess. A lot of that time was spent agonizing over my appearance. Even when I could shape-shift, I'd always prided myself on my ability to do my own styling. Of course, when Jerome had been summoned and I'd lost my succubus powers briefly, I'd discovered that I really wasn't quite as adept as I'd believed. I'd been cheating without realizing it all along, making small corrections with my powers. Stripped of them, I'd found all the little details I'd missed with blending eye shadow, straightening my hair, and myriad other grooming tasks. Now was no different. I would never have that guaranteed perfection again. There would always be flaws in my appearance. I was going to start aging. How long until that set in? Staring at myself in the hotel bathroom's mirror, I searched out all the little things I thought could be improved upon and then tried to fix them. When I was finished, I was so frustrated that I didn't know if I'd come close to my previous perfection or not. The only thing I was fairly certain of was that it probably didn't matter. Seth's decision to forgive me wasn't going to have anything to do with how my bangs fell or if my makeup brought out the gold flecks in my green eyes. I showed up ten minutes before Seth's event started, thought it was obvious people had been arriving for some time. A bit of nostalgia for Emerald City hit me as I gazed around and took in the efficient bookstore staff as they worked to accommodate the crowd. A podium had been set up in front of a large seating area, though no chairs were left empty. Staff shifted what furniture they could to improve the view for those of us who were standing, and I had to stop myself from offering to help. I ended up purposely staying near the back of the standing crowd. I could still see the podium and hoped my spot would keep me semiobscured. All around me, excited readers clutched copies of Seth's books, some even carrying huge stacks. Their excitement was electric, and I found myself getting caught up in it when Seth finally emerged to thunderous applause. My heart leaped. How long had it been since we'd last spoken? A week? It felt like an eternity, maybe because I'd pretty much lived one in the trial. He was wearing a Brady Bunch T-shirt, and though it looked like he'd brushed his hair, I could already see parts of it starting to go unruly in that way it had. He didn't appear to have shaved in a couple days, but the scruff looked adorable and added to his carefree writer appearance. I felt a smile spreading on my face as I watched him and was reminded of the first time we'd met, when he'd come to Emerald City for a signing and I hadn't recognized him. â€Å"Hey, everybody,† he said into the microphone, once the applause had quieted. â€Å"Thanks for coming out tonight.† Thinking about that first meeting with him also made me realize how much he had changed in the last year and a half. He would never be entirely comfortable in front of a crowd like this – especially since they kept getting bigger – but he was certainly more at ease than that first meeting. He grinned at their enthusiasm and made eye contact where he could, something he'd had trouble with in the past. There was confidence even in the way he stood and spoke. It made me love him that much more, something I hadn't believed possible. Sometimes he would open by reading aloud from the new book, but this time, he jumped straight into questions. Hands went up everywhere, and I found myself ducking against a shelf as he scanned the audience and called on people. I wasn't quite ready for discovery yet. I just wanted to watch him and drink him in. I was amused that the very first question he was asked was, â€Å"Where do you get your ideas from?† That had been a joke between us, at that first meeting, because it was one of the most common questions he received. I'd commented, back then, that it must get tedious answering the same things, and Seth had told me no. He'd said that the question was always new for the person asking and that he treated it as such. It didn't matter how many times it came up. He took joy in their excitement for the books. More questions came, both broad and specific, and Seth answered them all with friendliness and good humor that his fans loved. A lot of people especially wanted to know about the next book, the last book in his Cady and O'Neill series. My heart grew and grew the more I watched him, and I felt like I was getting away with something by being able to observe him without his knowledge. Our last few encounters hadn't exactly been friendly, and it was a balm to me to observe all the warmth and kindness that had made me fall in love with him. It went by too quickly. I was so caught up in watching and listening to him that I was barely aware of the time flying by. It wasn't until I picked up on the subtle movements of the staff that it hit me that this portion of the event was about to wrap up. They would go into signing soon, and the crowd around me would become a massive line that would take hours to get through. Then what? I was suddenly at a loss. Why had I come here? To see Seth . . . and then? I wasn't sure what. I hadn't had much of a plan, short of the preparations needed to get here. Somehow, I had been thinking that would be enough, but of course it wouldn't be. If I wanted to do something, I had to do it now, before this turned into the machine of signing. My hand went up, and inexplicably, Seth's eyes went instantly to me. I don't know how it happened. Like me, others had realized their chance to ask questions was running out, and eager hands were up everywhere, some waving eagerly in the hopes that they might draw his attention. How I – standing in the back and shorter than most of those around me – pulled it off was a mystery. Maybe it was like the time Erik had used Seth to rescue me from the Oneroi. Maybe after everything that had happened, we were still bound. Seth's eyes widened when he realized it was me, but his hand was already pointing in my direction, giving me permission to speak. He faltered only a little. â€Å"Y-yes?† I felt like the eyes of the world were on me. The eyes of the universe, even. So much rested on the next words out of my mouth. â€Å"Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?† I don't know where it came from. When Seth and I had first met, this was the other common question he and I had discussed, and I had mocked it as well. Surprisingly, no one had asked it tonight, but judging from the intense way everyone turned to Seth, you could tell it was on a lot of people's minds. Those amber brown eyes weighed me heavily, and then he answered my question with a question. â€Å"Do you think they should?† â€Å"Well,† I said, â€Å"they've been through an awful lot together. And if there's only one book left, it kind of seems like they're running out of time.† The ghost of a smile flickered over his lips. â€Å"I suppose you're right.† He thought about it a heartbeat more. â€Å"I don't know if they will. I guess you'll just have to read the next installment.† That was met with disappointed groans, and the bookstore staff used that as an opening to segue into signing and hurry Seth off to a more comfortable table. He watched me a few moments more before he moved, the faint smile still on his face. He looked thoughtful. Meanwhile, my heart was beating in double time. In a daze, I allowed myself to be herded with the others into line, not caring how far back I was. Some of the aches in my ribs and the rest of my body began to nag me, but I forced myself to stay strong and ignore them. It took an hour and a half for me to reach the front, but much like the questions, I barely noticed the passage of time. Only, now it wasn't because I was so enraptured by what I saw. This time, I was simply terrified. I wanted to see Seth . . . but was afraid to. He finished signing for the person in front of me and gave me the same smile he'd had on for everyone else. I supposed he'd had time to prepare himself for me coming through the line and was able to effectively hide his shock at my presence. â€Å"Hi,† he said. I handed him my book without a word. â€Å"You've come a long ways.† â€Å"I'm a pretty big fan,† I said. He smiled and scrawled one of his stock phrases into the book: Thanks for reading! When he finished signing, he gave the book back to me, and I gave him an envelope in return. â€Å"This is for you,† I said. There was nothing that weird about my action. People often gave him gifts and letters. In fact, I could see a small pile of goods sitting on a chair beside him. He accepted them with good grace all the time, but then, they weren't usually from people who had the kind of history we did. He held the envelope for a moment, and I suddenly worried he wasn't going to take it. Then, he set it down and said, â€Å"Thank you.† It went next to him on the table, not on the chair. Unsure what to do now, I murmured my own thanks and then hurried off to let everyone else have their chance with him. Mine was gone. I'd played my cards and wouldn't know for a while if anything would come of it. The envelope had had a number scrawled on one side, and inside was a key to my hotel room. It was a silly, cliched thing to do, but I knew how these types of events worked. If I'd openly asked Seth to meet me somewhere, I would have likely gotten the unwanted attention of the bookstore staff and their security. I knew because I'd hurried a fair number of zealous fans off after book signings myself. At least back in the hotel room, I was able to sit down. I didn't realize until that moment just how much I'd been asking of my battered body to stand for that long. Hugh had been right about one thing: being mortal changed everything. I couldn't shrug off getting hit by a car now the same way I could have as a succubus. My doctor had given me a prescription for Vicodin, but I was pretty sure I didn't want to be strung out on drugs for my grand reunion with Seth. I settled for ibuprofen and began the agonizing process of waiting. I'd actually dozed off when I heard the room's door click open. I sprang up from the bed, only getting half a glance at myself in the mirror before I moved toward the door. Seth entered, freezing when he saw me. The door swung shut behind him, and I too came screeching to a halt, too stunned to move. Part of it was that same wonder and rapture of seeing him, just as it had been in the bookstore. Only, now he was right here, alone in the same room with me. It was almost too much to handle. The rest of my inability to react came from simply forgetting what I'd wanted to say. I'd rehearsed a hundred speeches and apologies earlier, and all of them abandoned me now. I fumbled for something – anything – to say that would fix all of the hurt between us. â€Å"Seth – â€Å" I never got another word out. In the space of that breath, he crossed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me, nearly lifting me off the ground in a giant hug. â€Å"Thetis,† he breathed against my neck. â€Å"Ow,† I squeaked. He instantly set me down and opened his arms, staring curiously. â€Å"The car? But it's been . . .† Curiosity changed to wonder. â€Å"It's true, isn't it? You're really . . .† â€Å". . . human,† I supplied, catching hold of his hand. Even if that hug had been quite the test of my ribs, I hated to lose all contact with him. After the chasm that had stretched between us recently, even that small touch of his fingers was like magic to me. Seth nodded wonderingly, drinking me in. â€Å"They told me . . . they tried to explain it. I understood, but somehow I just couldn't . . . I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I'm still not sure I can. You look the same.† â€Å"I got to keep the same body,† I said. â€Å"Parting gift.† â€Å"Yeah, but it's just as perfect . . . just as beautiful. I don't know. I thought as a human you'd look . . . ordinary.† â€Å"Stop,† I said, feeling flustered. I ran a nervous hand over my hair. This conversation wasn't going how I expected. â€Å"I probably have bedhead.† My makeup had probably smudged while I slept too. He grabbed my other hand and – gently – drew me near. â€Å"You look perfect.† I shook my head, still needing to summon one of my wellprepared speeches. â€Å"Seth, I'm so sorry. Sorry for everything that I – â€Å" â€Å"Shh,† he murmured. â€Å"Thetis. Georgina. Letha. It's all right. You have nothing to apologize for.† Now I stared in wonder. â€Å"I have everything to apologize for. What I did to you – â€Å" † – was a lifetime ago,† he said. â€Å"But it was still me,† I argued. â€Å"Still this life.† â€Å"What, and you can't be forgiven for that? For something you did when you were still in your teens?† I wasn't sure how I'd switched from apologizing to trying to condemn myself, but there I was, doing it anyway. â€Å"We were still married. Or, well, I mean . . . I was to him. I broke my vows. It was wrong.† â€Å"And I was wrong – or he was wrong, whatever – to have been so oblivious to how you were feeling. We were both at fault, Georgina. We both screwed up – many times.† Seth released my hands and gently cupped my face in his. â€Å"And I daresay we've paid for it a hundred times over. How long do we have to be punished? Are we beyond forgiveness?† I had to look away then, for fear of tears forming in my eyes. Last year, not long after I'd met Seth, I'd discussed some of these same things with Carter. He'd told me that no one – not even a succubus – was beyond forgiveness and redemption. â€Å"But what you said . . . I hurt you so much. . . .† Seth sighed. â€Å"I know. And I'm sorry. It was all such a shock, the hypnosis . . . I still remember it all, but it's taken on kind of a dreamlike quality now. Like it's something I saw on TV rather than something I experienced. It was all a long time ago, and we've both changed. I was coming to you that night at the bowling alley to talk about it. I was still confused but knew enough to realize I'd acted rashly. Then, when you were hurt, and they told me you could actually die . . .† He trailed off, and I dared a look upward. â€Å"Oh, no. Please don't tell me that this is one of those situations where it took a near-death experience to realize how you felt about me.† â€Å"No,† he said, with one of those small, amused smiles I loved. â€Å"I knew long before that. The injuries of the past will always be a part of me, but I've grown from them – just like you have. You're the same as you've always been . . . and yet you're not. You faced me, even though you wanted to run away. You kept trying to help my family, even when I was telling you to go away. We've both changed . . . both taken the best we could of the bad. I just didn't see it right away.† He sighed. â€Å"Like I said, it was the reason I came that night. Seeing you hurt only drove home what a fool I was. And then when Carter told me what happened . . .† Those warm brown eyes searched my face. â€Å"Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?† I swallowed. â€Å"It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without you.† Seth tipped my head back and kissed me, his lips warm and soft. The sensation swept my body, love and desire both threatening to overwhelm me. There was no more succubus feeding, no more peering into his soul. I no longer knew his thoughts, and I didn't need to. I knew my own, knew that I loved him. And I also suddenly knew with certainty, in that same way all humans deduce such things without that benefit of succubus powers, that he loved me too. â€Å"Is it that easy?† I whispered, when we finally broke apart. â€Å"Kiss and make up?† â€Å"It's as easy as we choose to make it,† he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. â€Å"At least, this decision is. Nothing's truly easy, Georgina. Love and life . . . they're wonderful, but they're hard. We may mess up again. We have to be strong and decide if we can still go forward, even when things aren't perfect.† â€Å"How'd someone so young get so wise?† I asked. He brushed a lock of hair from my face. â€Å"I learned from this woman who knows a lot about love.† I scoffed. â€Å"Hardly. I think I'm still learning more about it every day.† Seth's lips found mine again, and I forgot my worries for a moment, simply losing myself in him. With as ardent as he'd been earlier, I was kind of surprised when he was the one who stopped the next kiss. â€Å"Easy there,† he said, with a small laugh. â€Å"You feel too good. We don't want to get too carried away.† â€Å"Don't we?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, I gave you my room key, and you went right for me as soon as you came in.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he agreed, â€Å"but that was before I remembered you were hit by a car a week ago.† I tightened my arms around him and drew him toward the bed. â€Å"I'm still alive, aren't I?† â€Å"Yes,† he admitted, letting himself be drawn along. â€Å"But are you sure you don't want to just wait?† Hugh had said something after booking my flight. Everything changes when you're mortal. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. â€Å"I've waited long enough,† I told Seth, just before kissing him. And that was the moment I knew what it was like to have my soul back. It sounds kind of sappy, I know. But to be able to kiss someone you love when you're fully and completely in control of yourself and know who you are . . . it's exquisite. How we love others is affected by how we love ourselves, and for the first time in a long time, I was whole. I knew who I was and in turn was able to appreciate just how much I loved him. And of course, the whole experience was affected by the fact that I no longer had succubus powers to contend with. I didn't have to worry about stealing his life energy. I didn't have to wrestle with the guilt. I didn't have to split the desires of my heart with my predatory supernatural nature. All I had to do was touch him and exalt in the experience of being together. We fell onto the bed, having a care for my still-bruised body. Strangely, I'd also been recovering from injuries the first time Seth and I had made love. Then too, we'd had to balance our passion with caution. It hadn't been difficult then, and it wasn't difficult now. We peeled each other's clothes away, tossing them into a careless heap on the floor. When Seth saw the bandages around my torso, he gently kissed all around them, his lips softly grazing my hips and breasts. Through some unspoken understanding, I rolled him onto his back so that I could lower myself onto him. I positioned my hips over his, resting my hands on his chest, and slowly brought him into me. We both cried out, from pleasure and also the sheer rightness of being together. He fit like he'd been made for me, and I suddenly wondered if I should have been so quick to always scoff about divine plans. Because surely, if ever there was something that seemed to have been guided by a higher power, it was the crazy path of our relationship . . . one that always kept bringing us back together. Over and over I rode him, overwhelmed almost as much by the way his gaze held mine as I was by the heat spreading through my body. I wanted to stop, to freeze that moment in time, but my human flesh and its desires eventually won out. I increased my pace, taking him harder and deeper until I crossed the edge and could handle no more. Ecstasy shook my body as I came, and a joy so intense I nearly forgot my surroundings flooded me. There was no succubus satisfaction here, only the simple bliss of taking pleasure in the one I loved. Seth came soon after, the look on his face causing me joy of another sort. There was such an easy, unguarded happiness in it, mingled with all his love for me. He hid nothing. It was all there on display, his affection and his bliss. Afterward, we lay in each other's arms, both of us floating in our own emotions as we basked in the experience we'd just had. I could hear Seth's heart beating as I rested against him and was aware of the pounding of my own heart – my mortal, human heart – as well. This was what it was like to truly be alive. â€Å"I'm almost afraid to move or speak,† he said at last. â€Å"Part of me is certain this must be a dream or a spell. I'm afraid I'll ruin it.† â€Å"It's neither,† I said. Then, I reconsidered. â€Å"Well, it might be a dream.† Nyx had taunted me for a long time with her dream-vision, refusing to tell me who the man in it was. When Seth had finally been revealed, I'd been certain she'd lied to me. I hadn't seen how any of that future could become a reality, and yet . . . here I was. â€Å"A dream, huh?† asked Seth. â€Å"Does that mean I'm going to wake up to cold reality soon?† â€Å"No,† I said, snuggling closer. â€Å"Because our dream's come true. The only thing you're going to wake up to from now on is me. For as long as you want me.† â€Å"I want you forever. Is that too long?† I smiled. â€Å"After what we've seen? I'm not sure it's long enough.†

Research proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research Proposal Example Increased sales is one of the potential benefits of customer relationship managent and results from identification and utilization of customers’ needs. Market expansion and higher profit margins are other benefits that organizations may reap from implementing customer relationship management. In addition, developing an understanding of customers’ needs ensures utility among the customers, a factor that also ensures customer retention and even marketing through customers’ testimonies. Customer relationship management also has an ultimate effect of decreasing an organization’s sales and other marketing expenses (Chaturvedi 2009, p. 5). Different approaches and techniques, however, exist that determine banks’ application of customer relationship management and may be a factor to the current trend in application of the management approach in the financing sector and establish a difference in application of customer relationship management by different t ypes of players in the sector (Rai and Singh 2012, n.p.). The study focuses on the current trend among banks and micro-finance institutions in the United Kingdom. Customer relationship management offers numerous advantages towards competitive advantage, should an organization implement it. This study seeks to investigate the use of the management towards these benefits with the aim of identifying possible inefficient application and creating awareness among the target organizations towars higher competitiveness and customer utility. Identifying trend in application of the managent and comparing this with trends in applicable technologies for customer relationship management will help inform the target population of necessary changes in the applications. In addition, understanding applications of customer relationship management, as applied by banks and other micro-finance organizations, will help in integrating techniques in the management branch, and

Electrical engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electrical engineering - Essay Example This was not difficult as I was in love with and excelled in mathematics and physics; I was not very strong in the arts so I opted to major mostly in technical fields. After I graduated from high school, I secured a place in college where I was advised that if I hope to become an electrical engineer, I should minor in chemistry or a management subject. I am hoping to graduate in with a GPA high enough to get me into any of the many great universities in the United States; preferably, I would like to go to MIT or Stanford. As such, I am working diligently as I cannot afford a dismal GPA since this would make it impossible for me to get into my field of choice, which is electrical engineering, and I would be forced to settle for something less important. Therefore, in order to improve my chances, I intend to spend as much time as possible with my professors through participating research, as a student it will be very useful and invaluable later as I work on my final year project. Throu gh research work I will be able to make contacts and connections and these will come in handy when I become a professional in the field since I will need as much advice and guidance as I can get. I hope that after graduating at somewhere close to the top of the class, I would then join the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers so I can increase my options and enhance my credibility as an engineer. As an engineer I am aware that I will be in one of the most highly paid careers, today electrical engineers are ranked among the highest paid engineers with an entrance at graduate level making around $50,000 per month. My job description at this point will mostly involve working with installing and manipulating electrical systems, I am going to require skills in computing and communication, which will help me to be more effective both as a technician and as a manager. After this, I will not stop my education, as soon as I am employed I will begin to save or/and organize with m y employers for study time if possible, these will assist me to fund and create time for my MS programs. For this, I will need to specialize in one specific field where I intend to major in electronic devices censors, technology and signal processing. Bearing in mind that an MS is an advanced degree in the field will require a considerable amount of coursework; the minimum requirements include at least 30 units of technical areas such as mathematics. I may undertake more than one master’s degree, at this point, I should be mid-level in my career, and making around $80, 000 per month, I will then start my PHD in electrical engineering. This is because I aspire at some point in the future to teach, and as PHD holder it will be easy for me to acquire a teaching position besides ,I have always loved to immerse myself in research. This is a big part of the process of getting a PHD, as a professor I will be able to impart my expertise to students, and inspire them so they may compe tent engineers in the future. Besides, I can have more time to research and use my skills in developing my knowledge and the field of engineering as a whole so that all my education I have accumulated be fully exploited and progressively regenerated. Apart from teaching, I will still practice engineering but as a consultant, so that I may I will be doing it to keep in touch with the real world so to retain objectivity in my research and teaching. Ultimately, my dream is to become,

Essay on Tar Baby-ly Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

On Tar Baby-ly - Essay Example In the novel, Tar Baby, Toni Morrison highlights patterns of racist socialization and ever present anger using motives and actions of the characters in the story, particularly Jadine and Son. The tensions that the major and minor characters experience in the novel are reflective of PTSS. In particular, Jadine demonstrates racist socialization while Son shows ever present anger. According to DeGruy, racist socialization refers to â€Å"adoption of the slave master’s value system† which â€Å"includes the internalization of the white ideal of beauty† (DeGruy 135). Jadine is very fond of things that are pleasing to the whites. She loves the sealskin coat that her boyfriend Ryk gives her even though it is impractical to wear it in the Caribbean. She also loves cosmopolitan live, thus encourages Son to live in New York. However, she and Son cannot be together for they are far different from each other. She starts to realize this only when Son takes her to Eloe. Although she is black, she cannot appreciate things that Son values such as the wildlife. Opposed to Son, Jadine does not give importance to her race. She embraces European life and leaves her surrogate parents. She does not think of the sacrifices that Sydney and Odine do for her in order to send her to school. Instead, she thinks that Valerian is the only one who fulfills her dream by sending her to study in Paris. She claims, â€Å"the truth is I could not have done that without the help and care of some poor white dude who thought I had brains enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morrison 51). Jadine’s racist socialization leads her to ostracize her aunt and uncle as part of her success. She gives credit only to Valerian, thus leaves her relatives behind to start a new life in New York. Ironically, Son realizes the effort of the two and tells her, â€Å"They are the ones who put you through school, woman†¦not him. They worked

Read three questions and then write an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Read three questions and then write an - Essay Example Besides, high risk is also attached with most form of securities that has been traded in the financial market, thereby , analysis of the movement of pricing and market trends remains highly important prior to undertaking any investment decision (Gitman, 2008). The environment of stock market and stock pricing is highly volatile, which led to significant difficulty in taking sound investment decisions for the investors where they need to consider the risks involved and the return combination at large. Additionally, the technical measure also plays an important role in predicting and analysing the movement of stock in future. The relevance of technical tools and measure has been studied in various literatures in quantifying the pricing movement of stock markets. Besides, in the presence of the aspect of technical measure, investor can be able to look forward and take effective buying and selling decision. Thus, the approach of technical supervision in the security market helps to provide opportunity to the investor to make high profitability through analysing the trend of the share prices (Vashishtha & et. al., 2013; Brownlees & et. al., 2012; Christiansen & et. al., 2012). In order to take the profitable position in the stock market, determining the possible movement of pricing of the security is highly important through using appropriate technical analysis. Thus, in this essay in order to determine appropriate investment plan for Brett Daly, two approaches of measuring the security pricing movement including Stock’s relative strength index (RSI) and moving average method have been used for determining the Nautilus security movement RSI, measures the speedily movement of pricing on the index of 0 to 100 whereas, moving average method is used to measure the pricing trend-followed as per security based on previous prices (Milionis & Papanagiotou, 2011; University of Rhode Island,

Should Animals Be Used for Research Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Should Animals Be Used for Research - Term Paper Example Scientific breakthrough has created a healthier society and longer life expectancy. Scientists have traveled a long way of research to meet this end. Yet, the price being paid is so high because the lives of man’s friend such as dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, and others are being sacrificed in various animal testing and research for medical advancement. In a simpler term, we are facing a confusing thought of, â€Å"Is animal research, a ‘Blessing’ or a ‘Curse’?† Evidently, medical scientists consider animal research as a blessing. They have attained numerous achievements on developing medicines, antibiotics, medical treatments, operational procedures and even organ transplants. Dreadful diseases such as the epidemic of influenza, typhus, infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis, small pox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, measles, malaria, pneumonia and others are being controlled and treated. All of these things would not become possible without the help of animal testing and research. Let us put it this way. Let us say, that you are in a critical condition. Your life is in danger due to an illness or an epidemic. I am pretty sure that you don’t want to die, especially at this moment that your are still young. What if the only way to save your life is to sacrifice a life of a rat, or a rabbit, or maybe a monkey, for research in order to test and produce the medical treatment intended for you? If that’s the only way you can be saved from an excruciating disease and even death, would you reject the idea of animal research and prefer to die instead, just because you are against the animal research technology? Is it really worth to die than put the animal in laboratory research and suffer pain while being experimented? Or is it really worth it that animals should be sacrificed in order to save human lives? So the question is simply as, Who must be sacrificed, an animal life, or a human life? This reminds me of a situation in ancient times, during the bib le times or before Christ era. According to the bible, as attested by historical facts, people of ancient times are used to sacrifice lives of animals, particularly sheep and goats, in order to gain Gad’s favor and righteous standing before Him. So, would it be possible that even God himself consider animals research as a blessing for humankind? This is such an emotional issue for individuals who are against animals research. Probably, in their own points of view, this situation is impossible to overcome because evidently they consider animals research as a curse. Since they oppose the idea of using animals in laboratory experiments for developing possible cures to common rampant diseases due to ethical issues, would it be easy for them to stood by this principle and tell directly to the doctor that do not use the animals for laboratory test for my health benefits or for treatment of my illness? In the stance of a pro-medical technologies using animal testing, they may view t hose in the opposing side as short-minded persons or extremely fanatic and traditional. If you will watch the 3-minute video clip of the PETA organization, People for Ethical treatment of Animals, regarding their anti-animal testing stand in the you tube, with a video URL link of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRBcHIIsXc you might find them quite reasonable in their points of view. You might find this video as heart-stirring in behalf of the lives of animals being sacrificed in animal laboratory research. You will surely understand the ethical issues that they want to point out and willing to fight for. It is true, like humans, how animals

Geo Ass 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geo Ass 3 - Assignment Example The rapid growth of Seoul City has attracted many people into the city, transforming it into a megacity. The city is considered so because it has a population estimated at about 11.8 million residents. In fact, the city’s metropolitan has a population of about 25.6 million. Because of Seoul’s large population and small area, the city is extremely densely populated estimated at about 44,776 people per square mile. Since the space available in the city cannot accommodate the residents, people in the city live mainly in high-building apartments. Despite the beauty of the city, Seoul has witnesses a traffic mess due to the many number of cars in the city. As a result, the city municipality has been forced to construct large highways to ease the traffic flow in the city. However, it is becoming a key concern that the traffic flow might get messier if the population of the city continues to grow this fast. Additionally, life in Seoul is relatively hard because of the high prices of commodities, which has become a big concern for its

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 30

Leadership - Essay Example Although the leader retains his decision making power as an individual, yet he is supposed to interact with the subordinates and reach a general agreement with them for the creation of a learning culture in the organization. To create a culture of learning in my organization, I would promote teamwork. There is a lot that inexperienced employees can learn from the more experienced coworkers. Group integration, frequent communication and eradication of dysfunctional conflicts are the prime issues that need to be addressed before the culture of learning can be established and promoted. Once this is achieved, I shall organize opportunities of learning and development for my organization including workshops and on-the-job training. â€Å"If organizations can sense and respond to emerging opportunities, there is a good chance they will endure† (Conner and Clawson, 2005). On my part, I need to collaborate more with my subordinates and inculcate the sense of need for change in them so that they may overcome their differences and display optimal

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as an organisational management concept supports good Corporate Governance models. Discuss whether stakeholder theory assists in determining good corporate governance models for a company. The recent increase in awareness surrounding Corporate Governance partly arose from what was considered to be some of the ‘darkest days in business’ during the early 2000’s when numerous multi national corporations unexpectedly collapsed. People the world over were greatly effected by these events, which brought into question the role of good business practice in today’s society. Freeman’s (1984) seminal work â€Å"Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach† describes ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as a structure that supports effective Corporate Governance by way of protecting and looking after not just its shareholders, but all stakeholders that have a vested interest in the company. Central to the discipline of Corporate Governance is the ethical behaviour of corporations (Crane, 2004), ‘Stakeholder Theory’ is the most influential and popular theory to emerge thus far that addresses the role of ethics in business (Stark, 1994). This essay builds on the idea that ethics, business, sustainability, responsibility and the environment are no longer separate (Freeman et al., 2010) in today’s global business world. Critics of Stakeholder theory claim that the shareholder’s ability to gain maximum profits are compromised, however recent research has shown that by creating value in a responsible manner whilst taking all constituents into account actually leads to a more profitable company, whilst encouraging long term outcomes (Donaldson, 1995). Critics also claim that stakeholder’s interests are so varied its impossible to give equal fairness to all. Whilst it is impossible to make every stakeholder’s interest equal, three key areas are assessed to determine the attributes and relevence of each stakeholder within the company’s ethical codes; power, legitimacy and urgency (Wickham, 2009). The term ‘Stakeholder Theory’ whilst in use from the 1960’s was further developed by Edward Freeman in the 1980’s and has vastly grown in popularity in recent years. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to employees,  creditors, consumers, suppliers, whilst also incorporating the extrinsic interest of Governments, competitors, the community, environment and society at large (Buchholtz, 2012). Refer to figure 1. Fig 1. A firm and its stakeholders (Polonsky Michael, 1995). The Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Council guidelines (Australian, 2007) identify’s eight key priciples relating to the rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations. By applying the eight principles to monitor and assess risk, optimise performance, create value and provide accountability. ‘Stakeholder Theory’ addresses these principles by concentrating on the moral responsibilities of business organisations in terms of the scope of fiduciary obligations towards their stakeholders. Researchers from Bologna’s University set out to determine whether stakeholder management actions could bring strength to internal legitimacy, thereby creating better working conditions that lead to improved company competitiveness, developed by company employees (Longo, 2008). They began by conducting two surveys on the employees of a leading Italian agricultural company who had been implementing ‘Stakeholder Theory’ for many years and had received numerous awards in recognition for their processes. They were asked a multitude of questions surrounding their roles in the workplace, their feelings toward their colleagues, employers and their work environment in detail. The researchers were then able to define quantitative measures of the system of resources to determine the role of stakeholder policies in the development of the intangible resources (Longo, 2008). Those intangible resources being, â€Å"the capacity to motivate employees† (Donaldson, 1995), â€Å"the capacity to attract and keep professional and qualified personnel in the work market† (Turban, 1997), â€Å"the ability to develop internal and external company relationships† (Post, 2002). The results indicated that the companys social policies had a significant influence particularly when it came to trust, job satisfaction, networking and communication, ability to work in a group and low turnover propensity† (Longo, 2008). Since 1983 Herman Miller the furniture manufacturing company has incorporated an employee as stakeholder program, employees carefully monitor and know how their  roles contribute to the profitability. Employees review the numbers, particularly their EVA performances, an indication of their contributions to the long-term value of the company. â€Å"We are part of the company, we think and act for what’s best for the company, and we share in the fortunes of the business, like owners. We also work hard to understand our opportunities for long-term profitability and growth† (Miller, 2010). Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value, through entrepreneurialism, innovation, development and exploration, and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risks involved (Australian, 2007). According to a study conducted by the University of Northern Iowa, effective stakeholder management results in transparent financial reporting (Mattingly, 2009). By ensuring that decision making processes are transparent and the organisation is accountable to all its stakeholders, the effect on financial performance is a direct result of stakeholders having an active role in organisation governance. Additionally, organisations that exhibit stronger commitments to both institutional and technical stakeholders are more conservative in their accounting practices, a direct function of responsive corporate governance (Mattingly, 2009). As part of UPS’s 2011 Sustainability Report, Chairman and CEO Scott Davis spoke of the company’s financial reporting, â€Å"We are disclosing more information than ever before†¦ this process spotlights which issues are at the nexus of UPS’s own business issues with those of external stakeholders, which helps guide us in the future toward creating more sustainable, longer lasting relationships (UPS, 2011). Businesses are contributing to society more than ever before, how they contribute and make decisions raises significant ethical issues, ‘business ethics’ can be said to begin where the law ends (Crane, 2004). Additionally, companies are having to look toward creating not only sustainable organistations but environmentally sound and socially responsible establishments (Wolfe, 2007). The controversial economist Milton Friedman once said, â€Å"the only social responsibility of business is to maximise profits† (Friedman, 1962) . This way of thinking is inline with traditional ‘Agency Theory’, where the manager’s only obligation is to shareholders  (Crane, 2004). However, there is inconsistency with this argument, from a legal perspective and an economic perspective. Firstly, it is simply naà ¯ve to say that the only group who has a legitimate interest in the corporation is the shareholder. There are a multitude of groups that hold a legitimate ‘stake’ in the corporation through legal binding contracts that stipulate certain rights and claims on the corporation (Crane, 2004). For example there is legislation in place that protects workers’ rights in relation to pay and conditions, therefore from an ethical point of view the corporation has an obligation to their employees (Freeman, 2008). Secondly, there are external ramifications when a corporation ceases to consider the broader implications of it stakeholders, for example if a corporation closes down one of its factories in a small community and lays off the employees, the effect on the community is widespread, from the local business owner who loses customers, public services being cut, in turn the whole community is effected (Freeman, 2008). Recognising that the stakeholders interests have intrinsic value (normative approach), it makes not only ethical sense, but economical sense that the company takes responsibility to meet the stakeholders needs (Argandona, 2007). At Fuji Xerox responsibility and responsiveness to stakeholders is a key driver to ensure long term to sustainability. Managing Director at Fuji Xerox Nick Kugenthiran says â€Å"We manage our sustainability performance across seven areas of accountability; Business profitability Longevity, Corporate Governance compliance, Satisfying Customers, Providing a responsible solution, engaging employees, influencing sustainability outcomes and minimizing environmental impact† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). A transparent disclosure to their stakeholders is evident in their sustainability reporting, and ethics and integrity are key corporate values. Their strong commitment to corporate citizenship demands exemplary legal compliance at a minimum. â€Å"We are working to integrate sustainability more explicitly into our governance and planning frameworks, and see an opportunity to improve our approach to risk management† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). More and more businesses are recognising and working toward a model that incorporates corporate social responsibilities, which encourages a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees,  communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Refer to figure 2 Fig 2. Carroll’s four-part model of corporate social responsibility (Crane, 2004). The critics of ‘Stakeholder Theory’ argue correctly that you cannot give all stakeholders equal interest in the business, however the process of ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ is applied as a means of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account. When developing and/or implementing a policy or program, the qualities being assessed are Power, Legitimacy and Urgency, these qualities help distinguish and assign priority to the appropriate stakeholders for any given project (Winkler, 2009). Refer to Figure 3. This method best recommends how management can give due regard to the interests of those groups. In other words, it attempts to address the principle of â€Å"Who or What Really Counts† (Freeman, 1984). Figure 3. Salience Stakeholder Model (Hseih, 2009). In Conclusion ‘Stakeholder Theory’ assists in shaping good Corporate Governance by addressing the ethics of managing an organisation. The companies corporate strategies consider the interests of their stakeholders, groups and indivduals who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organisation’s purpose (Freeman, 1984). Furthermore, businesses are now under more pressure to become sustainable, transparent, ethical, environmentally responsible organisations and the most effective orgainsational management approach is ‘Stakeholder Theory’. By utilising the ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ process, organisations are able to determine which stakeholders interest are a priority. Like many theory’s, Stakeholder theory is not without its flaws, additional research needs to be conducted along with further criticism in order for the theory to evolve and advance the way organisations carry out Business. By creating an holistic framework for which company’s govern and protect not only its shareholders, but the wider constituents of the organisation, namely the stakeholders (Mallin, 2004),  business and society are now forever intrinsically connected, and with ‘Stakeholder Theory’ continuing to take a larger role, businesses will be better off, ultimately society too. REFERENCES: ARGANDONA, A., AYUSO S. 2007. Responsible Corporate Governance: Towards a Stakeholder Board of Directors. Post Doctural Research Fellow. Professor of Economics, University of Navarra. AUSTRALIAN, S., EXCHANGE (ASX) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COUNCIL. 2007. Coporate Governance Principles and Recommendations [Online]. Available: http://www.asxgroup.com.au/media/PDFs/cg_principles_recommendations_with_2010_amendments.pdf. BUCHHOLTZ, A., K. AND CARROLL, A, B. 2012. Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management, Australia, Cengage Learning. CRANE, A., MATTEN, D. 2004. Business Ethics, United States, Oxford University Press. DONALDSON, T., LEE, E. PRESTON 1995. The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications The Academy of Management Review, 20, 65-91. FREEMAN, E., R; HARRIS, J. 2008. The Impossibility of the Seperation Thesis. Business Ethics Quarterly, 18, 541-548. FREEMAN, R. E. 1984. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman Boston. FREEMAN, R. E., HARRISON, J. S., WICKS, A. C., PARMAR, B. L. DE COLLE, S. 2010. Stakeholder Theory : The State of the Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. FRIEDMAN, M. 1962. Capitalism and freedom, p.x1 FUJI.XEROX. 2011. Sustainability Report [Online]. Available: http://www.fxasustainability.com.au/2011/index.php. HSEIH, M. 2009. Human centric knowledge seeking strategies; stakeholder perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13, 115-133. LONGO, M., MURA, M. 2008. Stakeholder management and human resources: development and implementation of a performance measurement system. Corporate Governance, 8, 191-213. MALLIN, C., A. 2004. Corporate Governance, United States, Oxford University Press. MATTINGLY, J., E., HARRAST, S., OLSEN, L. 2009. Governance implications of the effects of stakeholder management on financial reporting. Corporate Governance, 9, 271-282. MILLER, H. 2010. Herman Miller: A better world  report [Online]. POLONSKY MICHAEL, J. 1995. A stakeholder theory approach to designing marketing strategy. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 10, pp29-46. POST, J. E., PRESTON, L.E., SACHS, S. 2002. Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organisation al Wealth. STARK, A. 1994. Whats the matter with business ethics? Harvard Business Review, pg 38-48. TURBAN, D. B., GREENING, D.W. 1997. Corporate social performance and organisational attrativeness to prospective employees. The Academy of Management Journal, 40, 658-72. UPS. 2011. Logistics at the Core: Corporate Sustainability Report 2011 [Online]. Atlanta Georgia. Available: http://www.responsibility.ups.com/community/Static Files/sustainability/2011_UPS_CSR_Report.pdf. WICKHAM, M., WONG, T. 2009. Stakeholder Management Capability: Exploring the Strategic Management of Dissenting Stakeholder Groups. University of Tasmania. WINKLER, I. 2009. Stakeholder Salienc in Corporate Codes of Ethics [Online]. Available: http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol14_no1_pages_4-13.pdf [Accessed 1 14]. WOLFE, B., D., SHETH N, J., SISODIA, S R. 2007. Firms of Edearment: How world class companies profit from passion and purspose.

How We Treat the Animals We Eat Essay Example for Free

How We Treat the Animals We Eat Essay Are the factory farms we buy our meat from treating animals humanely? Animal mistreatment is illegal and we can make a difference to put a stop to it. According to Ethical Farms â€Å"Some of the largest US factory farms refuse to uphold humane USDA and OSHA standards, having unsanitary, unhealthy conditions and animal rights violations. In 1958, the US government composed the Humane Slaughter Act that is not enforced† (Ethical Farms, 2010). There are 7 statutes in effect that comprise the Humane Slaughter Act. Included in these sections are Congress statement that livestock must be slaughtered in a humane manner to prevent needless suffering, research methods on humane methods of slaughter, the non-applicability of these statutes to religious or ritual slaughter, and the investigation into the care of non-ambulatory livestock. There are farms that follow the Humane Slaughter Act in raising their livestock that we can purchase our food from, like Humane Farms for example. By aligning our consumerism with Restaurants and grocery store chains that purchase from humane farms we can make an impact. Also, supporting an Animal Rights group like The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(ASPCA) or The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) can make a big difference. You can support them either monetarily or by volunteering your time in your local area. In Chapter 17 of the Omnivore’s Dilemma (The Ethics of Eating Animals), Pollan (2006), says that â€Å"Eating meat has become morally problematic, at least for people who take the trouble to think about it. Vegetarianism is more popular than it has ever been, and animal rights is rapidly finding its way into the cultural mainstream†(p. 306). The selections offered at most markets and grocery stores have expanded quite a bit in the last decade or two in order to accommodate the consumerism of a vegetarian making it much easier to choose this kind of diet. Also many fast food and quality restaurants have added vegetarian dishes to their menu. â€Å"The general consensus has always been that humans were indeed omnivores and, whatever spiritual or moral dilemmas the killing and eating of animals posed, our various cultural traditions resolved them for us well enough. For the most part our culture has been telling us for millennia that animals were both good to eat and good to think†(p. 306). I myself have never had an aversion to eating meat. I grew up in the country and we fished for food. I visited a pig farm in school and saw a pig being born; I didn’t see anything inhumane. Until I read this book I honestly did not give eating meat a second thought. When Pollan goes back and forth to himself about how he feels right when he first killed the pig, he was very proud of his accomplishment, to how he felt when he saw the picture with the spilled blood, which was so disgusting he could not look at it. He is very graphic in his writing and gave me a clear picture of something I had never thought about. There is an unusual amount of cultural uncertainty on the subject of animals in today’s society and that may be why people tend to look the other way. Many times while researching this topic I myself read things that I think I really would rather not know. Am I willing to change my shopping and eating habits in order to help make a difference? Right now the answer is Yes! Many of us seem eager to extend the circle of our moral consideration to other species, yet in our factory farms we’re inflicting more suffering on more animals than at any time in history. Pollan also says that â€Å"In recent years medical researchers have raised questions about the good to eat part, while philosophers like Singer and organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have given us new reasons to doubt meat is good to think—that is, good for our souls or our moral self-regard† (Pollan, 2006). In an article called, Mistreatment of turkeys at Willmar hatchery is alleged by Humane Society, Polta describes how the Humane Society found evidence of abuse and cruelty through an investigation and demanded that changes be made. â€Å"Nov. 24WILLMAR An undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States has documented what the organization alleges is routine abuse and cruelty involving newly hatched turkey chicks at Willmar Poultry Co.† The article states that â€Å"Among the allegations contained in the Humane Society of the United States report: Sick, deformed, injured and dying birds, as well as leftovers not needed for buyers orders, are routinely disposed of by being thrown alive into a grinder. Sick and injured birds are left in boxes or on the floor all day until being killed. Chicks are routinely de-beaked without first being given a painkiller. Chicks routinely have their back toes clipped off without a painkiller. The report alleges that baby turkeys get trapped and injured in conveyor belts as theyre processed for shipment to farms. It also alleges that boxes filled with poults are sometimes stacked too high or unevenly and crash to the floor, scattering and injuring the turkey chicks inside† (Polta, 2010). This source is more evidence of the kind of abuse happening in factory farms and also shows that getting outside government agencies involved to help uncover the issues and pressure them to resolve the issues is one way to help. Abuses such as this case can not and should not be tolerated throughout the livestock and factory farm industries. National and World Organizations can go a long way to oversee and create changes within the industry. In the article, VanderSpek stated that the â€Å"National Turkey Federation guidelines also comply with World Organization for Animal Health standards†(Polta, 2010). The Humane Slaughter act states: â€Å"Sec. 1901. Findings and declaration of policy The Congress finds that the use of humane methods in the slaughter of livestock prevents needless suffering; results in safer and better working conditions for persons engaged in the slaughtering industry; brings about improvement of products and economies in slaughtering operations; and produces other benefits for producers, processors, and consumers which tend to expedite an orderly flow of livestock and livestock products in interstate and foreign commerce. It is therefore declared to be the policy of the United States that the slaughtering of livestock and the handling of livestock in connection with slaughter shall be carried out only by humane methods†(Humane Slaughter Act). These are the laws and guidelines set forth by congress and all livestock industries should abide by them. Those who do not follow the laws should be heavily penalized even as far as to shut them down until changes a re made if the situation is bad enough. One solution is that you can contact your Congressman and request that he/she take steps to implement USDA animal treatment standards. Evidence that this can make a difference is found in an article by We Care. Contrary to what PETA finds in our factory farms, in that article, I read that â€Å"every day on farms across America, pork producers demonstrate responsibility and concern for the animals in their care. Today, pigs are raised on farms designed to promote the health and well-being of animals and the safety of the food produced† (We Care). This is evidence that we can produce meat from animal factory type farms without being inhumane about it. Other livestock industries can follow this pig industry’s lead in their humane practices of raising livestock for human consumption. You can also send a letter to the USDA and urge them to uphold the Humane Slaughter Act. In an article by Ethical Farms; â€Å"Recently, Burger King implemented Humane Animal Treatment standards from their Poultry Suppliers, and stopped purchasing from factories that had excessive instances of abuse. You can also purchase meats exclusively from Humane Farms† (Ethical Farms, 2010). Taking the time to educate yourself on the companies that purchase from humane farms is important. Where we purchase our food from everyday can make a big difference. Every day, animals endure mass torture, abuse and live mutilation without any conscience from the part of the producers, for the suffering that these animals endure. When we mistreat animals, we generally also worsen conditions for people. Animal-centered diets have been associated with: heart attacks, strokes, various types of cancer, and other diseases. An article by PETA states that; â€Å"When PETA went public with the findings of an undercover investigation at a pig-breeding farm that supplies Hormel in Iowa, we called on the company to ban gestation crates—pens so small that the pregnant sows who are confined to them cant turn around or even lie down comfortably—and then introduced a shareholder resolution to that effect. Less than two years later, the meat giant has announced that it will phase out gestation crates, which cause so much suffering, by 2017† (PETA, 2012). Although they did uncover animal abuse, they were able to do something about it to make things better for the animals being abused. I think it is important that there are real consequences for the factory farms that are irresponsible and choose not to follow the laws that were made to protect all animals. I have to admit that I do not agree with the extremism that PETA takes to this cause. The ASPCA seems to be much more reasonable to me in their efforts to prevent animal abuse in any environment. They were the first humane society to be established in North America. The ASPCA actually has legal authority to investigate and make arrests for crimes against animals. I think either joining or donating to the ASPCA along with purchasing from humane farms would make a great impact on the market and further the cause to humanely treat the animals we eat! References Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivores dilemma: A natural history of four meals. New York: Penguin Books. We Care Initiative. Caring for farm animals. Retrieved from: http://www.wecareanswers.com/gj5he/index.html?gclid=CN_Zvb7M864CFSWFQAodmmvmHg Ethical Farms. (2010). Promoting cruelty free farming. Retrieved from: http://ethicalfarms.org/ People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA, (2012). A Little Relief, Finally, for Hormel Pigs. Retrieved from: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/02/02/progress-for-hormel-pigs.aspx Polta, A (2010). Mistreatment of turkeys at Willmar hatchery is alleged by Humane Society. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu/login.aspx?direct=truedb=pwhAN=2W6448392763site=pov-live

Comparison of Hospital Points to National Benchmark: Florida

Comparison of Hospital Points to National Benchmark: Florida HOSPITAL DATA POINTS COMPARED WITH STATE AND NATIONAL BENCHMARKS DOUGLAS WINTER Analyze and summarize the results. Are there significant outliers? Try to summarize the results as comparable, unfavorable, or favorable to the state and national benchmarks. I compared three hospitals in my general area to ten different data points that were also compared to the state and national averages. The areas within the statistics I compared were in timely effective manor, survey of patients experience, readmissions, complications deaths, and use of medical imaging. Following the data comparisons, I included a brief explanation of the data point being examined, along with potential causes, improvement suggestions, and outliers when found. Timely effective manor First data point: Outpatients having surgery who received an antibiotic at the right time (within one hour) before surgery. Hospital staff should make sure surgery patients get antibiotics at the right time. It is important to receive antibiotics pre-operation due to the possibility of wound infections from surgical procedures. Research has shown patients who have received antibiotics prior to surgery were less likely to get wound infections. Results: Florida Hospital Memorial and Florida Hospital Flagler rated 100%, above the state and national averages of 99% and Flagler Hospital rated 98% only one percent below the state and national average. Potential causes for the problem: Their protocol for patients to receive an antibiotic earlier or after surgery is not being followed. An in-service need’s to be scheduled to make sure all staff is following protocol guidelines and new employees are being trained correctly as well. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: Their teams of operating room nurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists need to analyze and refine the processes with the goal of having 100 percent of their surgical patients receive an antibiotic within one hour prior to any scheduled surgery. Second data point: Heart attack patients given a prescription for a â€Å"statin† at discharge. Most patients who have had a heart failure and who take a â€Å"statin†, Ace inhibitor have fewer symptoms, feel physically better, and are less likely to return to the hospital. Results: Florida Hospital Flagler and Florida Hospital Memorial tied at 100% outperforming the state and national averages, and Flagler Hospital rated 97% under the states 99% and national average at 98%. Potential causes for the problem: Statin protocol is neglected, no one held accountable, no regularly scheduled meeting or in-service are being conducted. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: Flagler Hospitals team of operating nurses, physicians need to pay closer attention to assure their patients receive a â€Å"statin† at discharge and strive to reach a goal of 100 percent of their patients receive a â€Å"statin† Ace inhibitor at discharge to maintain a continuity of care. Third data point: Pneumonia patients given the most appropriate initial antibiotic(s). Pneumonia is a long infection which is caused by bacteria or a virus. If the pneumonia happens to be caused by bacteria then the infection will be treated by an antibiotic that is specific for bacteria, and if the pneumonia is caused by a virus a specific antibiotic will then be used for viral infections. Results: Florida Hospital Flagler tied with the state at 98%, outperforming the national average at 95% and Flagler Hospital scored 94% below all comparisons. In addition, Florida Hospital Memorial scored 97% above the national average, and 1% below the state averages. Potential causes for the problem: Each staff member needs to follow a respiratory protocol, and if pneumonia is identified, that protocol needs to be followed. Blood cultures are not performed, and the potential for giving the patient the wrong antibiotic is high. Protocols are not followed, no accountability, or in-service are being regularly held. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: All three of the hospitals require improvement and need to make sure patients whose initial emergency room blood culture was performed prior to the administration of the first antibiotic in order to provide the most appropriate care. Survey of patient’s experience First data point: Patients who reported that their nurses always communicated well. This is important for any patient staying at a health care facility, and is asking if nursing explained things clearly, listened, and listened carefully to the patient, and treated the patient with courtesy and respect. Results: All comparisons’’ performed poorly, Florida Hospital Flagler and the state tied at 75% While Florida Hospital Memorial tied with the national average at 79%, leaving Flagler Hospital below the other comparisons at 73%. All comparisons are well below an acceptable benchmark of 100%. Potential causes for the problem: Health care staff gets busy, and they tend to have so many things they are thinking about and they neglect to fully communicate with the patients. Also people assigned to a bed are not looked at as patients but a body and communication tends to be non-existent. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: All comparisons failed in this analysis. Patient satisfaction is top priority, and should be for most health care organizations. Every member of the team needs to be reminded that every patient regardless of ethnicity, creed, demographics, etc. deserves communication and respect. Regularly scheduled meetings, and in services regarding patient communication, and care in order to make the patient feel comfortable and looked after. Second data point: Patients who reported that their pain was always well controlled. Again all comparisons failed this part of the analysis. Pain management should be top priority with those patients that are not scheduled for immediate surgery. Patient satisfaction, and recovery will be all the better if they are well controlled. Results: Again, all comparisons failed in this part of the analysis. Florida Hospital Memorial and the national average tied at 71%, while Florida Hospital Flagler was 69% and Flagler Hospital at 67% and the state average at 68%. All comparisons in this data point fell short of the acceptable level of 100%. Potential causes for the problem: Health care staffs are not fully aware of the pain each modality can cause and influence the outcome of patient care. They tend to be removed, for example a patient has an abscess to his lower leg, yet he says he is in pain but I am removed from his discomfort because all I see is an abscess. Although he is in pain and the health care worker needs to be reminded that it may only be an abscess to them, but to the patient it constitutes the end of the world. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: The three hospitals compared need to setup a mandatory in service by floor with a committee and their manager to remind everyone the importance of pain management. Remind everyone that they are patients and not textiles, and yes your shifts are busy, but never forget that it is our responsibility to care for them and caring for them includes pain management, and if the patient say’s to you that this pain is a 10 out of a 10, talk with their physician to see if anything can be done. Third data point: Patients who reported that staff always explained about medicines before giving them to them. Patients want to know, they want to be informed and feel about the medications they are taking while in the hospital. It is further important to know what patients are feeling about their hospital experience and by asking patients if their nurse communicated with them about their medication before dispensing it will effectively let the hospital staff know where they need improvement in order to enrich the patients overall hospital experience Results: Florida Hospital Flagler and the state average tied at 60%, Florida Hospital Memorial rated 65% and Flagler Hospital rated 57% and the state at 64%. All comparisons data points fell short of an acceptable 100%. Potential causes for the problem: Protocols not being followed, no in services to remind nurses to communicate with their patients more effectively. Not acknowledging patient satisfaction surveys to find areas that need attention. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: It is important for the patients to feel comfortable and have a feeling of well-being so when they have a concern or have a question they will feel free to ask. Monthly in service meeting reminding to encourage staff to have a positive attitude, to be more approachable, about hospital image, go over patient satisfaction survey results. Readmissions, complications deaths First data point: Rate of unplanned re-admission for heart attack patients. The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) re-admission data point evaluates and compares â€Å"unplanned re-admissions† which may take place within 30 days after discharge and after a PCI procedure. In addition, this data point takes into account the level of a patient’s illness before being admitted into the hospital, and the differences along with re-admission percentages that may be coincidental. For example, patients who have underlying medical diagnoses that are not seen with younger healthier patients were not included in this data point. Results: Florida hospital Flagler scored 19.4%, just below Florida Hospital Memorial at 19.9%, and Flagler Hospital was at 17.9 and below the state and national averages of 18.3%. Potential causes for the problem: Patients are not clinically able to be discharged, are not properly instructed on the methods to reduce the risk of infections, their medications need to be reconciles, and they need to be encouraged to call for assistance to their primary care provider, or given a number to call at the participating hospital (Meyer, Rybowski, 2004, p.viii). Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: Ensure the patients are stable and clinically able to be discharged, this will help reduce the risk of infections, assist them with reconciling their medications, encourage and improve communications with their providers in transitioning of care, encourage, train patients on strategies promote disease management principles and educate patients on what symptoms to monitor, who to contact with questions and where and when to seek follow-up care (Meyer, Rybowski, 2004, p.10). Second data point: Death rate for Heart attack patients: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is what health care providers call. door-to-balloon time, and this time frame is 90 minutes from the time the patient arrives at the hospital suffering from a heart attack and also (PCI), such as angioplasty when a catheter with a very small balloon is inserted into the blocked artery and inflated in order to open up the vessel. Results: Florida Hospital Flagler rated 16.7% and while Florida Hospital Memorial rated 15.5%, while Flagler Hospital is 14.4% below the state and national average of 15.2%. Positive outlier: Flagler Hospitals results is 2.3% lower than Florida Hospital Flagler, 1.1% lower than Flagler Hospital and .8% lower than the state and national averages. Flagler Hospital’s lower results may be attributed to having regular monthly meeting that involve key hospital staff and emergency medical responders designed to review heart attack cases, and having a cardiologist nearly on site most of the time, and part of the care team to encourage problem solving by immediate hospital staff and not the responsibility of only nurses but the entire team (D’Eugenio, 2012, p.1). Potential causes for the problem: This data point has many variables and is dependent upon the level of patient’s general health in the hospitals geographical area. That is why this data point has already been adjusted for patient characteristics that may make death or unplanned readmission more likely, regardless if any of the compared hospitals are providing higher quality of care. Some of the characteristics included are age of the patient, past medical history, and co-morbidities that the patient had when they were admitted to the hospital and a known health risk that can to increase the patient’s risk of dying or of having an unplanned readmission. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: As performance improvements are identified then appropriate problem-solving techniques can be employed. Beginning with putting together an action plan, that can change certain patterns set by physicians that have been identified as possible contributors with the death rates for heart attack patients. Also, accountability measures should be enforced to hold appropriate department staff accountable for protocol adherence, critical paths to follow through, and enforcing the plan towards improving outcomes, policies that enhance efficiency, and fluid communication across departments. Medical Imaging First data point: Outpatient computed topography (CT) scans of the chest that were combination (double) scans. This data point only applies to Medicare patients that were treated in the hospital and does not include ambulatory or inpatient settings of the hospital. The lower the percentage the better and points to the efficient use of medical imaging for that hospital being compared. In addition, it is important not to expose the patient to contrast material and or unnecessary radiation exposure. Results: Florida Hospital Flagler scored the highest at 2.9% and Flagler Hospital tying with the national average at 2.7% and Florida Hospital Memorial rated well below the other comparisons at 1.4% and the state scored better than the other comparisons except Florida Hospital Memorial with 2.4%. Positive outlier: Florida Hospital Memorial scored 1.4% which is 1.5% better than the highest scoring hospital at 2.9% and 1.3% better than the national average at 2.7%. Potential causes for the problem: The primary cause for double C.T. scan results, its over use in general is caused by emergency room physicians since they are more apt to order expensive tests that can have high levels of radiation, and which are also not needed â€Å"It is easier to order a test than to take extra time to explain to a patient why it is not needed† (Parr, 2014, ND, p.1). Florida Hospital Memorial contributing cause may include using C.T. scans only as a diagnostic tool and not as a screening modality, while the other comparisons seem to follow defensive medicine techniques, and or illustrating a wide spread disengagement between the physicians and their patients. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: It is important to encourage patients to question their physician’s motives, consult with their physicians. Patients need to know why tests are being ordered and what impact will the test have on their treatment Parr, 2014, p.1). Physician’s need more frequent in services regarding hospital expenditures, assign quality control measures to each physician in order to track unnecessary procedures and to follow-up with the physicians to encourage other means to same problem. Florida Hospital Memorial contributing cause may include using C.T. scans only as a diagnostic tool and not as a screening modality, Second data point: Outpatients who received cardiac imaging stress tests before low-risk outpatient surgery. The heart’s ability to respond to stress is necessary to understand if the patient is scheduled for surgery. The physicians need to know what levels of stress the patient’s heart is capable of handling. For instance, a cardiac stress test is not required for a colonoscopy, cataract surgery, biopsies, because this kind of procedure will not over task the heart, and poses very little risk to the patient unlike, bypass surgery for example. Results: Florida Hospital Flagler scored 6.6% and Florida Hospital Memorial at 5.5% only 2% higher than the national average of 5.3%, while the state scored 6.4% and the outlier in this data point is Flagler Hospital at 9.3%. Negative outlier: Flagler Hospital is performing far more cardiac imaging scans at 9.3% than necessary and is higher than the lowest reporting percentage by 4%. This procedure places the patient(s) at greater risk, introducing contrast and intentionally stressing the heart muscle in order to locate any problems (Einstein, 2014, p.1). Potential causes for the problem: Not looking into other means of diagnosing, not following the cardiac imaging protocol or critical paths in place, staff members are not held accountable to improve patient safety, enhance efficiencies through standardizations. Lack of physician, floor managers, and charge nurse in-services to make sure staff is following protocol guidelines. Process improvement suggestions to improve the results: Ensure cardiac imaging protocols are in place as well as critical paths, assure all staff personal having direct contact with patients are held accountable, schedule monthly in-service’s, and assign physicians case managers to coordinate and facilitate care with all their patients in order to help facilitate use of technology better and with less risk. References D’Eugenio, R. (2012). Key factors linked to lower death rates among patients with heart attacks. (1). Retrieved from http://medicine.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=944 Einstein, A. J. (2014). Radiation from cardiac imaging tests. Questions you should ask. (1). Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/127/11/e495.full Meyer, J. A., Silow-Carroll, S., Kutyla, T., Stepnick, L. S., Rybowski, L. S. (2004). HOSPITAL QUALITY: INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS—OVERVIEW AND LESSONS LEARNED. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/programs/quality/761_Meyer_hospital_quality_overview.pdf Parr, J. T. (2014). Overuse of CT scans adds to cost. Fort Bend Indiana.(1). Retrieved from http://fbindependent.com/overuse-of-ct-scans-adds-to-cost-p2851-89.htm

Leaving for College - A Heartbreaking and Bittersweet Experience Essay

Leaving for College - A Heartbreaking and Bittersweet Experience â€Å"Here’s to the nights we felt alive, here’s to the tears we knew you’d cry, here’s to goodbye, tomorrow’s gonna come too soon.† - Eve 6. I’ve heard this song many times before, but it took me so long to finally understand the real meaning behind it. The last night I spent in Tucson before moving away to college has proved to be the most heartbreaking and bittersweet life experience I’ve ever had to endure, yet it is also my fondest memory of home. I wanted that night to last forever because I never wanted to see tomorrow come. August twentieth was my last night in Tucson. The last night I had to spend with my family, my friends, and my dog. That would be my last night to spend in my own house, with my own personal bathroom, and a big bed. That would also be my last night to pack all of my important material possessions and then downsizing because my dorm room probably wouldn’t hold everything I thought I â€Å"needed.† The night began with that afternoon at what we call the â€Å"G.R. Party.† This is commonly known as a good riddance party. My parents, extended family, and friends gathered together inside my home for my last dinner. All the males were, of course assembled by the grill cooking our wonderful all American feast of hamburgers, barbeque chicken, and hot dogs. Most of the women were mingling with each other, each one almost in tears listening to others talk about how hard â€Å"letting go† of their own children would be and fearing the next few days when my friends would be away to different colleges. My friends and I were busy talking amongst ourselves and watching my younger cousins dazzle us in the pool with their most recent dive or trick. Finally, someone... ... ever had to do. Who knew it would be so difficult to leave those people who shaped the person you are today? I had to face the people that I loved so much and say good bye. I knew I would see them again, but somehow that wasn’t a comforting thought. The only thing I could seem to think of was how hard it was to leave and how excruciating it felt. This experience has left a huge impression on my life. I realized how much I love my life and the people in it. I recognized the fact that this was me, growing up and becoming an adult. I also finally understood the meaning of â€Å"family.† Even though I was leaving my home of eighteen years, I knew I still had a wonderful place to return to. That chapter of my life ended beyond perfectly. Although that night was somewhat depressing it was also filled with fun, laughter, and love. It is by far, my favorite memory of home.

Justice In Book I Of The Republic Essay -- essays research papers

The Republic of Plato begins in a similar fashion that many other Platonic dialogues begin, with that of a question. The conversation between Socrates and the aged Cephalus becomes a philosophical discussion of what advantages money has brought to Cephalus' life. Cephalus replies that money has allowed him "to tell the truth and pay one's debts" (331 b). Nevertheless, Socrates believes this does not portray an accurate description of what justice is. The rest of the first book is a discussion of the definition of justice, mainly that of Thrasymachus' definition. Socrates takes his normal role as an interrogator of peoples' views. The conversation focuses on justice but actually must be viewed in the context of how each individual can lead the best life possible. Thrasymachus states that "justice is simply the interest of the stronger" (338 c). In order to support this notion, he states that people who are in power in government make laws, and since these people design these laws, they will serve the interests of themselves. The laws will then be the justice of the subjects, and since the ruling class could be restated as the stronger class, then justice could be stated as being in the interests of the stronger class. He goes on further to say that the unjust man is stronger than the just man is, and because of that, justice is a vice while injustice is a virtue. Thrasymachus uses the example of private business to show how ...