Critical Analysis of Robert Frost

Benjamin Swan Prof. Bittenbender ENG208W: Studies in Poetry 04/14/13 Frost’s Metaphoric use of the Natural World in Poetry Born in San Francisco in the spring of 1874, Robert Frost is considered to be amongst, if not solely, the greatest poets in American history. Around age eleven, Frost moved to New England where the majority of his poetic inspiration is presumably drawn from. Although he never managed to obtain a collegiate degree, he did attend both Dartmouth and Harvard, two of the countries most prestigious universities.Publishing his first poem entitled â€Å"My Butterfly† in 1894, Frost began his career as a poet just as the modernist literature movement of the early twentieth century was gaining traction in the United States. Although Frost did not break from poetic convention as radically as some of his peers in the modernist movement, he is nevertheless considered a modernist poet in part due to the use of the New England vernacular that is present in the maj ority of his poetry.Another influence on Frost’s work as a poet comes from New England as well; this is the influence of growing up in New England’s natural landscape and the life he led on a farm there. Frost’s love for the natural and tendency towards including it in his writing is possibly the most distinguishable constant in his work. The following quote best describes this constant in his work, â€Å"As Frost portrays him, man might be alone in an ultimately indifferent universe, but he may nevertheless look to the natural world for metaphors of his own condition. † (The Poetry Foundation).The purpose of this paper will be to explore the some of the pieces in which Frost’s use of nature as a metaphor or simile for the human condition, as well as identifying the theme that the human race is alone in the vast universe where it occurs. Perhaps the best example of this recurring theme and Frosts use of nature as a metaphor can be found in his poem â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay. † In this piece, nature’s change from spring to summer is a metaphor for the loss of innocence in the world. Frost points to the fact that the world started out innocent when he opens by saying â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold† (Line 1).He glorifies our innocence by comparing it to the beauty of tree with golden buds just before they bloom. This observation and metaphor is true to the human condition as well, as we are born innocent. He continues on to describe how this doesn’t last for very long though when he says, â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf† (5). He then makes an allusion to the Bible about this loss of innocence in the following line, â€Å"So Eden sank to grief,† (6). As for the recurring theme, at the end of the poem man is left alone in the universe, stripped of innocence and disconnected from God.Another prime example of the recurring theme and frosts use of nature to illustrate his point can be found in his poem entitled â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem the theme is clearly the loneliness and isolation felt by Frost. He uses nightfall during winter in the woods as a metaphor for loneliness. His description and figurative language paint a picture of the most lonely and isolated place imaginable, a wintry desert place. From here he lets the reader know that this place will only get more lonely before when he says â€Å"Will be more lonely ere it will be less† (10).After painting this picture of the most lonely place the reader can imagine, Frost concludes by saying that â€Å"I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places. † (15, 16). This is where the recurring theme fits in; Frost internally is more concerned about his human condition where he finds himself alone in a vast universe that is indifferent to his existence. The entire poem sets up the delivery of these last two lines so that the reader can understand the significance of this theme to his life.The next poem examined is entitled â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Although Frost does use nature as a metaphor for the human condition in this poem, it’s theme is in stark contrast to the one found in â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem, the woods in winter are a metaphor for isolation and solitude rather than loneliness. This could be for a couple of different reasons; perhaps it is the fact the speaker has the companionship of his horse. Either way, the poem begins in the woods as the speaker thinks back to civilization and the man whose property he is on. He notes that it is an nusual place to stop in the middle of the night since it serves no practical purpose and that his â€Å"horse must think it queer† (5). From here the speaker makes the observation that â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,† and takes a brief moment to enjoy the beauty, isolation, and solitude they offer befor e carrying on about his business (13). In contrast to the theme in â€Å"Desert Places† Frost appears to have found peace with the human condition in being alone in the woods that represent the vast and indifferent universe. Another poem that contains just one of the two constants being examined is entitled â€Å"Birches. In this poem Frost observes birch tree’s that have been permanently bent from the weight of winter snow and ice, this observation makes him nostalgic for the days he used to swing from the branches of these trees as a boy. He recalls being playing as carefree boy and the birch trees become a metaphor for his childhood innocence that he longs to have back. Near the end of the poem Frost writes, â€Å"It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood† (44, 45) that he feels the most nostalgic for his carefree childhood.This statement makes the â€Å"pathless wood† a metaphor for the trials of a dulthood that are like cobwebs and twigs that poke you in the eye in untamed woods (45). He longs to escape the reality of trials and this can be seen in the line stating â€Å"I’d like to get away from earth awhile† (48). Although the recurring theme of the being alone in the vast universe does not present itself in this poem, the constant of nature as a metaphor can be found again in this piece.The final poem that this paper will examine Frosts use of nature as a metaphor and the recurring theme of the human condition is entitled â€Å"Out Out—. † In this poem Frost takes the reader to a logging community where the days work is coming to end. In this setting, nature is a metaphor for both the livelihood and mortality of a young man/older boy working with a chainsaw at a logging camp to make firewood. Frost paints the picture of beautiful landscape off of which the subject is making a living, but when he is distracted from his work he accidentally cuts h and nearly clean off.Even with the doctor’s best effort to try to save the boys life, the boy passes away during the operation. It is here that the recurring theme reveals itself when Frost writes, â€Å"No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead turned to their affairs† (33, 34). In this poem the bystanders represent the indifferent universe, they continue on with their lives, as the boy dies alone. In conclusion, the influence of the New England landscape has clearly played a huge role in Robert Frost’s life’s work as a poet.One is hard pressed to find a poem of his that does not contain some kind of metaphor inspired by the natural world surrounding him. Although the great poet does explore the recurring theme of the human condition where man is alone in the vast and indifferent universe, this theme is not nearly as constant as his metaphoric use of natural world. Frost was able to make a name for himself through this poetic style and will remain as one of the greatest American poets there ever was and will be. References â€Å"Robert Frost. †Ã‚  The Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, n. d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

Harry Potter and Brittish Culture Essay

Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States) in 1997, the books have gained an immense popularity and commercial success worldwide. They have collectively sold more than 300 million copies and have been translated into more than 63 languages. Harry has succeeded to seduced children and teenagers as well as adults. In 2001, the first book has been adapted on screen, making a benefit of 976 million dollars. Joanne Rowling, who has become the richest writer in literary history, insisted that the entire cast must be British or Irish, to keep the cultural integrity of the novels. Apart commercial success, Harry has created a huge cultural movement. Harry Potter is studied at school and incites children to read. Fan websites, forums, books and ‘Harry Potter societies’ are everywhere. Harry has a huge impact on its readers, and it is not uncommon to find testimonies on the web relating how Harry Potter has changed one’s life. Harry potter is a seemingly ordinary English little boy. Orphan, he is raised by her aunt in an English suburb in Surrey. At the age of eleven he is told he is a wizard and that he has survived an attempted murder by the evil sorcerer Lord Voldermort. From this time, Harry is going To the Witchcraft and Wizardry School of Hogwarts, a medieval castle hidden from the non magical world, supposedly located in a mountainous and secluded region in Scotland. There, Harry and his friends will get through different adventures and will try to defeat Lord Voldemort. English author J. K. Rowling has set her story in Great Britain, and behind the very well written story of a little boy looking for his identity and fighting evil, it is a whole culture that is being dissected. The books, as well as the movies, are completely impregnated in British culture. Food, family, institutions, globalisation, politics, architecture, internationalism, English values, gender, clichà ©s, history and many other aspects are pictured and criticised. Analysing the different aspects of British culture in the books, only considering the text itself would be a mistake. In ‘Harry Potter and British Culture’ I consider ‘Harry Potter’ as a story with a rich literary background, as a schoolboy, as an English and worldwide phenomenon, as the friend of millions of people, as a commercial success, and an educational model. There is as much cultural aspects in the books and films than outside them. Studying the effect of Harry on people, either fans or religious detractors can teach us a lot about English culture and its disparities. My study will take into account Harry Potter’s British literary heritage: children literature, boarding school story, fantasy, mythology, fairy tale, Rowling’s work has a very rich literary background. I will as well provide an analysis of Rowling’s use of the books to picture and criticise British society. In addition to this, I will study the reception of the books in the Anglophone world. Bibliography: Primary texts: Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (London: Bloomsbury, 1997) Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (London: Bloomsbury, 1998) Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (London: Bloomsbury, 1999) Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (London: Bloomsbury, 2000) Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (London: Bloomsbury, 2003) Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (London: Bloomsbury, 2005) Rowling, Joanne K., Fantastic beasts and where to find them (London: Bloomsbury, 2001) Films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone, dir. Chris Columbus (Warner Brothers, 2001) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, dir. Chris Columbus (Warner Brothers, 2002) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban, dir. Alfonso Cuaron (Warner Brothers, 2004) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, dir. Mike Newell (Warner Brother, 2005) Secondary Sources: Abanes, Richard, Harry Potter and the Bible: the menace beyond the magic (Camp Hill, Pa: Horizon Books, 2001) Analysis of the religious aspects in the books and of the controversy around them. Abrams, Philip, Work, urbanism and inequality: UK society today, ed. P Abrams (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1978) Study of modern British society: social classes and inequalities. Anatol, Giselle Liza (Ed), Reading Harry Potter: Critical Essays (Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2003) Gathering of critical essays about the Harry Potter books. Analysis of different literary and cultural aspects. Blake, Andrew, The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter (London: Verso, 2002) Study of the Harry Potter phenomenon in Britain and the world, as well as cultural aspects within the book. Butts, Dennis, Stories and Society : Children’s Literature in its Social Context (Basingstoke : Macmillan, 1992) Study of the influence of the society on children’s literature. Gupta Suman, Re-reading Harry Potter (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.) Explanation of the Potter phenomenon. Text-based analysis of its social and political implications.

Polar Opposites

English 101 March 01, 2013 Polar Opposites When my twins were infants it was much easier for everyone to acknowledge them as twins. A big clue was the double stroller. There was never a question if they were twins as long as I had that linking stroller nearby. But as they grew out of the strollers they grew into themselves. Now that they are six years old nobody would suspect them of being twins. They are complete opposites. I often joke to others that if I sent someone into a room full of kids and gave them a picture of Benjamin and asked them to pick out his twin; they would more than likely come out with a different kid altogether.The twins don’t only differ in appearance they are also very diverse in their character, and interests. Although Benjamin and Nathaniel are twins, the only thing they share in common is their birthday. The twin’s features are extreme opposites. Benjamin stands at least two inches taller than Nathaniel. He has blonde curly hair, light brown eyes, and is so fair he must wear sunscreen and a hat when out in the sun. Nathaniel on the other hand, has stick straight jet black hair, deep brown eyes, and a natural tan that will outlast the longest winters.It’s even difficult for me to buy matching clothes since the twins sizes are in found in different departments of the store. In addition to them looking more like friends than twins their characters are also much different. Benjamin will think everything through prior to jumping in and doing the event; he is very safe and will not bring any harm to himself. Nathaniel, however, has ridden in an ambulance and a helicopter being rushed to the hospital after making the wrong choices.There is no roof too high to jump off, no room to dark to enter, and no distance to far to wander. There have been many trips to the emergency room for stiches and x-rays. Benjamin has figured out that if Nathaniel didn’t get hurt doing something then he should be safe and will follow c autiously behind. Their diverse character works well for the two of them. They easily outwit their parents by Benjamin acting as a decoy while Nathaniel takes advantage of the distraction and scales the cabinets to sneak a treat for the two of them to enjoy later.The biggest difference between the two is what captivates their interests. Benjamin is very artistic and will spend hours with a new box of crayons and a pad of paper. Nathaniel on the contrary would be happier with a sword fighting off dragons. This is very helpful when it comes to the boys playing together. They rarely fight over toys, and they play together more like best friends than competitive twins. Their individualism has always been apparent. Even as infants one was always happiest in the swing while the other content with rolling around on the floor.As you can now see the twins are polar opposites. The only thing they have in common is that they shared a womb for the same nine months. Benjamin and Nathaniel will n ever have to compete to prove their individuality they were born poles apart in personality. Having unique hobbies will keep them entertained throughout the years. For Benjamin and Nathaniel being twins doesn’t mean they need to compete for attention, being twins simply means having a best friend.

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Auditing - Essay Example An auditor who works for a mid size firm takes on the assignment of auditing Telechubbies for the first time based on information that is provided to the auditor by Rachel Jones, the financial controller of Telechubbies. The basic information given to the auditor is that there is a requirement to maintain a 2:1 debt to equity ratio based on a loan contract. The provision for inventory obsolesces is 10% which is was cut 100 per cent from the previous year’s levels and the company wants another 100 per cent reduction this year to bring it down to 5%. A third piece of data given is that the long term receivables in the books belong to an R&D company owned by one of the directors. The auditor would start this audit by inspecting the balance sheet, income statement, annual report, code of ethics, and physical warehouse of Telechubbies. The balance sheet requires special attention. This financial statements has the data to calculate the debt to equity ratio. The auditor needs to inspect that the company is complying with the 2:1 requirement. After verifying the metric the auditor should go back a few years and compare the current debt to equity ratio level to the last three years results to find any tendency in the metric that might place the contract at risk in the near future. The company recently changed its inventory obsolescence provision to 10%. The auditor has to immediately verify if this changed was notified to the shareholders in the financial statements in the form of a note to the financial statements. This change represent a new discrepancy in the way the accounting methods thus it must be notified for purposes of following the accounting principle of consistency. The desired to cut the provision down to 5% requires certain numerical and physical auditing procedures. The long term receivable information is a worrisome sign since lending money to a company that is owned by a company director

The Role of Political Philosophy by Rawls and Mill Research Paper - 4

The Role of Political Philosophy by Rawls and Mill - Research Paper Example It is apparent that Mill believes that social and economic equalities and can be deemed justified if they can help the underprivileged in the society thus leaving the open the question of what and how inequalities can be justified (Reynolds 7-12). In fact, there were no political actualities that could realize the sameness of the arguments provided by both Mill and Rawls and the notion of a guaranteed social minimum serves as part of real-life democratic politics. Mill believes that society but the Difference Principle that was portrayed by the common moral sense should guarantee social minimum but the society rejected it. On the other hand, the idea of the social minimum is an indication of a publicly accepted principle of democratic politics and Rawls thinks that there are interventions including the fact that disallows are widely treated with suspicion. However, Mill’s principles of justice as explained by Rawls may be justified on utilitarian grounds and they have consider able acceptability in the current democracies. Public acceptance is vital for Rawls due to the weight it puts on overlapping consensus and he considers his principles of justice can be validated from various reasonable ethical positions that entail utilitarianism (Reynolds 13-18). Rawls is convinced that utilitarianism is an important and reasonable ethical position that even though he does not support he feels that utilitarianism may be an overlapping accord on Mill’s arguments although it does not show that Mill’s perception could be part of an overlapping consensus (Reynolds 16-22).

Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advertisements - Essay Example However, it is also important for advertisers to employ psychologists who study about what would make consumers tick. For instance, the first products to come out in the market usually set the name of their company to be recognized for those certain products. Toothpastes for example are often associated with Colgate because it was the first to have mass produced it. People for decades stuck to Colgate toothpastes because of the thought that pioneers are the best based from their experience and expertise. Today, however, such ideals are dwindling away. Thus, the modern psychologists of advertisers need to know what has changed in the consumers’ standards in buying products. Taking our example earlier, Colgate toothpaste producers did not stop to where they started but over the years, improved their products. Due to this need to improve and maintain a good quality of products that would be competitive in the market, Colgate also employs chemists who modify the products to meet t he needs of contemporary users. The modern consumers are now more informed and meticulous. Therefore, advertisements are made to appeal to their logic and information. Colgate for instance, has a variety of toothpastes that cater to the different needs of the consumers.

GAP Inc Strategic Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GAP Inc Strategic Design - Research Paper Example Corporate level strategies are the decision that is being taken by the top executives at the highest level. They are essentially the Managing Director of the board of directors. Once the decisions have been taken, it is then circulated to the various departments of the organization. Organization administrators have certainty about the long haul development capability of the brands and will reaffirm their aim to stretch through topographies and channels including the claim to fame, on the web, outlet, and franchise. The organization is affirming it hopes to begin to franchise Old Navy in 2014 in key worldwide markets. Furthermore, it will consider expanding upon its prosperity with Gap in China by investigating, including organization worked Old Navy and Banana Republic stores in this critical market. Murphy and organization pioneers are examining the chances to proceed with the development of its rising brands – Athleta, Piperlime, and Intermix – in North America. GAP e ssentially plans to build on their product value and hence increase the sales so that they can generate the required revenues. They have a long-term corporate strategy on expanding in the North American Regions. Since there has been a recent drop in the sales of apparel in physical stores, they have shifted their focus to building up an effective digital strategy and have started selling their products online. They have the additional advantage of being a multi-brand outlet with the acquisition of the Banana Republic and Old Navy.

Movie City Hall Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

City Hall - Movie Review Example Perhaps the most famed political leader, when it comes to idealism of purpose, was Cincinnatus. Long before the days when Rome was a far-flung empire, it was a republic clinging to the underbelly of what would be Western Europe. When the Aequi and Volscian tribes began to threaten Rome from the east in 458 B.C., the citizens begged Cincinnatus to take over dictatorial powers and vanquish the threat. He did so, in a mere sixteen days, and then immediately resigned his position of power, returning to his farm. This example of knowing when to yield power was cited by George Washington, after he stepped down after two terms as the first President of the United States ("Cincinnatus"). City Hall, directed by Harold Becker, is just one of a long line of works in American literature and cinema that analyze the slow erosion of an idealistic leader's credibility. One of the first works on this theme was Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men, a scantily fictionalized look at the life of Louisiana's Huey Long. Willie Stark, who is Penn Warren's slightly larger-than-life Huey Long figure, and John Pappas, New York's mayor in City Hall, are two men who have risen to their current power using a similar dichotomy of private and public positioning: outwardly, both men have ridden a populist wave of sentiment to their current posts; inwardly, both men have incurred debts to the corrupt powers that control much of politics, and both ultimately have a price to pay. Both men are closely followed by idealistic staffers - Willie Stark is followed by the aptly named Jack Burden, while John Pappas is followed by Kevin Calhoun. Both of these men have bought into the message that th eir respective leaders have broadcast to the masses, and both men fervently believe in the men for whom they work. By the end of both stories, both men are disillusioned as to the true nature, and the true source, of political power. The contradictions that revolve around political power primarily have to do with the definition and application of duty. The existence of a "duty triangle" has been asserted, in that, over time, three major approaches to classifying ethical thought have arisen, and these approaches are based on virtue, principle, or consequences. In other words, people make their ethical decisions based on one (or more) of these three ideas. When one considers political leaders, it would be difficult to leave both virtue and principle out of the equation: after all, the lower rungs of political service are not sufficiently lucrative for a purely utilitarian individual to find the situation attractive. There has to be some idealistic motive behind entry into public service, even if, after time, that idealism is worn away and replaced by a jaded faade. The idea of virtue finds definitions for ethical conduct in the behaviors and qualities of the good individual. The idea of principle suggests that uni versal principles can be used to make ethical decisions. These two are very similar; however, the key difference is that the virtue-based definition uses individuals as its orientation, while the principle-based definition uses a broader base of precedent as its orientation. The idea of consequences looks at the outcomes of actions and uses those outcomes to determine whether or not an action is right or wrong - this is often called a utilitarian

Gambling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gambling - Research Paper Example In the UK, more people are investing in gambling totaling to millions of Dollars and the returns on investment is good (Arnold, 2007). According to Stuart, the increased number of Casinos has exposed the young and vulnerable children to social problems like prostitution and drug trafficking. The economy of an area improves due to increased businesses from the people involved in gambling, and the taxes levied by the state are also significant (Arnold, 2007). Therefore, about 48% of the population will attempt to gamble if a casino is located within their locality because they will be attracted by it. Moreover, in New Hampshire, the total worth of casino investment total to about $180 million and the government takes about 30 to 40 percent of this in taxes. Most of the states in the USA have legalized gambling despite opposition from Non-Governmental Organizations over the social effects to the communities. Before 1989, only Nevada had legalized gambling and by 1995, eight states had l egalized gambling even though gambling was done in other states but illegally (Walker, 2009). Easy tax benefits have encouraged other states to legalize gambling so that they can enjoy the tax benefits and the leisure that comes with the game. Today, there are fifteen states that allow commercial casinos and private companies and private individuals operate them. The states according to yahoo data are Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Washington. According to California State library, most of the states are enjoying huge financial benefits from taxes levied from gambling and the associated activities. The following were the earnings in million dollars from different states form gambling according to California State Library Advantages of gambling The tax revenues for countries states that have legalized gambling are very significant to the development of the economy. Some states have been shown to earn as high as eight percent of their budget from gambling business, and the figure has continued to rise over time (Walker, 2009). According to walker, good results from casino gambling and rotaries are impressive that most states are considering legalizing other forms of gambling like horseracing. The tax gains from gambling facilities is higher (30%) compared to tax from the direct sales therefore, most states cannot risk losing the luxurious gambling practice due to its tax benefits. Casinos are always associated with crime, and since it has, been found that it is the perfect place where criminals make use of their money (Walker, 2009). Moreover, the presence of casinos is known to attract tourist who carry cash and therefore, criminals find it as a perfect place to make their strikes. According to Walker, there are high rates of crime in states where casinos are legalized as opposed to states where casinos are prohibited. Casino promotes crimes due to luxurious nature of the business. The presence of casinos also encourages laziness to the youths who most often find it as a perfect resting place instead of being creative in doing something constructive. The job opportunities

Client Paper Essay Example for Free

Client Paper Essay Human service professionals, or helpers, will likely work with many different clients, each with their own set of problems. These problems can range from physical abuse and neglect, aging issues including death and dying, and a number of other issues concerning the basic needs of life. Problems can also encompass the many different situations people find themselves in either as a result of life choices or out of no fault of their own. These problems may include homelessness, combat veteran issues, and mental illness. Whatever the problem or problems are, it is the responsibility of the helper to use a wide range of skills to assess client needs, create a treatment plan, and offer resources and emotional support to the client as they accomplish the goals included in the treatment plan. These skills include communication, empathy, compassion, patience, analytical skills, and teamwork. A range of problems faces human services clients â€Å"Problems for clients are rarely single issues, and the human service professional should approach each client with the expectation of more than one problem.† (Woodside McClam, 2011, p. 131) Every problem that a client presents with cannot be predicted. In fact, client problems encompass a wide range of needs and circumstances. For example, a client who is struggling with domestic violence may also have a need for mental health support. A client with mental health issues may also be experiencing a lack of food, clothing or shelter. The problems facing clients are very broad and it is helpful to better understand them. Problems facing children and families include physical and sexual abuse, poverty, lack of a healthy home, or little education. Children are especially vulnerable as they cannot provide for themselves. Although â€Å"[t]he best place to serve kids is in their home and with a family,† there may be a necessity for placement in foster care or, in some ca ses, adoption (Moffat, 2011, p. 5). The elderly also face  unique problems such as lack of mobility, losing their independence, and end of life issues. When the elderly can no longer care for themselves, finding in-home care or placement in assisted living or nursing home facilities becomes the focus. In addition, the elderly may struggle with some of the basic needs of life such as food, shelter and clothing. Immigrants, veterans, and people with disabilities face other problems in the human service field. Immigrants struggle with adapting to a new culture in a new country as well as learning a new language. Immigrants may have problems with finding employment, housing, and legal help, as well. Veterans need assistance with adjusting to civilian life including adjusting their skill sets to match employment opportunities. Combat veterans especially struggle with physical and mental disabilities and are in need of appropriate services for rehabilitation. Disabled people face challenges in personal care as well as employment, including issues with rehabilitation and adapting to their disabilities. The need for residential or group care facilities may also be at issue for the disabled community. Problems with substance abuse and addiction, mental illness, and clients with criminal records also exist. Many of these problems co-exist in a client’s life and need to be addressed as a whole. â€Å". . . the client is an individual comprised of psychological, social, economic, educational, vocational, and spiritual dimensions and possibly will have needs in many of those areas.† (Woodside McClam, 2011, p. 132) Specific helping skills can be used with clients Essential to the helping process is knowledge and practice of professional and interpersonal skills that help the human service professional in effectively addressing the needs of clients. These skills include communication, empathy, compassion, patience, analytical skills, and teamwork. Chief among these are interpersonal and communication skills, because more workers deal directly with a variety of people† (Moffat, 2011, p.9). The work of human service professionals centers on building relationships of trust with the client. It is the responsibility of the helper to facilitate effective communication. Listening is vital to the process. In order to fully grasp the client situation, the helper needs to observe both the verbal and nonverbal messages. Listening involves paying  attention to both words and actions as they go hand in hand in understanding the total message being given. G.E. Egan introduced the SOLER concept for responsive listening. Learning this concept can be v ery useful to the human service professional (Egan, 2010). Details of the SOLER concept are illustrated in the following table: S Face client Squarely O Adopt an Open posture L Lean toward the person E Maintain good Eye contact R Try to be relatively Relaxed In addition to the SOLER method, paying attention to vocal tone and speech rate, and verbal tracking of the client’s message will exhibit attending behavior and help the communication process (Ivey, Ivey Zalaquette, 2009). The helper can encourage the client to discuss their issues openly by not changing the subject they have chosen. Effective listening shows compassion for the client and creates an opportunity to show empathy and patience, additional skills that are essential to the success of the human service field. Clients in the human service field come from a variety of situations. Their values and belief systems vary widely as much as their problems do. In order to effectively help people, helpers need to develop acceptance and understanding of these differences. Unconditional acceptance of the client is essential to the success of treatment. Helpers need to see the situation and experience feelings from the perspective of their client. Patience is necessary for the he lping process as there are likely to be setbacks or resistance to the treatment plan. Helpers should learn to adapt their approach as the situation changes; which leads to the skill of critical thinking. â€Å"The ability to think creatively helps workers determine ways to get around hurdles that interfere with clients’ efforts to succeed† (Moffat, 2011, p.10). Throughout the helping process, a variety of changes is bound  to occur. Whether these are positive or negative changes, client and human service professional must work together to deal with them and continue to move forward with the assistance process. Using analytical and problem-solving skills, helpers can overcome the roadblocks to treatment and continuously work towards solutions. Treatment often involves networking with a number of other professionals and utilizing a variety of resources. Being able to work well as a team is another essential skill for human service professionals. Psychologists, Social Workers, Mental Health Facilitators and Counselors are all participants in the work of h uman services. Using communication, empathy, compassion, patience, analytical skills, and teamwork, the helper can effectively recognize and define the variety of client problems that exist and work with them towards accomplishing the goal of the helping process, which is to encourage responsibility and promote self-help. References Egan, G.E. (2010). The skilled Helper: A problem management and opportunity development approach to helping (9th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Ivey, A. E., Ivey, M. B., Zalaquett, C. P. (2009). Intentional interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society (7th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Moffat, C. (2011). Helping those in need: Human service workers. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 55(3), 22-32. Woodside, M., McClam, T. (2011). An introduction to human services (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage.

Recent Trends in Marketing Management

Recent Trends in Marketing Management The present era is the era of marketing. Marketing Management has taken over all the other functions of business management. The product design which was earlier an exclusive production function is now the primary function of marketing management. Human Resource Management is also been throttled by Internal marketing. Even Strategic Management now implies marketing management. Marketing now has taken the drivers seat in business and the very word marketing now defines the way we live. So marketing is no more a marketers domain but a co-venture of marketers as well as customer. Marketing in the 21st century has experienced a paradigm shift. The new millennium gave a new dimension to marketing by converting the customer-oriented marketing approach of 1990s to customer-driven marketing. Involvement of customers in product design and development, branding packaging and advertising decisions is now what is being practiced. To relate to this idea, we can look back to the Frito lays ad campaign where they invited options from customers for launching new flavors and then again public voting for the final flavor. Another example can be public voting being carried out for the selection of an actress for playing the role of grown-up Aanandi in the famous Ballika Vadhuà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The guiding philosophy of marketing today is not products for the people but the product by the people as well. The advent of service economy has made customers the co-creators of products, so more and more involvement of customers is being sought. Customers are being involved at every s tage of product development in an attempt to generate loyalty from variety-spoiled customers. Another trend that has up surged recently is Product placements We are now quite used to watching advertisements during movie intervals and in between our favorite shows on the television. An ad exposure during interval may not find sufficient viewers and remote of a TV set gives the viewer full liberty to switch-over the channelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..so the new thing that is being tested for effectiveness is the product placement in movies or in popular TV shows. Now we often see our favorite actors and actresses using some brands as a part of their natural lifestyle or hoardings or showrooms of some brands as a backdrop of some important scene. Such product placements are being so naturally embedded in the settings that the viewers sub-conscious registers them strongly in their mind. A very undercover trend is neuro-marketing -marketing to mind. Understanding the complex dynamics of consumer mind is a real challenge of the modern times. The attempts of marketers to know what a consumer wants through varied research methods are now not generating effective insights into consumer minds because the consumer today is smart, intelligent and sophisticated enough not to let anyone extract the unwarranted information and moreover the dynamics of human behaviour are so intricate that in most cases we as consumers dont even know rightly why we buy something. So what the marketers are now doing to get deeper into the consumer psyche is something which is still being debated for its ethical concerns. Various psychological techniques are being used to explore the consumer mind and above that FMRI scans of consumers are also being taken to know what happens in the consumer mind while experiencing a particular service or what appeals to the consumer mind more while watching an advertisement. Many such trends have been catching up recently but the future of marketing lies in technology with which consumers now spend most of their timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the mobile phones and the internet. Times are fast changing from counting the customer footfalls to the counting of eyeballs. That means how many customers will actually buy the product now depends on how many customers see the products and the advertisements on their mobile phones or through internet. Wireless technology enabled media defines the new age of marketing. All the latest explorations of marketers are oriented towards this relatively new media. Internet is a new way for people to connect, gather information, share, collaborate and build their business or buy their products. Ensuring web-presence has become a pre-requisite for every business be it small or large. New generations belonging to any strata of society now extensively use internet and mobile technology. And the literate sections of senior generations are a lso catching up fast with it. Looking for a mobile phone, booking of travel package, sending flowers and greetings on special occasions, listening and downloading songs, chatting with a distant friend and relativeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..whatever we want to do and know à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the internet is ready with ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..So obviously it has become the key driver for marketing systems. The trends that have emerged as an outcome of this big change are mainly fuelled by a buzzword known as Viral Marketing. It refers to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increase in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes similar to the spread of virus. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral marketing takes the form of Mobile marketing, email-marketing, blogging, Gaming, video marketing and above all social media marketing. Mobile marketing is all about marketing to people through their mobile phones and smart-phone devices. Demand is increasing dramatically for mobile applications and mobile web-browsing due to wider adoption of devices like the iPhone. Video marketing is a very effective tool of internet marketing where in Countless buying emotions and memorable brand moments are possible to be presented through musical, adventurous, motivational or funny video messages. These videos are viewed, liked and forwarded by the viewers hence spreading the message like a viral network. Social networking sites are attracting millions of people of all age groups. Staying connected through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube etc is part of ones daily regimen. No wonder Social Media is the strongest marketing trend which is not just a fad but a trend to stayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ more and more companies have been posting on various blogs, creating profile on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, or posting news on Digg.com ,etc and by simply clicking like on such pages we are becoming part of the marketing network . Another related trend is taking the web marketing one step further: it is called Social Appvertising! The leading brands are now starting to create special interactive Facebook applications to maximize consumer involvement. A soft drinks Facial Profiler application finding your twin on Facebookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Or American Express contest for creating your own ad through a Facebook application. So a lot is to be explored about these trends. With the dynamics of ever changing consumer behaviour, dynamics of marketing will keep on changingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the changes that are important, inevitable and essence of life..!!!!!!! RAMNEEK KAUR MBA, M.COM, M.PHIL ASSTT. PROFESSOR GURU NANAK INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY, MODEL TOWN, LUDHIANA.

Components of Risk Management

Components of Risk Management 1st the definition of risk: Risk is simply a possible threat that may occur during a specific event or even in a normal day which may affect our lives in various ways by changing the ordinary routine in a dramatic turn of events whether its Damage, loss, liability there is always a chance of a possible risk that may happen (though odds may change by the surrounding Environment, situations and the nature of the risk) (BusinessDictionary.com, 2017) Examples of risk: 1. Financial risk: The possibility that a certain project or business may not cover the costs and expenses that been spent on it or even cause loss of resources. Examples of financial risk: (Investinganswers.com, 2017) Economic Risk: is the possibility that Macroeconomic conditions like exchange rate, government economic Regime or political influences may affect the Economical state of an investment or an entire country Political risk is divided into two types (Investopedia.com, 2017) Macro and Micro: A macro risk refers to adverse actions that will have an impact on all foreign businesses expropriation or insurrection. On the second hand we have Micro risk and its remotely different from macro and the difference is that a micro risk will affect a certain industrial field or business caused by corruption, prejudicial behavior against foreigner countries and their investments and usually will end up losing a lot of Money if they are unprepared for such turn of events. For example after Fidel Castros gained control over Cuba in 1959 hundred millions of dollars worth American Investments were expropriated by Castros government unfortunately most of these American businesses had no resources or alternative plans to retrieve their loss back. Liquidity risk: the following situations will simplify the concept of liquidity risk (BusinessDictionary.com, 2017) Situation 1: not being able to fulfill the needs of depositors and borrowers due the lack of cash or cash equivalents. Situation 2: sales of illiquid assets cheaper than their usual value. Situation 3: illiquid assets will not be sold in the scheduled time planned due to the lack of customers. 2. Food industry Risk: The possibility that harm may occur due to a certain hazard affecting a certain magnitude. 3. Work place risk: The possibility that an injury may occur during work whether the job is risky or not. 2nd The Components of Risk: (Project-Management.com) Risk has 3 components. These components should be taken separately one at a time in consideration while deciding how to manage a risk The event that could happen. The possibility that an event could happen. The effects and the results if the event happens.How to begin? Analyze the possible risks that might happen to your business, life etc. Most of the Risks could be divided in two: External and internal. Internal Risks: Business owners have various ways to control internal risks which happen from day to day represented in things like: Strategies, financials and employees. External risks: Such as disasters and compliance. These are hard to control, Analyze and prepare for however it could be done by a series of preparations. The Plan: (Investinganswers.com, 2017) Risk management plans guide you on your way to analyze the risk, find solutions and get ready to face that risk any given moment. Though this plan doesnt describe the risk as a structure but the techniques of solving problems and facing these risks properly. Step 1 identifying the possible risk: (Gov.uk, 2017) First of all before taking any steps you should consider finding a group to think with about the possible risks. Its always better to think in groups to cover all the corners of the topic. Think of what could be threatening your business and how would it affect you and reflect on your work. You should be taking time to analyze and determine what the risks around you are by covering all the surrounding issues and thinking of the true potential risk and categorizing it. Categorizing risks depends on the nature of your work and your surroundings. For example: if youre running a factory you should consider the risk of having technical difficulties such as the fact that machines may stop functioning or even injuries may occur within your factory. These elements you can control by taking the right cautious steps. These are called internal risks such as we mentioned before. However, in cases of natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc., there is nothing much you can do ab out it and you may not have control over these external risk elements. 2nd step in our list here is prioritizing project risk: (Gov.uk, 2017) And its simply determining how likely or unlikely the mentioned risks may occur and calculating the potential impact on the project may be minimal. For example: a huge storm could happen and cancel few flights. Thats a risk that unlikely to happen. For example: a meteor shower might hit a certain area on earth and that would cause the same effect as the previous example, but its still unlikely to happen or it doesnt happen too often if I may say. Probability scale: After determining the risk, prioritizing and categorizing them, its now time to put them on the probability scale or the possibility scale: Very unlikely, unlikely, possible, likely, most likely After measuring how serious and likely the risk would happen, its now time to see how influential and impacting the risk is. Using the impact scale: which goes as following Very Low, Low, moderate, high, very high The techniques and the methods used to rank a risk applying probability scale and impact scale: Identifying the risk that is most likely to happen, rank it 5. Identify the risk that is the least likely to happen, rank it 1. Rank the other risks according to how likely they may occur. Apply the previous method on the impact scale. Example no.1 flight: Risk snow storm Probability 3 Impact 5 Priority Actions Example no.2 Flight: Risk Meteor shower Probability 1 Impact 5 Priority Actions Calculating priority: Once the probability and impact have been determined, you can easily calculate the priority by multiplying its probability through its impact. By this method you should be able to reorder your risk list in order of your own priorities. Example no.1 flight: Risk snow storm Probability 3 Impact 5 Priority 15 Actions Example no.2 Flight: Risk Meteor shower Probability 1 Impact 5 Priority 5 Actions As we mentioned earlier that each environment has its risks and each situation has a set of risks. This leads us to our next point. Hazard maps: the definition of hazard maps: (Earthquake.usgs.gov, 2017) A hazard map is a highlighted map spotting dangerous areas that affected or vulnerable to a certain hazard or risk such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides etc.. Hazard maps are created and used too often to expose the areas of high risk however hazard maps has various uses. For example: the one created by the U.S Geological survey which is used by American Insurance Agencies in order to maintain insurance covered citizens safe for living in hazardous areas. This leads us to a very important point which is event history. Event history: The only purpose of event history is to record, analyze and explain why certain people are at higher risks than others. This can be done by a special sort of static methods depending on the matter which is discussed. The first single requirement to make an event history analysis is event history data. The definition of event history: (members.home.nl/, 2017) Its simply a static or a series of events recorded by the date and time which happened to an individual or a series of individuals. For Example: an event history might be constructed by asking a series of question to a sample of people or making a survey which will report the dates of any past changes in marital status (for example). Risk appetite: A way to help and lead an organization system to approach risk and risk management. The definition of Risk appetite: (theirm.com, 2017): Its the amount of risk that a certain organization is able to tolerate and accept in the quest of its objectives and before the action is considered necessary. This done to reduce the risk since it works as a balance between the perks of creativity and the risk that change inevitably brings. Levels of Risk appetite Averse: Avoiding risk and uncertainty. Minimal: tendency to maximum safe options that is low on risk for a limited reward. Cautious: tendency to safe side options that have a minimal degree of risk and may have limited potential for a reward. Open: Willing to consider all options, the safe side part and the risky side as well and choose the one most likely to give better results. Hungry: eager to be innovative and willing to take the risks by choosing options with higher or better rewards despite the obvious risk, however the risk could be reduced by measuring the odds, though precise measurement isnt always possible. By defining the risk appetite an organization can make a perfect balance between innovation and caution for better results and higher, safer profits. However if a risk occurred and it already happened well need to use methods called Risk treatment. The definition of risk treatment: (simplicable.com, 2017) A risk treatment protocol or method which simply shows you how to manage a risk process all of its contents and treat it with various solutions. Avoidance: The first way to solve a problem is to avoid it and not needing to deal with it which in this case not taking the risk at all by avoiding its actions and staying out of its direction for a safe result. Reduction: You can always stay safe, always be prepared for the risk, for example wearing a life jacket when you go out for a swim, that way you will reduce the risk of drowning. Risk acceptance: Also known as risk retention which is simply choosing to take the risk instead of avoiding it. How to assess the risk? (Gov.uk, 2017) There are few things you need to know if you want to assess the risk. 1st: you need to identify the risks and the hazards such as we mentioned before. 2nd: you need to know who would get harmed by these hazards. 3rd: evaluate the risks. 4th: record your researches and studies about the risk. 5th: review your assessment to make sure that everything is going as planned. Risk management process: 1st youd need to identify the hazards as usual and make sure that you studied all the sides of these hazards. 2nd risk identification youd want to be fully aware of the risk and the hazards caused by it. For example: Hazard: worn out wires on electric items. Risk:worker might get electrocuted. 3rd risk assessment as its really importantto evaluate the odds of an injury occurring along with the possible consequences. Thats why risk assessment is based on two factors.The possible impact of any injury caused by a hazard and the possibility that the injury will happen, a risk matrix should be used in this type of situations. Risk Matrix: (Brighthub Project Management, 2017): Is a matrix used during the risk assessment to categorize the various levels of risk and the amount of harm that can be predicted to happen during a specific event an accident. Forexample, the level of risk could be measured and calculated as the result of possibility that harm could occur multiplied by the severity of that harm. Catastrophic: Numerous Deaths.Critical: 1 Death or Several Severe Injuries. Marginal: 1 Severe Injury or several Minor Injuries. Negligible: 1 Minor Injury Negligible Marginal Critical Catastrophic Certain High High Extreme Extreme Likely Moderate High High Extreme Possible Low Moderate High Extreme Unlikely Low Low Moderate Extreme Rare Low Low Moderate High 4th risk control (riskcontrolstrategies.com, 2017) Urgent actions must be taken for risk assessed as critical or high risk, the actions include: Instructions for immediate cessation of Activity, Isolation of the hazard, Prioritizing and immediate reacts to the hazard along with few improvements that can be done quickly, Training workers to be able to deal with the hazard properly and finally Daily check on the hazard to prevent any catastrophic losses. 5th branch diagrams (risk diagrams): (smartdraw.com, 2017) This analysis method is often used in safety engineering to figure out and determine how system can break or fail to analyze how to reduce risk or determine rates and statics of safety accidents. And its commonly used nuclear powers and chemicals processing. Fault tree analysis can be used to understand the concept to the risk event. First: Show the guidelines with the input system safety. Second: Prioritize the circumstances leading to the hazard event. Third: Monitor and insure safer performance. Fourth: Control over resources. Fifth: Assist building a system and a matrix. Sixth: Diagnosis and identifying and avoid the causes of the top event. 6th Risk register: (Brighthub Project Management, 2017) National risks register: Is a national security strategy was first published by the government back in 2008. Aiming to provide advices on how people and business can stay safe by preparing themselves for civil emergencies, there was another update in January 2012 and it was a fulfilling update to the 2008s register. Such register contained all the governments likelihood and potential emergencies risks made by several emergencies and hazards according to natural and industrial occurring hazards that may affect the United Kingdom. 2. Local risk Register: Whatever risk we face daily, it depends on where we live, how we live and the nature of environment around us. Flooding for example will be limited to certain areas of the country, while the odds of an industrial risk will depend on the type of industry and the place; each area has its own set of risks. For example: living by the coast could put you at the risk of a tsunami or a flood. Each area is special when it comes to risks. Therefore, the government provides guidance and instructions on how to act or what to do during this kind of events. It also shows how to overcome and how to treat these risks and how to be prepared before any risk hits suddenly. 7th Dynamic Risk Assessment (KPMG, 2017): DRA was developed by KPMG team: A team of scientists, mathematicians and economists. Its considered a huge step forward in the risk Assessment field which depends on theories, sophisticated algorithms, mathematics and advanced well processed data to identify and analyze risk in a 4th dimensional view. This allows professionals to see where risk can be considered critical or even spread contagion. The threat is measured and calculated before the event to prevent its occurring. References: BusinessDictionary.com. (2017). When was the last time you said this?. [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/risk.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. KPMG. (2017). Dynamic Risk Assessment. [online] Available at: https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/services/audit/dynamic-risk-assessment.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Imagineeducation.com.au. (2017). Imagine Education Australia. [online] Available at: http://www.imagineeducation.com.au/files/CHC30113/6_Steps_to_Risk_Manageme [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Project-Management.com. (2017). What are the Components of Risk?. [online] Available at: https://project-management.com/what-are-the-components-of-risk/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. : Spacey, J. (2017). 5 Types of Risk Treatment. [online] Simplicable. Available at: http://simplicable.com/new/risk-treatment [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Gov.uk. (2017). Risk assessment: how the risk of emergencies in the UK is assessed GOV.UK. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/risk-assessment-how-the-risk-of-emergencies-in-the-uk-is-assessed [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Earthquake.usgs.gov. (2017). Introduction to the National Seismic Hazard Maps. [online] Available at: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/learn/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Project-Management.com. (2017). What are the Components of Risk?. [online] Available at: https://project-management.com/what-are-the-components-of-risk/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. KPMG. (2017). Dynamic Risk Assessment. [online] Available at: https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/services/audit/dynamic-risk-assessment.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Brighthub Project Management. (2017). What Is a Risk Register? Explanation Free Template. [online] Available at: http://www.brighthubpm.com/risk-management/3247-creating-a-risk-register-a-free-excel-template/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Smartdraw.com. (2017). Fault Tree Diagram What is a Fault Tree and Fault Tree Analysis?. [online] Available at: https://www.smartdraw.com/fault-tree/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Theirm.org. (2017). Risk appetite and tolerance. [online] Available at: https://www.theirm.org/knowledge-and-resources/thought-leadership/risk-appetite-and-tolerance/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Risk Control Strategies. (2017). Risk Control Strategies: Threat Security Solutions. [online] Available at: https://www.riskcontrolstrategies.com/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017].

Adolescent Computer Use :: Technology Internet Papers

Adolescent Computer Use The rising numbers of computers and the internet in American households over the past two decades have had many profound impacts for individuals and families. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that half of Americans used computers, and about a third used the internet. By 2001, two thirds of Americans were using computers, and 54% were using the internet. For 9-17 year olds, internet use has doubled from 1997 to 2001 (from one third of Americans to two thirds) (NCES, 2004). These trends have significantly impacted interpersonal communication, as computer based forms of communication have become either dominant or complimentary for most adults and teens. While these computer advancements have had a positive impact for many American teens and adults, there are some growing concerns about increased computer activity becoming an integral part of individual’s lives. The Pew Research Center reported in 2004 that roughly 55% of parents think that the internet is a good thing for their kids to become acquainted with, and that it is essential for their kids’ world skills. However, 67% of those parents also expressed concern that the internet is keeping their children from important things, like schoolwork and reading, family time, etc. The statistics represent the growing paradox concerning child and adolescent increased computer use. So while the internet and skills associated with it are becoming increasingly important for young adults academically, many are speculating that the cost concerns the displacement of other valuable experiences characteristic of youth (Jeffery et. al, 2003). These concerns rest largely with possible associated decreases in physical activity/exercise and effects (still being investigated) involving social development (Levin, 2004). There is already a sizable literature concerning adolescents and younger children watching significantly more TV and health related effects of these trends. Children in the US, on average, watch 3-4 hours a day – where increased TV watching a playing video games is also associated with a lower quality diet (Levin, 2004). Subrahmanyam et al (2000) surmise that the overall increase in â€Å"screen time† (including TV, computer use, and video games) may be linked to obesity and loneliness – but they also suggest that further research is necessary to examine these relationships.

The Korean War And Its Origins Essay -- The Korean War, 1945-1953

Russia and the United States began their relationship as allies when Russia disregarded the non aggression pact they signed with Germany in 1939, effectively sealing Germany’s fate in World War II. Korea, like Germany, had been occupied by Soviet and United States forces at the end of World War II. Korea was split in half via the 38th parallel after the Japanese Empire fell near the end of the conflict. The soviets occupied the north side of the line and the Americans occupied the south. â€Å"By the end of the decade, two new states had formed on the peninsula. In the south, the anti- communist dictator Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) enjoyed the reluctant support of the American government; in the north, the communist dictator Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) enjoyed the slightly more enthusiastic support of the soviets.† (http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war) Many top decision makers in the US believed that the USSR was trying to spread communism throughout the world. In April 1950, a National Security Council report recommended that the U.S. use military force to â€Å"contain† communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring. â€Å"The NSC-68 called for significant peacetime military spending, in which the U.S. possessed "superior overall power" and "in dependable combination with other like-minded nations." It calls for a military capable of: Defending the Western Hemisphere and essential allied areas in order that their war-making capabilities can be developed; providing and protecting a mobilization base while the offensive forces required for victory were being built up; conducting offensive operations to destroy vital elements of the Soviet war-making capacity, and to keep... ...ut to find us the worst possible location in the world to fight this damnable war the unanimous choice would have been Korea.† (Dean Acheson, U.S. Secretary of State (1893-1971) Works Cited Evanhoe, Ed. "The Korean War." The Korean War. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Hickey, Michael. "BBC - History - World Wars: The Korean War: An Overview." BBC - Homepage. N.p., 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . "Korean War à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." History.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  History Made Every Day à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  American & World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . "NSC-68 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. .

The Racism of “Diversity”

This summary was from an article entitled â€Å"The Racism of Diversity† written by Peter Schwartz on December 15, 2003. It was taken from Capitalism Magazine made available in the internet, the URL of which is http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3399.The author is the chairman of the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute.The aforementioned article dealt specifically on the distinction of racism vis-à  -vis diversity in the school setting particularly in universities and colleges. Many school administrations have differing views about diversity and racism bringing along a positive and negative connotations depending upon how one interprets it.But the bottom line is, diversity can be constructive if it suggests integration of races in order to learn and understand the races of other people. However, it is said to be destructive if diversity â€Å"propagates all the evils inherent in racism† as stated by Schwartz in his paper.Along this line, the admission of mul ti-racial enrollees in an educational institution may have interesting and disparaging effects for contrasting races or skin color. Because of the mixing of races in one school, racial division is highly emphasized thereby causing segregation of residence halls, cafeterias, and organizations. Diversity in this sense is not helpful to solve the problem of inter-tribal conflict but instead underscores the differences between races.On the other hand, diversity is also deemed to be an excellent learning method inside the school to rule out individualism and foster unity and understanding. It provides a channel in which a race can express itself for the alien tribes to appreciate the ethnicity of a certain group of people because it is believed that one’s colors determines one’s ideas and perspectives of things in one’s environment.At present, the issue of â€Å"color-blindness† or being non-discriminative in terms of skin color remains a controversial issue i n universities and colleges.â€Å"Diversity† advocates are moving toward better grasp of this subject matter, however, the long-time history of racial discrimination has indoctrinated and passed on from one generation to another. One’s bloodline speaks louder than words despite the fact that it is not a person’s fault to be born in a particular race whether one is brown-eyed or green-eyed.The sole purpose of this paper is to remind the readers that racial diversities are still existent among our learning institutions and it has tremendous effects on students and on how they deal and treat one another.Education through diversity is very ideal but very hard to comprehend because of things that cannot be changed. This change does not take overnight to be materialized, but it takes further orientation, education and re-orientation to instill its importance in the hearts and minds of people.

Multiple Sclerosis Research essay Essay

More than 2.3 million people are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis worldwide. There are currently 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And about 200 new cases are diagnosed every week (Multiple Sclerosis FAQs). Neurologists prescribe these patients with corticosteroids, either oral or through IV. Although scientists have found no cure to multiple sclerosis, corticosteroids have been used to successfully treat relapses and potentially stop progressive-relapsing and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. To start off with, multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system. It damages the protective coating around the nerve fibers that sends messages to all parts of your body controlling muscle and sensory activity. It is an autoimmune disease, this is when your body’s own immune system attacks itself. As the damage to protective coating around the nerve fibers increase, it becomes a process known as demyelination where the coating is destroyed. These nerves then become less and less capable at sending messages. As the messages escape they become weaker, leading to difficulty in controlling muscles in different parts of your body. Even when damage occurs to the myelin, it sometimes repairs through internal body repair devices. Described as inflammation at the site of the damage becomes less over time. The rate at which the myelin is damaged is faster than the rate at which repair happens, so the damage becomes more throughout the central nervous system. This damage is known as lesions that take the form of patchy  scarring (Managing Your †¦). Patients and doctors together recognize what the disease does and how it affects your body; still they acknowledge that corticosteroids treat the inflammation and reduce that inflammation. Furthermore, there are some patterns, anyone can develop multiple sclerosis. More women than men have multiple sclerosis and the percentage keeps increasing as years go by. There is no direct evidence that multiple sclerosis is inherited. Some studies suggest environmental factors, like low Vitamin D have increased the risk of multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis occurs in all ethnic groups, but is most common in Caucasians of European ancestry. When men and women develop multiple sclerosis it usually takes a long time to diagnose. In the early stages of multiple sclerosis, symptoms multiple sclerosis suggest several diseases of the nervous system. Magnetic resonance imaging help give a definite diagnoses since there is no laboratory test available to diagnose multiple sclerosis (Multiple Sclerosis FAQs). As you can see, this means anyone, even if no one in your family has multiple sclerosis, can develop it. Secondly, there are several different symptoms multiple sclerosis that develop when you have multiple sclerosis. Symptoms multiple sclerosis are different for every person; usual symptoms multiple sclerosis of relapses include optic neuritis, limb weakness, numbness, imbalance, light-headedness, and loss of facial strength. In more serious multiple sclerosis, such as in progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis, symptoms multiple sclerosis include fatigue, and depression. Relapses usually range from days to weeks and self-fixed around weeks to months. Neurologists use Corticosteroids for selected relapses that have reoccurring symptoms multiple sclerosis and increasingly get worse through-out the relapse. Around fifty percent of neurologists use them for all relapses (Mechanistic Insights†¦). This states that even patient that have the same type of multiple sclerosis as you, you may have different symptoms multiple sclerosis and be given different treatments for your relapses, de pendent on how sever they may be. Finally, steroids in general are found naturally in plants and animals, but  corticosteroids are those particular steroids released into the bloodstream by the adrenal gland. People with multiple sclerosis relapses who are being treated with corticosteroids show that the corticosteroids work by decreasing the levels of the depraved immune substances and by making the cell membranes of the white cells more flexible and less sticky. Other evidence suggests that there is also an effect on the way the brain interprets the messages coming to it from the body’s nerves. MRI studies also show that corticosteroids significantly decrease the amount of swelling around individual multiple sclerosis lesions, causing better nerve transmission through these affected areas (Steroids). As this states, corticosteroids are found in the human body and advance the relapses quicker and faster to a safer recover time than in other treatments commonly used like placebo. Furthermore, Corticosteroids are proved not to cure multiple sclerosis but to treat mild relapses. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis they can be treat with Corticosteroids usually consist of tingling in the absence of sensory loss. One major study done by N. M. Milligan, a researcher at University Hospital of Wales, stated that, â€Å"50 patients received methylprednisolone 500mg intravenously for five days or inactive placebo†¦.carried out at 1 to 4 weeks†¦.73 percent of methylprednisolone-treated patients improved compared with 29 percent of methylprednisolone-treated of those on placebo†. The group he tested on contained both relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and Chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, both these patients benefited from methylprednisolone. This study made neurologists, around the world, to start prescribing intravenously methylprednisolone for relapses. One other slightly major study done by Finn Sellebjerg, a professor of neurology at the U niversity of Copenhagen and chief physician at Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, gave 51 patients enduring a relapse less than four weeks to receive oral placebo or oral prednisolone (Corticosteroids) 500mg per day for five days. Results of Sellebjerg states â€Å"†¦1, 3, and 8 weeks, 4 percent, 24 percent, and 32 percent in the placebo group and 31 percent, 54 percent, and 65 percent in the prednisolone group improved one point on the Kurtzke Scale score† these patients also stated that their symptoms multiple sclerosis improved much more with the steroids at 3 and 8 weeks (Steroids).  This states that in most cases, corticosteroids produce patients with shorter relapses times, no side effects when used short term, and reduces the symptoms effect on the patient’s work time, wither they can or cannot work, during the duration of that relapse; compared with placebo, which in most cases, does not have an effect on the patients recovery time, does have miner side effects when even used short term, and does not reduce the symptoms effect on the patient’s capability to work during the relapses. As you can see, both of these studies prove that corticosteroids are the best treatment to us e during or after to manage a relapse. All and all, Corticosteroids may not be the cure for multiple sclerosis but it does help the relapses end faster. It makes it so that people can go back to work and ends relapses faster. It also lets patients potentially stop their progressive-relapsing and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. As a daughter of a mother that has multiple sclerosis, I’m asking you to spread the word of corticosteroid treatment to those who have multiple sclerosis. Works Cited Krieger, Stephen, et al. â€Å"Mechanistic Insights into Corticosteroids in Multiple Sclerosis: War Horse or Chameleon?† _Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery._ 119 (2014): 6-16. _Elservier._ Web. 2 September 2014. In Stephen Krieger’s persuasive article â€Å"Mechanistic Insights into Corticosteroids in Multiple Sclerosis: War Horse or Chameleon?† he discuss cellular, systemic, and clinical characteristics that might contribute to intended and unintended CS effects when utilizing doses in clinical practice. The goal of this article is to consider recent insights about CS mechanism multiple sclerosis of action in the context of MS. A diversity of mechanism multiple sclerosis drive the heterogeneous clinical response to exogenous Corticosteroids in patients with MS. _Multiple Sclerosis FAQs_. National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2014. Web. 2 September 2014. In the informative article _Multiple Sclerosis FAQS_ it discussed that multiple sclerosis can cause many symptoms, including blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems multiple sclerosis with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The goal of this article is to inform patients about the use of corticosteroid in multiple sclerosis and how it can shorten relapses. Robinson, Ian and F. Clifford Rose â€Å"Managing Your Multiple Sclerosis: Practical Advice to Help You Manage Your Multiple Sclerosis† London: Class, 2004. E-book. Web. 2 Sept In Ian Robinson’s informative e-book â€Å"Managing Your Multiple Sclerosis: Practical Advice to Help You Manage Your Multiple Sclerosis† discussed a practical guide to multiple sclerosis’s management and can provide you with many information sheets on this subject. This book was written by popular demand from patients, who read their articles before, who wanted to know more about practical steps that they could take in their day-to-day living with multiple sclerosis. The goal for this book is to describe multiple sclerosis causes and diagnosis and what steps you can take for different treatments for relapses. _Steroids._ Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, 2014. Web. 2 September 2014. In the informative article _Steroids,_ discussed that there is convincing evidence that steroids are useful in improving the recovery after a relapse of multiple sclerosis. For most relapses, there should be no delay in starting a short course of steroids. It is probable that steroids delay the  onset of the next episode as well. The goal for this article was to state evidence, studies, done on corticosteroids and how they would be beneficial to use based on that evidence and how they end relapses sooner.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 8

Eight FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I followed Christian around without incident. And as I did, I found myself growing more and more impatient. For one thing, I was discovering that a lot of being a guardian was waiting around. I'd always known that, but the reality was harder than I'd realized. Guardians were absolutely essential for when Strigoi decided to attack. But those Strigoi attacks? They were generally rare. Time could pass – years could pass – without a guardian ever having to engage in any sort of conflict. While my instructors certainly wouldn't make us wait that long during this exercise, they nonetheless wanted to teach us patience and how important it was not to slack just because there'd been no danger in a while. We were also being held to the strictest conditions a guardian could be in: always standing and always being formal. More often than not, guardians who lived with Moroi families behaved casually in their homes and did ordinary things like reading or watching TV – while still staying perfectly aware of any threats. We couldn't always expect that, though, so we had to practice the hard way while in school. My patience level didn't do so well with all this waiting, but my frustration was more than just restlessness. I was desperate to prove myself, to make amends for not having reacted when Stan attacked. I'd had no further Mason sightings and had decided that what I'd seen really had been fatigue- and stress-induced. That made me happy, because those were much better reasons than being crazy or inept. But certain things were not making me happy. When Christian and I met up with Lissa after class one day, I could feel worry and fear and anger radiating off of her. It was only the bond that clued me in, though. To all outside appearances, she looked fine. Eddie and Christian, who were talking about something with each other, didn't notice a thing. I moved close and put an arm around her as we walked. â€Å"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay.† I knew what was bothering her. Victor. We'd decided that Christian – despite his willingness to â€Å"take care of things† – probably wasn't the best choice to go see about us getting into Victor's trial. So Lissa had played diplomat the other day and very politely spoken to Alberta about the possibility of us testifying. Alberta had told her, equally politely, that it was out of the question. â€Å"I figured if we just explained things – why it was so important – they'd let us go,† she murmured to me. â€Å"Rose, I can't sleep. †¦ I just keep thinking about it. What if he gets loose? What if they really set him free?† Her voice trembled, and there was an old vulnerability there that I hadn't seen in a long time. That sort of thing usually set off my warning bells, but this time, it triggered a weird rush of memories, of times past when Lissa had depended on me so much. I was happy to see how strong she'd become and wanted to make sure she stayed that way. I tightened my arm, hard to do while still walking. â€Å"He won't get loose,† I said fiercely. â€Å"We'll get to court. I'll make sure of it. You know I'd never let anything happen to you.† She leaned her head against my shoulder, a small smile on her face. â€Å"That's what I love about you. You have no idea how you'll get us to court, but you still push forward anyway to make me feel better.† â€Å"Is it working?† â€Å"Yes.† The worry still lurked in her, but her amusement dampened its effects a little. Plus, despite her teasing me about my bold promise, my words really had reassured her. Unfortunately, we soon found out that Lissa had other reasons to be frustrated. She was waiting for the medication to fade from her system and allow her full access to her magic. It was there – we could both sense it – but she was having trouble touching it. Three days had passed, and nothing had changed for her. I felt for her, but my biggest concern was her mental state – which thus far had stayed clear. â€Å"I don't know what's going on,† she complained. We had almost reached the commons. Lissa and Christian had plans to watch a movie. I half-wondered how difficult it would be for me to watch the movie and be on alert. â€Å"It seems like I should be able to do something, but I still can't. I'm stuck.† â€Å"That might not be a bad thing,† I pointed out, moving away from Lissa so I could scan the path ahead. She shot me a rueful look. â€Å"You're such a worrier. I thought that was my job.† â€Å"Hey, it's my job to look out for you.† â€Å"Actually, it's my job,† said Eddie, in a rare show of joking. â€Å"Neither of you should be worrying,† she argued. â€Å"Not about this.† Christian slipped his arm around her waist. â€Å"You're more impatient than Rose here. All you need to do is – â€Å" It was d? ¦j? ¤ vu. Stan leapt out from a copse of trees and reached for Lissa, wrapping his arm around her torso and jerking her toward him. My body responded instantly, no hesitation whatsoever as I moved to â€Å"save† her. The only problem was that Eddie had responded instantly too, and he was closer, which put him there ahead of me. I circled, trying to get in on the action, but the way the two were squaring off blocked me from being effective. Eddie came at Stan from the side, fierce and swift, pulling Stan's arm away from Lissa with a strength nearly powerful enough to rip it out of the socket. Eddie's wiry frame often hid how muscular he really was. Stan's hand caught the side of Eddie's face, nails digging in, but it was enough so that Lissa could wriggle free and run to join Christian behind me. With her out of the way, I moved off to the side, hoping to assist Eddie – but there was no need. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Stan and threw him down to the ground. Half a breath later, Eddie's practice stake was poised right above Stan's heart. Stan laughed, genuinely pleased. â€Å"Nice job, Castile.† Eddie withdrew the stake and helped his instructor up. With the action gone, I could now see how bruised and blotched Stan's face was. Attacks for us novices might be few and far between, but our guardians were picking fights daily during this exercise. All of them were taking a lot of abuse, but they handled it with grace and good humor. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† said Eddie. He looked pleased but not conceited. â€Å"I'd be faster and stronger if I were Strigoi, of course, but I swear, you could have rivaled one with your speed there.† Stan glanced at Lissa. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Fine,† she said, face aglow. I could sense that she'd actually enjoyed the excitement. Her adrenaline was running high. Stan's smiling face disappeared as he turned his attention on me. â€Å"And you – what were you doing?† I stared, aghast at his harsh tone. It was what he'd said last time too. â€Å"What do you mean?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I didn't freeze or anything this time! I was ready to back him up, looking for a chance to join in.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"That's exactly the problem. You were so eager to get a punch in that you forgot that you had two Moroi behind you. They might as well have not existed as far as you were concerned. You're out in the open, and you had your back to them.† I strode forward and glared at him, unconcerned about propriety. â€Å"That is not fair. If we were in the real world and a Strigoi attacked, you cannot tell me that another guardian wouldn't jump in and do everything they could to take that Strigoi down as quickly possible.† â€Å"You're probably right,† Stan said. â€Å"But you weren't thinking about eliminating the threat efficiently. You weren't thinking about your exposed Moroi. You were thinking about how quickly you could do something exciting and redeem yourself.† â€Å"Wh-what? Aren't you making a few leaps there? You're grading me on what you think was my motivation. How can you be sure what I'm thinking?† I didn't even know half the time. â€Å"Instinct,† he replied mysteriously. He took out a small pad of paper and made some notes on it. I narrowed my eyes, wishing I could see through the notepad and discern what he was writing about me. When he finished, he slipped the pad back in his coat and nodded at all of us. â€Å"See you later.† We watched him walk across the snowy grounds toward the gym where dhampirs trained. My mouth was hanging open, and I couldn't even get any words out at first. When did it end with these people? I was getting burned again and again on stupid technicalities that had nothing to do with how I'd actually perform in the real world. â€Å"That was not even fair. How can he judge me on what he thinks I was thinking?† Eddie shrugged as we continued our journey toward the dorm. â€Å"He can think whatever he wants. He's our instructor.† â€Å"Yeah, but he's going to give me another bad mark! Field experience is pointless if it can't really show how we'd do against Strigoi. I can't believe this. I'm good – I'm really good. How on earth can I be failing this?† Nobody had an actual answer for that, but Lissa noted uncomfortably, â€Å"Well†¦ whether he was fair or unfair, he had one thing right: You were great, Eddie.† I glanced over at Eddie and felt bad that I was letting my own drama take away from his success. I was pissed off – really pissed off – but Stan's wrongness was my problem to deal with. Eddie had performed brilliantly, and everyone praised him so much on the walk back that I could see a blush creeping over his cheeks. Or maybe that was just the cold. Regardless, I was happy for him. We settled into the lounge, pleased to find no one else had claimed it – and that it was warm and toasty. Each of the dorms had a few of these lounges, and all were stocked with movies and games and lots of comfy chairs and couches. They were only available for student use at certain times. On weekends, they were pretty much open the whole time, but on weekdays, they had limited hours – presumably to encourage us to do our homework. Eddie and I assessed the room and made a plan, then took up our positions. Standing against the wall, I eyed the couch Lissa and Christian were sprawled out upon with considerable envy. I'd thought the movie would distract me from being on alert, but actually, it was my own churning feelings that kept my mind spinning. I couldn't believe Stan had said what he'd said. He'd even admitted that in the heat of battle, any guardian would be trying to get into the fight. His argument about me having ulterior, glory-seeking motives was absurd. I wondered if I was in serious danger of failing this field experience. Surely, so long as I passed, they wouldn't take me from Lissa after graduation? Alberta and Dimitri had spoken like this was all just an experiment to give Lissa and me new training, but suddenly, an anxious, paranoid part of me began to wonder. Eddie was doing a great job of protecting her. Maybe they wanted to see how well she could work with other guardians. Maybe they were worried that I was only good at protecting her and not other Moroi – I'd let Mason die, after all, right? Maybe the real test here was to see if I needed to be replaced. After all, wh o was I, really? An expendable novice. She was the Dragomir princess. She would always have protection – and it didn't have to be me. The bond was pointless if I ultimately proved incompetent. Adrian's entrance put my frantic paranoia on hold. He slipped into the darkened room, winking as he flounced into an armchair near me. I had figured it was only a matter of time before he would surface. I think we were his only entertainment on campus. Or maybe not, judging from the strong smell of alcohol around him. â€Å"Are you sober?† I asked him when the movie ended. â€Å"Sober enough. What have you guys been up to?† Adrian hadn't visited my dreams since the one in the garden. He'd also laid off on some of his outrageous flirting. Most of his appearances with us were to work with Lissa or to ease his boredom. We recapped our encounter with Stan for him, playing up Eddie's bravery and not mentioning my dressing-down. â€Å"Nice work,† said Adrian. â€Å"Looks like you got a battle scar too.† He pointed to the side of Eddie's face where three red marks glared back at us. I remembered Stan's nails hitting Eddie during the struggle to free Lissa. Eddie lightly touched his cheek. â€Å"I can barely feel it.† Lissa leaned forward and studied him. â€Å"You got that protecting me.† â€Å"I got that trying to pass my field experience,† he teased. â€Å"Don't worry about it.† And that's when it happened. I saw it seize her, that compassion and undeniable urge to help others that so often filled her. She couldn't stand to see pain, couldn't stand to sit by if she could do something. I felt the power build up in her, a glorious and swirling feeling that made my toes tingle. I was experiencing how it affected her. It was fire and bliss. Intoxicating. She reached out and touched Eddie's face†¦. And the marks vanished. She dropped her hand, and the euphoria of spirit faded from both of us. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† breathed Adrian. â€Å"You weren't kidding about that.† He peered at Eddie's cheek. â€Å"Not a goddamned trace of it.† Lissa had stood up and now sank back to the couch. She leaned her head back against it and closed her eyes. â€Å"I did it. I can still do it.† â€Å"Of course you can,† said Adrian dismissively. â€Å"Now you have to show me how to do it.† She opened her eyes. â€Å"It's not that easy.† â€Å"Oh, I see,† he said in an exaggerated tone. â€Å"You grill me like crazy about how to see auras and walk in dreams, but now you won't reveal your trade secrets.† â€Å"It's not a ‘won't,'† she argued. â€Å"It's a ‘can't.'† â€Å"Well, cousin, try.† Then suddenly he raked his nails across his hand and drew blood. â€Å"Jesus Christ!† I yelped. â€Å"Are you insane?† Who was I kidding? Of course he was. Lissa reached out and held his hand, and just like before, she healed the skin. Elation filled her, but my mood suddenly dropped without any real cause. The two of them launched into a discussion I couldn't follow, using standard magical terms as well as some terms I was pretty sure they'd invented on the spot. Judging from Christian's face, it looked like he didn't understand either, and it soon became clear that Adrian and Lissa had forgotten us in their zeal over the mystery of spirit. Christian finally stood up, looking bored. â€Å"Come on, Rose. If I wanted to listen to this, I'd be back in class. I'm hungry.† Lissa glanced up. â€Å"Dinner's not for another hour and a half.† â€Å"Feeder,† he said. â€Å"I haven't had mine today.† He planted a kiss on Lissa's cheek and then left. I followed alongside him. It had started snowing again, and I glared at the flakes accusingly as they drifted down around us. When it had first started snowing in early December, I'd been excited. Now this white stuff was getting pretty damned old. As it had a few nights ago, though, being out in such harsh weather defused my mood a little, the cold air kind of snapping me out of it. With each step closer to the feeders, I felt myself calming down. A â€Å"feeder† was what we called humans who volunteered to be regular sources of blood for Moroi. Unlike Strigoi, who killed the victims they drank from, Moroi took only small quantities each day and didn't have to kill the donor. These humans lived for the high they got from vampire bites and seemed perfectly happy to spend their lives that way and separate from normal human society. It was weird but necessary for Moroi. The school usually had a feeder or two in the Moroi dorms for overnight hours, but for most of the day, students had to go to the commons to get their daily fix. As I continued walking, taking in the sights of white trees, white fences, and white boulders, something else white in the landscape caught my attention. Well, it wasn't white exactly. There was color – pale, washed-out color. I came to an abrupt halt and felt my eyes go wide. Mason stood on the other side of the quad, nearly blending in with a tree and a post. No, I thought. I'd convinced myself that this was over, but there he was, looking at me with that sorrowful, phantom face. He pointed, off toward the back of campus. I glanced that way but again had no clue what to look for. Turning back to him, I could only stare, fear twisting within me. An icy-cold hand touched the side of my neck, and I spun around. It was Christian. â€Å"What's up?† he asked. I looked back to where I'd seen Mason. He was gone, of course. I squeezed my eyes shut a moment and sighed. Then, turning back to Christian, I kept walking and said, â€Å"Nothing.† Christian usually always had some witty stream of comments whenever we were together, but he was silent as we made the rest of our journey. I was consumed with my own thoughts and worries about Mason, so I had little to say either. This sighting had only lasted a few seconds. Considering how hard it was to see out there, it seemed more than likely that he'd been a trick of the eye, right? I tried to convince myself of this for the rest of the walk. When we entered the commons and escaped the cold, it finally hit me that something was amiss with Christian. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, trying not to think about Mason. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Fine,† he said. â€Å"The way you just said that proves you aren't fine.† He ignored me as we went to the feeders' room. It was busier than I'd expected, and all of the little cubicles that feeders sat in were filled with Moroi. Brandon Lazar was one of them. As he fed, I caught a glimpse of a faded green bruise on his cheek and recalled that I never had found out who had beaten him up. Christian checked in with the Moroi at the door and then stood in the waiting area until he was called. I racked my brain, trying to figure out what could have caused Christian's bad mood. â€Å"What's the matter? Didn't you like the movie?† No answer. â€Å"Grossed out by Adrian's self-mutilation?† Giving Christian a hard time was a guilty pleasure. I could do this all night. No answer. â€Å"Are you – Oh.† It hit me then. I was surprised I hadn't thought of this before. â€Å"Are you upset that Lissa wanted to talk magic with Adrian?† He shrugged, which told me all I needed to know. â€Å"Come on, she doesn't like magic more than she likes you. It's just this thing with her, you know? She spent all these years thinking she couldn't do real magic, and then found out she could – except it was this wacky, completely unpredictable kind. She's just trying to understand it.† â€Å"I know,† he said tightly, staring across the expansive room without actually focusing on any of the people. â€Å"That's not the problem.† â€Å"Then why †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I let my words fade as another revelation hit me. â€Å"You're jealous of Adrian.† Christian fixed his ice-blue eyes on me, and I could tell I'd hit the mark. â€Å"I'm not jealous. I'm just – â€Å" † – feeling insecure over the fact that your girlfriend is spending a lot of time with a rich and reasonably cute guy whom she might like. Or, as we like to call it, jealous.† He turned away from me, clearly annoyed. â€Å"The honeymoon might be over between us, Rose. Damn it. Why are these people taking so long?† â€Å"Look,† I said, shifting my stance. My feet hurt after so much standing. â€Å"Didn't you listen to my romantic speech the other day about being in Lissa's heart? She's crazy about you. You're the only one she wants, and believe me, I can say that with 100 percent certainty. If there was anyone else, I'd know.† The hint of a smile crossed his lips. â€Å"You're her best friend. You could be covering for her.† I scoffed. â€Å"Not if she were with Adrian. I assure you, she has no interest in him, thank God – at least not romantically.† â€Å"He can be persuasive, though. He knows how to work his compulsion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's not using it on her, though. I don't even know if he can – I think they cancel each other out. Besides, haven't you been paying attention? I'm the unfortunate object of Adrian's attention.† â€Å"Really?† asked Christian, clearly surprised. Guys were so oblivious to this sort of stuff. â€Å"I know he flirts – â€Å" â€Å"And shows up in my dreams uninvited. Seeing as I can't get away, it gives him the perfect chance to torture me with his so-called charm and attempt to be romantic.† He turned suspicious. â€Å"He shows up in Lissa's dreams too.† Shoot. Shouldn't have mentioned the dreams. What had Adrian said? â€Å"Those are instructional. I don't think you need to worry.† â€Å"People wouldn't stare if she showed up at some party with Adrian.† â€Å"Ah,† I said. â€Å"So this is what it's really about. You think you're going to drag her down?† â€Å"I'm not that good †¦ at those kinds of social things,† he admitted in a rare show of vulnerability. â€Å"And I think Adrian's got a better reputation than me.† â€Å"Are you joking?† â€Å"Come on, Rose. Drinking and smoking aren't even in the same league as people thinking you're going to turn Strigoi. I saw the way everyone acted when she took me to dinners and stuff at the ski lodge. I'm a liability. She's the only representative from her family. She's going to spend the rest of her life tied up with politics, trying to get in good with people. Adrian could do a lot more for her than I could.† I resisted the urge to literally shake some sense into him. â€Å"I can see where you're coming from, but there's one flaw in your airtight logic. There's nothing going on with her and Adrian.† He looked away and didn't say anything else. I suspected his feelings went beyond her simply being with another guy. As he'd even admitted, he had a whole tangle of insecurity about Lissa. Being with her had done wonders for his attitude and sociability, but at the end of the day, he still had trouble dealing with coming from a â€Å"tainted† family. He still worried he wasn't good enough for her. â€Å"Rose is right,† an unwelcome voice said behind us. Preparing my best glare, I turned around to face Jesse. Naturally, Ralf lurked nearby. Jesse's assigned novice, Dean, stood watch at the doorway. They apparently had a more formal bodyguard relationship. Jesse and Ralf hadn't been in line when we arrived, but they'd apparently wandered up and heard enough to piece together some of our conversation. â€Å"You're still royal. You have every right to be with her.† â€Å"Wow, talk about a turnaround,† I said. â€Å"Weren't you guys just telling me the other day how Christian was about to turn Strigoi at any moment? I'd watch your necks, if I were you. He looks dangerous.† Jesse shrugged. â€Å"Hey, you said he was clean, and if anyone knows Strigoi, it's you. Besides, we're actually starting to think that rebellious Ozera nature is a good thing.† I eyed him suspiciously, assuming there must be some trick here. Yet he looked sincere, like he really was convinced Christian was safe. â€Å"Thanks,† said Christian, a slight sneer curling his lips. â€Å"Now that you've endorsed me and my family, I can finally get on with my life. It's the only thing that's been holding me back.† â€Å"I'm serious,† said Jesse. â€Å"The Ozeras have been kind of quiet lately, but they used to be one of the strongest families out there. They could be again – especially you. You're not afraid to do things that you aren't supposed to. We like that. If you'd get over your antisocial bullshit, you could make the right friends and go far. Might make you stop worrying so much about Lissa.† Christian and I exchanged glances. â€Å"What are you getting at?† he asked. Jesse smiled and cast a covert glance around us. â€Å"Some of us have been getting together. We've formed a group – sort of a way for those of us from the better families to unite, you know? Things are kind of crazy, what with those Strigoi attacks last month and people not knowing what to do. There's also talk about making us fight and finding new ways to hand out the guardians.† He said it with a sneer, and I bristled at hearing guardians described like objects. â€Å"Too many non-royals are trying to take charge.† â€Å"Why is that a problem if their ideas are good?† I demanded. â€Å"Their ideas aren't good. They don't know their place. Some of us have started thinking of ways to protect ourselves from that and look out for each other. I think you'd like what we've learned to do. After all, we're the ones who need to keep making decisions, not dhampirs and nobody Moroi. We're the elite. The best. Join us, and there are things we could do to help you with Lissa.† I couldn't help it. I laughed. Christian simply looked disgusted. â€Å"I take back what I said earlier,† he told them. â€Å"This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. An invitation to join your tree house club.† Ralf, big and lumbering, took a step forward. â€Å"Don't screw with us. This is serious.† Christian sighed. â€Å"Then don't screw with me. If you really think I want to hang out with you guys and try to make things even better for Moroi who are already spoiled and selfish, then you're even stupider than I thought you were. And that was pretty stupid.† Anger and embarrassment filled both Jesse and Ralf's faces, but mercifully, Christian's name was called just then. He seemed considerably cheered as we walked across the room. Nothing like a confrontation with two assholes to make you feel better about your love life. Christian's assigned feeder tonight was a woman named Alice, who was the oldest feeder on campus. Most Moroi preferred young donors, but Christian, being the twisted person he was, liked her because she was kind of senile. She wasn't that old – sixties – but too many vampire endorphins over her life had permanently affected her. â€Å"Rose,† she said, turning her dazed blue eyes on me. â€Å"You aren't usually with Christian. Have you and Vasilisa had a fight?† â€Å"Nope,† I said. â€Å"Just getting a change of scenery.† â€Å"Scenery,† she murmured, glancing at a nearby window. Moroi kept windows tinted to block out light, and I doubted a human could see anything. â€Å"The scenery is always changing. Have you noticed that?† â€Å"Not our scenery,† said Christian, sitting beside her. â€Å"That snow's not going anywhere. Not for a few months.† She sighed and gave him an exasperated look. â€Å"I wasn't talking about the scenery.† Christian gave me an amused smile, then leaned over and sank his teeth into her neck. Her expression grew slack, all talk of scenery or whatever she'd meant forgotten as he drank from her. I lived around vampires so much that I didn't even think about their fangs half the time. Most Moroi were actually pretty good at hiding them. It was only in moments like these that I remembered the power a vampire had. Usually, when I watched a vampire feed, I was reminded of when Lissa and I had run away from the Academy, and I'd let her feed off of me. I'd never reached the crazy addiction levels of a feeder, but I had enjoyed the brief high. I used to want it in a way I could never admit to anybody. In our world, only humans gave blood. Dhampirs who did it were cheap and humiliated. Now, when I watched a vampire drink, I no longer thought about how good the high felt. Instead, I flashed back to that room in Spokane where Isaiah, our Strigoi captor, had fed off of Eddie. The feelings that stirred up in me were anything but good. Eddie had suffered horribly, and I hadn't been able to do anything except sit there and watch. Grimacing, I turned away from Christian and Alice. When we left the feeders' room, Christian looked more vibrant and upbeat. â€Å"The weekend's here, Rose. No classes – and you get your day off.† â€Å"No,† I said, having almost forgotten. Damn it. Why did he have to remind me? I was almost starting to feel better after the Stan incident. I sighed. â€Å"I have community service.†