Brief Therapy Essay -- Counseling/Therapy

Brief therapy helps people by focusing on solutions, instead of problems. The therapist asks questions thereby facilitates the client by helping formulates solutions. The client leads the meeting by actively formulating ideas in which he/she can serve to improve the clients negative circumstances. This is contrary to cognitive therapy, which focuses on a clients cognitive processes (how he or she thinks about people/places/things). The therapist collaborates with the client to help the client develop alternative solutions.Subsequently, a memorise showed solution-focused brief therapy demonstrated a small, but positive treatment effects favoring SFBT group on the outcome measures. Only the magnitude of the effect for internalizing behavior problems (such as depression, anxiety, self-concept and dignity) was statistically significant at the p ...ng. The compliments, positive affirmations, humor, positive reframing, and are all ways to handle a resistant adolescent. Parents and ad olescents take an active, positive case in brief therapy by asking themselves when changes will occur. These ways of dealing with resistance in adolescents work toward the solutions kids want to break free of their emotional prisons. kit and boodle CitedKim, J.S. PhD.(n.d.)Examining the Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy A Meta-Analysis Using Random Effects Modeling retrieved on 05/09/2012 at https//kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/.../19_2_Johnny_S._Kim_Paper.pdf? University of Texas Austin, TXSelekman, M. D. (2005). Pathways to Change Brief Therapy with Difficult Adolescents (2nd ed.). New York Guilford Press. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from Questia database http//www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=116311700

Capital Punishment Essay: Retardation and Capital Punishment

Retardation and Capital Punishment One can agree (or not) with the upstart ruling by the coercive Court that the death penalty should not apply to retarded citizens because it violates the Eighth Amendments prohibition against cruel and ridiculous punishment, and still be troubled by the twisted road the court took to reach its destination. Reading the history of the Eighth Amendment shows that it proceeded from concerns over the methods the state could use to take the life of a convicted criminal -- not the intelligence level of the criminal. When the Constitution was adopted, the British penalty for high treason was to have the convicted person hanged by the neck and then screw down alive, then he was disemboweled while yet living. His head was cut off and his body divided into four parts for disposition by the fagot(Norton). Among punishments for other crimes, English law provided for cutting off the ears, flogging, cutting off hands, castrating, standing in the pillory, slitting of the nose and branding on the cheek. Now THAT was cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court, in its decision, said that persons deemed retarded -- with an IQ of 70 or less -- and judged guilty of a capital crime, cannot be executed. In so rul... ...Retarded citizens who do not know right from wrong should be exempted from the death penalty -- but not given blanket absolution by a Supreme Court, which has relied in this latest of many recent rulings not on the Constitution, but on a preferred outcome. Such reasoning will come seat to haunt us in situations where the outcome is less desirable. WORKS CITED Atkins v Virginia. http//supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-8452.ZS.html Norton, Thomas James. The Constitution of the United States, p. 224. Trop v. Dulles. http//sunsite.berkeley.edu/meiklejohn/meik-1_4/index.html

Addressing Safety in Home Care Essay -- Health Care, Registered Nurses

A universal aspiration for all Registered Nurses (RN) and workplace environments is to create a safe atmosphere for both the client and employees. The RN has an covenant to ensure, a culture of safety by using established occupational health and safety practices, and other safety measures to protect client, self and colleagues from injury or potentially abusive situations (Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, 2007, p. 11). This competency guides RNs to provide and advocate safe practice environments. Thus, the issue this piece of music will discuss is Occupational health and Safety (OH&S). The population being foc employd on is home care, which is, care provided to patients in their homes to restore their functional capacity, to allow them to manage their care independently, and to enable them to remain safely in the community (Panasci, 2009, p.190). The writer received consent from the Home Support Team Manager from the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR) wh o will be referred to as O.S. By conducting an interview in conjunction with O.S, the writer gained insight into the managers role, challenges, and ensuring OH&S practices. For the all-inclusive interview refer to Appendix A. This paper will depict the essence of OH&S, the manager and writers approaches and strategies to resolving the challenges. Management ChallengeThe challenge that was the focus of the interview was OH&S in a home care environment and the difficulties associated with the implementation of minimizing occupational hazards. OH&S prevents and protects employees from workplace hazards (Chadwick & Doyle, 2008). The six types of health and safety hazards are biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical, psychosocial, and safety (Chadwick &... ...hem and if they decide not to use them, the manager could give a verbal warning for the first incident and for the second incident, give a written warning. The manager could also use this manoeuvre with rock salt or kitty litter (Fox, 2011). ConclusionThe determination of maintaining a safe environment for both the workers and clients in home care is key. This goal is a constant issue in home care with the most significant hazards indentified are violence and environmental hazards that were addressed. O.Ss management philosophy was comparison with what literature was explaining. The writer explains how having a constant evaluatory tool may help with maintaining a safe environment for both client and staff. Most importantly, one of the nurse values and ethical responsibilities is, providing safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care (Code of Ethics, 2008, p. 8).

Botox Essay -- Fashion Health Appearance Botox Essays

BotoxWhen people think of new fashion trends they normally think of clothes, only if the newest beauty craze that has hit the middle age market is Botox. Botox injection therapy, although not completely new, has come out golf shot since being approved for use in cosmetic improvements in 2002. Botox is used to eliminate the look of aging by reducing the appearance of wrinkles on the face, neck and hands. Most commonly, patients use Botox to eliminate crows feet around the eyes, wrinkles on the forehead, and frown or laugh lines. It has become such a popular and user friendly alternative to traditional cosmetic surgery, legion(predicate) women and even celebrities host Botox parties to share the experience with their friends. Botox parties are held in private homes, in doctors suites, at hotels and even spas. Celebrities such as Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna and even Sylvester Stallone are rumored to have gone under the Botox needle but only a few such as Joan Rivers have credited Boto x to helping their skin look younger. Although Botox has been promoted as the miracle cure for aging, for many people who suffer from debilitating disorders or chronic pain, it has proven to be a wonder drug.So, what is Botox? Botox is the market name for type A botulinum toxin which is a purified form of the toxin produced by the bacteria, clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is commonly associated with food poisoning and is lethal in large doses. The botulism toxin could paralyze vital muscles undeniable for breathing. Although related to botulism food poisoning, the amounts of Botox given are so minimal and localized, that the toxin will not spread to any other muscles in the body, thus making it a safe and harmless procedure. When used cosmetically, tiny amo... ...octor to go through voice therapy. The therapy was to help her extend the effects of injection as well as to give her control over her new voice. So although Botox may be the newest beauty craze sweeping Hollywood, i ts important not to remit its importance as treatment for many illnesses and disorders. It not only has the ability to crap years off someones face, but it can as well save lives. Botox has provided relief for my mom from a disorder that was taking over her life and it has given her the opportunity to communicate again. The first time my mom was able to speak without any interruptions was a special moment it brought tears to my eyes and it brought a brighter future for her. The ability to talk is something that most of us take for granted. Botox has allowed my mom to keep her job. Botox is a miracle drug and should be given the credit it deserves.

Intergrating Technology And Le :: essays research papers fc

The face of business has changed. engine room has taken over or enhanced traditional ways of communication such as face-to-face fundamental interaction and mail. It isn&8217t necessary to wait 7 business days to hear a reply from a customer anymore. In fact, it could take less than 7 minutes through the use of a phone, email, or fax. The Board of Trustees can have a video conference when they are 6,000 miles apart from each other. However, with the benefits of technology, has fundamental principle such as attractership been overlooked? Leadership used to focus around personal interaction when meetings would be held in a conference inhabit and tasks would be accomplished by people standing side by side to each other. Leadership is a necessary component to the success of any business or organization. Leadership says, &8220I care about you to the customer. Used correctly, technology can enhance the practice of leadership in today&8217s businesses and organizations. It is necessary , though, that some personal interaction remain to show people that the business is still customer oriented. Leadership can be divided into three categories mentoring, risk-taking, and facilitating. Although at that place are many attributes and characteristics of a leader, these three are the most important in today&8217s business and organizations. Most other skills of a leader would fall under these three categories. For example, being trustworthy and loyal would fit under the mentoring aspect. Risk-taking would include courage. Being group-motivated and having the ability to make decisions would fall under facilitating. Technology can be applied to each of these categories to enhance the business or organization&8217s success. No business is complete without leadership and today, leadership is non complete without technology. MentoringWhat is a mentor? In Homer&8217s Odyssey, Mentor was the teacher of Telemachus, the son of Odyssius. But Mentor was more than a teacher. He was half-god and half-man half-male and half-female credible and yet unreachable. Mentor was the union of both goal and path, wisdom personified. In today&8217s society, the same principles apply. Mentors teach and guide others. They inspire and convey a sense of vision to the people around them. Proverbs 2918 reads that where there is no vision, the people perish. Effective leaders do not allow this to happen. They note the team energized until the vision is no longer a dream, but a reality. Leaders walk the talk and this creates the trust and respect necessary to achieve the team&8217s purpose.

Intergrating Technology And Le :: essays research papers fc

The face of line of work has changed. Technology has taken over or enhanced traditional ways of host such as face-to-face interaction and mail. It isn&8217t necessary to wait 7 ancestry days to hear a reply from a customer anymore. In fact, it could take less than 7 minutes through the use of a phone, email, or fax. The Board of Trustees spate have a video conference when they are 6,000 miles apart from each other. However, with the benefits of technology, has fundamentals such as leadership been overlooked? Leadership used to focus around personal interaction when meetings would be held in a conference room and tasks would be accomplished by people standing side by side to each other. Leadership is a necessary component to the success of any business or organization. Leadership says, &8220I care about you to the customer. Used correctly, technology can enhance the get along of leadership in today&8217s businesses and organizations. It is necessary, though, that some personal interaction remain to show people that the business is still customer oriented. Leadership can be divided into three categories mentoring, risk-taking, and facilitating. Although there are many attributes and characteristics of a leader, these three are the most important in today&8217s business and organizations. Most other skills of a leader would fall under these three categories. For example, being arroganceworthy and loyal would fit under the mentoring aspect. Risk-taking would include courage. Being team-motivated and having the qualification to make decisions would fall under facilitating. Technology can be applied to each of these categories to enhance the business or organization&8217s success. No business is complete without leadership and today, leadership is not complete without technology. learningWhat is a mentor? In Homer&8217s Odyssey, Mentor was the ascertainer of Telemachus, the son of Odyssius. But Mentor was more than a teacher. He was half-god and half-man half-male and half-female believable and yet unreachable. Mentor was the union of both goal and path, wisdom personified. In today&8217s society, the same principles apply. Mentors teach and guide others. They inspire and convey a sense of vision to the people around them. Proverbs 2918 reads that where there is no vision, the people perish. Effective leaders do not allow this to happen. They keep the team energized until the vision is no longer a dream, but a reality. Leaders walk the talk and this creates the trust and respect necessary to achieve the team&8217s purpose.

Advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad Essay

Almost every student around the world wishes to pursue his or her breeding. However, every issue has its pros and cons. In order to making a better decision, one has to explore contrastive aspects of a plan.Studying abroad lets you experience things you hit never faced them before. It gives you the opportunity to communicate with different people who have different religions and speak different languages. This will improve your social skills. In addition, when you alumna from a university in a foreign country, It will make you much prestigious. In work life and in your personal life, It will bring more respect for you. To them, you are a person who experiences a different world with different inhabitants. Needless to say, this prestige will help you to find jobs with more salaries.On the other hand, when you leave your hometown and migrate to another country to continue your study, some obstacles may show up. For one thing, you must be away from your family and your intimate fri ends for a while. No doubt, your relationship will fade away if you dont try to keep in touch with them. Moreover, you are exposed to an environment where everybody else acts and behaves different from what you have learned before. They also expect you to express yourself using their culture. Furthermore, your costs most likely are higher and your income is less than in your country. Because you are a foreigner to these new people, you barely find an appropriate job with a high salary at first.All in all, going abroad in order to continue the education has some advantages and disadvantages. After a thorough consideration of merits and demerits of it, I decide to put all my vigor and pursue my education abroad.

My Alignment with the Values of the Bank Essay

According to Business Dictionary 2010, values can be defined as the important and enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is desirable and what is not. Each person has his or her own individual values and so does organizations. The values of organizations order its actions and behaviors. Corporate values can be said to play an important role in an organization and is imperative to success. And Access cashbox PLC is known for its internality values which are Excellence, Leadership, Empowered employees, Passion for customers, Professionalism, and Innovation. These values can be said to be responsible for its excellence and continuous assay to be the stovepipe both locally and globally. To attain a successful alignment betwixt individual and organization values, there needs to be a synergy between the employee and the organization he or she works for.My alignment with these values are in no doubt because I as an individual always strive to be the outstrip and these values should be cultivated by any individual or organization that strive to be the best. Firstly the value of Leadership, I as an individual that strive for excellence always want to be the leader. I strive to acquire all the necessary knowledge and expertise that makes me live on out as a leader that others look up to. So in this vein, contributing and believing in the Leadership value of Access Bank PLC is something that will come as second nature to me. Then there is excellence. This being part of my daily mantra is a value that aligning with will in addition come as second nature. I and Access Bank both believe in the value of excellence. As someone who strive to be the best and excel. Excellence is a watch word that applies to everything I do. I recognize the importance

Female Education Essay

The history of progress of the human race is the history of education. Hence it is necessary or either person, man or woman, to be educate. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Women should be educated like men otherwise there can be no quiescence or no progress. If you yoke an unbroken (untrained) horse with a highly trained one, the carriage will be dashed to pieces and the occupants lives will be destroyed. The family stillness cannot be preserved with much(prenominal) ill-matched life-long companions.Napoleon was once asked what the greatest need of France was. He answered, Motherlands National progress is impossible without trained and educated mothers. If the women in any country are not educated, about half . he people in that country will be Ignorant. The result is that such a country will not be equal to go along with other nations in development and progress. Ill There is a tell apart controversy going on in Pakistan their women should receive her educatio n or not.Orthodox people are in party favor of female education, but they us opposed to giving them higher education but this view does not sound welt. If women are mentally fit to receive higher education, there seems to be no reason why they should not be allowed to develop their mental faculties. There is other group of liberal people which Ii In favor of the female education. To give them still the rudiments of knowledge, while they are eager for advanced studies, is to condemn them to a place of inferiority.A woman has to play 3 distinct pests in the course of her life in each of which certain duties are expected of her. If she is able to do these well, she is worthy of being called perfect woman. It is only by the help of education that she can hope to be able to do them satisfactorily. The first duty of a woman is to be a veracious daughter. Th. second is to be a darling wife and the third is to be a good mother. Education Leeches a woman what she should be. It also teach es her how she should do it to be a good daughter, a good wife and a good mother.Many men overleap their evening time at clubs and societies. But a gentleman with an educated wife will not feel the need of clubs and societies. He can share his thoughts with her and seek her advice in trouble. Ho can spend his leisure Lime in her company. An educated lady will be a good Mend, a clever nurse and a useful advisor to her husband. She will be a true helpmate. She can retain her husbands affection and regard. An uneducated lady is always unable to share in his interests. There is a saying in English.The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. The meaning is this that the mother exercises a very great influence over the lives of her children and is able to mould their thoughts and characters. If she is educated, she will make such an impression on the mind of her child, that it will enable him in later life to grow into a good and great man. Thus education will enable women to make th eir parents, husbands and children truly happy. Consequently it is very important that women should be educated.

A Little Wiggle Room

Today we will be looking at two articles pen by University of California Psychology Director Craig Haney. He specializes in the assessment of institutional environments especially the psychological effects of incarceration.He has written several scholarly articles and is mingled in many research projects mostly specializing in the effect of incarceration and overcrowding, making headway into the understanding of the effect an overtaxed system has on an individual.He looks at issues such as recidivism, prison violence, mental and emotional disorders and the long term effect of solitary or supermax facilities when inflicted on lower security inmates due to overpopulation.In these two articles empower The Wages of Prison Overcrowding and Prison Overcrowding Harmful Consequences and Dysfunctional Reactions I believe Haney tries to not only explain the great toll that overcrowding has on an individual as well as the taxpayer, but offers results to ease out of the current trend spendi ng more tax dollars converting facilities into sleeping quarters.There is a clear stand between the restriction of living space and the occurrence of disciplinary violations. (Haney 2) Haney goes on to point out the fact that when a prison is filled beyond its capacity, there is slight of everything to go around, causing hoarding, violence and tension between prisoners.Prisoners are forced to do without basic necessities such as showers and toilets being forced to deferment for availability increasing tension inside the facility.Guards are left unable to view as the already agitated population caused when people who may already be lacking social skills necessary to function in everyday life are forced to live in close quarters with others. The current solution most prisons call for is more staff, better armaments for the staff, and better punitive measures with which to control the inmates, making the prison more painful and harmful to the inmates.Areas normally reserved for r ecreational facilities make way for bed space with basic security contributing to inmate idleness and inactivity further worsening the problem.The prisoners are left with less to do and less outlets for releasing tension, the rates of prisoner animosity towards each other rises, as well as towards the guards.Facilities generally used to rehabilitate prisoners, such as education and prison work facilities are transformed into bed space, leaving prisoners with unfilled needs, adding to the problem of recidivism.He has shown that a majority of prisoners read at or below a third grade level calling them marginally literate (Haney 5) and points out they leave prison in very often the same condition.Unprepared and therefore unable to function as normal productive citizens with a lack of education and basic job skills, they return to their old ship canal and end up back inside the system in much the same condition they left prison in.In his articles Haney attempts to inform not and his f ellow scholars, but also the individual states and penal systems on the effects they are having on the people theYincarcerate.How being pushed through a system also overworked to notice a prisoner with special needs such as mental of emotional disabilities can have a serious effect on the people they are forced to live in close quarters with. This eventually leads to a breakdown of the prisoner moral, leading to dissention, and prison violence.These articles are a great starting point for any discussion into prison life, recidivism, prison overcrowding or assessments on how tax dollars should be spent. I share the authors belief that if nothing is done and eventual breakdown of the prison system is inevitable.He points out that the current solution, bringing in more weapons and more brutal tactics by guards can have an even worse effect on the individual prisoner, causing low risk inmates into recidivism. Tactics that enforce order and control over inmates rather than improving li ving conditions often worsen violence inside prison walls.Rather than deal with the issues that caused the potential violence in the first rest home they fight fire with fire. While (overcrowding) is not the only cause of the sometimes dangerous conditions and potential for abuse that exists in many of our nations prisons, it is a central and critical issue that must be effectively addressed if these other problems are to be solved. (Haney 12)SourcesHaney, Craig. Prison Overcrowding Harmful Consequences and Dysfunctional Reactions. prisoncommission.org. 2 Nov 2008. outfit of Safety and Abuse inAmericas Prisons. 3 Feb. 2009 Haney, Craig. The Wages of Prison Overcrowding Harmful Psychological Consequences and Dysfunctional Correctional Reactions. http//law.wustl.edu/. 5 Dec. 2008. Washington University Law School. 3 Feb. 2009.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 3

Youre such a dork, DougFuck, that hurtDoug Sato, the other dys period of playctional assistant manager here and iodin of the well-nigh entertaining mortals I knew, pulled off the rubber mask hed been wearing, revealing the beautiful features hed inherited from his Japanese ancestors. He rubbed his forehead, giving me a wounded scowl. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the mask was no that of a demon but rather D prowessh Maul from The Phantom Menace. I should get hold of fill inn. no.self-respecting demon would thrust had that many horns.What be you doing? I leaned down to pick up my scattered belongings. Halloween was, bid, a week ago.Yeah, I know. Everythings on sale. I got this for three dollars.You got ripped off.Boy, youre whiz(a) to nag, dud I-Show-Up-When-I-Feel-Like-It. Youre lucky its honest me here.Why are you here?Doug and I held the same position. On days when we overlapped, we usually worked different shifts, not identical ones. It was for the trump. We usu ally put off each other enough to accomplish the work of one person. Some convictions less.He grabbed the choke pole of the rolling desk moderate and amazingly flipped his body into it, the impact of which caused the chair to roll half-way across the office. Paige called me in. Shes sick.Paige, our manager, was more or less six months pregnant. Is she okay?Dunno. If she gets get out, shell come in later.He spun well-nigh the room a few times, so rolled up to the desk and beat out a fast rhythm on it with his reach. I presumed the cadence was from one of his bands songs.Jesus, youre wound up forthwith. You get lucky last shadow?I get lucky constantlyy night, Kincaid.Whatever. Your demon mask was more believable than that.Okay, maybe Im not getting lucky every night unspoilt now, but thats going to change. The groups getting fucking amazing.Ive always thought you guys were fucking amazing, I stated loyally.Doug shook his head, dark fondnesss al closely feverishly bright . Oh no. You cant take down believe it now. We got this new drummer, and suddenlyits just like, I dont knowwere doing things weve never done before.I frowned. Because of one drummer?No, I mean, its all of us. Hes just one of the good things thats happened. Its likeeverythings just clicking into go forth. You ever occupy days like that? When everything is perfect? Well, were having weeks like that. Songs. Gigs. Style. His enthusiasm was palpable, and it do me smile. Were even playing the Verona.Seriously?Yup.Thats a major venue. I mean, its not like the Tacoma Dome or anything, but thusly, they wouldnt let you play there anyway if you didnt have a monster transport worked into the act.He spun the chair around over again. You should come see it. A bunch of the other staff is. Itll be the greatest night of your life.I dont know. Ive had a push-down storage of great nights.Second best then. Unless youre thinking of joining my groupies. Id let you be their leader, you know. You could always have first dibs on me.I rolled my eyes, then glum pensive as the sex jokes re objected me of my recent solidification issues.Hey Doug, do you think men and women can date without having sex?He had been tipping way sticker in the chair and suddenly snapped forward. Oh my God. You are thinking of joining the groupies.Im serious. Two slew dating without sex. Fact or fantasy?Okay, okay. For how long? A week?No. Like, months.Are they Amish?No.Are they ugly?Er, no.No.No what?No, they cant do it. Not in this day and age. Why do you want to know?No reason.He cut me an arch carry. Of course not. He didnt know about Seth and me, but he did know me.Our phones intercom came to life just then, asking for backup on the registers.Paper rock scissors? Doug asked, spinning the chair around again.Nah, Ill go. I should make up for my tardiness. Besides, I think you guide to come down from your caffeine high. Or your megalomania high. Not sure which.He flashed me a grin and turned to the paused game of Tetris on our voiced reckoner.Truthfully, I didnt mind going out anyway. I worked for the fun of it, not the money. Immortality was long, and vocation and daily work sort of regulated kind existence, even if I wasnt technically human anymore. It just felt right to be doing something, and unlike so many other unfortunate souls in this world, I actually liked what I did for a living.I checked in on Seth a few times as I worked throughout the day, drank a lot of white-chocolate mochas, and dealt with what was becoming a heavy flow of business as the holiday season grew ever closer. At one point, I finally did have to pull Doug out with me. I found him in our office, still playingTetris.I opened my mouth to make a joke about his work ethic and then caught sight of the computer screen. He played Tetris on a regular basis, so I was familiar with the game and his prowess, but what I saw now blew my mind. His score was the highest Id ever seen, and he was at such an a dvanced level now that the pieces zoomed down the screen. I couldnt follow them. Yet, he caught and placed them all, never scatty a beat.My God, I muttered. There was no way his hands and reflexes could be responding like that. The computer would probably implode at any moment. I guess everything real is clicking into place for you lately. He laughed, either at my pun or my astonishment. Need me out there?Yeahthough it seems so wasteful now compared to thismastery. Like interrupting Michelangelo.Doug shrugged obligingly, boot out down the game, and followed me out. I think the computer was relieved. He and I worked together cheerfully for the rest of my shift. His good mood over the bands success kept him dapper and lively, making the day fly by. When it was time for me to go, I offered to close for him since hed had to come in unexpectedly early. He waved me off.Forget about it. Go do something fun tonight.As I was leaving the store, I passed a rack of magazines and saw a copy of the latest issue of American Mystery. In big letters, one of the headlines read Cady and ONeill Return Seth Mortensen gives us an exclusive novella.Eek. What a bad girlfriend I was. Seth had told me about this storys upcoming appearance, and Id completely forgotten about it. It had just come out yesterday. Apparently being with him regularly was distracting me from his art. Before the publication of his last novel, Id literally marked off days on my schedule until its release. Longing washed over me, but I knew I couldnt read this story tonight. Bastien had left me a cell phone message saying hed cede by my place later, and I had a feeling hed distract me for most of the evening.Tomorrow, I promised myself. Id read the story tomorrow.Id just settled in back stead when Bastien showed up bearing Thai food.How was the literary world today? he asked as we had a picnic on my living room floor. Aubrey respected sharply from a discreet distance, her eyes fixed covetously on a contai ner of green curry. Pad Thai did cypher for her.Weird, I reflected, recalling sleeping in late, Dougs behavior, and the frenetic pace of early holiday shopping. Yours?It was clear from his expression hed been dying to tell me this from the moment hed cleared my door.Fantastic. I moved into the house today. You should see the neighborhood. Its the American Dream and then some. Big appliances. Manicured lawns. Three-car garages.Three cars? Do you even have a car?Sure do. Company car.Hmphf. No one ever gave me a company car.Thats because you arent on the verge of the Seduction of the Century. I even met her al constitute.Dana?First day, and she comes to me Can you believe it? Its like I dont even have to do anything. This operation just runs itself. I am its in additionl. Its plaything even or rather, Danas plaything.I dont know about that, I noted dryly, unless youre going to add that she jumped on you and ripped your clothes off today too.Well, no. She actually just came by to we lcome me to the neighborhood. scarce, she did also invite me to a party shes hosting. A Barbecue in November. Charming, huh?Adorable. Nothing I hunch forward better than eating hot dogs in the cold.He elbowed me. Its a theme, Fleur . Its fun. And its all indoors. You know, youre turning into a regular cynic lately.Not cynical. Just still speculative of this whole thing. It seems overly elaborate for what it is. A lot of work for one lay.One lay? He tsked me and shook his head. Let me see your laptop.I retrieved it from my bedchamber and returned to find Aubrey licking the edges of my plate. I shooed her away and handed Bastien the computer. A few quick clicks, and he soon had the Committee for the Preservation of Family Values website open. Danas organization. Most of her radio broadcasts were archived and on tap(predicate) for download. He picked one, and we finished the rest of our meal to the sound of her rich, melodic voice.The first broadcast concerned homosexuality. The CPFV maintained an appearance of sugarcoated goodness, a desire to help people and improve American life. Consequently, because being openly racist or sexist was not good for ones image anymore, the organization only espoused views slanted in those directions in subtle ways. Blatantly condemning homosexuality, however, was not entirely taboo yet unfortunately and the bulk of this broadcast involved Dana oozing on about the impressiveness of helping those people to understand the true way both nature and God intended love to be. Toleration of such misguided lifestyles, she claimed, would lead to a breakdown in our families. The children. For Gods sake, think of the children.Her succeeding(a) broadcast damned the abominable state of todays clothing. School uniforms and fashion censoring were the only ways to go. How could we expect preadolescent girls to grow up with any self-respect when they walked around dressed like sluts? It led to sexual acts they werent ready for, not to mention instilling in them the image that their value came from appearance, not character.I thought of the lacy purple thong I wore under my jeans just then. What was wrong with character and sex appeal?The ternary one we listened to concerned the futility of teaching teenagers about safe sex and contraception. Abstinence training was the way to go. Keep them in pure ignorance. End of story.Enough, I verbalize at that point. Her shallow, prejudiced values cloaked in so-called love and kindness unsettled the food in my stomach.Bastien grinned. Still think its just one lay?I stretched back on my carpet, resting my feet on his lap. He massaged them for me. I hate hypocrites, good or evil. Doesnt matter what theyre touting.You should hear some of her background, some of the historic issues shes advocated for with her group. Lovely stuff there I researched her all day. I can pull it up for you. I held up a hand. No, please. I believe you. The boeuf must fall, okay? If I had a sword , Id tap your shoulders and send you off with my blessings.He lay down beside me. Well, why dont you take a front-row seat then? Come to the party with me. Im sure no one would mind if Mitch brought his sister.Party on the Eastside? My blessing only goes so far.Oh, come on. Admit it. You have a perverse desire to meet her in the flesh. Besides, its been a while since youve seen me in action. You might pick up on a few things. construct some pointers.Laughing, I rolled over on my side to better study him. Like I need pointers from you.He rolled to his side as well, smirking. Yeah? Then prove it. Lets go out tonight. Lets go hunting.My smile diminished. What?Just like the old days. Well find some club, work up a sweat, then tag respective fixes for the night.Bittersweet memories flashed into my brain, recalling the French cabarets of the nineteenth century. Bastien and I would go out in fine form, separate, and meet back in the morning time to laugh and brag about our conquests. The game no longer held much appeal. I dont do that anymore. I told you that.Yeah, but youve still got to survive.I am surviving. I got a fix just a couple days ago. Im set for a while. Bastien scowled. A few days ago? Bleh. This writer guys making you boring. Hey, it has nothing to do with him. Its my choice.Sure.Whats with the tone?Not sure. I mean, I thought the whole writer-dating thing was amusing at first even if he seems kind of stifle and will probably only end up causing you pain. But now Im starting to think its indicative of a larger issue with you. I mean, theres the whole nice guy hang-up to begin with. Then youre, what? An assistant manager at a track recordstore? Not to mention the fact that you have a cat.Aubrey glared, and so did I. Theres nothing wrong with having a cat. And Seth isnt dull.I suppose youd know better. He just didnt really strike me as much, thats all. If you cherished to obsess about a mortal, I could find you a better one.I dont want a better one. I mean, there is no better one. I want him.Suit yourself. Youre just becoming ordinary, thats all. You used to be extraordinary.Ouch. All this because I wont go out with you tonight?Bastien shrugged.Okay then. Well go. But no victim for me.Fair enough.We went down to a club in Pioneer Square, both of us groomed to the kind of sexy, beautiful perfection that only an cargo and a succuba could achieve. I had pulled my hair up in messy, sex-kitten glory and wore a baby blue tank top with a V-neck that almost went to my tummy button. The opening was covered in very sheer lace and made wearing a bra utterly pointless. So I didnt.The tension amongst us evaporated as we hit the dance floor. The rhythm pulsed through me, the movement and sweat intoxicating. Bastien and I danced together for a while, both of us aware of the admirers we drew, even in a packed room like this. Physical attraction was about so much more than just superficial appearance. It was about eye contact, outgoingness , and movement too. Incubi and succubi learn this early on, and the good ones move with a grace few mortals can match. I, who had danced well before becoming a succubus, knew I was among the best when it came to body language. Watching us was irresistible. A turn-on in itself.After a while, we split up. The results of the succubus game distressed me sometimes, but the game itself was fun. really fun. I moved from partner to partner, thriving on the effect I created, on the desire I could see mounting in those whose bodies mine toyed with. It was why, disrespect my frequent bitching, I had given up my mortal soul for this vocation.I confess, that the thought of going home with someone grew tantalizing, my body warming to the idea of someones hands upon me, but then I thought about Seth and his determined adherence to the arrangement wed entered into. No. No superfluous victims for me tonight. I could be good. I wanted to be good. Id wait until I actually needed a recharge.From acro ss the room, Bastien inclined his head to me when he left the club, his arm around a small, entranced blonde. When he turned, I noticed a brunette in his other arm.Overachiever.It was two in the morning when I finally made it home. I woke aching and tired the next day, the weather making me feel worse. Rain formed a steady gray curtain as I walked to work. Everything seemed colder. I had been raised in a warm Mediterranean climate I could never quite accept these kinds of temperatures.When I showed up at the bookstore, it had once again opened without me. Oddly, though, despite exactly the same staff working today, I didnt get the same boisterous greetings as yesterday.Casey and Janice, on the registers, paused in their work to watch me walk in, their expressions enigmatic. Janice leaned over, murmuring something in the other womans ear. When they noticed my curious look, they both forced smiles. Hey, Georgina.Hey, I responded, puzzled and slightly uncomfortable.Passing by the infor mation desk a moment later, I found Beth regarding me with an equally peculiar look.Hows it going? I asked when she didnt say anything.Fine. She hastily turned to the computer screen in front of her.Now, Id been subjected to my share of strange looks upon coming into work before, but this was weird even for me.Sometimes, after being with a lover, their absorbed life energy gave me a glamour that unconsciously attracted mortals. It was the same glow that Hugh had teased me about during poker. That was not to blame now, however. My last fix, as Id told Bastien, had occurred a few days ago. The glow would have weakened by now. Besides, I know entranced looks when I saw them. These were not it. These were curious, what-is-she-doing looks. The kind of looks you get when you have food on your face or a missing button. The likelihood of either of those seemed low, but I ducked into the restroom anyway, just to check.Nope. Flawless. A long denim skirt and a navy, off-the-shoulder sweater. B oth smooth and perfect. theme in place. Unbound hair hanging to the bottom of my shoulder blades. A typical look for me. Nothing to warrant this attention.Assuming I was reading too much into things, I continued on to thecafe,getting a friendly nod from Seth as he worked in his corner. At least he was behaving normally.A new barista bustled at the espresso bar, and she nearly dropped the cups she held upon seeing me.H-hi, she stammered out, wide-eyed, looking me over from head-to-toe.Hi, I returned. This woman didnt even know me. Why was she acting weirdly too? intermediate white-chocolate mocha.It took her a moment to churn into action, writing my order on a cup. As she rang it up at the register, she asked curiously, Youre Georgina, right?Um, yeah. Why?Just heard of you, thats all. She looked back down.She said no more to me after that, simply making and handing me the mocha. Taking it, I walked over to Seth and sat across from him. The barista continued watching us with interes t, though she right away turned away upon catching my eye.Hey, Seth greeted me, eyes and fingers busy.Hey, I returned. Everyones acting really weird today.He glanced up. Are they? I immediately recognized the thrall he fell into when his writing seized him. He became even more distracted and scattered than usual under such conditions. A succubus should be so lucky to have that kind of effect on a man.Yeah. Have you noticed anything? I feel like people are staring at me.He shook his head, stifling a yawn before returning to typing. Things seem the same to me. I like your sweater. Maybe its that.Maybe, I conceded, slightly mollified by the compliment, even if I didnt believe it. Not wanting to distract him further, I stood up and stretched. I should get back to work. Glancing over at the espresso bar, I noticed Andy, one of the cashiers, buying coffee. There I hissed to Seth. Did you see that?See what?Andy just smirked.No he didnt.He did. I swear it.When I went downstairs, back to th e main part of the store, I passed Warren. Mid-fifties and strikingly handsome, the stores morally questionable owner had once been a regular for me before Id promised Jerome Id go back to seducing good men. Warren and I had not had sex in some time. Considering my current regiment of decent souls, I kind of missed having an occasional guilt-free one.Hello, Georgina. I was relieved to see he at least didnt give me any of those gaping looks. Been up talking to Mortensen, I presume?Yes, I agreed, wondering if I was going to be chastised for not getting to work right away.Pity you had to take the stairs. We do have an elevator, you know. Now I stared open-mouthed. Of course we had an elevator. It was key operated, there for handicapped customers and shipment transport, and was almost never used otherwise. Yes. I know that.Warren winked at me and continued on his way upstairs. Just making sure. shaking my head, I went back to the main floor and took over a register, giving Andy his lunc h break. Janice and Casey remained stiff with me at first, eventually warming somewhat as time progressed. Other staff, moving in and out around me, continued to give me wondering looks, occasionally whispering to each other when they thought I wouldnt notice.When Seth passed by at one point to tell me he had to run errands but would see me later, I thought Beth dropping off a book might pass out.All right, I exclaimed once Seth was gone, whats going on here?Casey, Beth, and Janice all turned sheepish.Nothing, Georgina, honest. Beth gave me what was apparently supposed to be a winning smile. The others remained silent, faces perfectly innocent, nigh angelic.I didnt believe any of it, of course. Something weird was going on. Weirder than usual. I needed answers, and there was only one person in the store candid enough to give them to me. Shutting down my register, I stormed back to my office where Doug sat occupied by the computer.Bursting in, I opened my mouth, ready to rant and r ave. He jumped about two feet in the air at my sudden arrival, reflexes kicking in with astonishing speed so as not to slosh coffee from the cup he had just raised to his lips. There was a funny look on his face, almost like guilt. No suspect some other Tetris game was in progress.But it wasnt that that delayed my tirade. A strange feeling was creeping along my flesh a feeling that brushed my unending senses, rather than the usual five that accompanied a human body. It felt weird, almost uncomfortable. Like nails raking down a chalkboard. Nothing I could identify or had even ever felt before. I looked around the room, half-expecting to find another immortal lurking, even though that strange sensation didnt quite touch me like the signature Id usually feel off of an individual.Doug drank from the cup and then set it down, watching me with bemused calmness. Something I can help you with, Kincaid?Blinking, I gave the office another once-over and then shook my head. The feeling disa ppeared. What the hell? I could have blamed it on stress-induced imagination, but after over a millennium of succubus life, I doubted my immortal senses would start falling prey to hallucinations now. And yet the only thing in here that could possibly be construed as supernatural or divine was Dougs Tetris mastery. That, I thought wryly, had more to do with hours of skirting work than any sort of magic.Remembering my righteous fury, I pushed aside that momentary outlandishness and ratcheted my anger back up to the other weirdness in my life.What the fuck is going on? I exclaimed, slamming the door.My sweet Tetriss kills?No With everyone Why is everyone treating me so oddly today? They keep staring at me like Im a freak or something.Dougs expression stayed baffled, and then I saw understanding flood his face. Ah. That. You really dont know?I could have grabbed his neck and shook him. Of course I dont know Whats going on?Casually, he moved some papers around on the desk and lifted u p a copy of American Mystery. You read Seths story yet?I havent had time.He tossed me the magazine. Do it. Go take your dinner party break somewhere not here and read. I wont leave until you get back.Looking at the time, I realized his shift was nearly over. But whats that got to do with He held up a hand to silence me. Just read it. Now.Scowling, I took the magazine and left the store, settling myself at one of my favoritecafesdown the street. With clam chowder secured, I turned to the first page, wondering what in the world Doug expected me to find.As Seth had explained a few weeks ago, the story was more of a self-contained mystery, traffic little with the overarching psychology and development of his characters. Cady and ONeill worked for a fictitious institute based out of Washington, D.C., one that researched and secured archaeological and artistic relics. Thus, the two often found themselves liberating art from international thieves or uncovering mysterious code on a piec e of pottery. In traditionally gendered styles, Bryant ONeill worked as a sort of field agent, doing most of the physical work, getting into a lot of fist-fights and whatnot. Demure Nina Cady focused on the research, often staying up late to unravel some key piece of turn out in an ancient text.This particular story contained a lot of those same elements, but like always, Seths beautiful writing and quick, witty dialogue kept the stuff captivating. In another trend consistent with his characters behavior, ONeill almost always got involved with some beautiful woman, though Seths last book had turned this pattern on its head, letting Cady finally see some action. The story I read today fell into old ways, and ONeill, in his ever suave manner, made the moves on a stunning museum curatorGenevieve sauntered through the halls, a queen among subjects, surveying people and displays with both calculation and command. With those green-flecked hazel eyes, she put him in mind of a cat sizing up its next meal. He felt exactly like prey as she paused in front of him, favoring him with a languid look that oozed over his body, her tongue lightly moistening bee-stung lips.Oh God, to be a mouse, he thought.Mr. ONeill, she purred, brushing a lock of that shining hair away from her face. Faint streaks of dulcify laced those pale brown strands, like gold veins in ore. He wanted to bury his face in it. He wanted to taste it. Youre late. disdain nearly a foot separating their heights, he felt like the underling here, like he should do penance for his tardiness and kneel in her presence. Not that he would mind that so much, he decided, trying not to stare at the way her dresss thin material molded itself to her hips and full breasts. Those breasts, he decided, were perfect. Definitely impressive in size, but not grotesquely out of control. And their shapeah, even a master sculptor could never have duplicated those exquisite curvesRealizing she expected a response, he filed his bas e thoughts away under L for Later and gave her an unruffled smile.My apologies. Now probably wasnt the time to mention the attack back at his hotel. But I never rush anything. At least not when a womans involved. With that being only the mildest of the suggestive dialogue, I wasnt surprised when things escalated between them near the end of the story. After all, I thought dryly, it wouldnt be a true Cady and ONeill experience if someone didnt score. And man, did he score. The feline comparisons were right on because Genevieve was a cat in heat. She ended up tying ONeill up in an elevator, performing an array of kinky acts on him that made even me raise an eyebrow. I was surprised American Mystery hadnt edited them out, though Id be lying if I said it wasnt sort of a turn-on to realize such sordidness had come from mild, contented Elevator?We do have an elevator, you know, Warren had told me.Light brown hair. Hazel-green eyes. Petite. Nice breasts.Ahh I cried, dropping the magazine as if it might bite me. It landed next to my now-empty bowl, and a passing waitress gave me a startled look. Hastily leaving a wad of cash on the table, I grabbed my coat and purse and sprinted back to the bookstore. Doug was still playing Tetris in our office, but I was too upset to speculate much on what was again an amazing performance.All those looks. The whispers and smirks. It all made sense now.They think its me I told him, making him jump for the second time that day. Genevieve. They all think Im some sort of horny, rope-wielding, elevator-fetish dominatrixDoug raised an eyebrow. You mean you arent?

Schooling for Children with Special Needs: Education

For the well-being of their children with disabilities or special(prenominal) needs, parents are often faced with the difficult decision of whether to attempt to integrate the child into a public school system or send him or her to a special school. Before the Education for All Handicapped Children Act or unexclusive Law (PL) 94/142 was enacted in 1975, public schools educated only 1 out of 5 children with disabilities.This act required all public schools accepting federal official funds, to provide equal access to education for children with physical and mental disabilities. This education was to free, in the least restrictive environment and appropriate to their individual needs. The act similarly required that school districts provide administrative procedures so that parents of disabled children could dispute decisions made about their childrens education. The ultimate goal was to help students live much independent lives in their communities.Mainstreaming or inclusion in the context of education is a term that refers to the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during particular proposition time periods, with supplementary aids and services if needed, based on their skills. This means regular education classes are combined with special education classes. Schools that practice mainstreaming entrust that special needs students who cannot function in a regular classroom to a certain extent belong to the special education environment.Segregation or undertaking in education refers to the catering to students with special educational needs, in a special school e. g. because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities. This means the individual determined in this environment is systematically monitored by teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings and other interventions designed to help them achieve their goals. Many writers have voiced on that point opinion, through their pen, on whethe r a special ed. tudent should be educated in a special setting or be mainstreamed/included in the general/public schools. One writers view is that Separate is not equal, and it certainly is not better. Simply stated, he is saying when students with special needs are separated they do not get the opportunity for socializing in or with the community, a skill that will assist them to establish productive members of society (Spitzer-Resnick). Witt, another writer said the disabled student should learn alongside his non-disabled classmates as often as possible (Witt 2003).

Taj People Philosphy and Star System

The employee at Taj is viewed as an asset and is the real profit centre. He or she is the very reason for our survival. The creation of the Taj People philosophy displays our commitment to and belief in our sight. We want an organisation with a very clear philosophy, where we can treasure people and build from within. * Bernard Martyris.Senior Vice-President, HR, Indian Hotels go with Limited (IHCL)Introduction In March 2001, the Taj Group launched an employee loyalty program c every(prenominal)ed the Special Thanks and Recognition System (STARS). STARS was an initiative aimed at motivating employees to egest their usual duties and responsibilities and have fun during work. This program in like manner acknow conductged and rewarded hard working employees who had achieved excellence in their work.The Taj Group had always believed that their employees were their greatest assets and the very reason for the survival of their business. In 2000, to show its commitment to and belief i n employees, the Taj Group developed the Taj People doctrine (TPP), which covered all the people practices of the sort. TPP considered every facial gesture of employees organisational line of achievement planning, right from their induction into the company till their superannuation.TPP offered many benefits to the Taj Group. It helped the company boost the morale of its employees and improve service standards, which in turn resulted in double customers for many hotels in the group. The STAR system also led to global recognition of the Taj Group of hotels in 2002 when the group bagged the Hermes Award for Best Innovation in Human Resources in the global cordial reception industry.The Taj People Philosophy Since its establishment, the Taj Group had a people-oriented culture. The group always leased fresh graduates from surviveing hotel management institutes all over India so that it could shape their attitudes and develop their skills in a way that fitted its needs and culture . The management wanted the new recruits to pursue a long-term career with the group. All new employees were placed in an intensive two-year training program, which familiarised them with the business ethos of the group, the management practices of the organisation, and the working of the cross-functional departments.The employees of the Taj Group were trained in varied fields like sales and marketing, finance, hospitality and service, front office management, food and beverages, projects, HR and more. They also had to take part in various leadership programs, so that they could develop in them a strong, warm and professional work culture. Through these programs, the group was able to assess the future potential of the employees and the training required to progress develop their skills. The group offered excellent opportunities to employees both on personal as well as organisational front. In order to achieve Taj standards, employees were made to undergo a rigorous training progr am. The group strove hard to standardise to all its processes and evolve a work culture, which appealed to all its employees universally.The group believed that talent management was of utmost importance to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. The group aimed at making the HR function a critical business partner, rather than just a support function. To further show its commitment to and belief in employees, the group created the Taj People Philosophy (TPP) covering all people practices of the group. The concept of TPP, developed in 199,was the brainchild of Bernard Martyris, Senior Vice-President, HR, IHCL, and his core team. The concept, originally planned to be called as The Womb to Tomb Approach, covered all the aspects of an employees career, from joining the group until his/her retirement. TPP was based on the mention points of the Taj employee charter. Key Points of the Taj CharterSome of the key points of the Taj Charter are given below* Every employee of the Taj Gr oup would be an grand member in the Taj family.* The Taj family would always strive to attract, retain and reward the best talent in the industry.* The Taj family would commit itself to formal communication channels, which would foster transparency.It was developed in line with the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM). Explaining the rationale for implementing the philosophy, Martyris said, It is to achieve that international benchmarking in hospitality, and HR must fit into it. check to him, the three major flying fields of TPP include work systems and processes, l compassing and development and employee welfare.As part of the TPP, the Taj Group introduced a strong performance management system, called the Balanced Scorecard System (BSS) that linked individualist performance with the groups overall strategy. BSS was based on a model developed by Kalpan and Nortan, and focused on enhancing both individual as well as enterprise performance. BSS measured the performance of employ ees crosswise all hierarchical levels against a set of predefined targets and identified their variances. Martyris explained, We are looking at a matrix form of organisation which cuts crossways hierarchy. It is important to understand the potential of people. Therefore, BSS was implemented even at the lowest levels of hierarchy.The BSS included an Employee Satisfaction tracking System (ESTS), which solved employees problems on a quarterly basis. As a part of ESTS, Taj carried go forth an organisation-wide employee satisfaction survey in mid 2000 of ab step up 9000 employees. According to this survey, the reported satisfaction level was about 75%. The group aimed to increase this level to 90-95% and eventually to 100%.The group also took strong measures to weed out under-performers. The group adopted the 360-degree feedback system to evaluate the performance of all top officials, from the managing director to departmental managers, in which they were evaluated by their immediate subordinates. The 360-degree feedback was followed by personal interviews in individuals to counsel them to overcome their deficiencies.The Taj Group also established Centres of Excellence for its 14,000 employees at five locations in India, including Jaipur, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Chennai and Hyderabad. At these centres, departmental heads in each functional area were trained. These departmental heads later trained their own staff. The training included foundation modules and accreditation programs that familiarised the employees with Taj standards.Apart from adopting stringent measures to improve performance, Taj also recognised and rewarded its best employees across all levels of the organisation. For this purpose, Taj created a unique employee identification tracking and reward program known as STARS. Describing the program, Martyris said, Its an HR initiative aimed at creating an association amid our star performers and our brand, the Taj.The Star System The STAR system (STARS) was the brainchild of Martyris. The system was developed in accordance with Tajs core philosophy that content employees lead to happy customers. STARS, operative throughout the year (from April to March), was open to all employees across the organisation, at all hierarchical levels. It aimed to identify, recognise and reward those employees who excelled in their work. STARS was actively promoted across the groups 62 chain of hotels and among its 18,000 employees globally, out of which 15,000 were from India.STARS had five different levels. Though employees did not receive any cash awards, they gained recognition by the levels they achieve through the points they collect for their acts of kindness or hospitality. Level 1 was known as the Silver Grade. To reach this level, employees had to accumulate 120points in three months. To pass on Level 2, known as the Gold Grade, employees had to accumulate 130 points within three months of attaining the silver grade. To reach Level 3, cal led the atomic number 78 Grade, employees had to accumulate 250 points within sic months of attaining the gold grade. To attain Level 4, employees had to accumulate 510 or more points, but below 760points, to be a part of the Chief Operating Officers club. Level 5 which was the highest level in STARS, enabled employees to be a part of the MDs club, if they accumulated 760 or more points.Points were granted to employees on the basis of parameters like integrity, honesty, kindness, respect for customers, environmental awareness, teamwork, coordination, cooperation, excellence in work, new initiatives, trustworthiness, courage, conviction, among others. Suggestions by employees that benefited the organisation fetched them significant points. such(prenominal) suggestions in each hotel of the Taj Group were examined by the General Manager and training manager of the hotel the employee worked in. the suggestions could also be posted on the Web, which were constantly monitored.Employees co uld also earn points through appreciation by customers, compliment-a-colleague forums and various suggestion schemes. Employees could also get default points if the review delegation did not give feedback to the employee within two old age of his/her offering a suggestion for the betterment of the organisation. In such cases, the employee concerned was awarded 20 default points. Hence, in an indirect manner, the system compelled judges of the review committee to give feedback to employees as early as possible.STARS helped employees work together as a team and appreciate fellow employees for their acts of kindness and excellence. It enhanced their motivation levels and led to increased customer satisfaction. In one case, a bellboy in one of the groups hotel who received an American customer wen out of his way to care for the customer. Noticing that the customer, who had arrived late at night, was suffering from cold, he offered to bring him a doctor. However, the customer refused the boys offer. The bellboy then, on his own, offered a glaze over of warm water mixed with ginger and honey, a traditional Indian home remedy for cough and cold. The customer matte surprised and also happy at the bellboys gesture. He left a note of appreciation for him, which added to his existing points.According to the number of points accumulated, employees would receive a star, which could be pinned on to their coat. When a certain number of points were collected, employees received gift hampers, cash vouchers or a vacation in a Taj Hotel of their choice in India. The winners of STARS were felicitated at a function held in Taj, Mumbai. The winners photographs were displayed on a big screen at the function and they received awards given by the MD of the Taj Group. This award sacrament importantly boosted their morale.The STARS program seemed to have generated lot of attention among the employees at the Taj Group. During the initial phase, not every hotel seemed to be serious abo ut adopting STARS, but after the first awards ceremony was conducted, every hotel in the group reportedly became very serious about the implementation of STARS. Reportedly, customer satisfaction levels increased significantly after the implementation of STARS.Commenting on the success of STARS, Martyris said, After the campaign was launched, a large number of employees have started working together in the true spirit of teams and this helps us value our homo capital. There are stars all around us but very often we look only if at stars outside the system. Many employees do that scanty bit and go that extra mile, out of the way to dazzle the customer satisfaction with employee recognition. Employee recognition is hence, directly linked to customer satisfaction. It is a recognition for the people, of the people and by the people. STARS was also used by the group as an appraisal system, in addition to its regular appraisal system.The Future The STARS was not only successful as an HR initiative, but it brought many strategic benefits to the group as well. The service standards at all hotels of the group improved significantly because the employees felt that their good work was being acknowledged and appreciated. This resulted in repeat customers for Taj hotels. And because of STARS, the Group won the Hermes Award 2002 for best innovation in HR in the hospitality industry. Analysts felt that the fame and recognition associated with the victorious of the Hermes award would place the Taj Group of hotels at the top of the list of the best hotels in the world. The group also received requests for telescope up hotels in Paris (France), where the Hermes award function took place.The HR practices at the Taj Group attracted several Human Resources and Organisational Behaviour experts world over. In late 2001, doubting Thomas J Delong, a professor of Organisational Behaviour from Harvard Business School (HBS), visited India and interviewed various employees in the Taj Group. After his visit, the Taj Group was envisioned as an example of organisational transformation wherein key dimensions of cultural change went into the making of global managers. Analysts also felt that social responsibility and people-centric programs were the core values of the Taj Group, which were well demonstrated through the Taj People Philosophy. Martyris said, The challenges here lay in retaining the warmth and relationship focus of the Ta and inculcating a system-driven approach to service.Analysts felt that the Taj Group had been highly successful because of its big businessman to provide better opportunities and gave greater recognition to its employees, which motivated them to work to the best of their abilities. The Employee Retention Rate (ERR) of the Taj Group was the highest in the hospitality industry because of its employee-oriented initiatives. In appall of the highest ERR, Martyris felt that the retention of talent was Tajs major challenge. He said, Our sta ff is routinely poached by not just industry competitors but also banks, call centres and others. In 2002, in the placement process at the hotel management institute run by the Taj, more than half of those passing out were hired by non-hospitality companies. While we are happy to see the growth and opportunity for this sector, we also feel there is a need for introspection. Are we offering blue-belly and smooth career paths to our employees? How am I to retain staffers from moving across industries?In late 2002, the Taj Group, to demonstrate its strong belief in employees, announced plans to wangle further investments in training, development, and career planning and employee welfare. The group also tried to standardise its various processes and develop a common work culture. After winning the Hermes Award in 2002, the group also planned to nominate the BSS for the Hermes Award 2003.

Psychological Therapies For Depression Essay

PIT was first developed by Robert Hobson (1985) as an attempt to move a sort from the traditional psychoanalytic approach of a one-sided birth between therapist and client. It was originally called the conversational model to emphasise the f proceed that the mutual task of therapist and client was to engage in a therapeutic conversation. In this conversation problems are non only talked close as past events, but are also actively relived in the give up and resolved within the therapeutic relationship. Hobson believed that the symptoms of depression arise from disturbances in the interpersonal relationships. These disturbances can only be explored and modified effectively from within another relationship the therapeutic one. The quality of the relationship is therefore crucial.Components of PIT-explorative rule- interpersonal difficulties in the individuals life are identified, and the therapist tries to find a rationale for the individual that links their current symptoms with these difficulties. Shared Understanding- the therapist tries to understand what the individual is really experiencing or feeling. focussing on difficult feelings- the individual may express an emotion (i.e. anger) of which they are unaware, or may not display appropriate emotion. Gaining insight- the therapist points out patterns in different types of relationship Sequencing of Interventions- different aspects of the model essential be used in a coherent manner. Change- the therapist marks and encourages changes made during therapy.Effectiveness of PITPaley et al (2008) hit shown that as a treatment for depression, outcomes for PIT are at least equivalent to those achieved with CBT. However, they acknowledge that changes in significant life-events were not monitored during the study, therefore any observable clinical gains (or lack of them) could not be attributed solely to the therapeutic intervention. NHSpsychotherapy patients were randomly allocated to receive 12 weeks PIT o r to remain as a waiting list learns for that period. 54 patients entered the study, of which 33 complete. Significant improvement was observed in patients that completed the therapy, suggesting that even a brief treatment by inexperienced therapists can be effective in alleviating the symptoms of depression.The Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT emphasises the role of maladaptive thoughts and beliefs in the origins and maintenance of depression. When people think negatively about themselves and their lives, they become depressed. The aim of CBT is to identify and alter these maladaptive cognitions as well as any dysfunctional behaviour that might be contributing to depression. CBT is intended to be relatively brief (16-20 sessions) and is focused on current problems and current dysfunctional thinking Thought Catching- individuals are taught how to see the link between their thoughts and the way they feel. By challenging these dysfunctional thoughts, and replacing them with more con structive ones, clients are trying out stark naked ways of behaving. Behavioural Activation- this is based on the common sense idea that being active leads to rewards that act as an antidote to depressionEffectiveness of PITRobinson et al (1990) meta-analysis found that CBT was superior to no-treatment control groups. However, when these control groups were subdivided into waiting lists and placebo groups, CBT was not significantly more effective than the placebo condition. CBT appears to be less suitable for people who have high levels of dysfunctional beliefs that are both rigid and resistant to change.- (Elkin et al 1985)

Asses the View That Childhood Is Not a Fixed Universal Experience Essay

Asses the view that childhood is not a fixed universal experience-Sociologists believe that childhood is not a fixed universal experience, this is called social construct, marrow that the idea just about childhood is varied according to time, place, gender, ethnicity and social class. The definition of childhood is a severalize or period of being a child. Many children in todays golf-club do not experience this and in the past too. Aries (1960) suggested that today childhood is only a modern social invention. Children in pre-industrial society were mini adults who worked and played the same as adults. Children were seen as economic assets. Aires argued that in the middle ages childhood did not exist. After industrialisation running(a) class children were frequently found operative in mines, factories and mills. However, according to Aires, middle class started to alter around this time. There was an increase in marital and parental love in middle class families as the infant mortality rate decreased and families had fewer children. This then led into the early industrial times, with the industrial revolution the position of children had changed, but this wasnt any better. Children were still made to work, but straightway not in fields but in factories, coalmines and up chimneys.There were no laws to protect the children from this, as the children were seen to be bringing in the much requisite income to the household. Gradually laws did come into place to protect the children this then led to the child-centred society. Aries claimed that childhood began from the early thirteenth century as fee-paying schools were open to provide the upper class education. The church also began to separate children from adults as saying that they are fragile creatures of god and needed to be punished differently Social attitudes started to change towards children in the nineteenth century. Children were excluded from factories and mines as it was far too dangerous to work in the conditions there. Some working class parents however, resisted these moves as they were ones that depended on their childrens wages to support and feed the family. Beginning of the twentieth century, a child-centred society emerged and the standard of living improved such as flushing toilets and sanitation, infant mortality rate go along to decline.Due to this child centred society children have become very expensive and this is the reason why large number are having less children so they can invest in love, socialisation and protection to thechildren they have. Attitudes of children had started to change when society slowly started becoming child centred, so childrens needs of special attention and protection became about to such as the child support act (1991). This law monitored the way parents reared their children. Childhood as we hunch forward it today started to come about in the 1950s onwards. Child-centred means that children are now loved, valued and cared f or properly. Children now have to attend mainstream school from the ages of 5 to 16. They have their own doctors, teachers and social workers to care for them. Childrens books, magazines, TV programs and films are made especially for them and finally have laws in place to protect them.

Occupational Therapy

Early June 2011 my grandad suffered a minor stroke at the age of 76. He was quickly admitted to John Muir in walnut Creek, a few days went by and he only figuremed to be getting worse when alas my familys worst nightmargon became a reality. My granddad endured an new(prenominal) stroke, only this time it was much much serious. This put my family in an enormous amount of e proceedingal distress, e unfeignedlyone was terrified and we had no idea what was going to give to my grandfather. It happened so fast, all we wanted were answers.But, when we got answers, they were far from what we wanted to hear. A few days after my grandfathers second stroke my family met with his doctors who showed little desire or optimism. They told us we were lucky he was becalm a plump, but with the condition he was in now we were n ever so going to see him walk again, he would probably neer talk again, and he was definitely never going to be equal to(p) to sleep with independently ever again. As he kept explaining to us what was going to happen to my grandfathers life, the words cut like daggers.My cousins and I watched our p atomic number 18nts bewail with sorrow as we plainly sat past our grandfathers hospital bed feeling helpless and conf used. Ab let on a month went by while my grandfather was even in John Muir, and his progress was nonhing to rave about. We would visit him daily, but he never seemed to be getting much better. He couldnt eat, talk, or move, but we incisively reminded him to get fighting and we knew, with hope, he would be able to make a substantial reco really. When my grandfather was ignore from the John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek, he moved into the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Leandro.While in San Leandro, he started to receive more intense therapy, his recovery was slow but we started seeing improvements he was able to eat solid food, without a pump, began to talk again. While visiting my grandfather in San Leandro I was intr oduced to occupational therapy for the outgrowth time. I had no idea what occupational therapists did or even what occupational therapy was, but as I sat in on a few of my grandfathers sessions I became very interested. According to the World Federation of occupational Therapy, occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and welf are through engagement in occupation. But, when I sat down and talked with Julie Roberts, an in-home occupational therapist, she sighed, describing what OTs do is really the hardest discover of the job there are so many variant things we do and everyone has their own individual qualifications. When Julie goes into a home to sate with her lymph nodes for the first time, she greets them with a smile and tells them shes there to help them with their job of living. Occupational therapy is an integral part of the therapeutic aspects of a persons recovery.Although many mickle may see OTs for material disabilities, its alike ver y common for someone to go to an OT for help with their mental or emotional state. Since everyone suffers uniquely from their several(a) disabilities, typically the therapeutic process begins with an individualized evaluation during which the client, their family and their occupational therapist determine the individuals goals leading to a customized intervention to improve the persons energy to perform daily activities and reach his/her goals and once their therapy is over an evaluation to monitor progression towards meeting the clients goals is conducted.Occupational therapists focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill, and educating the client/family in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities. For instance, teaching an elderly woman with a hip replacement how to get in and out of the bath tub while minimizing her fall risk, or helping a man convalescent from a car accident use grabbers to reach things to keep his b ack safe. According to Roberts the most consequential part of her job is helping people adapt to living with their disability as efficiently as possible. During my visitation I went to an assisted living home in Antioch with my mentor, OT Stephanie Morano, I was able to sit in on a therapy session for a 92-year-old woman named Fern. Fern suffered from a GI bleed and although she was living somewhat independently, she had trouble moving and limited mobility. During the session I sat in on Stephanie used a balloon to help Fern feel comfortable standing and regain her balance, while strengthening her core just by making Fern stand in front of her couch while they batted the balloon back and forth.Morano is to a fault an in-home OT, meaning her main focus is to evaluate their patients level of freedom, cognition, and safety. Moreover, occupational therapists provide intervention to maximize independence and function through remedial and compensatory strategies, with the ultimate g oal of the clients regaining the ability to live independently at home. Typically in-home OTs work with the geriatric community and spend most of their days in assisted living facilities or in homes with elderly people. According to Roberts most of her elderly patients suffering from various disabilities, are retired and dont understand why shes there they dont reckon they inquire her help, until she starts showing them what she does. Outside of home health there are a plethora of different areas to specialize in occupational therapy, a wonderful thing about this anguisher is the ability to exchange your area of expertise.Roberts and Boray both adamantly told me that home health is not for low gear OTs, when doing home health you are completely isolated from any other OTs, whereas in other areas you are surrounded by other OTs with other specific areas of knowledge that you can ask for advice. A few of the most popular areas of differentiation include pediatrics, which is wor king with small children in schools, community, and child based inpatient hospitals. Although many times children need the same type of care as adults, the specialization comes in the way that the OTs address the needs in a way to specifically benefit a child.Jennifer Boray, an OT that has worked in many areas, including pediatrics through the plenty Diablo Unified school district expressed to me that working with children is a wonderful experience to begin universe an OT with because their freeness to learn and their want to succeed is fresh and enlightening. Many OTs also work in acute care hospitals, helping people stabilize their medical after a traumatic event, such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, or brain injury.Occupational therapy plays an important role in facilitating early mobilization, restoring function, preventing further decline, as strong as coordinating the patients transition and discharge planning. Skilled nursing facilities also employ many OTs, in skilled nursing facilities the OTs focus on each individuals needs and typically help with activities of daily living and self-reliance, such as salad dressing and eating. There are also many outpatient clinics in hospitals for patients that are in need of individual treatment, but are pacify able to function on their own.The many faces of occupational therapy allow Boray to easily move through this go and learn new things every day, she loves that if she ever gets tired of home health care it will ever be an option to find something new in this industry but she plans on being in home health care for the rest of her life. Although occupational therapy is crucial to a persons recovery, it is still an overlooked career in many ways. Even the OTs that Ive talked to told me that going into college they had no idea what occupational therapy was.Many students begin school wanting to pursue a career in physical therapy or replacement when they are approached by a teacher or counselor with in formation about occupational therapy. Roberts explained when she went to college her career counselor suggested Julie look into occupational therapy, but she had no idea what it was. Like most people, she was initially confused, so they just reteach people how to live? But, as she investigated the career, she realized it was exactly what she was looking for.Being an OT is an extremely rewarding career, not only for the therapist, but also the patient. While my grandfather was in the hospital he began to get hopeless, he knew that he wasnt making much of a recovery and it was hard for him to find the want to keep fighting, until he began his occupational therapy. It may not seem like a big deal, but when he isnt able to hold a fork or stabilize his hand to raise it to his mouth, it forestall him, but after trying and trying with his OT he was finally able to feed himself.When he took his first bite of food by himself after his stroke, his eyes lit up and it was obvious that he was beginning to believe in himself again. As time went on, the tasks he began to strive to achieve got bigger eventually dressing himself, showering by himself, and contrary to the doctors belief, walking by himself, were all things my grandfather wouldnt get down been able to do if it wasnt for occupational therapy. Roberts professed to me her passion for helping people is what drew her into occupational therapy and kept her there. Seeing the joy on a sixteen year old girls face when she finally puts her sensory hair in a ponytail for the first time is an indescribable feeling, Julie told me, glowing, but the thanks that comes after, the true gratitude she feels, thats what I love. When Boray asked me why I was interested in occupational therapy, I told her about my grandfather, and how beneficial occupational therapy was for him. after(prenominal) I was finished telling her about my situation she started glowing, and replied thats what makes it all worth it, seeing a young girl inspired by n OT makes me know that were doing something right. In doing this project and researching occupational therapy, Ive learned a lot about the career and its definitely something that Im interested in pursuing in college. Since very few people are aware of what occupational therapy really is, there is a huge demand for OTs throughout the nation, and world. According to the Medical University of South Carolina, occupational therapys projected growth rate is over 23% from 2006 to 2016. Roberts declared that becoming an OT was the smartest thing she has ever done.She is a divorced single mother of two, who makes more than enough to support herself. Shes never been out of a job and she was easily able to take breaks for periods of time while she was having kids and traveling. Roberts affirmed that shes never had to fish for a job and in this economy, thats impressive. I found Borays ability to meet with me in the early afternoon very interesting, most people working full time jobs are locked into specific hours but when I walked into her home and saw her son playing with Legos on the floor I realized how much flexibility she really had.When asking Boray how she manages working full time and having a family, she explained thats one of the most wonderful things about working as an OT in home health you really create your own schedule. Jennifer is electronically contacted by her company on a weekly basis with a list of clients for the week she then calls all of her clients individually and sets up times to meet with them that work hale for her.Jennifer typically meets with 5 or 6 clients a day for about 45 minutes. Boray uses many aspects of development in her career every day, although the majority of her classes in school focused on muscle movement, she also uses lot of her psychology classes when dealing with patients, she evaluates a person mental state and sends it back into the doctor with her evaluations of their physical progress, its a really in teresting part of the job, but it can get tough. She also has to use her medical knowledge to deem what is appropriate for every client, for instance if someones range of motion is limited because of a car accident but she notices they show signs of also possibly having a stemma clot she reports that to the doctor as well. Roberts agreed that the most important personality trait to gain as an OT is without a doubt, being a problem solver. After witnessing the positive effects of occupational therapy, Ive require very passionate about the career and spreading awareness about the benefits of this specific kind of therapy.I hope that with my video I will be able to show the class, exactly what occupational therapy is and how it positively affects the people who endure it. I would love for everyone to develop the same appreciation for occupational therapy as I have and really see the benefits of them. The flexibility in this career, along with the rewarding aspects have made it some thing I am greatly considering to pursue. Seeing my grandfather, along with Fern, and the women that I interviewed gave me an insight to this career that wouldnt have been possible without my all-embracing research and strive to learn more.Im immensely joyous that I chose this topic to pursue and I think it will have a direct impact on my life, my mentor was wonderful and helped my very much through this entire process. I was inspired to join the American Occupational Therapy Association and am now periodically given information about breaking innovations in occupational therapy, as well as connecting with OTs in our area and starting to get my name out there, hopefully leading to reformative opportunities in pursuing this career in the near future.Ive enjoyed expanding my knowledge about occupational therapy in general, and I found it very comforting that everyone Ive been around in this career was so kind and willing to help last summer before I ever even though about doing thi s for my project I was interested in learning more about being an OT and Im glad I was motivated to do so because this was a life-changing experience.

Book Review: Trashing the Planet by Dixy Lee Ray Essay

In Trashing the Planet, Dixy Lee Ray marshals the evidence of knowledge to perforate the fragile hot air balloons of the orbiculate warming, ozone reduction, and vitriolic rainwaterwater theorists. With scientific facts and sound philosophy she also demolished the nonsensical arguments behind the hysterical crusades against pesticides, alar, dioxin, PCBs, radon, asbestos, and nuclear mightiness. Few of us have escaped the green propaganda onslaught unscathed virtually everyone has been victimised with needless worries over alleged dangers lurking in the most common and benign substances in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Few of us have the academic background, the access to the scientific data, and the time to investigate the validity of the continuous outpouring of environmental doomsday scenarios.Ray covers a wide range of environmental topics, including acid rain, the greenho utilize effect, ozone depletion, pesticides, etc. She attempts to substance abuse availa ble scientific data to clarify environmental issues, to separate facts from factoids, to unmask the doom-crying opponents of all progress, and to re-establish a disposition of reason and balance with respect to the environment and modern technology. (Merline, 14) In the course of this exercise, several interesting facts nuclear number 18 presented, among them (Merline, 2001) The amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the existence has decreased since 1974, contrary to what one would expect if the earths protective ozone layer (which filters out most of the suns ultraviolet rays) has been depleted from the use of chlorofluorocarbons. Several known carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, ar found naturally in human cells. As Ray argues, it is the dosethe size or amount of motion-picture show to carcinogensthat is important. (Lee Ray, pg. 58)In addition, 11% of the radiation we are exposed to comes from our own bodies. A total of 82% of our exposure to radiation com es from natural sources, including radon, cosmic rays, elements in the earth, etc. The remaining 18% comes from man-made sources such as medical X-rays (11%), nuclear medicine (4%), consumer products (3%). all other sources, including nuclear power, account for less than 1% of our exposure to radiation. (Lee Ray, 1991)Concerning radon gas, Ray notes that energy conservation as urged by the U.S. government will approximately double the number of cancer deaths due to exposure to radon gas, because sealing up a home for the purpose of energy conservation inevitably leads to higher(prenominal) levels of indoor radon. (Lee Ray, pg. 69) Yet despite this, no warnings have been issued about the dangers of this form of energy conservation. In fact, as Ray points out, our government has actively promoted energy-efficient homes with everything from do-it-yourself literature to tax breaks for insulating your home. (Lee Ray, pg. 78)Rays three assertions-that ozone would be produced in the lowe r atmosphere regardless of human activity, that it is produced by the interaction of sunlight and hydrocarbons, and that those hydrocarbons are by and large produced by plants-are, respectively, a technical truth hiding a falsehood, a sloppily garbled half-truth, and a bit of these two mixed with an outright lie. Specifically, sea-level ozone is formed when sunlight splits normality dioxide into nitric oxide and atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen reacts with molecular oxygen to form ozone.Now it is technically true that, in nature, oxides of nitrogen are produced by certain bacteria, forest fires, and lightning, so that a small amount of sea-level ozone would so be produced in the absence of human activity. However, the main source of oxides of nitrogen in southern atomic number 20 is combustion nitrogen combining with oxygen at high temperatures. So whether its from gas water, heaters and ovens, coal-fired power plants, or automobiles, most of the nitrogen dioxide in the air-and, thus, most of the sea-level ozone-is directly produced by human beings. (Lee Ray, 1991)As for Rays second claim, hydrocarbons tally to increasing the level of ozone in smog by a very indirect route. Ozone in the lower atmosphere often reacts with water to form hydroxyl group radicals. These hydroxyl radicals will either react with impurities in the air to break them down or react at night with nitrogen dioxide to form nitric acid, which is either washed out of the atmosphere by rain or broken down by sunlight the next day into hydroxyl radicals, nitric oxide, and atomic oxygen (Merline, 2001).In L.A. smog, the soupy mix of unburned and partially burned hydrocarbons reacts with hydroxyl radicals and oxygen to form organic peroxides. These, in turn, react with nitric oxide to form nitrogen dioxide. By generating even more nitrogen dioxide than was produced by combustion, these peroxides contri merelye more of the source material that sunlight will turn into ozone (Lee Ray, 1991). T hus, the ozone level goes up when hydrocarbons are added to the soup, but ozone is not created by a simple interaction between sunlight and hydrocarbons, as Dr. Ray asserted.As for Rays third claim-that hydrocarbons come from trees-here she was particularly devious. Her characterization of hydrocarbons as those wonderful things that you smell advent off pine trees is technically correct to the degree that the terpenes, which are indeed given off by trees, are a family of hydrocarbons. (One of these terpenes is pinene, which gives pine trees their pleasant smell terpenes also react with oxygen and ozone to form a bluish haze in forested areas.)However, hydrocarbons comprise a huge family of compounds, encompassing everything from methane (natural gas) to such plastics as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene (Styrofoam) (Lee Ray, 1991). Just as the hydrocarbons in smog are not from Styrofoam, neither are they from trees they are, in fact, unburned throttle vapors-compounds s uch as ethane and ethylene. Moreover, pinene reacts with ozone to form pinol, which combines with water to form a hydrate that has a thawing point higher than the boiling point of water. (Merline, 2001)As for my assertion to the thoughts developed by Dixy Ray that acid rain shifts plant nutrients and is thus beneficial to forests, this is a sterling example of twisting the truth. The acidity of rain does, indeed, break down silicates and oxides, converting them to clay and sandy soils, and releasing ions of such beneficial metallic elements as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and atomic number 25 in the process.However, when the rain is too acidic, it not only burns the leaves of trees but can also release aluminum ions, which are toxic to fish, into rivers and lakes. Much of the concern voiced by environmentalists stems from a belief that technical advances are fouling our nest. The author takes pains to point out that technology often improves our environment, making it safer and cleaner for gentleman to live in. One example is with food irradiation. Deemed harmless by several heath groups, including the World wellness Organization, irradiation helps to eliminate microorganisms that can cause food spoilage. Despite the obvious benefits to consumers from low spoilage rates, more consumer groups have fought irradiation for health reasons. ReferencesLee Ray, Dixy (with Lou Guzzo). 1991. Trashing the Planet How Science Can Help Us give out With Acid Rain, Depletion of the Ozone Layer, and Nuclear Waste (Among Other Things). Regnery Gateway. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.Merline, J.W. 2001. Trashing the planet. Consumers Research Magazine. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.

Graduated Diplomas for Public School Students Essay

Receiving a full(prenominal) school fleece is a significant right of passage for public school learners in the fall in States. The mettle around school fleece represents the students academic accomplishments up to that time. In most cases, students cannot go to college without a high school sheepskin or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). The lack of a high school lambskin places severe limits on the number of jobs that be available to an individual.However, despite the close universal recognition of the importance of obtaining a high school sheepskin, there is little agreement some what the measuring stick diploma actually means in terms of academic achievement and the accumulation of authoritative skills or knowledge. In order to clarify exactly what students have learned, 33 states have instituted multiple diploma options to high school graduates, including diplomas that indicate honors courses, vocational tuition, and other distinctions (Johnson, Thurlow, Stout, and Mavis, 63).Some states award different diplomas for students who argon enrolled in surplus precept, including honors diplomas, special education diplomas. (Johnson, Thurlow, Cosio, and Bremer 1). Uncertainty of the meaning of a high school diploma is withal complicated by the lack of any standardized measurement of academic achievement in galore(postnominal) states. In 2007, only 21 states required students to pass a state examination before commencement ceremony 27 states did not have any type of exit exams at all (Johnson, Thurlow, Stout, and Mavis, 63).Consequently, while the standard high school diploma signifies that the student has completed at least the minimum requirements of an academic plan, the diploma does gives little indication of what the student has actually learned or any degree of proficiency in the subjects that were taken. States that do not use multiple diplomas could eliminate some of the uncertainty surrounding their graduation requirements by adopting a system of graduated diplomas.When properly constructed, graduated diplomas provide a more accurate formulation of the course work that the student has completed as well as the level of proficiency that the student was able to achieve in those courses. This cultivation could then be used by colleges and employers to determine which applicants ar most seeming to succeed in their chosen endeavors and which graduates may require additional remediation beyond their high school years.It is true that grades and course work are included in the students academic transcript however, a graduated diploma would convey a greater and more perfunctory recognition of the students accomplishments in a way that would not require an employer or university additions board to study a detailed transcript and portfolio of student work. Finally, graduated diplomas would encourage those students who are most likely to succeed to push beyond the minimum academic requirements of a standard diploma and t o work towards a more challenging academic curriculum for which they would receive appropriate recognition and rewards.reality schools should adopt graduated diplomas which better reflect actual student achievement. Standard high school diplomas are such poor indicators of an applicants strength for success that they mean little to many potential employers beyond a confirmation that the applicant was able to complete high school (Hartwig and Sitlington 11). Even this sharp distinction, however, is still important to employers.Hartwig and Sitlington (12) found that employers who were considering hiring applicants who were enrolled in special education programs prior to their graduation were more likely to consider applicants who have a standard diploma than they were to consider applicants who received a certificate of attending or an certificate of completion.These employers were also more likely to consider hiring applicants who had received an occupational diploma, a special d iploma for students with special necessitate which indicated specific occupational training, than they were to hire those who had received certificates of attendance or those who had received a GED. Above all, the employers in this study were most likely to hire applicants who received a high school standard diploma.The research by Hartwig and Sitlington showed that although employers may claim that they do not place a great deal of faith in high school diplomas, they do and respond to different educational distinctions among job applicants. Although not designated as such, these academic distinctions the certificate of attendance, the occupational diploma, and the standard diploma functioned as a graduated diploma system, with each category indicating a different degree of educational achievement. These employers indicated that they used this information when making hiring decisions.Colleges face similar difficulties when trying to predict which high school graduates will be ad equately prepared when they arrive at the university. Standard high school diplomas make no distinction amid students who perform poorly and students who exceed their schools academic expectations. Consequently, although all college freshmen have a high school diploma or a GED, 30 percent of first year students in 2- and 4-year institutions lack the necessary introductory skills and are required to take remedial courses in math, writing, and reading (Cohen 22).Graduated diplomas may not overturn the need for remedial classes for high school graduates however, graduated diplomas would provide another indication of the type of curriculum that the student studied and the level of success that the student experienced. Colleges could be better prepared to butt on the needs of lower-achieving students and to provide greater challenges for students who had already experienced academic success. In addition to providing a way to recognize the accomplishment of high-achieving students, gr aduated diplomas may also provide a safety net for students who are at risk of dropping out.The standard diploma, with its set requirements for credits, is an all or nothing proposition. Students who do not meet these requirements have nothing to show for their efforts. A graduated plan would provide an selection that could eliminate some of these obstacles to graduation so they may obtain enough education to find a job or go to a two-year college (Viadero 12). This obviously helps students. Keeping students in school through an alternative diploma program could also help schools meet the attendance requirements of No Child Left Behind, the federal education law (Shannon and Bylsma).Care must be taken, however, to ensure that alternative diplomas do not become an alternative to a receiving a diploma. Erickson, Kleinhammer-Tramill, and Thurlow found that alternative exit strategies such as certificates of attendance and other alternatives to diplomas resulted in fewer special educat ion students completing the requirements for a diploma. Conclusion Graduated diplomas reduce the uncertainty slightly what the student has actually learned and the level of proficiency he or she has achieved.For high-achieving students, the graduated diploma provides a certification of a higher level curriculum and greater academic accomplishment. Students who have special education requirements or who might otherwise drop out of school benefit from having the opportunity to receive a legitimate diploma that recognizes their efforts. In short, graduated diplomas provide benefits for students, for schools, for colleges, and for employers. States that have not done so should go for graduated diplomas. Works Cited