Chinese Room Argument as a Response to the Behaviourist's Claim that Research Paper

Chinese Room Argument as a Response to the Behaviourist's Claim that Computers Can Think - Research Paper Example Consequently, the behaviorists extend this theory to the functioning of computers suggesting that computers can think if they are programmed in a certain way, in which the input/output behavior of a computer is connected to its mental status. However, the Chinese Room argument does not agree with the behaviorist’s claim, which illustrates that thinking is far from a mere production of an output from a given stimulus (Martin 175). Therefore, in support of the Chinese Room argument, I will argue that computers do not have mental states because they are incapable of thinking, thus, are not intelligent as a human. The Chinese Room argument is one of the examples that present premises to disagree with the notion that computers have a mental state. This argument uses an experiment involving a computer input, output activities of a programmed computer whereby a person who does not speak Chinese completely somehow manages to manipulate Chinese symbols and produce right responses (Mart in 178). In this argument, Searle points out a discussion about cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He argues that artificial intelligence is without any doubt artificial. Therefore, the big question here is, are computers intelligent? I agree with Searle’s argument that there is no true intelligence for computers. Unlike beings with mental state, computers do understand language, syntax they are just incapable of understanding (semantics) and emotion. This is because these activities require consciousness lacking in computers. In addition, for computers to be intelligent it would mean that they have beliefs and other mental states like fear, and hope among other emotions. However, this is not true for computers and machines in general.  

Hewlett Packard Case Study

Hewlett Packard Case Study Hewlett-Packard or HP is an American multination information technology corporation that that sells hardware, software and other related business services. The product line of HP includes a wide range such as PCs, servers, software, imagining products and scanners just to name a few. Hewlett-Packard also provides services and consulting business around its products and partner products. In 2013 under Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard was the world’s second biggest PC vendor. But with so many product lines and options for such a big company such as Hewlett-Packard what problem would it run into? This issue is this would cause a high cost of design manufacture, and introduce a new product, feature, or option exceed the additional revenue it is likely to generate. Not to mention this also what costs would be related with too little or too much inventory of such a product. You also want to consider the additional supply chain intricacy along with how does this all effect the customer satisfaction. Kathy Chou who is vice president of Worldwide Commercial Sales, responsible for growing HP’s worldwide commercial business through direct and indirect channels, said â€Å"While revenue grew year over year, our profits were eroded due to unplanned operational cost,† She later stated that â€Å"As product variety grew, our forecasting accuracy suffered, and we ended up with excesses of some products and shortages of others.† Constantly growing product variety would need to meet the increasing customer needs was the mode HP took. The problem at hand is was between marketing and operations. Marketing and sales always wanted more, more SKUs, more features, and more configurations where as supply chain mangers always wanted less, less to forecast, less inventory and less complexity to manage. Analysis and Evaluation Hewlett-Packard has always been within the top 5 of Vendor market share over that last 10 years, as you can see from the chart below of its Global laptop market share by units, percent from 2006-2013. Global laptop market share by units, percent (2006-2013) Rank 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20131 1 Dell 15.9 HP 18.1 HP 18.2 HP 19.1 HP 17.9 HP 16.6 HP 16.1 Lenovo 16.9 2 HP 15.9 Dell 14.2 Dell 14.1 Acer 12.9 Acer 13.9 Lenovo 12.5 Lenovo 14.9 HP 16.2 3 Acer 7.6 Acer 9.7 Acer 10.6 Dell 12.1 Dell 12.0 Dell 11.7 Dell 10.7 Dell 11.6 4 Lenovo 7.0 Lenovo 7.4 Lenovo 7.5 Lenovo 8.0 Lenovo 10.9 Acer 10.8 Acer 10.2 Acer 8.1 5 Toshiba 3.8 Toshiba 4.0 Toshiba 4.6 Toshiba 5.0 Asus 5.4 Asus 5.7 Asus 6.9 Asus 6.3 Others 49.8 46.5 44.9 42.8 40.0 42.8 41.2 40.8 If HP wanted to stay on top each and every year it would need an answer, a tool, a way to fix all problems at hand and continue to improve each and every year. Recommendations HP wouldn’t be anything if it didn’t innovate and Kathy Chou was fully aware of this. With the rising cost and inefficiency associated with managing millions of products and configurations this problems â€Å"took their toll† she stated which soon she followed with â€Å"and we have no idea how to solve it.† So what would it take to solve these issues? HP would need a tool that would use a procedure or formula for solving a problem. HP combined a team within its company which would consist of HP Business Group, HP labs and HP Strategy Planning and Modeling and also individuals from a handful of consultancies and universities in order to work on the problems. Over the year the team would produced an analytically driven process for evaluating new products, created a tool for prioritizing existing products in a portfolio and developed an algorithm that solves the problem many times fast than previous technologies, which advancing the theory and practice of ne twork optimization. With all the hard work done over the years the team would be reward in 2009 with an Edelman award (worlds leading prize for excellence in operations research practices) in developing what was called a revenue coverage optimization (RCO). This tool would allow HP to offer customers significantly improved service and at the same time save the company tons of money in improved efficiencies. Once this tool was implemented, HP would be improved customer service and saved the company a lot of money. Also this improved efficiency with HP business with their customers. References: Turban, Efraim, and Jay E. Aronson. Decision Support Systems and Intelligent Systems. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Hewlett-Packard (HP). What Is ? Web. 14 Nov. 2014. . Executive Biography. HP. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. . Gartner Says PC Vendors Experienced a Happy Holiday Season with Fourth Quarter Worldwide Shipments Increasing 12 Percent. Gartner Press Release. January 14, 2004. Questions for the Case When offering to many product lines and options that a big company such as HP might face are A high cost of design, manufacture, and introduce a new product, feature, or option exceed the additional revenue it is likely to generate The cost associated with too much or too little inventory for such a product, not to mention additional supply chain complexity, and how does all that impact customer satisfaction. The possible conflict between marketing and operations is that marketing and sales always wanted more, more SKUs, more features, more configurations where as supply chain mangers always wanted less, less to forecast, less inventory and less complexity to manage. HP combined a team within which would consist of HP Business Group, HP labs and HP strategy Planning and Modeling and also individuals from a handful of consultancies and universities. Produced an analytically driven process for evaluating new products Created a tool for prioritizing existing products in a portfolio Developed an algorithm that solves the problem many times fast than previous technologies, which advancing the theory and practice of network optimization. Whatis.com defines algorithm as a procedure or formula for solving a problem. An HP Senior Fellow Robert Tarjan has developed algorithms useful in everything from improving chip design to routing telephone calls, from optimizing deliveries in transportation networks to improving searches of large data sets. A software tool Revenue Coverage Optimization (RCO) was been developed that allowed HP to offer customers significantly improved service and at the same time save the company tons of money in improved efficiencies. This tool in 2009 won the Franz Edelman Award, the worlds leading prize for excellence in operations research practices. Robert Tarjan has received such major national and international awards as the ACM Turing Award, known as the â€Å"Nobel Prize† of computing, the Nevanlinna Prize and most recently, the Blaise Pascal Medal in Mathematics and Computer Science. References: Algorithm. What Is ? Web. 14 Nov. 2014. . Robert Tarjan. HP Labs. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. . The benefits HP gained from implementation of this model over all resulted in improved customer service and saved the company a lot of money. Also this improved efficiency with HP business with their customers.

science of ozone :: essays research papers fc

THE SCIENCE OF OZONE Ozone, though similar to oxygen chemically, is composed of three molecules of oxygen and is usually blue in color with a very strong odor. The atmosphere contains less ozone than the common oxygen. While out of every ten million air molecules, there exist about two million molecules of normal oxygen and only three molecules of ozone. Most of these ozone molecules are typically concentrated in the Stratosphere, the atmospheric layer that runs roughly from ten kms to about fifty kms in altitude. Even though the amount of ozone in the atmosphere is small, it plays a vital role in the atmosphere. The ozone layer protects the Earth and everything on it by absorbing the sun’s UV radiation. When the ozone is not at an atmospheric level and is at ground level, ozone proves to have toxic effects. ‘Inhaling fairly low amounts of ozone can result in signs and symptoms such as coughing, congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain in otherwise healthy people. People with already existing asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, and emphysema may find their conditions worsen while inhaling ozone. Breathing ozone may also increase the risk of getting certain lung diseases. People can recover from short-term exposure to low levels of ozone. However, breathing high levels of ozone or breathing low levels of ozone over a long period of time may have more damaging and longer-lasting effects.’ Ozone has also been found to have positive effects on people. It has proven to be a very purifying substance. Doctors are now aware that it has three powerful properties: 1. It stimulates the immune systems through production of natural cancer-killing proteins called cytokines. 2. It improves oxygenation (delivery of oxygen to starved tissues) and metabolism. 3. It is a powerful antibiotic when applied locally. Ozone is made naturally in the atmosphere or artificially by using high voltages or ultraviolet rays. Ozone and Oxygen work together efficiently to prevent the ultraviolet radiations reaching the earth’s surface. The ultraviolet radiations with shorter wavelengths, such as wavelengths less than 242 nm, have sufficient energy to break the O-O covalent bonds in the oxygen molecules and are thereby used up by the oxygen molecules. < 242 nm O2 (g) Â ® 2O (g) Similarly, ultraviolet radiations with higher wavelengths, for example more than 242 nm to 320 nm, are used up in breaking the bonds between the oxygen atoms in an Ozone molecule. 242-320 nm

Discrimination of black people and white people Essay

This story, Black Boy is a great book that describes how the author, Richard Wright, suffered in the South of the United States during the time when there was still a lot of discrimination throughout the country. Since the author explained many of his horrible experiences in the past, this book cannot be written in a thin book. This thick book is full of his great experiences that wanted to be read by many people in the world in order to let everybody know the disasters of racism. This racism affected Richard Write a lot and he had to adapt to the environment that he was in, although he didn’t know how he should act in front of white people in the beginning of the story. There are not many examples in the beginning of the story since Richard was a little boy, and he still didn’t know about racism. He did know that something was different between black and whites, but he wasn’t able to understand it since he was too young. He even talks to himself in Pg. 49 that â€Å"I had heard that colored people were killed and beaten, but so far it all had seemed remote. There was, of course, a vague uneasiness about it all, but I would be able to handle that when I came to it. It would be simple. If anybody tried to kill me, then I would kill them first. † After this, he realized the harshness of racism around his society when Uncle Hoskins got shot by a white man when he was at the saloon. And the reason is just because a black man was earning a lot of money and the white man became jealous. Also after this scene, there is an another example in Pg. 172 where he met his classmate, Ned Greenley who had lost his brother since the whites shot him for a specific reason. Ned said, â€Å"Th-they said he was fooling with a white prostitute there in the hotel. † Richard was shocked since he could be in those kinds of situations at any time. Richards starts to think of really going to North soon as possible now. In Chapter nine, there is a scene that is really harsh where Richard sees it, but could do nothing. This scene is at the clothing store for black people where Richard worked. The black employees were treated like slaves in the store; the white owners would push, kick, or slap the blacks. Although Richard saw this scene many times, he never got used to it. Another big thing is the time when Richard sees a black woman getting raped by two white men. This is a part from the book that describes how evil this time of period was. On Pg. 179, it says, â€Å"White people passed and looked on without expression. A white policeman watched from the corner, twirling his night stick; but he made no move. I watched out of the corner of my eyes, but I never slackened the strokes of my chamois upon the brass. After a moment or two I heard shrill screams coming from the rear room of the store; later the woman stumbled out, bleeding, crying, holding her stomach, her clothing torn. When she reached the sidewalk, the policeman met her, grabbed her, accused her of being drunk, called a patrol wagon and carted her away. † When I read this scene, it really hurt my heart. I couldn’t believe that the police didn’t do anything at all and although the policeman knew that the black woman was raped, he accused her of being drunken. Richard could have thought of saving the woman, but if he did something to the whites, he could be killed. Therefore, Richard wasn’t able to do anything. All he could do was to feel sorry for the lady. This doesn’t mean that Richard didn’t worry about the woman, it was the way how he had to act in the South. After Richard realizes the social cycle between the whites and the blacks at his work place, he sacrifices his morals to save more money. He begins to bootleg liquor to sell to white prostitutes in the hotel that he worked at. After that, he involves in a ring for scamming tickets. Then, he quickly amasses enough money to move out to the North. Although Richard was working earnest, he quits it because it was very hard to collect money if he had worked earnestly. Since Richard Write had an experience that he does not want to experience anymore, he was able to write this book, which would tell all the readers that discrimination or racism is not a good thing to do. He explained how he had to act as a black man; if he didn’t act like a black man, he might have not gotten the chance of writing this book. Richard Write had explained how blacks should act as a black, and although many horrible things were occurring around him, he wasn’t able to change it since he was just a black man. I feel that Richard really wanted to resist against the white men but if he did, he knew that he was going to be dead. Although in the beginning of the story, he said that, â€Å"If anybody tried to kill me, then I would kill them first†, as a result he wasn’t able to disobey the whites because he was scared of death. Since he was able to adapt to the society that he was in, he was able to earn money and was able to go to the North to have a better life.

Military Issues Essay

My interpretation of † Military Leadership† before I was enrolled into SF0002 was to conveniently associate the word â€Å"Leadership† with â€Å"Leader† as it is how majority of us (superiors and peers) interpret it to be and I do not know the definition of â€Å"Military and Non-military Leadership†. After going through just lesson one of SF0002, to my astonishment, I realized that the wrong definition of â€Å"Military Leadership† have became a gospel truth to most of us. The first insight that I have gained from SF0002 is, that Leadership is not equivalent to a Leader. With the aid of the Leadership concept, I’ve identified that Leadership is not about me or my superiors; it is about a process involving my ability to influence my subordinates to accomplish missions and achieve outcome in various tasks/projects with a common purpose. In comparison, both Military and Non-military Leadership similarly defines leadership as a process to influence. However, to differentiate them, military leadership uniquely employs the use of doctrinal methods to explain leadership in a military context. In Singapore, it is identified as the â€Å"Leadership 24/7 framework†. To translate the framework into a personal context, I must influence my peers and commanders to understand the SAF’s Mission and Purpose, our operating environment (airspace constraints and concerns) and achieve Mission success, be it high level events (NDP, international conferences etc.) or daily operations (routine controlling). Having said that, I must first align my values to the RSAF core values, sharpen my leadership competencies. With knowledge, charisma and determination, I will be able to command respect and influence those around me to work towards a common objective. I am currently a Cardinal Officer in my unit. Two of my primary objectives are to organize cohesions and team building programmes. The Cardinal team’s interpretation of Cohesion is similar to Team Building. After going through SF0002, I realized that the Cardinal team is heading towards a wrong direction. When tasked to organize a team building programme, we will associate it with team bonding and unity. The second insight which I have gained from SF0002 is the differences between Cohesion and Team Building. Cohesion involves what the my team is working on, such as building bonds and uniting people. However, Cardinal is all about having fun and getting together to know each other better. Team Building differs greatly from Cohesion. There are altogether 2 dimensions and a team outcome in the military team building framework. The â€Å"task related dimension† develops the team’s ability, to understanding the individual roles and functionalities of the team as well as formulating plans and strategies to achieve common objectives. The â€Å"teamwork dimension† develops the team’s relationship and establishing rules to govern the team’s behavior and conduct. Team outcome defines the team’s vision and goals, which can be tangible or intangible. Viewing the context of the military team building framework, it makes understanding team building more comprehensive and I’m able to share with my superiors and peers on how to organize a team building programme more effectively. Judging from â€Å"The Five Factor Model of personality†, under â€Å"Correlation with Leadership criteria† Extraversion and Conscientiousness factors predicts leadership emergence well, Agreeableness and Emotional Stability however are leaning towards Leadership Effectiveness and neutral for Openness. In my case, I score an average for Extraversion and low for Conscientiousness. With regard to Extraversion, I am very sociable and assertive when it comes to peers whom I am close to and I tend to be more reserved and quiet during the initial â€Å"get to know† phrase. Likewise for Openness, I will only open up to close friends and never to strangers. Therefore, my score for Openness is slightly low. As for Conscientiousness, I do not agree with my score because my superiors and peers think of me as a hardworking and dependable person. However, I do agree that I am not a very organized person as I find it challenging to juggle my work. I believe that my score should be somewhere around average. My score for Emotional Stability is very low, I can agree with that as I tend to feel very nervous, lack of confidence and I get depressed very easily. I believe it’s because of my desire to be a perfectionist therefore I tend to put all the blame on myself when certain things does not go my way (attain only silver for IPPT etc.). As for Agreeableness, I scored an average. I am a caring and cooperative person in general. However, I tend to disagree a lot with my peers and superiors’ ideas and way of handling situations because I always feel that there has to be a better way out. This constant need for a â€Å"better way out† coincides with my desire to be a perfectionist under Emotional Stability. Leadership emergence defines that the emergence of a leader is being decided by others purely based on his performance; typically temporary and lack of concrete facts. Leadership Effectiveness defines the perfo rmance of a leader in influencing his peers and soldiers to work towards a common goal. I believe my Leadership potential is leaning more towards Leadership Effectiveness. It is hard for someone to determine my personal traits initially, but in a long run, my demonstration of concern and determination will inspire and motivate them to work towards a common goal of improving the organization. Leadership behavioral skills revolves around Task, Relation and Change (TRC) Behaviors. Task behavior is short term and focused; those who relies heavily on resources (people) and technologies to achieve high productivity. Relations behaviors rely on a person’s ability to establish strong bonds with their peers and inspire commitment to work towards a common goal. Change behaviors; those who aims to develop and improve the organization. TRC analysis provides a comprehensive guide to define a leader’s behavior. 14 behavioral skills organized into 5 main competencies in the â€Å"SAF Leadership Competencies Framework (LCM)† develops a leader’s ability to influence, think critically and creatively in a stressful environment, make decisions effectively and execute them efficiently, develop junior leaders, teams and improve organization. Most importantly, a leader must first master the â€Å"Self meta-competency† in order to develop the other 4 competencies because it develops one’s will and determination to learn. Task behavior can be related to Mission and Conceptual Thinking Competencies. A leader must possess the ability to plan and make critically decisions, and display ethical reasoning to convince people instantly in order to develop a high level of efficiency. Likewise, Relation behavior can be related to Social and Self (Meta) competencies. A Leader must first self-manage and have a high level of self-awareness in order to be able to sensitively communicate with their followers at their level, inspiring the followers’ commitment and cooperation to develop a common goal. Finally, Change behavior can be related to Developmental competency. A leader must encourage the people and team to develop innovative and creative thinking, with the common intent to aim to develop and improving the organization. After going through SF0002, it definitely enhanced my knowledge on Leadership. I now perceive Leadership in terms of doctrines and academics. Academically, Leadership is a process rather than solely about the leader or someone who holds a management or executive position. Leadership is a process whereby a leader is highly adaptable, in whatever context assigned to him, is able to influence his followers to achieve outcomes and purpose of the context. Doctrinally, Leadership is about understanding the context and development of oneself. To further elaborate on self-development, a SAF Leaders must align their personal values with the SAF core values, have a good understanding on individual competencies and style of leading, and must be self-aware and manage oneself accordingly. SAF leaders must also be able to influence his/her followers to understand the SAF’s Mission and Purpose, introduce the type of environment we are operating in and the desired outcomes or goal we must ach ieve. Thus far, majority of our tasks are peacetime operations. It’s easier to lead and influence in peacetime, where there is minimal stress and lives are not directly at risk. It gives a leader more time to make decisions and think. Leadership is important in the SAF because we are a military organization, and someday, we might be activated to go to war. All of us, Leaders, will be foreign as of how to lead our soldiers on the battle field. In a war, what seems to be the most important to most people out there is the equipment, power and size of combat force. However, many neglect the most â€Å"essential tool† which is Leadership! Leadership inspires a leader’s commitment to lead and influence the soldiers by providing them with a clear direction and purpose towards their goals or objectives through determination and perseverance which are the main sources of victory. Before attending SF0002, my purpose as a military leader in the SAF is about helping soldiers to understand why they ought to serve the Nation. In turn, helping them to fully utilize the duration of their liability as an National Service Freshmen (NSF). After attending SF0002, my purpose as a military leader in the SAF is to assume responsibility of my soldiers’ training, morale, discipline and fighting spirit. This involves maintaining/upgrading their skills and proficiency level therefore, developing a high state of operational readiness. My purpose is also to develop a good relationships with my soldiers and the team, so as to ensure that they are committed and determined to achieve a common goal; be it completing a task or securing mission objectives. 1. For me, a significant insight from SF0002 is, Military Leadership is not equivalent to a Leader. 2. For me, a significant insight from SF0002 is, the differences between Cohesion and Team Building. 1. Lesson 1 entitled: The Science and Practice of Military Leadership. 2. Lesson 7 entitled: Science and Practice of Leading Military Teams. Leadership means to lead, excel and overcome. Firstly, in order to lead effectively, I must gain the repect of my men. With that, can I exercise command and control, effectively and efficiently. Without leadership, a leader will lead with the power of the rank. Men under me will follow orders unwillingly and blindly, instead of understanding the rationale behind why orders are delivered so as to execute them more efficiently. My purpose as a military leader is to ensure the welfare and safety of my men during peacetime training and ensure that I lead them by example. Military leadership matters in the SAF because there will always be men enlisting and recruited into the force, these people need a leader to guide them through their career or 2 years of their National Service liability. Without a leader with leadership qualities, men will not realise the importance of serving the force, they do not have a goal or a clear vision. In general, as leaders, we should try our very best to al ign our men’s values with the SAF core values. It is also my duty to ensure they have a meaningful and purposeful time with the SAF.

Molly Ivins, Sharp-Tongued Political Commentator

Molly Ivins, Sharp-Tongued Political Commentator Molly Ivins (Aug. 30, 1944–Jan. 31, 2007) was a political commentator with a sharp wit- a take-no-prisoners critic of what she considered silly, outrageous, or unfair. Ivins was based in Texas, and both loved and made fun of her state and its culture and politicians. President George W. Bush, a frequent target of Ivins writings, nevertheless praised her after she died, saying he â€Å"respected her convictions, her passionate belief in the power of words, and her ability to turn a phrase.† Bush added: â€Å"Her quick wit and commitment to her beliefs will be missed.† Fast Facts: Molly Ivins Known For: Political commentator with biting witAlso Known As: Mary Tyler IvinsBorn: Aug. 30, 1944 in Monterey, CaliforniaParents: James Elbert Ivins and Margaret Milne IvinsDied: Jan. 31, 2007 in Austin, TexasEducation: Smith College (BA in History, 1966), Columbia School of Journalism (MA, 1967)Published Works: Molly Ivins: She Cant Say That Can She? (1992), Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bushs America (2003), Who Let the Dogs In? Incredible Political Animals I Have Known (2004)Awards and Honors: Three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Womens Media FoundationSpouse: NoneChildren: NoneNotable Quote: There are two kinds of humor. One kind that makes us chuckle about our foibles and our shared humanity- like what Garrison Keillor does. The other kind holds people up to public contempt and ridicule- thats what I do. Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. I only aim at the powerful. When satire is aime d at the powerless, it is not only cruel- its vulgar. Early Life Ivins was born in Monterey, California.  Most of her childhood was in Houston, Texas, where her father was a business executive in the oil and gas industry. She went north for her education, getting her bachelors degree from Smith College, after a brief time at Scripps College, and then earned her masters degree from Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism. While at Smith, she interned at the  Houston Chronicle. Career Ivins first job was with the Minneapolis Tribune, where she covered the police beat, the first woman to do so. In the 1970s, she worked for the Texas Observer.  She often published op-eds in The New York Times and The Washington Post.  The  New York Times, wanting a livelier columnist, hired her away from Texas in 1976.  She served as the bureau chief for the Rocky Mountain states.  Her style was, however, apparently was more lively than the Times  expected, and she rebelled against what she saw as authoritarian control.   She returned to Texas in the 1980s to write for the Dallas Times Herald,  given freedom to write a column as she wished. She sparked controversy when she said of a local congressman, â€Å"If his I.Q. slips any lower, we’ll have to water him twice a day.† Many readers expressed outrage and said they were appalled, and several advertisers boycotted the paper. Nevertheless, the paper rose to her defense and rented billboards that read: â€Å"Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?† The slogan became the title of the first of her six books. Ivins was also a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and briefly served on the board of the Pulitzer committee.  When the Dallas Times Herald, closed, Ivins went to work for the  Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Her twice-weekly column went into syndication and appeared in hundreds of papers. Later Years and Death Ivins was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. She underwent a radical mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy. The cancer went into remission briefly, but it returned in 2003 and again in 2006. Ivins waged a very public battle against cancer. In 2002, she wrote about the disease:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Having breast cancer is massive amounts of no fun. First they mutilate you; then they poison you; then they burn you. I have been on blind dates better than that.† Ivins worked nearly up to the time of her death, but she suspended her column a few weeks before she passed away. Ivins died on Jan. 31, 2007, in Austin, Texas. Legacy At its height, Ivins column appeared in about 350 newspapers. Upon her death, The New York Times noted that Ivins cultivated the voice of a folksy populist who derided those who she thought acted too big for their britches. She was rowdy and profane, but she could filet her opponents with droll precision. After her death, Time magazine called Ivins a major figure in Texas journalism. In some respects, Ivins and President George W. Bush came to national prominence at the same time, but while Bush came to embrace his political heritage, Molly veered from her own, Time noted in its obituary, adding: Her family was Republican, but she was caught up in the turmoil of the 60s and became an ardent liberal, or populist as Texas liberals like to call themselves. One of the first newspapers Ivins worked for, the Texas Observer, had a simpler take on her legacy: Molly was a hero. She was a mentor. She was a liberal. She was a patriot. And as recently as April 2018, journalists and writers were still mourning her passing and praising her influence. Columnist and author John Warner  wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Ivins work clarifies that the forces that roil our democracy are nothing new. She just saw things more clearly and sooner than many of us. I wish she were here, but I’m thankful her spirit lives on in her work. Sources Seelye, Katharine Q. â€Å"Molly Ivins, Columnist, Dies at 62.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Feb. 2007.â€Å"About Molly Ivins.†Ã‚  By Carey Kinsolving | Creators Syndicate.Warner, John. â€Å"If Only Molly Ivins Could Say Something Now.†Ã‚  Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2018.Hylton, Hilary. â€Å"Remembering Molly Ivins, 1944-2007.†Ã‚  Time, Time Inc., 31 Jan. 2007,.PBS, Interview: Molly Ivins. Public Broadcasting Service.

How to write excellent reports [Webinar recording] - Emphasis

How to write excellent reports [Webinar recording] How to write excellent reports [Webinar recording] Over 120 people took part in our webinar on 23 November to learn some expert advice on  writing exceptional reports from our specialist  trainer, Gary Woodward. Many attendees sent in their questions  and key challenges  when it comes to writing reports and there were some common themes, which Gary addressed during this thirty-minute session. Gary focused on three areas: Engaging your readers and encouraging them to act Presenting your information with maximum visual impact Writing efficiently with effective editing Engaging readers Gary kicked off by  talking us through some proven  techniques for engaging your readers. Key to this is asking yourself reader-centred questions before you even start writing. What information is your reader looking for? Another crucial part of your reports success is its summary. It need to be concise and set out the content of your report in a way thats relevant to the interests of your reader (or readers). By the end of the summary, your  reader(s) need to know why they should be reading the document, what they need to know and what is expected of them. Presenting information Through your research, hard work and technical knowledge, you can produce excellent stats and insightful data. However, if you dont present this well, you risk confusing your reader and wasting your hard work. Gary showed us some editing techniques for  presenting information in a clear, easy-to-scan way. In particular, he  talked about one of his favourite techniques, Words in Tables (WiT). (For more information on WiT, visit www.jmoon.co.uk.) Effective editing Writing well  is not just about getting every word and sentence  right first time. Its about editing your writing so youre as clear and concise as possible. How many times do we edit the content we have written? Do we really look at ways of making it easier to read? And how  many times has a reader complained that a document was too easy to read? Gary had three top tips for making your writing concise, clear and easy to read: Put the ‘what’ before the ‘why’, so that your main messages come first. Keep verbs rather than change them into nouns. Favour the active voice over the passive. Want to access a copy of the webinar? To view a recording of the webinar and to access the full slide deck, click here. Interested in more free learning? If you want more advice on improving your business writing, why not download our free guide, The Write Stuff? Click here to get your free copy today.

Why psychopaths are really good at getting ahead

Why psychopaths are really good at getting ahead Have you ever wondered why it seems like so many people who make it to the top of the professional food chain and occupy positions of power at work have a similar set of characteristics? You know the type- it’s pretty common to use the following adjectives to describe them as they push ahead and take no prisoners along their inevitable drive toward career success: merciless, cold-blooded, ruthless, ambitious, the list goes on. The truth is, there’s a group of people that often possess these traits- psychopaths- and sometimes the volatile and unpredictable ways in which they behave works to their advantage and allows them to get ahead in our ultra-competitive work world.Why do workplace psychopaths seem to be successful so often? Do you need to be a psychopath in order to get ahead these days? Recently, CNBC investigated why psychopaths are so good at getting ahead. Let’s take a deeper look at this issue and try and shed some light on the â€Å"psychopath questio n.†What is a psychopath?According to CNBC, â€Å"Psychopathy is an inherited mental disorder, an illness that is the result of a deformity in the brain. Those who are born with psychopathy can be dangerous.  They are also often very successful in ascending to positions of power.  Usually, psychopaths are cunning and charming, have an over-sized sense of self-worth, and are pathological liars. They show an unwillingness to accept responsibility for their actions, as well as callousness and lack of empathy.†How psychopaths gain the upper handThe ability to carefully control one’s emotions, allowing for logical decision-making to take hold, while displaying a sheen of chameleon-like charm that helps win the favor of those around them- typical characteristics of a psychopath- can help an individual advance in their career, regardless of industry or field. Simply put, the ability to effectively manipulate others around them, and display a manic energy that comes a cross as high-energy enthusiasm, are traits that are admired and valued in most workplace settings.CNBC notes that â€Å"In an office environment, overly emotional individuals are often at a disadvantage because their judgment is clouded by a desire to protect those they care about. Inversely, lacking empathy, more often than not, will help you in an environment where you have to make decisions that create negative consequences by necessity for other people†¦emotional, empathetic people may struggle to make what are often chalked up to tough business decisions because of the ramifications those decisions can have on other people. Empathy can interfere with you doing your job quite a bit. And in the competitive workplace, empathy is discouraged because it may interfere with what you need to do for work†¦ It is very well known you should not be bringing your personal issues or your emotions to work.†Confidence is another key trait that separates those who are successf ul at work from those who stay in the shadows, under the radar, and typically on the lower rungs of the career ladder- and it’s also something that psychopaths possess in abundance. These individuals typically have an intense belief in their abilities, even to the point of grandiose magical thinking, and as long as it doesn’t completely dip into the realm of absurd fantasy it could impress colleagues and help them rise above the competition. According to CNBC, â€Å"other psychopathic traits that make for successful CEOs include a comfort with lying and a lack of fear of failure. The resulting bravado can translate as aggressive ambition to a corporate board†¦ Sometimes psychopaths’ thrill-seeking behavior and impulsivity are mistaken for high energy and enthusiasm, action orientation, and the ability to multitask. To the organization, these individuals’ irresponsibility may give the appearance of a risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit.†Shou ld you change your personality to get ahead?So†¦ should we all aim to be psychopaths at work if we want to get ahead in our respective careers? In a word, no. Although it’s true that psychopaths do often present with characteristics that help them advance in their careers, true psychopaths also display a variety of unsavory behaviors that can have the opposite effect. Their coolness tends to veer towards cruelty, and they often possess an inability to effectively collaborate with peers and operate for the greater good, instead operating in a completely self-serving manner.CNBC notes that â€Å"psychopaths are not only able to make decisions without regard for other people, they are also driven by a desire to hurt their peers†¦ Adding to the threat of psychopaths is their ability to deceive those around them. The most disturbing part of the psychopathic condition is that it can be very hard to distinguish†¦ While psychopaths are successful, theirs is certainly not the kind of success others should try to emulate†¦ As they make it to the top, psychopaths may step over, trample on, or back-stab anyone in the way.†Clearly, psychopaths possess a wide array of characteristics and personality traits, some of which are beneficial to no one and can actually be dangerous to society, and some of which that can indeed be beneficial at work. Therefore, the relative success of a psychopath in the workplace depends on her or his ability to control the particularly deviant behaviors while allowing those alpha-like traits to shine. So, rather than seeking to become psychopaths ourselves, we should strive to identify and emulate the positive traits that psychopaths tend to possess that help them make it to the top while avoiding the destructive traits that make psychopaths dangerous to be around, which should serve to help each of us find tangible and lasting success in whatever career path we choose to pursue.

Accounting for investments under U.S. GAAP Personal Statement

Accounting for investments under U.S. GAAP - Personal Statement Example Investments are categorized as either long-term or short -term investments. Current investments are. Other investments that are not current are categorized as long-term investments (Epstein, Nach & Bragg, 2009). The U.S GAAP provides various standards for accounting for investments. The objective of U.S accounting standards that deal with property plant and equipment is to recommend treatment of property; plant and equipment to enable users of financial information have proper details regarding the enterprises investment in property, plant and equipment and changes in such investments. The main issues in accounting for PPE are recognition of the assets, determination of the assets carrying amounts, the appropriate depreciation charges and impairment losses that are supposed to be recognized in relation to these assets (Thornton, 2013). According U.S GAAP, Property plant and equipment include tangible items that are: 1) held for the purpose of production of goods and services, rental to others, or for administrative needs, 2) anticipated to be used for more than one period and, 3) It is probable that the future economic benefits related with the items will flow to the enterprise and 4) the cost of the PPE can be measured reliably (Thornton, 2013). The cost of an item of PPE is the cash amount or its equivalent, paid in acquiring the asset, commonly adjusted for amortization and other allocations after acquisition. If an enterprise recognizes a liability for retirement of an asset obligation, the carrying amount of the long-lived asset should be increased by an amount equivalent to the liability (Thornton, 2013). Routine maintenance costs should be expensed as they are incurred. Major inspection and repair costs can be expensed as incurred or capitalized and amortized to the subsequent major inspection or repair. Borrowing

Identify an assesment tool analyse and critically discuss the validity Essay

Identify an assesment tool analyse and critically discuss the validity and reliability issues in relation to the tool - Essay Example The multitude of assessment tools, on the one hand, presents medical professionals with a unique opportunity to choose and use the tools that fit their needs and the needs of their patients. On the other hand, the multiplicity of tools creates conditions, in which variations in wound care practices may work against the principles of effective monitoring and measurement of ulcer healing. The Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) and the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT/ PSST) are the two most popular assessment tools in wound care, but it is more important and even interesting to reconsider the validity and reliability (if possible) of other wound assessment instruments. This paper will seek to evaluate and investigate the reliability and validity of the Sussman Wound Healing Tool (SWHT). Pressure ulcers or pressure sores present a ‘chronic problem of debilitated elders who are mainly bed or chair bound or unable to reposition themselves. The pressure ulcer is a localized area of tissue necrosis that develops when soft tissue is compressed against a bony prominence and an external surface for a long period of time† (Ebersole, Hess & Luggen 2004, p. 144). Pressure ulcers are usually the results of pressure, skin breakdown, maceration, or shearing (Baranoski & Ayello 2003; Ebersole, Hess & Luggen 2004). They can range from simple reddening to severe craters with exposed bone or muscle (Bluestein & Javaheri 2008). They are staged in four different categories: stage I can heal rapidly; stage II is treated effectively if patients avoid pressure and other risk factors; stage III requires using antiinfective agents and sometimes enzymatic debridement, whilst stage IV is associated with large and deep ulcers that often require surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue (Bates-Jensen et al 2003; Coleman et al 2002; Ebersole, Hess & Luggen, 2004). Given the importance of wound healing in different groups of

Finance interview summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance interview summary - Assignment Example However, this exercise was nothing like that. It was an informational interview about career prospects in two areas that I would be most interested in. I am doing a specialization in Finance and Accounting and would also like to look at Human Resources and Administration as an alternative field. The prime reason for this is that when it comes to a downturn in the economy, it is far better to be on the other side of the table letting people go, than being a victim yourself. I first interviewed Mr. Keith Sherin, Vice President of Finance at General Electric and secondly Mr. John Lynch, who was the Vice President of Human Resources at the same organization. Summary of First Interview Q. 1. Mr. Sherin, how would you describe the job you handle as VP of Finance at General Electric? Being VP of Finance of a company as large as General Electric, I am sure you will realize entails a lot of different responsibilities. Finance as you understand is the lifeblood of modern business. In fact peop le are ready to do business with you as long as you have a good reputation in the market and can be trusted and are ethically sound. The lines of cash and credit open to organizations as large and varied as General Electric are many. In fact there are banks and other lending institutions wanting to do business with us. ... Finance is not only about generating funds for projects but the proper use of these funds when in excess. One can pay back a loan in advance, create a sinking fund for replacement of key assets or even buy back stock available in the market. In fact I find it very exciting and challenging and no two days are ever the same. Finance is also about controlling the market value of the shares and maximization of shareholder wealth and prevention of a dilution in value or a hostile takeover (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2009). So the responsibilities are quite varied. Q. 2. How did this interview affect my knowledge about career interests and my own career exploration? I was really impressed with the wide ranging responsibilities of the VP Finance at GE. I could see that authority was commensurate with the responsibilities that a VP Finance had- it was not all about meetings, but the need to make decisions about the flow and direction of the business. Finance was needed to assist in meeting business plans and current situations and a proper effort at financial planning and budgeting was necessary to meet these ends. The VP Finance had to have an overview of budgeting, cash flows, interest payments, bank dealings and all such related matters. It was certainly more difficult than I had expected. Q. 3. What new information, ideas, and insights did I gain from the Interview? For one thing, it requires a dynamic personality with the ability to motivate people to listen to you. You should have the ability to lead and direct subordinates on how to prepare stuff for meetings for internal purposes as well as banks or other institutions. It is not a desk job but

Designers handbags for women Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Designers handbags for women - Assignment Example With the passage of time, the designer handbags have grown popularity and women have shifted from just handbags to designer handbags. Both might be considered the same by many but for women, designer handbags are statement of their style, their unique image and their temperament. Designer handbags have gained popularity in different parts of the world including in Asia. Women are now more comfortable with the designer handbags rather than just leather handbags. Designer handbags are the first choice of women when it comes to selecting between handbags and for the very reason Luxurious has aimed to provide the customers with an exclusive range of designer handbags in Asia. These designer handbags offered to the customers are unique and different from others in the market and because of their uniqueness in style they are liked by a large number of women. With the potential of the market and increasing demand of the handbags (Venugopal, 2010), this report analyses the possibility of introducing one of the designer handbags offered by Luxurious in Indian Market. Indian Market is one of the most lucrative and highly potential markets for handbags (Venugopal, 2010) and therefore this report analyses the positives and negatives of the Indian market and how fruitful Luxurious can be if it introduces its hand bags in the Indian Market. With the increasing competition in the designer handbags industry, there are different factors that influence the consumers to buy the handbag. Design although has always remained the most important factor, but the price has also played an important part to encourage the consumers to buy the product. Luxurious handbags in India would be offered with competitive and very reasonable prices and this has been predicted as the main reason why large number of consumers would be attracted to use the products of Luxurious. The competitive price of these Luxurious designer handbags would be helpful in gaining more attention as women are fond of collecting designer handbags but due to the high prices many of them are not able to afford such bags. There are number of factors that would help Luxurious to be successful in India and some of the major factors include; highly populated country, demand of luxury products including handbags, purchasing power of India, and culture of India etc. Luxurio us can enter the market of India and it can open up its outlets in the Indian market and at the same time offer its products online as well. This decision is based on the fact that the purchasing power of customers has greatly increased due to which the demand for quality designer handbags have increased and the trend of online sales have also been increasing. Background India being one of the fastest growing economies of the world has much potential than other markets of the world. The women in this region are more inclined towards designer handbags than any other local handbags available to them. The rising income is another factor due to which the demand for the designer handbags is preferred over simple and local handbags. The main reason to select this region over others is the potential growth and opportunities that could be availed in this market. India is emerging as one of the developing countries in the world. The designer handbags industry in this country is improving eve n though demand internationally has been reduced because of recession. With the rise in the income level in India, more and more women are intending to purchase designer handbags. The market has great potential for designer handbags as fashion industry in this

Critical Thinking - Discussion Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking - Discussion Question - Essay Example reative thinking tries to create a list of something or ideas that are new whereas critical thinking tries to make choices by assessing the validity or worth in something. In addition, creative thinking is often carried on by violating accepted rules because it requires inventiveness. This, therefore, implies that, in creative thinking, the mind is at liberty to wander about in search of new, varied, and unique ideas. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is often carried on by applying the accepted principles because it involves making choices. It is a mental activity that is associated with using the mind. Creative thinking is a process that assists in or contributes to fostering creativity. It is associated with tools and techniques such as problem-solving, brainstorming and lateral thinking (Lau, 2013). Conversely critical thinking means using mental processes like categorization, attention, selection, and judgment. For instance, creative thinking has helped team members to come up with an out of the box solution regarding a particular issue, however, a critical thinking has helped an employee relations specialist to conduct workplace investigatio ns on whether to terminate or suspend an employee who is alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment. Therefore, a person who thinks creatively is able to come up with new ideas regarding a particular thing whereas, a person who thinks critically is able to use skepticism as well as doubt usefully in analyzing anything before them thereby making a better and a more informed decision (Lau, 2013).   It is very crucial to develop critical thinking skills because creative thinking has numerous benefits to an individual. First, critical thinking results in a more focused reading. Myself, critical reading has enabled me to look up for the information I need more carefully (Cottrell, 2011). For instance, I was able to select the most economical washing machine in terms of power consumption from a variety of models for my

Organisations and Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organisations and Behaviour - Essay Example Within the six years, the company has opened subsidiaries in Germany, Scandinavia, France, Ireland, Alpine, and Benelux. The company invests heavily in motivating its staff, and, as a result, it has the lowest rate of staff turnover and receives numerous job applications annually (Food manufacture.co.uk, 2005). This case study examines how the management of Innocent Drinks applies different motivation theories within its organisational structure to build the highly motivated and winning team. Application of Motivational Theories in Workplace The remarkable success of Innocent Drinks is a reflection of the company’s organisational structure and culture. The company’s management places emphasis on staff motivation, but, unlike other contemporary organisations, it integrates motivational theories with a personalised approach that caters for the needs of every employee in the organisation (Food manufacture.co.uk, 2005). The importance of highly motivated staff cannot be ove remphasised in the contemporary organisations. Consequently, organisations apply different motivational theories in order to enhance performance and commitment of the employees to achieve the company’s strategic goals. ... In regard to this theory, human beings have five hierarchical needs, and when one of them is satisfied, people become motivated to achieve other unmet needs (Shaw2007, p.92). In an organisation set-up, it is important for the management to identify the unmet needs of every employee in order to devise methods of motivating them. The five needs in Maslow’s theory are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualisation. Physiological needs include food, clothing, and other necessities (Thomas, 2000, pp.34-36). When physiological needs are fulfilled, the person’s need for safety becomes more urgent, and the sequence continues until the person attains self-actualization. Hertzberg’s motivation theory is also based on meeting the needs of the employee. The theory classifies employees’ needs into two categories, namely motivational and hygiene needs (Robbins, 2001, p.73). Motivational needs include opportunities that enhance achievement, recognition, ex citing assignments, responsibility, and growth and development of the employee. Hygiene factors include relationship with the supervisors, colleagues, compensation, the organisations policy, and administration in addition to the prevailing working conditions. Reinforcement theory emphasises on the role of rewards and punishment in influencing motivation of the employees. Expectancy theory affirms the critical role that inherent characteristics in an employee play in influencing motivation. These include personality, experience, and skills (Robbins, 2001, pp.106-117). In any working place, workers have different needs and interests, and the most challenging work for managers is establishing

Critical Thinking - Discussion Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking - Discussion Question - Essay Example reative thinking tries to create a list of something or ideas that are new whereas critical thinking tries to make choices by assessing the validity or worth in something. In addition, creative thinking is often carried on by violating accepted rules because it requires inventiveness. This, therefore, implies that, in creative thinking, the mind is at liberty to wander about in search of new, varied, and unique ideas. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is often carried on by applying the accepted principles because it involves making choices. It is a mental activity that is associated with using the mind. Creative thinking is a process that assists in or contributes to fostering creativity. It is associated with tools and techniques such as problem-solving, brainstorming and lateral thinking (Lau, 2013). Conversely critical thinking means using mental processes like categorization, attention, selection, and judgment. For instance, creative thinking has helped team members to come up with an out of the box solution regarding a particular issue, however, a critical thinking has helped an employee relations specialist to conduct workplace investigatio ns on whether to terminate or suspend an employee who is alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment. Therefore, a person who thinks creatively is able to come up with new ideas regarding a particular thing whereas, a person who thinks critically is able to use skepticism as well as doubt usefully in analyzing anything before them thereby making a better and a more informed decision (Lau, 2013).   It is very crucial to develop critical thinking skills because creative thinking has numerous benefits to an individual. First, critical thinking results in a more focused reading. Myself, critical reading has enabled me to look up for the information I need more carefully (Cottrell, 2011). For instance, I was able to select the most economical washing machine in terms of power consumption from a variety of models for my

English 101 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English 101 - Coursework Example ther side, the critics strongly raise their voice to mark the nuclear power as extremely dangerous and a declining energy source because of decreasing proportion of its production. They point to the problem of storing radioactive waste that has a high risk for severe radioactive contamination and the possibility of nuclear proliferation. So it is certainly a critical debate. We can see these rhetorical effects of the positive and negative attitude towards nuclear power. Although nuclear power plants have a past record of safety and efficiency with discharging no green house gases in the atmosphere, the question is why the number of plants in U.S.A has been declined in the past few years and the percentage of electricity from nuclear power is not as high as that of other countries like Japan, France. It is said that the industry has been declined because of fierce emotional resistance to this unreliable technology that has a great potential of accidental deadly radiation. Is it merely an emotional matter to protest against this serious matter? The fact is why it would be unreliable technology when it has efficiency, sustainability and safety of operation. So it can be said that it is the misuse of this technology which can be turned in to the global threat. The most funny thing is that still there is no initiative to invent the new technology to dispose the plants’ radioactive waste. So although it is not producing green house gases but its unmannered waste is seriously dangerous for public health and safety.At last it is also mentioned that the vice president Dick Cheney emphasized on building new nuclear power plants, but it is not a fun to build new nuclear power plants in a short

The Influence Of Internet And New Media Media Essay

The Influence Of Internet And New Media Media Essay This study aims to give insight into the meaning young educated people in Syria give to the Internet and new media as a means to gain social, political and religious agency, and the influence this has on existing social structures in a traditional and authoritarian state like Syria. Background The Internet has enabled entirely new forms of social interaction, activities, and organizing. Especially social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogger have opened new ways of communication over the last couple of years. As global Internet access is growing, the effects of the Internet have also spread to the Middle East, and its influence on restrictive socio-political entities is often mentioned in the press. One may think of news headlines like Iran Protests: Twitter, the Medium of the Movement (Time Magazine  [1]  ), In Egypt, Pushing Revolution by Internetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ (Newsweek  [2]  ) or the frequently mentioned influence of Internet on changing social and religious patterns (e.g. Ambrust 2000). Unfortunately, academic knowledge to back up these claims is very limited. In a country like Syria, Internet was virtually non-existent less than ten years ago. Today however, a fast growing group  [3]  of people has access to the global network and many shops, mosques and political movements have created a space on-line. All these developments seem to have a big impact in a traditional and authoritarian society. But how can Internet and new media influence the agency of people? Why Syria ? Syria is a traditional society with an authoritarian government where gaining agency is highly channeled through religious and social traditions or membership of the ruling Baath party. However, as the countrys age demographic is changing (the majority of the people is under the age of thirty  [4]  ) and globalization has brought new ideas inside its borders, the younger generation seems to search for more direct ways to gain agency. At the same time, Internet usage is on the rise and recent figures  [5]  indicate that social networking sites are attracting an increasing community of (young) Syrians who use these media to interact with friends, exchange ideas and form digital communities. There are also examples of young Syrians using the Internet to gain agency. Syrian Facebook users recently organized a successful campaign to boycott mobile telephone providers in protest against high tariffs (Sharif 2009) and a simple search brings up a plethora of on-line Syrian communities, ranging from religious discussion groups to calls for educational reform. Nevertheless, recent initiatives calling for mass protests against the government were less successful  [6]  . Despite these developments, Reporters Without Borders ranked Syria among the thirteen enemies of the Internet  [7]  , a conclusion based on the persistent monitoring of Internet dissidents by the state and the blocking of websites. However, in the wake of the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, the Syrian government recently (February 2011) made a remarkable step by opening up the Internet and dismantling blockades on websites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube  [8]  . With an ever growing Internet community and the legalization of access to social networking websites, it seems likely that the role of the Internet and new media as a means to gain agency will increase over the next couple of years. Research questions (preliminary) The main question I would like to pose in this study is:What meaning do young, educated people in Syria give to the Internet and new media as a means to gain agency and change existing structures? To answer the main research question, it is important to first answer a couple of sub-questions. By tackling these questions, I will increase my insight into the subject as the research progresses. How do young, educated people in Syria use the Internet and new media? How do young, educated people in Syria believe that their use of the Internet and new media influences their social values, societal participation and world view? What is the position of the Internet and new media in current social, political and religious structures in relation to young, educated people in Syria? How are existing structural forces in Syria (e.g. religious, political, traditional entities) acting and adapting to the use of Internet and New Media use? Methodology (preliminary) This study will have a social-anthropological focus. While using statistical data where possible, the research methods that will be used will mainly be qualitative: individual interviews, participant observation and focus group discussions. By investigating the (perception of) influence as experienced by people themselves, it will be possible to draw a picture of the way Internet and new-media influence their agency and the existing structures. I will also conduct research through on-line participant observation on Syrian social-network sites and by following the activities of other new media. Furthermore, I will investigate how (religious, social and governmental) structural forces (re)act towards the use of Internet and new Media by investigating policies, publications and activities. Before the start of my fieldwork period (1 year), I will start with an extensive literature research on the subject. During the fieldwork period, I will gain access to the target group through my personal network of people, which I have built-up over the last couple of years (see also: personal information). Theories and concepts (preliminary) Central to this study are the concepts of structure and agency. Agency refers to the ability of people to act independently, have control over their life and make free choices. Structure, by contrast, refers to the pattern or framework of relationships between social institutions such as political systems, religion, class, customs and moral norms, which influence or limit the choices and opportunities that individuals possess. In applying these concepts, I will follow Anthony Giddens Structuration theory (1986). The Structuration theory holds that all human action happens within the framework of an existing social structure which is controlled by a set of norms and laws. Therefore, human actions are at least partly predetermined based on the contextual rules under which they occur. However, structures are not definite and external, but sustained and modified by human actions. Therefore, in and through their activities (agency), people reproduce and transform the conditions (structures) that make these activities possible. Besides Giddens, this study will also build on publications by some of his contemporaries who have published on the subject, like Bourdieu (1977) , Berger Luckman (1966) and Orilowski (1992, 2000), who have published on the duality of structure to technology. Furthermore, I will also use sources from the realm of (new) media studies for the conceptual and theoretical framework of this study. Manual Castells has been one of the most significant social theorist of new media in the last two decades. In his Information Age trilogy (1996, 1998, 2000), Castells argues that the development of communication network structures and architectures is a core feature of the contemporary social condition. These networks are not controlled by anyone but extend outward from computing and information communication technologies to all forms of social, economic and cultural relations. In Critique of Information (2002) the sociologist and critical theorist Scott Lash, builds forth on Castells and argues that the rise of the global information order is marked by a fundamental blurring of the distinction between culture and technology. This means that in order to influence relations of power, inequality and domination within a technological and informational c ulture, one must become part of the networks and flows of this informational culture. In their work on Internet use in Trinidad, Miller and Slater (2001) come to a rejection of Internet research that focuses on the way in which new media seems to constitute spaces or places apart from the rest of social life (real life or offline life). Internet (and new-media) are rather spaces within social life in which new forms of sociality and new identities are emerging. Internet and new media should thus be seen as extensions of the social space rather than tools within the social space. Poster (2001) summarizes this as follows, the Internet is more like a social space than a thing, so that its effects are more like those of Germany than those of hammers. In conjunction with Miller and Slater, Jenkins (2006) argues that the frame of reference for individuals who are connected, is not the same as for those who are not. Connected people judge their social environment according to different standards, sourcing from norms, values and beliefs that not always match with the social p ractices they are subject to in real life. In relation to the research topic, we can say that instead of being an instrument to gain agency, Internet and new media may function as a place, within social space, that is out of reach for the structures that normally define it. That is, unless these structural forces will also embrace new media and the Internet. This place within social space creates a new social reference frame and a platform for sharing thoughts, beliefs and ideas which may contribute to the increase of an individuals agency in society.

Othello :: essays research papers

The story of Othello is a tragedy caused by love, money, and power. Othello was looking for love because he already had money, and power, and that snake Iago was looking for money and power. Iago was not concerned about love because heed rather have money and power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story almost all of the main characters were either looking for love, money, or power. Othello ended up killing his love of his life Desdemona and himself, Othello loved Desdemona so much that heed rather murder her then have her sleeping with someone else. Iago on the other hand didn’t care about love because he just wanted riches and to be second in command of the army, his urge for power grew bigger as the story went on. Iago is the kind of person that will stab somebody in the back even if it’s his own friends and kill them if he had to, like he killed Rodrigo and was planning to kill Casio. Casio was kind of like the scapegoat for Iago because he wanted everything to be blamed on Casio and Rodrigo was his puppet. Rodrigo loved Desdemona too, and Iago promised Desdemona to Rodrigo so that Rodrigo would do anything he said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Iago this story was like a game to him, more like a strategy game. The way Iago manipulated his victims in to hating the person they loved most. Iago’s main objective was to kill Casio because he wanted to take his place for second in command of the army. Iago also wanted to sleep with Desdemona because he heard that Othello was sleeping with his wife. In the story Othello was convince by Iago that Desdemona was cheating on him with Casio this made Othello just go on and kill Desdemona. But I think it was also Casio’s fault because he too liked Desdemona a little. With this little love Casio had for Desdemona Iago managed to magnify it while Othello was hiding and watching. With this evidence the story unfolds and Othello kills Desdemona in addition to this death almost every character dies except Casio and that marks the end of Othello.

Safe :: Violence Crimes Safety Papers

Safe He had his hands full, but managed to find his key to the door at the First Year Center at Eastern Michigan University and let himself in. As he opened the door, a nice, well-dressed man came up behind him, holding the door to help him in. They entered the elevator together, and the man explained that he was there to surprise his girlfriend, a resident advisor on the third floor. The student with his arms full of bags nodded; he knew her, she was his R.A. Being a nice person, the man helped the student with all of his bags to his door and then asked a favor of him. He wanted the student to knock on his R.A.s door, because he really wanted to surprise her and wanted to jump out from the side of the door, so as not to be seen through the peephole. The student gladly helped him; he knocked, she answered, and the student started to walk away, letting the man take over. His R.A. gasped, he heard that, but then the door closed, and the student went back to his room happy to help wit h that surprise. Hours passed, and a knock at the door interrupted homework as the student who had long forgot about the man and his R.A. answered his door. It was his friend, who pulled him out in the hall. While pointing down the hall to the University police officers clearly handling the situation, the student was told about how there was an attack. Someone let the man in the building. The man was the R.A.’s ex-boyfriend. He beat her up and left. The surprise - the nice, well-dressed, helpful man; the bags in his hands and the holding of the door after being opened all came back to the student. He was the someone. He let the stranger in. Police reports, hospital visits, and emergency floor meetings followed. Thorough reviews of the University policies for living in residence halls and codes of conduct were all part of the next few days, all with an underlying message for all campus residents: safety (Kinkaid). This situation is just an example of the issues facing college students everyday, and a hard, fast reminder of the very real threat of violence on society.

A Clean Well Lighted Place Analysis Essay

A Clean Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway is a cryptic short story about a deaf man in a bar late at night with the waiter getting frustrated with him because he wishes to go home. The dialogue slowly turns to two waiters who inject a symbolic exchange. This entire piece of full of symbology and is in my opinion a story up the the interpretation of each individual reader. â€Å"In the daytime the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. In this sequence we see the first comparison made between light and darkness, and we see the daytime being described as dusty and the in the night the dew eliminated the dust. This state of moistness or lubrication perhaps represents a state of mental lubrication, free from the dullness of the day. It’s also interesting that a deaf man would be able to tell the difference between the sounds of the day and sounds of the night. In my opinion this means that at night when it’s expected to be desolate the man feels more at home than he does in the daytime when there is expected to be commotion. â€Å"Last week he tried to commit suicide,† one waiter said. â€Å"Why? † â€Å"He was in despair. † â€Å"What about? † â€Å"Nothing. † â€Å"How do you know it was nothing? † â€Å"He has plenty of money. â€Å"† This is a humorous dialogue about the condition of money vs happiness. The man is described as being in despair, but yet they know now what he has to be despaired about if he has means to provide him happiness. However they do not see the true ironic sadness of the situation. A old man is sitting alone in a cafe at night downing shots of brandy. It is obvious to the reader that the old man does not have a very pleasant life. They sat together at a table that was close against the wall near the door of the cafe and looked at the terrace where the tables were all empty except where the old man sat in the shadow of the leaves of the tree that moved slightly in the wind. A girl and a soldier went by in the street. The street light shone on the brass number on his collar. The girl wore no head covering and hurried beside him. † This is the second time the â€Å"shadow of the leaves of the tree† is mentioned, this is demonstrative by the author that this is important and essential symbology to understand. Obviously the eaves can produce no real shadow since it’s night, however since it is under an electric light the leaves produce a false shadow from a false light. The legal definition of false light is a â€Å"portrayal that is highly offense to a reasonable person† but not so much so that it’s defamation. This allows the old man sitting there to perhaps portray himself as offensive to the waiter, as we will see in a later exchange, but not so much so that he defames himself. The man is also able to view from the terrace the soldier and the women passing by. This might be the man looking down and reminiscing on memories of old. Another exchange that struck me was between the two waits discussing the events of the attempted suicide of the man. â€Å"†He’s drunk now,† he said. â€Å"He’s drunk every night. † â€Å"What did he want to kill himself for? † â€Å"How should I know. † â€Å"How did he do it? † â€Å"He hung himself with a rope. † â€Å"Who cut him down? † â€Å"His niece. † â€Å"Why did they do it? † â€Å"Fear for his soul. † â€Å"How much money has he got? † â€Å"He’s got plenty. † This exchange shows the audience the severity of this mans drinking, and drinking almost goes without symbology itself as an expression of relieving anything from stress, to recreation, to wallowing in pity. They again fail to recognize the plight and sorrow this man has, they suffer from a delusion that this man’s great wealth brings him joy and happiness, however again we can tell that it doesn’t. The waiter’s also state that the man’s niece who came and saved him did so out of fear for his soul, not fear for his life, but fear for his soul. To me this is indicative that this man’s life is in such a sorrowful that it’s not worth saving, but his soul is all that remains of him, and the only thing that is worth saving of him. Again we see in the continued dialogue between the two waiters, and we see the more they speak the more they reveal about this man. They also continue to speak about him in a false light, that is being offensive without defamation. â€Å"†He stays up because he likes it. † â€Å"He’s lonely. I’m not lonely. I have a wife waiting in bed for me. † â€Å"He had a wife once too. † â€Å"A wife would be no good to him now. † â€Å"You can’t tell. He might be better with a wife. † â€Å"His niece looks after him. You said she cut him down. † â€Å"I know. † â€Å"I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing. † â€Å"Not always. This old man is clean. He drinks without spilling. Even now, drunk. Look at him. † â€Å"I don’t want to look at him. I wish he would go home. He has no regard for those who must work. † The man stays up late because he is lonely, and had a wife, but the other waiter speaks of him in a false light because he says â€Å"A wife would be no good to him now† which would be in my opinion considered offensive. They also speak ill of his age, however the other waiter defends him by saying he is clean and doesn’t spill, even while drunk. Being clean represents the man exercising a lack of vulgarity, and he is civilized and dignified by not spilling, even in a compromised state of being intoxicated. They also continue to be offensive to him by one of the waiters stating â€Å"I don’t want to look at him. I wish he would go home. He has no regard for those who must work† The exchange between the two waiters further reveal the reason and life behind the lonely man in the cafe. â€Å"†Why didn’t you let him stay and drink? † the unhurried waiter asked. They were putting up the shutters. â€Å"It is not half-past two. â€Å"†I want to go home to bed. † â€Å"What is an hour? † â€Å"More to me than to him. † â€Å"An hour is the same. â€Å" â€Å"You talk like an old man yourself. He can buy a bottle and drink at home. † â€Å"It’s not the same. â€Å"No, it is not,† agreed the waiter with a wife. He did not wish to be unjust. He was only in a hurry. â€Å"And you? You have no fear of going home before your usual hour? † â€Å"Are you trying to insult me? † â€Å"No, hombre, only to make a joke. † â€Å"No,† the waiter who was in a hurry said, rising from pulling down the metal shutters. â€Å"I have confidence. I am all confidence. † â€Å"You have youth, confidence, and a job,† the older waiter said. â€Å"You have everything. † â€Å"And what do you lack? † â€Å"Everything but work. † â€Å"You have everything I have. † â€Å"No. I have never had confidence and I am not young. † â€Å"Come on. Stop talking nonsense and lock up. † â€Å"I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe,† the older waiter said. â€Å"With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night. † â€Å"I want to go home and into bed. † The hurried waiter speaks that he wishes to leave so he can get some sleep, and they reveal that the extra hour saved by the waiter meant more to the man than it did to the waiter. The two waiter’s eventually get into the topic of having youth and confidence, where one states that he has great confidence and youth and the other says he has never had confidence and is not young. This statement reveals more about the nature of the old man, showing that the old man lacked youth and confidence that he used to have, and drinks to regain what’s left of his dignity and pride, as demonstrated earlier. The older waiter also states that he doesn’t desire to leave earlier, as to provide a sebastion of hope and light for those who need it, like the deaf man. The waiter thinking to himself while sitting at the bar shows us the real reason why the deaf man tries to commit suicide, and the real reason why a clean and well-lighted place is needed in the middle of the night. Turning off the electric light he continued the conversation with himself. It was the light of course but it is necessary that the place be clean and pleasant. You do not want music. Certainly you do not want music. Nor can you stand before a bar with dignity although that is all that is provided for these hours. What did he fear? It was not a fear or dread. It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada. We see here now that the man wanted to end his life because it was nothing and he was nothing, and that a empty hollowness that he had. He did not despair and was not in grief, but simply felt an emptiness and only a clean well-lit place such as this cafe provided. In closing we find the older waiter conversing with himself â€Å"He disliked bars and bodegas. A clean, well-lighted cafe was a very different thing. Now, without thinking further, he would go home to his room. He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it’s probably only insomnia. Many must have it. † We find here that this older waiter does to some extent feel the same emptiness as the old man does. He find the daylight as a time to sleep, opposite of normal. He finds the daytime as a lack of activity, and the night as a time for activity. The waiter is in some ways institutionalized and imprisoned to the service of those who feel empty. After all of this we find the significance of all of this imagery and symbolism we see the story of a man whose life has essentially finished it’s course, only that his heart remains beating. We see a man who is often looked down upon because of the extent of his drinking and is seen in a â€Å"false light†. We find a man who does not drink to forget or drink to remember or drink because he is in sorrow or grief, but he drinks because of nothing. He drinks because he feels nothing and experiences nothing. We find that his wife and days of youth and confidence have left him and not he has absolutely nothing. This man and many others like this find cafe’s such as this one that are clean and well-lit to be bastions and beacons of hope to those who have this feeling of nothingness.

Cache Dpp3

P1- There are many legal requirements to an inclusive practice in a pre-school these are:  ·Inclusion-special Educational needs code of practice and SEN DFES 2002  ·Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001  ·The National Care Standards 2001  ·Convention for the Rights of children 1999  ·Human Rights Act 1998  ·Disability Discrimination Act 1995, 2005 section 1 (1)  ·The Beginning of statementing –the Education Act 1981  ·supporting children under5 years, extending parents and publishing codes of practice- education Act 1996  ·children’s Act 1989  ·The criminal Law 1967 (2000)  ·Race Relations Act 1976 Sex discrimination Act 2000  ·The Equality Act 2006  ·Standard 9 of the National Standards  ·The disability Discrimination Act 1995  ·The UN Convention on the rights of the child- to be protected from all forms of discrimination  ·NCPCC  ·Education Act 1996 To protect the children and their families within the setting from discrim ination and their human rights, practitioners will need to organise and plan the setting and activities, for an inclusive practice. Practitioners have a responsibility to help children and their families to resect and value each other within the setting. P2- The importance for a setting to have an inclusive practice is every child and their family is legal entitlement to have access to an inclusive education, what every their gender, age, accomplishment, ethnicity, special educational needs, or ability in spoken English. All Early years settings are required to develop and promote an inclusive policy and encourage children, parents the community and practitioners in sharing values of every individual in the setting and to adapt the setting to include everyone, so they discover and play and be supported by a key worker. P3 – the policies required to provide a healthy pre-school setting are:  · Risk assessment  ·Food and drink  ·Infection control  ·Fire safety  ·Accidents and emergencies  ·Evacuation of medicine  ·Hygiene and health safety  ·First aid  ·EYFS  ·Safeguarding children  ·Behavior management and bullying  ·Sickness  ·Safety of adult  ·Complaints procedures  ·Equipment and resources  ·Intruder  ·Lost child  ·Special Educational needs/ disability  ·Staffing and employment  ·Student placement  ·Parental involvement  ·Curriculum planning  · Emergency closure  ·Confidentiality  ·Nappy and soiled clothes changing No smoking  ·Valuing diversity  ·Record keeping  ·Child protection  ·Accident book  ·Hygiene  ·Windows, doors, floors and security  ·Outdoor area  ·Insurance  ·Safety on outings  · Pets in the sessions  ·Signing in and out the setting  ·Children’s and staff allergies P4- practitioners should have He alth and Safety training and regularly update their knowladge and the understanding. The pre-school should display the necessary health and safety posters prominently in the main room and control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) certificate were needed to make aware to all. There are Five steps to sensible risk assessment:  · Identification of risk or hazards Before pre-school starts a daily risk assessment should be done, checking each room all the equipment that is out of the session making sure there is no hazards. The outside area practitioners need to vigilante to make sure that no animals have got in to the garden and the plants are safe. Using the risk assessment check sheet when you have passed a hazard.  ·Decide who is at risk- Basically anyone that is in the setting, if you share the setting with someone else their need to be informed about the risk. Evaluate the risks decide on precautions: Make a plain of action and implement further action and implement further safety measures. Grade the risk High risk, medium risk, and low risk.  ·Recording the risk- if the setting has more than five members of staff you need to record the risk. Although if the setting has less than five it still makes good practice to record the findings.  ·Monito ring and review- how do you know if what has been decided is working, or is through enough? If it is not working, it will need to be amended. P5- Providing an environment to promote emotional security for babies is important as they need to feel secure, safe and happy so there will be able to grow and develop and can reach their full development potential. A key worker is allocated to each child that starts at the setting, the key people’s role is to ensure that the child and their parent are settled and understand the key person’s role. This is a good way for each child and parent to see a familiar face and the parent can be reassured that their child is going to get temporary security from the key worker when the parent eaves the child at the setting. A variety of experiences should be on offer to help the babies’ emotional security:  ·Mirrors  ·Baby gym  ·Eye contact  ·Smiles  ·Rattles and mobiles  ·Talking  ·Gentle handling  ·Holding the baby whilst feeding  ·Bright color books  ·Encourage laughing Staff needed to be attentive of the signs when a baby’s low self-esteem, k eep praising the child, creating a happy relaxing atmosphere with lots of physical reassurances. P6-

Tower of terror

Darkness swooped over me as the doors to death became closer. The pool of blood in which I lay was sticky and viscous almost as if gluing me to the floor. I could no longer move! Panic, fear, loneliness, pain and anger simultaneously engulfed me in streams of thought I could no longer process. What happened? How did I get here? Then it all came rushing back. â€Å"Hey Alisha wait for me!† I turned around to see my best-friend gasping as she ran behind me shouting, sweaty, red and panting with her red curly hair, bouncing as much as ever. â€Å"Hi Tanya†, I muffled as I gave my best friend a big hug. Since I started going out with Max I had rarely spent time with her. The truth is I missed her, but was totally fascinated by the new boy in town, Max. I had met him a month ago and it seemed like we were dating for years, he was an easy-going down-to-earth kind of guy, intellectual and also carried himself with a hint of mysteriousness. Most strikingly were his Spanish/Italian looks, tanned skin, which always glowed, long brown hair and the most dreamy green eyes which almost all the girls in the school had fallen for. Although he looked like he had emerged right out of the 70's, he was cuter and smarter than most of the guys in Mill Valley. He was almost too good to be true but I was not complaining, although Tanya was! â€Å"Hello stranger, so you do remember me!† Tanya said with the slightest of sarcasm followed by a big smile. â€Å"I'm really sorry I†¦I. Tanya†¦you know†¦I†, I stuttered profusely, I did not know what to say, only but a month earlier I was hanging out with her, shopping, cinemas, sleep-overs, but now we had this distance, which although I wanted to, I could not fill. â€Å"Hey I know I'm not a good kisser like Max and not half as good-looking, but hey girl I miss ya†. â€Å"I know, I know, OK what do you say we go for some ice-cream now and catch up? It's on me!† I locked my arms into hers and gave a little tug. â€Å"Are you not meeting Max?† â€Å"Max who? No girl I'll ring him and let him know†. There it was my last meeting with Tanya, we talked and talked I told her about Max and she told me about her long days without me. She was truly a drama queen. We had already had three mango and kiwi sundaes, between us and were starting on the fourth. I had just realized how much I really had missed sitting, talking and laughing with Tanya, why had I never canceled on Max before? â€Å"Are you listening to me? Alisha, Alisha snap out of it?† Tanya was clicking her fingers in my face. I finally blinked and smiled, â€Å"Tanya I love ya gal† â€Å"Back at ya sweetie, anyway before you went in to you little day-dream I was telling you, why don't we have a sleep-over today, it'll be like old times, I bought that Brad Pitt flick, so we can just hang out what do you s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tanya stopped in mid-sentence her smile fading as she looked up and then at my puzzling face. â€Å"Sounds good†¦what's wrong? Tanya you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey babes, is this seat taken?† Max said as he slid into the seat beside me, taking my hand. â€Å"Hi Tanya, long time no see† â€Å"Hey†¦Hey Max† Tanya was always wary and almost frightened of Max, she gave a quick fake smile to him and then looked at me almost in defeat. â€Å"So what you girls been talking about? Not too much about me, I hope, anyway Aisha?† He turned to me, and instantly I was under the casts of his eyes, I wished I could hold him forever. â€Å"Hmm? Yeh?† I gulped, why did I always turn into a puddle of nerves whenever he looked at me? Why? And why was he here? I had told him I was spending the evening with Tanya, he had been disappointed but said he would live for a few hours without me! â€Å"Ok so you both wondering why I'm here, right? Alisha if you have forgotten I had something planned for you today in celebration of our one month anniversary, so I have come to kidnap you!† I looked at Max and then at Tanya, she was obviously gutted and tried to hide it as best as she could, although some tears had formed she blinked them away. â€Å"That's so sweet, Alisha, you have to go, don't worry we can do this some other time, and Max you have to stop taking her away from me† Although Tanya was half joking, her last comment was said with a bit of hurt. â€Å"I'm really sorry Tanya, I totally forgot, I promise we'll get together soon, I'll call you!† I winked at her as Max took my hand and we got up to leave. It was only after we walked out of the ice-cream parlor, I realised it was supposed to be me treating, and I had left her with the bill. I wave guilt passed me until I realised where we were walking towards. â€Å"Where†¦.where†¦where are we going?† I stammered as I saw the Trangriester Tower looming on front of me. â€Å"To your destiny honey, you'll see†, I held on to Max as tight as ever, not understanding what he meant, and felt alone and scared as the hairs on my neck stood up at the sight of the dark crooked tower. As we reached the big wooden door, I felt my hear skip a beat, what could be pleasant about this place? And what was this surprise? I knew if Tanya were here she would have took my hand and ran back to the safety of the lightened street of the town. The door creaked open just like in the movies when some stupid kids enter a haunted house. I screamed, startled, I saw a pale but very pretty girl with long straight blonde hair and big blue eyes staring right back at me. It only took a moment to realize it was my reflection in the mirror. â€Å"Max, Max where are you?† I shouted as I noticed that the warmth of his presence had left and I was standing alone in the landing of the tower. Almost as if in response, the big door slammed shut eliminating any light from outside except for the small circle windows near the stairs. I pulled the door again and again it was locked. I was beginning to wish I were with Tanya watching the Brad Pitt movie, where was Max. â€Å"Elizabeth†¦Elizabeth†¦Elizabeth† a coarse almost silent whisper was coming from upstairs, it sounded like Max, but why would he be whispering and who was Elizabeth? I walked up the stairs, which also creaked with every step I took. â€Å"R†¦Ra†¦Max this is not funny, come on lets get out of here†. I was going to kill him for this; this was just not my idea of a joke. Then out of nowhere a figure emerged in front of me. It was Max, yet his eyes were not the beautiful green that one would loose themselves in, but were almost a bloody red. â€Å"Elizabeth it's the 13th of August†¦. the day you left me, do you remember? You stole my life; you took everything and left me dying in this tower. You are a heartless witch you must die, my soul needs to rest†¦you must die† Max had an old knife which he directed right back at me. This must be a dream. What was happening? â€Å"I†¦I†¦Max†¦. I'm not Elizabeth what is wrong with you? It's me†¦what are you talking about?† â€Å"STOP LYING† Max shrieked, â€Å"Your blonde hair and blue eyes, I remember Elizabeth I remember†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and then suddenly I felt a surge of pain in my chest where he had stabbed me again and again and then he stopped. â€Å"You're not Elizabeth, I'm sorry†¦I have to find Elizabeth† then he walked away, my blue contacts had fallen out in the rush of the struggle, and now cold and scared I lay in the pool of my own blood dying, for what, I did not know. How could I have trusted him, confused and scared I lay there, I reached out to someone, but it was no one†¦No one!