Accident Report On The Workplace - 1489 Words

Accident in the workplace Name Affiliated institution Introduction Yes, accidents in a workplace are real and can occur anytime when immense care is not taken. According to Laflamme, (1990) work accidents may also be referred to as workplace accident, or occupational accidents. On the other hand, Saari, (2009), argues that 120 million accidents occur on an annual basis in various workplaces around the world. About 210,000 of these accidents are fatal while about 500 men and women working in different companies are killed in the process of performing their duties at work. Accidents occurring in workplaces are frequently not brought to the limelight because they might damage the reputation of involved companies and this could†¦show more content†¦The ideas are termed to be necessary but not sufficient which can be used to develop a frame of reference which an individual can use to define accidents and occur. Theories of accidents W. H. Heinrich developed the Domino theory in 1931. He stated that 88% of the overall accidents were as a result of unsafe acts of people while 10% dangerous actions. 2% of the accidents were purely the acts of God. He also proposed a five-factor accident sequence which includes ancestry and social environment, work fault, unsafe act together with mechanical and physical hazards, accidents, and damage (Ork Ridge National Laboratory, 2016). Multiple causation theory, on the other hand, accounts that, for an accident to occur, there are various factors involved and working at the same time. Contributing factors include behavioral and environmental. Pure chance theory, on the other hand, educates that everyone working at a particular workstation is exposed to the possibility of being involved in an accident. Biassed theory states that once a worker takes part in an accident, there is a bigger chance that he will or will not be involved in another accident. Accident Proneness theory states that within the workers in an organization, there is a set of employees who are prone to accidents. Types of accidents Many work related accidents are usually minor in nature. For instance, they might be

Essay on Whistle Blower and the Allegory of the Cave

The Life of a Whistle Blower Since the 1960s, the public value of whistle blowing has been increasingly recognized. Whistle blowing statutes protect from discharge or discrimination an employee who has initiated an investigation of an employer’s activities or who has otherwise cooperated with a regulatory agency in carrying out an inquiry or the enforcement of regulations. Many states have enacted whistle blower statutes, but these statutes vary widely in coverage. Some statutes apply only to public employees, some apply to both public and private employees, and others apply to public contractors. Under the federal False Claims Act, any person with knowledge of false claims or fraud against the institution may bring a lawsuit in his or†¦show more content†¦As a fast food eater, we are chained in the darkness of the cave and we do not want to accept the reality of how negative fast food has on us. To the back of the prisoners, lie the puppeteers who are casting the sha dows on the wall, which the prisoners perceive as reality. The puppeteers are the marketing team of the fast food industry. They utilize many different marketing strategies to reel in customers. For example, the puppeteers targets children as their marketing strategy. The kids would nag and whine to their parents to go get that Happy Meal from McDonald’s because of that toy. These kids continue to be prisoners of fast food, lifetime purchasers of McDonald’s. As Socrates described the cave and the situation of the prisoners, he conveys the point that the prisoners would be fundamentally mistaken as to what is reality. Because we know that the puppeteers behind them are using objects to liken the shadow. We all know that McDonald’s is not good for our health, but those that have kids continue to go to McDonald’s at least once every now and then because their child nagged about wanting to go there. Fast Food Nation could definitely be analyzed in the contex t of Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†. In the movie, Michael Clayton, a law firm brings in its â€Å"fixer† by the name of Michael to remedy the situation after a lawyer, Arthur, has a breakdown

Explain how play activities are used to support free essay sample

Explain how play activities are used to support the development of speech, language and communication. Play is an important part of developing language and young children learn through play. There are some very fun activities and games that you can play with children to support their language development, these may include; Role-play: Having a role-play area in your setting can be fun for the children and help them communicate with other children.For example, in the role-play area In our eating it was a cafe, one child pretended to be the assistant while one child pretended to be the customer wanting to order some food. There was lots of conversations happening and gave me a chance to observe how well the children communicated. Nursery songs and Rhymes/Song and Rhyme bag: This encourages children to listen, sing and communicate. With a song and rhyme bag, each child takes It turns to pick an object out of the bag and then encourage them to sing the song for that Item. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain how play activities are used to support or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example a bus for Wheels on the bus, a doll for Miss Poly had a dolly, a spider for Inc winced spider. Books: Sharing story books with adults Is considered to be one of the most Important ways of developing childrens spoken and written language. Books that use repetition are most effective. Picture books with no words In are also good to encourage the children to make up and tell you their own stories according to whats happening In the pictures.

Reality and Truth free essay sample

War is hell, but thats not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and oiliness and pity and despair and longing and love. War Is nasty; war is fun. War Is thrilling; war Is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead. The truths are contradictory. War Is grotesque. But In truth war Is also beauty. (394) OBrien beliefs give an array of meanings of war. He also emphasizes In the end, with the example of interpretations of war, that truth is contradicting. Truth is contradicting because there is more than one truth. Truths are based a persons reality, however reality is also based on truth; one cannot survive without the other. In relation with OBrien ND Naifs, Sacks also offers a truth and reality relationship. In truth, all of Sacks correspondents were partially disabled or handicapped. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality and Truth or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In order for them to feel like they are not disabled, they create imaginations, their own reality, in order to fulfill themselves as regular people in society. An individual deprived of one form of perception could totally reshape himself to find a new center, a new identity (Sacks 476).Even though Sacks says Hull, a man who lost vision In his middle age, describes himself as someone who reshapes himself, all the other patients also reshape homeless In order to live as normal people. They Interpret the truth of blindness, and use it to make another reality. In the end, reality becomes truth to the people because becoming a visual person who is blind becomes true in their own world. In all texts, the authors interpret and experience truth and reality simultaneously; one concept cannot be experienced without the dependence of the other.Through forms of communication, such as language, truth and reality are shown as mutually dependent. In How to Tell a True War story, Tim OBrien recollects his experience of telling the war story and at the end of his storytelling, a woman and always a woman would approach him and tell him she liked the war story. In response, he says Ill picture Rat Kyles face, his grief, and Ill think, You dumb ooze. Because she wasnt listening. It wasnt a war story. It was a love story (396). Stereotypically, women are seen to be more sensitive than men; however, she did not empathic with him at all.He also uses the word ooze, Like Rat, to show his animosity for her misunderstanding of his story. Through OBrien, he conveys that his reality, only the events of the story because he said it was true and it occurred. For OBrien, his reality is that the feelings and the understanding portrayed in the Near story is the truth, and not the actual events. For this example, OBrien indicates that truth is dependent on reality. Conversely with OBrien, Naifs and Sacks believe that communication can be limitless. For Sacks, he uses many examples of people ho lost one of the five human senses who can communicate with people by amplifying the other senses. For the blind, Sacks emphasizes that they use language as a mediation to communicate. Blind children, it has often been noted, tend to be precocious verbally, and may develop such fluency in the verbal description of faces and places as to leave others (and perhaps themselves) uncertain as to whether they are actually blind (483). Sacks expresses that with the art of language, a person who IS blind can be equally presented as one who is sighted.He includes (and perhaps themselves) to show that language is so powerful that it gives an alternate reality: hat blind people are Just as visual as sighted people. However, truth is not realized through this reality as it was through interpretation. In Sacks example, reality is dependent on truth instead, because the alternate reality of blind people are like sighted people is false. The reality Sacks conveys is that blind people only use language as a mediator. Cognition, which includes thought and memory, is described by the three authors as an example where the relationship of truth and reality exist n.Sacks discusses the thought and memories of three people. I have now read here memoirs, strikingly different in their depictions of the visual experience of blinded people: Hull with his acquiescent descent into images deep blindness, Torte with his compulsive visualization and meticulous construction of an internal dismal world, and Tendered with her impulsive, almost novelistic, visual freedom, and specific gift of kinesthesia. (481) Here, in Sacks example, reality is dependent of truth because these three people must have been blind before they experience dissimulation derived from the minds eye.However, the experience each person has is different. They have a reality which becomes true to them, making truth depend on reality. The thoughts of Sacks correspondents has given them truth through reality. Like Sacks, OBrien offers truth-reality association. Rat, who is OBrien friend, refers to the fish as dead kook fish (387) and the water buffalo as a PVC (Tim OBrien 393). OBrien clearly shows the kook and the PVC to show Rats thought of the animals; he sees them as the enemy. The truth is that these animals cannot really be the enemy, because it would Just be an absurdity.

Understanding the Importance of Taking Notes

Understanding the Importance of Taking Notes Taking notes is a great way to help students identify the importance of concepts covered in class. Even if you have a great memory, you simply wont be able to remember everything the teacher says. A permanent written record that you can refer to later can prove indispensable when its time to write an essay or take a test on the materials discussed in class. Literature lectures offer important background information about the works youre studying, including literary terms, details about the authors style, thematic relationships between works and important quotations. The content from literature lectures has a way of appearing on quizzes and essay assignments in ways students least expect them to, which is why note taking is so helpful. Even if the lecture material doesnt reappear in a testing situation, you may be asked to draw from the knowledge you gained from the lecture for a future class discussion. With that in mind, here are a few tips about how to effectively take notes in your literature class. Before Class To prepare for your next class, read the assigned reading material. Its usually a good idea to read the material at least a few days before the assignment is due. If possible, youll want to read the selection several times and make sure you understand what youre reading. If you have any questions, your textbook may offer a list of suggested readings to help with your understanding. A visit to your library may also offer additional reference resources to answer your questions and further prepare you for class. Your notes from previous class periods may also help to answer your questions. Also, be sure to take a look at the questions that follow selections in your textbook. The questions help you to re-evaluate the text, and they may help you to understand how the material relates to other works youve read in the course. During the Literature Class Be prepared to take notes when you attend your class, and be on time. Bring plenty of paper and pens with you.  Write down the relevant date, time, and topic details on your notepaper before the teacher is ready to start. If homework is due, hand it in before the class starts, and then be ready to take notes. Listen carefully to what the teacher says. Particularly note any discussion about future homework assignments and/or tests. The teacher may also give you an outline of what he or she will be discussing for that day. Remember that you dont have to get down every word that your teacher says. Get enough written down so that you can understand what was said. If theres something that you dont understand, be sure to mark those sections so you can come back to them later. Since youve read the reading material before class, you should recognize new material: details about the text, the author, the time period, or the genre that wasnt covered in your textbook. Youll want to get as much of this material down as possible because the teacher probably considers it to be important to your understanding of the texts. Even if the lecture seems disorganized  get down as many notes as possible through the lecture. Where there are gaps, or parts of the lecture you dont understand,  clarify your understanding of the material by asking questions in class or during the teachers office hours. You can also ask a classmate for help or find outside reading materials that explain the issue. Sometimes, when you hear the material in a different way, you may understand the concept much more clearly than the first time you heard it. Also, remember, every student learns in a different way. Sometimes, its better to get a broader perspectivefrom various sources, both in and out of class. If you know you have a hard time paying attention, try some preventative measures. Some students find that chewing on gum or a pen helps them to pay attention. Of course, if youre not allowed to chew gum in the class, then that option is out. You can also  ask for permission to record the lecture. Reviewing Your Notes You have several options for reviewing or revising your notes. Some students type the notes up, and print them up for easy reference, while others just look them over after class and transfer important detail to other tracking devices. Whichever mode of review you prefer, the important thing is that you look over your notes while the lecture is still fresh in your mind. If you have questions, you need to get them answered before you forget what was confusing or hard-to-understand. Collect your notes in one place. Usually, a three-ring binder is the best place because you can keep your notes with your course outline, class handouts, returned homework assignments  and returned tests. Use a highlighter  or some system of making the text stand out. Youll want to make sure that you dont miss the details the teacher gives you about assignments  and tests. If you highlight important items, make sure that you dont highlight everything or else everything seems important.   Be sure to make note of examples. If the teacher is talking about a quest  and then talks about Tom Jones, youll want to make note of it, particularly if you know that youll be reading that book shortly. You may not always understand the context of the discussion if you havent yet read the work, but its still important to note that the work is connected with the quest theme. Dont just review your notes the day before your final exam. Take a look at them periodically throughout the course. You may see patterns that you never noticed before. You may better understand the structure and progression of the course: where the teacher is going and what he or she expects you to have learned by the time the class is over.  Often the teacher will put the material on a test just to make sure that students are listening or taking notes. Some teachers will discuss the complete outline of a test, telling students exactly what will appear, but students still fail because theyre not paying attention. Wrapping Up Before long, youll get used to taking notes. It really is a skill, but it also depends on the teacher. Sometimes its difficult to tell whether a teachers  statements are important or just an offhand remark. If all else fails, and youre confused or uncertain about whether youre understanding what is expected of you in the course, ask the teacher. The teacher is the person giving you a grade (in most situations).

Bambiraptor - Facts and Figures

Bambiraptor - Facts and Figures Name: Bambiraptor (Greek for Bambi thief, after the Disney cartoon character); pronounced BAM-bee-rap-tore Habitat: Plains of western North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (75 million years ago) Size and Weight: About four feet long and 10 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; bipedal posture; feathers; relatively large brain; single, curved claws on hind feet About Bambiraptor Seasoned paleontologists spend their entire careers trying to discover the fossils of new dinosaursso they must have been envious when a 14-year-old boy stumbled upon the near-complete skeleton of Bambiraptor in 1995, in Montanas Glacier National Park. Named after the famous Disney cartoon character, this tiny, bipedal, birdlike raptor may have been covered with feathers, and its brain was almost as big as that of modern birds (which may not seem like much of a compliment, but still made it smarter than most other dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous period). Unlike the cinematic Bambi, the gentle, sloe-eyed friend of Thumper and Flower, Bambiraptor was a vicious carnivore, which may well have hunted in packs to bring down bigger prey and was equipped with single, slashing, curved claws on each of its hind feet. Which isnt to say that Bambiraptor was at the top of its late Cretaceous food chain; measuring only four feet from head to tail and weighing in the vicinity of five pounds, this dinosaur would have made a quick meal for any hungry tyrannosaurs (or larger raptors) in its immediate vicinity, a scenario that youre unlikely to see in any forthcoming Bambi sequels. The most important thing about Bambiraptor, though, is how complete its skeleton isit has been called the Rosetta Stone of raptors by paleontologists, who have studied it intently over the last two decaes in an attempt to puzzle out the evolutionary relationship of ancient dinosaurs and modern birds. No less an authority than John Ostromthe paleontologist who, inspired by Deinonychus, first proposed that birds evolved from dinosaursraved about Bambiraptor shortly after its discovery, calling it a jewel that would confirm his once-controversial theory.

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System Research Paper

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the Gun Free Schools Act (GFSA) enacted in 1994, inter alia, empowers the educational institutions â€Å"to expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student who is determined to have brought a weapon to a school†.   In view of the changing environment in the social spectrum and the unprecedented technological developments not even predicted by sociologist and futurist, Alvin Toffler in his Future Shock, it is attempted to seek an answer to the question: Is there is a need to revisit such provisions of this act and the other related acts such as Goals 2000: Educate America Act on account of the inhibiting factors and ominous consequences to the students and their families involved in enforcement of these laws in relation to zero tolerance policy.   At the instance of Pennsylvania Parent Teachers Association (PTA), a proposal in relation to zero tolerance policy is being submitted to the Senator Arlen Specter .   We expect that his compassion for the students makes him as an advocate in addressing the needs of students.   His clout as a senior Senator with wide experience and respectability would be helpful in carrying out the necessary amendments to the act(s). This paper has been prepared after careful study and analysis of the various alternatives, factors involved and the existing policy environment with the recommendations in this respect.

Compare and contrast the positions of one or more neo-Marxist or Essay

Compare and contrast the positions of one or more neo-Marxist or post-Marxist theorists of ideology with those of the classical Marxist tradition - Essay Example It is reasonable to assume that public sentiment and government economic policies (usually informed by contemporary economists noted above) are pulling in opposite directions. And the tensions created by these opposing tendencies are already giving rise to widespread social unrest, as shown by the emergence of the global solidarity movement and the World Social Forum. (Frankel,1997, p.58) In this context, it makes for an interesting exercise to understand contemporary interpretations, revisions and adaptations of Marxism, which have come to be termed variously as neo-Marxism and post-Marxism. Some of the leading figures in the neo-Marxist movement are Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Max Weber, Karl Korsch and others. To a lesser extent French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and Frankfurt School founders Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno contributed to the broader understanding of traditional Marxist theories. One of the driving forces for neo-Marxist and post-Marxist thought is the perceived inadequacies of conventional Marxist ideology in explaining and providing solutions to common politico-economic problems. For example, in the century and a half that has passed since Marxs original theoretical formulation, only a few violence-ridden revolutions have taken place – a fact that belies Marxs prophecies on communist revolutions. The establishment of socialist regimes at the end of such revolutions too have not lasted for long (barring the case of China). Even politically overhauling events such as the two world wars have not spurred the implementation of communist ideology in a meaningful manner. While the erstwhile Soviet Union was nominally a communist state, in reality it was a brutal dictatorship not hesitant to crack the whip on its own masses. In the case of China, which is considered the last bastion for Marxist

Ethnic Groups in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups in Pakistan Essay Recommended Citation Khan, Adeel, Ethnic nationalism and the state in Pakistan, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong, 2001. http://ro. uow. edu. au/theses/1736 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [emailprotected] edu. au Ethnic Nationalism and the State in Pakistan A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from University of Woilongong by Adeel Khan Sociology Program, Faculty of Arts February 2001 Declaration I, Adeel Khan, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Sociology Program of Faculty of Arts, University of Woilongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Adeel Khan 26 February 2001 11 Aknowledgements I would like to thank the Sociology Program and the School of Critical Enquiry at the University of Woilongong for helping me to travel to Pakistan twice to do my fieldwork. In Pakistan there are too many people who have helped me in many different ways. I am grateful to all those academics, journalists, politicians, lawyers and activists who spared their time to speak to me. I would like to especially thank Mazhar Abbas who not only provided me with very useful information and contacts but also arranged meetings with the MQM leaders. I am indebted to Ahmed Shah and Ayub Shiekh for organising one of the most entertaining as well as productive trips to Hyderabad where they arranged meetings with Ibrahim Joyo and Rasul Bux Palejo and other Sindhi nationalists. In Lahore I had the pleasure of Khawar Malik and Imtiaz Alams company in one of the most dramatic months in Pakistans history when the chief justice and the prime minister were caught in a bizarre battle of ego that had created a serious political crisis. In Quetta, Abdul Sami Kakar, a former Pukhtim Student Federation activist, who was introduced to me by Tahir Mohammad Khan, was a wonderful company and great help in organising interviews with Baloch and Pukhtun nationalists. In Islamabad I shall always miss late Eqbal Ahmed with whom I had some of the most stimulating discussions. My supervisor, Stephen Castles, has been an unrelenting source of encouragement and inspiration. He not only encouraged me to think as deeply and as critically as possible but also, at times, forced me to explore different aspects of the argument whenever he felt I could do better. I have particularly benefited from Stephens knowledge of European history. What impressed me the most about Stephen, however, is that he is one of those people who are so comfortable with themselves that they hardly care what others think of them, and therefore they are unassuming and full of humility. I wish I could learn that from him, too. My wife, Rafat, deserves more than a few words of gratitude for she is the one who had to put up with my anxiety, self-doubt, writers block, mood swings, and all the other hazards that come with a person who agrees with Adomo that (o)nly those thoughts are frue which fail to understand themselves. I stand obliged to her for bearing with me. As is customary, and in legal terms, too, I must admit that only I am responsible for the mistakes and weaknesses in my work, but as I have made it obvious that I would not have been able to produce this work without the help of all those mentioned above, and therefore, morally at least, they cannot escape the responsibility. The only consolation I can offer to them is that I apologise for the mistakes and weaknesses and promise to try harder, next time, to fail better. Ill Abstract Nationalism is a way of dealing with a world where everything melts into thin air. It is a form of self-love in which individuals celebrate their collective identity. And like all forms of self-love it gets its strength more from the hatred of others than its love for the self Here lies the secret behind some of the most intractable conflicts in the world. Nationalism is, probably, the only form of self-love that gets its life-blood from an institution, the modem state. Had the state not been behind the self-love of the Germans, they would not have been able to torture and murder so many Jews in such a short period of time. Likewise, had the west not helped the Jews to establish their own state in Palestine, the Jews would never have been able to displace and kill so many Palestinians. Nationalism is not the pathology of the modem world, but is, as a sentiment and as a doctrine, only a pathetic way to deal with a pathetic world. But nationalism as a game of power, as a politics, is lethal and destructive. As a sentiment and as a doctrine nationalism may be the child of an unstable and fast changing world but as a politics it is the child of the nation state. This thesis explores the relationship between the nation-state and the nationalisms of four ethnic groups, namely, Pukhtun, Sindhi, Baloch and Mohajir, who have, at various points in time, contested the legitimacy of the administrative structure of the Pakistani state. It starts with identifying the issue of ethnic conflicts, goes on to review the available literature and then outlines a framework for studying ethnic IV nationalism. As the emphasis here is on the role of the modem state in provoking ethnic discontent and resistance the second chapter discusses the interventionist role of the state and tries to highlight its relationship with nationalism. The second section of the chapter looks at various approaches to nationalism and explains as to which approach is more suitable and why for dealing with ethnic nationalism. The third chapter endeavours to explicate the difference between pre-colonial and colonial state in India as well as the way the colonial state despite being modem was different from the modem state system in the west. The fourth chapter discusses the state system in Pakistan and argues that the postcolonial state is a replica of the colonial state. The next four chapters examine the emergence of four ethnic movements and their varying strategies for dealing with the centralising and homogenising policies of the state. Throughout, the focus remains on the ethnic groups distance from and proximity to the state system as the major factor in determining their relationships. Table of Contents Declaration Acknowledgments Abstract 11 iii iv Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Introduction Nationalism and the State Colonisation of the State in India Nationalisation of the Colonial State in Pakistan Pukhtun Ethnic Nationalism: From Separatism to Integrationism Baloch Ethnic Nationalism: From Guerilla War to Nowhere? Sindhi Ethnic Nationalism: Migration, Marginalisation, and the Threat of Indianisation Mohajir Ethnic Nationalism: El Dorado gone Sour! At a Crossroads as Ever Before! 1 24 45 67 99 133 Chapter 7 158 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 201 238 References Appendix A Interviews 244 259 VI The whole is the false Adomo Inversion of Hegels famous dictum, the whole is the true (1978:50) Vll Please see print copy for image Source: 1998 Census (Statistical Pocket Book of Pakistan, 2000) PAKISTAN.

The Break Through in American Baseball :: essays research papers

The Break Through in American Baseball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball, what is baseball? Baseball is a game about runs, hits and errors; 73 homers by Barry Bonds and seven no hitters by Nolan Ryan, a .367 lifetime mark by Ty Cobb and 511 wins by Cy Young. It’s all about the 15,000 people who have had the privilege to make it in the league and more, from homerun hitting Babe Ruth to the lately retired Cal Ripken Jr., but there is more to baseball then records and fame; the thing, the man, goes by the name of Jackie Robinson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackie Robinson. The name alone is inspiring and pure. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (Jackie) was born on 1919, in Cairo Georgia and quickly found out that life wasn’t going to be easy. When Jackie was one-year-old his father, Jerry, packed up and left his whole family, after his deserting; Jackie’s mother, Mallie, then rounded up her five children and moved to Pasadena, California, where she found work as a maid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not long after moving to Pasadena Jackie soon enrolled at George Washington High School at the age of 17. Not only did he play four sports in high school but he also won the city’s Ping-Pong championship. While Jackie was still young and in high school his brother was way over in Berlin, Germany competing in the Summer Olympics. Mack got second in the 200-meter dash, finishing behind the all-time great Jesse Owens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After graduating high school Jackie then attended UCLA in 1941 and was the first athlete in UCLA history to ever letter in four sports (baseball, football, basketball, and track) in a single year. Not only did he make history there, but he met the love of his life, Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After one year of college, Jackie entered the army for World War II. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and while he was there he was denied entrance into the Officers’ Candidate School because of his skin color. Being the man he is, he protested and protested and stood up for what he believed in and in 1945 was discharged as a lieutenant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being discharged, Jackie met Branch Rickey on August 28, 1945 and Rickey offered Jackie a contract with one of the Dodgers farm clubs, the Montreal Royals of the International League. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the International League, and as you can guess had to overcome a lot of adversity.

Nursing concepts: competence, compassion, professionalism, Essay

Abstract There are different views on the concepts of nursing. Nurses can have the same views on nursing concepts as patients do with only slight difference. But overall the concepts of competence, professionalism, and compassion are viewed very similarly between the nurse and patient interviewed for this paper. Competence plays a key role in the quality of patient care. Compassion is a basis of nursing that expresses empathy towards patients, and professionalism can sometimes be based on behavior or values. Both nurse and the patient recognizes the need for these three concepts in the nursing field to better provide a better health care environment for both individuals. Introduction Nursing has four main concepts upon which it’s based open; client, health, environment, and nursing. Within these four basic concepts are a variety of nursing concepts ranging from ethics, religion, nurse’s role and many others. Though there is a long ongoing list, many of the concepts are viewed differently or similarly among nurses and patients. Upon reviewing the experience of a patient and a nurse, I have found both individuals had the common concepts of competence, professionalism, and compassion. The patient expresses the need for the nurse to be competent, professional, and compassionate. However the nurse’s experience demonstrates her compassionate attitude, professionalism and competency. Altogether both individuals recognize the importance of the three components in nursing care, as will be discussed further in the paper. Brief Analysis of Interviews E. J is currently an ER Nurse Educator who values being a competent nurse. Her typical work schedule involves making sure everyone in the ER is functioning at high competence levels. Competence in the viewpoint of E.J is having continuous knowledge, and an education to be an effective nurse. Patient J.A also views competence as an important aspect of nursing. She felt competency is apparent in the interaction between the patient and nurse and creates a lack of confidence and discomfort. However, for the patient being competent not only constitutes medical knowledge but also having experience both as a nurse and a patient as well. A competent nurse effectively creates a comfortable environment for the patient while caring for them physically is the approach taken by J.A. Moreover being culturally competent was also an important component from J.A’s substantial point of view. While being competent is important, both the nurse and patient responses revealed professionalism as another important concept in nursing. However the nurse appeared to have more concerns about a nurse’s professionalism than the patient. Maintaining practice expertise for the nurse also coincides with professionalism is one aspect perceived by E.J. J.A identifies being friendly, appropri ately addressing patients’ needs, and correctly performing tasks as characteristics of a professional. Both individuals recognized the need for professionalisms at the basic level but the nurse view point takes in consideration of ethical principles and required standards that nurses should have. Nurse Relation As both individuals describe what was rewarding or memorable about their experiences, a common concept noted was compassion. E.J exhibited compassion while J.A received compassion during her care. Through her responses, E.J views compassion as a willingness to go the extra-mile to help others and always have a willingness to help even when out of context. Similarly, J.A characterizes compassion as having empathy and truly caring about her well-being and outcome. It involves the nurse doing everything within her power to help the patient without being judgmental. For J.A, compassion is treating the patient in the same manner as the nurse would treat herself or her loved ones, if in the same situation. Overall, being competent, professional, and compassionate can have similar meanings to the nurse and the patient, with slight differences. As mentioned above, R.N. E.J.’s competency is primarily the education and knowledge obtained to successfully carry out nursing tasks. However in J.A’s point of view, competence is simply more than just academic education. The nurse is aware of the professional boundaries that the patient themselves may not be fully aware  of. For example the patient may perceive the friendliness as part of being a professional, while it might not full in line with the professional ethics of nursing. The importance of competence for the nurse is revealed when describing her daily tasks and role as a nurse educator. E.J states that daily tasks during his shift involves creating educational media, and assuring the staff in the ER department remains up to date on the many competencies required of the nurses such as consciousness sedation. He ensures the staff has the certifications necessary for the department. Making sure the nurse is knowledgeable and provides appropriate care for each patient is a key component. When describing the effects of being a nurse on her professional life, E.J recalls experiencing the death of a patient d uring her time as a pediatric nurse. E.J was caring for an infant 2 months old with a heart defect from birth, which whom was scheduled for surgery. However, on her next shift the once laughing baby became lifeless as the parents held the baby in their arms. Despite resuscitation efforts, the baby did not survive. E.J (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) notes that often, â€Å"maintaining a level of professionalism is associated with not showing emotion around patients†, but in this scenario tears flowed down her cheeks and shared in the parents’ sorrow. For E.J (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) â€Å"expressing that bit of emotion was a way of providing emotional support, and care which are components of professional nursing. E.J served in the military as a nurse and being able to travel coincides with compassion and use of her professionalism. On her account, the proudest she’s ever been about being a nurse was the ability to work with the humanity combat ER trauma unit. She traveled to Haiti with a reserve unit to treat and advise the citizens residing in the country’s capital Port- au-Prince. Despite knowing she would have to sleep in tents surrounded by poverty and leave her paying job, she was willing to step out of her comfort zone, and â€Å"lend a helping hand† to others in need. She states â€Å"every opportunity or chance she gets to take care of someone is a proud moment in her nursing career. E.J’s response demonstrates how the concept of compassion can and should in most cases be the driving force behind nursing care. Patient’s Relation Similar to the Nurse, the patient’s experience with the concepts were mostly  positive. After being involved in an auto mobile accident, J.A (Personal Communication, November 4, 2012) was admitted to the hospital and doctors â€Å"discovered I had a mitral-stenosis valve† and needed a valve replacement. Therefore she had to be admitted for open heart surgery. During her stay at the hospital, which lasted almost two weeks, J.A recalls the surgeon going over the procedures with her carefully. The surgeon and nurses made sure she was aware of her options, and knew what to expect with each course of action she decides to take. Patient’s description and passionate voice as she talks denotes that she trusted the nursing staff and surgeon’s judgment and had confident in them, for they displayed a good level of competency. Furthermore J.A shares how every morning the surgeon would come to her room to share news on her progress. Professionalism is being emphasize d as the patient recalls that the nurses really took priority in making sure she knew and understood what was going to take place. The health care team properly instilled veracity as part of what it means to be a professional nurse. Moreover, the nursing team was very friendly and valued her beliefs, as J.A is SDA (Seventh-Day Adventist) .She does not eat pork and one of the replacement valves offered was made with pig fat. The nurses that not withhold that information to her, but was made aware of it, so she was given the option to choose another valve made out of plastic. Also the nurses â€Å"were more than willing† to pray with her and cater to her spiritual needs even though they themselves may not have been spiritual. â€Å"Their openness to participate in my belief in God is one aspect that helped with my full recovery†, states J.A(Personal Communication, November 4, 2012). Lastly, J. A recounts a stressful situation in which she encountered while being under the care of nurses. Each night during her hospital stay the nurses would randomly awaken her to check her blood pressure. Also she noted that on one occasion the nurse was unable to locate her veins while trying to draw blood. The nurse continuously tapped her arm and stated, â€Å"You have very tiny veins†. This response shows the patient view of the nurses’ lack of professionalism and competency. Ending the interview, J.A describes what she believes characterize a good nurse. According to her, a good nurse listens to your ailments, and pays attention to what the patient says. When the nurse listens to the patient, it is important since it allows the patient to feel they are a factor in their recovery and feel more comfortable being in  the hospital environment. The nurse being able to accommodate the patient base on what they need physically, emotionally and spiritually, overall supports the idea of a nurse’s professionalism, competency and compassion from J.A’s view point. Competence Nursing Article The nursing article by Brazil K. et al focuses on the concept of competence used in care provided in long-term care homes for the elderly. It is a study to test knowledge and perceived competency among the RNs and a few LPNs as well. Lack of competence in skills such as pain management, advance care planning, care and adequate care has increased the death rate among older adults in the LTC homes (Brazil et al 2012, 77). Often this lack in competency is due to education in training of staff, and â€Å"absent communication problems among healthcare providers and family members†. The latter has resulted in bad â€Å"quality end-life care† (Brazil et al 2012, 77). The nurses were competent with coping skills of â€Å"dealing with death and dying but lack formal training in palliative care† (Brazil et al 2012, 77). This coincides with the same ideas present through the nurse educator E.J and patient J.A idea of competence. As here there is a need for continuous update of education to make sure that the nurses have current knowledge. Moreover the idea of needing cultural competence identified in the patient’s point of view is essential as well, for the nurses were not communicating successful with the relatives of the patient or the other healthcare providers. Being competent in communication skills is as import as competence in clinical skills. Though other factors acknowledged in the study, prove to contribute to difficulties in providing the necessary care, â€Å"staff competence in that field served as the major determinant in assuring quality care† (Brazil, Brink, Kaasalainen, Kelly, & McAiney, 2012, p. 79). Factors that affect or may influence â€Å"effectiveness of continuing education† to increase competency can also be important as discussed in the article (Brazil et al 2012, 79). Overall competency involves more than just one skill, and is often a major concept needed in all nurse weather Pediatric, emergency room, or home health care. However one must not overlook the fact that competency develops over time as more experience is gained. Competency also implies or portrays the importance of the concept of evidence-based nursing research, so that we can enhance the competency of  nurses with new and better applications. Demonstrating competency or excellence is also a function of professionalism. Professionalism Nursing Article According to this article there are two aspects of professionalism in, â€Å"value-based’ and â€Å"behavioral-based†, needed to â€Å"support values and ideals† (Castell 2008, p.13). Professionalism in Nursing Practice by Francesca Costell (2008) compares and contrast the different views based on the aforementioned aspects. The value basis is principles that underlie what it means to be nurses while the behavioral basis are the behaviors â€Å"one must exhibit to act professionally† (Castell 2008, p.17). She further divides value based into the categories of clinical competency (excellence), humanism, and altruism. Behavior-based was also divided into Service and ethical conduct. From behavioral stand point, castell believes that humanism is a component of professionalism because the â€Å"interaction is vital for guiding the medical profession† (2008, p.13). As E.J mentioned above, showing your human side shoes respect for the patient and â€Å" signals the worth of the individual human being and his or her belief and value system† (2008, p.13). Castell view on professionalism coincides with E. J point of view as both acknowledge the need to sometime show emotion to connect with patients. Castell’s incorporates a key aspect of professionalism, ethical conduct. An unethical clinical example mentioned is of a student nurses preparing to care for an elderly patient and the experienced nurses’ warned of his obnoxious behavior and rudeness. This was an unprofessional as Castell believes â€Å"this could have compromised the care the students gave†, as it â€Å"form pre-conceived ideas† into their minds and would now care for him based on those ideals (Castell 2008, p.15). J.A as well identified this key ethical component of professionalism for she believed the nurse should carry out the appropriate care that is mandated of her. In general the core idea of being professional is acting â€Å"with out being prejudice† and carrying out your duties as a nurse which can sometimes include displaying the humanistic side to provide efficient care. Compassion Nursing Article Exploring Compassion accredits Christianity with incorporating compassion into nursing care. Compassion in early nursing was from a Christian point of  view and then became part of contemporary nursing. According to Straughair (2012), A nurse’s strive to alleviate the suffering of the sick is through the use of compassion (161). Failing to provide compassionate nursing care is failing to meet the required professional standards. Evidence shows that lack of compassion results in poor quality care on the part of the patient, and indicates a â€Å"disregard for their dignity† (Straughair, 2012 p.162). A lack of compassion affects the quality of healthcare as a whole whether the nurse is clinically competent. Conclusion Though all three concepts are interdependent of each other they function together as a whole along with many other concepts make nursing or nurses a success. Being competence itself consists of many sub categories as it is important to be competent in many skills or aspects as a nurse and not simply one. Competency as discussed in the paper is more than knowledge or cognitive skills and encompasses culture, communication, and many others of the like. Likewise professionalism has two facades as it can be mediated by values or behavior in the nursing feel. Even though the nurse and patient may have had slightly different views for each concept, it all came together to form a basis idea. Furthermore being compassion is the basic framework of nursing as it is having the genuine care for someone and showing patients empathy. It is treating others as you would treat yourself. Caring for patients with compassion can have a lasting impact on patients in help in a speedy recovery. Implication It is important for me as I progress through my nursing practice to remember that my competency level has to reach beyond simply checking off assessment on a checklist, or a test. As I will come across patients or situations of different nature, culture and need to be able to use skills that will cater to the specific situation or need at any given time. Competency in one area neglects to fulfill the needs of the patient overall and decreases quality of care. The same principle can be applied to professionalism, as I have to know what action is appropriate for nursing professional at any given time. But also judge whether my professionalism should be based on value or behavioral. This choice will be made base on what’s best for the patient, me, as well as others involves safety and well-being at the time. References Brazil, K., Brink, P., Kaasalainen, S., Kelly, M., & McAiney, C. (2012). Knowledge and perceived competence among nurses caring for the dying in long-term care homes. International Journal Of Palliative Nursing, 18(2), 77-83. Castell, F. (2008). Professionalism in nursing practice. Nursing Journal, 1213-17. Catalano, J. T. (2012). Nursing now: today’s issues, tomorrow’s trends (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co. Straughair, C. (2012). Exploring compassion: implications for contemporary nursing. Part 1. British Journal Of Nursing, 21(3), 160-164.

How Significant Was Slave Trade in the Growth of the British Empire

Mahfuz Chowdhury How Significant Was Slave Trade in the Growth of the British Empire in the Years c. 1680-1763? I agree to some extent that slavery played a significant role in the growth of the British Empire in the years 1680-1763. This is because slavery allowed the British to import a high amount of goods that were in demand such as sugar and tobacco which generated profits for plantation owners especially as slave labour was cheap. The slave trade was mainly involved in two key aspects: the growth of the sea trade and maintenance of existing settlements.Even though slavery was considered of great importance, there were other key factors involved with the expansion of the British Empire . Trading companies traded slaves and goods produced by slaves. The tax collected helped to fund the navy which protected trade and played an important role in war. So along with the trading companies; the Government; Royal Navy and War, were all factors that played an important part in the growth of the empire. Trade was one of the main key factors that allowed the British Empire to increase and grow steadily.This trading routine was the beginning of the Empire and from all the joint stock companies formed, Britain allowed its Empire to grow in profits and increase in size. The slave trade played a major role in the growth of seaborne commerce mainly across the Atlantic seas. The use of slavery helped the British a vast amount by bringing in increased profits and goods that were on demand such as cotton, tobacco and sugar. There was a triangular trade where a three point voyage took place. This helped Britain gain prosperity and wealth and also a monopoly on the Atlantic. By 1720, they had ‘transported 100,000 Africans, exported ? 1. million worth of goods and imported 30,000 tons of sugar’. 1 The growth of the British Empire was focused on seaborne trade. Therefore, they concentrated on the Atlantic trade. Britain would trade goods with African colonies for sl aves. The slaves were then traded in the Caribbean and North America to work on plantations. The goods produced were returned to Britain. As a result, slavery played an important role in helping trade and the growth of the British Empire. Slave trade and trading companies are linked. Joint stock companies such as the Royal African Company and the East India Company were mainly the most dominant companies in trade.The Royal African Company was the biggest British slave trade company. It began in 1672 after the failure of The Royal Adventurers of Africa due to interlopers and not rising up to its expected standards. It was created with the intention of making a huge profit from slave trade. The demand for slaves was high because it was considered that African slaves were used to the conditions of plantations in the Caribbean. Furthermore, because of high death rates and infant mortality, ‘the supply of slaves†¦needed regular replenishment’. Also slave labour was seen as the best form of labour as it didn’t require the workers to be paid which meant larger profits for plantation owners. In addition slave owners were able to force them to work long hours in harsh conditions. As mentioned earlier, slave trade was highly profitable because by 1720, they had ‘transported 100,000 Africans, exported ? 1. 5 million worth of goods and imported 30,000 tons of sugar’. 3 The Royal African Company became a monopoly and its profits and fortunes rose immensely from the other goods (like sugar) they imported too. However, just like The Royal Adventurers, the company’s James Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001, pg 31 2 Kenneth Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg 10 3 James Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001, pg 31 Page | 1 Mahfuz Ahmad Chowdhury AA45161 History profits had been inte rfered by interlopers and they went out of business. Despite the Royal African Company ending, it put an end to foreign monopoly. By joining the slave trade, it helped British trading companies maintain its dominance.The British had supremacy over Africa which simulated exploration for new raw materials and food articles. This dominance helped bring a vast amount of profits in and therefore help the growth of the British Empire. The trading companies were crucial to the growth of the British Empire especially after 1688. In 1688 ‘The Glorious Revolution’ took place. The Dutch William of Orange replaced James II on the throne. This was very useful to the East India Company because they were unsuccessful in the East as their Dutch rivals were doing better than them.But with the new king, ‘a deal was done which effectively gave Indonesia and the spice trade to the Dutch, leaving the English to develop the new Indian textiles trade’. 4 This proved to be a good deal for the East India Company because by 1720 they had generated more profit than the Dutch. In relation to slavery, the East India Company played a small role in the transportation and use of slaves. Despite not using slaves, they were successful. For instance in Bengkulu, the East India Company was ‘regularly sending between 453,600 and 907,200 kgs per year to London’. This is important in highlighting the fact that trade would was successful without slaves. It also corroborates that trade was an important factor in the growth of the British Empire. Prior to 1688, the government also played a crucial role by passing laws to protect British overseas trade. A series of 29 laws were passed between 1645 and 1761 and were known as the Navigation Act. These were laws that ‘forbade goods being imported into England if they were not carried in English or colonial ships’. 6 In other words, the government was ‘confining the benefits of empire to the state a nd its own subjects’. This meant Britain received trade from colonies even if other countries offered a higher price. As a result, the economy was boosted. By limiting ships and crews to being British, skilled seamen were created which then allowed the navy to become a powerful and dominant sea power. These acts were pivotal in the success of trade at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. Furthermore, the government set up its own bank called the Bank of England. The creation of the Bank of England led to a stronger of the Royal Navy because of the virtuous cycle. People invested in the Bank of England with a promise of a return.The government then spent that money on the navy. This protected the transportation of trade and trading ports during times of war. This was especially important as Britain was focused on slave trade across the Atlantic. Taxes collected from the trade were then used to pay investors their money back. In addition, trading companies mad e more profit. All of this had positive knock on effects on other industries such as agriculture, iron, carpenters and many more. From 1689 – 1714, the number of ships increased from 100 to 131 and the number of cruisers increased from 8 to 66.This was essential in the growth of the British Empire. 4 Niall Ferguson, Empire, Penguin books, 2004, pg 23 5 http://www. britishempire. co. uk/maproom/benkulen. htm 6 www. sagehistory. net/colonial/topics/navacts. htm 7 Kenneth Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg 10 Page | 2 Mahfuz Ahmad Chowdhury AA45161 History Not only did it protect trade which brought more wealth, it aided victory in major battles. For instance in 1707, the navy defeated the French at sea. Consequently, Britain went on to become the greatest navy.Moreover, it opened up new trade routes and brought Britain more colonies. War is another key reason for the expansion of the Empire. The main war was t he War of Spanish Succession which ended in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht. The treaty gave Britain land such as Gibraltar and Canada. These new colonies meant that Britain was able to export new products. The new plantations also meant that there was a higher demand of slaves which Britain provided helping to generate more profit. Crucially though, from the French, they gained the Asiento – a contract with Spain to supply its South American colonies with slaves.A third major trading company was given a royal charter to trade in South America; the South Sea Company. It was known to ‘help British wealth creation considerably and too boost British power’. 8 The request from Britain for the Asiento in the treaty signifies the importance of slave trade to the growth of the empire. In conclusion, slave trade was crucial in the growth of the British Empire to some extent. But without trading companies, slaves couldn’t have been traded. Nor could goods produced by slaves be exported.In addition the government and its navigation acts helped trading companies reduce competition with other countries. The Navy was important in winning wars and protecting trade. It helped gain the Asiento by winning the War of Spanish Succession. Bibliography †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ G. Raudzens, Empire, Sutton Publishing Limited, 1999 J. Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001 K Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000 N. Ferguson, Empire, Penguin books, 2004 8 George Raudzens, Empire, Sutton Publishing Limited, 1999, pg139 Page | 3

Lab Book Organic Chemisty Essays

Lab Book Organic Chemisty Essays Lab Book Organic Chemisty Essay Lab Book Organic Chemisty Essay By looking at the melting points for B E and comparing them to the literature ales, it is possible to narrow the structure of both unknown compounds down from the suggest compounds in the results section (1-(3-nutritional)ethanol) or 1-(4- nutritional)ethanol) for compound B and (1-(3-anopheles)ethanol or 1-(4- anopheles)ethanol) for compound E. Mean Melting Point co 107. 0 From comparison of the two data tables it can seen that Compound E has the same melting point as compound 6, which is 1-(4-anopheles)ethanol. However for compound B the mean melting point is close to both Compound 1 and Compound 4 so IR spectra are needed to correctly determine the structure of B. By comparing the IR spectrum for Compound B it can see that it is 1- (interruption)ethanol, this is indicated by the peak at 763. CACM-1 when compared against literature values for IR Spectroscopy shows a C-H bend in the Roth position of the phenyl ring, which points to the position of ethanol being on the 4th carbon. Looking back at the yields it can be see that there has been an error in the drying process for Benzedrine resulting in a very high yield of 206%. However this is most likely to only affect the yield result, and not the chemical structure of the synthesis. Conclusion Judging by the results from the IR spectra, Melting point determination and chemical successfully synthesized. Unknown compound E was identified as compound 6, 1-(4-Anopheles) ethanol.

Immigrant Voting Eligibility and Requirements

Immigrant Voting Eligibility and Requirements Naturalization typically increases as national elections draw closer, as more immigrants want to participate in the democratic process. This is especially true if immigration issues become important to the campaigns, as in 2016 when Donald Trump proposed building a wall across the U.S. border with Mexico and putting sanctions on Muslim immigrants. Naturalization applications increased by 11% in the 2015 fiscal year over the year before, and jumped 14% leading into 2016, according to U.S. immigration officials. A surge in naturalization applications among Latinos and Hispanics appears linked to Trumps positions on immigration. Officials say by the November election, close to 1 million new citizens could be eligible to vote an increase of about 20% over typical levels. More Hispanic voters is likely good news for Democrats who have relied on immigrant support in recent national elections. Worse for Republicans, polls showed that eight out of 10 Hispanic voters had a negative opinion about Trump. Who Can Vote in the United States? Simply put, only U.S. citizens can vote in the United States. Immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens can vote, and they have exactly the same voting privileges as natural-born U.S. citizens. There is no difference. Here are the basic qualifications for voting eligibility: You must be a U.S. citizen.Green card holders, or permanent residents, are not allowed to vote in national elections. A few localities - only a few - allow green card-holders to vote in municipal elections. But otherwise, as an immigrant, to participate in state and national elections, you must have completed the naturalization process and earned U.S. citizenship.You must have lived in the state where you’re intending to vote for a minimum period of time. It’s usually 30 days but does vary from some states to others. Check with your local elections officials.You must be at least 18 years old on or before election day. A few states permit 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the general election. Check with your local elections officials.You must not have a felony conviction that disqualifies you from voting. If you have been convicted of a serious crime, you must get your civil rights restored to vote, and that’s not an easy process.You must not have been declared â€Å"mentally incompetent† by a court of law. Immigrants who are not naturalized U.S. citizens face serious criminal penalties if they try to vote in an election illegally. They risk a fine, imprisonment or deportation. Also, it is important that your naturalization process is completed before you try to vote. You must have taken the oath and formally become a U.S. citizen before you can legally vote and participate fully in American democracy. Voting Registration Rules Vary by the State The Constitution allows the states wide discretion to set voting registration and election rules. This means that registering to vote in New Hampshire can have different requirements than registering to vote in Wyoming or Florida or Missouri. And the dates of local and state elections also vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, the forms of identification that are acceptable in one state may not be in others. It’s very important to find out what the rules are in your state of residence. One way to do this is to visit your local state elections office. Another way is to go online. Nearly all states have websites where up-to-the-minute voting information is readily accessible. Where To Find Information on Voting A good place to find out your state’s rules for voting is the Election Assistance Commission. The EAC website has a state-by-state breakdown of voting dates, registration procedures and election rules. The EAC maintains a National Mail Voter Registration Form that includes voter registration rules and regulations for all the states and territories. It can be a valuable tool for immigrant citizens who are trying to learn how to participate in U.S. democracy. It is possible to use the form to register to vote or to change your voting information. In most states, it’s possible to complete the National Mail Voter Registration Form and simply print it, sign it and mail it to the address listed under your state in the State Instructions. You can also use this form to update your name or address, or to register with a political party. However, once again, states have different rules and not all states accept the National Mail Voter Registration Form. North Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not accept it. New Hampshire accepts it only as a request for an absentee voter mail-in registration form. For an excellent overview of voting and elections across the country, go to the USA.gov website where the government offers a wealth of information about the democratic process. Where Do You Register To Vote? You may be able to sign up to vote in person at the public places listed below. But again, remember that what applies in one state may not apply in another: The state or local voter registration or elections office, sometimes known as the elections supervisor’s office.The department of motor vehicles. Yes, where you get a driver’s license is often also the place where you can register to vote.Certain public assistance agencies. Some states use the social services network to promote voter registration.Armed services recruitment centers. A military recruiter may be able to help you sign up to vote.State-run programs that help people with disabilities.Any public entity that a state has designated as a voter registration center. Do some research to find out if there’s a government facility near you that might be able to help. Taking Advantage of Absentee or Early Voting In recent years, many states have done more to make it easier for voters to participate through early voting days and absentee ballots. Some voters may find it impossible to make to the polls on the Election Day. Perhaps they’re out of the country or hospitalized, for example. Registered voters from every state can request an absentee ballot that can be returned by mail. Some states require that you give them a specific reason - an excuse - why you are unable to go to the polls. Other states have no such requirement. Check with your local officials. All states will mail an absentee ballot to eligible voters who request one.  The voter may then return the completed ballot by mail or in person.  In 20  states, an excuse is required, while  27  states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without giving an excuse.  Some states offer a permanent absentee ballot list: once a voter asks to be added to the list, the voter will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. As of 2016, Colorado, Oregon and Washington used all-mail voting. Every eligible voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail. Those ballots can be returned in person or by mail when a voter completes them. More than two-thirds of the states - 37 and also the District of Columbia - offer some sort of early voting opportunity. You can cast your ballot days before Election Day at various locations. Check with your local election office to find out what early voting opportunities are available where you live. Be Sure To Check for ID Law in Your State By 2016, a total of 36  states had passed laws requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls, usually a photo ID.  Roughly 33  of these voter identification laws were expected to be in force by the 2016 presidential election. The others are tied up in the courts. Laws in Arkansas, Missouri  and Pennsylvania laws have been struck down going into the 2016 presidential race. The remaining 17  states use other methods to verify the identity of voters. Again, it varies from state to state. Most frequently, other identifying information a voter provides at the polling place, such as a signature, is checked against information on file. In general, states with Republican governors and legislatures have pushed for photo IDs, claiming a higher standard of identity verification is needed to prevent fraud. Democrats have opposed photo ID laws, arguing the voting fraud is virtually non-existent in the United States and the ID requirements are a hardship for the elderly and poor. President Obama’s administrations have opposed the requirements. A study by researchers at Arizona State University found 28 cases of voter fraud convictions since 2000. Of those, 14% involved absentee ballot fraud. â€Å"Voter impersonation, the form of fraud that voter ID laws are designed to prevent, made up only 3.6% of those cases,† according to the study’s authors. Democrats argue that if Republicans were really serious about cracking down on the rare cases of fraud that have occurred, Republicans would do something about absentee voting where the likelihood of misconduct is far greater. In 1950, South Carolina became the first state to require identification from voters at the polls. Hawaii started requiring IDs in 1970 and Texas followed a year later. Florida joined the movement in 1977, and gradually dozens of states fell in line. In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act into law. It required all first-time voters in federal elections to show a photo or non-photo ID upon either registration or arrival at the polling place A Brief History of Immigrant Voting in the U.S. Most Americans don’t realize that immigrants - foreigners or non-citizens - were commonly allowed to vote in elections during the Colonial era. More than 40 states or territories, including the original 13 colonies leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, have allowed foreigners voting rights for at least some elections. Non-citizen voting was widespread in the United States for the first 150 years of its history. During the Civil War, Southern states turned against allowing voting rights to immigrants because of their opposition to slavery and support for the North. In 1874 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that residents in Missouri, who were foreign-born but had committed to becoming U.S. citizens, should be allowed to vote. But a generation later, public sentiment had swung against immigrants. The growing waves of new arrivals from Europe - Ireland, Italy and Germany in particular - brought a backlash against giving rights to non-citizens and accelerating their assimilation into U.S. society. In 1901, Alabama stopped allowing foreign-born residents to vote. Colorado followed a year later, and then Wisconsin in 1902 and Oregon in 1914. By World War I, more and more native-born residents opposed allowing newly arrived immigrants to participate in U.S. democracy. In 1918, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota all changed their constitutions to deny non-citizens voting rights, and Indiana, Mississippi and Texas followed. Arkansas became the last state to ban voting rights for foreigners in 1926. Since then, the way into the voting booth for immigrants is through naturalization.

Consumer's Shopping Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer's Shopping Experience - Essay Example Thus from the discussion we can arrive at the definitions of the three types of purchases. The low involvement purchase implies the buying process where the purchasers do not perceive the product to be crucial enough and do not relate with it strongly (staff.uny.ac., n.d.). In this type of purchase decision the customer puts the least effort in browsing, comparing and selecting activities. Example of low involvement purchase could be purchasing casual daily wear t-shirts. The medium involvement purchase implies the purchase of products like the grocery items like toothpaste and newspaper etc. that requires medium level of information gathering endeavor and the buyer attaches themselves with the product to a medium level. For a medium level product the buyer puts a moderate level of effort towards the browsing, comparing and selecting procedure. The high involvement purchase deals with high level of involvement of the customer with the product or service they are planning to purchase. These types of products or services are way more expensive than the medium and low involvement products. The time spent on the decision making process is the longest for the high involvement products. ... Among these categories chocolates, dairy products and ice-creams will be categorized as the high-involvement products, while the Purina pet care will be considered as the medium involvement purchase and the bottled water will be the low involvement purchase. Marketing strategies undertaken by the makers of Nestle would encourage the consumer to search for all the information regarding low involvement purchases, medium involvement purchases and high involvement purchases since the operations and activities of Nestle are quite transparent and all the information are available online. The consumers have the option to make the purchase online through the Nestle nutrition store. For a high involvement purchase the marketer must present some information regarding the product or service which the help the creation of an encouraging attitude for the brand that will consequently result in a purchase. The advertisements in this case should be focused on the factual significance. The problem re cognition state in this case reflects the doubt in the mind of the consumer regarding the purchase decision which can only be answered by the availability of detailed information related to price, quality and material of the product. The problem in the case of medium involvement purchase requires an adequate amount of information and a good amount of time for comparing the similar products. In this case the marketer must come up with effective promotional campaigns to influence the decision of the purchasers. The low involvement purchase decision gives rise to the issue of lack of loyalty. In this case the marketer requires creating and maintaining brand reliability among

Swot and Pestel analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Swot and Pestel analysis - Essay Example In this era of globalisation, the wine industry is experiencing a nascent stage of growth in Germany. As a result, it has emerged as one of the promising sectors offering high influence over the GDP of the economy of Germany (Koch & et. al., n.d.). SWOT Analysis Strength: Strong Brand Image Operating for Nine generations Development of FitzSecco passion fruit High quality of white wines Location of Fitz-Ritter Smaller Wine Bottles Champagne Production Sparkling Wines Weakness: Medium Size High price Opportunities: Small Museum Bacchus Boutique Sponsoring Of Charity Events, Concerts Threats: Varied New Vinters Globalisation Source: (Koch & et. al., n.d.). Fitz-Ritter is one of the renowned and leading wine estates of Germany operating efficiently since nine generations. Moreover, it also includes champagne production along with wine in order to extend its portfolio in the market among other competitors. Fitz-Ritter always attempted to offer more concentration over introducing new prod ucts namely ‘FitzSecco passion fruit’ for the young citizens in order to enhance customer dependency and loyalty, resulting in augmentation of its total sales. Furthermore, another significant factor, which enhanced its equity, has been regarded as the high quality of white wines being strongly preferred by the customers of German market (Koch & et. al., n.d.). ... However, Fitz-Ritter also possesses certain weaknesses such as the medium size and high price of its products, which may not be affordable for lower income groups (Koch & et. al., n.d.). The introduction of a small museum along with a gift shop named Bacchus boutique also facilitated Fitz-Ritter to augment its brand image and uniqueness in this era of competitiveness. In addition, sponsoring of varied charity events, concerts on wine estates and art galleries also provided the opportunity of enhancing the awareness of its target customers resulting in amplification of the demand of FitzSecco passion fruit along with its brand. Due to globalisation and industrialisation, wine industry became highly competitive, resulting in attraction of varied new young aged vinters. It declined the productivity as well as the prosperity of Fitz-Ritter leading to reduction of its position and attributes in the market imposing threats to the company (Koch & et. al., n.d.). PESTEL Analysis In order to eliminate the custom duties over export operations of wine products, Johann Firtz also led the protest campaign named Hambacher Fest by young vintners which significantly affected the business operations of Fitz-Ritter. It declined the brand image, revenues and value proposition of Fitz-Ritter in the market of Germany. Consequently, the movement was not preferred by the citizens of Germany and France and so the entire business operations, shifted into the market of United States. Besides, the restricted laws of the government of United States also acted in a negative way resulting in reduction of the total productivity of Fitz-Ritter. Moreover, health consciousness of the citizens also declined the profit margin and fidelity of Fitz-Ritter

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 28

Writer's choice - Essay Example On the other hand, if oil prices dropped and the stock prices were on the rise, then the IMF assumed an increment in oil supply. These two forces explained the plunge of oil prices (Zumbruni, Para 1-4). The results indicated that during the first phase the oil price drop was attributed by weak global demand. For instance, crude oil declined from$ 105 to around $ 82. However, in the second phase, the oil prices for the crude oil dropped further to $ 50 and IMF suggests that a decrease in the oil price was due to increased demand. The estimates reveal that supply outdid the demand during this phase (Zumbruni, Para 1-4). The explanation aligns with the class materials effectively as it explains the effect of reduced demand and increased supply on prices. Accordingly, a decrease exerts a downward pressure in the short-run. Apparently, increased supply allows a surplus of the commodity in the market, therefore, exerting a downward pressure on the price levels. These aspects are reflected in chapter four that focused on demand and supply within the oil markets. The above information may be illustrated as follows; Zumbruni, Josh. Supply of Demand? The IMFBreaks Down the Collapse of Oil Price. Wall Street Journal. Real Time Economics. April 14, 2015. Retrieved from

History Of The International Anti Corruption Movement Politics Essay

History Of The International Anti Corruption Movement Politics Essay Finding itself at the centre of development discourse for the last two decades, corruption has been a star of the international development scene since it was brought to the top of the agenda in the 1990s  [1]  . Following the end of the Cold War, a changing geopolitical climate encouraged the establishment of an international commitment to condemning and criminalising corruption at the multilateral level, a process which culminated in the appearance of a coordinated global anti-corruption movement  [2]  . Consisting of international agreements, domestic laws and initiatives, the reorientation of international organisations and the mobilisation of civil society, this global anti-corruption movement was aimed at tackling corruption via the systematic implementation of tools and strategies to address the issue on the ground. It is clear that corruption is now a focus of international development. Anti-corruptionism is a narrative that places corruption at the centre of development concerns and is tightly bound up with the modern good governance movement and the corresponding global shift towards legal formalisation.  [3]   Practically, the global movements origins have been suggested to lie in the interests of the US Government, multinational companies and multilateral donors. Corporate complaints about corruption as a non-tariff barrier to trade were a key motivation for the application of moral pressure to the international community for it to take action against international corruption. The US led the charge to encourage the appearance of a unified global agenda, a major concern being the fact that American companies were losing billions of dollars in international contracts from their inability to pay bribes by virtue of the operation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  [4]   The emergence and operation of the anti-corruption movement poses interesting questions for any student of international law and development. Importantly, if corruption has been recognised as harmful to societies since ancient times, what was it about the 1990s that spurred the international community to formally address it on a multilateral level? Further, how has the movement affected development on a global and local level and what have been its effects? The following section will examine anti-corruptionism by beginning with the genesis of the movement. It will then examine some methods and outcomes of the movements anti-corruption techniques. Whilst anti-corruptionism has brought international attention to an area which was previously somewhat neglected, critics argue that aspects of the movement itself have been counter-productive.  [5]   Owing to anti-corruptionism, corruption has reached a state of quasi-omnipotence in current development scholarship.  [6]  Culminating in the institution of a global anticorruption movement in the 1990s, this focus on corruption and its role in development emerged in stark contrast with attitudes of the international community in the period that immediately preceded it.  [7]   Having been unsuccessful at the UN, the US in 1981 began lobbying at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for that body to implement an alternative to alternative to the failed UN effort, illicit payments agreement.  [8]  However many OECD countries declined to cooperate due to concerns about the interaction of such an agreement with their domestic law.  [9]  With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the post-Cold War era ushered in a period of immense geopolitical change. With that change, the attention of the international community was increasingly focussed on the internationalisation of economics brought about by increasing levels of globalisation  [10]  . The problem of foreign bribery and corruption was suddenly given new priority by previously hesitant OECD countries who were then more receptive to the idea of an international agreement on the issue. In May 1994, the OECD Ministerial Council adopted the Recommendation of the Council on Bribery in International Business Transactions, which asked members to take concrete and meaningful steps to amend their laws, tax systems, accounting and record keeping requirements and public procurement procedures.  [11]   In 1997, all twenty-nine member countries of the OECD and five non-member countries agreed to sign the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. The OECD Convention in effect obliged signatory countries to conform to a US model prohibiting bribery and money laundering. This model was then extended further in the UN Convention Against Corruption in 2003. The UNCAC included new commitments to transparency in public works procurement and currently represents the broadest, most recent international commitment to tackling global corruption.  [12]   In this new era of international enthusiasm, institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF came to include anti-corruptionism in their assistance conditionalities.78 Corruption was newly packaged as a socio-economic rather than political concern, by these institutions in order for them to depoliticise and therefore legitimately target the problem.79 Following this, there was widespread publication of the effects of corruption by NGOs and civil society, spearheaded by TI. NGOs and civil society worked to transmit the anti-corruption movement to citizens around the world and were aided by a post-communist trend towards free and active media facilitating the diffusion of the key tenants of anti-corruptionism  [13]  . The radical change of geopolitical climate, growth in international trade spurred by globalisation, participation by civil society, and moral push from the US, converged to popularise a fight against corruption. All this culminated in the appearance of the global anti-corruption movement in the 1990s. There are a number of consequences to the emergence of anti-corruptionism as a key explanatory factor for development failure. The first is principally a consequence of the ideology from which anti-corruptionism itself sprung but is also tied up with the attack on the state that anti-corruptionism encourages and supports. At the core of neo-liberalism is the simplistic mantra of private = good, public = bad. By viewing actions of the state as interference in the functioning of the market as rent-seeking activities neo-liberalism ignored the dangers of private monopolies and anti ­competitive behaviour, both of which began to flourish internally. Moreover, as Joseph Stiglitz has persuasively argued, neo-liberalism as encapsulated by the Washington Consensus failed to take into account the extreme inter-relatedness of everything with everything else in society. The second consequence of anti-corruptionism is arguably more serious and is related again to its role within neo-liberal ideology. It is the way in which corruption has become a mono-casual or predominant explanatory factor for development failures. One of the most potent dangers of anti-corruptionism is therefore not that it is wrong to highlight the damaging nature of corruption although much more work needs to be done to provide evidence for the supposition that it is actually harmful but that it is too simple an explanation alone to account for the failures in development policies. If there has been one central lesson of the past sixty years of development disappointments, it is how little we understand of what actually works in enabling people to fight their way out of poverty. The danger therefore of anti-corruptionism is that it diverts attention away from more nuanced accounts of development failures by providing an illusion of certainty in our understanding of development, and in doing so causes actual and on-going harm. The inability or unwillingness to develop a comprehensive understanding of failure contains within it the risk of failing all over again. The prescription to governments that they need to fight corruption does not provide a list of priorities, a means of going about it or any unanticipated (negative) consequences that may arise. This is largely because corruption tells us nothing about specific actions; instead it is what Polzer, following Euben, describes as an othering tool. In place of describing specific actions, such as theft or vote-rigging, corruption is simply a negative evaluative concept that One of the main effects of the term itself is thus to create a dichotomy between the corrupt and the good that mirrors neatly onto neo-liberalisms central characterisation of the state as bad and the market as good; the othering nature of the discourse, moreover, allows the World Bank, as champion of the market, to take on the mantle of good expert in contrast to the corrupt developing state. Focusing on the corruption of bureaucrats and government officials not only conveniently shields free market ideology from any responsibility for the failure to live up to its claims of wealth creation and the BWI from any responsibility for their role. Anti-corruptionism also exculpates any responsibility that the West its institutions and its citizens may have for, for example, Corruption, because of its place within the good governance agenda, is an ahistorical discourse of the present. Moreover, it is one of course that locates development failures squarely within developing countries, and this predominating focus on developing government failures in the face of our own complicity in them has of course an undeniable smack of cultural imperialism to it.  [14]  As such, it is not only deeply unhelpful but also damaging to the goals of development as well as to the necessary relationship between the global North and South an essential part of development if development goals, however defined, are to be achieved.

Japanese Americans :: essays papers

JapaneseAmericans In the early 1940’s, there was evidence of Japanese-American loyalty and innocence, but the information was not always well known. This, coupled with the factors of war hysteria led to the legal upholding of concentration camps in Korematsu v. U.S. (1944). The injustice was clouded, most immediately by the war, and indirectly by racism at home. The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor left a permanent indent on the way Americans viewed the Japanese. Indeed, it was this one act which thrust the isolationist U.S. into the middle of the world’s biggest war. The brutal attack, so close to home, was viewed as sneaky and underhanded. This, added to the fact that the Japanese were rumored to have an amazingly effective spy system on Hawaii and the West Coast, led the Japanese-Americans to become highly suspected individuals. They were even a more immediate threat than communists, since they required an eventual takeover, and Germans, since they were preoccupied by numerous enemies. In addition, the Japanese-Americans were concentrated on the Western Coast and could thus organize better. There is also the chasm of culture; ignorance is the key to racism, and the average American knew very little of the lifestyle and customs of the Far East. Thi s led to more suspicion. There were also facts going against the Japanese-Americans. According to the Munson Report, 98% of Japanese-Americans were loyal to the U.S. This is an impressive number; however, in times of war, 2% sabotaging on mainland America was a major threat. A more startling fact that tarnished the Japanese-American reputation was the fact that Japan was rumored to have an extremely effective spy system on the West Coast. There were even some conspiracy theorists that rationalized that the sneaky Japanese were merely waiting for the right time to strike, as they did at Pearl Harbor. The people were scared of the Japanese, and in a democracy, the people have a voice. The Japanese-Americans also had a decent reputation in general, but people were too occupied with the war to worry about it. 112,000 Japanese-Americans—60% of which were U.S. citizens born on U.S. soil—were sent off to concentration camps. There were Japanese loyally fighting in the American army. They even went quietly to the concentration camps, having faith in the American system. But, who cared about the numbers then? We were at war with the Japanese, and the Japanese-Americans were a threat. Japanese Americans :: essays papers JapaneseAmericans In the early 1940’s, there was evidence of Japanese-American loyalty and innocence, but the information was not always well known. This, coupled with the factors of war hysteria led to the legal upholding of concentration camps in Korematsu v. U.S. (1944). The injustice was clouded, most immediately by the war, and indirectly by racism at home. The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor left a permanent indent on the way Americans viewed the Japanese. Indeed, it was this one act which thrust the isolationist U.S. into the middle of the world’s biggest war. The brutal attack, so close to home, was viewed as sneaky and underhanded. This, added to the fact that the Japanese were rumored to have an amazingly effective spy system on Hawaii and the West Coast, led the Japanese-Americans to become highly suspected individuals. They were even a more immediate threat than communists, since they required an eventual takeover, and Germans, since they were preoccupied by numerous enemies. In addition, the Japanese-Americans were concentrated on the Western Coast and could thus organize better. There is also the chasm of culture; ignorance is the key to racism, and the average American knew very little of the lifestyle and customs of the Far East. Thi s led to more suspicion. There were also facts going against the Japanese-Americans. According to the Munson Report, 98% of Japanese-Americans were loyal to the U.S. This is an impressive number; however, in times of war, 2% sabotaging on mainland America was a major threat. A more startling fact that tarnished the Japanese-American reputation was the fact that Japan was rumored to have an extremely effective spy system on the West Coast. There were even some conspiracy theorists that rationalized that the sneaky Japanese were merely waiting for the right time to strike, as they did at Pearl Harbor. The people were scared of the Japanese, and in a democracy, the people have a voice. The Japanese-Americans also had a decent reputation in general, but people were too occupied with the war to worry about it. 112,000 Japanese-Americans—60% of which were U.S. citizens born on U.S. soil—were sent off to concentration camps. There were Japanese loyally fighting in the American army. They even went quietly to the concentration camps, having faith in the American system. But, who cared about the numbers then? We were at war with the Japanese, and the Japanese-Americans were a threat.

Michelle and the Wedding Essay

She had been drifting in and out of consciousness in the way only a working man – or woman – could. Spending most of her days tap-tap-tapping away on a keyboard had taken its toll on her, and her attention span was now at the point where she spent most of the afternoon doing the open-eyed sleep that most office workers have perfected. She snapped out of it in time to see the computer clock flick to 5:10. â€Å"Damn† she swore to herself. She knew she was going to be late at this rate. Hurriedly she threw her things into her bag, grabbing her keys and phone and hammering on the keyboard with a vague hope that it would shut the computer down faster. Sadly, the outburst of violence seemed only to annoy the computer, causing it to dot out a long series of beeps. Guiltily, Michelle stood back and calmed herself down, hoping nobody saw or heard what she did. After what felt like forever it finally shut down. Breathing a sigh of relief she grabbed her bag and in one deft movement swept her coat onto her back, exchanging the bag between hands in a fluent split second, finishing with the bag on her shoulder. She smiled to herself; she knew that Phil would have seen it, and knew how impressed he would be. How impressed he always was, in fact. She knew he had a crush on her, and he probably knew she was aware of that. She always took it lightly though. Everyone knew how happy she was with Jason. Not that anybody could blame him for liking her though. She was, when she wasn’t dozing, the life of the office; she knew everybody by first, last, and nickname, and was always chatting or making jokes. She was beautiful too, there was no denying that. With long brown hair contrasting with large blue eyes, she was a welcome change from the office bimbo. Her straight hair framed the side of her face, and added an accent to her sharp and well carved features. She was at the perfect height between tall enough to talk to properly, but small enough to avoid an awkward posture. She was slim with an athletic body, and always wore clothes that seemed plain yet pretty. Her skirt was never too short, her shirt never too low, and the effect of this was a feeling of wanting to see more. Nobody ever did though, she was far too attached to Jason. Or she would be, were she not running late. Fortunately, as she burst out onto the stairway, he seemed to be late too. She slowed down a bit as she always did on the stairs. Not for safety reasons – in fact, she always secretly hoped she’d fall so she could claim compensation – but because the stairs had enormous windows spanning two of the walls. She loved the view of the city at night. The far off street lights and headlamps glistened against the crystal-like windows, and the sky was a tranquil yellow with large dark clouds with glowing edges taking their mysterious formations for the night. No stars were out yet, but the moon was showing between the clouds, surrounded by light. She snapped out of her daydream again. Hurrying down the remaining steps, she was already fumbling for her keys. Stepping out of the building after saying goodbye to the security guard, she pulled her coat up around her neck. It was a bitter cold night, and the clouds above had given birth to a fine mist that hung over the car park, making it hard to breath and hard to see. She reached the car and unlocked it. It wasn’t hers; she never drove since her accident a few years back. She sat, tempted to turn on the heating, but she decided against it in favour of having rosy cheeks ready for Jason. Just as she was thinking that rosy was all very well and good, but blue and blotchy wasn’t, the door opened and in a swift movement he was in the car. She always felt out of breath when she saw him. He was tall, dark, and handsome. His eyes were deep and dark and his hair was short and rough looking. His face was well formed, giving him a huge smile that spread from his mouth to his ears. He was fairly tall at 6 foot, but he was well built and strong, with just a hint of muscle under his shirt. His lightly tanned skin glistened with condensation from the mist outside. He put out an arm and pulled Michelle close as he planted a kiss on her forehead. â€Å"Sorry I’m late†, he said meekly, as a grin flashed across his face again. â€Å"The boss held me back, refused to let me go!† â€Å"That’s fine† she responded, trying to fight back a similar smile. â€Å"I’ve been here since five, though. You need to tell your boss where to stick it!† She couldn’t hold the lie, and she laughed out loud with the last comment. She didn’t know why she was so giggly with him. It was as if she was a child again. Jason was the same though. He was very mature and patient, but he was very childish at heart. He was definitely the best of both worlds. She was the happiest she had ever been. When he had popped the big question four years ago, presenting a large diamond ring, she had almost fainted with joy. The wedding day was in a week’s time, and they were going to go see about renting a tuxedo for him. Sadly, that was cut short. Due to the pair of them being late, the city centre was brimming with people and the stores were doing their best to close on time. Feeling a little dismayed, they headed home. Michelle was cursing to herself. She had tried so many times to make this journey, as had Jason, but they never seemed to be able to get to the stores. Listening to â€Å"Men In Black† on the radio, she smiled to herself as she made a mental note that irony is a cruel thing. During next day’s lunch break she went to the smaller town centre to pick up her wedding dress. She had selected the perfect one before she had even been proposed to, shortly after her best friend’s wedding. It was a magnificent dress. The train was long and frilly, and the dress itself felt and looked silky. It was covered by a fine layer of lace, and the whiteness was so bright it was practically radiant. Michelle felt slightly disheartened when her name didn’t seem to be down for collection. Well, she was disheartened in a â€Å"shout and scream loud swear words and start tearfully stamping† kind of way. After the young shop assistant managed to calm her (by pointing her towards the coffee machine) the manager had sorted everything out. Her dress looked even more beautiful than before. She phoned her boss and told her she wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day. Well, she had to try the dress on, didn’t she? Indeed she did, and as she danced around the living room when she first got home the urge was getting stronger and stronger. She decided to make a drink first – it had been a tough day. She made up her cup of coffee and set it on the chest of drawers in the front room, and hurried into the bedroom to try the dress on. She looked fabulous. The whiteness of the dress blended immaculately with her pale complexion, and as she ran her fingers along the surface of the fabric it shimmered with a silky glow. She heard a knock on the door – that’d be Emily, her best friend, to see the dress. She ran excited out into the living room, having completely forgot that she set the mug up on the chest of drawers just outside the room†¦ She had booked the next day off of work to meet up with the wedding planner. She spent the best part of three hours sat in an unfriendly feeling office whilst having various cards and brochures thrown at her. The defense mechanism she had perfected throughout her professional life kicked in, and her eyes glazed over as she started to daydream. She started by wondering what the wedding planner was giving her all these things for. Surely the whole point of a wedding planner is to avoid the brochure flipping? Deep inside, she cursed all wedding planners into a large cage, which she then dropped off a large cliff. Unfortunately, there was one which had not been able to fit inside the cave, but this one quickly had his clothes torn off by a ferocious bear. He had a willy in the shape of a pig’s tail. She laughed, startling the wedding planner and herself so much that the two of them jumped out of their seats. The planner quickly replaced her look of shock with her familiar scowl, and said in a tone similar to that used to discipline young puppies said â€Å"Since you seem to find the fact that this churches graveyard is a funny thing, I suppose you won’t be put off by a feeling of death at your wedding.† Trying hard to hide her grin, now bought on merely by the adrenaline rush she had when she startled herself, she simply nodded. At this point, after something going wrong every single time she tried to arrange anything, she just wanted the wedding to go ahead and didn’t care how much death, tuxedos, or indeed people attended. She didn’t even care if Jason was in a cheap Tesco suit or that she had to hurriedly form a white bouquet of flowers to cover the large coffee stain on her dress. The waiting room was a small and grotty place. Michelle never enjoyed sitting there; the padding was thin on the seats, and her bum always felt sore. She also had a habit of going away on another daydream. Not that that was such a bad thing though; she would far rather be flying away with neon spaceships than sat with increasingly numbing buttocks. Sipping at a cup of lukewarm water, she tapped her feet on the floor, nodding her head along with the resulting rhythm. She was so caught up in her thoughts and tapping that she didn’t even notice the man run in and shoot the wedding planner, before setting fire to the office. She didn’t bat an eyelid when the sirens wailed, and the shocked bystanders looked in as she sat in a burning room, surrounded by flames, tapping her feet in time to nonexistent music. She didn’t even cast a glance towards the yelling policeman and fireman, whilst the flames climbed slowly up her arms and legs. She didn’t even flinch when a beam fell from the ceiling, exploding into a strangely attractive shower of sparks. She didn’t care, because she’d been there so many times before. Michelle woke up. She was sweating, she was breathing heavily and she was shaking, but she didn’t cry. She didn’t let out any screams. She sat up slowly, her head brimming. She had so many thoughts racing around, it was hard to make out what she was thinking. She walked slowly towards the room of her cell, and clawed weakly at the padding as she had done so many times before. Part of her was sobbing silently inside, mourning for Jason even though four years had passed since he was hurled through the windscreen of her car, bouncing like a rag doll down the rocky and hilly terrain of Norway. Outside, the workers at Dorsetshire County Asylum started preparing for the day shift.