Machinal as a Play Written in Anger.

Machinal was written by Sophie Treadwell, a woman attempting to make her mark in a male dominated society and in a male dominated work sphere (as an author and playwright). This was in a time when it was considered a tenet of social life to accept a woman’s role was to facilitate the life of the man to whom she belongs. To reach above the kitchen shelf and attempt men’s work or to enter the men’s world was frowned upon and was punished by the social system. A woman in the wrong field or operating socially as equal to a male would either have to work under a different, male, identity or be met by severe criticism and gender based discrimination, her works largely ignored or peremptorily dismissed as inferior. The playwright draws on her experience with and bitterness against the social machine (hence the name Machinal, French for machine like) and tells the tale of an average everywoman who spends her entire, short, life seeking freedom from the role society has cast her in. Her role as defined by society is that of what the society in question considers any decent well bred young woman. She is originally a caregiver for her mother’ working at a job that makes her feel suffocated to earn enough to take care of both of them. Next she becomes a companion, decoration (he chose her for her hands) and sexual partner for her husband who â€Å"buys her† by providing for her mother and making sure she no longer needs to work at the job she hates and finally she becomes a mother caring for her daughter not because of any sense of love but because society refuses to allow her to abandon the child. These separate roles give birth to her rage pushing her to outbursts of rage and anti-social behaviour and ironically in their climax lead to a murder based on pity, not for herself but for her husband. Based on the idea that the play was based loosely on Treadwell’s experiences in a man’s world and the infamous murderess †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. it can be assumed that the emotions that Helen (young woman) experiences are echoes, or perhaps rather intensified images of her feelings. Her mother speaks with the voice of society, having been the one to raise her to be imprisoned in a world where she will never truly experience freedom. Her mother is a symbol of how entrenched the rules of the machine are. Having in her time experienced, surely, the same suppression as her daughter she was still unable to conceive a life outside the machine or to offer that freedom to her child. Instead she denies her the slight pleasure she found in marrying a man who appealed to her insisting that she instead take the practical course of marrying the man with the highest income though what she is offered is a pampered but empty life. It is questionable if she in fact loves her daughter or simply nags her because it is her method of keeping her in line. It begins to seem as though she simply ensures that she herself will be taken care of, so that a rich husband her daughter is an opportunity to jump at, not for Helens benefit but for hers. This would indicate that within the machine all interpersonal relations are determined by such practical considerations as where the power, especially in monetary terms lies and this is always with the men. What is left to the women is only as much as they can wrest from each other by manipulation and deception. This may be what young woman realises causing her to threaten her mother; that she does not in truth love her and simply uses her in and for the purposes that suit her. This They inspire the young not particularly educated or intelligent woman to crystallize the comprehension of her condition though it is one that has been forced on her since infancy and is considered normal by the rest of the machine and her objection and opposition of it succinctly in her statement â€Å"I will not submit† which she repeats like a mantra. This is a role that truly does not inspire her, that of mother, wife and daughter. Though she must also endure her mother’s nagging. She is controlled even unconsciously by men who like her husband who do not recognise their domination She does not like or love him and resents him because she did not choose to marry him but was forced to by her mother, and through her mother, society’s expectations of her. Also at the time of the marriage she disliked his â€Å"fat pressing† hands which to her represented oppression. he viewed it as the lesser of two evils because it would provide the means to provide for her mother and escape her. It would also mean she no longer had to work, being unsuited (or so it seems) to any type of structure. She also marries him despite a strong distaste for him because it is accepted by society that a woman gets married and has children. This is possibly the first major capitulation in her life. The first time she could be said to have had a choice in the direction of her life and in her attempting to find or maintain her (relative) freedom. Machinal by Sophie Treadwell

How does a government budget deficit affect the economy Essay

Identify two periods in recent history in which the United States has run budget deficits. What were the reasons for the deficits during those time periods? A government budget deficit occurs when the governments expenses exceeds its revenues. Because of this spending the government has to find alternatives to finance this added expense through borrowing. A government deficit in the long-run can reduce savings, growth, and income. In the short-run if the economy is performing below its output potential deficits are good because it increases expenditures moving output closer to potential. Two periods in recent history when the U. S. was running on a deficit were 2000-2008 and 2008-present. Within the two time periods the country went to war adding roughly $1. 1 trillion to the national debt we also had a significant tax cut that also added to the debt by $2 trillion. There also was a recession that caused the unemployment rates to go up increasing the government spending to cover unemployment insurance. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was also played an important part in deficits. During this time there was a threat of collapse of large financial institutions and decline in the stock market Dow Jones lost 33. 8% of its value in 2008. The housing and auto industries suffered many companies that relied heavily on credit also suffered. Banks simply stopped trusting people to pay them back so they stopped making loans that most businesses needed to regulate their cash flows. Unfortunately this recession was not only felt in the U. S. but it also had a damaging affect too many foreign countries.

Analytical paper base on reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analytical paper base on reading - Essay Example These texts show that globalization is not entirely positive or a monolithic empowering process for all, but something that the West, particularly the United States, direct and control, while disempowering specific nations, cultures, classes, and genders. New national and international social, political, and environmental movements are arising from different sectors and nations because of the continuation of colonialism and slavery in the global political economy through American capitalism, although these issues cannot be resolved without finding common interests and agreeing on win-win solutions. Anti-globalization is a not a new movement, but started alongside economic, political, and cultural globalization. Heather Gautney describes the various protests that aimed to stop the implementation of world trade policies that undermine national sectors because of unfair trade changes. The roots of the anti-globalization movement are not from the Seattle protests to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999, but much earlier, with anti-International-Monetary-Fund (IMF) protests sparking during the 1970s in Peru, Liberia, Ghana, Jamaica, and Egypt.1 In Egypt, the bread riots happened because of the rapid increase in bread prices due to IMF trade policy effects.2 These are examples of movements that opposed the negative effects of globalizing trade policies on national economies. Feminist internationalism is another anti-globalization movement that seeks to elaborate transnational values and standards that will promote the position of women in society.3 Its primary goal is to free women who are trapped in various disadvantaged positions brought about by globalization’s gender-oppressive values, policies, and practices.4 Elizabeth Bernstein discusses a different feminist uprising through the new abolitionism movement. The new abolitionism is against the modern slavery of women that happens through human trafficking and commercialized sexual

Japan Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japan Business - Term Paper Example There were  many  periods in the history of Japan, but the first period was of Prehistoric Period that began around 10,000  BC  and the inhabitants of the Japan lived by hunting, gathering, and fishing. During the post-war period, the economy of the Japan experiences the  boom  and  massive  boom  came by the Korean War. The Japan came as the crucial power in different economic spheres such as, car manufacturing, electronic and steel manufacturing. Business History Society of Japan  was prearranged  in the year 1964 (Karan, 2010). In 1989,  the economy of the Japan marked the most rapid economic growth that spurts the history of Japan as Nikkei 225  reach  to the record high of 39,000, due to the strong Yen and favourable exchange rate in comparison with dollar. Geography Mountain Islands of Japan is in the eastern coast of Asia that served as the protective barrier as mentioned in  history. The Japan has the insular nature along with the  main  terr itory  and cultural homogeneity of individuals. The country has four islands, which are: Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku. Islands in the Japan  stretch  1100  Km  from the major islands. Tokyo is the capital of Japan that covers 13000 square kilometres. Small number of habitant has promoted  terrain. Land is reclaiming through the sea by dikes construction and drainage along with rice paddies, which is the main export of the country to other countries. Rivers in Japan are less than 300  Km, but there rapid  flow  through the mountains gave renewable and  valuable  resources such as, hydroelectric power generation. Coastal shipping around the Inland Sea compensates the lack of  navigable  river. Natural Resources The Japan has fewer natural resources such as, gold, coal, silver, and magnesium; therefore, the Japan depends over the export of its natural resources along with the energy resources and raw materials. As the country has the  large  marit ime area, the Japan is one of the first producers of the fishing products. In Japan, only 15% of the land is suitable for cultivation. Two main crops of Japan are Tea and rice; therefore, the agricultural economy of the country  is subsidized  and protected. Agriculture of the country contributes into the  GDP  and employs up to 5 % of the active population. Industrial sector of the country  is diversified  and covers steel and paper along with the highly technological products such as, biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energy, automobile, and robotics. The Japan is the second largest car manufacturer and ships in all over the world. Industrial sector of the country contributes into the 30% of the  GDP. Political/Legal System Political and legal  system  of the Japan presents the  complicated  picture. In one side, The Japan is the democratic  state  having the  strong  legal and civic institutions, and on the other side the country shows the cha racteristics of non-democratic systems. The Japan has the  democracy, the Liberal Democratic Party that runs the country after the World War  II. The Japan is also  bureaucratic; decisions that impact the national  policy  are taken  by the ministries having the  substantial  power  that ties with industrial and business groups. The Japan legal system is different from the Westerners. After 1986 foreign legal

Apple Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple Corporation - Essay Example But there comes a stage of stagnation in every industry; electronics industry is not an exception to it, considering how the leading electronics company, Apple Corp. and its former CEO Steve Job have been striving hard to maintain the competitive edge through cost-cutting made possible only by launching of better versions of their electronic products. Title Page Former CEO, Jobs, led Apple on the path of innovation. Although still the Company has been working with the same batch of product innovation people, but things are not happening like when Jobs was at the helm of Apple’s functions. The bungling of Apple Maps is a proof of the fact that after the death of Jobs, the product innovation team at Apple has caused losses than just not succeeding in innovating new products. Cohan has enumerated many reasons for the approaching doom for Apple, disagreeing with Blodget for presenting Apple as a buy. It is a wrong notion that stock of Apple is cheap while traded as a P/E of 9, whi ch is below the market average of 15. Actually, Apple is becoming costlier with its income reducing at the rate of 17% in the first quarter of 2013; it is heading for a reduction of 1% in overall for the whole year of 2013. Product innovation had been boosting and sustaining Apple amid competition but lately, innovation has taken the back seat, as there are no new products in the offing. Samsung has been giving tough time, inspiring customers to go for new products of Samsung rather than buying latest versions of iPhone 5S and iPad Mini. At the times of Jobs, innovation was used as a strategic tool to develop a better version of the products, helping at the same time in reducing cost. Product differentiation was the key during the management of Jobs; products were either cheaper than leading competitors or better than what the market offered, such as Apple’s MP3 players, smart phones, and tablets, resulting in investors and customers lining up for its products – that created Apple’s appeal for investors and customers soaring (Cohan â€Å"7 Reasons Apple is More Doomed Than You Think† 1-2). Apple Corp. needs to position itself strategically because of not launching any new product and remaining for too long with its super-premium pricing strategy. Apple led the market under the command of Jobs through differentiation in product offering, which is evident from the fact that customers were willing to buy iPhone4 at 44% premium, ensuring a gross profit of 71% (Cohan â€Å"7 Reasons Apple is M ore Doomed Than You Think† 2). In the present scenario, if Apple is to remain and lead in competition, it has to cut down on cost, relatively lower to the competitors’ product offerings. It is also true at the same time that former CEO, Jobs charisma was the leading force behind the brilliant performance of Apple Corp. for developing products like iPhone and iPad. Competition is presently causing reduction in profits due to competition, as gross margins have come down in the latest quarter from 47.4% to 37.5% year-on-year along with shrinking net profits for the first time in the past 10 years from $11.6

The case briefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The case briefs - Essay Example They are also to provide assistance in case of an emergency at their premises. As such issues that surround the liability of the owners of premises under the special relations, doctrine needs to be effectively dealt with properly before the final judgment is provided. Disposition: The Court reversed the appellate court's decision and remanded the case.Case 2: Disabled Rights Action Committee, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Las Vegas Events, Inc.; University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Thomas, and Mack Center; Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Defendants-Appellees. History: The district court had felt that the private entities, that is, Events and Cowboys had no part in ensuring the compliance to public accommodation standards. Further, the court argued that the ownership did not stage the events giving them any case to answer. Facts: The plaintiff alleged that the physically challenged members of the society have been subjected to poor services, discrimination at the centre and further char ged higher ticket fees as compared to other people. As such, the plaintiff sought an injunction preventing the defendant from using the facility until it became compliant to ADA. Issue: The question was whether apart from the owners of the premise, Events and Cowboys could be enjoined in the suit to ensure compliance with public accommodation of the physically challenged. Rule: In public spaces accommodation, the owners or the management of the premise is expected to provide assistance to the physically challenged members of the society.

Key characteristics of the Australian media Essay

Key characteristics of the Australian media - Essay Example In the land down under, Australia also has its own way of letting media operate. Whether it is in the form of electronic, print, PR or media from the internet, Australian media adheres to its general guidelines. Publicly funded media companies in Australia are the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), which broadcasts on television, the internet and the radio for free, as it strongly broadcasts public service. Other major players in the industry of broadcasting are: Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., Australian Associated Press, John Fairfax Holdings, The Seven Network, APN News and Media, and many others shape the characteristics of Australian media in a way that media's most important public role is largely dependent on the game played by private corporations. Its increasing difficulty in being well regulated is affected by several factors including technological developments, ownership and control structure where media conglomerates f ollow the globalization trend and the contractual relationships between suppliers or information and entertainment and its viewers (Sampford & Lui 2004, p. 86-87). Apparently, broadcast... he ownership of a small media company has posed to be more complex than expected because the company establishes relationships with associations and other organizations which often belong under the same larger corporation resulting to a complicated intertwining of relationships. Due to this complication, cross-media ownership was decided to be given some limitations and so changes were proposed by the government in 1985, which created the Broadcasting Act of 1987 (Sheehan 2002, p. 4). This act limits the company's audience reach and the types of media it can own. Sheehan (2002, p. 4) stated that this act would support "competition policy, discourage concentration of media ownership in local markets and enhance public access to a diversity of viewpoints." Broadcasting Act of 1988 was enacted for radio broadcasting media which basically carries the same principles regarding ownership and control. Moreover, Broadcasting Act of 1989 contains amended provisions regarding cross-media owner ship of radio and television licenses. The limit on this type of ownership in on who gains control over the company based on the number of shares of stock owned. The Act also provides for the succession or chain of companies to exercise control over (Sheehan 2002, p. 4). The Broadcasting Services Act of 1992 gives a description on media ownership and control in which the act provides for individual ownership and control, cross-media ownership and control, and subscription television broadcasting licenses for foreign owners (Sheehan 2002, p. 3). Evidently, concerns on policy making with regards to ownership and control is mostly due on the nature and structure of Australia's broadcasting industry. In the field of print media, News Corporation is the dominant player in the

Photojournalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Photojournalism - Essay Example Narrative: The image adds to the clarity of events when combined with other stories and news elements and gives an insight to the person who is reading through or glancing at the pictures. Important war zones of the US such as Vietnam was an example of how photojournalists could influence public opinion. There are certain marked characteristics that distinguish photojournalists from other photographers. One of the most important distinguishing factors is their capability to make instant decisions. They are always on the move and carry all their heavy equipment with them all the while. They are alert and think with the tip of their fingers as to which frame in time has to be preserved for posterity and for the world to see. They face the same risk and dangers as any serious journalist such as when at the war front or in the middle of a rioting crowd. They also lack the option to wait and watch for the worst to pass since they have to throw themselves in to the middle of the action if they are to make any good pictures. In fact, they take more risks and face far more dangerous situations that a conventional journalist. As a descriptive term, photojournalism refers to the genre of photography that bears the distinct characteristics of that produced by photojournalists. A large number of commercial and fashion photographers today prefer to adapt this style into their works. Photojournalistic style has been widely accepted as the standard format in fashion photography as well as in event coverage such as marriages and child ceremonies. Commercial photography is keenly taking on the garbs of photojournalistic style to bring in more room for innovation as well as to increase public appeal for their works. The term photojournalism was coined by none other than the famed professor of communication studies, Cliff Edom (1907-1991), who taught at the University of Missouri School of Journalism for 29 years. He is credited with the first establishment of a professional programme for photojournalism in 1946. The practice of printing press and the growth of print journalism and the print media brought to focus the importance of the media and role of photography in media. Since written language could be manipulated to any extent whereas a photograph could not, it added to the weightage of the newly introduced genre of photography. Early news photographs required the pictures to be reconstructed by an engraver before it could be published. The battlefield pictures captured by the famous reporters such as William Simpson of the Illustrated London News and Roger Fenton had to be published as engravings. The public craved for more realistic representations of the pictures that go along with the news stories. Most newspaper companies were looking for trained photographers to be put to cover the wars and thereby report from the front, giving a new dimension to public imagination. There

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final project - Essay Example Globalization requires varied expansion strategies like diversification, bifurcation, mergers, acquisition etc to gain competitive advantage over its competitors. The study will highlight the various factors that affect globalization and its effect on global economy. Factors like how globalization serves purposeful at organizational, reorganizational and integration of financial markets. The integration occurs at varied levels especially at industrial and financial markets. The author of the study will also highlight the various important components of globalization that binds the companies together for a unified purpose. The techniques of research methodology and the findings and analysis of the research methodology would be also included in the study. Finally, the study will conclude with recommendation that can improve the current situation that affects globalization. Background & Rationale for choosing the topic Globalization not only affects and benefits the national economy but also has positive effects on the regional development of the economy. Apart from economic integration free trade conditions (Wagner, 2002). Globalization compels the business organization to adapt to changing market dynamics based on ideological trends that help in the balance of the professional and personal goals of the employees of the organization. Various other factors like unemployment, parallel economic growth, cutting of costs, etc will be considered an important aspect of globalization are some of the major factors which have been considered while choosing the topic. Modernization and growing economy is also a significant contributor to development of the organization. The principal cause of the effects of globalization is that it helps in the modernization and growth of the economy, which is instrumental for understanding its impact on the business activities. This is one of the basic and rationale for choosing the topic for the author of the study, which helps in underst anding the effects and outcome of the globalization. Apart from the above mentioned components factors like deregulation also helps in liberalization of the capital account and also integration of wide range of financial services. Section 2 Literature Review Effects of Globalization Globalization has been regarded as a crucial component from the economic, monetary, socio economic aspects and implications of globalization (Rosnan, Ismail and Daud, 2010). In economics, globalization has played an important role for the development of the economy and has changed the scenario of the world economy. Different types of industries have benefitted importantly from globalization especially the creative industries, which have earned an estimated amount of $60 billion annually over the past few years. The increasing globalization has also impacted the creative, film, car manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries to a large extent for expanding on a larger scale. The globalization of the film industry has made it significant contributor to the world economy. Apart from strategy aspects monetary and exchange policy also helps in emphasis of the maintenance of the economic contention like trade off, credibility, increase in uncertainty etc. This also helps in increased competition among the organizational members. Globalization helps in shaping the social policy and the policy making procedure for the welfare of the organizati

Love. Flower Arranging PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Love. Flower Arranging - PowerPoint Presentation Example The first teachers as well as students were Buddhist members and priests. As time went by, there was the emergence of other schools and the styles changed. Ikebana became a practice and custom among the Japanese people and their society (Ember& Ember, 5). It is stated that until 1868 it was the Japanese men who ordinarily had the skills to make flower arrangements. After the start of the 20th Century, women began to enjoy the practice and they dominated this discipline. In the United States and England, the lush Victorian style of flower arrangement made way for a simplified modern way that was influenced by the Japanese practice of Ikebana. Around the 1930s, there emerged garden clubs that were supported by women who were influential. The practice became popular as more women began to adopt the practice (Fairchild, 112). Women became obsessed with flower arrangements in weddings, tea parties and to decorate their homes. Men, thus, arranged flowers as frequently as tradition called and required them to, but with the practice becoming female dominated, they did not practice the art of arranging flowers as a hobby (Leaman, 45). Presently men are turning to the practice. For instance, in Japan, the male workers are turning to the country’s traditional art form or arranging flowers that was female dominated. They are turning to flower arranging as a way to relieve stress (Lover). In America, men are attending classes to learn the art of arranging flowers (Clarke). The practice of flower arrangement that begun in Japan among men gradually became a common practice among women (Sato and Yoshimura, 200). History has thus repeated itself. The Buddhist priests and noblemen who initially took part in the practice left the art to women. The men managed many flowers arranging schools; however, mostly women dominated those classes. Presently, there is no practice dominated by one gender.

Background and purpose of the project Essay Example for Free

Background and purpose of the project Essay Introduction. The Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project was sponsored by the Library of Congress Preservation Office in cooperation with the National Digital Library Program (NDLP). This report includes copies of sample images created during the projects Phase I, which extended through 1995.1 During 1996, Phase II of the project created a testbed of 10,000 images of manuscript items from the Federal Theatre Project collection in the Librarys Music Division. These images are now online as a part of that collection; selected examples have been referenced and made accessible in later sections of this report. Background. The Library of Congress is developing its capabilities for providing computerized access to its collections. In part, this means wrestling with practicalities of production and identifying and testing a broad range of tools and techniques. In part, it also means investigating the ramifications of digitization as it pertains to preservation, understood to include both the conservation of the original item and the conversion of originals through preservation reformatting. Preservation reformatting refers to the copying of items as a safeguard against loss or damage, i.e., insurance that the worlds heritage will be kept alive for future generations. Today, most preservation reformatting consists of microfilming, although other types of copies are also made. Two features are of special concern to those responsible for carrying out preservation reformatting: the faithfulness of the copy and its longevity. This demonstration project was concerned with the former, i.e., image quality. Other parallel projects are investigating longevity issues.2 The Library commissioned the Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project because it believes that certain classes of manuscript documents lend themselves to the creation of digital copies that are faithful to the originals in a reasonably efficient manner. The Library was cognizant of the work being carried out by the Cornell University Library regarding printed matter3, and saw that manuscripts would make for a useful demonstration project at the Library of Congress. A key issue for the Library is finding the most judicious balance between conserving precious original documentsprotecting them from damageand achieving a reasonably rapid rate of conversion. The outcomes of this project are expected to assist the Library in designing models for further conversion applications for the Librarys collections. Manuscript collections. The manuscript holdings of the Library of Congress include extensive papers of individuals and organizations, many from nineteenth and twentieth century America. Since the Librarys digitization efforts are initially focused on its American holdings, this demonstration project emphasizes the physical types of documents found in these papers collections. The specific test documents were selected from the Federal Theatre Project collection held by the Music Division. The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was a New Deal effort that employed out-of-work playwrights, actors, directors and stagehands to produce and perform plays in many American cities during the latter years of the Great Depression. For the purposes of this project, a manuscript page was defined as a separate handwritten or typed sheet of paper, generally at A size or legal size, i.e., from 8.511 inches to 8.514 inches. The test documents include scripts, administrative files, and surveys of theater genres commissioned by the FTP. During Phase I, a set of documents was used to produce a variety of sample images for study. Examples of these images illustrate this report and are accessible from Appendix A. A portion of the sample set represented paper in good condition with reasonably clear, dark writing on a reasonably light background. The other portion of the preservation research sample included documents that represent typical scanning problems: * a mix of colors or pencil and ink, * low contrast and carbon copies of typed materials in which the edges of the character imprint are soft, * documents that have extraneous markings or print-through. The Document Digitization Evaluation Committee. The Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project was carried out by Picture Elements, Inc., working in close relationship with a special Document Digitization Evaluation Committee. This committee was made up of Library of Congress staff members (listed here alphabetically) representing various units with an interest in digitization. * Ardith Bausenbach Automation Planning and Liaison Office, Library Services * Julio Berrios Photoduplication Service * Lynn Brooks Information Technology Services * Paul Chestnut Manuscript Division * Carl Fleischhauer National Digital Library Program; project planner and contracting officers technical representative * Nick Kozura Law Library * Basil Manns Preservation Research and Testing Office * Betsy Parker Prints and Photographs Division * Ann Seibert Conservation Office * Leo Settler Automation Planning and Liaison Office * Tamara Swora National Digital Library Program; project planner and contracting officers technical representative * Peter Waters Conservation Office * Walter Zvonchenko Music Division The committee met on a regular basis during Phase I. At these meetings, Picture Elements representatives reported their survey findings, presented sample images, conducted tours of sites at which special scanners could be examined, and led the discussions that ultimately resulted in the findings and proposals provided in this document. The activities of Phase II are reported in Sections 12 and 13. The projects findings are summarized in Section 14. Developing Project Objectives Proposals should include both goals and objectives. Goals provide an overall philosophy, a concise statement to the purpose of the whole project. Objectives relate directly to the goals and say what you are going to do, but not how you are going to accomplish your goals. The Methods or Procedures section describes how. A well-considered project will have one to three main goals, several objectives related to each goal and many action steps to take to achieve each objective. Objectives discuss who is going to do what, when they will do it and how it will be measured. For example†¦ At the end of the three-day training session (when), workshop participants (who) will infuse quantitative reasoning into one course (what) as determined by a survey distributed and reviewed by a panel of knowledgeable faculty members. Objectives discuss the desired end results of the project, not how those results will be accomplished. For example, an objective would not be â€Å"to construct a new Art Gallery.† That is a method, or one way to accomplish the goal of building the audience for art appreciation. Objectives for this goal might be to†¦ Increase attendance from the local community (what and who) within the next five years (when) at the scheduled art exhibits, as indicated by daily registers of attendees. AND/OR†¦ Affect the level of art appreciation (what) within the local community (who) by offering an annual series of four regularly scheduled lectures (when) as measured by pre- and post-surveys of audience members. Writing research objectives are somewhat different, since basic research involves the generation of new knowledge rather than changing a behavior or developing a product. Research objectives may be stated as hypotheses or as research questions. Research objectives/hypotheses/questions are generally short. For example, research objectives might be to†¦ * Determine the impact of contaminated sewage water on the xxx fish population in Barnegat Bay. * Identify the needs of the fish industry in preventing the loss of these fish due to contamination. * Formulate guidelines for the wastewater treatment plant to meet the needs of the fish industry and the xxx fish. Objectives should flow logically from the problem statement/needs assessment. After identifying a set of objectives, you can develop methods and activities that will lead to these objectives. The evaluation plan will follow easily from well-developed objectives.

The Special Properties Of Concrete Construction Essay

The Special Properties Of Concrete Construction Essay Admixtures are used to give special properties to fresh or hardened concrete. Admixtures may enhance the durability, workability and characteristics of a given concrete mixture. Admixtures are used to overcome difficult construction situations, such as hot or cold weather placements, pumping requirements. The use of admixtures to increase the workability or to accelerate the hardening of the concrete will be permitted when approved by the Engineer. Admixture dosages shall result in the mixture meeting the specified plastic and hardened properties. The major reasons for using admixtures are 1. To reduce the cost of concrete construction. 2. To achieve certain properties in concrete more effectively than by other means. 3. To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing, transporting, placing, and curing in adverse weather conditions. 4. To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations. CHAPTER 2 Set Retarding Admixtures Set retarding admixtures are water soluble chemicals that have little or no other effect than to delay the setting of the cement. They do not plasticize significantly and have little or no effect on the water demand or other properties of the concrete. Set retarding water-reducing admixtures not only delay the setting of the cement but are also efficient in plasticizing concrete or reducing its water demand. Most commercially available retarders are of this type. Retarding water-reducers and retarding high range water reducers are used to: Give workability retention to the concrete Delay the setting time of concrete Prevent the formation of cold joints Increase initial workability Increase ultimate strength Produce economies in mix designs Materials Used The main types of chemical used for retarding admixtures are: Sucrose and other polysaccharides Citric acid Tartaric acid Salts of boric acid Salts of phosphoric, poly-phosphoric and phosphonic acids. The main types of chemical used for retarding water reducing admixtures are: Hydroxy carboxylic acid salts Hydroxylated polymers Lignosulphonic acid salts These may be also be used in conjunction with sulphonated naphthalene/melamine-formaldehyde condensates or polycarboxylates to produce retarding high range water reducing admixtures. The retarder molecule chemically adsorbs onto the cement particle in a mechanism similar to that described for water reducers. The main difference is the strength of the chemical bond that is formed. This strongly links the retarder molecule onto the cement surface, blocking and slowing down the rate of initial water penetration into the cement. Retarder molecules also chelate calcium ions in solution, slowing the crystallization of portlandite. These two mechanisms slow the growth of hydration products, delaying the stiffening and setting of the cement but once initial hydration starts, the retarder molecules are swamped and normal hydration proceeds. Uses 5.1 Admixture Selection Where predictable set retardation is required, a retarding admixture is the best choice. Where set needs to be continually amended, a graph of dosage rate versus setting time can be determined for a given mix, at a given temperature. For phosphate based products, the retardation time graph may often be linear, and this is a major advantage for this type of retarder. Sucrose and other polysaccharides are more efficient, but a dosage versus setting time graph may often be exponential, making accurate prediction more difficult. These types are often blended with lignosulphonate to produce cost effective, retarding/water reducing admixtures. Hydroxy carboxylic acid salts will often reduce cohesion in the mix potentially enhancing bleed and segregation. Polysaccharides, especially if blended with a lignosulphonate, tend to stabilise some air and may enhance cohesion.The choice between the different types of retarding water reducing admixtures is often determined by other properties such as mix cohesion. Selection may therefore be based on the particular mix characteristics of the concrete. 5.2 Dosage Retarding admixtures based on phosphates and phosphonates are designed to have a linear effect of dosage upon setting time. The dosage rate used may be quite high, as they do not have any effect other than retardation. Depending on the molecule chosen, typical dosages are 0.1% to 3.0% by weight of cement to yield a delay of set of 1 hour to 35 hours. Retarding admixtures based on sucrose and other similar polysaccharides are very powerful, and their retarding effects are rarely linear so that small increases on the intended dosage can lead to large increases in retardation. They are very cost effective, but are more difficult to control than the higher dosage phosphate based types. Typical dosages are 0.1% to 1.5% by weight of cement to yield a delay of set of 3 hours to 50 hours. Retarding water reducing admixtures are very commonly used at a low dose, typically 0.2% by weight of cement, to reduce the water content of the concrete by 7 to 10% with only a small delay in setting. They can be used at higher dosages; typically 0.3 to 0.6% to reduce water content, but simultaneously to delay the setting time. Greater water reductions may be achieved by using retarding high range water reducers, generally at 0.5 to 1.5% dose, depending on the type. Retarders are quite sensitive to temperature. At low temperatures retardation will be further extended. At very high temperatures, the converse is true and it may be difficult to achieve the required workability retention and extension of stiffening time. 5.3 Cement type Retarding admixtures and water reducing retarding admixtures can be used with all types of Portland cement, including all those covered by EN197-1. However, it is very important to note that their effectiveness in terms of retardation of set is very dependent upon the type of cement. Cements such as CEM1 require the highest level of retarder to achieve a given level of retardation. However, as the proportion of slag or pulverised fuel ash, as used in CEM 2 and CEM3 types increases, then the level of retarder will decrease in order to achieve a given level of retardation. The chemistry of the cement is also important in determining the effect of retarders. Cements low in tricalcium aluminate (C3A) require significantly less retarder for a given degree of retardation than normal cements. 5.4 Yield Retarding admixtures do not have any significant effect upon the yield of concrete. Retarding water reducing admixtures, when used to reduce the water content of concrete, will reduce the yield in direct proportion to the water reduction made. This needs to be taken into account when modifying the mix design. 5.5 Overdosing The level of retardation achieved is related to the dosage used. Any overdose will result in an increase in setting time. Large overdoses of retarders can produce very long setting times and even small overdoses can have this effect if the initial dose is high. Provided the overdose is no more than double that which was intended, and the concrete is well cured to prevent it from desiccation, accidentally retarded concrete will normally set and recover strength within two to three days. Where a dosage range is given, the normal dose should be taken as the bottom of the range. Where very large, accidental overdoses occur or where large overdoses of a water reducing retarders have been used without a correspondingly large water reduction, the concrete may not recover its strength in a reasonable time. As a general rule, if concrete contains an overdose of a retarding admixture and has not set hard in 5 days, then it may not gain useful mechanical strength within a reasonable time. Effects upon properties of concrete 6.1 Strength As with water reducing admixtures, ultimate strength gain is increased with increasing water reduction Retardation of set allows the slower formation of a more ordered, smaller, denser cementitous matrix. This has the effect of increasing ultimate strength relative to an unretarded mix with the same water cement ratio. Acceleration of strength by heat produces the opposite effect, with the rapid formation of a coarse matrix. This explains why steam cured precast concrete rarely produces the same ultimate strength as concrete cured at normal temperatures and produced from the same concrete. 6.2 Workability Retarding admixtures do not have a significant effect upon initial workability. However, they generally have a beneficial effect upon workability retention, particularly at elevated temperature. Retarding water reducing admixtures, have a pronounced effect upon workability. Typically, an increase in slump of 60-100mm results from the addition of a dosage of 0.25% by weight cement. Set retarding high range water reducing/plasticizing admixtures may be used to enable workability to be increased to a greater extent, at a typical dosage level of 0.3 to 1.0%. 6.3 Slump loss Retarding admixtures are useful for helping to reduce slump loss, particularly at elevated temperature but it is still important to have a high initial workability. Retarding water reducing admixtures are very effective at reducing slump loss when used to increase the initial workability of the mix, but less so when used as a water reducer. Indeed, if water reduction is taken at the expense of high initial workability, initial slump loss may be slightly faster and will slow when about half the initial slump is reached. 6.4 Setting time The prime function of a retarder is to extend the setting (stiffening) time of concrete, usually in order to prevent the formation of cold joints between deliveries of concrete. Even if workability has fallen to almost zero slump, fresh concrete can be vibrated into, and will bond with, a preceding, older pour. In hot weather, even a small delay in deliveries or a short breakdown of the pump can result in the first concrete pours setting before subsequent pours can be placed and vibrated to form a monolithic joint. In deep pours, if concrete placed early starts to set, the heat generated can cause faster setting of concrete above it and again lead to cold joints. In this situation, retarder dosage can be progressively reduced as the pour proceeds. 6.5 Air entrainment Retarding admixtures do not normally entrain air, and some types, especially those based on hydroxycarboxylic acid, may actually reduce air content. This may cause these retarded mixes to feel harsher and have more tendency to bleed. Most types of retarder can be used effectively in combination with an air entraining agent. 6.6 Bleeding The total volume of bleed water arising from concrete is often related to its setting time because once setting starts, bleeding stops. Thus retarded concretes are always more prone to bleed. Any reduction in air tends to aggravate this potential problem. The plasticising component of a retarding water reducing admixture may help to offset this effect and some types are formulated to slightly air entrain in order to reduce bleed. 6.7 Heat of hydration Retarding admixtures do not reduce the heat output of concrete but do serve to delay the time of peak temperature rise by exactly the same time interval by which it was retarded. In small sections this may allow slightly more heat dissipation and so peak temperature may be a little lower. In thick sections there will be no reduction in peak temperature and there is evidence that the peak temperature may even be increased slightly. 6.8 Volume deformation Creep and drying shrinkage are not significantly affected by the inclusion of retarding admixtures. If the concrete is water reduced by the use of a retarding water reducing admixture, then drying shrinkage will be reduced. 6.9 Durability Provided that the concrete is correctly cured, then retarded concrete should be stronger and just as durable as equivalent plain concrete. However, because of the extended plastic stage, more attention needs to be paid to protecting the concrete before it sets. Retarded water reduced concrete will have a lower water content than the equivalent plain concrete, and will be correspondingly more durable. MECHENISM OF RETARDING ADMIXTURES Retarding admixture is an admixture that retards the setting of concrete. A retarding admixture causes cement set retardation by one or more offollowing mechanisms: (1) Adsorption of the retarding compound on the surface of cement particles, forming a protective skin which slows down hydration; (2) Adsorption of the retarding compound on to nuclei of calcium hydroxide, poisoning their growth, which is essential for continued hydration of cement after the end of induction period; (3) Formation of complexes with calcium ions in solution, increasing their solubility and discouraging the formation of the nuclei of calciumhydroxide . (4) Precipitation around cement particles of insoluble derivatives of the retarding compounds formed by reaction with the highly alkaline aqueous solution, forming a protective skin . Detailed Explanation According to the first mechanism, a retarding admixture is adsorbed on the surface of cement particles. This layer of retarding admixture around the cement particles acts as a diffusion barrier. Due to this diffusion barrier, it becomes difficult for the water molecules to reach the surface of the unhydrated cement grains and hence the hydration slows down, and the dormant period (period of relatively inactivity) is lengthened. Due to the slow hydration, no considerable amount of the hydration products giving rigidity to the cement paste will be formed and thus the paste remains plastic for a longer time. Later, when the admixture is removed from solution by reaction with C3A from cement or by some other way it is removed and incorporated into the hydrated material, further hydration is eliminated. On first contact of water with cement grains (C3S and C2S) calcium ions and hydroxyl ions are rapidly released from the surface of the cement grains. When concentration of these ions reach es a critical value (at which the solution becomes saturated), the hydration products calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate hydrate start to crystallize from the solution and then hydration proceeds rapidly. According to the second mechanism, a retarding admixture incorporated into cement paste is adsorbed on the calcium hydroxide nuclei and prevents its growth until some level of super saturation is reached during the induction period of hydration. Thus, retarder lengthens the induction period by causing an increase in the level of calcium hydroxide super saturation before crystallization begins. This is analogous to the poisoning of crystal growth of calcium hydroxide by the retarding admixture as both calcium and hydroxyl ions are present in the solution but unable to precipitate as a result of poisoning of the calcium hydroxide nuclei. According to the third mechanism, a retarding admixture incorporated into cement paste forms some kind of complexes with calcium ions released by the cement grains during the first few minutes. Formation of the complexes increase the solubility of cement, i.e., increased concentration of Ca2+, OH, Si, Al and Fe in the aqueous phase of the cement pastes will occur when hydrated in the presence of the retarding admixture. Thus the calcium ions and hydroxyl ions will accumulate in solution and will be unable to precipitate to form calcium hydroxide. For example, when ordinary Portland cement is hydrated in sucrose solution, lime is solubilised and a sucrose calcium complex (R -O à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ca+ -OH) is formed in which Ca+ -OH group is attached to the five membered ring (R) of the sucrose molecule. Such sucroseà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬calcium complex will be able to become absorbed on the growing calcium hydroxide nucleus. The adsorption of the complex on the calcium hydroxide nucleu s will inhibit its growth as the calcium and hydroxyl ions will not be able to precipitate. In this way, hydration is retarded. The fourth mechanism is similar to the first but here some kind of insoluble derivatives of retarder are formed by reaction with the highly alkaline solution as pH of the solution rises to over 12 within few minutes after first contact of water with cement. For example, inorganic salt admixtures (borates, phosphates, zinc and lead salts etc.) give insoluble hydroxides in alkaline solution. The cement hydration is suppressed through the precipitation of protective coatings of these insoluble derivatives around the cement grains.

Stress in the Police Force: Causes and Effects

Stress in the Police Force: Causes and Effects Abstract This paper discusses police and the stress they deal with on a daily basis. It goes in depth on the negative issues of stress on police officers, the causes of stress and how stress can be managed. Lastly, this paper concludes that in order to have successful officers in our community we must address the significance of stress.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stress is a term used by many, but it is often misunderstood. Parker (2006) describes stress as physical and mental responses between personal experience and expectations. There is positive stress which helps improve athletic performance due to motivation that causes people to feel competitive, but generally stress is associated with negativity. Stress can be defined as the bodies reaction to internal and external stimuli that disrupts the bodies normal state. Stress normally upsets the normal state. The stimuli that causes stress can be physical, mental, or emotional. The body has to react to stressful situations which are called the flight-or-fight response and the body’s subconscious decision is critical for law enforcement officers.   Officer’s initial reaction to an incident cannot be to run away from it they must run to it because it is there duty and citizens are relying on them. However, stress can weaken and disturb the bodys defense mechanisms and may play a role in developing hypertension, ulcers, cardiovascular disease, and possibly even cancer. Stress alone does not cause sickness but it is a contributing factor to the development of certain illnesses. This can be very detrimental to a police officer’s career and wellbeing. So it becomes critical that we analyze the leading factors in stress for cops and find out how it can be combatted to make a better more sustainable police force.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overview of Stress in law Enforcement  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Law enforcement officers deal with four categories of stress which are external, organizational, personal, and operational. Eternal stressed is caused by real dangers that officers face outside of the office. These dangers can be found at every single traffic stop they make no matter how routine it is. There is always that unknown factor that causes them to stress. Organizational stress on officers comes from the military like structure within the department. This can include the strange hours and the constant changing duties for the officers. Personal stress is produced from interpersonal relationships within the department. This can come from relationships with other officers or with your superiors. Finally, operational stress comes from the daily confrontation of bad things. This can include officers dealing with criminals or looking at deaths. This creates stress for them. There is not just one way that will cause an officer to stress, instead there are multiple different facotrs that lead to officer stress. Therefore, multiple different approaches need to be taken in order to reduce thesed stress levels and produce and better law enforcement officer.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Negative Outcomes of Stress Work related factors that lead to increased stress in officers are: risky situations, organizational stress, and shift work. All of these stress catalysts can take a toll on police officers and can eventually negatively change their work performance. There are all sorts of way that officers cope with their stress levels and the majority of them are self-destructive and prove to be detrimental to their career. These can be harmful not only the individual officer but also the community in which they are serving. According to A National Institute of Justice report some other consequences of being a police officer that causes stress are cynicism and suspiciousness, emotional detachment from aspects of daily life, reduced efficiency, absenteeism and early retirement, excessive aggressiveness, alcoholism and other substance abuse problems, marital or other family problems, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide (Dempsy, Forst, 2016, p. 174). There are also specific health issues such a s heart attacks, ulcers, weight gain, and other health problems. An early study 2,300 police officers in 20 U.S. police departments revealed that 37% had serious marital problems, 36% had health problems, 23% had alcohol problems, 20% had problems with their children, and 10% had drug problems (Dempsy, Forst, 2016, p. 174-175). Stress commonly leads to family issues, fatigue and alcoholism. The prolonged effects of stress are very damaging to a human being. A study was done on the police officers in Buffalo, New York to see if stressors related to on the job work correlated with long-term physical and mental health. The study was prompted by the assumption that the high demands and exposure to human misery and death has a connection between obesity, suicide, sleeplessness and cancer (Goldbaum, 2012).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causes of Stress According to Waters & Ussery (2007), Police officers put themselves in many different dangerous situations on a daily basis and even a routine traffic stop can potentially lead to a fight for their life. Police officers constantly are dealing with people throughout their work day and not everyone they come in contact with are in a stable state of mind. The unknown factor is one of the hardest for police officers to get past because they don’t know anything about the individual they are about to come in contact with or how they view the police. For example, members of the Hmong community are going to react much differently to an officer approaching them than an old white lady. Another extremely dangerous and difficult job that officers deal with are people on drugs like alcohol or PCP. When a person is high on PCP they lose their pain threshold and become almost superhuman. It can take a while for an officer to identify what drug a person is on and it creates increased stress a s they are tensing up ready for anything. Officers cannot allow themselves to relax while they are on duty and the constant life or death situations can take a toll on any person’s mental state and induce stress. Stinchcomb (2004) states that another stress police officers have is organizational stress. Police officers deal with life threatening situations and traumatic encounters, but are also required to fill out paperwork and make sure their deskwork duties get completed as well as everything else. Organizational problems can stem from an organization becoming too centralized. Law enforcement departments must be sure to include lower ranked officers in the decision making process. They must feel like a contributing factor tio the department and not just a pawn. An additional organizational stress example is officers trying to take work time off during the holidays. Since police departments run 24/7 365 days of the year officers must make sacrifices and work on holidays lik e Christmas even if this means they miss seeing their family. However, this can be a great cause of stress for many officers especially the family orientated ones. It becomes stressful trying to make sure you have the day off or the officer with the youngest kids has the day to be with the family. The stress can be compounded to by outside forces such as your wife harassing you about not being home with the family enough. Often overlooked, organizational stress is can easily become a silent killer for many officers. Another factor that contribute to police stress is their rotating shift work. Shift work is described as the â€Å"regular† (non-overtime) employment hours outside of the general 7am to 6pm working interval. According to Waters & Ussery (2007), studies have shown that most shift workers only get approximately seven hours of sleep or less than those who work normal hours and average about five and a half hours of sleep a night. It is no secret that police officers work unusual shifts. Since officers are assigned shifts based upon seniority, newer officers generally have to work less than desirable work hours. That combined with the pressure of the demanding new job can be extremely harmful for young men and women in the profession. Waters & Ussery (2007) also state that rotating shift work is an added stress for police officers because once they start getting used to a certain sleep pattern, they are forced to re-adjust to a different time. Changing sleep patterns can add stres s to an officer’s already stressful life and can have both physical and psychological effects on officers. Also, court dates can interfere with an officer’s sleep schedule because court is hearings are during the day. So an officer that works graveyards and sleeps during the day is forced to stay awake and can suffer from sleep deprivation. The lack of sleep like many know can cause mood swings and change a person’s attitude. The profession of a police officer can often involve long hours. Fatigue and sleep loss are crucial in regular functions of how officers’ bodies run. While on the job, officers remain in their cars to watch for possible dangers. Krause (2012) references vigilance and fatigue becoming a problem when the police tasks are extended for long periods of time because it can reduce attention and alertness while raising stress levels. Sleep deprivation in comparable to excessive drinking and has the same effects. A sleep deprivation study sho wed that not sleeping for seventeen hours impaired a person’s motor skills to a person who has a blood alcohol level of .05 percent (Amenodola et. al., 2011). Officers that are fatigued tend to have more work related accidents. According to the National Institute of Justice, research has showed that fatigued officers use more sick leave, are more likely to use inappropriate force more frequently, more likely to be involved in a vehicle accident, and also have a higher likelihood of dying in the line of duty (Amenodola et. al., 2011).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stress Management Stress is an unavoidable aspect of law enforcement but there are numerous ways to manage it successfully in order to have a long and prosperous career that ends in a healthy retirement. One way police officers can reduce stress is by making sure they are not fatigued which means making sure they get enough rest. Police departments need to promote 10 hour work shifts nationwide instead of 12 hour shifts. There also needs to be plenty of swing shift coverage so officers can get off when they are scheduled. If there were policies or programs implemented in police organizations to recognize the dangers of fatigue on the job it could lead to healthier officers. To help with officer stress levels there are early intervention systems that monitor the performance of officers and based off various factors officers can be identified for an intervention (Walker, 2011). Management would be able to identify the level of fatigue an officer could have and schedule accordingly. Dennis (2007) suggest s having managers limit the number of hours officers work within a 24 hour period and being able to set a max hour limit to avoid overtime. Both of these are important for an officer’s fatigue because it will create set schedules so police can prepare accordingly. Improvement on scheduling programs can be beneficial with agencies to help maintain officers at a well-functioning level. There is no way to completely eliminate stress, but one way to reduce it is by working out and taking care of their bodies. According to Anxiety and Association of America (ADAA), working out is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function. This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate. â€Å"Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-est eem. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects† (adaa.org). Other benefits of exercising are that it pumps up your endorphins and focusing on a single task can be calming and clear the mind from the days stresses. According to the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is available for law enforcement officers to participate in. The structure of a CISD usually consists of the presence of   Ã¢â‚¬Å"one or more mental health professionals and one or more peer debriefs, i.e. fellow police officers or emergency service workers who have been trained in the CISD process and who may have been through critical incidents and debriefings themselves.† A typical debriefing takes place within twenty-four to seventy-two hours after the critical incident, and consists of a single group meeting that last approximately two-three hours, although shorter or longer meetings are determined by circumstances ( aaets.org). CISD consists of seven standard phases to help the officer cope with whatever traumatic incident he/she has been through in an effort to handle the stress before it negatively effects them. Although stress is unavoidable in some circumstance there are ways to prevent chronic stress. Police officers can change their lifestyle in order to manage their personal stress. They can try to avoid using alcohol and nicotine as coping mechanisms of stress. These factors can actually contribute to stress. A better diet and exercising can be beneficial by improving the resilience of the body and mind to stressful situations. Also, limiting your duty work hours to no more than twelve hours a day can help manage stress as well as talking about emotions to process what has been seen and done (Dennis 2007). References Amenodola, K., Weisburd, D., Jones, G., & Slipka, M. (2011). Police Foundation. Retrieved April 1, 2017, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/stress-fatigue/pages/shift-work.aspx Dempsey, J. S., & Forst, L. S. (2016).  An introduction to policing. Boston, MA, USA: Cengage    Learning. Dennis, L. (2007, August). Police fatigue: an accident waiting to happen. PsycEXTRA Dataset. Goldbaum, E. (2012, July 9). Police officer stress creates significant health risks. States News Service.    Home | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2017,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from https://www.adaa.org/ Law Enforcement Traumatic Stress: Clinical Syndromes and Intervention Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2017, from http://www.aaets.org/article87.htm Parker, H. (2006). Stress management. Delhi, IN: Global media. Stinchcomb, J. (2004). Searching for stress in all the wrong places: Combating chronic organizational stressors in policing. Police Practice & Research, 5(3), 259-277. Waters, J.A., & Ussery, W. (2007). Police stress: history, contributing factors, symptoms, and interventions. Policing, 30(2), 169-188.

Comparing Barn Burning and Pauls Case :: comparison compare contrast essays

Barn Burning and Paul's Case The stories "Barn Burning" written by William Faulkner and "Paul's Case" written by Willa Cather both have two separate characters with very similar troubles. Each has a uniquely sad narrative. "Barn Burning" is a sad story because it not only shows the classical struggle between the underprivileged and the privileged classes, but also the struggle between a father and his son, Sarty. Together, these two boys share comparable lifestyles. Each has conflicts with his father, fantasize of a wealthier existence, and flee from the tribulations in his life. Sarty's main dilemma is his loyalty to his family, which collides with his disappointment and suppressed dislike for his own father. He tends to hide his feelings by denying the facts, "our enemy he thought in that despair: ourn! mine and his both! He's my father!" (Faulkner 171). Sarty appears to be fearful of his father: "If I would have said they wanted only truth, justice, he would have hit me again. But now he said nothing. He was not crying. He jut stood there." (Faulkner 173) In comparison, Paul and his father also have conflicts and Paul too seems to be afraid of his own father. He decides that he would much rather spend the night in the cellar of his house than go inside and face his father. Paul does not feel as much at home when he is at his father's house as he does at Carnegie Hall where he works as an usher and spends most of his time. Paul's teachers and his father believe his working at the theater affects his schooling. As a result, Paul's father takes him out of school and forces him to work for a company referred to only as the firm of Denny and Carson as an office boy. Paul's dream to live like the stars is taken away when his father forbids him to work, visit, or go anywhere near the theater. It is at Carnegie Hall that Paul became struck by the glitter and the starlight of the stage. He is not star struck in the sense that he wanted to perform in any way; he is simply content to observe others' performances.

The Old Soldiers Home Essay examples -- Military

The Old Soldiers’ Home â€Å"They freely risked life and limb to protect the nation, and it seems but simple justice for the nation to care for them when unable to care for themselves† (Guide Publishing 1) was a shared opinion of many by the end of the Civil War. After these men have put their life on the line for the nation, any train of thought opposite of this would be absurd. Injury from the war is expected, but unfortunately, some of the blows these vets received were too harsh to bounce back from. Over 100,000 men from the Union Army would not be able to return to civilian employment, due to injuries or disabilities received in the line of duty. The United States would not let these war vets and their hard work and dedication go unnoticed, unrewarded, or unappreciated and action was taken as soon as possible. To care for these disabled veterans, â€Å"on March 3, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of congress establishing the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiersà ¢â‚¬  (Burns 1). With the signing of this act of congress, the idea of Soldiers’ homes had officially been mapped out and put into full effect. The Old Soldiers’ Home, now known as The VA Medical Center, was established to ensure that war vets were taken care of, out of respect for their loyalty to the nation. It was inevitable that there were veterans all over the United States who indeed needed government assistance, which is why more than one branch of the Soldiers’ Homes was established, making sure that as many of these war vets were taken care of as possible. The Central Branch, which is located in Dayton, OH, the Eastern Branch near Augusta, Maine, the North-Western Branch near Milwaukee, and the Southern Branch near Fortress Monroe, Virgin... ..., happy, and giving them another chance to live is the truest and most noteworthy accomplishment for the founders of the Old Soldiers’ Home. The Old Soldiers’ Home was established to ensure that war vets were taken care of, out of respect for their loyalty and its goal was reached. Thanks to this home in Dayton, OH and others, no soldier will go unnoticed. Works Cited Burns, Carolyn. Soldiers’ Home of Dayton, Ohio. Web. 16 Aug. 2009 http://www.carolynjburns.com/soldiers United States Department of Affairs. Dayton VA Medical Center, Ohio. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. http://www.dayton.va.gov The Guide Publishing Company. Guide to the National Soldiers’ Home for Visitors and Citizens: With Sketches of Dayton. Dayton, OH: The Guide Publishing Company, 1891. Print. Earnshaw, William. History of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers. 1875. Print.

Gas War :: essays papers

Gas War Gasoline is produced by a distillation process where crude oil is heated and fumes are captured and converted into many products such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline to name a few. Therefore the price of crude oil, which is extracted from oil wells beneath the earths surface, is a major factor in gas prices. The five leading oil-producing countries and their approximate shares of the world supply of oil are: Soviet Union 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, The United States 15%, Venezuela 4%, and Mexico 4%. These five countries made up 61 % of the worlds oil production back in 1980. Even though The United States is a major producer of oil, it does not make them self-sufficient. The United States uses more oil than they can produce and must look towards foreign countries. An organization called O.P.E.C. controls approximately four fifths of the worlds oil reserves in the non-communist world. The United States is forced to deal with O.P.E.C., not only in its own interests, but also in the interest of its allies and in the interest of maintaining peace. The former Soviet Union may now have an interest in selling some of their oil that they have a tremendous amount of. O.P.E.C. which stands for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is made up of 13 countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, and Gabon. O.P.E.C. was founded in Baghdad, Iraq in September of 1960. It was organized in response to oil producing countries that did not consult with the Middle Eastern oil states before lowering their crude oil prices. The producers feared that other countries would establish monopolies. The aim of O.P.E.C. was to create a universal price between the countries, in order to ensure peace between oil producers throughout the world. O.P.E.C. also wanted to provide its members with technical and economic support in times of need, since not all the countries were completely stable. The head quarters were initially set in Geneva, but were later moved to Vienna in 1965. O.P.E.C.’s goal was to establish firmly unified prices amongst their members, but the organization was not always successful. In their quest for control over the world market of oil production, they have ran into several obstacles and setbacks. O.P.E.C. has barely survived being eliminated due to internal conflicts amongst its members.

Patient Profile

Mrs Mary Martins is an eight four year old lady who was admitted to a local community hospital after falling at home while going to the toilet in the early hours of the morning. Mrs Martins had sustained a chipped bone in her left foot, had no plaster cast in situ and was non weight bearing. Mrs Martins lives alone in her own bungalow; her husband had died 4 years earlier. She has a son and daughter who both live in the south of England and a granddaughter who lives close by. The granddaughter pops in every week to help her with the shopping and various other tasks that may need doing. She also has a very good neighbour who she sees every day and who helps out whenever needed with tasks such as shopping. Mrs Martins has been retired for a number of years now and enjoys driving her car very much and socialising with friends. She also used to play golf and travel to the United States of America (USA) every year to visit family. Mrs Martins main concern was her ability to drive her car again. Mrs Martins has never smoked, but does like to have the odd alcoholic drink of a night time. She has no past medical conditions and no medication history, although the doctor has put her on 1g of paracetamol to be taken four times a day or as and when required to help with the pain. Before the fall Mrs Martins was a fit and active lady who lived a very independent life.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 15

â€Å"Come on, it's okay,† Thea said. She seemed to be aboutPoppy's age, but she had a gentle, sensible air that gaveher authority. â€Å"Sit down. Here.† She set Poppy on ashabby couch and extended her wrist. Poppy stared atthe wrist for an instant and then remembered. James, giving her blood from his arm. Thatwashow to do it. Friendly andcivilized. She could see pale blue veins under the skin. And that sight blasted away the last of her hesitation. Instinct took over and she grabbed Thea's arm. Thenext thing she knew she was drinking. Warm salty-sweetness. -Life. Relief from pain. It was so good that Poppy could almost cry. No wonder vampires hated humans, she thought dimly. Humansdidn't have to hunt for this marvelous stuff; theywere full of it already. But, another part of her mind pointed out, Theawasn't a human. She was a witch. Strange, becauseher blood tasted exactly the same. Poppy's every sense confirmed it. So witches are just humans, but humans with special powers, Poppy thought. Interesting. It took an effort to control herself, to know whento stop. But she did stop. She let go of Thea's wrist and sat back, a little embarrassed, licking her lips andteeth. She didn't want to meet Thea's brown eyes. It was only then that she realized she'd been keeping her thoughts shielded during the entire process.There had been no mental connection as there had been when she shared blood with James. So she'dmastered one vampire power already. Faster than James or Ash had expected. And she felt good now. Energetic enough to do theNetherlands skippy dance. Confident enough to smileat Thea. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. Thea smiled back, as if she found Poppy odd orquaint, but nice. She didn't seem suspicious. â€Å"It'sokay,† she said, flexing her wrist and grimacinggently. For the first time Poppy was able to look aroundher. This room was more like a living room than partof a shop. Besides the couch there was a TV andseveral chairs. At the far end was a large table withcandles and incense burning. â€Å"This is the teaching room,† Thea said. â€Å"Grandmadoes spells here and lets the students hang out.† â€Å"And the other part is a store,† Poppy said, cautiously because she didn't know what she was supposed to know. Thea didn't look surprised. â€Å"Yes. I know you wouldn't thinkthere'd be enough witches around here to keep us in business, but actually they come from all over the country. Grandma's famous. Andher students buy a lot.† Poppy nodded, looking properly impressed. Shedidn't dare ask more questions, but her chilly hearthad warmed just a tiny bit. All Night People weren'tharsh and evil. She had the feeling she could be friends with this girl if given the chance. Maybe she could make it in the Night World after all. â€Å"Well,thanksagain,† she murmured softly. â€Å"Don't mention it. But don't let Ash get you rundown like that, either. He's soirresponsible.† â€Å"You wound me, Thea. You really do,† Ash said.He was standing in the doorway, holding the beadcurtain open with one hand. â€Å"But come to think ofit, I'm feeling a little run down myself†¦.† He raisedhis eyebrows insinuatingly. â€Å"Go jump in Lake Mead, Ash,† Thea said sweetly. Ash looked innocent and yearning. â€Å"Just a littlebite. A nibble. A nip,† he said. â€Å"You have such apretty white throat†¦.† â€Å"Who does?† Blaise said, pushing her way throughthe other half of the bead curtain. Poppy had the feeling she was only speaking to focus attention onherself. She stood in the center of the room andshook back her long black hair with the air of a girlused to attention. â€Å"You both do,† Ash said gallantly. Then he seemed to remember Poppy. â€Å"And, of course, this littledreamer has a pretty white everything.† Blaise, who had been smiling, now looked sour.She stared at Poppy long and hard. With dislikeand something else. Suspicion. Dawning suspicion. Poppy could feelit. Blaise's thoughts were brightand sharp andmalicious,like jagged glass. Then suddenly Blaise smiled again. She looked atAsh. â€Å"I suppose you've come for the party,† she said.†No. What party?† Blaise sighed in a way that emphasized her lowcut blouse. â€Å"The Solstice party, of course. Thierry'sgiving a big one. Everybody willbe there.† Ash looked tempted. In the dim light of the teaching room his eyes gleamed dark. Then he shook hishead. â€Å"No, can't make it. Sorry. I'm going to show Poppythe town.† â€Å"Well, you can do that and still come to the partylater. It won't really get going until after midnight.†Blaise was staring at Ash with an odd insistence. Ashbit his lip, then shook his head again, smiling. â€Å"Well, maybe,† he said. â€Å"I'll see how things go.† Poppy knew he was saying more than that. Someunspoken message seemed to be passing betweenhim and Blaise. But it wasn't telepathic, and Poppy couldn't pick it up. â€Å"Well, have a good time,† Thea said, and gavePoppy a quick smile as Ash piloted her away. Ash peered ahead at the Strip. â€Å"If we hurry wecan watch the volcano erupting,† he said. Poppy gavehim a look, but didn't ask. Instead, she said, â€Å"What's a Solstice party?† â€Å"Summer solstice. The longest day of the year. It'sa holiday for the Night People. Like Groundhog Dayfor humans.† ?Why?† â€Å"Oh, it always has been. It's very magical, youknow. I'd take you to the party, but it would be toodangerous. Thierry's a vampire Elder.† Then he said, â€Å"Here's the volcano.† It was a volcano. In front of a hotel. Waterfallscrashed down its sides, and red lights shone from thecone. Ash double-parked across the street. â€Å"You see, we've got a great view right here,† hesaid. â€Å"All the comforts of home.† The volcano was emitting rumbling sounds. AsPoppy watched in disbelief, a pillar of fire shot outof the top. Real fire. Then the waterfalls caught fire.Red and gold flames spread down the sides of the black rock until the entire lake around the' volcanowas ablaze. â€Å"Inspiring, isn't it?† Ash asked, very close to herear. â€Å"Well-it's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Thrilling?† Ash inquired. â€Å"Stimulating? Rousing?† His arm was creeping around her, and his voicewas sweetly hypnotic. Poppy didn't say anything. â€Å"You know,† Ash murmured, â€Å"you can see a lotbetter if you get over here. I don't mind crowding.† His arm was urging her gently but inevitably closer. His breath ruffled her hair. Poppy slammed an elbow into his stomach. â€Å"Hey!†Ash yelped-in genuine pain, Poppy thought. Good. He'd dropped his arm and now he was looking ather with aggrieved brown eyes. â€Å"What did you do that for?† â€Å"Because I feltlike it,† Poppy said smartly. She was tingling with new blood and ready for a fight. â€Å"Look,Ash, I don't know what gave you the idea that I'm your date here. But I'm telling you right now thatI'm not. â€Å" Ash tilted his head and smiledpainfully.†You justdon't know me well enough,† he offered. â€Å"When weget to know each other-â€Å" â€Å"No.Never. I'm not interested in other guys. If Ican't have James †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Poppy had to stop and steady her voice. â€Å"There's nobody else I want,† she saidfinally,flatly. â€Å"Nobody.† â€Å"Well, not now, maybe, but-â€Å" â€Å"Never.†She didn't know how to explain. Thenshe had an idea. â€Å"You know the soulmate principle?† Ash opened his mouth and then shut it. Openedit again. â€Å"Oh, no. Not thatgarbage.† â€Å"Yes. James is my soulmate. I'm sorry if it soundsstupid, but it's true.† Ash put a hand to his forehead. Then he started to laugh. â€Å"You're serious.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And that's your final word.† â€Å"Yes.† Ash laughed again, sighed, and cast his eyes upward. â€Å"Okay. Okay. I should have known.† He chuckled in what seemed like self-derision. Poppy was relieved. She'd been afraid he'd be disgruntled and huffy-or mean.Despite his charm, shecould always feel something cold running below thesurface in Ash, like an icy river. But now he seemed perfectly good-humored.†Okay,† he said. â€Å"So if romance isn't on the menu, let's go to the party.† â€Å"I thought you said it was too dangerous.† He waved a hand. â€Å"That was a little fib. To get youalone, you know.† He glanced sideways at her.†Sorry.† Poppy hesitated. She didn't care about a party. Butshe didn't want to be alone with Ash, either. â€Å"Maybe you should just take me back to your cousins' place.† â€Å"They won't bethere,† Ash said. â€Å"I'm sure they've gone to the party by now. Oh, come on, it'll be fun. Give me a chance to make things up to you.† Thin curls of uneasiness were roiling inside Poppy. But Ash looked so penitent and persuasive †¦andwhat other choice did she have? â€Å"Okay,† she said finally. â€Å"For just a little while.†Ash gave a dazzling smile. â€Å"Just a very littlewhile,† he said. â€Å"So they could be anywhere on the Strip,†James said. Thea sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I should have known Ashwas up to something. But hijacking your girlfriend†¦Ã¢â‚¬ She lifted her hands in a what-next gesture. â€Å"Forwhat it's worth, she didn't seem very interested inhim. If he's planning to put the moves on her, he'sgoing to get a surprise.† Yes, James thought, and so is she. Poppy was onlyuseful to Ash as long as Ash thought he could playwith her. Once he realized he couldn't†¦ He didn't want to think about what would happenthen. A quick visit to the nearest Elder, he supposed. His heart was pounding, and there was a ringingin his ears. â€Å"Did Blaise go with them?† he asked. â€Å"No, she went to the Solstice party. She tried to get Ash to go, but he said he wanted to show Poppythe town.† Thea paused, raising a finger. â€Å"Waityou might check at the party. Ash said he might stopin later.† James spent a moment forcing himself to breathe.Then he said, verygently, â€Å"And just who is giving this party?† â€Å"Thierry Descouedres. He always has a big one.†Ã¢â‚¬ And he's an Elder.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Nothing. Never mind.† James backed out of theshop. â€Å"Thanks for the help. I'll be in touch.†Ã¢â‚¬ James†¦Ã¢â‚¬ She looked at him helplessly. â€Å"Do youwant to come in and sit down? You don't lookvery well†¦.† â€Å"I'm fine,† James said, already out the door.In the car he said, â€Å"You can get up now.† Phillip emerged from the floor of the backseatwhere he'd been hiding. â€Å"What's happening? Youwere gone a long time.† â€Å"I think I know where Poppy is.†Ã¢â‚¬ You just think?† â€Å"Shut up, Phil.† He didn't have energy for exchanging insults. He was entirely focused on Poppy.†Okay, so where is she?† James spoke precisely. â€Å"She is either now, or shewilll be later, at a party. A very large party, filled with vampires. And at least one Elder. The perfect placeto expose her.† Phil gulped. â€Å"And you think that's what Ash is going to do?† â€Å"I know that's what Ash is going to do.† â€Å"Then we've got to stop him.† â€Å"We may be too late.† The party was strange. Poppy was amazed at howyoung most of the people were. There were a few scattered adults, but far more teenagers. â€Å"Made vampires,† Ash explained obligingly. Poppyremembered what James had said-made vampiresremained forever the age of their death, but lamiacould stop aging anytime. She supposed that meantthat James could get as old as he wanted, while she would be stuck at sixteen eternally. Not that it mattered. If she and James were going to be together,they could both stay young-but apart, maybe he'd want to age. But it was odd to see a guy who looked about nineteen talking earnestly with a little kid wholooked about four. The kid was cute, with shiny black hair and tilted eyes, but there was something at onceinnocent and cruel in his expression. â€Å"Let's see, now that's Circe. A witch of renown.And that's Sekhmet, a shapeshifter. You don't want to get hermad,† Ash said genially.He and Poppy were standing in a little anteroom, looking down a level into the main room of the house. Of the mansion, rather. It was the most opulent private residence Poppy had ever seen–and she'd seen Bel Airand BeverlyHills. â€Å"Okay,† Poppy said, looking in the general?direc tion he was pointing. She saw two tall and lovelygirls, but she had no idea which was which. â€Å"And that's Thierry, our host. He's an Elder.† An Elder? The guy Ash was indicating didn't seemolder than nineteen. He was beautiful, like all thevampires, tall and blond and pensive. Almost sadlooking. â€Å"How old ishe?† â€Å"Oh, I forget. He got bitten by an ancestress ofmine a long time ago. Back when people lived incaves.† Poppy thought he was joking. But maybe not. â€Å"What do the Elders do, exactly?† â€Å"They just make rules. And see that people keepthem.† An odd smile was playing around Ash's lips. He turned to look directly at Poppy. With the black eyes of a snake.That was when Poppy knew. She backed away rapidly. But Ash came after her,just as rapidly. She saw a door on the other side of the anteroom and headed for it. Got through it. Onlyto find herself on a balcony. With her eyes, she measured the distance to the ground. But before she could make another move, Ash had her arm. Don't fight yet, her mind counseled desperately. He's strong. Wait for an opportunity. She made herself relax a fraction and met Ash's dark gaze. â€Å"You brought me here.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"To hand me over.†He smiled.†But why?† Ash threw back his head and laughed. It waslovely, melodious laughter, and it made Poppy sick. â€Å"You're a human,† he said. â€Å"Or you should be. James should never have done what he did.†Poppy's heart was racing, but her mind was oddlyclear. Maybe she'd known all along that this was what he was going to do. Maybe it was even the rightthing to do. If she couldn't be with James and she couldn't be with her family, did the rest really matter? Did she wantto live in the Night World if it wasfull of people like Blaise and Ash? â€Å"So you don't care about James, either,† she said.†You're willing to put him in danger to get rid of me.† Ash considered, then grinned. â€Å"James can takecare of himself,† he said. Which was obviously Ash's entire philosophy. Everybody took care of themselves, and nobody helpedanybody else. â€Å"And Blaise knew, too,† Poppy said. â€Å"She knew what you were going to do and she didn't care.† â€Å"Not much gets past Blaise,† Ash said. He startedto say something else-and Poppy saw her chance. She kicked-hard. And twisted at the same time.Trying to get over the balcony rail. â€Å"Stay here,† James said to Phil before the car had evenstopped. They were in front of a huge white mansionfringed with palm trees. James threw the door open,but took the time to say again, â€Å"Stay here.No matter what happens, don't go in that house. And if somebodybesides me comes up to the car, drive away.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"Just do it, Phil! Unless you want to find out aboutdeath firsthand-tonight.† James set out at a dead run for the mansion. Hewas too intent to really notice the sound of a cardoor opening behind him. â€Å"And you looked like such a nice girl,† Ash gasped.He had both of Poppy's arms behind her back andwas trying to get out of the range of her feet.†No-no, quit that, now.† He was too strong. There was nothing Poppy coulddo. Inch by inch he was dragging her back into theanteroom. You might as well give up, Poppy's mind told her.It's useless. You're done. She could picture the whole thing: herself being dragged out in front of all of those sleek and handsome Night People and revealed. She could picturetheir pitiless eyes. That pensive-looking guy wouldwalk up to her and his face would change and hewouldn't look pensive anymore. He'd look savage.His teeth would grow. His eyes would go silvery.Then he'd snarl–and strike. And that would be the end of Poppy. Maybe that wasn't the way they did it, maybe theyexecuted criminals some other way in the NightWorld. But it wouldn't be pleasant, whatever it was. And I won't makeiteasyfor you!Poppy thought. Shethought it directly at Ash, throwing all of her angerand grief and betrayal at him. Instinctively. Like akid shouting in a temper tantrum. Except it had an effect shouting usually didn't. Ash flinched. He almost lost his grip on her arms. It was only a momentary weakening, but it wasenough for Poppy's eyes to widen. I hurt him. Ihurthim! She stopped struggling physically in that same instant. She put all her concentration, all her energy,into a mental explosion. A thought-bomb. LET GO OF ME YOU ROTTEN VAMPIRE CREEP! Ash staggered. Poppy did it again, this time makingher thought a fire hose, a high-power jetstreambombardment. LET G000000000000! Ash let go. Then, as Poppy ran out of steam, hetried in afumblingway to reach her again. â€Å"I don't think so,† a voice as cold as steel said.Poppy looked into the anteroom and saw James. Her heart lurched violently. And then, withoutconsciously being aware of moving, she was in hisarms. Oh, James, how did youfind me? All he kept saying was Are you all right? â€Å"Yes,† Poppy said finally, aloud. It was indescribably good to be with him again, to be held by him.Like waking up from a nightmare to see your mothersmiling. She buried her face in his neck. â€Å"You're sure you're all right?† â€Å"Yes. Yes.† â€Å"Good. Then just hang on a moment while I kill this guy and we'll go.† He was absolutely serious. Poppy could feel it in his thoughts, in every muscle and sinew of his body.He wanted to murder Ash. She lifted her head at the sound of Ash's laugh.†Well, it ought to be a good fight, anyway,† Ashsaid. No, Poppy thought. Ash was looking silky and dangerous and in a very bad mood. And even if James could beat him, James was going to get hurt. Evenif she and James fought him together, there was going to be some damage. â€Å"Let's just go,† she said to James. â€Å"Quick.† Sheadded silently, Ithink he wants to keep us around untilsomebody from the party gets here. â€Å"No, no,† Ash said, in gloatingly enthusiastic tones.†Let's settle this like vampires.† â€Å"Let's not,† said a breathless familiar voice. Poppy'shead jerked around. Climbing over the railing of thebalcony, dusty but triumphant, was Phil. â€Å"Don't you everlisten?† James said to him. â€Å"Well, well,† Ash said. â€Å"A human in an Elder'shouse. What arewe going to do about that?† â€Å"Look, buddy,† Phil said, still breathless, brushingoff his hands. â€Å"I don't know who you are or whathorse you rode in on. But that's my sisterthere you're messing with, and I figure I've got the first right to knock your head off.† There was a pause while Poppy, James, and Ash all looked at him. The pause stretched. Poppy wasaware of a sudden, completely inappropriate impulse to laugh. Then she realized that James was fightingdesperately not to crack a smile. Ash just looked Phil up and down, then looked atJames sideways. â€Å"Does this guyunderstandabout vampires?† hesaid. â€Å"Oh, yeah,† James said blandly. â€Å"And he's going to knock my head in?† â€Å"Yeah,† Phil said, and cracked his knuckles. â€Å"What's so surprising about that?† There was another pause.Poppycould feel minute tremors going through James. Choked-back laughter.At last James said, admirably sober, â€Å"Philreally feelsstrongly about his sister.† Ash looked at Philonce more, then at James, andfinally at Poppy. â€Å"Well †¦ there are three of you,† he said. â€Å"Yes, there are,† James said, genuinely sober now. Grim. â€Å"So I guess you do have me at a disadvantage. Allright,I giveup.† He lifted his hands and thendropped them. â€Å"Go on, scram. I won't fight.† â€Å"And you won't tell on us, either,† James said. Itwasn't a request. â€Å"I wasn't going to anyway,† Ash said. He had onhis most innocent and guileless expression. â€Å"I knowyou think I brought Poppy here to expose her, but I really wasn't going to go through with it. I was justhaving fun. The whole thing was just a joke.† â€Å"Oh, sure,† Phil said. â€Å"Don't even bother lying,† James said. But Poppy, oddly, wasn't as certain as they were.She looked at Ash's wide eyes-his wide violeteyes-and felt doubt slosh back and forth inside her. It was hard to read him, as it had been hard allalong. Maybe because he always meant everythinghe said at the time he said it–or maybe because he nevermeant anything he said. No matter which,, he was the most irritating, frustrating, impossible personshe'd ever met. â€Å"Okay, we're going now,† James said. â€Å"We're goingto walk very quietly and calmly right through that littleroom and down the hall, and we're not going to stopfor anything-Phillip.Unless you'd rather go back downthe way you came up,† he added. Phil shook his head. James gathered Poppy in hisarm again, but he paused and looked back at Ash. â€Å"You know, you've never really cared about anyone,† he said. â€Å"But someday you will, and it's goingto hurt. It's going to hurt-a lot.† Ash looked back at him, and Poppy could readnothing in his ever-changing eyes. But just as Jamesturned again, he said, â€Å"I think you're a lousyprophet. But your girlfriend's a good one. You mightwant to ask her about her dreams sometime.† James stopped. He frowned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"And you, little dreamer, you might want to check out your family tree. You have a very loud yell.† He smiled at Poppy engagingly. â€Å"Bye now.† James stayed for another minute or so, just staringat his cousin. Ash gazed serenely back. Poppycounted heartbeats while the two of them stoodmotionless. Then James shook himself slightly and turnedPoppy toward the anteroom. Phil followed right on their heels. They walked out of the house very quietly andvery calmly. No one tried to stop them. But Poppy didn't feel safe until they were on theroad. â€Å"What did he mean with that crack about the family tree?† Phil asked from the backseat. James gave him an odd look, but answered with aquestion. â€Å"Phil, how did you know where to findPoppy in that house? Did you see her on the balcony?† â€Å"No, I just followed the shouting.† Poppy turned around to look at him.James said, â€Å"What shouting?† â€Å"Theshouting. Poppy shouting. ‘Let go of me yourotten vampire creep.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Poppy turned to James. â€Å"Should hehave been ableto hear it? I thought I was just yelling at Ash. Dideverybody at the party hear?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"But, then–â€Å" James cut her off. â€Å"What dream was Ash talkingabout?† â€Å"Just a dream I had,† Poppy said, bewildered. â€Å"Idreamed about him before I actually met him.† James's expression was now verypeculiar. â€Å"Oh,did you?† â€Å"Yes. James, what's this all about? What did hemean, I should check my family tree?† â€Å"He meant that you-and Philaren't human after all. Somewhere among your ancestors there'sa witch.†