You choose it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

You choose it - Essay Example is, however, unfortunate that in spite of the great strides, many obstacles still obstruct the realization of the employment rights of people living with disabilities. Only a few people living with disabilities access meaningful employment. There are several misconceptions and negative attitudes about disability that reduce the employers’, whether corporate, government or non-government, willingness from hiring anyone affected by a disability (UNICEF 2011). In some instances, some qualified job seekers are clearly discriminated and sidelined because of disabilities. People with intellectual disability are, for example, stigmatized for their perceived inability to comprehend most of the things that surround them. In addition, some employers are unwilling to recruit them because of the costs of adaptive technology and modifications needed at the workplace for them to work efficiently (UNICEF 2011). It is, therefore, apparent that these misconceptions continue to deprive people with disabilities the opportunity for employment. Lack of access to education, training, and funding are central to securing employment. Young people living with disabilities do not have access to opportunities and formal education to enhance their skills. The gap in education levels between those with disabilities and those without is a primary factor that determines who secures employment (DRNPA 2009). For people with disabilities and lack formal education, training or skills, they can still indulge in self-employment. Their lack of funding, however, presents an obstacle that prevents them from setting up businesses. Securing loans from lenders is a challenge because there are few people in the society who are willing to be collaterals to them. The lack of funds for investment, therefore, continues to deprive them the opportunity for employment (â€Å"Arc, 2014†). It is inevitable that people with disabilities are overprotected by the labor laws. Many countries and, in particular, those

Fight Club (Film) by David Fincher Essay Example for Free

Fight Club (Film) by David Fincher Essay This confronting movie casts the brilliant Edward Norton and the extremely popular Brad Pitt as they team together to bring the public one of the greatest suspense movies of all time. Norton plays Jack, a middle-aged man, who isnt sure what his purpose for living is anymore and Pitt plays Tyler Durden, a soap salesman, who has come to the same realization about life. Directed by David Fincher, written for the screen by Jim Uhls, and based on the acclaimed novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is a powerful film, which fuses the highly sensitive issues that haunt its frustrated and confused protagonist with the visual representations of his mental states. It all begins when Jack becomes so frustrated with his life that he just cant take it any longer. For his entire life, the media has painted a glorious image of wealth for everyone and has made everyone believe that they would be rich and famous eventually, while in fact they werent. Flooding society with more useless products and making them slaves to their own needs, Jack realizes that it is all just a joke. Under the realization of this, Jack searches for a way to find new excitement away from the material world. He starts to visit numerous support groups for cancer victims and other diseases. This is where he meets Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), a middle-aged woman who is also going through the same thing as he is. Together these seem to be the only places for them to find real emotions, and to be able to express their own emotions at the same time. One day while on an airplane, Jack meets Tyler Durden. While talking with Tyler, Jack notices that they have the same exact suitcase along with many other things in common. Tyler gives Jack his business card and tells him to call if he ever needs anything. When Jack returns home, he finds that his entire apartment has been blown to pieces. With nowhere to go, he takes out Tylers business card and proceeds to call him. Tyler comes to Jacks rescue and the two begin living together in an old run-down house. One night outside a bar, confused in their frustration of the world, they begin hitting each other for the pure excitement and adrenaline rush. After much thinking, Tyler has made up his mind about society and has created his own beliefs. He opposes all material wealth and lives for the moment, unafraid of pain or death. Slowly he teaches Jack these traits as well, as they now begin to build Fight Club, an underground association where equally frustrated men can take out their emotions by fighting with one another. Soon many Fight Clubs spring up across the country and Tyler is hailed as a celebrity among the members. With Fight Clubs popularity increasing, Tylers plans become much bigger and he establishes Project Mayhem, his plan to destroy the material world. He recruits an army of equally powered men and goes on a spree to destroy all signs of materialism he sees. While watching the mayhem Tyler has created, Jack becomes disturbed by the idiocy of the followers and the violent acts they are committing. He wants to put an end to the insanity, but without Tyler he cant stop it, and Tyler is nowhere to be found. With Tyler now missing, Jack begins travelling from city to city in search of Tyler. When asking people if they know Tyler Durden, he is given the same answer over and over: Yes sir, youre Tyler Durden. Jack finally comes to the conclusion that he and Tyler are the same person. Tyler is simply a figment of Jacks imagination. Tyler is everything that Jack wishes he could be. He looks how he wants to look. He acts how he wants to act. He is Tyler Durden. This movie combines great action sequences, romance, and suspense all rolled up into one. The great casting of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give the movie just the right amount of masculinity it needs. How the composer creates meaning The composer creates a chilling setting, which is familiar and stereotypically American with its high-tech devices, also with fast and crisp movement of camera angles to show some extraordinary effects. The composer also used lighting to create meaning. The lab in which Jack was sitting down which we witness in the fast and crisp movement of camera shots, had very dark and dull colours. The music also rolled along to help create this setting, which is very important within the film. The director David Fincher utilizes a number of techniques to present his ideas of change. The film opens with voice-over from our lead character Jack, played by Edward Norton. He hasnt slept in months and its beginning to take a toll on his sanity. He finally finds release from his troubles by going to support groups for people with various diseases testicular cancer, bowel disease, etc. where he finds freedom in pretending hes a survivor, that he has nothing to lose. Thus, it also represents a new foundation as a result suggesting a change in Jacks lifestyle. Through the character Jack the composer is also able to create meaning. Here we see that through zoom and close-up camera angles the composer shows a change in the behaviour of Jack. It becomes evident that after bearing in mind explosion of his apartment, he becomes astound and through the facial expressions we see that he is discontented. The smile that was witnessed prior to this terrible tragedy has mislaid as a consequence symbolizing a change in his attitude and his perception of the slight civilization. The composer also creates meaning, through the use of Jacks lifestyle. In this motion picture the main character Jack, changes his lifestyle through self-destruction rather than self-development. The composer has done this to show that there is more than one way to change, that change does not always have to occur in a positive way. This is one of the most important themes running through the movie. Fight Club; a movie about the change within one mans life, Jack, with the help of his friend Tyler, who is actually a creation of Jacks mind. Jack breaks away from all of societies conventions and this leads to the many changes in his life. Jacks changes are made all the more significant through the use of colours. Before Jacks enlightenment all the colours used are dull blue-greys. The camera angles are narrow and focused. This creates a tone of monotony and boredom. Later, the scenes become brighter and colours are powerfully contrasted. Many of the scenes take place at night with neon lights in the background with contrast with the bright red leather jacket worn by Tyler throughout much of the film to create an exciting, almost surreal element to the scene. The camera angles become wider, reflecting Jacks broader perspective of life. A further structural device used by David Fincher is to allude to Jacks earlier life. One example is when he receives a phone-call from the detective looking into the explosion of his house. Jack responds to his questions by discussing how much the things in his apartment meant to him, how they were part of his identity. When the phone-call is over he says, I would like to thank the academy. From this statement, it is obvious that he looks back on his former lifestyle with contempt. From this film we can see how difficult it can be for one to move to another door of perception when everything around them reinforces the accepted view of the world. It is easy to accept everything that is occurring and live in denial without changing. Jack would not have been able to escape from the media induced, corporate driven life that he led if his brain had not created Tyler Durden. In Fight Club we see there are many reasons for people to choose not to change. The risk may seem too high. It might be hard work. There is a loss of the security a person has when he or she is in familiar territory where everything is known to them. Even when the opportunity stares at them right in their faces they refuse to take it. In the movie, we see Jack struggling at first with quitting his ikea-guy life but is soon able to boldly step away from the illusions that held him. Explanation of how the text links to both a text from the Stimulus Booklet and the play Away Clearly, change brings consequences. These consequences can vary in importance and significance; they can be beneficial, detrimental or even impartial. Change, its impact on self and the resulting consequences, which it inevitably brings, is an issue explored by many composers in a variety of texts. Change is the process of being made different. Change can be caused by anything such as time, birth, death, people and fighting The concept of changing self and its significance to the individual is explored in a number of texts including the play Away written by Michael Gow, Sky High by Hannah Roberts (BOS Changing) and the film Fight Club by David Fincher. All these texts symbolise change in a variety of ways. To show the consequences of change composers have used a number of techniques in terms of language, imagery, contrast and repetition. This film Fight Club deals with the approach in which we transform ourselves. In this film Jack transforms his standard of living through self-destruction to assertion self-development. The director David Fincher has fulfilled this to exemplify that the things we own, actually end up owing us. The change occurs when Tyler opens the door for him to amend. Unfortunately, Tyler becomes too powerful. This shows the rituals of both sides. Allusions is a structural device used by the director Fincher to contrast the Jack-then to the Jack-now, constantly making references to his earlier life presented at the beginning of the film. An example of this is when Jack is living in the dilapidated house he often receives calls from a Detective Stern from the arson unit, inquiring about his destroyed condo or feeding him information about it (the police suspect he did it to claim insurance). Jack often replies by talking about how much the things in his condo meant to him and how they were a part of his identity. When the phone-call is over he says; I would like to thank the academy. From this statement it is obvious that he looked back on himself with contempt. The director shows that the choices that one makes during his or her life, defines the changes that would occur to them in the future. When one looks back at the decisions that they had to make, the difference before the choice was made and after becomes quite obvious. Another aspect of change presented in the film is that change is often cyclic. As we make one decision, we are soon required to make further decisions and it is a never-ending cycle until the day we die. Therefore one never stops changing until their death. From this film we can see how complex it can be for one to move to another door of perception when everything around them reinforces the accepted view of the world. It is easy to accept everything that is occurring and live in denial without changing. Jack would not have been able to escape from the media induced, corporate driven life that he led if his brain had not created Tyler Durden. In link to Sky High by Hannah Roberts it demonstrates that responsibilities force a person to change, and that the change is not always optimistic, other than it has to be embraced for a character to established, and that although there is a change it is most undoubtedly not an end, but rather a progression. This text has contributed a great deal to my understanding of change. It helps us to see how difficult it can be to change ones lifestyle and to change their view of the world when it is reinforced as being the accepted view of the world that we must adhere to, and sometimes it requires something as drastic as an imagined person to change that view. The other thing it has contributed is that there are many reasons for a person not to change, risk, too hard work or the loss of security in their new life, but once that change is made, the persons old lifestyle seems contemptibly inadequate. In Sky High by Hannah Roberts, it is not another person, which outlines a change in self of the persona, but an object (a clothesline) that triggers a memory from the personas youth. Personification of the clothesline, and its relation to the authors own change in self since her youth, is one technique incorporated by Roberts. When describing her and the clothesline in the first two paragraphs, we are given the phrases silver skeletal arms and smooth, sweat damp hands. Comparing this to age-warped washing line and hands, beginning to accumulatewrinkles one can see the dramatic realisation of the changed persona. Another representation of the changing influence of the clothesline is the descriptions of the hanging clothes. Where as in her youth the clothesline was festooned with socks and knickers and shirts like coloured flags in a secret code, Roberts now write(s) my own semaphore secrets in colourful t-shirts and mismatched sock. This suggests that as a child, the author thought that the clothes were hung out in secret code. Now as an adult she realises the ordinariness of the practice. The semaphore secrets that she writes as an adult expose to the reader the question if these are messages of unhappiness. The narrator utilizes an analogy to illustrate how responsibilities and social conventions limit a persons ability to follow urges. The writer wants to fly as she did when she was young, but she is concerned that the conventions of her modern life will not allow her to do so. Remembering the minute details of the garden develops a nostalgic mood. This is so as a person remembers details such as these if they treasure the memories Sky high has contributed to my understanding of change by showing that responsibilities force a person to change, and that the change is not always positive, but it has to be embraced for a character to mature, and that although there is a change it is most definitely not an end, but rather a process. On the surface Away by Michael Gow, may possibly appear like a simple narrative about three families who take off for a holiday. People are shown as going away, being pulled away, being washed away, walking away and so on. What is also stressed however is the act of recurring, regrowth and renewal that results from their away experience. Away presents the concept of change as self-recognition and renewal through the portrayal of the key characters who journey from fear, isolation and delusion to an understanding and acceptance of themselves and their relationships with others. Away is a short though direct play, which deals with many variations of change, each of which is a change of character or personality, which occurs as a realization as the events in the play, get through to them. A perfect example is Gwen, a middle-aged mother with the need to control. Her resistance to change is of an attitude as her family suddenly becomes separate in reaction to her behaviour. The family is on a holiday and what was meant to be enjoyable, becomes a conflict which causes her daughter Meg to isolate herself from her. Gwen depicts this resistance to change with the importance of it. Simply compare changing toothbrush to changing personality, which will have a resisting effect. Michael Gows play is very theatrical. While much of the dialogue is realistic, drawing on the idiom of the day, the storm and the appearance of the fairies break away from realism. Gow draws on the conventions of comedy and tragedy as the play moves from the comic to the tragic. Many of the characters appear as stereotypes found in comedy- the nagging wife, the henpecked husband, the pompous teacher, but as the play progresses these stereotypes are abandoned as the characters are confronted by the need for change. They become individuals capable of change. The composer exploit Language to provides a precious impending into the intelligences of the protagonists. Gwens continuous and tedious use of clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s creates her the parody of a middle-class housewife with high-class aspirations. In the final act, mime plays a vital role. It is the explicit lack of language here that provides the audience with a perceptive of the high level of self-awareness and imminent that is now shared by the protagonists. Perhaps the two most significant characters in Away who experiences the most profound changes are Gwen and Coral. * Gwen is one of the most momentous protagonists in the play. She changes from being a stress ridden control freak of a mother and wife to coming to an understanding of life and the fact that humans are not in control. The plainest demonstration of this is the storm, which trashes her perfectly planned holiday. Note that in the stage directions, the fairies single Gwen out for particular attention in the storm. Gwen experiences an epiphany during the walk with Vic, presumably in reaction to the news that Tom is dying. She returns from the walk a changed woman, and it is she who stands and applauds Coral as she walks in Strange on the Shore. * Coral has lost her grip on reality. At the beginning she is a woman pervading grief at the death of her only son in the Vietnam War. In attempting to respond to her husband (Roys) plea that she behaves normally, she enters a relationship with a young recently married man named (Rick). She than adopts the persona of the artist on the beach, and it is Tom who recognises her as the headmasters wife. She achieves some kind of acceptance of life and loss through her performance in The Stranger on the Shore. (Im walking, Im walking represents a return to life). The walking becomes symbolic of Corals return to reality, her final acceptance of the death of her son who died in Vietnam. Tom is responsible for her healing. He determines Corals role in the play. In Act 5 scene 1 we see her reconciled with her husband Roy. These changes are represented dramatically in the play. Her situation in Away is symbolized by her role in the little play- when she walks at the end, she is retuning to life where she belongs. Opening on the last day of the school year in 1967 and closing on the first day of the next school year, the play spans only a few short weeks in the lives of its characters and yet their perspectives and understandings have changed radically over that time. Possibly the character who experiences the most philosophical change is Gwen. Through the intensity of the emotional conflict she encounters, she has had to acknowledge the inevitability of change in life and has adjusted her expectations accordingly. This change of perception over time can be contrasted to the reminiscing of Hannah Robert, in her story Sky High, Text 3 in the Board of Studies Changing Booklet. Where the older narrator looks back on a lighter, less burdened childhood. The rewarding repercussions of confronting change and of living for the present have been highlighted by the texts I have studied which in turn delineate the integral nature of change in the lives of people and their relationships.

Essay --

Testing is a way to measure what students have learned from their teachers. Standardized/High-Stakes testing is a tool used to measure the performance of students and the quality of teachers in public school systems. High-Stakes testing is an inaccurate measuring stick of teaching quality and thus is detrimental to the educational system. Pressure is being exerted on students to pass, and teachers to enable their students to pass the standardized tests being presented to them. This takes much classroom time that could be spent instructing students on what might be more valuable information, and instead study for the test by what some consider rote memorization (Silva). Experiments have been done seeing how much different teaching approaches were before and after the implementation of standardized testing (Desimone). These experiments demonstrated how vastly the difference between teaching to the test and teaching what the instructor believes is the most valuable knowledge and the best way to present this knowledge. If there is a disconnect between what America’s teachers believe is best to know, and what is on the examinations, then one of the two is flawed, and it is not likely to be what the teachers are teaching. Students simply do not care about their results on standardized tests. Many students either â€Å"Christmas Tree† (pick random answers, named because people sometimes make shapes) or just select one answer and continue with the same answer the entire way down (Tests that count). Student’s only incentive is that they might move on to the next grade, or that they have to pass to graduate. There are a significant number of students who simply drop out of high school. They can either get a GED or find a job that will sustain ... ...en if say, a parent had died within the past week. That would certainly be jarring enough to grant a pardon to a student. All a university would see, though, is a large F on the transcript. Teachers will neglect students that need the most help to help those who need a slight shove. This is known as â€Å"educational triage† (Booher-Jennings 231). Those on the threshold of passing the state mandated tests are significantly more likely to receive help from instructors than those that are significantly lower than their peers (233). This is to make the district look better as these children are far more likely to pass the test with the extra assistance. This still leaves the ones who were left behind essentially out to dry. If anything, it should be the opposite. The ones who are at the lowest levels should be receiving the most assistance on standardized test preparation.

Pupil’s educational success Essay

The education system is mostly controlled by white middle-class people. Those who share these characteristics may well be viewed more positively and be more likely to succeed in the tests and examinations created to assess their abilities. Many working class and ethnic minority pupils may feel undervalued and demotivated by an education system that does not recognise their qualities, class or ethnic culture. The Marxist idea of â€Å"Cultural Capital† (Bordieu) also determines a student’s ability to excel in the education system. Schools are middle-class institutions run by the middle-class. The forms of knowledge, values, ways of interacting and communicating ideas that middle-class children possess are developed further and rewarded by the education system. Working class and ethnic minority children may lack these qualities and so do not have the same chances to succeed. Studies have shown that middle-class parents are able to use their cultural capital to play the system so as to ensure that their children are accepted into the schools of their choice. However, ethnic minority parents are disadvantaged when trying to get their children into better schools. The parents, especially if born abroad, may not have much experience of the British education system and may not be able to, or confident enough about their English skills, to be able to negotiate the system. Some sociologists have argued that the curriculum disadvantages pupils, particularly the working class and ethnic minorities. The knowledge that they encounter at school does not connect with their own cultural experience. Working class experience is almost invisible in the school curriculum. History, for example, tends to deal with the ruling classes rather than with the vast majority of ordinary people. Coard (1971) showed how the content of education also ignored black people. The people who are acclaimed tend to be white, whilst black culture, music and art are largely ignored. Coard argued that this led to low self-esteem among black pupils. Since the 1970’s some effort has been made to make the curriculum â€Å"Multicultural†, but it is still criticised for only looking at â€Å"Saris and Samosas†. The National Curriculum has still been criticised today for being ethnocentric – emphasising white middle-class culture at the expense of other cultures – especially in its focus on British History and literature.

Enlish Methods Of Writing For Junior Cert Essay

Junior Cert English â€Å"Functional Writing† Introduction and Overview The Functional Writing section of Paper I asks the student, in as close as possible, to write in the style of somebody who either uses language for a living, or is conducting business or important matters through writing or speech. This part of Paper I strays away from fiction, but is not entirely devoid of opportunities to use language in a creative or dramatic fashion. In some cases the student may have to use their imagination to provide detail to make their work seem realistic and give it the authentic feel. The marks in Functional Writing are given for the knowledge of the style and tone required for the task, and for the understanding of the format required. Awareness of Audience and Task In all cases in this section, your choice of language, and your use of tone and register will be dictated to you by  · The intended recipient and/or audience.  · Your means of delivery. In short, you can either use a formal or informal style of address. You should take into account the age, status, and size of the audience you are dealing with. Your language should always be trying to create the appropriate impression of both who you are and what you’re trying to do. For example, you would use a formal style of address if you were writing a letter to your bank manager asking for a loan to start your own business. Your language would be confident, but not aggressive: informative, but not laboriously so: enthusiastic but not overzealous. The impression created on the bank manager is that you are reliable, competent and trustworthy, and your business will be a huge success. For your own entertainment you might want to write the worst possible letter of application for the same loan- you would be over-familiar, disrespectful, vague, repetitive, and riddled with inaccuracies about yourself and what you want to do. You can then guess what response this would get from the same bank manager going through their morning mail. This then is the key to Functional writing; awareness of the tone you are to take, and the choice of language to use to reinforce that tone. An example of a task that you would be asked to complete with an informal style is to imagine that you have been asked by a club that you are involved with to make a presentation to a class of twelve year old primary school children to encourage them to join. You would be presenting this verbally, so when you would prepare your material beforehand, you would stress key information on several occasions, to avoid having the same basic question repeated infinitely. As your audience would be unlikely to have firsthand experience of what you are taking about, you would use the simplest language possible, and use short, sequential, informative language. You would also use an informal tone, as you would want your audience to think your group would be welcoming and fun, not preoccupied with taking everything too seriously. Here is an example of a completely made-up extract from my very busy diary. Consider the language and tone I would use for each of the following tasks in just one day: 10:00 – Book holiday tickets over phone from travel agency. 11:00 – Complete and edit report for Boss on efficiency of new sys. 12:00 – Address fundraising lunch for Kidney Dialysis unit for Children’s Hospital. 2:00 – Write congratulations card for birth of secretary’s daughter’s first child. 3:00 – Deliver presentation to investors on Company performance. 4:00 – Talk to business journalist about new product range. 6:00 – Attend parent-teacher meeting at son’s new school. 8:00 – Coach under 12 team – introduce new training drills. 10:00 Convince very unsympathetic wife that I’ve had a long day. At both 12:00 and 3:00 I will be addressing a group of businesspeople. However, there are differences. People will not want to be overly serious at lunch, so I will be able to use a respectful but informal tone. I may even be able to use language that will influence my audience emotionally. However, at 3:00 I will have to be very formal and very structured in my use of language and terminology for the business meeting. Look at the way my 11:00 task is written. Will I get away with that use of shorthand and slang in the report itself? Of course not; what is acceptable as a note for your own use is not acceptable for a report for someone else’s reading. Will it be easier to present information to my 3:00 or 8:00 appointment? In the afternoon everybody will be fresh. Will they be as sharp in the evening? Should my card for my secretary’s daughter be written with the same tone and language as my report for my employer? All of these questions are central to the idea of functional writing. Make sure what you are doing is appropriate to your task and your audience. Reports. A report can be written for a newspaper, radio programme, or television broadcast. No matter whether it’s to be read or spoken, start with the most important details first. You should deal with the following sequence of facts; 1) what has happened; 2) how it happened; 3) why it happened. The first section, what, will also include where, who and when. A report doesn’t only have to include the facts, it can also include opinions, in the form of quotations from the relevant experts and authorities, and also some degree of speculation as to what will happen next, and what consequences there will be. Unlike a review, the writer is there to convey the truth and facts of the matter. They are to be unbiased, non-judgemental, and let the facts speak for themselves. A good reporter will trust their audience to make up its mind in the right way once it has all the facts. The Tabloid Unlike the Broadsheet, the Tabloid newspaper makes no bones about  choosing sides in a story, and actively tries to persuade its readers to share its opinion. They very much like to take a light hearted approach to news material if at all possible, and frequently use puns in headlines. They also avoid putting in too many views or opinions on any given subject. They like first-hand accounts from people involved in making the news, and will avoid analysis, as they prefer to be very direct in their focus on the story. The tabloid journalist likes to gain an emotional response from their reader, and will not shy away from showing where their sympathies lie in any given story. They will sometimes choose to present deliberately one-sided reports on what may sometimes be very complicated issues. They like stories that involve celebrities or famous people, and avoid serious treatment of political or economic issues as much as possible. They thrive on scandal, and what they believe is the public’s insatiable appetite to see what goes on behind closed doors. Tabloids pride themselves on their extremely in-depth sports coverage. The average reading age (age at which a reader would be expected to understand all contents without difficulty) for a Tabloid newspaper is just nine years. Tabloids like simple and short sentences. They use puns and wordplay to highlight and make memorable the key thrust of their story. They avoid using complicated terminology, and long sentences. They also highlight key-points by having several sub-captions to stories, and by using several illustrations to put across the message visually as well. Tabloids have always been traditionally strong on visual information and colour pictures. In recent years tabloids have abandoned over-reliance on the â€Å"page-three girl† feature as they are trying to encourage more women readers. The Broadsheet A broadsheet newspaper is characterised, not only by its large size, but by the attitude it takes towards journalism, and the presentation of news stories. Primarily, a broadsheet will focus on political, economic and lifestyle features. It will present its main stories in a very in-depth and detailed format. They will take a very serious tone with the reader, and will avoid anything that might seem to be trivialising an issue, for example, a pun in a headline. They prefer a serious, sombre, and often  complex approach to news-stories. Broadsheet newspapers examine not only what happened, but how it happened, why it happened, if it happens frequently, what can be done about it, and they will also mention when similar events occurred. They like to find many individuals related to the event, and experts to give quotations and opinions on what has happened. The broadsheet journalist likes to appear impartial and unbiased, and avoids any sense that their emotions might be affecting what they write in any way. They like to convey the impression that they give you the whole truth. Some broadsheet newspapers are physically huge. The average reading age (level of difficulty) for reading a broadsheet and understanding everything in it would be fourteen years, which means you would be able to follow everything. Broadsheets are only now beginning to embrace the possibilities for the use of colour in their papers. Traditionally they have been very black and white affairs, but are increasing the amount of photographs they publish. Reviews. The art of the reviewer is to give the reader just enough a suggestion of what it is you’re talking about, just enough to whet their appetite. If you check a Sunday newspaper, you can find reviews of motorcars, concerts, films, restaurants, even hotels! Nothing is too small, or too large to avoid being reviewed. You could be required to write a review of a favourite film of yours, or to write a blurb for the back of a novel. Unlike a report, which is essentially factual, a review gives you far more scope to let your opinions and feelings known. You can say what you liked or disliked about what you’re reviewing, and that is almost important as a factual description of what you’re reviewing. You can create either a very positive or negative impression on your reader by the tone and language you use. You should assume that your reader has a general interest in the area, but may not be familiar with exactly what you’re going to tell them about. It is easy to criticise something, and often after saying how bad something is, you will find yourself repeating your verdict without informing the reader of why, how or what was bad about it. If you are still looking to fill space, try constructive criticism. Any reviewer can pronounce whether something is good or bad; only the inspired reviewer can point out what was done well, and conversely, what opportunities were lost. For example, if you are reviewing the sitcom Friends, then you should fill in the background first for the reader. It is advisable to go into some detail about the characters, and then finally to attempt some analysis of why it is you like or dislike it. Interviews. Q: What’s the difference between an interview and writing dialogue? A: Interviews are essentially pieces of dialogue, but without the qualifying â€Å"he saids / she saids† at the end of each piece of speech. The different parts of the conversation can be put as question and answer exchanges (â€Å"Q:† and â€Å"A:†), or if it is a more informal interview which is very similar to a conversation, then you can call yourself â€Å"Interviewer†, but refer to your subject by their Surname. Keep your questions short, and let your interviewee expand on them. Q: What are the things I should try to do, and what are the most common problems? A: A bad question to ask is anything that would encourage your interviewee to give a monosyllabic answer, of the â€Å"yes/no† variety. A good question is one which gives the interviewee a chance to illustrate with examples from their life, work, or to ponder on events important to their work, lives, and past or future. A good interviewer gets to the point quickly, and their questions will never be longer than the answers they receive. I once interviewed Seamus Heaney while in college, and committed all of the above mistakes. The Sample Answer below I have had to invent to cover my embarrassment! As well as bearing in mind your interviewee, bear in mind the audience who will be reading this interview. You want something  that is informative, but not technical, and which allows the person or subject to come across well to the reader. There was a fashion recently in newspapers for interviews in which you discovered more about the interviewer than the interviewee, but thankfully, this has now passed. Q: So, I basically just make the entire thing up then? But how do I structure it? A: If you are stuck as to where to start, pick an example of an interviewee who would be appropriate, and write out the list of questions you would like to ask them. Then all you need to do is invent their answers, going by what you know of them. If you’re still stuck, then ask what they’re doing now, what they were doing previously, and what they hope to be doing in six months time. You can also ask if they have achieved all they want to do, or if they think other people’s impressions of them are important. Bear in mind though that your questions will ultimately depend on who the intended audience for the interview is. If they are your age, then ask questions you think your friends would like to know the answers to. Within reason, of course. Speech Writing The skill of speech writing could be relevant to Personal Writing or Functional Writing. How to write, deliver and appreciate a good speech. The key to writing and delivering a good speech is to remember at all times that the speaker is dealing with an audience. The writer/speaker must also bear in mind at what occasion the speech is to be delivered. A speech to be given at an EGM of a company faced with bankruptcy will be drastically different in its structure, tone, and technique than a speech to be given by the same speaker at a wedding later that week! How to write a speech. (For this section, we will consider a speech as that which a speaker would be called upon to prepare for a debate, or public speaking competition.) First, read your motion carefully. In the Junior Certificate, you will be invited to speak either for or against the topic. In deciding whether to speak for or against the motion, don’t necessarily choose the side of the motion which  you support; choose instead the side of the argument that will give you the most arguments to use in your speech. A good idea is to brainstorm all the possible arguments both for and against, and when you see which side gives you more avenues of thought to pursue, choose it. Second, having chosen your side of the debate, decide that the motion is a good or bad idea because†Ã‚ ¦This then will become the argument of your speech. The argument is the central theme which you will introduce, build upon and then summarise. Often it is best to have to have three reasons; Example For Capital Punishment is a good idea because†Ã‚ ¦ 1. It deters other criminals from committing serious crimes 2. It is cheap, efficient, and labour saving 3. It eliminates the possibility of repeat offences Against Capital Punishment is a bad idea because†Ã‚ ¦ 1. Miscarriages of justice cannot be rectified 2. It makes killing right for some yet wrong for others, thus introducing a double standard when there should be a simple statement that â€Å"murder is a crime† 3. Prisons should be for rehabilitating offenders, not for revenge All of the above statements should then be supported by example, but remember, in a debate, your argument is more important than your examples. A good speaker is always restating their argument; a bad speaker is always lost in a fog of example. This is how your argument becomes informative and clear. Third, decide on the structure and tone you want to use in your speech. Some speakers may like to start their speech with a story, anecdote or quotation that will then illustrate their arguments to follow. This gives the speaker a chance to make the speech unique, and make it more relevant than a theoretical discussion of some issue that has never had, or will never have any affect on the speaker. What tone are you going to use? Avoid making sweeping statements, such as â€Å"we all know what this is going to lead to.† Instead, pitch such ideas to the audience in the form of rhetorical questions: â€Å"Do we want our society to be like this?† Avoid the use of too much jargon, and if you are forced to, make sure to define the term immediately after you first mention it, so the audience will be informed for when they will next hear the term. Do not believe that your audience are already experts on this issue – you may need to fill them in on the basics  first. Do not do this in a patronising way, but instead say that you want to focus their attention on the key issues. In this way you will be more persuasive, and less arrogant. Too much arrogance and you will end up alienating your audience from your point of view. Opening comments. Depending on the occasion that the speech is to be delivered, start with the most important dignitaries present, and proceed through your list to the end, which is usually your fellow speakers. A standard opening for a school debate would be Chairperson, Principal, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Students, Fellow Speakers, I have come before you today to speak on the motion that†Ã‚ ¦(insert motion here)†Ã‚ ¦ Continue to refer directly to the audience at intervals throughout your speech, and conclude with a summary of all your arguments, and by thanking the audience for their time and attention. Ladies and Gentlemen, having put forward the facts, I beg you to support/oppose this motion, that†Ã‚ ¦(insert motion here)†Ã‚ ¦ How do you know if you have written a good speech? Imagine you are listening to that speech from the audience. To a member of an audience, no matter where, a good speech will always have the following qualities. 1. It will be suited to the tone of the occasion, whether solemn, or celebratory. 2. It will be informative, but not so technical that it either confuses or loses you. 3. You will be clear at the end of the speech as to why the speaker feels in the way they do about the topic they have spoken on. 4. The speech will emphasise why the issue is important to everyday life, rather that some abstract worry that may never affect you. 5. You will have been given a definition of the issue, and more importantly, a series of suggestions or steps as to how this issue should be dealt with. 6. You will have developed a sympathy for both the speaker and the issue that they spoke upon.

400 Million Years of Shark Evolution

400 Million Years of Shark Evolution If you went back in time and looked at the first, unremarkable prehistoric sharks of the Ordovician periodabout 420 million years agoyou might never guess that their descendants would become such dominant creatures, holding their own against vicious marine reptiles like pliosaurs and mosasaurs and going on to become the apex predators of the worlds oceans. Today, few creatures in the world inspire as much fear as the Great White Shark, the closest nature has come to a pure killing machineif you exclude Megalodon, which was 10 times bigger. Before discussing shark evolution, though, its important to define what we mean by shark. Technically, sharks are a suborder of fish whose skeletons are made out of cartilage rather than bone; sharks are also distinguished by their streamlined, hydrodynamic shapes, sharp teeth, and sandpaper-like skin. Frustratingly for paleontologists, skeletons made of cartilage dont persist in the fossil record nearly as well as skeletons made of bonewhich is why so many prehistoric sharks are known primarily (if not exclusively) by their fossilized teeth. The First Sharks We dont have much in the way of direct evidence, except for a handful of fossilized scales, but the first sharks are believed to have evolved during the Ordovician period, about 420 million years ago (to put this into perspective, the first tetrapods didnt crawl up out of the sea until 400 million years ago). The most important genus that has left significant fossil evidence is the difficult-to-pronounce Cladoselache, numerous specimens of which have been found in the American midwest. As you might expect in such an early shark, Cladoselache was fairly small, and it had some odd, non-shark-like characteristicssuch as a paucity of scales (except for small areas around its mouth and eyes) and a complete lack of claspers, the sexual organ by which male sharks attach themselves (and transfer sperm to) the females. After Cladoselache, the most important prehistoric sharks of ancient times were Stethacanthus, Orthacanthus, and Xenacanthus. Stethacanthus measured only six feet from snout to tail but already boasted the full array  of shark features: scales, sharp teeth, a distinctive fin structure, and a sleek, hydrodynamic build. What set this genus apart were the bizarre, ironing-board-like structures atop the backs of males, which were probably somehow used during mating. The equally ancient Stethacanthus and Orthacanthus were both fresh-water sharks, distinguished by their small size, eel-like bodies, and odd spikes protruding from the tops of their heads (which may have delivered jabs of poison to bothersome predators). The Sharks of the Mesozoic Era Considering how common they were during the preceding geologic periods, sharks kept a relatively low profile during most of the Mesozoic Era,  because of intense competition from marine  reptiles like ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. By far the most successful genus was Hybodus, which was built for survival: this prehistoric shark had two types of teeth, sharp ones for eating fish and flat ones for grinding mollusks, as well as a sharp blade jutting out of its dorsal fin to keep other predators at bay. The cartilaginous skeleton of Hybodus was unusually tough and calcified, explaining this sharks persistence both in the fossil record and in the worlds oceans, which it prowled from the Triassic to the early Cretaceous periods. Prehistoric sharks really came into their own during the middle Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. Both Cretoxyrhina (about 25 feet long) and Squalicorax (about 15 feet long) would be recognizable as true sharks by a modern observer; in fact, theres direct tooth-mark evidence that Squalicorax preyed on dinosaurs that blundered into its habitat. Perhaps the most surprising shark from the Cretaceous period is the recently discovered Ptychodus, a 30-foot-long monster whose numerous, flat teeth were adapted to grinding up tiny mollusks, rather than large fish or aquatic reptiles. After the Mesozoic After the dinosaurs (and their aquatic cousins) went extinct 65 million years ago, prehistoric sharks were free to complete their slow evolution into the remorseless killing machines we know today. Frustratingly, the fossil evidence for the sharks of the Miocene epoch (for example) consists almost exclusively of teeththousands and thousands of teeth, so many that you can buy yourself one on the open market for a fairly modest price. The Great White-sized Otodus, for example, is known almost exclusively by its teeth, from which paleontologists have reconstructed this fearsome, 30-foot-long shark. By far the most famous prehistoric shark of the Cenozoic Era  was Megalodon, adult specimens of which measured 70 feet from head to tail and weighed as much as 50 tons. Megalodon was a true apex predator of the worlds oceans, feasting on everything from whales, dolphins, and seals to giant fish and (presumably) equally giant squids; for a few million years, it may even have preyed on the equally ginormous whale Leviathan. No one knows why this monster went extinct about two million years ago; the most likely candidates include climate change and the resulting disappearance of its usual prey.

Dna Technology Essay

Dna Technology Essay Dna Technology Essay 1. What is the definition of a clone? - A cell, group of cells, or organism that is produced asexually from and is genetically identical to a single ancestor. The cells of an individual plant or animal, except for gametes and some cells of the immune system, are clones because they all descend from a single fertilized cell and are genetically identical. 2. Restriction endonucleases are enzymes that recognize and cut DNA at specific nucleotide sequences. Recognition sequences for the restriction enzyme HindIII is '5-AAGCTT-3' on one strand. What would be the site of recognition on the complementary strand? 2. Vectors are generally termed carrier molecules. For a molecule to serve as a vector, there are certain properties that it must have. What are these properties? 3. The plasmid pUC18 carries a fragment of the lacZ gene that confers upon the appropriate host the ability to convert X-gal from a colorless to a blue-colored compound. A polylinker is inserted into this fragment. In the presence of X-gal in the medium, and transformation into an appropriate host strain, a plasmid that contains inserted DNA will produce which color colonies- blue or white? 4. Besides bacterial plasmids, what are some other molecules that can be used as cloning vectors? 5. The yeast artificial chromosomes have become an important tool in the cloning of eukaryotic genes. What are the factors that make these vectors an excellent cloning tool? 6. Plants or animals carrying a foreign gene are called ______________ organisms? 7. The polymerase chain reaction

Fast Facts About Nova Scotia

Fast Facts About Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of the  founding provinces of Canada. Almost totally surrounded by water, Nova Scotia is made up of a mainland peninsula and Cape Breton Island, which is across the Canso Strait. It is one of only three Canadian maritime provinces located on the North Atlantic Coast of North America. The province of Nova Scotia is famous for its high tides, lobster, fish, blueberries, and apples. It is also known for an unusually high rate of shipwrecks on Sable Island.  The name Nova Scotia originates from Latin, meaning New Scotland. Geographical Location The province is bordered by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Northumberland Strait on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the south and east. Nova Scotia is connected to the province of New Brunswick on the west by the Chignecto Isthmus. And its the second-smallest of Canadas 10  provinces, larger only than Prince Edward Island.   During World War II, Halifax was a major North American port for trans-Atlantic convoys carrying munitions and supplies to Western Europe. Early History of Nova Scotia Numerous Triassic and Jurassic fossils have been found in Nova Scotia, making it a favorite research spot for paleontologists. When Europeans first landed on Nova Scotias shores in 1497, the region was inhabited by the indigenous Mikmaq people. It is believed the Mikmaq were there for 10,000 years before Europeans arrived, and there is some evidence that Norse sailors made it to Cape Breton well before anyone from France or England arrived. French colonists arrived in 1605 and established a permanent settlement that became known as Acadia. This was the first such settlement in what became Canada. Acadia and its capital Fort Royal saw several battles between the French and the British beginning in 1613. Nova Scotia was founded in 1621 to appeal to King James of Scotland as a territory for early Scottish settlers. The British conquered Fort Royal in 1710. In 1755, the British expelled most of the French population from Acadia. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 finally ended the fighting between the British and French with the British taking control of Cape Breton and eventually Quebec.   With the 1867 Canadian Confederation, Nova Scotia became one of Canadas four founding provinces. Population Although it is one of the more densely populated of Canadas provinces, Nova Scotias total area is only 20,400 square miles. Its population hovers just below 1 million people, and its capital city is Halifax. Most of Nova Scotia is English-speaking, with about 4 percent of its population speaking French. The French speakers are typically concentrated in the cities of Halifax, Digby, and Yarmouth.   Economy Coal mining has long been a significant part of life in Nova Scotia. The industry declined after the 1950s but began a comeback in the 1990s. Agriculture, particularly poultry and dairy farms, is another big part of the areas economy. Given its proximity to the ocean, it also makes sense that fishing is a major industry in Nova Scotia. It is one of the most productive fisheries along the Atlantic coastline, providing haddock, cod, scallops, and lobsters among its catches. Forestry and energy also  play big roles in Nova Scotias economy.

Work and Employee Relations in the call centre Essay

Work and Employee Relations in the call centre - Essay Example Employees working in call centres have to get used to the system which is highly monitored and constantly under surveillance by supervisors because of the computer technology integrated into telephone use. Notably, call centres exhibit certain characteristics of Fordist organization/ Taylorist organization. The article addresses the different theoretical perspectives governing call centres and goes further to describe a study carried out in a bid to establish the opinions of call centre employees regarding the type of organization and work related tasks. It emerges that, the employees face the pressure of conforming to the highly computerized inbound and outbound telephone services while bearing with the constant surveillance by the management. This is the reason why employees have been described as participating in emotional labour (Taylor and Bain 1999, p. 101). A Fordist system of organization denotes an organizational structure that relies on technology for increased productivity as well as ensuring the availability of a great market for the standardized products produced by the system. This means that employees rely on the use of technology to perform one task perfectly. Employees in a Fordist organization usually perform one task all year round and there is increased labour division within the organization. A superior level of hierarchical control does exist in Fordist organizations, ensuring that each worker in the production line focuses on an individual task. A clear example of a Fordist organization is the call centre described in the article. As the authors describe, a high level of productivity is evident because of the integration of VDU technologies and telephone services. Moreover, employees stick to production lines performing a single task while utilizing all the available technology to register specialized performance (Taylo r and Bain 1999, p. 102). The fact that a Fordist organization registers a high level of productivity and yields quality

Modern Economical Landscape of Philippines Essay

Modern Economical Landscape of Philippines - Essay Example It is marred with corruption, political dynasties, red tape, and nepotism. Investors shy away from the country due to the difficulty of doing business there. As a result, the local economy suffered where unemployment is high subjecting many of its population to abject poverty. Also, many of its best brightest minds left the country to work and migrated overseas (Rappler.com). At present, this flaw in the political and economic infrastructure of the Philippines is not yet corrected as the remittances of its Overseas Foreign Workers are still the biggest contributor to its economy. The second issue why the economy of the Philippines is not strong is because it does not have its own industrial and technological backbone. Its economic base consists merely of business processing units and assembly plants which are primarily owned by the foreign enterprise. These enterprises can leave anytime exposing the vulnerability of the Philippine economy. My two recommendations for the Philippines for the Philippine economy to become prosperous 50 years from now are to reform its political system and build its own industrial and technological base. It can reform its political system by prosecuting corrupt officials and passing into laws that will democratize its political systems such as banning political dynasties and nepotism. Its recent prosecution of corrupt officials under the former President Macapagal Arroyo supports this recommendation as investor’s confidence increased. Investment flourished amid a global crisis. During the period 2011-13 when the global economy is slowing down, the Philippines registered a GNP of 7.2% which is considered as one of the highest in the world (NCSB).  

How is or isn't Los Angeles a global city What role does Essay

How is or isn't Los Angeles a global city What role does globalization, as discussed by Short, play in Valle & Torres' disc - Essay Example In short, globalization has affected all sectors of LA, including its industry, society and education. Currently Los Angeles is claimed to be the most globalized city in the world. where it lacks in actual numerical population, it makes up for it through its largest non-native population shares. This is the key to the huge impacts that take place globally. Hollywood and everything in between it got hit by globalization. The former historiographer Kevin Starr claims that all sectors in LA impact globally as well. Mike Davis claims that it is the branched income statistical distribution which is the main outcome of globalization. The moving industry picture is a significant aspect of the L.A. economy, which has captured a noticeable part of global control. However, John R. does not consider this as an important fact to declare Los Angeles a global city position, and according to him Northern California has more prominent multimedia graphics impacts. He believes the foreign investment i n L.A. has more attention towards low paid, unskilled labor, and is highly focused on the poor state of L.A schools. Globalization has become a turning point for the educational sector in the LA. So much is the impact that now the educational systems in the LA are utilizing new and cutting edge technology in teaching practices. It has utilized the services of both public and private parties, a system called the active social educations. These initiatives are in fact becoming an inspiration for educational systems of the emerging countries, and how educational systems can be improved in spite of the staleness of the system. In this way, globalization is serving as a new initiative for reforms of the various social, industrial and educational sectors in LA. Many authors believe LA fits the picture of a global city for all its attractions, business and tourism facilities. No doubt, Los Angeles is a globalized city, having all necessary ingredients of being one of the great cities of it s region. Rodolfo analyzes the position of the three biggest metropolises in the United States to explore what consequence the global economy has had on them. He states that each city, apart from being the largest in the region, each was formulated during a different but significant historic economic construction. New York was therefore known as the "mercantile city," Chicago was an "industrial city," and Los Angeles was known as a "post-industrial city". He then analyzes a number of facts highlighting the height of prominence in the frame of global economy. On the broader context, he considered population and pointed at ethnic diversity, air freight, shipping and foreign trade, the height of control exercised by corporate headquarters, the part of producer and corporate services and the presence of transnational investments as contributory to the process of globalization (John 23). He analyzes that all three cities presented a global significance. Having all fundamentals of enough assiduity of global occasions to equally specify as a global city, he guessed that globalization has fostered or highlighted racial bias and discrimination. His findings highlight the importance of various historical events in making globalization a final process of development of a city. He analyzes that both Chicago and Los Angeles are acutely separated spatially along interracial lines, New

Health care, psychological and social support for teen parents Coursework

Health care, psychological and social support for teen parents - Coursework Example Because this is a government site, it was important to find out whether it was an accurate site. The homepage was very helpful because it gave contact information for the different programs that pertained to teen parents. They had phone numbers and email directions for each program and you could link directly to their email. The information was informative and gave several resources that teen parents could use in addition to the programs at the County office. As to authority, the website was last updated May 27, 2003 which means that some of it could be outdated now. The site itself has a lot of information that was probably written by people who were involved in the County offices. There were not people who had written articles or any real information that would pertain to anything other than the programs themselves. However it did show that there were a variety of programs available to anyone in California. The information was straight forward and told exactly what parents needed to do to be eligible for programs. The website was originally produced in 1997, but it was "last updated" on December 18, 2003 (eligibility page). Each page had been updated on a different day in 2003. There was a link at the top to all staff with their phone numbers and email addresses; this also included a directory. The website was very easy to get around and it didnt seem to need any specific software. There were no frames so it would be easily read by teen parents with disabilities. If I needed information for a client in California that met the criteria of this site I would definitely send them to it. There were so many programs that I am sure that a client would be able to qualify for something. This site was very different from the other one because it consisted of articles and information for teen parents. This is basically a womens health site that includes many different conditions and teen

Islamic Banks and Commercial Banks Performance Essay

Islamic Banks and Commercial Banks Performance - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that conventional commercial banks have a better opportunity for increasing profitability and shareholders’ returns since they charge interest and fees on their customers. On the other hand, the Islamic banks have a lower opportunity cost for profit making and increasing the investors’ returns, because they operate on the principle of free-interest. Nevertheless, that is not to say that Islamic banks are not profitable. The low profitability and return on investment for the Islamic banks are largely accounted for by the fact that the Islamic banks operate on a more benevolent basis than the conventional banks. Additionally, the commercial banks have a better grip on the economy of countries than the Islamic bank, since they have a long history compared to the Islamic banking, which is a contemporary phenomenon. The concept of Islamic and commercial banking has attracted a lot scholarly of attention of late, with different fina ncial scholars trying to understand how the concept of Islamic banking works in relation to both Islamic banks profitability and Islamic banks customer behavior. The interest in studying this area has arisen out of the fact that the Islamic banks operate on the basis of the Islamic religious laws, which is a totally different concept from the conventional banking operations. Defining the profitability of the conventional banks is more straightforward because it is based on the banks charging interest rates and fees to their customers of different products and services that the banks offer to the customers.

Was President Eisenhower better prepared to make decisions about the Essay

Was President Eisenhower better prepared to make decisions about the developing intelligence community than most other presidents - Essay Example President Eisenhower was a good consumer. In relation to the intelligence data work; he could prefer to gather the information from the normal citizens rather than depending on the material gathered by daily reports, which he believed, had its errors in reporting. As a manger, he delivered outstanding views in regards to his management hence protecting national resources as well. During world cold war era, he was able to deliver and discuss the idea of producing a brief, all-source, daily current intelligence publication exclusively for the President During the world war two, Marine Corps developed and deployed Navajo Code Talker Program that was used to encode, transmit, and decode English messages that were delivered into complex languages. The machines were developed with encryption method that enabled successful transmission of communication within the corps. However, President Eisenhower used to read all his reports from separate reports originating from CIA, State, Defense, and joint chiefs rather than daily reports, which he believed that he was able to gather cognitive information at

Islamic Banks and Commercial Banks Performance Essay

Islamic Banks and Commercial Banks Performance - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that conventional commercial banks have a better opportunity for increasing profitability and shareholders’ returns since they charge interest and fees on their customers. On the other hand, the Islamic banks have a lower opportunity cost for profit making and increasing the investors’ returns, because they operate on the principle of free-interest. Nevertheless, that is not to say that Islamic banks are not profitable. The low profitability and return on investment for the Islamic banks are largely accounted for by the fact that the Islamic banks operate on a more benevolent basis than the conventional banks. Additionally, the commercial banks have a better grip on the economy of countries than the Islamic bank, since they have a long history compared to the Islamic banking, which is a contemporary phenomenon. The concept of Islamic and commercial banking has attracted a lot scholarly of attention of late, with different fina ncial scholars trying to understand how the concept of Islamic banking works in relation to both Islamic banks profitability and Islamic banks customer behavior. The interest in studying this area has arisen out of the fact that the Islamic banks operate on the basis of the Islamic religious laws, which is a totally different concept from the conventional banking operations. Defining the profitability of the conventional banks is more straightforward because it is based on the banks charging interest rates and fees to their customers of different products and services that the banks offer to the customers.

Organizational Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Development - Assignment Example Advocates of TQM hold that the goal of customer satisfaction is achieved through top management commitment to creating an organizational climate that empowers employees and focuses all efforts on the goal of customer satisfaction. A positive relationship between leadership and commitment, and employee empowerment (leading to job satisfaction) with customer satisfaction is assumed. Both the trade and academic literatures on TQM suggest many different top leadership strategies and practices for empowering or involving employees in quality-related decision-making processes. However, few empirical studies, outside of the Malcolm Baldridge Award program, have been done to sufficiently document these relationships and to determine which of the many suggested strategies and practices are effective in bringing about the intended results (employee empowerment, job satisfaction, and superior customer satisfaction). The objective of this study is to provide empirical assessment of the assumed relationship between top management leadership and commitment, employee empowerment, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction. ... Another objective is to provide empirical assessment for the TQM-based literature. Literature review In almost all of the TQM literature, employee involvement, empowerment, and top management leadership and commitment are identified as crucial elements of a successful TQM program (Bowen, Siehl, & Schneider, 1989; Brower, 1994; Camp, 1989; Deming, 1982; Mendelowitz, 1991; Roberts, 1994; Senge, 1994). Lawler (1994) referred to employee empowerment as one of the most important tenets of TQM. Thomas and Velthouse (1990) define empowerment "as intrinsic task motivation that manifests itself in four cognitions reflecting an individual's orientation to his or her work roles." By intrinsic task motivation, they mean "positively valued experiences that an individual derives directly from a task that produce motivation and satisfaction." The four cognitions they identified are meaningfulness, competence, impact, and choice. Meaningfulness is the value of the task goal or purpose in relation to the individual's own ideals or standards, and competence is the degree to which a person can perform task activities skillfully. Impact, on the other hand, is the degree to which behavior is seen as making a difference in terms of accomplishing the purpose of the task, while choice is the causal responsibility for a person's actions. A more operational-level and process-oriented definition of empowerment was offered by Bowen and Lawler (1992). They define empowerment "as sharing with front-line employees information about an organization's performance, information about rewards based on the organization's performance, knowledge that enables employees to understand and contribute to organizational performance, and giving

Les Miserables Essay Example for Free

Les Miserables Essay In Websters Dictionary the word Justice is defined by the words fairness and rightfulness. Around the world, the figure of Justice is portrayed as blind from all information but objective facts. In the novel Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo, the figure of Justice is meant to be completely blind, but it does not stay totally blind. Jean ValJean, the main character of the novel had been a prisoner for 19 years. When he was released from prison he was given a yellow ticket that identified him as a criminal. This made ValJean unable to live a normal life again. Today, due to the media and the abundance of information that is available for everyone on the internet these days, this system of Justice is not always executed properly. These two instances of the yellow ticket in Les Miserables and the media today resulted in no blind Justice for those who are affected. The system of Justice is supposed to be considered blind. This means that when a trial comes to court, no one knows any outside information on the trial before it begins. This includes all of the Jury and the Judge. The goal of blind Justice is to present a fair trial and eliminate bias. Part of the Jury selection process is to make sure that no one has any prior knowledge on the trial that they are being selected. When there is a trial that is totally blind, the trial is more likely to go smoothly because all of the facts would Just have been known from information presented in the court. There is no outside information that someone considers important which could cause chaos and confusion. Unfortunately in some cases it is difficult to keep a case blind. In todays society there are certain cases that are very tough to keep blind. These cases usually contain popular celebrities that the media is attached to. Whenever a celebrity gets in lots of trouble with the law, it is all over television, newspapers and the internet. The world knows everything that happened in the incident and what will happen to the celebrity. This results in the trial not being blind at all. A recent example ofa trial not being blind is the case of the former Buffalo Bills running back 0. 1. Simpson. Simpson tried to retain some of his old emorabilia from some old friends, but did it very aggressively with a weapon and was charged with numerous accounts of armed robbery and kidnapping. Before this, Simpson was well known for his success on the football field but also his prior trial for murdering his wife. Simpson was found not guilty in this popular trial but many people believe he was guilty. This recent trial was followed very intently by the media. Reporters were everywhere Simpson went and every development in the trial was in the news almost instantly. Before the trial started the Judge and Jury had lready known all about Simpson and his successes and mishaps. As a result the trial was very biased against Simpson. Simpson was found guilty and sentenced to at least 9 years in prison and a maximum of 33 years. This anti-blind Justice pretty much goes for any celebrity that gets in trouble with the law. In Les Miserables Justice is not completely blind for Jean Val]ean. The Justice is not completely blind because Jean ValJean is not a criminal but he was a result of a slightly corrupt Justice system during that time period in France. The Justice system as not intended to be blind. Jean ValJeans open Justice was not in court, it was present a yellow passport, showing that he is an ex-convict. This causes people to instantly look down on ValJean and treat him worse than a normal person. Since he is an ex-convict, anytime he does something he is quick to be arrested, because of his past. When he stays with the Bishop of Digne and steals some silverware he is quickly arrested. Luckily the Bishop was very gracious and let Jean ValJean go by teaching him some lessons. ValJean does continue to face adversity because of his ast. He is later wanted back in prison because he is thought to be disguising himself, to hide his ex-convict identity. Blind Justice was clearly not evident in the life of Jean ValJean. Clearly, Justice is sometimes completely blind, but it is very difficult to keep ones case completely blind. In the cases of 0. 1. Simpson and Jean ValJean blind Justice was not present and they both suffered from it. The Justice system suffers directly from the world around it and as time goes on it becomes ever harder to keep information private.

Trumps Immigration Policies: Implications

Trumps Immigration Policies: Implications Since the election of President Trump, American immigration policy has come to reflect an increasingly draconian, anti-immigrant perspective. Between Trumps trademark pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border, his harsh crackdown on deportations as well as his inchoate, legally fraught attempts ban immigration from majority-Muslim nations, the scapegoating of immigrants (both documented and undocumented) has come to represent a fundamental cornerstone of both his campaign and nascent presidency. While his arguments are largely economic in nature, claiming that his proposals will open up jobs for American workers and raise wages (Trump, n.d.), the practical implications of such legislation are much more dangerous, and ultimately economically unsound. This paper examines the effects of an undocumented immigration crackdown on the national grocery industry. In spite of Trumps fear mongering rhetoric that Mexico takes advantage of the United States by using illegal immigration to export the crime and poverty in their own country (Trump, n.d.), undocumented workers actually play a crucial role in supplying Americas groceries. With Reuters reporting that up to 70% of farm workers may be undocumented (Abbott, 2013), it appears that immigrants are not actually job thieves; rather, they take jobs that, even in their absence, Americans refuse to fill (Dwoskin, 2011). In the absence of that labor, Americas farm industry stands to lose as much as $9 billion annually (Abbott, 2013). This leaves two options for producers in the agriculture industry: shut down (causing nationwide food shortages and economic damage as the US adjusts to a forced spike in food imports), or raise wages to hire American workers. If Trumps policies (including a tax on Mexican imports) work as intended, the latter will still be the most economically sound option, and Amer ican farms will begin employing native workers at higher wages. In order to offset the increased labor costs, however, farms will be forced to raise their prices significantly or go out of business, causing a shift in the supply curve (as opposed to movement along the curve). However, the fundamental Law of Demand states that a correlate decrease in demand will follow the jump in prices. While the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables in the US is relatively inelastic, at 0.71 and 0.98, respectively (Andreyeva, Long Brownell, 2010), the inelasticity is not perfect; resultantly, disadvantaged Americans will begin consuming inferior goods such as processed foods (which have long shelf lives and cheap production costs). In this way, sourcing American laborers with higher wages would not be a profitable alternative to the current system, as illustrated in the following chart: At this point, the farm industry would again be left with three choices: either lower wages (causing an exodus of workers), lay off workers and align to a new, smaller economy of scale (causing more movement of the supply curve), or shut down entirely (causing, again, grocery shortages and greater importing of food). Interestingly, a possibility also exists that Trumps policies may actually have the effect of lowering wages straight away; this would result from one other noteworthy, though unintentional, consequence: decreased reporting by undocumented workers of labor violations (Jamieson, 2017). As undocumented laborers increasingly fear deportation, they may be less likely to inform authorities of violations such as forced overtime and wage theft. The lack of reporting would then ultimately strengthen (not weaken) the motivation for unethical employers to cheat their laborers. Combined with the Trump administrations lax attitude towards business regulation, the argument that his policies may backfire remains compelling. Regardless of the actual effect of Trumps crackdown on undocumented immigration, one consensus is clear: its will not go as planned, and may cause significant damage to the US economy. WORKS CITED Abbott, C. (2013, April 22). Import workers or food, U.S. farm bloc says of immigration debate (R. Krasny D. Grebler, Eds.). Retrieved March 08, 2017, from http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-immigration-farmworkers-idUSL2N0D91LR20130422 Andreyeva, T., Long, M. W., Brownell, K. D. (2010). The Impact of Food Prices on Consumption: A Systematic Review of Research on the Price Elasticity of Demand for Food. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 216-222. doi:10.2105/ajph.2008.151415 Dwoskin, E. (2011, November 09). Why Americans Wont Do Dirty Jobs. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-11-09/why-americans-wont-do-dirty-jobs Jamieson, D. (2017, March 08). Donald Trumps Immigration Crackdown Is Silencing Exploited Workers. Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-immigrant-worker-abuse_us_58c03352e4b054a0ea66eef0 Trump, D. J. (n.d.). Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again. Retrieved February 08, 2017, from https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Immigration-Reform-Trump.pdf

Counseling Theoretical Model Essay -- Psychology, Christian Counseling

There are many theoretical models of counseling. Often, a diverse approach or the use of several approaches is best for the resolution of problems. I utilize several different theories and strategies in my role as a counselor. However, it is the Individual personal theory and the Family theory model that anchors my orientation to counseling as a Christian counselor. Individual personal theory of counseling is very important for the successes of any therapeutic process that affects how I council. Personal perspective, how the world works, belief system, the way things interact, and how they actually are form the basis of working of all individuals in life. In order to have the best decision with respect to any therapeutic process, I have to understand deeply the personal theory of individual. This is believed to enhance the interaction of the client with a counselor and gives an integrated approach by me as a counselor. This understanding is also crucial to effective intervention with individuals who have different values compared to me as a counselor. Understanding the individual theory of the world also helps me as a counselor in the identification of weaknesses and strengths and areas of improvement. As a counselor, my personal orientations on the other hand are the influences like values, interests, compassion, and self-awareness among others , which influence the personal theory of counseling, discussed above. These personal orientations correspond with other approaches to therapy while others do not hence the understanding is important. Family systems theory bases its argument on the concepts that in order to understand the family effectively and efficiently, the whole family has to be assessed. The signs that are expres... ...The Individual personal Theory and the Family Theory Model is a very important procedure that must be taken seriously in order to ensure that it is successful. Individual personal theory of counseling together with the orientation of the therapist has a greater influence on the family therapy. This may be negative for example if the orientation of the therapist contravenes the values of the client as is evidenced by the Christian values discussed above. It is also important for the therapist to be aware of the needs and the uniqueness of the circumstances of the clients such as in domestic violence. However, an efficient strategy is capable of ensuring that these forces do not affect the process. Lastly, the environment and the diversity of the population that one is working with play an important role in family systems therapy and should be considered critically.

Legal Safety and Regulatory Requirements Essay

Human resources was created to make sure the organization reaches its goals, which is to maximize returns on investment from the organization’s human capital and minimize financial risk, providing the organization with well trained and motivated employees, to ensure all reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization, developing overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect, and ensuring effective utilization and maximum development of human resources. Along with these responsibilities the human resources department also have regulations they have to follow such as the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This commission established on July 2, 1965, and is listed under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA),[7] the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The U. S.  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered by these laws. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits (U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n. d. ). The EEOC provides employees with the opportunity to have an investigation if they feel they have been discriminated against. If the discrimination can be justified then the commission does have the right to file a lawsuit to ensure that the employees’ rights and interest of the public are protected. The EEOC provides leadership and guidance to federal agencies on all aspects of the federal government’s equal employment opportunity program. EEOC assures federal agency and department compliance with EEOC regulations, provides technical assistance to federal agencies concerning EEO complaint djudication, monitors and evaluates federal agencies’ affirmative employment programs, develops and distributes federal sector educational materials and conducts training for stakeholders, provides guidance and assistance to our Administrative Judges who conduct hearings on EEO complaints, and adjudicates appeals from administrative decisions made by federal agencies on EEO complaints (U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n. . ). The guidelines for employees have been made into regulations enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity instead of the perception â€Å"common sense and compassion in the workplace† has been replaced by litigation to make discrimination incidents legally enforced. History has changed so much over time such as the act to abolish race discrimination better known as the Civil Rights Act that was passed in 1908. The individuals within the human resource department must be well versed in all the laws and regulations as set by the United States as they are expected to abide by these laws and rules. Once the potential employee has signed an employment contract, a new relationship is formed between employer and employee. â€Å"Both employers and employees have rights and obligations to each other when they enter into a contract. An employment contract spells out explicitly the terms of the employment relationship for both employee and employer (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010, p. 441)†. Along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission there are also other entities that are in place to protect the rights of the employee and the employer such as National Labor Relations Board, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These regulations and laws are very important within the health care field and needs to be understood throughout the organization to prevent any wrong doings. These entities should be complied with and enforced the regulations which will decrease any chance of liability for the human resources department and organization. The human resources department staff to have extensive training to protect employees from frivolous incidents. Currently, because of the of Civil Rights (OCR) administers ensures Agency compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, and guidance that prohibit discrimination in the Federal workplace based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, genetic information, or reprisal better known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 9

It was David, of course. Gillian turned around and stared at him, blinking. He was standing just inside the doorway, his jacket slung over one shoulder, the other hand in his pocket. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark. He was looking at Tanya. There was a silence. (How long? How long has he been there, Angel?) (Uhhh, I'd say since round about†¦ the beginning.) (Oh, my.) So that's why Gillian had been so low key and noble and let Tanya do all the yelling and threatening. They must have come off like Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. A sense of justice stirred inside Gillian. She made a hesitant move toward David. â€Å"David-you don't understand-â€Å" David shook his head. â€Å"I understand just fine. Don't try to cover for her. It's better for me to find out.† (Yeah, shut up, minibrain! Now look mildly distressed, slightly awkward. You guess they want to be alone now.) â€Å"Uh, I guess you guys want to be alone now.† (Anyway, you have to hurry to get your ride.) â€Å"Anyway, I have to hurry to get my ride.† (These aren't the droids you're looking for.) â€Å"These aren't-† (I'm going to kill you, Angel!) Flustered, Gillian made one last gesture of apology and almost ran for the door. Outside, she walked blindly. (Angel!) (Sorry, I couldn't resist. But look at you, kid! Do you know what you've done?) (I guess †¦ I got rid of Tanya.) As the adrenaline of battle faded, the truth of this was slowly beginning to dawn on her. It brought a hint of glorious warmth, a sparkling promise of future happiness. (Smart kid!) (And-I did it fairly. It was all true, wasn't it, Angel? She's really been messing around with Bruce?) (Everybody's been messing around with Bruce. Yes, it was all true.) (And what about Kim? Is she the one who spreads rumors about people?) (Like butter on Eggos.) (I just-she seemed so sweet. When we talked about rumors in the cafeteria she patted my hand.) (Sure, she's sweet-to your face. Turn left here.) Gillian found herself emerging from the school building. As she went down the steps she saw three or four cars parked casually in the roundabout. Macon's BMW convertible was one. He looked up at her and gave an inviting nod toward the car. Other people shouted. â€Å"Hey, Jill, need a ride?† â€Å"We wouldn't want you to get lost in the woods again!† Gillian stood, feeling like a southern belle. So many people wanting her-it made her giddy. Angel was grandly indifferent (Pick anybody!) and she could see Amy's Geo a little distance away. Amy and Eugene were standing by it, looking up at her. But getting in a car with Eugene Elfred would be disastrous to her new status. She picked Cory the Party Guy, and the ride home was filled with his nonstop talk about Macon's party on Saturday. She had trouble getting rid of him at the door. Once she did, she walked up to her bedroom and fell on her bed, arms out. She stared at the ceiling. (Phew!) It had been the most incredible day of her life. She lay and listened to the quiet house and tried to gather her thoughts. The warmth was still percolating inside her, although it was mixed with a certain amount of anxiety. She wanted to see David again. She wanted to know how things had turned out with Tanya. She couldn't let herself feel happy until she was sure†¦ â€Å"Relax, would you?† Gillian sat up. The voice wasn't in her ear, it was beside the bed. Angel was sitting there. The sight hit her like a physical blow. She hadn't seen him since that morning and she'd forgotten how beautiful he was. His hair was dark golden with paler gold lights shimmering in it. His face was-well-classic perfection. Absolutely pure, denned like a sculpture in marble. His eyes were a violet so glorious it actually hurt to look at it. His expression was rapt and uplifted†¦ until he winked. Then it dissolved into mischief. â€Å"Uh, hi,† Gillian whispered huskily. â€Å"Hi, kid. Tired?† â€Å"Yeah. I feel†¦ used up.† â€Å"Well, take a nap, why don't you? I've got places to go anyway.† Gillian blinked. Places? â€Å"Angel†¦ I never asked you. What's heaven like? I mean, with angels like you, it's got to be different from most people's idea. That meadow I saw-that wasn't it, was it?† â€Å"No, that wasn't it. Heaven-well, it's hard to explain. It's all in the oscillation of the spatial-temporal harmonics, you know-what you'd call the inherent vibration of the plane. At a higher vibration everything assumes a much more complicated harmonic theme. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're making this up, aren't you?† â€Å"Yeah. Actually it's classified. Why don't you get some sleep?† Gillian already had her eyes shut. She was happy when she woke up to smell dinner. But when she got downstairs, she found only her mother. â€Å"Dad's not home?† â€Å"No. He called, honey, and left a message for you. He'll be out of town on business for a while.† â€Å"But he'll be back for Christmas. Won't he?† â€Å"I'm sure he will.† Gillian didn't say anything else. She ate the hamburger casserole her mother served-and noticed that her mother didn't eat. Afterward, she sat in the kitchen and played with a fork. (You okay?) The voice in her ear was a welcome relief. (Angel. Yeah, I'm all right. I was just thinking†¦ about how everything started with Mom. It wasn't always like this. She was a teacher at the junior college†¦) (I know.) (And then-I think it was about five years ago- things just started happening. She started acting crazy. And then she was seeing things-what did I know about drinking then? I just thought she was nuts. It wasn't until Dad started finding empty bottles†¦) (I know.) (I just wish†¦ that things could be different.) A pause. (Angel? Do you think maybe they could be?) Another pause. Then Angel's voice was quiet. (I'll work on it, kid. But, yeah, I think maybe they could be.) Gillian shut her eyes. After a moment she opened them again. (Angel-how can I thank you? The things you're doing for me †¦ I can't even start to tell you †¦) (Don't mention it. And don't cry. A cheery face is worth triple A bonds. Besides, you have to answer the phone.) (What phone?) The phone rang. (That phone.) Gillian blew her nose and said a practice â€Å"Hello† to make sure her voice wasn't shaky. Then she took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. â€Å"Gillian?† Her fingers clenched on the phone. â€Å"Hi, David.† â€Å"Look, I just wanted to make , sure you were okay. I didn't even ask you that when-you know, this afternoon.† â€Å"Sure, I'm okay.† Gillian didn't need Angel to tell her what to say to this. â€Å"I can handle myself, you know.† â€Å"Yeah. But Tanya can be pretty intense sometimes. After you left she was-well, forget that.† He doesn't want to say anything bad about her, Gillian thought. She said, â€Å"I'm fine.† â€Å"It's just-† She could almost feel the frustration building on the other side of the line. And then David burst out as if something had snapped, â€Å"I didn't know!† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I didn't know she was-like that! I mean, she runs the teen helpline and she's on the Centralia relief committee and the Food Cupboard project and .. . Anyway, I thought she was different. A good person.† Conscience twinged. â€Å"David, I think she is some of the things you thought. She's brave. When that window-â€Å" â€Å"Quit it, Gillian. You're those things. You're brave and funny and-well, too honorable for your own good. You tried to give Tanya another chance.† He let out a breath. â€Å"But, anyway; you might have guessed, we're finished. I told Tanya that. And now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice changed. Suddenly he laughed, sounding as if some burden had fallen off him. â€Å"Well, would you like me to drive you to the party Saturday night?† Gillian laughed, too. â€Å"I'd like it. I'd love it.† (Oh, Angel-thank you!) She was very happy. The rest of the week was wonderful. Every day she wore something daring and flattering scavenged from the depths of her closet. Every day she seemed to get more popular. People looked up when she walked into a room, not just meeting her eyes, but trying to catch her eye. They waved to her from a distance. They said hello up and down the halls. Everyone seemed glad to talk to her, and pleased if she wanted to talk to them. It was like being on a skyrocket, going higher and higher. And, always, her guide and protector was with her. Angel had come to seem like a part of her, the most savvy and ingenious part. He provided quips, smoothed over awkward situations, gave advice about who to tolerate and who to snub. Gillian was developing an instinct for this, too. She was gaining confidence in herself, finding new skills every day. She was literally becoming a new person. She didn't see much of Amy now. But Amy had Eugene, after all. And Gillian was so busy that she never even got to see David alone. The day of the party she went to Houghton with Amanda the Cheerleader and Steffi the Singer. They laughed a lot, got whistled at everywhere, and shopped until they were dizzy. Gillian bought a dress and ankle boots-both approved by Angel. When David picked her up that night, he let out a soft whistle himself. â€Å"I look okay?† â€Å"You look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"Illegal, but also sort of spiritual. How do you do that?† Gillian smiled. Macon the Wallet's house was the house of a rich guy. A fleet of artsy reindeer made out of some kind of white twigs and glowing with tiny lights graced the lawn. Inside, it was all high ceilings and track lighting, oriental rugs, old china, silver. Gillian was dazzled. (My first real party! I mean, my first Popular Party. And it's even kind of, sort of for me.) (Your first real party, and it's all for you. The world is your oyster, kid. Go out and crack it.) Macon was coming toward her. Other people were looking. Gillian paused in the doorway of the room for effect, aware that she was making an entrance-and loving it. Her outfit was designer casual. A black minidress with a pattern of purple flowers so dark it could hardly be distinguished. The soft, crepey material dung to her like a second skin. Matte black tights. And of course the ankle boots. Not much makeup; she'd decided on the fresh, soft look for her face. She'd darkened her lashes just enough to make the violet of her eyes a startling contrast. She looked stunning†¦ and effortless. And she knew it very well. Macon's hooded eyes roved over her with something like suppressed hunger. â€Å"How's it going? You're looking good.† â€Å"We feel good,† Gillian said, squeezing David's arm. Macon's eyes darkened. He looked at the intersection of Gillian's hand and David's arm as if it offended him. David looked back dispassionately, but a sort of wordless menace exuded from him. Macon actually took a step back. But all he said was, â€Å"Well, my parents are gone for the weekend, so make yourself at home. There should be food somewhere.† There was food everywhere. Every kind of munchy thing. Music blasted from the den, echoing all over the house. As they walked in, Cory greeted them with, â€Å"Hey, guys! Grab a glass, it's going fast.† When he'd said that he would round up a keg last week, Gillian had foolishly misheard it as â€Å"a cake.† Now she understood. It was a keg of beer and everybody was drinking. And not just beer. There were hard liquor bottles around. One guy was lying on a table with his mouth open while a girl poured something from a rectangular bottle into it. â€Å"Hey, Jill, this is for you.† Cory was trying to give her a plastic glass with foam overflowing the top. Gillian looked at him with open scorn. She didn't need Angel's help for this. â€Å"Thanks, but I happen to like my brain cells, Maybe if you had more respect for yours you wouldn't be flunking biology.† There was laughter. Even Cory laughed and winced. â€Å"Right on,† Daryl the Rich Girl said, raising a can of diet Barq's root beer to Gillian in salute. And David waved Cory away and reached for a Coke. Nobody tried to pressure them and the guy on the table even looked a little embarrassed. Gillian had learned that you could pull anything off if you were cool enough, composed enough, and if you didn't back down. The feeling of success was much more intoxicating than liquor could have been. (How about that? Pretty good, huh? Huh? Huh?) (Oh †¦ oh, yeah, fine.) Angel seemed to deliberate. (Of course, it does say, â€Å"Wine maketh the heart of man glad†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) (Oh, Angel, you're so silly. You sound like Cory!) Gillian almost laughed out loud. Everything was exciting. The music, the huge house with its opulent Christmas decorations. The people. All the girls threw their arms around Gillian and kissed her as if they hadn't seen her in weeks. Some of the boys tried, but David warned them off with a look. That was exciting, too. Having everyone know she was together with David Blackburn, that he was hers. It put her status through the ceiling. â€Å"Want to look around?† David was saying. â€Å"I can show you the upstairs; Macon doesn't care.† Gillian looked at him. â€Å"Bored?† He grinned. â€Å"No. But I wouldn't mind seeing you alone for a few minutes.† They went up a long carpeted staircase lined with oil paintings. The rooms upstairs were just as beautiful as downstairs: palatial and almost awe inspiring. It put Gillian in a quiet mood. The music wasn't as loud up here, and the cool marble gave her the feeling of being in a museum. She looked out a window to see velvet darkness punctuated by little twinkling lights. â€Å"You know, I'm glad you didn't want to drink back there.† David's voice behind her was quiet. She turned, trying to read his face. â€Å"But†¦ you were surprised?† â€Å"Well-it's just sometimes now you seem so adult. Sort of worldly.† â€Å"Me? I mean-I mean you're the one who seems like that.† And that's what you like in girls, she thought. He looked away and laughed. â€Å"Oh, yeah. The tough guy. The wild guy. Tanya and I used to party pretty hard.† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm not tough. I'm just a small-town guy trying to get through life. I don't look for trouble. I try to run from it if I can.† Gillian had to laugh herself at that. But there was something serious in David's dark eyes. â€Å"I admit, it sort of had a way of finding me in the past,† he said slowly. â€Å"And I've done some things that I'm not proud of. But, you know †¦ I'd like to change that-if it's possible.† â€Å"Sort of like a whole new side of you that wants to come out.† He looked startled. Then he glanced up and down her and grinned. â€Å"Yeah. Sort of like that.† Gillian felt suddenly inspired, hopeful. â€Å"I think,† she said slowly, trying to put her ideas together, â€Å"that sometimes people need to-to express both sides of themselves. And then they can be †¦ well, whole.† â€Å"Yeah. If that's possible.† He hesitated. Gillian didn't say anything, because she had the feeling that he was trying to. That there was some reason he'd brought her up to talk to her alone. â€Å"Well. You know something weird?† he said after a moment. â€Å"I don't feel exactly whole. And the truth is-† He looked around the darkened room. Gillian could only see his profile. He shook his head, then took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay, this is going to sound even dumber than I thought, but I've got to say it. I can't help it.† He turned back, toward her and said with a mixture of determination and apology, â€Å"And since that day when I found you out there in the snow, I have this feeling that I won't be, without †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off and shrugged. â€Å"Well-you,† he said finally, helplessly. The universe was one enormous heartbeat. Gillian could feel her body echoing it. She said slowly, â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know. I know how it sounds. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No,† Gillian whispered. â€Å"That wasn't what I was going to say.† He'd turned sharply away to glare at the window. Now he turned halfway back and she saw the glimmer of hope in his face. â€Å"I was going to say, I understand.† He looked as if he were afraid to believe. â€Å"Yeah, but do you really?† â€Å"I think I do-really.† And then he was moving toward her and Gillian was holding up her arms. Literally as if drawn to do it-but not just by â€Å"physical attraction. It sounded crazy, Gillian thought, but it wasn't physical so much as †¦ well, spiritual. They seemed to belong together. David was holding her. It felt incredibly strange and at the same time perfectly natural. He was warm and solid and Gillian felt her eyes shutting, her head drifting to his shoulder. Such a simple embrace, but it seemed to mean everything. The feelings inside Gillian were like a wonderful discovery. And she had the sense that she was on the verge of some other discovery, that if she just opened her eyes and looked into David's at this moment, somehow it would mean a change in the world†¦ (Kid?) The voice in Gillian's ear was quiet. (I really hate to say it, but I have to break this up. You have to sidle down to the master bedroom.) Gillian scarcely heard and couldn't pay attention. (Gillian! I mean it, kid. There's something going on that you have to know about.) (Angel?) (Tell him you'll be back in a few minutes. This is important!) There was no way to ignore that tone of urgency. Gillian stirred. â€Å"David, I have to go for a sec. Be right back.† David just nodded. â€Å"Sure.† It was Gillian who had trouble letting go of his hand, and when she did she still seemed to feel his grip. (This had better be good, Angel.) She blinked in the light of the hallway. (Go down to the end of the hall. That's the master bedroom. Go on in. Don't turn on the light.) The master bedroom was cavernous and dark and filled with large dim shapes like sleeping elephants. Gillian walked in and immediately banged into a piece of heavy furniture. (Be careful! See that light over there?) Light was showing around the edges of double doors on the other side of the room. The doors were closed. (And locked. That's the bathroom. Now, here's what I want you to do. Walk carefully over to the right of the bathroom and you'll find another door. It's the closet. I want you to quietly open that door and get in it.) (What?) Angel's voice was elaborately patient. (Get in the closet and put your ear against the wall.) Gillian shut her eyes. Then, feeling exactly like a burglar, she slowly turned the handle of the closet door and slipped inside. It was a walk-in closet, very long but stuffy because of the clothes bristling from both sides. Gillian had a profound feeling of intrusion, of being an invader of privacy. She seemed to walk a long way in before Angel stopped her. (Okay. Here. Now put your ear against the left wall.) Eyes still shut-it seemed to make the absolute darkness more bearable-Gillian burrowed between something long sheathed in plastic and something heavy and velvety. With the clothes embracing her on either side, she leaned her head until her bare ear touched wood. (Angel, I can't believe I'm doing this. I feel really stupid, and I'm scared, and if anybody finds me-) (Just listen, will you?) At first Gillian's heart seemed to drown out all other sounds* But then, faint but clear, she heard two voices she recognized.