Discuss (herosim and Treachery) in Jorge Luis Borges' The Theme of the Essay

Discuss (herosim and Treachery) in Jorge Luis Borges' The Theme of the Traitor and the Hero,The Shape of the Sword - Essay Example He can be considered as a master of surrealist prose, and a literary genius. His works are abstract yet somehow always concretely themed and indisputably compelling. His stories characterize a holistic view of humanity and its endless struggle towards improvement while often altogether missing the point. Often his characters act completely focused on a specific problem or set of ideas, while Borges reveals to the reader that these ideas are superfluous and that the true meanings are hidden elsewhere. In his work, the themes of chaos and indefinite repetition work to establish themselves in universes where man's perception of reality, if not reality itself, works in a fundamentally different manner. The concepts he chooses to convey, on the other hand, are not usually apparent to the reader. Several attempts to understand are usually required for his message to our conscious minds. He made note of the fact that he excluded women from his texts, claiming that he did not understand women well enough to write about them. As masterful author, he used character and literary device to adroitly convey an important idea to any reader. While several examples lend themselves to this conclusion, the devices used by author most clearly illustrate that of a manipulative secret organization controlling the fate of society, and that of the coexistence and unification of the protagonist and antagonist. While these two specific and unusual themes are present in several works by author, a juxtaposition of the works will clearly show the dramatic difference present in the underlying themes. The image we get from Borges is of a random and often malicious organization that uses its calculative abilities to further whims and chance with little if any good for society as a whole. He even gives the impression that the rewards and punishments are in some sort of equilibrium and are designed to preserve the status quo. In "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero" and "Three Versions of Judas," Borges presents two individuals struggling with the realization that our present-day conceptions of the past may be inconsistent with the actual truth. By undermining the traditional concepts of hero and traitor, as they are presented in historical and religious narratives, Borges calls into question the absolute faith with which people place their trust in what may amount to just another story. In "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero," The narrative begins suspiciously, setting the scene as "Poland, Ireland, [or] the Republic of Venice." The generalizing technique immediately universalizes both the story of Kilpatrick and the experience of Ryan the biographer. The narrator explains that "although [Ryan] is contemporary, the narrative related by him occurred toward the middle or the beginning of the nineteenth century." This comment serves as a subtle reminder that even Ryan's version of Kilpatrick's fall is subject to the same skeptical scrutiny as any historical account. As Shakespeare fictionalizes the death of Julius Caesar; Nolan plagiarizes the plays of Shakespeare in orchestrating his plan; and finally, as the gatekeepers of history record only the

Diagnostic radiography

Diagnostic radiography 2. Background and Objectives of Study Student retention is widely seen as a threat to the nation at large as it creates not only an economic burden to the government but also to the institutions.It establishes loss of wellskilledpersonsexpectedto enter the labour force and has animmense impact in student welfare as well. Yorke (2000) describes predisposing factors which resultin drop outs as; wrong pick of course, frustration with environment, failure to cope with workload, no support from within, fiscal issues as well aspersonal matters.Recent research by SCoR (2007) has revealed that retentionrates in diagnostic radiography have steadily decreased in the past four years and this brought up heaps of issues of concern to higher education. Therefore guidelines by the SCoR were put in place to try and improve retentionin institutions but the question is; has enough been done to implement those guidelines so as to eliminate the attrition rates.There is an overlook into the matter and institutions are suffering from the outc omes of retention. Thus, it is necessary to find the root of the problem, which comes down to having a look into students views on the course itself. This might give the HE an insight on how to tackle the problem knowingly aware of the exact factors that they are dealing with. Retention of students is not only the universities role but also of the student contribution in the programme, therefore the overall aim of this study is to identify, recommend and target support needed to aid retention and also to find out student insight as they progress in radiography courses and how this has an influence in retention. Most of this research will be based on a study carried out by Yorke and Longden (2004), as it covers first year experiences into higher education thus it might be useful in relating overall students perspicacity of higher education with how radiography students feel about their course. The only differences being that both 1st and 3rd year diagnostic radiography students are to partake in the study. 3. Methods Research on the selected area embraces the survey research design. As a quantitative method it is perceived in a sense of being steadfastas it involves collection of statistical data on study variables, (Sim Wright, 2000). Use of this design came down to it being simple and well known, with the amount of satisfactory information one can acquire from opinions and perspectives of individuals, on current issues.A large amount of data would be easier to obtain as it would be from a widely dispersed geographical sample group. As a qualitative method, a survey explores reasons of trends in behaviour and attitudes, perceptionand actions of individuals, more reasons to carry out this research with this method. A survey is relatively cost effective thus making it easier to conduct the research, (Neale, 2009). There is however need for choice of the research instrument for data collection. Anopen ended questionnaire would be a useful tool to get the desired information in alogicalway(ref). They will be distributed face to face to individual students by telephone, via post and emails to the Radiography Departments. Radiography students to be investigated are in the UK. Only 24 universities provide Radiography (diagnostic), hence a larger sample size of the whole population would be essential but only 9 universities (approximately 279 students) will be sampled, each school as a representative of each province in the UK. Altman (1991) discusses the random sampling method as appropriate to useas it lessens preconceived notions of the results as most of the universities have a likely chance of being selected for the research reducing biases.A random sample will be achieved by drawing up the sample groups into cohorts.A survey of each cohort (intake, 1st year and 3rd year) will be conducted to explore issues that may be specific to each particular year of study, for example 1st year home sickness or financial issues in final year students, 4. Location of study and access arrangements The study will be limited to universities in England and Wales. Admittanceto the universities would be through the school faculty ethics and their Heads of department. 5.Personnel Cost Factors As a first time researcher need for personnels, such as a supervisor and advisors, to help in the undertaking of the study is essential in a sense that they have more knowledge in the field of research and therefore will be able to steer the research in the right direction, (Barnard Seale, 1998). No costs are to be considered in this manner as these supporters are volunteers to give out assistant where applicable. As the sample size of this study is relatively of a great cohort, the cost is going to be considerably high. Equipment to be used in the research will include paper sheets for construction of the hard copy questionnaires, as well as the ink ( £20) needed to print out the questionnaires. They will need to be dispersed in envelopes (stamped) via the post office which cost around a total of  £0.74. To travel to the different universities travel costs have to be considered, nevertheless emails could be used as a means of reducing travel cost. Overallit gives an approximation of about  £376 to carry out the research. 6. Ethical Considerations Issues that may arise in conjunction with conducting this research include getting access to participantsalong with student enrolment and dropout records. Approval on these issues would be achieved through the School Ethics Committee under the department of radiography, in the universities under study. Other issues might be of acquiring data from students. This involves confidentiality, consent and free wiled partaking. All these issues will be addressed accordingly through the assurance of anonymity in staging of results, utter confidentiality in data compilation and privacy, although sometimes this will not be possible especially when the partakers are to be considered at various intervalsof research, (Polit Hungler, 1995). Introductory letters, and consent forms were possible will be issued to be sure that a mutual agreement of involvement is met, (Trochim 1999). Due to taking part in this research individuals might experience potential distress, therefore support arrangements will be put in place. Is NHS R D approval required?Yes No If which Trust/s will be required to give approval? Is NHS Ethics Committee approval required?Yes No If Yes, state the name of the REC to whom you will be applying. 7. Project Milestones and Timescales Activity Start Date Completion Date Await approval from ethics committee and Research practice panel Construct questionnaires Ethical review and data collection Data analysis Discussion conclusions Completion of written research Design of poster and article Submission of article and poster 10.01.10 01.06.10 08.10 11.10 12.10 02.11 01.03.11 09.05.11 01.05.10 20.06.10 10.10 12.10 01.11 03.11 08.05.11 09.05.11

Reflection Essay :: Reflection Essay

REFLECTION PAPER Chapter 10 is entitled Conflict Management in Groups. This is a very essential chapter for all members of a group to read and understand. Fortunately, my group members and I have not had a problem with getting along. It just so happened that four members of my group already know each other from another class they are in together. So, they already got along and had some connection with one another. I think we all have good personalities and we enjoy working with each other. The characteristics of our group allow us to be a successful group. The semester is coming to an end, and we have worked hard together to perform all tasks and accomplish all our goals. Getting to the stage where we are now involved a lot of comprimising and negotiating. So, the two terms I would like to concentrate on from Chapter 10 is comprimise and negotiation. To me, comprimise is meeting someone half way. You may have to adjust some of your beliefs or ideas to fit the beliefs or ideas of another group me mber. the book defines comprimise as a middle ground. You show a moderate concern for both task and social relationships in groups. The next term I would like to look at is negotiation. I would define negotiation as giving and taking to reach a common goal. The book’s definition of negotiation is a process by which a joint decision is made by two or more parties. After researching information for my group project and listening to another group’s presentation, it is evident that everyone thinks comprimise and negotiation are very important. There was a strong emphasis on avoiding conflict in the group

The Importance of Documentation

The Importance of Documentation Documentation: Material, printed or electronic, that provides official information or evidence or that serves as a record. Why is documentation important? Without it there would be no record of anything. Humans have been documenting and recording important information for centuries. Information from inventory lists to details of wars, weather reports, past civilizations, and census data. As a non-commissioned officer having documentation when required is important in many aspects of my duties at work and even at home.At work there are medical files and profiles, leave paperwork, ammunition requests, forms for vehicle repairs, parts requests, dependent documents†¦ the list goes on and on but each document is important for its own unique reasons. Without medical files there would be no documentation of injuries or illnesses and what was done to treat them. What if the issue reoccurred? A physician would need the details of past treatments and medica tions to determine what the current treatment should be.A medical profile is an important document for showing proof of health or injury related limitations or restrictions to avoid causing the issue to worsen. Without properly completed and filed leave paperwork a soldier’s leave request would be denied. Other paperwork ignored or improperly completed can result in mission failure, delayed repairs, etc. Dependent documents are imperative to ensuring eligible family members receive the benefits entitled to them. The NCO Creed: No one is more professional than I.I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as â€Å"the Backbone of the Army. † I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit or personal safety. Competence is my watch-word. My two basic responsibilities will always be ppermost in my mind — accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a noncommissioned officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers and subordinates alike. I will exe rcise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders! As an NCO, as a leader of soldiers, it is my responsibility to set the standard.It is my responsibility to be the example and demonstrate that which I expect from my soldiers. Leadership, competence, responsibility, and accountability are the foundation of successful operations within the United States Military. That ability to train, prepare and lead men into combat has been a defining characteristic of our military for hundreds of years. The importance these skills cannot be underestimated. Leaders apply these skills to ensure a successful mission. Since the revolutionary war, men have been dedicating their lives to the freedom of our country.These men were part of a team that received orders from leaders about how to overcome the enem y of the day. Today’s enemy is much harder to find, but the skills needed to succeed are easily to found here within the ranks of the United States Military, the thousands of men and women giving their best to lead soldiers. The words of the NCO Creed state clearly the responsibilities of the Army’s NCO leaders and the importance of these responsibilities is beyond measure. This country’s leaders have been teaching about leadership for quite some time.As General George Washington expressed more than 200 years ago, serving as a Soldier of the United States does not mean giving up being an American citizen with its inherent rights and responsibilities. Soldiers are citizens and should recognize that when in uniform, they represent their units, their Army, and their country. Every Soldier must balance the functions of being a dedicated warrior with obedience to the laws of the Nation. They must function as ambassadors for the country in peace and war. When speaking to officer candidates in 1941, then General of the Army George C.Marshall said, â€Å"When you are commanding, leading [Soldiers] under conditions where physical exhaustion and privations must be ignored; where the lives of [Soldiers] may be sacrificed, then, the efficiency of your leadership will depend only to a minor degree on your tactical or technical ability. It will primarily be determined by your character, your reputation, not so much for courage—which will be accepted as a matter of course—but by the previous reputation you have established for fairness, for that high-minded patriotic purpose, that quality of unswerving determination to carry through any military task assigned you.Soldiers need to be able to have faith in their command to do what is right for the soldier and the country. Command is about sacred trust. Nowhere else do superiors have to answer for how their subordinates live and act beyond duty hours. Society and the Army look to commanders t o ensure that Soldiers and Army civilians receive the proper training and care, uphold expected values, and accomplish assigned missions. Having a â€Å"good† commander is vital for unit cohesion and success. In Army organizations, commanders set the standards and policies for achieving and rewarding superior performance, as well as for punishing misconduct.In fact, military commanders can enforce their orders by force of criminal law. Consequently, it should not come as a surprise that organizations often take on the personality of their commanders. Army leaders selected to command are expected to lead beyond merely exercising formal authority. They should lead by example and serve as role models, since their personal example and public actions carry tremendous moral force. Soldiers need to work in a positive environment. Many will argue that aggressive leadership inspires more work.While this may be true, the motivating factors within soldiers of such a leader are going to be less personal than those found within a soldier who respects and values his leader’s guidance. How important is character in those trying to lead? The answer is of course that character is the defining element in a successful leader. Three major factors determine a leader’s character: values, empathy, and the Warrior Ethos. Some characteristics are present at the beginning of the leader’s career, while others develop over time through additional education, training, and experience.It is essential to success that Army leaders lead by personal example and consistently act as good role models through a dedicated lifelong effort to learn and develop. The Army cannot accomplish its mission unless all Army leaders, NCOs, soldiers, and civilians accomplish theirs— whether that means presenting a medical profile upon request, filling out a status report, repairing a vehicle, planning a budget, packing a parachute, maintaining pay records, or walking guard duty . The Army consists of more than a single outstanding general or a handful of combat heroes.It relies on hundreds of thousands of dedicated NCOs, soldiers, and civilians—workers and leaders— each doing their part to accomplish the mission. Each of their roles and responsibilities may differ, but they are no less important in reaching the goal. Every leader in the Army is a member of a team, a subordinate, and at some point, a leader of leaders. The Army relies on it’s NCOs to be capable of executing complex tactical operations, making intent driven decisions, and who can operate in joint, interagency, and multinational scenarios.They must take the information provided by their leaders and pass it on to their subordinates. Soldiers look to their NCOs for solutions, guidance, and inspiration. Soldiers can relate to NCOs since NCOs are promoted from the junior enlisted ranks. They expect them to be the buffer, filtering information from the commissioned officers an d providing them with the day-to-day guidance to get the job done. To answer the challenges of the contemporary operating environment, NCOs must train their Soldiers to cope, prepare, and perform no matter what the situation.In short, the Army NCO of today is a warrior-leader of strong character, comfortable in every role outlined in the NCO Corps’ vision. NCO leaders are responsible for setting and maintaining high-quality standards and discipline. They are the standard-bearers. Throughout history, flags have served as rallying points for Soldiers, and because of their symbolic importance, NCOs are entrusted with maintaining them. In a similar sense, NCOs are also accountable for caring for Soldiers and setting the example for them. NCOs live and work every day with Soldiers.The first people that new recruits encounter when joining the Army are NCOs. NCOs process Soldiers for enlistment, teach basic Soldier skills, and demonstrate how to respect superior officers. Even after transition from civilian to Soldier is complete, the NCO is the key direct leader and trainer for individual, team, and crew skills at the unit level. NCOs have other roles as trainers, mentors, communicators, and advisors. When junior officers first serve in the Army, their NCO helps to train and mold them. When lieutenants make mistakes, seasoned NCOs can step in and guide the young officers back on track.Doing so ensures mission accomplishment and Soldier safety while forming professional and personal bonds with the officers based on mutual trust and common goals. â€Å"Watching each other’s back† is a fundamental step in team building and cohesion. An NCO is a direct leader, giving leadership that is face-to-face or first-line leadership. This leadership occurs in organizations where subordinates are accustomed to seeing their leaders all the time: teams and squads; sections and platoons; companies, batteries, troops, battalions, and squadrons. The direct leaderâ €™s span of influence may range from a handful to several hundred people.NCOs are in direct leadership positions more often than their officer and civilian counterparts. Direct leaders develop their subordinates one-on-one and influence the organization indirectly through their subordinates. To ensure that I as an NCO, in a direct leadership role, positively influence and guide the soldiers around me, I have the responsibility, the obligation, to convey the example of the ideal soldier. Character, a person’s moral and ethical qualities, the ability to determine what is right and gives a leader motivation to do what is appropriate, regardless of the circumstances.An informed ethical conscience consistent with the Army Values strengthens leaders to make the right choices when faced with tough issues. Since Army leaders seek to do what is right and inspire others to do the same, they must embody these values. As a non-commissioned officer having documentation when it is need ed is important in many aspects of my duties at work but more than that it is important for me to set an example for the soldiers looking to me for guidance.

Concerns about the wars Essay

My Other poem that I have analysed is â€Å"Charge of the Light Brigade† written by Alfred Lord Tennyson about the Crimean war in 1855. In this poem Tennyson has a positive point of view which is the opposite of Owen. Tennyson shows a patriotic view with the words â€Å"Hero†, â€Å"Noble† and â€Å"Glory† to fight for and die for your country; ironically that is the meaning of â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†. Owen has written â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† in stanzas. The pace of the first stanza is really slow â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†. This shows the tiredness of the soldiers, therefore that they are really weak and tired mainly because of the lack of sleep during war. This therefore leads to fatigue, injury and disease. They would have been â€Å"Bent double† because of all the heavy equipment they have to carry during war. It is shocking how he compares the soldiers to â€Å"old† because normally you would expect a soldier to be fighting fit. The words â€Å"Trudged†, â€Å"Limped on† also help emphasise how tired the soldiers would have been. This also shows the effect of the war on the soldiers. The second stanza the pace quickens rapidly with the use of short sentences. â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! † This how fast the soldiers react even though they are tired and exhausted but it wouldn’t just be there body’s that are tired there mind’s are as well. The words â€Å"Fumbling† and Flound’ring† help to show the state of panic and urgency of the men are in. â€Å"The charge of the light brigade† is written in a ballad form. The poem is about six hundred men who are on horse back during the Crimean war. He has written the poem in that form to help show and repeat key points. The first few lines say â€Å"half a league, half a league, half a league onwards†. The use of this repetition is to show how far the men have come to fight for there country, All the way through the poem there is a dactylic rhythm to emphasis the horse’s hooves on the ground. Tennyson also says that no one argued the decision to send them to fight he says that â€Å"someone had blundered† but still did not challenge the decision this therefore shows that they have respect for there senior offices and believed that it was their honour and glory to die for there country. When the soldiers were attacked in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† they fled for their lives where as in â€Å"Charge of the light Brigade† they still rode ahead to fight. The use of repetition † Canon on the right of them, Canon to the left of them, Canon in front of them† shows that the men had no where to go and most of them new that they would not be coming back but still went ahead. Unlike â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† the men where organised and knew exactly what to do and when. This shows courage and bravery. In the poem â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† it focuses on the imagery of war and Owen uses similes to show the unpleasant imagery of war. â€Å"As under a green sea, I saw him drowning† This shows that the amount of gas is drowning the soldier as if he was in the sea. Owen gives us a graphic piece of imagery showing a soldier dying a slow and painful death. â€Å"White eyes writhing in his face†. This shows that he could only see the whites of his eyes which means he was either dead or in extreme pain. The word writhing shows how much pain the soldier is in because Owen could have used the word painful but instead he tries to make the reader understand the amount of pain the soldier is in. â€Å"Charge of the light brigade† focuses on the number of soldiers and also the number that died â€Å"Not the six hundred† This shows that there no longer â€Å"six hundred men† because many of them had died and there are only a few left. Tennyson also mentions The Six Hundred at the end of every stanza to make the reader remember the phrase. Tennyson also uses metaphors to show the horror of war. In both stanzas 1 and 2 he mentions â€Å"The valley of death†, and in stanza 3 he says both â€Å"Jaws of death† and â€Å"Mouth of hell†. By saying the â€Å"The valley of death† it suggest that the soldiers have no chance of surviving. This also makes the soldier look more noble and brave to the reader. Tennyson also states how many soldier died. â€Å"Then they rode back, but not, not the six hundred†. He repeats the word â€Å"not† to show how many of the soldiers died in the battle. Instead of focusing on the dead for to long he moves to how heroic the soldiers were with lines such as â€Å"When can the glory fade? † He uses the rhetorical question to say that they should always be remembered for their bravery. He has personified â€Å"death† and â€Å"hell† to help emphasis their ongoing battle with the devil. To help show how they do not want to give up even though they are fighting a losing battle. The Gas attack makes all the men feel guilty because they cannot save their companion from a slow and painful death. â€Å"As a green sea, I saw him drowning, in all my dreams, before my helpless eyes†. The word â€Å"helpless† help to show how the fellow soldiers couldn’t do anything to help. Owen changes to the past tense to show that his nightmares are just as real as when they actually happened. â€Å"We cursed through sludge†, makes his audience imagine how hard and tiring it is to walk yet alone fight in a war. Owen uses metaphors to help you imagine the horrific sights of war. â€Å"Under a green sea, I saw him drowning. † This makes the reader imagine the â€Å"Green gas† covering the soldier and also making his insides drown. There was no cure for the â€Å"green gas. † Then he describes the gas as, â€Å"obscene as cancer† he makes this comparison because there is also no cure for cancer this shows how bad it must have been because there is nothing worse than cancer. In my opinion Tennyson’s and Owens’s views are different, as Tennyson gives us a distanced account of the battle because he was not personally involved in the Crimean war. Tennyson uses collective terms like â€Å"They†, â€Å"Their† and â€Å"Six hundred† because he would not have known about specific cases like Owen does. However Tennyson does try to focus on the determination of the soldiers â€Å"while horse and hero fell† although their fellow soldiers kept falling they still had the determination to fight. In Tennyson’s eyes they are all â€Å"heroes† because they have died for their country. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† and â€Å"Charge of the light brigade† differ because Owen actually took part in the war he is writing about where as Tennyson did not fight in the Crimean war. Owen seems have a negative approach to war saying there is no cure for the damage that war creates, â€Å"obscene as cancer†, and also includes sarcasm aimed at Jessie Pope and her poem â€Å"Who’s for a game† which said it was sweet and right to die for your country. Owen mocks this by saying that this is a â€Å"Lie† because he has experienced war first hand and also thinks that lots of innocent people are dying for no apparent reason. The use a capital L in â€Å"lie† is to help emphasises what he thinks of Jessie popes poem. Overall Owen shows a very negative view on the war but on the other hand Tennyson shows a view towards war. Owens negative view is based on him actually being there where as Tennyson’s positive views are based on him not fighting during the war. Owen has specific cases of horrific injuries, death, and sickening sights. Tennyson seems to focus on the group of soldiers collectively and does not have the same first hand accounts that Owen has. The poet that I believe more would have been Owen because of the use of his first hand cases such as the â€Å"Gas attack† and â€Å"Whites of the eyes in his head†. Where as Tennyson on speaks as a collectiveness not as individuals. This piece of coursework has helped to focus on both the bad sides and the good sides of war. It’s not the physical injuries that can harm you it’s also the mental injuries of seeing other people shot in front of your eyes. But it also shows me how brave and noble soldiers are to fight for their country. This has definitely changed my perception of war.

Grapes of Wrath3 essays

Grapes of Wrath3 essays In the story, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinback, there are many examples of togetherness and guidance. There is a small amount of individualism in the story, but there is more acts of kindness and warmth, than any displays of independence. The Joad family acts as a whole unit instead of many individuals. They help and assist others in need, even though they are in need as well. They would rather suffer themselves than for someone else to undergo suffering and endless pain. They would give up anything they have for someone to be happy and at peace. The Joad family is very loving, helpful, and does not show any signs of selfishness or greed. While the Joad family is on their journey to the west, they do not have much food or money, but they still did anything to help others out. For example, one day they saw another family on the side of the road and stopped to help them. They ended up taking the family and making an even larger family unit by combining the families. Each member associated and talked to one other, which made the time they were all together pleasant and helpful. They all used each other's knowledge to help them along with their journey. Even though both families had never met during their life, they came together and helped each other out in times of need. Another genuine characteristic of the Joad family, is their sense of putting themselves in danger before others. A family member would rather be hurt or in danger themselves, than for their loved ones to be in trouble. An example of this trait is when Ma rebels once Tom and Casy said they'd stay and let the family go on. She said that if she went, then they would have to beat her to go, because she was not going to let the family split apart. This shows her great concern for the family to stay together and how she will inflict pain upon herself in order for happiness. Throughout the journey, they find out they do not have enough money or food ...

Government Steps in When Tobacco Industry Steps Out essays

Government Steps in When Tobacco Industry Steps Out essays Government steps in when Tobacco Industry steps out Back a few years ago, all we heard on the news was John Doe vs. Big tobacco industries. Every day, people who had been harmed by smoke-related illnesses sued tobacco companies for liability in respect that they would compensate the medical bills. Though some believed these individuals were only interested in the money, others think they had good reason for their claims. Well, some ground-breaking research explained that smoking was infact dangerous and that tobacco companies were trying to hide the evidence. The individuals who filed these claims were far from crazy, but were actually doing to right thing: to make the industry take responsibility for the effects of their products. Half a million people die each year due to smoke-related illnesses such as heart disease and lung cancer. These illnesses exceed $20 billion annually in associated health-care cost. The harsh fact is these illnesses are caused by some of the harmful ingredients in cigarettes. Knowing that tobacco smoke contains over 4,700 chemicals and 50 human carcinogens, it is understandable that smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S. In an issue of Current Health 2, the National Academy of Sciences reports ... that smoking is responsible for 3,000 deaths from lung cancer each year in the United States. In the same article, a study found that passive smoking raised a nonsmokers chance of getting lung cancer by 26 percent. The American Heart Association estimates 40,000 die each year from heart and blood-vessel disease and the risk of heart disease is increased by 30 percent. This research proved that tobacco industries were responsible and s hould be held responsible for the harmful products they manufactured. When faced with this research, the tobacco industries just turn their heads and deny it. In July of 1999, tobacco industri...

The History of Kleenex Tissue

The History of Kleenex Tissue In 1924, the Kleenex brand of facial tissue was first introduced. Kleenex tissue was invented as a means to remove cold cream. Early advertisements linked Kleenex to Hollywood makeup departments and sometimes included endorsements from movie stars (Helen Hayes and Jean Harlow) who used Kleenex to remove their theatrical makeup with cold cream. Kleenex and Noses By 1926, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the manufacturer of Kleenex, became intrigued by the number of letters from customers stating that they used their product as a disposable handkerchief. A test was conducted in the Peoria, Illinois newspaper. Ads were run depicting the two main uses of Kleenex, either as a means to remove cold cream or as a  disposable handkerchief for blowing noses. The readers were asked to respond. Results showed that 60%  used Kleenex tissue for blowing their noses. By 1930, Kimberly-Clark had changed the way they advertised Kleenex and sales doubled proving that the customer is always right. Highlights of Kleenex History In 1928, the familiar pop-up tissue cartons with a perforated opening were introduced. In 1929, colored Kleenex tissue was introduced and a year later printed tissues. In 1932, pocket packs of Kleenex were introduced. That same year, the Kleenex company came up with the phrase, The handkerchief you can throw away! to use in their advertisements. During World War II, rations were placed on the production of paper products and the manufacturing of Kleenex tissues was limited. However, the technology used in the tissues was applied to the field bandages and dressings used during the war effort giving the company a big boost in publicity. Supplies of paper products returned to normal in 1945 after the war ended. In 1941, Kleenex Mansize tissues were launched, as indicated by the name this product was aimed at the male consumer. In 1949, a tissue for eyeglasses was released. During the 50s, the spread of the popularity of the tissues continued to grow. In 1954, the tissue was the official sponsor on the popular television show, The Perry Como Hour. During the  60s, the company began successfully advertising the tissue during daytime programming rather than just nighttime television. SPACESAVER tissue packs were introduced, as well as purse packs and juniors. In 1967, the new square upright tissue box (BOUTIQUE) was introduced. In 1981, the first scented tissue was introduced to the market (SOFTIQUE). In 1986, Kleenex started the Bless You advertising campaign. In 1998, the company first used a six-color printing process on their tissues allowing for complex prints on their tissues. By the 2000s, Kleenex sold tissues in over 150 different countries. Kleenex with lotion, Ultra-Soft, and Anti-Viral products are all introduced.   Where did the word come from? In 1924, when  Kleenex  tissues were first introduced to the public they  were intended to be used with cold cream to remove makeup and clean the face. The  Kleen in Kleenex represented that clean. The ex at the end of the word was tied to  the companys other popular and successful product at the time,  Kotex brand  feminine napkins. Generic Use of the Word Kleenex The word Kleenex is now commonly used to describe any soft facial tissue. However, Kleenex is the trademarked name of the soft facial tissue manufactured and sold by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. How Kleenex Is Made According to the Kimberly-Clark  company, Kleenex tissue is made in the following way: At the tissue manufacturing mills, bales of wood pulp are put into a machine called the hydrapulper, which resembles a giant electric mixer. The pulp and water is mixed to form a slurry of individual fibers in water called the stock. As the stock moves to the machine, more water is added to make a thinner mixture which is more than 99 percent water. The cellulose fibers are then thoroughly separated in refiners before being formed into a sheet, on the forming section of the creped wadding machine. When the sheet comes off the machine a few seconds later, it is 95 percent fiber and only 5 percent water. Much of the water used in the process is recycled after being  treated to remove contaminants prior to discharge. A felt belt carries the sheet from the forming section to the drying section. In the drying section, the sheet is pressed onto the steam-heated drying cylinder and then scraped off the cylinder after it has been dried. The sheet is then wound into large rolls. The large rolls are transferred to a rewinder, where two sheets of wadding (three sheets for Kleenex  Ultra Soft and Lotion Facial Tissue products) are plied together before being further processed by calender rollers for additional softness and smoothness. After being cut and rewound, the finished rolls are tested and transferred to storage, ready for converting into Kleenex  facial tissue. In the converting department, numerous rolls are put on the multifolder, where in one continuous process, the tissue is interfolded, cut and put into Kleenex brand  tissue cartons which are inserted into shipping containers. The interfolding causes a fresh tissue to pop out of the box as each tissue is removed.

Why does religious extremism produce terror Essay

Why does religious extremism produce terror - Essay Example This is the reason why terrorism is abhorred across the board and the reasons seem to be aplenty. When terrorism is fueled by religious extremism, there is evidence available to justify why this form of fundamentalism should be kept at a distance, otherwise terrorism can be ignited with absolute wrath and destruction towards the sanity of this earth. The thing that essentially comes out too religious about religious extremism is the fanaticism which is found in almost all major religions and monotheistic faiths. If this element is removed from these religions and beliefs, there is a definite sign of optimism which can be obtained undoubtedly. Terror has no place within any religion of the world and this has been proven through evidence of study, research and practice. This paper discusses how terrorism is producing some of the biggest horrors in the world of today and how religious extremism is playing its negative role all along. An effort has been made to understand the issues plag uing the various religions and how the monotheistic faiths are combating this menace within their boundaries. Even though this seems like a difficult process, this paper has incorporated the ideologies in a manner which is in line with the discussion at hand. Moving on with what has been presented earlier, it would be fair to state that religious extremism is a dangerous precedent for the coming generations, more so because all of these have started in the present times and not more than 20 years ago. It seems to be in an upward trend – a fact which is all the more distressing to note. Terrorism has come about because people have stopped believing in a global good, yet not all people are responsible for the same undertaking. There are individuals who are still doing efforts to make sure this world remains a better place than it is at the present. Then again, there are some people who would like to think the very opposite of what has been documented. These individuals believe in fighting for the sake of religion, no matter who gets killed or what form of destruction happens. This is ironic of any society in the world and for this reason, it is rightly adjudged as the worst form of religious extremism. Just because some segment of the society does not quite believe in a philosophy which is making the rounds, stands no chance to bring about the act of religious intolerance which essentially leads to killings, mass slaughtering of human beings and destruction for public property. There needs to be a reason behind this madness and the same should be understood by one and all because it is the need of the time. Perhaps this is the discussion which is cropping up amongst youngsters, adults and elders whenever they meet at a place and talk about the growing insurgency that the common man has in this day and age. There must be an end to religious extremism and one should believe attaching the ‘religion’ premise is more than half of the problem itsel f. Even when religion is not the buzzword here, the element of spirituality is spoken about which is somewhat convincing enough for extremists to get up and take the arms in their own hands. This is unfortunate yet quite true because it brings with it a sense of fear for the people, who are busy within their own lives and who have got nothing to do with a subject or matter they know little about. With the advent of time, the terror groups have been formed which is a stark revelation for present times. This is because these terror bodies have largely addressed the need for getting their point across to the people in a forceful way and they believe that this is the only rightful stance which they can take at a particular time. Unfortunate

Rise of modern state in europe, under international relations Essay

Rise of modern state in europe, under international relations - Essay Example These were the days of feudal system, wherein the royals were more indulged in trading wars and least attention was given to the poor and under-privileged class of the kingdom. In those times, the subjects of the monarchial kingdoms where less happy with their quality of life and yearned for the abolishment of unjust royal anarchy prevailed. During the 18th century, war broke out among various kings in European domains and all worked towards building of their own strong kingdoms. These fights also brought about a major change in the ruling structure of the European domain. Gradually, the Austria – Hungary monarchy also known as â€Å"dual monarchy†, soon reached to a compromising stage to gain a separate entity for each other. Apparently, during World War II the dual monarchy ceased to exist and a distinct Austrian empire came in to power under the kingship of emperor Habsburg. During later years, in the struggle to strengthen the Austrian Empire, the royals approached Hungary to negotiate for political stability. However, these times of royal ruling witnessed a long and hard suffering among much of the minorities existed in the country. Minorities in Austrian Empire The Austrian Kingdom during the 18th century faced numerous problems due to its wide territory and ethnic groups. According to(Propoganda,2007) â€Å"The Austrian Empire consisted of five principal components: The Hereditary lands, the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, Galacia, Lombardy and Venetia in Italy. The Empire was ruled by Emperor Francis I. The Empire was difficult to manage because it was large and unwieldy, and it was difficult to treat each group fairly. Another problem was the problem of minorities†. Metternich the rule of that time of Austria experienced many problems in administrating the kingdom and the problem with minorities was the most crucial concern of all. The successful administration of the kingdom was an aspect of major di lemma and controlling all ethnic groups were far from reality. In order to get a hold on the minority issues, the ruler Metternich introduced the concept of local diets to promote the idea of provincial institutions. Additionally, he also encouraged the ethnic minorities to follow local traditions, cultural activities, history, language and literature. However, he was completely strong against any formulation of localized government or liberalization of minorities. However, encouragement in cultural identity gave much confidence to various ethnic groups and their started considering themselves as separate from German groups. The ironical part is that this transition initialized by the ruler. Metternich gave way to a major realization among the ethnic towards the importance of their culture and history. Eventually, different minorities with diverse cultural identity and ethnical values came forward for their liberalization and political freedom to form their own strong foundation. Tr eatment of Minorities in Austrian Empire The Austrian empire has a large constitution of minorities and the German was the main language of these groups. The empire consisted of a sect called Czech extremist too which was aiming for liberalization and integral freedom .â€Å"When a new law was passed requiring that all civil servants in the Czech lands be bilingual after 1901, the Germans in the Vienna parliament forced out the ministry, while Czech extremists began to talk

Coca-Cola Company versus PepsiCo, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coca-Cola Company versus PepsiCo, Inc - Essay Example In 2009, the companies work under the 401k pension plan which provides insurance advantage on the medical requirements of the employees. In Coca-Cola the contributory plan is done by both the employer and the employees where the employer enjoys the benefit of taxation for their employees. The pension plan of PepsiCo is based on the willingness of the employees as the benefits are availed by both the full-time and international employees. The rates used by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for calculating the pension amounts are rate of return on assets, rate of compensation, and rate of discount. For the year 2008, the expense discount rate and the rate of return on planned assets for Coca-Cola was 5.8% and 7.75%. The medical benefits for the retiree were calculated based on the available rates. PepsiCo had a discount rate of 5.7% on all US beneficiaries and 5.2% on foreign workers. The expected rate of return for PepsiCo in 2008 was 7.7%. Retirement rewards calculated were often based on the co mpensation rate for employees. Recent events in corporate finance have depicted the importance of efficient administration. The need to fund corporate pension plans have made many executives to offers offer defined constitution plans as because of the recent changes in IFRS. Whereas Coca-Cola have rejected such approach and have preferred the plan of cash balance plan design as it offered risk-free benefits to the employees and made the employees secured. Coca-Cola was a part of multi-employer pension plans of US, but from 2012 the company opts to change the accounting methodology for determining the market related value of assets for the defined benefit pension plans. Coca-Cola sponsors to the pension plans covering all US employees and has made necessary assumptions to determine the pension expense and other related obligations. As per the assumption the discount rates would be related to the present value liabilities and the expected long-term rate would relate to planned assets. The company decided to periodically revise asset allocation so as to improve returns and manage risks. PepsiCo is one of those major employers who are still planning to offer their new employees a final salary pension. In 2012, PepsiCo decided to decrease the fair value of pension so as to reduce the future employee benefit costs. The company made certain changes in their US Pension plans, which stated that employees earning benefit under the pension plans as stated in IFRS, were not eligible for the company matching contributions on the 401k contributions. The annual pensions is to be calculated based on 4 components, i.e. the value of benefits earned by employees during their working hours, the increase in liability due to time , other gains and losses and the expected return on assets which was based on pension plan investment strategy and the long-term rates of return by asset class. These schemes were essential to plan a secure retirement for the employees and to meet the futu re expectation of the management. Answer 2. The Coca-Cola Company In 2012 the company’s total pension expense related to defined benefit plans were $251million. The company’s primary US plan in 2012 represented 59% and 64% of the Company’s consolidated pension benefit obligations and pension assets. The pension expense is expected to decrease by $60 million in 2013 by the management because of expected $640million of contributions to be made by the

Diagnosis and Simulation PDA SIM Strategies Essay

Diagnosis and Simulation PDA SIM Strategies - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the speed of microprocessors is increased by two times what it was after about eighteen months. Therefore, sustenance of hardware investments tends to be tainted with uncertainty, especially in the context of most developing economies, where returns on this type of investments might not be immediately forthcoming. B2B marketing strategy might not be immediately very profitable, as there will probably be some more inherent costs, even though some profit is expected, which will help in the company’s actual financial situation. It is essential to start thinking about producing and marketing new products with the same characteristics which the actual consumers need. The products that the customers want to be on the market should be concentrated on, rather than continuing to offer the same customized products. The performance was much better on this run than the first two. The author implemented a B2B marketing strategy and created new segments for the c ontinued sale of the PDAs. The researcher also assigned relevant resources to profitable segments, and although there are some costs involved in this strategy, he believes that this is a very effective strategy, and will improve the company’s finances in the long run. This run was more effective than the last, probably due to the fact that the author adopted a more evolutionary and modular design technique. He thinks the improvement came about because the X7 handheld was priced about the same as the competition, even after the adjustments to make it more desirable had been made

Kmart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kmart - Case Study Example By bringing down its operational costs an organization can offer its products and services at lower prices. It can also earn higher profits because either the profit margins are greater or the sales volume has increased. Thus an organization which follows an overall lower cost strategy can gain an edge over its competitors. Cost leadership strategy works well for the company in the event of a price war in the industry. (Kotler, 2006) Another strategy followed by Wal-Mart was differentiation focus strategy. Underneath this strategy, Wal-Mart introduced its stores in rural and suburban areas. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) By utilizing differentiation focus strategy a firm differentiates its products from that of its competitors based on some attributes that allow the consumers to perceive the products as different from its competitors. A firm looks for differentiation in a particular segmented target market. Target and Kohl’s followed differentiation strategy. Target and Kohl’s applied value proposition in which these companies communicated the benefits they can deliver to the customers. Target flourished well because it provided products at low prices with high quality catering to youth in urban areas. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) 2. The amalgamation of both lower cost strategy and differentiation focus strategy were most effective. This can be exemplified by Wal-Mart that utilized both and became the leading story in the retail sector. The lower price of Wal-Mart creates a barrier for the new entrants as these new entrants cannot break through the cost advantage of the leader. The Wal-Marts differentiation focus allowed it to concentrate on the particular needs of a segmented market more efficiently as compared to its competitors. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) Lower Cost Strategy: In the presence of leaders like Wal-Mart and Target, Kmart has little alternatives in making pricing strategy to match up with these leaders.

Ratio Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ratio Analysis - Case Study Example This paper will shed light upon the financial ratios of Apple, how the company will fare in the future will also be comprehensively analyzed. ROI stands for return on investment, Apple’s ROI matches DELL which is great news for the company, return on investment goes to show that the products have been selling very well in the market. The sales growth of Apple has also seen a significant rise in the last quarter, all these are indicators that the company is performing very well. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple has been coming up with strategies to promote the products, even though he has had severe health issues, he has been very successful in building the brand name of Apple. Apple has also managed to diversify which is again very good for the business, the company is not dependent on only one product but they have a plethora of products which can be relied upon, this has reduced the risk for the company. Apple operates on a much higher gross margin than other companies, Gross ma rgin of 29.02% is the margin that the company operates at, this goes to show that the company has adopted a higher selling price mix. Products like iMac and Ipads have really given Apple an edge and this is why the company can afford to set higher prices for their products. Apple spends 3.8% on research which is very good for the company, perhaps this percentage can be improved so that they can find new and better products. The operating expenses are about 13.38% which goes to show that the company is very stable and investors can invest in this company. The working capital of the company is very healthy; it is again because of the profits. The current ratio of the company stands at 2.96 (Million) which means the company can easily pay off short term debt not once, not twice but thrice. This is a very strong position to be in; Apple has no need to take loans because it can easily pay off debt. Acid-test ratio goes to show how quickly assets can be converted into liquid cash, Apple h as an edge once again and this is hardly surprising. The acid-ratio of the company stands at 2.63 which signify the operating efficiencies of the company give it a huge edge over other companies. Assets turnover ratio stands at 1.42, this means the sales of the company has been picking up, and this ratio is derived by dividing the sales by assets. The ratio is also an indicator of how assets are used to generate profits. Apple has been doing it very successfully thus far. â€Å"This tells us something about Apple’s pricing strategy. The Profit Margin for a product is the net of sales deduct the cost of goods sold. Therefore, Apple has higher pricing charged to its products offering as compared to that of Dell’s, even though Dell’s Inventory Turnover Ratio is much higher in this case. But looking at Dell’s turnover ratio on Net Sales; it is close to that of Cost of Goods Sold, therefore this also explained that Dell has lower pricing charged to its produc ts offerings.† (Inventory Turnover Ratio) Debt ratio of the company stands at 0.35 which means that there are still some debts which should be cleared; this is not a problem especially when the company is performing so well in the market. The company can easily clear this debt off whenever they want to, this is not an issue for them. The debt/equity ratio of the company is extremely healthy, it stands at 0.55, this goes to show that the equity has been well managed to pay off short term

Kmart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kmart - Case Study Example By bringing down its operational costs an organization can offer its products and services at lower prices. It can also earn higher profits because either the profit margins are greater or the sales volume has increased. Thus an organization which follows an overall lower cost strategy can gain an edge over its competitors. Cost leadership strategy works well for the company in the event of a price war in the industry. (Kotler, 2006) Another strategy followed by Wal-Mart was differentiation focus strategy. Underneath this strategy, Wal-Mart introduced its stores in rural and suburban areas. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) By utilizing differentiation focus strategy a firm differentiates its products from that of its competitors based on some attributes that allow the consumers to perceive the products as different from its competitors. A firm looks for differentiation in a particular segmented target market. Target and Kohl’s followed differentiation strategy. Target and Kohl’s applied value proposition in which these companies communicated the benefits they can deliver to the customers. Target flourished well because it provided products at low prices with high quality catering to youth in urban areas. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) 2. The amalgamation of both lower cost strategy and differentiation focus strategy were most effective. This can be exemplified by Wal-Mart that utilized both and became the leading story in the retail sector. The lower price of Wal-Mart creates a barrier for the new entrants as these new entrants cannot break through the cost advantage of the leader. The Wal-Marts differentiation focus allowed it to concentrate on the particular needs of a segmented market more efficiently as compared to its competitors. (Wheelen& Hunger, 2008) Lower Cost Strategy: In the presence of leaders like Wal-Mart and Target, Kmart has little alternatives in making pricing strategy to match up with these leaders.

The 2010 Annual Report of PSA Peugeot Citroen Essay

The 2010 Annual Report of PSA Peugeot Citroen - Essay Example AMF is the French regulator or the counterpart of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US. Its role therefore in the development of financial reporting in France would be the same as SEC. It is tasked along with SEC to develop principles on cooperation in the supervision of markets and market participants whose operations cross international borders (Casey, 2010). In the US, SEC adopts the issuance of FASB’s on accounting standards on financial reporting and so with the same reason that AMF will give the legal force by accounting standards set by the standard-setting board in France. The AMF was established with the task of ensuring or protecting public savings invested in financial instruments as well all other investment that would result or metalize in a public offering. It also has supervision of the prepared financial information as conveyed to investors. It has, therefore, is the purpose of effectively promoting the proper running of financial markets. Its contribution to France regulation of these markets extends in European and international level (International Monetary Fund, 2005). The European Union’s Fourth Directive allows four income statements format. Explain the structure of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s income statement on page 204 in terms of the options allowed under the Fourth Directive and IAS 1. In addition to AMF, the European Union’s Fourth Directive can affect how PSA should present is financial report to users. The said directive, in particular, allows four income statements format. Explaining the structure of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s income statement on page 204 in terms of the options allowed under the Fourth Directive and IAS 1 could give an insight how to interpret PSA’ financial statements for 2010. The structure of the company’s income statement on page 204 appears to be consistent with options allowed under Article 25 of the Fourth Directive of the EU (EUR.Lex, 2011). The format under Article 25 starts with turnover, which must be reduced by the cost of sales, to get the gross profit loss.  

A Study On What Reflection Is Education Essay

A Study On What Reflection Is Education Essay Reflection is the ability for someone to be able to reflect on their actions thus allowing them to continuously learn. It can also be seen as a critical reflection and/or a way of improving or changing the way that something is done or how we behave. Boud et al stated:- Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is working with experience that is important in learning. Within the learning environment reflective practice is a crucial part. It assists in both personal and professional development. The main benefits of reflective practice include the ability for a teacher to have a better understanding of their own teaching style and effective they are as a teacher. In todays society with diversity a big topic reflection will also help to ensure that the lesson and teaching styles employed are diverse. However there are a few issues with the way that some reflections are done. These were researched by Boud and Walker (1988). They found that some people just pay lip service to reflection. Reflections also include a persons thoughts and feelings as well as the experience that they have gone through. It is also common for reflection not to be taken seriously. It was found that a teacher was able to obtain better reflections from students if the students felt that they were in a trusting environment rather than an untrusting one. Donald Schon introduced the process of reflecting in 1983. He wrote a book called the reflective practitioner,. however the concept of reflective practice is much older and John Dewey (1933) was one of the first to write about it. He had an interested in problem solving and wrote about exploration of experience, interaction and reflection. It is based around an experience and the user of the reflective practice analysing their experience and learning from them. Schon was inspired by the work that Dewey produced and as such began to explore the boundaries of reflection and different models were introduced. He firstly wrote about reflection on action and then reflection in action. Reflection on action is where there has been an experience and the practitioner reflects on their reaction to the experience and then thinks about why they reacted that way and the resulting consequences of their actions. This is usually done by way of a documented approach. (see appendix 1) Reflection in action is the ability to think on their feet. This is based around the practitioner being able to deal with a situation that arises and is able to draw upon their experience, feelings and emotions to deal with the situation there and then. There are various models that can be used to reflect on a situation. These include:- Kolbs 1984, 4 step model of reflection (Reece and Walker, 2006, p.92, fig. 2.18) Concrete Experience Active Reflection Experimentation Observation Abstract Conceptualisation There is some debate about where this cycle starts. Kolb states that it runs in a clockwise direction and may begin at any given stage. It is a continuous wheel that can keep spinning. This is in contradiction to what Dewey (Dewey, 1993; Moon, 2003) state. He says that the cycle should begin with Concrete Experience which is a specific occurrence. Personally I feel that it should begin with a concrete experience as this is what is being reflected upon. Research by Roffey-Barentson Malthouse, (2009,P.7) suggests that this model is beneficial for teachers. Graham Gibbs 1988 based his models around Kolbs but created more categories within it to aid the process. Description What happened? Description What happened? Action Plan If it arose again what would you do? Feelings What were you thinking and feeling? Evaluation What was good and bad about the experience? Conclusion What else could you have done? Analysis What sense can you make of the situation? (Taken and adapted from Roffey-Barentson and Malthouse, 2009, p.7) This cycle is a lot more prescriptive that Kolbs and it may inhibit free though as it is more specific. Like Kolbs cycle this is a continuous cycle, it has no specific end point. I dont feel that Kolbs or Gibbss cycle would suit everyone as some people need conclusion. This is also a useful debriefing tool. It helps to keep debriefs structured. Both of these models are used frequently within the department where I work. Kolbs cycle is used to enhance the level of student activity and involvement. Honey and Mumford (1982) linked different learning styles to each stage of the Kolbs Cycle and then different teaching strategies. (see appendix 2). These all help to make the lesson inclusive to all and ensure that everyone learns from the lesson. It is a lengthy approach to the debrief process but as we say the learning comes from the debrief. A scenario can last a few minutes but the debrief 10-15 minutes or more depending. When developing my lessons I know the students circumstances and needs. Our training is set out by the Curriculum, this outlines the standards and training required. We run on a 2 year cycle so that all aspects of the curriculum are covered. The organisation I work for requires me to provide equal opportunities, value diversity, promote equality and inclusivity as well as not to be discriminatory towards any student providing them with a comfortable working environment. Using the cycle set out in Appendix 2 allows me to do that. Gibbs Model is used during most debriefs that take place. As we are a firearms training centre nearly all aspects of training have a practical element to them that requires a structured debrief. This cycle is used to aid the process for both shooting and role play exercises. For each of these models it is essential that the teacher or in this case Firearms instructor is occupationally competent in their role. This is the ability for someone to do their job effectively. There are a number of skills that are used to improve performance they include knowledge, skills and behaviour. All instructors at the TTC (Tactical Training Centre) are well qualified and are competent to perform the role. Each instructor is qualified to carry weapons and can be used operationally whenever required. Due to this it is essential that instructors maintain a good knowledge of operational procedures, time is allocated within the year planner for instructor training days. On these days instructors take part in refresher training to maintain these skills. The Curriculum governs everything we do and as a team we have team meetings to discuss changes and reflect on the practices ensuring that everyone is clear about the changes. As an instructor or student you should always be striving to learn more so that you can share his knowledge and move forward with the changing times. This in turn will make you more operationally competent. Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land amongst the stars (Les Brown, Educational Quotes for the 21st century page 3) We use the evaluation sheets along with the instructors personal reflection to improve training sessions and modify them accordingly. Instructors are encouraged to reflect using the EDAR cycle. This stands for Experience, Describe, Analyse and Revise. Students, especially adults, can provide invaluable information about your performance that cannot be collected from any other source (Reece, I Walker, S (2007:48) Instructors are required to have a minimum of 120hrs contact time with the students in a 24 month period. A minimum of 60hrs should be instructing tactics and 60hrs range work. This is to maintain a good skill level. As an instructor you are assessed on a regular basis to make sure that you are competent in these areas. This is done by the head of centre, CFI and the evaluation officer to confirm that they meet the required NPFTC criteria. A detailed portfolio is also kept by each instructor to document lesson and activities that they undertake. This is cross referenced with the National Firearms Instructor Accreditation needs. It is checked and signed by the CFI and Head of centre to ensure that each instructor is competent. On a personal level I use SWOT analysis (Brookfield, 1988) to evaluate and reflect on my current skills. This also helps me to identify areas where I can improve and develop. It also identifies areas where opportunities were not taken and the implications of this. Leading on from the SWOT analysis is the SMART action plan that assists in my personal development. Both of these are uncomplicated to use. Another reflective practice available to us was devised by Ojanen (1993). He stated that group discussions about personal experiences relevant to the topic being taught will help the students and teacher to improve their practices. At the TTC we always try to ask for, and get, the students own experiences to help with the lesson. This becomes increasing relevant when doing more specialist training like, VIP, Medics training Rifle etc. It was found that by doing this both teacher and student learn. By three methods we may learn: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. (Confucius (551 BC 479 BC) Chinese Philosopher) Critical reflection is also used when debriefing aspects of firearms. It first came about by Dewey in 1916. It is important that this type of reflection is conducted in a professional manner and that it uses the knowledge and experience of the instructor to discuss the scenario and guide them towards the necessary changes that maybe needed. This is quite a complex task that requires good orchestration by the instructor. Thompson and Thompson (2008) discuss critical depth and breadth. Critical depth is the need to look beneath the surface and emphasise that things shouldnt be taken at face value. Critical breadth looks beyond narrow, individual factors and takes into account the sociological aspects of the situation. They go on to state that without depth the reflective practice may come across as insignificant and not get the points across and could be misleading. Without Critical breadth there is a possibility of not seeing the bigger picture. This type of reflection is used frequently however some students take it personally and get very defensive and stroppy during this type of feedback. It has to be issued with tact and as the instructor I have found that you have to prevent yourself from getting involved in a heated discussion. The teachers role in discussion is to keep it going along fruitful lines be moderating, guiding, correcting and arguing like one more student (Mortimer Adler, The Paideia Proposal, Educational Quotes for the 21st century page 18 ) Self-evaluation is very important as it allows you to reflect on what you have delivered and the quality of it. From both your own reflection and the information gathered from your students feedback you are able to make changes to areas within the lesson that may need adjustments for the next time that it is delivered to make them drop dead proof and flow better. I keep a Reflective Practical Journal for my own personal action plans and Continual Professional Development; I am currently mid-way through a mentoring process that began when I first came to the Tactical Training Centre. Evaluation also helps with this process. To complete the evaluating process I use EDAR:- Experience:- Deliver the lesson or Experience. Describe:- who was involved, what happened, when it happened and where. Analyse:- Consider what happened Revise:- Think how you would do it differently. I feel that it is important to make the time to complete a reflective practical journal and find it useful to refer back to. When this document is reviewed by myself I pick out areas for development. The Tactical Training Centre has a high standard of teaching and the head of centre strives to ensure that each instructor continues to develop. He does this by ensuring that the instructors go on courses to maintain skill levels and also ensure that there are enough instructors to be subject matter experts in specialist areas. Teaching standards are regularly checked by the head of centre who sits in on lessons and evaluates the training and how it is delivered. He encourages the instructional staff to make the lessons interesting and that all the students are involved in the training. The continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers is governed by the 2007 regulations regarding to CPD. This complements the aims set out by the Institute for Learning (IfL) to encourage teacher-centred development activities. CPD in relation to a teacher means continuing professional development, which is any activity undertaken for the purposes of updating knowledge of the subject taught and developing teaching skills. (www.ifl,ac.uk) Task 2 I had a lengthy discussion with the Head of the Tactical Training centre who is an experienced teacher and Master Practitioner in NPL. We discussed the pros and cons of reflection and both came to the same conclusion that it is good to reflect however it is important to try not to make it to complicated. He believes that everyone should reflect however, it is not the be all and end all. It is a useful aid to help teachesr to progress. If we dont reflect we dont learn. Reflection is all part of the experiential Learning practice. It can also have a tendency to stop some people from moving on. They get stuck in the past rather than trying to move on. He feels that it is a useful tool and he tend to reflect quickly to try and prevent it becoming too negative. It is his belief that we should spend about  ¼ of our time reflecting and  ¾ of our time improving. However he does not have a preferred style of reflection but it is generally based around Kolbs (1984) 4 step model of reflection. In the NLP world reflection is described as either moving away from something or moving towards something. It is all based around what you actually want to get from delivering something. This needs to be established prior to the lesson commencing. Reflection tends to be cognitive; people drop into it and revisit it at a late date. We discussed and both agreed that reflection tends to be quite negative and we dont tend to focus on positive reflection. It is just as important to know why something has gone well and why it has gone well as it is to know why something hasnt gone as well. In our organisation positive reflection tends to be done in the form of Evaluation. Within our area of teaching reflection is conducted using Reflective Practical Journals, personal Portfolios, Personal Development Reviews, Peer observation and group discussion. Everyone helps each other out. For example the 2or 3 instructors selected to run a core session produce a package on the given topics. Once completed and signed of they deliver the session to the other Instructors in the office. This is so that any issues can be ironed out and addressed prior to it being delivered to the students. This also helps with keeping it uniformed and making sure that everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet. If you are very close to something it is quite difficult to always see any issues. If you reflect on it as part of a team it came help open it up and make sure that the product to be delivered is of a high standard. There are many purposes of a RPJ, these include:- To record an experience To learn from an experience To develop critical thinking or the development of a questioning attitude To increase the ability of reflection and thinking To enhance problem-solving skills To enhance reflective practice For personal development and self-empowerment For means of supporting behaviour change Enhancing creativity Improves skills like numeracy, writing, reading, ICT skills etc The list is endless. The act of writing is a great stimulus to creativity. When we are grappling with a problem, it is a common occurrence that in writing down our conscious thoughts on the question, useful associations and new ideas begin to emerge. Writing immediate thoughts makes more room for new avenues of thinking, new possibilities. (Miller, 1979) Task 3 A Reflective Practical Journal (RPJ) is a reflective journal and can be used to help the author through a transitional phase of education or through a lengthy course such as an initial firearms course or during core training. If used correctly than can help you become a better teacher and help with professional awareness, personal development and self-awareness. They help to document strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. The personal journal has been for hundreds of years to articulate the human drama of living and to explore new knowledge (Wolfe, 1989) A RPJ should reflect the leaning experience that the author has had, what they have seen, what it felt like, how it was seen by others and how it could be done differently if at all. It is important that these entries can be understood and that they are dated to help recall when an event has occurred. They can be used to instigate either small or large changes to procedures or lesson using reflective practice. I tend to be more of a critical reflector. I have chosen to use Gibbs reflective cycle for my reflection as I believe that it gives greater flexibility with fewer constraints than some of the other models. I have chosen a critical incident that occurred during core training for my reflection. This session was being attended by AFOs and was a core 2 training session. The session was designed to allow the students to research a given topic and deliver their findings to the rest of the group by using some new technologies that are available to us. I am aware that AFOs dont tend to like to present things to others and I was expecting the session to be met with little enthusiasm. The session went really well with some good enthusiasm shown. However I felt a little reticent about the whole thing. I wasnt sure why I felt like this so I decided to do a SWOT analysis chart (appendix 3). The headings are quite simplistic however too actually write below each heading can be quite complex from a critical perspective. There is a potential to make the comments quite negative, the headings almost encourage this. As I reflected on the Core session and examined the content, the delivery methods etc I knew that it had been delivered well and the learning outcomes had been covered. I still felt a little unhappy. So I began to look deeper into it and then it struck me. One of the students had been very quiet and just sat chewing gum looking uninterested. He actually performed well during the task but the more I thought about it the more it frustrated me. Why was he so uninterested? It was almost like he didnt want to be there. By writing a SWOT analysis I was able to simplify my views, feelings and concerns and develop an action plan using the SMART model. (Appendix 4). Using these analysiss it helped me come to the conclusion that the reason for my uneasy feeling was that I was taking one students attitude personally. It is in the solitude of blank pages that adults can reflect on their life experiences, contemplate future directions, and come to trust more deeply in their own answers (Christensen, 1981) When, after some deliberation, i found that actually it was the students issue. . I spoke to him the following day on a firearms detail and asked him what the problem was as he looked unhappy. He informed me that he didnt want to be there doing the training or even in the job. My worry had been for nothing, I had just taken it personally. Task 4 It is quite strange but without realising it I reflect on everything, not just things about work but also things in my personal life. Since becoming an Instructor I have been able to put these reflections into context. My reflections always appeared to be quite negative, with me doing something wrong or me having to change. Since keeping a Reflective Practical Journal (RPJ) my reflections have become more reasoned and I am learning not just to reflect on the negative but also the positive things that occur. As my confidence is growing so is my ability to not be so critical of myself in my reflections. The personal journal has been used for hundreds of years to articulate the human drama of living and to explore new knowledge (Wolf, 1989) I dont only keep a RPJ but also a personal portfolio documenting teaching and training sessions that I take part in. These all form part of my Continual Personal and Professional Development. This is taken very seriously where I work and the inspector at the Tactical Training Centre takes each instructor personal development very seriously. He actively encourages us to do courses that will benefit us and the organisation. We have our lessons evaluated on a regular basis and any training issues or areas for improvement in a trainers style and/or delivery can be addressed. The Head of Centre and the Quality assurance and evaluation officer carry out level 1 2 evaluations by observing lessons being delivered for content, relevance and the delivery style. These are done on a regular basis. Following lessons the evaluation officer speaks with some students, questioning them on their thoughts on the training that they have received. The information is then collated and is fed back into the CFI and Head of Centre by means of a report during team meetings. Level 3 4 assessments are carried out by independent assessors from external organisations. The feedback that they give is also collated and acted upon to inform and improve training. There is a Firearms practitioner meeting held monthly that is attended by the Inspectors and Sergeants from the Operations and Training departments. The Quality assurance and evaluation officer also attends. Any training issues and needs or issues that have been flagged up by the OPS department are addressed at these meetings before being ratified and put into practice. This ensures standardisation between the two forces. The Head of centre has just had the role of the firearms instructor for Durham and Cleveland updated. He has now included that all instructors should also be IOSH and CTTLS qualified as a minimum to be able to perform the role. He is also in the process of ensuring that staff maintain and improve within their occupational role by promoting up to date qualifications such as the TAQA assessors course that is currently being rolled out. This confirms professional accreditation within curriculum compliant courses Ultimately NPIA attend the centre and assess the work carried out at there. They have recently attended and assessed the centre. They checked lesson plans, Instructors portfolios, practitioner meeting minutes and managerial minutes. They can stipulate if they deem it necessary that more assessment criteria be put in place and can advise that instructor do more academic qualifications in line with educational standards. All these procedures ensure that all the instructors and training is delivered to a very high standard. This was apparent in the latest inspection where NPIA rated the centre as one of the top 3 in the country. On top of that each instructor completes a Personal Development Review (PDR) that is looked at annually by the sergeant, inspector and other members of the senior management team. These also outline good and bad practice as well as any other training needs or requirements. In the future I would like to develop my own confidence. There are opportunities now for some of the instructors to go on NLP courses. I feel that this would be beneficial for me and aid me in my future career as a teacher. I have highlighted this on my PDR and discussed it with the Head of Centre who is very supportive of this. See Appendix 4 for my SWAT analysis. Appendix 1 Reflective learning Journal Name Date Experience Significant event or incident Describe Who, what, When, Where Analyse Why, how (impact on teaching and learning) Revise Changes and/or improvements required Appendix 2 Stages in Kolbs Model Honey Mumford Learning Styles Teaching Strategies for each stage Concrete Experience- Direct practical experience Activist Prefers doing Hands on approach, lab or practical session, simulation, taking notes, observation, visits field trips, project, role play, debate Reflective Observation Reflect, describe, communicate and learn from the experience. Reflector Observes and thinks about situation. Discussion, personal development diary or log, tutorials, case study, one to one. Abstract Conceptualisation Use models and theories to draw conclusions. Theorist Needs to understand reasons, concepts, and relationships. Lecture, seminar, discussion, reading. Active Experimentation Testing those rules, apply to new learning experiences. Pragmatist Have a go, try out to see if they work. Experiment, simulation, buzz group. (taken from table linking Kolbs 4 stage model with Homey Mumford Learning Styles and Identification of Teaching Methods for each stage. Fig 2.21 Appendix 3 Swot Strengths I am very creative and planned the lesson well which was borne out by the results that were achieved by the session. Due to this creativity I was able to talk to the various groups of students and encourage them to embrace the session and help them to decide what technology that they were going to use to impart the information on the other students. Weaknesses I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and I take things to personal. If someone is negative in a lesson I tend to take it personal rather than look at the bigger picture. Opportunities I deal with students on a daily basis and will be involved in many situations where my ability to deal with negativity will be tested. Threats I will constantly worry that I have done something wrong. This will then have an impact on my confidence and will in turn have a negative effect on my ability to teach effectively. The students will eventually pick up on my concerns. Appendix 4 SMART Specific I would like to improve my ability to not take negative attitudes or responses personally. This is very relevant for my role as a teacher and it will also help me greatly in every aspect of my life both in and outside of work Measurable I will be able to measure this by keeping an up to date reflective diary on each day of teaching that I do. I will include my personal feelings about how I feel the day went and any concerns that I have. I will monitor these along with my tutor and discuss possible reasons as to why I feel that way. Achievable This is achievable as I have time at the end of each day that I use to complete my portfolio and can incorporate filling in a diary as part of it. Relevant This is relevant to my role as a firearms instructor. It will help me to improve and come across more professional to the students by not wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Boston Massacre Essay -- essays research papers

The Boston Massacre was an extremely important event in American History. Also, it a very controversial topic. To this day, no one can really give an accurate description of the events that transpired. The Boston Massacre was not a random event at all; many actions led up to the massacre. As a result of this disaster, America was changed forever and sent on a road towards revolution. The Boston Massacre was a defining moment in American history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that the Boston Massacre was a spur of the moment event. This is totally untrue. The French and Indian war put England in debt making England look for other sources of income. The king of England believed that the colonists should help to pay for the war because it took place in America. For a few months prior to the massacre, British troops had been stationed in Boston. The soldiers were in Boston to help with the collection of money to pay for duties on imported goods (Hansen 11). Tensions were high between the townspeople and the soldiers. Colonists greatly resented the soldiers because they believed that there should not be military personnel amongst them. The Bostonians took out their anger on the soldiers. In turn, the British troops were extremely unfriendly towards the people too. On many occasions, physical conflicts between the townspeople and the soldiers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  England tried to compensate for their debt by taxing the colonists in any way that they could. One way that the British attempted to raise money was through the Stamp and Townshend Acts. The Stamp Act taxed a great number of people and things. There was probably no one who did not have to pay out more than they would have liked because of this act. It taxed almost every single piece of paper. â€Å"Merchant owners were obliged to buy stamps for ships’ papers and legal documents. Tavern owners, often the political leaders of their neighborhoods, were required to buy stamps for their licenses. Printers-the most influential group in distributing information and ideas in colonial society-had to buy stamps for their newspapers and other publications† (Brinkley 131). Townshend introduced the Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to enter any colonists house and stay there. The colonists did not have the right to refuse the soldiers either. This grea tly upset the residents of Bos... ...ere laden with tea. The disguised colonists proceeded to throw the entire tea cargo of the boats into the harbor (Hansen 166). The reason that this was done was because the colonists were tired of being taxed for items such as tea. Many did no mind being taxed for some things, but not tea. They believed that the money from the taxes was going to help England, and not back to the colonies as they thought that it should. Two years after the Boston Tea Party took place the American Revolution began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Boston Massacre was an extremely influential event in U.S. History. It changed the complexion of our nation forever. No one was ever able to give an accurate description of what took place that night, but one thing that you can be sure of is the fact that America may have waited many years before revolting against Great Britain. The Boston Massacre should not only be remembered for the death of the five men, but also for the conflicts that brought on the shooting and for the events that it set off. The massacre was a culmination of tensions between the English and the Americans. The Boston Massacre set a fire under the colonists and drove them to freedom.

Silent Film Meets the Talkies: A Brief History Essay example -- Film M

Silent Film Meets the Talkies: A Brief History A gambling man, Governor Leland Stanford of California needed visual proof to win a bet he had eagerly placed. Governor Stanford firmly believed that at some point in their stride, horses had all four hooves off the ground at the same time. After hiring a photographer who was to no avail, the Governor brought in John D. Isaacs, the chief engineer for the Southern Pacific Railroad, to have a look at the situation. Isaacs decided to rig up a system of magnetic releases to trigger a series of cameras, twelve total, as the horse ran down the track (Everson, 17). Mounting these images on a rotating disk and projecting them on a screen through a special lantern, they produced a moving picture of the horse at full gallop as it had occurred in real life (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1211). American cinema's next big break came with beginning of World War I. Until this period, the industry had been dominated by France, Italy, and Germany, particularly in the area of feature length presentations and the construction of permanent theaters. However, when the war broke out in Europe, film production abroad nearly ceased due to the overlap of chemicals used in film and the manufacturing of gunpowder (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1213). Simultaneously, American Cinema experienced a period on unprecedented prosperity and growth. By the end of the war, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, 90 percent of all films screened in Europe, Africa, and Asia were American (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1213). Germany however, was the exception, because it had been cut off from America since 1914. When the Germans did finally reconnect with the world, the United States benefited greatly from their techn... ...me box office hits, regardless of the acting or recording quality. As talkies became more refined and commonplace, silent films started to dwindle. A backlash occurred and these pantomimed movies were labeled as the true art (Geduld, 253). Yet, nothing could be done to slow down the continual development of cinema as sound poured out of studios on a daily basis. In fact, this new cinematic style was so popular, the film industry turned out to be one of the few prosperous enterprises during the Depression (Geduld, 253). Works Cited Ellis, Jack C. A History of Film. eedham Heights, Mass: Allyn and Bacon, 1995. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britanica Inc.; vol. 24, 15th ed. Chicago, IL: 1995. Everson, William K. American Silent Film. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1978. Geduld, Harry M. The Birth of the Talkies. London: Indiana Univ. Press, 1975.

A Dirty Job Chapter 7

7 THANATOAST While Charlie's Beta Male imagination may have often turned him toward timidity and even paranoia, when it came to accepting the unacceptable it served him like Kevlar toilet paper – bulletproof, if a tad disagreeable in application. The inability to believe the unbelievable would not be his downfall. Charlie Asher would never be a bug splattered on the smoky windscreen of dull imagination. He knew that all the things that had happened to him in the last day were outside of the limits of possibility for most people, and since his only corroborating witness was a man who believed himself to be the Emperor of San Francisco, Charlie knew he would never be able to convince anyone that he had been pursued and attacked by giant foulmouthed ravens and then declared the tour guide to the undiscovered country by a sultry oracle in fuck-me pumps. Not even Jane would give him that kind of quarter. Only one person would have, could have, and for the ten-thousandth time he felt Rachel's absence collapsing in his chest like a miniature black hole. Thus, Sophie became his co-conspirator. The tiny kid, dressed in Elmo overalls and baby Doc Martens (courtesy of Aunt Jane), was propped up in her car seat on the breakfast bar next to the goldfish bowl. (Charlie had bought her six big goldfish about the time she'd started to notice moving objects. A girl needs pets. He'd named them after TV lawyers. Currently Matlock was tracking Perry Mason, trying to eat a long strand of fish doo that was trailing out of Perry's poop chute.) Sophie was starting to show some of her mother's dark hair, and if Charlie saw it right, the same expression of bemused affection toward him (plus a drool slick). â€Å"So I am Death,† Charlie said as he tried to construct a tuna-fish sandwich. â€Å"Daddy is Death, sweetie.† He checked the toast, not trusting the pop-up mechanism because the toaster people sometimes just liked to fuck with you. â€Å"Death,† Charlie said as the can opener slipped and he barked his bandaged hand on the counter. â€Å"Dammit!† Sophie gurgled and let loose a happy baby burble, which Charlie took to mean Do tell, Daddy? Please go on, pray tell. â€Å"I can't even leave the house for fear of someone dropping dead at my feet. I'm Death, honey. Sure, you laugh now, but you'll never get into a good preschool with a father who puts people down for their dirt nap.† Sophie blew a spit bubble of sympathy. Charlie popped the toast up manually. It was a little rare, but if he pushed it down again it would burn, unless he watched it every second and popped it up manually again. So now he'd probably be infected with some rare and debilitating undercooked toast pathogen. Mad toast disease! Fucking toaster people. â€Å"This is the toast of Death, young lady.† He showed her the toast. â€Å"Death's toast.† He put the toast on the counter and went back to attacking the tuna can. â€Å"Maybe she was speaking figuratively? I mean, maybe the redhead just meant that I was, you know, deadly boring.† Of course that didn't really explain all the other weird stuff that had been happening. â€Å"You think?† he asked Sophie. He looked for an answer and the kid was wearing that Rachelesque smart-ass grin (minus teeth). She was enjoying his torment, and strangely enough, he felt better knowing that. The can opener slipped again, spurting tuna juice on his shirt and sending his toast scooting to the floor, and now there was fuzz on it. Fuzz on his toast! Fuzz on the toast of Death. What the hell good was it to be the Lord of the Underworld if there was fuzz on your underdone toast. â€Å"Fuck!† He snatched the toast from the floor and sent it sailing by Sophie into the living room. The baby followed it with her eyes, then looked back at her father with a delighted squeal, as if saying, Do it again, Daddy. Do it again! Charlie picked her up out of the car seat and held her tight, smelling her sour-sweet baby smell, his tears squeezing out onto her overalls. He could do this if Rachel was here, but he couldn't, he wouldn't, without her. He just wouldn't go out. That was the solution. The only way to keep the people of San Francisco safe was to stay in his apartment. So for the next four days he stayed in the apartment with Sophie, sending Mrs. Ling from upstairs out for groceries. (And he was accumulating a fairly large collection of vegetables for which he had no name nor any idea of how to prepare, as Mrs. Ling, regardless of what he put on the list, always did her shopping in the markets of Chinatown.) And after two days, when a new name appeared on the message pad next to his bed, Charlie responded by hiding the message pad under the phone book in a kitchen drawer. It was on day five that he saw the shadow of a raven against the roof entrance of the building across the street. At first he wasn't sure whether it was a giant raven, or just a normal-sized raven projecting a shadow, but when he realized that it was noon and any normal shadow would be cast straight down, the tiny raven of denial vanished in a wisp. He pulled the blinds on that side of the apartment and sat in the locked bedroom with Sophie, a box of Pampers, a basket of produce, a six-pack each of baby formula and orange soda, and hid out until the phone rang. â€Å"What do you think you're doing?† said a very deep man's voice on the other end of the line. â€Å"Are you insane?† Charlie was taken aback; from the caller ID, he'd expected a wrong number. â€Å"I'm eating this thing I think is either a melon or a squash.† He looked at the green thing, which tasted like a melon but looked more like a squash, with spikes. (Mrs. Ling had called it â€Å"shut-up-and-eat-it-good-for-you.†) The man said, â€Å"You're screwing up. You have a job to do. Do what the book says or everything that means anything to you will be taken away. I mean it.† â€Å"What book? Who is this?† Charlie asked. He thought the voice sounded familiar, and it immediately sent him into alarm mode for some reason. â€Å"I can't tell you that, I'm sorry,† said the man. â€Å"I really am.† â€Å"I've got caller ID, you nit. I know where you're calling from.† â€Å"Oops,† said the man. â€Å"You should have thought of that. What kind of ominous power of darkness do you think you are if you don't even block caller ID?† The little readout on the phone said Fresh Music and a number. Charlie called the number back but no one answered. He ran to the kitchen, dug the phone book out of the drawer, and looked up Fresh Music. It was a record store off upper Market in the Castro district. The phone rang again and he grabbed the handset off the counter so violently he nearly chipped a tooth in answering. â€Å"You merciless bastard!† Charlie screamed into the phone. â€Å"Do you have any idea what I've been going through, you heartless monster!† â€Å"Well, fuck you, Asher!† Lily said. â€Å"Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't have feelings.† And she hung up. Charlie called back. â€Å"Asher's Secondhand,† Lily answered, â€Å"family-owned by bourgeoisie douche waffles for over thirty years.† â€Å"Lily, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. What did you call about?† â€Å"Moi?† Lily said. â€Å"Je me fous de ta gueule, espce de gaufre de douche.† â€Å"Lily, stop speaking French. I said I was sorry.† â€Å"There's a cop down here to see you,† she said. Charlie had Sophie strapped to his chest like a terrorist baby bomb when he came down the back steps. She had just gotten to the point where she could hold up her head, so he had strapped her in face-out so she could look around. The way her arms and legs waved around as Charlie walked, she looked as if she was skydiving and using a skinny nerd as a parachute. The cop stood at the counter opposite Lily, looking like a cognac ad in an Italian-cut double-breasted suit in indigo raw silk with a buff linen shirt and yellow tie. He was about fifty, Hispanic, lean, with sharp facial features and the aspect of a predatory bird. His hair was combed straight back and the gray streaks at the temples made it appear that he was moving toward you even when he stood still. â€Å"Inspector Alphonse Rivera,† the cop said, extending his hand. â€Å"Thanks for coming down. The young lady said you were working last Monday night.† Monday. The day he'd battled the ravens back in the alley, the day the pale redhead had come into the store. â€Å"You don't have to tell him anything, Asher,† Lily said, obviously renewing her loyalty in spite of his douche wafflosity. â€Å"Thanks, Lily, why don't you take a break and go see how things are going in the abyss.† She grumbled, then got something out of the drawer under the register, presumably her cigarettes, and retreated out the back door. â€Å"Why isn't that kid in school?† Rivera asked. â€Å"She's special,† Charlie said. â€Å"You know, homeschooled.† â€Å"That what makes her so cheerful?† â€Å"She's studying the Existentialists this month. Asked for a study day last week to kill an Arab on the beach.† Rivera smiled and Charlie relaxed a little. He produced a photograph from his breast pocket and held it out to Charlie. Sophie made as if to grab it. The photograph was of an older gentleman in his Sunday best standing on the steps of a church. Charlie recognized the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, which was just a few blocks away on Washington Square. â€Å"Did you see this man Monday night? He was wearing a charcoal overcoat and a hat that night.† â€Å"No, I'm sorry. I didn't,† Charlie said. And he hadn't. â€Å"I was here in the store until about ten. We had a few customers, but not this fellow.† â€Å"Are you sure? His name is James O'Malley. He isn't well. Cancer. His wife said he went out for a walk about dusk Monday night and he never came back.† â€Å"No, I'm sorry,† Charlie said. â€Å"Did you ask the cable-car operator?† â€Å"Already talked to the guys working this line that night. We think he may have collapsed somewhere and we haven't found him. It doesn't look good after this long.† Charlie nodded, trying to look thoughtful. He was so relieved that the cop wasn't here about anything connected with him that he was almost giddy. â€Å"Maybe you should ask the Emperor – you know him, right? He sees more of the nooks and crannies of the city than most of us.† Rivera cringed at the mention of the Emperor, but then relaxed into another smile. â€Å"That's a good idea, Mr. Asher. I'll see if I can track him down.† He handed Charlie a card. â€Å"If you remember anything, give me a call, would you?† â€Å"I will. Uh, Inspector,† Charlie said, and Rivera paused a few steps from the counter, â€Å"isn't this sort of a routine case for an inspector to be investigating?† â€Å"Yes, normally uniform personnel would handle something like this, but it may relate to something else I'm working on, so you get me instead.† â€Å"Oh, okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Beautiful suit, by the way. Couldn't help noticing. It's my business.† â€Å"Thanks,† Rivera said, looking at his sleeves, a little wistful. â€Å"I had a short run of good fortune a while back.† â€Å"Good for you,† Charlie said. â€Å"It passed,† Rivera said. â€Å"Cute baby. You two take care, huh?† And he was out the door. Charlie turned to go back upstairs and nearly ran into Lily. She had her arms crossed under the â€Å"Hell Is Other People† logo on her T-shirt and was looking even more judgmental than usual. â€Å"So, Asher, you have something you want to tell me?† â€Å"Lily, I don't have time for – â€Å" She held out the silver cigarette case that the redhead had given him. It was still glowing red. Sophie was reaching for it. â€Å"What?† Charlie said. Could Lily see it? Was she picking up on the weird glow? Lily opened the case and pushed it into Charlie's face. â€Å"Read the engraving.† James O'Malley, read the ornate script. Charlie took a step back. â€Å"Lily, I can't – I don't know anything about that old man. Look, I have to get Mrs. Ling to watch Sophie and get over to the Castro. I'll explain later, okay? I promise.† She thought about it for a second, staring at him accusingly, like she'd caught him feeding Froot Loops to her bte noire, and then relented. â€Å"Go,† she said.