The Birth Stories Of Christ And Buddha Research Paper

The Birth Stories Of Christ And Buddha - Research Paper Example The young Gautama was engaged in an excessive consumption and indulgence of sensual pleasures and he gave all these up only in his thirties as he must have gotten tired of temporary and fleeting pleasures. Jesus Christ lived a poor life as a young child and adolescent because his father Joseph was just an ordinary carpenter while the prince Gautama Buddha lived in a palace with all its luxuries and extravagance such that he himself got exhausted with all these pleasures. In the story of Jesus Christ, he forswore all material things in life and made the conscious or deliberate decision to live a life of poverty and humility because he knew early in his life he was destined for a work of proselytizing the unbelievers and pagans at the time. In contrast, Buddha realized his mission in life only much later when he saw an extremely old man and became worried about his own fate when he himself will grow old someday. Jesus Christ preached a gospel of love and brotherhood in order to gain en try to the Heavens through a life of sacrifice, denial, and re-connection with God the Father while the Gautama Buddha preached his teachings based on the so-called "Four Signs" to attain a level of enlightenment that is free from material or bodily desires. Both preached the twin virtues of humility and renunciation of all material things in order to attain eternal bliss in the next life. Christ promised redemption through atonement while Buddha pledged release from material torment through a series of rituals to suppress karma.

Rome vs. Han Essay Example for Free

Rome vs. Han Essay Rome and Han were two classical civilizations which collapsed in many similar ways. For instance, they were similar because they both had problems protecting their borders from invading nomads, which helped lead to their demise. Also, another similarity is how the empires split and create provinces. Although, there were similarities between these civilizations, there were also many differences. One difference between the fall of the Han and the Roman empires is how China had the ability to revive itself and return to its former glory under a new dynasty after the fall of the Han, and the land of the Roman Empire never regained its previous power. Another difference is the matter of isolation, and how it effects China and how being a trade forerunner in the Mediterranean helps the empire. First, one similarity between the fall of the Han and the Roman Empires is the problem of expansion. Expansion allows an empire to gain wealth and prosperity by expanding their control over land and trade routes. Although, the larger and empire becomes, the harder it is to maintain its boundaries and is also more susceptible to invasion by other empires or nomadic tribes. Both empires had to build walls to protect the northern side of the empire. Rome spread its borders to wide for them to control, so as Germanic invaders started to invade from the north, Rome couldn’t protect its borders which ranged from Macedonia to the Indus River Valley.The Han also had a similar problem with herders from the north. Many would invade small peasant villages and pillage whatever they needed or wanted. With a current problem of feeding the countries large population, this didn’t help matters, actually it only made matters worse. Riots and mobs formed which stormed major cities until finally the Han fell and China was split into three kingdoms similar to Rome being split into two kingdoms. Rome and Han had many differences as well as similarities. One difference is after the decline China was revived during the Ting dynasty, and brought back to a unified state while the lands of the Roman Empire was never able to reach its former height after the Germanic tribes invaded from the north. Although, the Eastern half of the Roman empire, the Byzantines survived and strengthened over the next thousand years. Another difference between the Roman and the Han empires is isolation. China was isolated by mountains and  deserts to the west. This provided not only a natural barrier against invasions, but it helped create an isolation from the many other classical civilizations. Rome, on the other hand, was not isolated, it sat mostly on the Italian peninsula, which jutted out into the Mediterranean Sea, a forerunner in sea trade. China being isolated created a problem with the economy, where the governments money only came from the taxation of the peasants and citizens. This depleted the money of the peasants and lower class, and still, the government didn’t have enough money to run properly. This effected the outcome of the invasion of the Huns which helped lead to the Han downfall because the government didn’t have enough money to pay for military action. Both the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty arose and expanded to become superpowers of their time, but at the end of their reign, China fell as it will do with many other dynasties after the Han, but still revive itself and create new. China has done this up to modern times, but Rome never recovers and will never become the superpower it once was again. It is amazing though how two civilizations that are completely isolated from each other can be so similar though, and still influence the world we live in today.

Sophia Western vs. Lady Bellaston On the 4th episode of the novel Tom J

Sophia Western vs. Lady Bellaston On the 4th episode of the novel Tom Jones Sophia Western vs. Lady Bellaston On the 4th episode of the novel Tom Jones, the author has once again given its audience another surprise. Sophia Western and Lady Bellaston are both secretly fighting for the love of the same man. They both like Mr. Jones. However, they refuse to let each other know about their own feelings towards this man. Although they are both wealthy women, they differ in their appearance, attitudes, and most important on their feelings towards Mr. Jones. They look very different from each other. Ms. Western is very young, probably in her early 20s. She has long blonde hair and does not need any makeup to appear beautiful; she is a natural. Lady Bellaston, on the other hand, is much older, probably in her 50s. She is a slim redhead, perhaps with more need to dress up to impress the younger man of her delight. Sophia dresses elegant but rather simple. She could even be considered an old fashioned woman in London. Conversely, Lady Bellaston is very modern and sensual...

Serial Dilution Homework

Serial Dilution Homework Problems Name:_Vidya Punati_____________________ Section #:__36_______________________ 1. In the image above, the final dilution is 1:____1X10^-8___________________. 2. You make six 2-fold serial dilutions of a solution. Your final dilution will be 1:_64_________. 3. You dilute 1 ml of an unknown sample of bacteria to 1 x 10-6 and plate out 100? l onto a Petri dish. The next day you count 64 colonies.The number of viable bacteria in the original sample was a. 6. 4 x 107 cells/ml b. 6. 4 x 108 cells/ml c. 6. 4 x 109 cells/ml d. 6. 4 x 1010 cells/ml 4. A 1 ml sample of bacteria was diluted to 10-6 and 100? l was plated on the Petri dish at right. What was the approximate concentration of the original sample? 8 x 10^7 bacteria per mL. | | 5. What are two reasons serial dilution is a useful technique for counting populations of bacteria? ) When there are a lot of bacteria, it is hard to count undiluted colonies accurately because there could be hundreds of them. Serial dilution is a useful technique because the colonies are counted twice with different people and the average number of colonies is reported as the number of bacteria present in the sample after multiplying the dilution factor. 2) If the number of bacteria in the samples is high, colonies of bacteria are likely to cover the whole plate so that one cannot count any colonies at all.

Uniform of German SS Soldiers

Baggy, and they had high goth like boots except withut the buckles, andthere top had a swastika on one of the sleeves. The German uniforms varied in color and style. By Also on the tunic was Edelweiss Pirates an Iron Eagle Just above the left breast pocket. hey would gather together and act in a manner that they would know would anger the local Nazi leaders. Whereas the Nazi Party required Hitler Youth members to wear a uniform that was semi-military, Edelweiss members wore more bohemian lothing, knowing that it would anger the powers-that-be.They also sang songs that the Nazis had banned and played music that was also banned, such as Jazz and blues tunes. They created areas within a town or city where members of the Hitler Youth were not tolerated. At no stage were they ever a danger to the Nazi regime and for years they were seen as nothing more than a youthful irritant – youths going through that phase in their lives where rebellion (as they perceived it) was the order of t he day. ey also offered a way of life outside of the strangulating Nazi regime.Between 1936 and September 1939, the Nazi authorities saw the Edelweiss Pirates as little more than a small-scale irritant. However, attitudes changed during World War Two when the authorities believed that the Edelweiss Pirates were responsible for collecting British anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets dropped by Bomber Command at the start of the war and posting them through letterboxes. This was seen as being more than Just an irritation; it was classed as blatant subversion.

Lapp samoan essays

Lapp samoan essays The Samoan culture and the Lapp culture are completely different in their way of life, their culture, and also in the areas that they inhabit. Samoans live an island dwelling lifestyle while Lapps inhabit the Fennoscandian area. Samoan lifestyle is strict and very harsh. They believe in social hierarchies and have what they call a faamatai which is their system of government including a ruler for their village. Also, their villages are contrived of aigas which are considered by each other as siblings. Within the Lapp culture they do not govern a strict way of life and are known to be a very peaceful and tranquil culture. They dont believe in social hierarchies and the entire village serves as their own leaders and all disagreements and feuds are usually settled by everyone. Both the Lapps and Samoans subsistence modes differ greatly. Lapps are mainly pastoralists, and hunters and gatherers, while Samoans are simple horticulturalists. Lapps breed and herd reindeer, hunt, and also fish . Samoans mainly eat vegetables, fruits and of course seafood since they inhabit an island. As for entertainment, Samoans are known to have singing and dancing and music, while the Lapps sources of entertainment are not apparent to others. Lastly, the Samoans have tattooing as a way of entering adulthood from adolescence. It is unknown as to whether the Lapps had any form of initiation into adulthood. Although Samoans and the Lapps have many differences, they also have few similarities. Both cultures have a certain way of life and laws that thye must abide by. Each culture has some sort of village council that settles any disputes and problems. The Coast Lapps and the Samoans both dwelled in seaside villages. The River Lapps and the Samoans were both simple horticulturalists. It is also apparent that both cultures lived off of fishing as one of their sources of food. As for their religion, the aboriginal Samoans bel ...

Good Man vs. Good Citizen - Plato essays

Good Man vs. Good Citizen - Plato essays Good Man v. Good Citizen: Platos View When Plato writes about the struggle between the good person and the good citizen in The Last Days of Socrates, there seems to be an overlapping of the two because they are so closely related. Socrates says that [A man] has only one thing to consider in performing any action; that is whether he is acting justly or unjustly, like a good man or a bad one (Apology, 28 b-c). It seems that, even when considering whether or not to be a good citizen and follow orders and laws without exception, one must decide whether or not his actions will be just. This is refuted, however, when Socrates says in Apology, 28d When a man has once taken up his stand, either because it seems best to him or in obedience to his orders, there I believe he is bound to remain and face the danger, taking account of death or anything else before dishonour and in Apology, 29b that to disobey my superior, whether god or man, is bad and dishonourable. By this reasoning, being a good man would require following the orders, not only of the gods, but of earthly superiors and, therefore, being a good citizen. The idea of dishonour seems to be a significant downfall of a good person in Platos writing and, therefore, must have been a major part of Athenian life. Socrates argument with Crito support these ideas of dishonour and justice with regard to being Plato argues that a man must follow the laws of his State because if the legal judgment which are pronounced in [a State] have no force but are nullified and destroyed by private persons the State and its laws are all also threatened with destruction (Crito, 50b). Platos reasoning in Crito then follows that threatening to destroy the State and its laws (Socrates escaping) in retaliation of an unjust action of ...

Should You Participate in the National Student Leadership Conference

Should You Participate in the National Student Leadership Conference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you heard of the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)? Maybe you’ve heard that participating in NSLC is a great way to impress colleges, and you’re wondering if that’s true. Spoiler: If you're considering NSLC because you think it's prestigious, you'd be dead wrong. Keep reading to learn why. This guide will go over exactly what NSLC is, what its potential benefits and drawbacks are, and how you can decide if you should participate in one of its programs. What Is NSLC? The National Student Leadership Conference is a program that hosts career-focused leadership conferences for select high school students (as well as some programs for middle school students) over the summer. The NSLC markets itself as a highly selective program that only accepts students with exceptional leadership and academic skills. During the program, students live in college dorms and attend NSLC-hosted lectures and activities on campus. Program activities can include classes and lectures, guest speakers, leadership workshops, and off-campus field trips. NSLC markets their programs as a way to help participants gain leadership skills and learn about future careers while experiencing life on a college campus. Programs are offered in 21 different fields, such as international diplomacy, engineering, and theater. These programs are between 6 and 18 days in length, depending on the subject they focus on. NSLC offers programs on the campuses of 13 universities (although not all program fields are offered on each campus): Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) Northwestern University (Chicago, IL) UCLA (Los Angeles, CA) University of California-Berkeley (San Francisco, CA) Fordham University (New York City, NY) Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA) University of Washington (Seattle, WA) American University (Washington DC) Georgetown University (Washington DC) Rice University (Houston, TX) Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) Yale University (New Haven, CT) Yale-NUS College (Singapore) How Do You Apply to NSLC? Anyone who is currently a high school student and has a â€Å"B† average or higher is eligible to apply for NSLC. The first step is being nominated or identified as a potential candidate for the program. You can be nominated by a teacher, counselor, or NSLC alum. You may also be identified through certain talent development programs, such as the College Board Student Search Service and the ACT EOS. Even if you aren’t nominated, you can still apply for admission on NSLC’s website as a merit applicant. Merit applicants must demonstrate strong academics and leadership potential and must also have a counselor or teacher submit a recommendation form. Those who were nominated and those who had their merit application accepted then complete the Enrollment Application. You are required to submit a $500 deposit with your application that will be applied to your tuition if you choose to take an NSLC program or will be refunded if you are not accepted or choose not to enroll. Students who are accepted into the program will then be e-mailed an Acceptance Packet that includes forms you are required to complete. After you have submitted those forms, you will be able to enroll in the NSLC program of your choice. How Competitive Is NSLC? The National Student Leadership Conference markets itself as a program exclusively for top students and future leaders. In their marketing materials, NSLC emphasizes the fact that students must be nominated as a way to show its "competitiveness." However, these nominations are sent to thousands of students each year, most of whom NSLC knows very little about. Additionally, being nominated is not required to attend NSLC. Any high school student can still apply without first being nominated. While NSLC claims to be an exclusive organization that only selects the best students, the reality is that the program accepts most applicants, as long as they have above-average grades (specifically a "B" average) and can get a nomination or letter of recommendation. NSLC programs can have benefits, which I discuss in more detail in the following sections, but it's important for students and their parents to know that neither being nominated for NSLC nor attending one of its programs shows any exceptional academic or leadership skills on the part of the student. What Are the Benefits of Participating in NSLC? So does that mean the NSLC is all bad? Not at all. Below are the main benefits you can get from attending an NSLC program. Benefit #1: Learn About Specific Careers One major benefit of NSLC is that you can choose a program in the field you want to work in, such as medicine, law, or business. The programs are designed to provide hands-on experience in that field. For example, participants in the engineering program build wind turbines and water purification systems and also learn about new technology being used in engineering. These experiences can help you gain skills you can use later on for college and future jobs. They can also give you a taste of what a future career might be like so that you have a better idea of what you want to study in college. You may find that you actually don’t like a certain career at all, and it’s better to learn this now than when you’re already in college and have spent a lot of time and money on a major you no longer want to pursue. Benefit #2: Gain Leadership Skills Every NSLC program includes workshops and lectures designed to help develop the leadership potential of participants. By learning how to be effective leaders and using those skills throughout the conference, students can return from the program more confident in their leadership abilities and more willing to take charge in future situations. Colleges and employers both like seeing leadership experience in applicants. Benefit #3: Form New Relationships Each NSLC program includes lectures by industry professionals. These guest lecturers, who are often leaders in their field, speak with students and answer their questions. The lectures that NSLC provides give students a chance to hear more about what a particular career is like and have their questions answered by someone who has a great deal of experience in that field. Students also often form personal relationships at NSLC programs. After spending several days with other high-achieving students, many participants return home with new friends who are often interested in the same careers that they are. After the program ends, these friends can provide advice when you are looking at different colleges, majors, and jobs. Like these sheep, you may make a new friend at an NSLC program. Benefit #4: Experience College Life Participating in an NSLC program can also introduce you to college and collegiate life. All NSLC conferences take place on college campuses, and students are housed in college dorms. Living on campus can be very helpful for students who may not know much about college and want to get a taste of it while still in high school. There is also the option of receiving up to three college credits for your work at NSLC. However, students interested in earning college credit should be aware that this comes with an extra fee ($790 per credit hour), and not all colleges will accept credits earned at an NSLC program. This is discussed in more detail in the next section. Want to boost your college admissions profile in just a few hours? Our new six-hour admissions course gives you the tools to improve your college acceptance chances. Great for students who don't have the time or budget for full-on admissions consulting, this course focuses on college admissions essentials. You'll learn both what the most important parts of your college admissions profile are and which of these are most responsive to intervention, depending on what stage of the college admissions process you're in. What Are the Drawbacks of Participating in NSLC? While NSLC can have benefits, there are also drawbacks to participating in one of its programs. I discuss some of the most important drawbacks to these programs below. Drawback #1: Programs Are Often Short Most NSLC programs last only a few days, with the longest lasting 18 days. While this may be enough time to introduce you to a subject and give you some hands-on experience, it would be very difficult to gain much in-depth knowledge in such a short time. Students looking for thorough and detailed knowledge of a particular job or career field will likely not be able to gain the amount of information they are looking for from an NSLC program. The short program length can also make it difficult to cultivate strong relationships with both program mentors and other participants. Drawback #2: Program Cost Even though they are short, NSLC programs often have a high price tag. Programs range in cost from $2495-$5295, which includes meals, housing, transportation, and materials. However, if a student wants to earn college credit, this requires an additional fee ($790 per credit hour). Spending several thousand dollars on a short program can be difficult for many high school students and their families. NSLC does offer some scholarships and offers tips for fundraising to help offset costs; however, students should expect to pay the entire cost. It's possible to have the same or similar experiences to those of an NSLC program for a fraction of the cost. This option is discussed in more detail in the following section. Drawback #3: Not as Exclusive as Marketed The NSLC markets itself as a highly competitive program that only invites and accepts top-notch students. However, like many similar organizations that claim to promote student leadership, NSLC send invitations to thousands of students each year in an attempt to maximize the number of students who enroll in their programs. While NSLC emphasizes the fact that students are â€Å"invited† to attend as an indicator of its prestige, any student can apply to the program without receiving an invitation. Most students with decent grades (at least a â€Å"B† average) and some extracurriculars will likely be accepted by NSLC, making it not all that competitive. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Should You Participate in NSLC? So, how useful is NSLC? It depends on why you’re interested in participating. Some people find NSLC programs fun and informative while others see them as overpriced resume padding. There are good reasons for attending an NSLC program and reasons that are not as strong. Think carefully about why you are interested in attending, and read on to help make your decision. Good Reasons to Attend NSLC You want to learn more about a specific career field. You want to meet students with similar interests. You want to experience collegiate life. An NSLC program can be a good way to get an introduction to a specific career and gain more hands-on experience than you would likely get in a classroom. Attending one of these conferences also gives you a chance to meet other students with strong academics and who are interested in the same career field. Sometimes these connections can become lasting friendships. Also, if you are curious or a bit nervous about college and want to know what it’s like to live in a dorm and find classes on campus, you can experience that at an NSLC program. If you can afford the cost of an NSLC program and one or more of the above reasons interest you, then you may want to look more seriously into applying. However, be aware that NSLC programs are not the only way to achieve any of these goals. If you are unable to attend an NSLC program, there are multiple other ways to have similar experiences. Students who want to learn more about a specific career can do an internship or job shadow, and those who want to meet students with similar interests can join a club, either in school or outside of school. Students who want to experience college can visit a school they are interested in; many colleges offer overnight stays in the dorms to students who are interested in attending that school. Some colleges also offer dual enrollment, which lets high school students take college classes while still in high school. An NSLC program can give you an introduction to college. Weak Reasons for Attending an NSLC Program While there are certainly good reasons for participating in an NSLC program, there are also reasons that you should not use to justify attending. Several of these reasons are given below, and, for each reason, an alternative solution is given that you may want to consider instead of an NSLC program. Weak Reason #1: You Think It Will Impress Colleges The truth is that having an NSLC program on your resume or college application is not any more prestigious or impressive than other extracurricular activities, such as being on the school soccer team or being a member of the baking club. Colleges don’t need to see that you participated in an NSLC program in order to determine that you're smart or a good leader; they can see those things simply by looking at your grades, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Alternative Idea: Gain expertise and leadership experience through your extracurriculars. If you are looking to strengthen your college applications by having strong extracurriculars, choose activities that relate to your interests and allow you to obtain leadership positions. Sticking with an extracurricular, no matter what it is, and acquiring more responsibility is more impressive than a short-term NSLC program because it gives schools a better idea of your interests and abilities. If you need help deciding which activities to do, we have a list of hundreds of extracurriculars for you to browse! Weak Reason #2: You Want In-Depth Knowledge of a Certain Career While NSLC programs can teach you about a career and give you the chance to do related hands-on activities and hear from people in that profession, the programs are simply too short to provide a thorough knowledge of a particular career. Alternative Idea: If you are looking for a way get in-depth knowledge on a career, consider doing an internship. Internships generally last from several weeks to several months and will give you much more time to learn the details and responsibilities of a particular job. Check out our in-depth guide to internships for high school students. Weak Reason #3: You Want to Network With Professionals The NSLC has a history of having prestigious guest speakers give lectures to program participants. While these guest lecturers are often leaders in their field and are very knowledgeable, you shouldn’t sign up for the NSLC thinking it will give you the opportunity to network with them and potentially get an internship or job. Most of the guest lecturers simply give their presentation and answer questions afterward, with no opportunity for students to speak with them individually. Alternative Idea: Do an internship or a job shadow. If you are interested in getting to know professionals in a certain career field personally, both of these options give you more opportunities to talk one-on-one. By working directly with professionals or observing them, you will be more memorable than if you were simply sitting in the audience, and this will make it more likely for them to remember you and possibly recommend you for future jobs. NSLC programs may not get you all the networking opportunities you were hoping for. Weak Reason #4: You Want to Earn College Credit While it is possible to earn college credit during an NSLC program, this should not be the main reason for you to enroll in it. Through NSLC, students can earn up to three college credits, which is the equivalent of one regular college class. Three college credits will cost $2370, and this is on top of the standard program fee. Having one college class out of the way will not help you graduate college any sooner or give you much of a head start. Additionally, many colleges do not accept these credits because they didn’t take place in a classroom environment and were earned over a short period of time. This means that there is a good chance that the college credit earned in an NSLC program won’t be accepted by the college you choose to go to, and, even if it is, those credits will be expensive to get and will only count for one class, usually a general elective. Alternative Idea: Take classes at your local community college or university or concentrate on AP or IB classes. If you are interested in earning college credits, you can often earn more and for much less money by passing AP or IB exams (which many colleges accept as college credit) or by taking classes at a community college. Some high schools will also pay for you to take classes at a nearby college or university, which could save you thousands of dollars. Summary: Is NSLC Worth Your Time and Money? The National Student Leadership Conference is a program that it can offer beneficial and interesting opportunities for high school students, but not in a way that is better or more prestigious than other extracurriculars. While the NSLC can help participants learn more about certain career fields, meet new people, and experience college life, there are many other ways for students to have each of these experiences, such as by joining a club or completing a job shadow. The high price tag of NSLC programs deters many people, and the fact that most of these programs last only a few days makes it difficult for participants to get in-depth knowledge or develop close relationships. Despite its claims of being a prestigious and competitive program, the NSLC mails thousands of invitations to students each year, and colleges do not find participating in the program any more impressive than a normal summer camp or extracurricular like a sport or school club. If you can afford it and think that an NSLC program would be a good experience, then consider attending one; many past participants have had good experiences. However, if you cannot or would rather not participate, don’t worry about missing out on some prestigious opportunity that will help you get into college. Remember, there are many ways to get the same benefits that NSLC offers that are likely closer to home and less expensive. What's Next? Want to know what a great extracurricular looks like? Check out these 4 amazing examples of extracurriculars for college applications. Considering a job shadow? Check out our guide on everything you need to know about how to find and do a great job shadow! Aiming for an Ivy League School? Then read our famous guide on the secrets to getting into Harvard and the Ivy League, written by a Harvard grad. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Analyses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyses - Research Paper Example Research is a key part of our heritage at Nestle and an essential element of our future. We know there is still much to discover about health, wellness, and the role of food in our lives, and we continue to search for answers to bring consumers good food for good life† (http://www.blurtit.com/q4289961.html). â€Å"Nestle strives to be a leader in nutrition, health and wellness, with the belief that good food is central to health and wellness. At the Nestle Research Center, nutrition research meets food innovation to bring consumers of all ages and stages of life, foods and beverages that contribute to health and wellness, while offering remarkable taste and convenience† (http://www.blurtit.com/q4289961.html). The more consumers continue to make food or beverage choice, Nestle is always available in such situations to assist in selection for everyone’s taste and lifestyle preferences. At Nestle, research is part of the key elements of the company’s heritage and is an essential component of Company’s future. At Nestle, discoveries resolve to provide wellness, health, and the role of food people’s lives. That is reason we continue to hunt for more answers to bring consumers Good Food for Good Life. Nestle shows recognition of consumer’s sincere and legitimate interests in the Company’s beliefs, behaviors, and actions and as such, Nestle understands that without the customers the Company cannot exist. Nestle believes in general legislation of rule as is the most effective tool for safeguarding responsible conduct (Letmathe, 2004). However, additional staff guidance in form of voluntary business principles is beneficial since it meets the highest stan dards through organization. Nestle maintains a conscious fact that, a corporation’s success reflects management and employee professionalism, responsible attitude, and ethical code of conduct. The corporate values of Nestle display that this Company understands that the lifeblood of

Public schools of Washington DC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public schools of Washington DC - Essay Example It has three major objectives: Objective 1 The first objective is to ensure development of effective leadership within the development team of the program which would comprise of members from Woodson Foundation, Public School and NCPIE. Each organization has diverse interests but is united in its goal of improving students’ academic performance and learning. The leader should be able to motivate team members to develop common goals and collective decision making. The leadership therefore, becomes a major element that is able to empower members to make decisions based on informed choices and encourages cross cultural understanding and mutual respect. It thereby, exploits personal traits of the team members for optimal performance outcome. Objective 2 Teams perform best when adequate resources line finance, infrastructure, skill etc are available to them. Hence, leaders must ensure availability of resources. In this case, he must create two steering committees: one would oversee development of educational leaders, training and development and teaching curricula; the second would help to ensure management of the program vis-a-vis meet the financial and infrastructural need of the program. The team members should be judiciously selected so that team has technical expertise and managerial skill to identify problems and evolve solutions through mutual consensus.

Action Assignment#3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Action #3 - Assignment Example I appreciate the support and encouragement that you have given and shown to me throughout my studies and I am truly grateful for that. The University here is great and I am learning a great deal in my classes. Thank you for always being there for me, and I promise to do my best to make my life better and also help you back at home. That is what I pray for and i will make it happen for us. My regards to you father. As a leader, if I was to receive this kind of letter I would be privileged and thankful to know that I helped someone to a point where they could be able to help themselves. I would be privileged to have impacted someone in their lives and to see them progress well. Written communication is important because it has a touching and lasting impact for both parties. Written communication tends to be a primary source that someone can use to speak what is deeply rooted in their heart. It exposes what we feel to the receiving party. 3. Create a concise (200-300 words) elevator/introduction statement that you can utilize in a variety of leadership situations (networking, interviews, etc.). Make sure to personalize your statement so that you connect most effectively with the individual you are networking with during that time. Remember, your elevator statement is a representation of your professional presence and "brand." My name is Mram. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. I have worked in an administrative position at the New Horizons educational institution. This position motivated me to want and accept a scholarship to study for my master’s degree in leadership at the University in the United States. During my work period at New Horizon’s educational institution, I managed to gain a lot of hands on experience and practical leadership skills that improved my administrative leadership gear. At the same point in time I also managed to work extra hours just to ensure that my work outcome was top level with the stated

How Can Motivation Reduce Employee Turnover in the Banking Sector Dissertation

How Can Motivation Reduce Employee Turnover in the Banking Sector - Dissertation Example For this purpose, the researcher identified the importance of motivation by analysing past literature and available information. This helped in understanding the fact that motivation often impacts in a positive way leading to better understanding and performances of employees. The researcher also conducted primary and secondary research that further helped in understanding the role and importance of motivation in controlling and managing employee turnover. The secondary research is based on the understanding of motivation theories that include reinforcement theory and its advantages and disadvantages in motivating employees, incentive theory and its impact in improving the performance and satisfaction level of employees, equity theory and its impact in enhancing the satisfaction, trust and loyalty level, goals setting theory and its impact in offering direction to employees along with guiding and motivating them and need hierarch theory based on understanding and fulfilling the needs and demands of employees in an effective and expected way. The researcher also conducted primary research that helped in collecting views and responses of five human resource managers through structured interviews. The analysis of primary and secondary research offered relevant findings revealing the fact that motivation helps in enhancing skills and performances of employees if used in a positive and honest manner. However, there was no information and confirmation on the direct relationship of motivation and employee turnover. Overall, it was assumed that motivation is just a tool in enhancing the skills and performance of employees that may reduce employee turnover to an extent depending on the strategies and actions implemented by... The intention of this study is motivation as a term that refers to a process that controls and manages human behaviour in a positive way. Motivation can be defined as a series of phenomenon affecting human behaviour based on psychological, cognitive and social factors. Motivation helps in creating positive energy and feeling that in turn helps in enhancing the overall mood and behaviour of individuals. In organsiations, employees need to be motivates at every stage in order to achieve the organsiational goals and objectives. Motivation has been defined under certain concepts that need to be mentioned and examined in terms of reducing employee turnover within organisations. Initially, the researcher believes that basic concepts of motivation like intrinsic and extrinsic need to be discussed and later other concepts like push and pull and self control will be discussed in detail. Intrinsic motivation refers to the motivation that is developed deep within by individuals. When individual s start taking interest in certain tasks along with enjoying them; they are automatically motivated. Intrinsic motivation does not require any push or strategy and is often felt by individuals. Intrinsic motivation is all about deriving pleasure from activities that help individuals to grow and develop rather than depending on extrinsic factors like rewards and strategies. It is all about engaging individuals in tasks that they enjoy rather than offering tasks that do not appeal much to them. In the context of the banking sector, there are a number of tasks and activities that need to be executed and managed by employees.

Working Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Working Conditions - Essay Example According to Andre and Manuel - ' this  principle holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected' (Andre, 2010).  I absolutely agree in supporting the detailed recommendations  of  Human Rights Watch  enlisted below (Compa, 2005). New federal and state laws should reduce line speed in meat and poultry plants and establish new ergonomics standards to reduce repetitive stress injuries. Health and safety authorities should apply stronger enforcement measures. States should develop stronger worker compensation laws and enforcement mechanisms. Employers should not engage in aggressive, intimidating anti-organizing campaigns that take advantage of loopholes and weaknesses in the  U.S.  labor law system. Congress should enact legislation bringing  U.S.  labor law into compliance with international standards (e.g. to prohibit the permanent replacement of striking worke rs) and should also create stronger remedies for violations of workers’ rights. New laws and policies should ensure respect for the human rights of immigrant workers, whatever their legal status. Immigrants should have the same workplace protections as non-immigrants, including coverage under fair labor standards and other labor laws, and the same remedies when their rights are violated   A hog worker from  North Carolina  quotes â€Å"The line is so fast there is no time to sharpen the knife. The knife gets dull and you have to cut harder. That’s when you cut yourself.† If a worker really loses limb or life, who is there to lend a helping hand to his family to earn daily living. Ethically, the employers should open their eyes and weigh the resulting benefits and harms of policies that are  forced upon the workers in meat and poultry industry. The  Ã‚  Ã‚  increase in volume and speed of production  Ã‚  Ã‚  should be backed with quality training and sufficient safeguards making the work less hazardous.  Employers should choose the course of action that provides greatest benefits to the  workers who make up to 30,000 hard-cutting motions with sharp knives in a shift and often become victim of long-term occupational injuries and frequent lacerations. Investigations done by Human Rights Watch have shown that workers often do not  receive compensation for injuries at workplace because companies do not report injuries. The claims are delayed and denied; reprisals are  inflicted  on workers who file them. Workers are loved  as  long as  they are healthy and capable of working like a dog. But once they get hurt,  company will find a reason to fire them or put  them in a terrible job or change the shift so that worker quits.  Ã‚  Therefore, lot of people just work with the pain without reporting their injuries.  To overcome such situations, according to deontology, a right choice conforms to a moral norm. Such n orms are made simply to be obeyed by each moral agent in spite of maximizing such norm-keepings .For deontologists the Right has priority over the Good. If an action is not in accord with the Right, it may not be performed; no matter the Good that it might (Alexander 2008).  In an investigation conducted by Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, the fact  revealed was that often Public agencies try to protect consumers from tainted meat but do very little to  Ã‚  protect their workers from  unhealthy and terrible conditions. It is also reported that aggressive and unlawful company try to derail workers’ organizing efforts. Employers threat workers who try to defend themselves

Financial accounting College Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial accounting College - Research Paper Example But in reality the interest cost is tax deductible thereby giving an edge for their inclusion to create leverage to a certain point. This point of view was first espoused in theModigliani-Miller theorem, proposed byFranco ModiglianiandMerton Miller, which is the very foundation of further thought process on capital structure, even if it is purely theory based as the assumption of tax neutrality and risk neutrality. The theorem states that, in a perfect market, how a firm is financed is irrelevant to its value. On the contrary Market timing hypothesis states that capital structure is the outcome of the historical cumulative timing of the market by managers (Baker, Malcolm P.; Wurgler, Jeffrey p. 57). An analysis of capital structure is undertaken to assess the health of the organisation from the above mentioned points of view. Overall objective of ideal capital structure remains to maximise shareholders wealth without inflicting risk on the enterprise beyond acceptable levels. Financial Leverage- So long as the cost of funds is low ROE (Return on Equity) is high compared to ROA (Return on Assets). If and when the cost of debt rises beyond threshold levels the ROE falls compared to ROA thereby making debt funds disadvantageous for the equity share holders. "Leverage is non stationary, and declines with past profitability. The firm may hold a compensating cash balance while borrowing (at a higher rate) through the credit line." (DeMarzo Peter M., Sannikov Yuliy, p 1) Risk Analysis- Risk is directly proportional to the proportion of debt in capital structure. As debt inherently carries fixed servicing and repayment obligations, adverse earning conditions increase credit risk which rises in the same direction as the quantum of debt in relation to equity funds. Similarly low risk is associated with high equity (low debt) funds of an organisation. Even in periods of lower earnings, the existence of the organisation will be at lower risk as compared to an organisation with higher debt capital. Debt to Capital ratio (average debt / average assets) provides the slice of assets financed through debt. Debt to Equity ratio (average debt / equity base) shows the share of debt in capital structure. What is optimal capital structure There are no definite answers. It varies from industry to industry. Economic cycle of the industry being examined and within the industry the business cycle of the organisation would determine the best mix of capital structure so as to meet the overall objective of

Working Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Working Conditions - Essay Example According to Andre and Manuel - ' this  principle holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected' (Andre, 2010).  I absolutely agree in supporting the detailed recommendations  of  Human Rights Watch  enlisted below (Compa, 2005). New federal and state laws should reduce line speed in meat and poultry plants and establish new ergonomics standards to reduce repetitive stress injuries. Health and safety authorities should apply stronger enforcement measures. States should develop stronger worker compensation laws and enforcement mechanisms. Employers should not engage in aggressive, intimidating anti-organizing campaigns that take advantage of loopholes and weaknesses in the  U.S.  labor law system. Congress should enact legislation bringing  U.S.  labor law into compliance with international standards (e.g. to prohibit the permanent replacement of striking worke rs) and should also create stronger remedies for violations of workers’ rights. New laws and policies should ensure respect for the human rights of immigrant workers, whatever their legal status. Immigrants should have the same workplace protections as non-immigrants, including coverage under fair labor standards and other labor laws, and the same remedies when their rights are violated   A hog worker from  North Carolina  quotes â€Å"The line is so fast there is no time to sharpen the knife. The knife gets dull and you have to cut harder. That’s when you cut yourself.† If a worker really loses limb or life, who is there to lend a helping hand to his family to earn daily living. Ethically, the employers should open their eyes and weigh the resulting benefits and harms of policies that are  forced upon the workers in meat and poultry industry. The  Ã‚  Ã‚  increase in volume and speed of production  Ã‚  Ã‚  should be backed with quality training and sufficient safeguards making the work less hazardous.  Employers should choose the course of action that provides greatest benefits to the  workers who make up to 30,000 hard-cutting motions with sharp knives in a shift and often become victim of long-term occupational injuries and frequent lacerations. Investigations done by Human Rights Watch have shown that workers often do not  receive compensation for injuries at workplace because companies do not report injuries. The claims are delayed and denied; reprisals are  inflicted  on workers who file them. Workers are loved  as  long as  they are healthy and capable of working like a dog. But once they get hurt,  company will find a reason to fire them or put  them in a terrible job or change the shift so that worker quits.  Ã‚  Therefore, lot of people just work with the pain without reporting their injuries.  To overcome such situations, according to deontology, a right choice conforms to a moral norm. Such n orms are made simply to be obeyed by each moral agent in spite of maximizing such norm-keepings .For deontologists the Right has priority over the Good. If an action is not in accord with the Right, it may not be performed; no matter the Good that it might (Alexander 2008).  In an investigation conducted by Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, the fact  revealed was that often Public agencies try to protect consumers from tainted meat but do very little to  Ã‚  protect their workers from  unhealthy and terrible conditions. It is also reported that aggressive and unlawful company try to derail workers’ organizing efforts. Employers threat workers who try to defend themselves

Critical Path - Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Path - Project Management - Assignment Example This process provides us a total time taken by the project. For assessing the total time we use above mentioned methods to find out the main project completion and development time. Through this time we obtain a project time line for the project execution. Here we also assign appropriate sequence to each activity of the project. Through these assigned activity sequencing, the expansion of a project network diagram is developed. This procedure is pretty time intense if completed with hand. Luckily, there are development organization software tools that can build network illustrations although there can be an illustration where we have to perform it by hand. One of the main causes for building a plan organization network drawing is to decide the elasticity inside the network (Kerzner, 2006) and (Field & Keller, 2007). Total float is the time obtainable for holding-up an activity devoid of delay end Date of the plan. The entire float of a task is then the biggest probable delay in finishing of this task that will not reason a delay in the achievement of the whole project. This recommends the subsequent instinctive notion: (Kerzner, 2006) and (Burke, 1999): The process of the determining the total float of a project activity involves the assessment of the total delaying an activity with no delay end Date of the plan. The total float of a project activity is the largest possible delay in the completion of that task that will not cause a delay in the accomplishment of the whole project (Kerzner, 2006). The assessment of the critical path provides a better overview of the project duration and more critical activates as well as their management. In the assessment of the critical activates of the project we determine their total float. Total float of the project if equal to zero then that activity denotes as the critical activity (Gray & Larson, 2006). The CP (critical path) is the best times path in the course of the network

Job Satisfaction, Work Attitude Essay Example for Free

Job Satisfaction, Work Attitude Essay As stated by Black (2001), teachers’ stress is rising due to such factors as greater time constraints, low salaries, excessive work overloads, lack of involvement in decision – making and problems with school disciplines. Teachers suffer, due to in part of to the low-pay-high-cost-of-living gap. Decisions handed from the top down leave teachers feeling like more trainers than educators. Teaching in low performing schools should be a rewarding experience, yet these schools are labelled failures. These are confounded as some educators are seen publicly lambasting others. The education community is on edge. With all the finger pointing and name calling, it is a wonder teacher can push this negativism out of their minds while they turn their full attention on their students (Nichols, 2006). Furthermore, a nationwide survey conducted by the Rural Editorial Service of the University of Chicago reported in July 2006 that job satisfaction depends also such factors as the community’s attitude toward them and the schools, the quality of educational leadership, the amount of responsibility granted to teachers, adequate housing facilities, teacher welfare benefits, and others. In point of fact, there were signal improvements in teachers’ conditions of service throughout the year. New or liberalized retirement plans were authorized by well over half the states, and class registrations were reduced to thirty in Maryland and Arkansas. In the Philippines, one of the major problems in the Department of Education is the shortage of trained and competent teachers. Major reason of this shortfall is that a number of trained teachers turn to other types of employment and some went abroad for greater employment opportunity. Generally, as observed that some teachers are disillusioned, demoralized and confused at being forced to carry out unpopular Government policies, while being constantly blamed for the society’s ills. Some factors might have created dissatisfaction amongst teachers will probably include references to discipline problems created by unruly pupils, class sizes, the introduction of the National Curriculum, and lowered professional status. Additional factors also include level of salaries and benefits, increased work-related pressures, like having too many forms to be filled up, the here and now changes of different proposed programs of the department, the concern over employment security like the most recently problem on the Government Security Insurance System (GSIS) and lessening support for education on the part of political opportunities. As someone who has spent many years working as a schoolteacher at the same time a School In – charge in one of the schools in Davao City, and had continually work closely with teachers especially in the schools in the interland. I have observe that some teachers are somewhat fed up with having to teach children in even larger classes, working in schools which are dilapidated, underfunded and overstretched. Taking in to account that most of these teachers are working away from their home and family and could only go home weekly, or the least once a month due to the distance of the schools they are assigned. However, districts located in the hinterland such as Paquibato, had most number of teacher applicants every year. Reason of this scenario could be the fact that many teachers are applying for transfer to the nearby schools after a one or two years of service and that applicant could be hired easily. Nevertheless, some teachers had tenured in this district up to their retirement period and some had flourished and raised their professional status and positions. The ground for conducting this study is that it is intended to shed light on what influences how teachers feel about their work and profession so that positive job-related attitudes may be cultivated. Theoretical Background The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, a motivation theory, laid the foundation for job satisfaction theory. It is founded in the premise that goals or needs underpin by being the fundamental source of all desires. This theory explains that people seek to satisfy five specific needs in life – physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on (Evan,2010). According to Hackman Oldham (2007), Frederick Herzberg’s Two factor theory (also known as Motivator Hygiene Theory) attempts to explain satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. This theory states that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are driven by different factors – motivation and hygiene factors, respectively. An employee’s motivation to work is continually related to job satisfaction of a subordinate. Motivation can be seen as an inner force that drives individuals to attain personal and organizational goals. Motivating factors are those aspects of the job that make people want to perform, and provide people with satisfaction, for example achievement in work, recognition, promotion opportunities. These motivating factors are considered to be intrinsic to the job, or the work carried out. Hygiene factors include aspects of the working environment such as pay, company policies, supervisory practices, and other working conditions. However, Path-Goal Theory contends that the leader must motivate subordinates by: (1) emphasizing the relationship between the subordinates own needs and the organizational goals; (2) clarifying and facilitating the path subordinates must take to fulfill their own needs as well as the organizations needs (google. com,2010) Another well-known job satisfaction theory is the Dispositional Theory (Jackson April 2007). Accordingly, it is a very general theory that suggests that people have innate dispositions that cause them to have tendencies toward a certain level of satisfaction, regardless of one’s job. This approach became a notable explanation of job satisfaction in light of evidence that job satisfaction tends to be stable over time and across careers and jobs. Moreover, a significant model that narrowed the scope of the Dispositional Theory was the Core Self-evaluations Model, proposed by Timothy A. Judge in 1998. Judge argued that there are four Core Self-evaluations that determine one’s disposition towards job satisfaction: self-esteem, general self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism. This model states that higher levels of self-esteem (the value one places on his/her self) and general self-efficacy (the belief in one’s own competence) lead to higher work satisfaction. Having an internal locus of control (believing one has control over herhis own life, as opposed to outside forces having control) leads to higher job satisfaction. Finally, lower levels of neuroticism lead to higher job satisfaction (Wikipedia,2010). Evans (2001), gives eight stages progression for a teacher moving from a modest level of job satisfaction towards a higher level of job satisfaction towards which is helpful. These are the following: first is being aware that there is a problem. Being aware that there is an issue, and agreeing what issue is, is by far the most important aspect of seeking to change a situation. Then devising a strategy. Once they know what the issue is that they are addressing they can start work on devising a strategy to solve it. It is followed by effecting the new strategy. It means that once they have decided what to do, they have to start work on implementing this strategy. Fourth stage is awareness of having made changes work. This implies that there is excellent communication in school. Next stage is perception that this is all worthwhile. By this stage everyone needs to start feeling better about the work being undertaken. Then sixth stage is each teacher needs to feel good about his or her own contribution to the scheme of change. In this way, teachers become not only positive about the change programme, but they also see their contribution as being significant. Seventh is a sense of achievement. This comes from the feeling of a job well done. Lastly is job fulfilment and job comfort. By this stage teachers feel good about themselves and about the job and most important about their ability to affect their meaningful way. However, according to Weis, (2010) job satisfaction can also be seen within the broader context of the range of issues which affect an individuals experience of work, or their quality of working life. Job satisfaction can be understood in terms of its relationships with other key factors, such as general well-being, stress at work, control at work, home-work interface, and working conditions. Stress as defined by Hans Selye, is the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it. It is not nervous tension, but the wear and tear of life. Stress describes the effects of the body’s reaction to pressure. The source of stress, called stressor, may be purely physical, social, or psychological. The mind may interpret it as pleasant or unpleasant. Whatever meaning it gives, the mind sends it via two pathways. One pathway, is known as the subconscious appraisal pathway, is responsible for the physical and emotional reflexes of the body. The other pathway, responsible for voluntary actions, is used for perception, evaluation, and decision – making. In this other pathway, the individual is made aware of the environmental demands. As he perceives his situation, he interprets it according to his previous experiences, value system, self-concept, ego-strengths, attitudes and feelings. Emotions are usually aroused which in turn give color to the person’s interpretation (Fabella, 2008). According to Good Health Handbook, life and stress are interwoven with each other. It depends on how you view life and how stress affects you. Stress is a highly individual phenomenon. It is strange in its own way – because when it occurs it becomes difficult for the body and mind to adjust to the pattern of life. However, Fabella stated in his book, that stress can be minimized and channelled for growth and development, and life can be filled with joy, peace, love and security. He added accordingly, that stress- resilient people have been observed to have a specific set of attitudes toward life- an openness to change, a feeling of involvement in whatever they are doing, and a sense of control over events. He further said that man who places his entire self in the sphere of work neglecting love (family) and play (sports, hobbies, socializing, friendships) decreases his overall adaptability. If he defines his existence in terms of achievement in his work, he will find that if for external reasons (i,e. , poor health) or boredom ( loss of interest or loss of faith in his employer) his work loses meaning, then so will his life. He will become demoralized, confused, and unable to function. Mayo Clinic stated that there is a link between work approach and job satisfaction. Work is often approached from three perspectives. Usually all three perspectives are important for job satisfaction, but one is often the priority: First is, Its a job. If you approach work as a job, you focus primarily on the financial rewards. In fact, the nature of the work may hold little interest for you. Whats important is the money. If a job with more pay comes your way, youll likely move on. Next is, Its a career. If you approach work as a career, youre interested in advancement. You want to climb the career ladder as far as possible or be among the most highly regarded professionals in your field. Youre motivated by the status, prestige and power that come with the job. The third is, Its a calling. If you approach your job as a calling, you focus on the work itself. You work less for the financial gain or career advancement than for the fulfillment the work brings. One approach isnt necessarily better than the others. But it is helpful to reflect on why work if unsatisfied with the job and are ready to move on. Think about what originally drew on the current job, and whether it may be a factor in lack of job satisfaction. Additionally, the Clinic noted several ways to increase job satisfaction depending on the underlying cause of the lack of job satisfaction. One is by Improving job skills. Keeping abreast to the new strategies and techniques, and by attending seminars. Developing a new project also helps. Working on something one care about can boost confidence. Mentoring a co-worker. Once a job is mastered, it is a becoming routine. Helping a new co-worker or an intern advance his or her skills can restore the challenge and the satisfaction you desire. However, when personal abilities do not match the responsibilities, boredom will attack. Keep in mind that boredom can literally be deadly if a job involves working with machinery or caring for people, much more on dealing with children. If the mind is wandering to the point that a life or the lives of others is put in jeopardy, take action now. Stay positive. Use positive thinking to reframe thoughts about the job. Changing one’s attitude about work will not necessarily happen overnight or increase job satisfaction overnight. Stop negative thoughts. Put things in perspective. Look for the silver lining. Reframing can help find the good in a bad situation. Learn from mistakes. Failure is one of the greatest learning tools, but many people let failure defeat them. Be grateful. Gratitude can help focus on whats positive about the job.

Asperger’s Syndrome Essay examples -- Health, Diseases

Asperger’s syndrome is becoming more and more common as time goes by. Each year, more children are being diagnosed. This paper focuses on Asperger’s Syndrome and developing social skills in various social settings. By looking at the etiology, diagnostic procedures, how the condition effects development, daily challenges, current social/cultural views, and relevant social interventions, a better understanding on how to develop social skills for children with Asperger’s Syndrome can ensue. The world revolves around social situations. This is how people are hired for jobs, ask for things, make new friends, meet their future spouse, etc. At the moment, social skills training and social support is minimal compared to where it potentially could be (Rao, Beidel, & Murray, 2008). Teaching someone with Asperger’s Syndrome better social skills will allow social acceptance, the ability to use adaptive behavior in a certain setting, and allow for independence fr om others to help them into social situations (Banda, Hart, & Liu-Gitz, 2010). People with Asperger’s Syndrome are like everyone else. They just need help in gaining social skills to better off themselves in a world based on social interaction. Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis has been on the rise recently. This is due to a better understanding of the syndrome and how to effectively diagnose Asperger’s. Now, people who were considered â€Å"weird† or â€Å"interesting† in fact, have Asperger’s. Little research has been done on this syndrome which causes limited services and support (Stoddart, 2009). There are many theories on how Asperger’s is obtained. In Stoddart’s (2009) chapter, one belief is centered on genetics. Something triggers multiple genes to act together in a negative w... ...ldren with Asperger’s are brilliant human beings who deserve to interact with the normal of society. They deserve to have the same social jobs like a teacher, business man, or sales man. Their views should not be lessened but rather increased. Future studies should include bigger social situations and applied to more participants. Also, the idea of adults being taught social skills should be evaluated. There is a generation out there of adults who are undiagnosed but still need some sort of intervention. Studies already show that it is possible to teach a child to normally and socially interact. The possibilities are endless for a child with Asperger’s. Hopefully, in the near future, there will be more of an understanding of what is going on in the brain of a child with Asperger’s and new skills will arise that greatly improve their social life forever.

In 1957 the Common Essay -- Economics

In 1957 the Common In 1957 the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was outlined by the then six member states. The main reason for the Common Agricultural policy was to make Agriculture a self sufficient entity in The European Union. The six member states of the European Union proposed to do this by creating a stable market for agricultural produce and at the same time keeping prices at an affordable level for consumers. The heads of the European Union (E.U) believed that Agriculture was one of the most significant industries within the E.U; .and as a result agreed that special attention needed to be focused on this area of European policy. â€Å"When the nations of Europe got together in the late 1950’s, agriculture was important to their economies and even more important to their culture and societies† (Wyn, G. 1997 pg6) The common Agricultural policy which was finally agreed upon in 1962 and fully implemented in 1967 is to date the most fully integrated area in European policy. â€Å"Agricultural policy is the E.U’s most elaborate policy area and has always been the focus of interest† (Molle, Willem. T. M. 2001 pg 222) In summary the Common Agricultural policy had five main aims these were to * Increase Agricultural productivity * Ensure a fair standard of living for Farmers. * Stabilise agricultural markets. * Guarantee regular supplies of food. * Ensure reasonable prices for consumers. (Dinan, Desmond 1994 pg 326) The Common Agricultural policy replaced the systems in each of the nation states and the â€Å"guiding principals were (and are) * A single market-agricultural produce should be able to move freely throughout the community. * Community preference- priority should be given t... ...must be to further modernise the Common Agricultural Policy and avoid using dated solutions to fix modern agricultural problems. Bibliography Dinan, D. (1999) Ever closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration (2nd edition) Houndmills: Macmillan Press Ltd. El-Agraa, Ali M, (2001) The European Union Economics and Policies, (6th edition) Harlow: Pearson. George, S & Bache, I (2001) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nugent, N. (2003) The Government and Politics of the European Union (5th edition) Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, Robert, (2001) The politics and Economics of the European union (2nd edition) Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Wallace, H & Wallace W. (eds) (2000)Policy making in the European Oxford: Oxford University Press Wyn, G. (1997) The Common Agricultural Policy Houndmills: Macmillan. In 1957 the Common Essay -- Economics In 1957 the Common In 1957 the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was outlined by the then six member states. The main reason for the Common Agricultural policy was to make Agriculture a self sufficient entity in The European Union. The six member states of the European Union proposed to do this by creating a stable market for agricultural produce and at the same time keeping prices at an affordable level for consumers. The heads of the European Union (E.U) believed that Agriculture was one of the most significant industries within the E.U; .and as a result agreed that special attention needed to be focused on this area of European policy. â€Å"When the nations of Europe got together in the late 1950’s, agriculture was important to their economies and even more important to their culture and societies† (Wyn, G. 1997 pg6) The common Agricultural policy which was finally agreed upon in 1962 and fully implemented in 1967 is to date the most fully integrated area in European policy. â€Å"Agricultural policy is the E.U’s most elaborate policy area and has always been the focus of interest† (Molle, Willem. T. M. 2001 pg 222) In summary the Common Agricultural policy had five main aims these were to * Increase Agricultural productivity * Ensure a fair standard of living for Farmers. * Stabilise agricultural markets. * Guarantee regular supplies of food. * Ensure reasonable prices for consumers. (Dinan, Desmond 1994 pg 326) The Common Agricultural policy replaced the systems in each of the nation states and the â€Å"guiding principals were (and are) * A single market-agricultural produce should be able to move freely throughout the community. * Community preference- priority should be given t... ...must be to further modernise the Common Agricultural Policy and avoid using dated solutions to fix modern agricultural problems. Bibliography Dinan, D. (1999) Ever closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration (2nd edition) Houndmills: Macmillan Press Ltd. El-Agraa, Ali M, (2001) The European Union Economics and Policies, (6th edition) Harlow: Pearson. George, S & Bache, I (2001) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nugent, N. (2003) The Government and Politics of the European Union (5th edition) Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, Robert, (2001) The politics and Economics of the European union (2nd edition) Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Wallace, H & Wallace W. (eds) (2000)Policy making in the European Oxford: Oxford University Press Wyn, G. (1997) The Common Agricultural Policy Houndmills: Macmillan.

Three Significant Reasons Why I Love Outdoor Activity

Donghyun Lee (20110108) Prof. Lisa Lee English 2 (Sec. 60) October 4. 2012 Three Significant Reasons Why I Love Outdoor Activity There are many kinds of outdoor activities. Outdoor activity gives many mental or physical advantages to people. Therefore, many people love outdoor activity for various reasons regardless of its characteristic. For example, some like outdoor activity because of his or her own satisfaction. In addition, others do outdoor activity because it helps them to improve their health.However, the reason why I love field activity is on account of three important changes in my body : being refreshed, being short of breath, being thirsty. The first change which field activity creates is being refreshed. When I have trouble in studying or working, I have a splitting headache. It feels like being struck on the head by a hammer. At that time, I go outside and do simple outdoor activities like walking or skipping. Then, I feel the fresh air flowing through my veins ,and I am recharged.For example, when I was a high school student, I usually did a simple ball game when I was tired of studying. Therefore, being revived is the first change of my body which makes me do open-air activity. The second part of variety that field activity makes for me is being short of breath. There is no doubt that being short of breath is a very tiring feeling to anyone. I feel that exhausting feeling as well. However, though it is painful, I feel alive when I am scant of breath.For instance, when I do exercise which needs sustaining power like a marathon, I become so excited and aggressive since I think I am exceeding the limit of my physical strength. Thus, being scant of breath is another motivating power that makes me enjoy an outdoor activity. Finally, the last significant body change that motivates me to do open-air activity is being thirsty. The reason why being thirsty can be the cause of doing field activity is because drinking water after outdoor activity gives me happiness which cannot be described.For example, I become the happiest person in the world and feel as if I can fly while drinking water after doing a field activity. A cup of water after feeling raging thirst cannot be exchanged with any other delicious foods. As a result, thirst can be the body change which let me do outdoor activity. I become invigorated, short of breath, and thirsty by outdoor activity regardless of its feature. These body changes are the motivating power of making me do outdoor activity since the changes end up giving a positive feeling to me. What are the factors which make you do outdoor activity?

Code of Ethics Comparison

Comparison of Ethics Codes: Church Focused or Self Focused Diana Calhoun Liberty University Abstract The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) have both established a code of ethics to assist and protect their members in serving and protecting their clients. While there are many differences between the two ethics codes, there are also many similarities. The first part of this essay will discuss the general differences in ethics codes adhered to from the AACC and the ACA.The second part of this essay will discuss the differences between the two organizations’ codes of ethics in subjects of conflict of interest in fees, sexual intimacies, and discrimination. In conclusion clarification on how the similarities between the two codes are the AACC’s attempt to not adopt areas in which the ACA’s practice is not glorifying to Christ and how His church should respond in such subject matters. Comparison of Ethics Codes: Church Focused or Self FocusedThe ultimate goal between the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) is different in their code of ethics pursuit. In the ACA Code of Ethics the main goal of the association’s members are to â€Å"recognize diversity, and embrace a cross-cultural approach in support of the worth dignity, potential and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts† (2005, p. 3).The AACC Code of Ethics primary goal is â€Å"to bring honor to Jesus Christ and his church, promote excellence in Christian counseling, and bring unity to Christian counselors† (2004, p. 3). Even though these goals are vastly different, in order for the AACC to accomplish its goal of honoring Christ and the church it also wants to lovingly respect God’s creation while counseling people. With that in mind the AACC Code of Ethics consulted the American Counseling Association in addition to other ethics codes in the drafting of its statement (2004, p. ). This creates many similarities and differences between the two codes. The similarities are revealed as the AACC retained ethical stances from the ACA that supported the AACC’s goal, not contradict it. The practices on how these two different goals are achieved by both organizations will be reviewed along with its affects on ethical views. Section I: General Comparison of the Two Codes Both the AACC and ACA have a similar general goal to do â€Å"no harm† to the client, and that all their actions should be consistent with that counseling goal.There are many sub goals and protocols to assist the counselor in abiding to this counseling goal. Sub goals consist of regards to privacy, appropriate counselor-client relationship guidelines, counseling plans, training and resolutions of ethical issues. However the difference between the AACC and ACA is the perspective or definition of what each group considers bei ng â€Å"no harm† to the client. The ACA code of ethics appears to be legal guidelines in counseling clients to learn to look inward and make decisions in life on their own based on the client’s moral values.This can include to any degree the client’s view on sex, drugs, money, power or any pleasure deriving device to provide the client with immediate satisfaction. As stated in Competent Christian Counseling this however can be a numbing agent providing short term relief when one desires to find purpose for their life. This short term relief can lead to long term sorrow. Being entrapped in long term sorrow is not classified as a ‘no harm’ counseling goal for any client (Clinton, & Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 26).The AACC Code of Ethics goes beyond just legal guidelines in their dedication â€Å"to Jesus Christ as their ‘first love,’ to excellence in client service, to ethical integrity in practice, and to respect for everyone encounteredâ₠¬  (2004, p. 5). According to Competent Christian Counseling, Christian counselors not only want to help foster growth for a healthy lifestyle but also to assist clients in a more fulfilling life that will sustain, to show clients â€Å"relief that lasts, purpose that remains, and direction that leads to a hope-filled future.The sufferers who flee into the arms of God can discover this relief† (Clinton, & Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 26). This is ultimately the ‘no harm’ perspective and goal; long term ‘no harm’ and not just short term relief ‘no harm’. The AACC Code of Ethics also strives that even in having this ultimate goal they also honor the client’s choice in spiritual interventions in counseling, verifying that the client’s goals are the counselor’s goals and that the counselor is respecting the client’s counseling goals (2004, p. 11, 1-330).This balance is shown by the counselor not condoning abortions, adu ltery, abuse, addictions, and divorce; yet the counselor will not discriminate against a client whose beliefs and values are not the same. The Christian counselor is spurred on to use the counseling sessions as Jesus did when he ate and fellowshipped with sinners (Matthew 9:10 NLT). The only similarity with the ACA Code of Ethics is the stance to avoid imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals. (2002, p. 4, A. 4) Section II: Specific Comparison of Three Particular AreasFees Fees for services rendered should be clearly stated to the client. Both code of ethics for the ACA and the AACC contain guidelines for possible options for how fees can be rendered. The profound difference between the two is the lack of provision by the ACA for when funds are not sufficient from the client to cover the cost. In their code of ethics, the ACA (2002) makes an optional provision through bartering in section A. 10. d as an only alternative before referring clients to affordable compa rable services as stated in section A. 10. c (p. 6).In addition to bartering, in their code of ethics, the AACC (2004) goes on to encourage a sliding fee scale or even pro bono work as stated in sections 1-513 and 1-512 in order to meet the client where they are financially (p. 13). These solutions can be temporary or permanent for the client’s financial situation. These are additional ways that the AACC suggest for ethical compensation. They are also great ways to go beyond the basic legal criteria as stated in the ACA code of ethics in order to make assistance available for clients to obtain counseling.These techniques are also supportive of the counselor’s goal of not abandoning the client. Sexual Intimacies Sexual intimacies are the application of pre-marital or extramarital sexual behavior in a client’s life. Both the AACC and the ACA share the ethical guideline of not imposing the counselor’s values and beliefs on the client. However the AACC and th e ACA’s similarities stop at that point. In their code of ethics the ACA (2002) states in section A. 4 that counselors are to avoid imposing their own values and are to respect the diversity of their clients (p. -5). The AACC (2004) states in their code of ethics in section 1-125 that counselors will refuse to condone or advocate the pursuit or active involvement in sexual behavior outside of marriage (p. 7). There is a clear distinction between the two ethical codes on this matter. Christian counselors will not abandon a client by discriminating against a client even when the client’s beliefs and values are different. A counselor is not to impose their own beliefs and values on a client but the counselor can review a client’s motives that may fuel their actions.Discrimination Discrimination is when someone is treated differently from others, due to involvement in a certain group. Specific groups receiving differential treatment can be identified by age, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, education, sexual orientation, sexual behavior, denomination, belief system, values, or political affiliation. Both the ACA Code of Ethics and the AACC Codes of Ethics contain guidelines for on discrimination, and neither will tolerate discrimination.In their code of ethics the ACA (2002) states that counselors do not discriminate in a manner that has a negative impact on a person (p. 10, C. 5). In the AACC Codes of Ethics states that not only would they not treat persons in a harmful manner, but that they will challenge harmful attitudes and actions while express a loving care and ultimately loving one well when pushing them forward (2004, P. 6, 1-101). These harmful attitudes and actions will not exclude discriminatory topics of sexual behavior, belief systems, values or others; but will be lovingly examined to what may fuel the actions in these areas.Conclusion The distinctions between the two ethical codes from the AACC and the ACA do not exclude the Christian counselor from treating clients with situations that differ from the counselor’s personal values. Since Christian counselors are not to condone and advocate actions that do not bring honor to Jesus Christ and his church, they are challenged with â€Å"fitting their counseling models to people, rather than fitting people to counseling models† as stated by Clinton & Ohlschlager in their book, Competent Christian Counseling (2002, p. 6). These counseling models may include some unique methods such as a willingness to confront people with an attitude of love and to challenge them to correct erroneous beliefs about the world. Research has shown these techniques to be most beneficial and potent (Clinton & Ohlschager, 2002, p. 43). These techniques can lead a client to a more fulfilling life that will sustain, as the Christian counselor honors Jesus Christ by handling his creation, the client, in the best way possible.Excluding Christian counselors from working with clients whose lifestyles are different from the counselor’s personal values, gives the client the only option to find counselors that hold the same personal values and belief perspectives as the client. Counseling for the client will then be focused on themselves and the pursuit of their happiness. The AACC encourages Christian counselors not to let financial, personal value differences, or discrimination to interfere the main goal of the Christian counselor; to honor Jesus Christ and the church in the pursuit of the gospel call through counseling.The ACA encourages the counselor to keep all personal values out of the counseling environment in order to push the client forward in their own personal pursuit of happiness as long as it is legal and supportive of their counseling goals. This illustrates differences in church and self focused ethics. References American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from http://www. counseling. org/reso urces/codeofethics/TP/home/ct2. aspx. American Association of Christian Counselors. (2004). AACC Code of Ethics. Retrieved from http://www. aacc. net/about-us/code-of-ethics/.Clinton, T. & Ohlschlager, G. (2002). Christian counseling and compassionate soul care: The case for twenty-first-century practice. In T. Clinton & G. Ohlschlager (Eds. ). Competent Christian counseling: Foundations and practice of compassionate soul care. (pp. 11-34), Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press. Clinton, T. & Ohlschlager, G. (2002). Competent Christian counseling: Definitions and dynamics. In T. Clinton & G. Ohlschlager (Eds. ). Competent Christian counseling: Foundations and practice of compassionate soul care. (pp. 36-68), Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 4

â€Å"Kill me, Doug. Just kill me now. Put me out of my misery.† My immortality notwithstanding, the sentiment was sincere. â€Å"Christ, Kincaid, what did you say to him?† murmured Doug. We stood off to the side of Seth Mortensen's audience, along with many others. All the seats had filled up, putting space and visibility at a premium. I was lucky to be with the staff in our reserved section, giving us a perfect view of Seth as he read from The Glasgow Pact. Not that I wanted to be in his line of sight. In fact, I really would have preferred that I never come face to face with him again. â€Å"Well,† I told Doug, keeping an eye on Paige so as not to draw attention to our whispering, â€Å"I ripped on his fans and on how long it takes for his books to come out.† Doug stared at me, his expectations exceeded. â€Å"Then I said – not knowing who he was – that I'd be Seth Mortensen's love slave in exchange for advanced copies of his books.† I didn't elaborate on my impromptu flirting. To think, I'd imagined I was boosting a shy guy's ego! Good Lord. Seth Mortensen could probably bed a different groupie every night if he wanted. Not that he seemed like the type. He'd demonstrated much of the same initial nervousness in front of the crowd as he had with me. He grew more comfortable once he started reading, however, warming to the material and letting his voice rise and fall with intensity and wry humor. â€Å"What kind of a fan are you?† Doug asked. â€Å"Didn't you know what he looked like?† â€Å"There are never pictures of him in his books! Besides, I thought he'd be older.† I guessed now that Seth was in his mid-thirties, a bit older than I looked in this body, but younger than the forty-something writer I'd always imagined. â€Å"Well, look on the bright side, Kincaid. You succeeded in your goal: you got him to notice you.† I stifled a groan, letting my head flop pathetically onto Doug's shoulder. Paige turned her head and gave us a withering glance. As usual, our manager looked stunning, wearing a red suit that set off her chocolate brown skin. The faintest swellings of pregnancy showed under the jacket, and I couldn't help but feel a tug of jealous longing. When she had first announced her unplanned pregnancy, she had laughed it off, saying: â€Å"Well, you know how these things can just happen.† But I had never known how it could â€Å"just happen.† I'd tried desperately to get pregnant as a mortal, to no avail, instead becoming an object of pity and carefully hidden – albeit not well enough – jokes. Becoming a succubus had killed whatever lingering chance I might have had at motherhood, though I hadn't realized that at the time. I had sacrificed my body's ability to create in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. One type of immortality traded for another. Long centuries give you a lot of time to accept what you can and can't have, but being reminded of it stings nonetheless. Giving Paige a smile that promised good behavior, I turned my attention back to Seth. He was just finishing up the reading and moving on to questions. As expected, the first ones asked were, â€Å"Where do you get your ideas from?† and â€Å"Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?† He glanced briefly in my direction before answering, and I cringed, recalling my remarks about him impaling himself when those questions were asked. Turning back to his fans, he addressed the first question seriously and dodged the second one. Everything else he answered succinctly, often in a dry and subtly humorous way. He never spoke any more than he had to, always providing just enough to fulfill the questioner's requirements. The crowd clearly unnerved him, which I found a bit disappointing. Considering how punchy and clever his books were, I guess I'd expected him to speak in the same way he wrote. I wanted a confident outpouring of words and wit, a charisma to rival my own. He'd had a few good lines earlier while we spoke, I supposed, but he'd taken time to warm up to them and to me. Of course, it was unfair to make comparisons between us. He had no uncanny knack for dazzling others, nor centuries of practice behind him. Still. I had never imagined a slightly scattered introvert capable of creating my favorite books. Unjust of me, but there it was. â€Å"Everything going okay?† a voice behind us asked. I looked over and saw Warren, the store's owner and my occasional fuck-buddy. â€Å"Perfectly,† Paige told him in her crisp, efficient way. â€Å"We'll start the signing in another fifteen minutes or so.† â€Å"Good.† His eyes flicked casually over the rest of us staff and then shot back to me. He said nothing, but as he scoured me with that gaze, I could almost feel his hands undressing me. He'd come to expect sex on a regular basis, and usually I didn't fight it since he provided a quick and reliable – albeit small – fix of energy and life. His low moral character erased any guilt I might have for doing so. After the questions ended, we faced crowd control issues as everyone queued up to get their books signed. I offered to help, but Doug told me they had things under control. So, instead, I stayed out of the way, trying to avoid eye contact with Seth. â€Å"Meet me in my office when this is all over,† Warren murmured, coming up to stand close beside me. He wore a tailored, charcoal gray suit tonight, looking every inch the sophisticated literary tycoon. In spite of my distasteful opinion of a man who cheated on his wife of thirty years with a much younger employee, I still had to acknowledge a certain amount of physical charm and allure to him. After everything that had happened today, though, I was not in the mood to be sprawled across his desk when the store closed. â€Å"I can't,† I answered back softly, still watching the signing. â€Å"I'm busy afterwards.† â€Å"No you aren't. It's not a dancing night.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"But I'm doing something else.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I have a date.† The lie came easily to my lips. â€Å"You do not.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"You never date, so don't try that line now. The only appointment you have is with me, back in my office, preferably on your knees.† He took a step closer, speaking into my ear so that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. â€Å"Jesus, Georgina. You're so fucking hot tonight, I could take you right now. Do you have any idea what you're doing to me in that outfit?† â€Å"‘Doing to you?' I'm not ‘doing' anything. It's attitudes like that that result in women being veiled around the world, you know. It's blaming the victim.† He chuckled. â€Å"You crack me up, you know that? Do you have any panties on under that?† â€Å"Kincaid? Can you come help us over here?† I turned and saw Doug frowning at us. It would figure. He wanted my help, now that he saw Warren hitting on me. Who said there was no chivalry left in this world? Doug was one of the few who knew what passed between Warren and me, and he didn't approve. Yet, I wanted the escape, belated or no, and thus temporarily evaded Warren's lust as I walked over to assist with the book sale. It took almost two hours to shuffle customers through the signing line, and by then, the store was fifteen minutes from closing. Seth Mortensen looked a little tired but seemed to be in good spirits. My stomach flip-flopped inside me when Paige beckoned those of us not involved with closing to come over and talk to him. She introduced us matter-of-factly. â€Å"Warren Lloyd, store owner. Doug Sato, assistant manager. Bruce Newton, cafe manager. Andy Kraus, sales. And you already know Georgina Kincaid, our other assistant manager.† Seth nodded politely, shaking everyone's hand. When he reached me, I averted my eyes, waiting for him to just move on. When he did not, I mentally cringed, bracing myself for some comment about our previous encounters. Instead, all he said was, â€Å"G.K.† I blinked. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"G.K.,† he repeated, as though those letters made perfect sense. When my idiotic expression persisted, he gave a swift head jerk toward one of the promotional flyers for tonight's event. It read: If you haven't heard of Seth Mortensen, then you obviously haven't been living on this planet for the last eight years. He's only the hottest thing to hit the mystery/contemporary fiction market, making the competition look like scribbles in a child's picture book. With several bestselling titles to his name, the illustrious Mr. Mortensen writes both self-standing novels and continual installments in the stunningly popular Cady & O'Neill series. The Glasgow Pact continues the adventures of these intrepid investigators as they travel abroad this time, continuing to unravel archaeological mysteries and engage in the persistent witty, sexual banter we've come to love them for. Guys, if you can't find your girlfriends tonight, they're here with The Glasgow Pact, wishing you were as suave as O'Neill. – G.K. â€Å"You're G.K. You wrote the bio.† He looked to me for confirmation, but I couldn't speak, wouldn't utter the clever acknowledgment about to spring from my lips. I was too afraid. After my earlier mishaps, I feared saying the wrong thing. Finally, confused by my silence, he asked haltingly, â€Å"Are you a writer? It's really good.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ah.† A few moments passed in cool silence. â€Å"Well. I guess some people write the stories, and others live them.† That sounded like a dig of sorts, but I bit my lip on any response, still playing my new ice-bitch role, wanting to defuse the earlier flirtation. Paige, not understanding the tension between Seth and me, still felt it and tried to allay it. â€Å"Georgina's one of your biggest fans. She was absolutely ecstatic when she found out you were coming here.† â€Å"Yeah,† added Doug wickedly. â€Å"She's practically a slave to your books. Ask her how many times she's read The Glasgow Pact.† I shot him a murderous look, but Seth's attention focused back on me, genuinely curious. He's trying to bring back our earlier rapport, I realized sadly. I couldn't let that happen now. â€Å"How many?† I swallowed, not wanting to answer, but the weight of all those eyes grew too heavy. â€Å"None. I haven't finished it yet.† Practiced poise allowed me to utter those words calmly and confidently, hiding my discomfort. Seth looked puzzled. So did everyone else; they all stared at me, rightfully perplexed. Only Doug knew the joke. â€Å"None?† asked Warren with a frown. â€Å"Hasn't it been out for over a month now?† Doug, the bastard, grinned. â€Å"Tell them the rest. Tell them how much you read a day.† I wished then that the floor would open up and swallow me whole, so I could escape this nightmare. As if coming off as an arrogant strumpet in front of Seth Mortensen wasn't bad enough, Doug was now shaming me into confessing my ridiculous habit. â€Å"Five,† I finally said. â€Å"I only read five pages a day.† â€Å"Why?† asked Paige. She had apparently never heard this story. I could feel my cheeks turning red. Paige and Warren stared at me like I was from another planet while Seth simply continued to remain silent and look thoughtfully distracted. I took a deep breath and spoke in a rush: â€Å"Because†¦ because it's so good, and because there's only one chance to read a book for the first time, and I want it to last. That experience. I'd finish it in a day otherwise, and that'd be like†¦ like eating a carton of ice cream in one sitting. Too much richness over too quickly. This way, I can draw it out. Make the book last longer. Savor it. I have to since they don't come out that often.† I promptly shut up, realizing I had just insulted Seth's writing prowess†¦ again. He made no response to my comment, and I couldn't decipher the expression on his face. Considering, maybe. Once again, I silently begged the floor to consume me and save me from this humiliation. It obstinately refused. Doug smiled reassuringly at me. He found my habit cute. Paige, who apparently did not, looked as though she shared my wish that I be somewhere else. She cleared her throat politely and started a completely new line of conversation. After that, I scarcely paid attention to what anybody said. All I knew was that Seth Mortensen probably thought I was an erratic nutcase, and I couldn't wait for this night to end. â€Å"†¦ Kincaid would do it.† The sound of my name brought me back around several minutes later. â€Å"What?† I turned to Doug, the speaker. â€Å"Wouldn't you?† he repeated. â€Å"Wouldn't I what?† â€Å"Show Seth around the city tomorrow.† Doug spoke patiently, as if to a child. â€Å"Get him acquainted with the area.† â€Å"My brother's too busy,† explained Seth. What did his brother have to do with anything? And why did he need to get acquainted with the area? I faltered, unwilling to admit I'd spaced out just now while wallowing in self-pity. â€Å"If you don't want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Seth hesitantly. â€Å"Of course she does.† Doug nudged me. â€Å"Come on. Climb out of your hole.† We exchanged smartass looks, worthy of Jerome and Carter. â€Å"Yeah, fine. Whatever.† We arranged the logistics of me meeting Seth, and I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I no longer wanted to stand out. In fact, I would have preferred if he could have just blotted me from his mind forever. Hanging out as we toured Seattle tomorrow didn't seem like the best way to make that happen. If anything, it would probably only result in more foolish behavior on my part. Conversation finally faded. As we were about to disperse, I suddenly realized something. â€Å"Oh. Hey. Mr. Mortensen. Seth.† He turned toward me. â€Å"Yeah?† I frantically tried to say something that would undo the tangled mess of mixed signals and embarrassment he and I had stumbled into. Unfortunately, the only things that came to mind were: Where do you get your ideas from? and Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together? Dismissing such idiocy, I simply shoved my book over to him. â€Å"Can you sign this?† He took it. â€Å"Uh, sure.† A pause. â€Å"I'll bring it back tomorrow. â€Å" Deprive me of my book for the night? Hadn't I suffered enough? â€Å"Can't you just sign it now?† He shrugged haplessly, as though the matter were out of his control. â€Å"I can't think of anything to write.† â€Å"Just sign your name.† â€Å"I'll bring it back tomorrow,† he repeated, walking away with my copy of The Glasgow Pact like I hadn't even said anything. Appalled, I seriously considered running over and beating him up for it, but Warren suddenly tugged on my arm. â€Å"Georgina,† he said pleasantly as I stared desperately at my retreating book, â€Å"we still need to discuss that matter in my office.† No. No way. I definitely wasn't putting out after this debacle of an evening. Turning slowly toward him, I shook my head. â€Å"I told you, I can't.† â€Å"Yeah, I know already. Your fictitious date.† â€Å"It's not fictitious. It's – â€Å" My eyes desperately scanned for escape as I spoke. While no magical portals appeared in the cookbook section, I suddenly locked gazes with a guy browsing our foreign language books. He smiled curiously at my attention, and in a flash, I made a ballsy choice. † – with him. It's with him.† I waved my hand at the strange guy and beckoned him over. He looked understandably surprised, setting his book down and walking toward us. When he arrived, I slung my arm around him familiarly, giving him a look that had been known to bring kings to their knees. â€Å"Are you ready to go?† Mild astonishment flashed in his eyes – which were beautiful, by the way. An intense green-blue. To my relief, he played along and returned my serve masterfully. â€Å"You bet.† His own arm snaked around me, his hand resting on my hip with surprising presumption. â€Å"I would have been here sooner, but I got held up in traffic.† Cute. I glanced at Warren. â€Å"Rain check for our talk?† Warren looked from me to the guy and then back to me. â€Å"Sure. Yes. Of course.† Warren had proprietary feelings toward me, but they weren't strong enough for him to challenge a younger competitor. A few of my coworkers also watched with interest. Like Warren, none of them had ever really seen me date anyone. Seth Mortensen busied himself packing up a briefcase, never meeting my eyes again, for all the world oblivious to my existence. He didn't even respond when I said goodbye. Probably just as well. My â€Å"date† and I left the store, stepping out into the cool night. The precipitation had stopped, but clouds and city lights blotted out the stars. Studying him, I kind of wished maybe we were going out after all. He was tall – really tall. Probably at least ten inches taller than my diminutive five-four. His hair was black and wavy, brushed away from a deeply tanned face that nearly made those sea-colored eyes glow. He wore a long, black wool coat and a scarf with a black, burgundy, and green plaid pattern. â€Å"Thanks,† I said as we paused to stand on the street corner. â€Å"You saved me from an†¦ unpleasant situation.† â€Å"My pleasure.† He held out his hand to me. â€Å"I'm Roman.† â€Å"Nice name.† â€Å"I guess. It reminds me of a romance novel.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Yeah. No one's really named that in real life. But in romance novels, there are a million of them. ‘Roman the Fifth Duke of Wellington.' ‘Roman the Terrible yet Dashing and Eerily Attractive Pirate of the High Seas.' â€Å" â€Å"Hey, I think I read that last one. I'm Georgina.† â€Å"So I see.† He nodded toward the staff ID badge I wore around my neck. Probably an excuse to check out my cleavage. â€Å"Is that outfit the standard uniform for assistant managers?† â€Å"This outfit's becoming a real pain in the ass actually,† I noted, thinking of the various reactions it had elicited. â€Å"You can wear my coat. Where do you want to go tonight?† â€Å"Where do I – ? We aren't going out. I told you: you just saved me from a minor entanglement, that's all.† â€Å"Hey, that's still got to be worth something,† he countered. â€Å"A handkerchief? A kiss on the cheek? Your phone number?† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Oh, come on. Did you see how good I was? I didn't miss a beat when you roped me in with that come-hither look of yours.† I couldn't deny that. â€Å"All right. It's 555-1200.† â€Å"That's the store number.† â€Å"How did you know that?† He pointed to the Emerald City sign behind me. It contained all of the store's contact information. â€Å"Because I'm literate. â€Å" â€Å"Wow. That puts you, like, ten steps above most of the guys that hit on me.† He turned hopeful. â€Å"So does that mean we can go out sometime?† â€Å"Nope. I appreciate your help tonight, but I don't date.† â€Å"Don't think of it as a date then. Think of it as†¦ a meeting of minds.† The way he looked at me suggested he wanted to meet more than just my mind. I shivered involuntarily, but I wasn't cold. In fact, I was starting to feel unnervingly warm. He unbuttoned his coat. â€Å"Here. You're freezing. Wear this while I take you home. My car's around the corner.† â€Å"I live within walking distance.† His coat was still warm from his body and smelled nice. A combination of cK One and, well, man. Yum. â€Å"Then let me walk you home.† His persistence was charming, which was all the more reason I had to end things now. This was exactly the kind of quality guy I needed to avoid. â€Å"Come on,† Roman begged when I didn't answer. â€Å"This isn't much to ask for. I'm not a stalker or anything. All I want is one walk home. Then you never have to see me again.† â€Å"Look, you barely even know me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused, reconsidering what he'd said. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Okay what?† â€Å"Okay, you can walk me home.† â€Å"Really?† He brightened. â€Å"Yup.† Three minutes later, when we arrived at my apartment building, he threw up his hands in dismay. â€Å"That wasn't fair at all. You're practically next door.† † ‘One walk home.' That was all you asked for.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"Not fair. Not fair at all. But† – he looked up hopefully at my building – â€Å"at least I know where you live now.† â€Å"Hey! You said you weren't a stalker.† He grinned, gorgeous white teeth flashing against his tanned skin. â€Å"It's never too late to start.† Leaning down, he kissed my hand and gave me a wink. â€Å"Until we meet again, fair Georgina.† He turned and walked off into the Queen Anne night. I watched him go, still feeling his lips on my skin. What an unexpected – and perplexing – twist to the evening. When he was no longer in sight, I turned around and went into my building. I was halfway up the stairs when I realized I was still wearing his coat. How was I going to get it back to him? He did that on purpose, I realized. He let me keep it. I suddenly knew then that I would be seeing wily Duke Roman again. Probably sooner, rather than later. Chuckling, I continued on to my apartment, halting after just a few more steps. â€Å"Not again,† I muttered in exasperation. Familiar sensations swirled behind my apartment door. Like a glittering tempest. Like the humming of bees in the air. There was a group of immortals inside my home. What the fuck? Did I need to start charging admission to my apartment? Why did everyone suddenly think they could just go right inside when I wasn't there? It occurred to me then, ever so briefly, that I had not sensed Jerome and Carter's presence earlier. They had caught me completely unaware. That was weird, but I had been too distracted by their news to pay much attention to anything else. Similarly, my current anger did not allow me to further ponder that odd piece of trivia now. I was too annoyed. Slinging my purse over one shoulder, I stormed into my home.