Three Approaches To Management in Criminal Justice Essay

Three Approaches To Management in Criminal Justice - Essay Example In his Principles of Scientific Management, Frederick W. Taylor stated that all work organization responsibilities should be assigned to managers but not workers; scientific methods should be used in order to determine job performance, and the person best suited to perform each task should be selected to carry out such a task. Further, the principle states that workers should be trained to perform each task correctly; work performance should be monitored to make sure that specified procedures for a task are being followed correctly and the desired outcome achieved. Finally, work assignments should be planned, and work interruptions eliminated (Sapru, 2008). Lillian Gilbreth and Frank invented the motion study, which is an approach that reduces jobs to their basic movements. Henry Gantt developed a bonus and task wage plan where workers could be paid a bonus whenever they completed their job within the given time. The Hawthorne Studies used scientific techniques to study the behavior of human beings at work. More experiments saw researchers come into a conclusion that social factors explained the outcomes observed in all the Hawthorne studies. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X assumes that an average number of human beings dislike work and always avoid it whenever possible. As a result of this dislike of work, majority of persons must be controlled, coerced, directed, or even threatened with punishment prior to putting effort towards achievement of organization’s objectives. An average number of human beings like avoiding responsibility, prefer being directed, has little ambition, and above all, want security. Managers’ responsibility is to organize money, equipment, materials, and people. In addition, manager’s function is to direct workers’ efforts, motivate them, modify their behavior, and control their actions. Without such managers’ intervention, indiv iduals would be resistant to or passive about organizational needs. For the sake of the

Current Trend to Teaching Nutrition in Elementary School Essay Example for Free

Current Trend to Teaching Nutrition in Elementary School Essay Elementary schools have interesting aspects of putting across nutrition information to students through various methods. For instance, game theory is used to substitute healthier food for unhealthy foods currently consumed in various places including public places. Game theory in nutrition involves changing ones brain which eventually affects the body. This system entails mastering the guidelines of competitive practices mostly in purchasing, preparing or consuming good foods for our bodies. Game theory is used to motivate groups of people on their approaches to eating habits. In this theory, food is used to enable learners make decisions. It also examines the learners’ trust with regard to the fact that the body is molded depending on what one was fed on during his/her childhood and that the body is designed to fight diseases in times of infection. When using game theory, the teacher gives learners different examples of commonly used foods like the use of extra virgin oil by an individual or chicken fat for baking. In this example, the teacher is able to identify the individual who is at risk of developing diabetes (Brenowitz Tuttle, 2003). In elementary schools, teachers identify the most important nutrition topics and the materials required to teach nutrition. For instance, healthy food choices and food guide pyramid are important topics that ought to be taught in elementary schools. Teachers have got the ability to change dietary behaviors of students. Middle schools use the team nutrition curriculum â€Å"yourself† which has details on food groups, required servings, following USDA food guide pyramid and weight guidelines. It also has guidelines and activities that are employed while choosing snacks (Gutek Gerald, 1986). Elementary school teachers reward their students for good and presentable behavior. The teachers use food method and non food method to reward them. With food method the teacher chooses the students with good eating habits while with non food method those students with good interactive behavior are rewarded. As a result, most students will try as much as they can, so that they can improve and learn good nutritional habits. References Brenowitz, N. , Tuttle, C. R. (2003). Development and testing of a nutrition-teaching selfefficacy scale for elementary school teachers. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35, 308-311. Gutek, B. Gerald, L. (1986). Education in the United States: An Historical Perspective. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Time is a major theme in Ian McEwans The Child In Time. Essay

Time is a major theme in Ian McEwan's The Child In Time. "Time is always susceptible to human interpretation. And though time is partly a human fabrication, it is also that from which no parent or child is immune." Time is a major theme in Ian McEwan's 'The Child In Time'. He treats the subject irreverently, 'debunking chronology by the nonlinearity of his narrative.' - Michael Byrne. McEwan uses the setting of Stephen's dull committee as the backdrop for his daydreaming. Even Stephen's thoughts are not choronological, and his daydreams constantly flit between different times, although this could be to emphasise the overall flexibility of time. At first sight, it seems that the loss of Kate will be the central event, but McEwan strays through a wide spectrum of events, including the central one, Stephen's encounter at 'The Bell', to try and explain his feelings. The scene at The Bell also refers to a vivid dream McEwan had, where he walked towards a pub knowing he would find the meaning of his life, knowing he would be terrified, but also needing to go on. This is the most important event in the book, and the most difficult to interpret in terms of the behaviour of time. The book does not even begin with the loss of Kate, as you would expect, but Stephen on a normal morning. He relates everything he sees to time, the passing of which is even more important to him than anything else. After all, 'the heartless accumulation of days, after the loss of Kate, has driven Stephen to deep depression, and endless thought. In his depression, he lives for Kate, the only purpose of his existence. This is how he knows he is alive, how he counts the days. 'Kate's growing up had become the essence of time itsel... ... views on time and he contrasts them to show how differently each character interprets that time. It holds utmost control, even though it is not independent. Nobody can ever escape it. Stephen, Julie and Kate couldn't escape time, and Stephen 'was to make efforts to re - enter this moment, to burrow his way back through the folds between events, crawl beneath the covers, and reverse his decision' but, as Thelma said, 'Time - not necessarily as it is, for who knows that, but as thought has constituted it - monomaniacally forbids second chances.' Acknowledgements Time and the Child - Michael Byrne - The Antigonish Review www.antigonishreview.com/bi-123/123-mbyrne.html He Turned Around and She Was Gone - Rebecca Goldstein - The New York Times Back to the Future - Author Unavailable - Publisher Unavailable Emma Warburton - The Guardian newspaper

Brain Functioning Table Essay

A neuron is a cell in the brain or another part of the nervous system that transmits information to other cells. Neuron cells are the information processing components of the brain responsible for receiving and transmitting information. Each part of the neuron plays a role in the communication of information throughout the body. Neurotransmitters A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance through which one neuron sends a message to another. Neurotransmitters are transmitters that give off chemical reactions to neurons. There are several types of neurotransmitters and each type controls different functions like muscle control and triggers. Axon An Axon is a long, arm like structure that transmits information on to still other neurons. The axon is the elongated fiber that extends from the cell body to the terminal endings and transmits the neural signal. The larger the axon, the faster it transmits information. Myelin sheath Myelin sheath is an insulating envelope of myelin that surrounds the core of a nerve fiber or axon and that facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses, formed from the cell membrane of the Schwann cell in the peripheral nervous system and from oligodendroglia cells. Myelin sheaths three main functions include are protection of the nerve fiber, insulation of the nerve fiber and increasing the rate of conduction of nerve impulses. Dendrites Dendrites are a short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body. Dendrites are treelike extensions at the beginning of a neuron that  help increase the surface area of the cell body. These tiny protrusions receive information from other neurons and transmit electrical stimulation to the soma. Synapses Synapses are junctions between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter. To connect two neurons by providing a space between an axon terminal of one neuron and a dendrite of another neuron, so neurotransmitters that are released by an axon terminal can diffuse across that space to reach the dendrite and either initiate the possibility of the second neuron to fire or cause a muscle cell to contract. Cortex A cortex is the upper part of the brain; site of complex, conscious thinking processes. The cerebral cortex is involved in numerous functions of the body including: determining intelligence, determining personality, motor function, planning and organization, and touch sensation. Synaptogenesis A synaptogenesis is the universal process in early brain development in which many new synapses form spontaneously. Synaptogenesis is a process involving the formation of a neurotransmitter release site in the presynaptic neuron and a receptive field at the postsynaptic partners, and the precise alignment of pre- and post-synaptic specializations. Synaptic pruning A synaptic pruning is a universa process in brain development in which many previously formed synapses wither away. Synaptic pruning refer to neurological regulatory processes, which facilitate changes in neural structure by reducing the overall number of neurons and synapses, leaving more efficient synaptic configurations. Pruning is a process that is a general feature of mammalian neurological development. Myelination A myelination is the growth of a fatty sheath (myelin) around the axons of neurons, enabling faster transmission of electrical impulses. The myelin sheath is a protective covering that surrounds fibers called axons, the long thin projections that extend from the main body of a nerve cell or neuron. . Reference Ormrod, J. (2014). Educational psychology: Developing learners. (8th ed., pp. 22-24). Pearson Education, Inc.

World Issues: Comparing two articles – Colin Powell at the World Summit

Recently many of the worlds leaders met in Johannesburg for the earth summit. It was called to mark the 10th anniversary of a meeting in Rio de Janeiro which managed to set up a number of important environmental agreements. Unfortunately the USA's president, George Bush did not attend but sent his secretary of state, Colin Powell instead. There were 65, 000 delegates and 174 countries were represented. The first earth summit, hosted in Rio de Janeiro (1992) managed to set up several agreements, based on the environment and the future shape of global industrial development. It set up an agenda called agenda 21. This agenda set out the way that planet-wide environmental improvements could be achieved if local authorities made more of a priority of issues such as recycling and energy conservation. Now looking back at the summit from 10 years in the future, I personally think it was a failure, nothing seems to have changed. Problems such as pollution and energy conservation just seem to have gotten worse. Although things like recycling have begun to grow in some countries e. g. UK. The Articles The Sun article states facts about what happened when Colin Powell was eing â€Å"heckled†. It has little information about what was actually discussed. It could have stated the history behind the summit and the reasons for the heckling. The Times article is more â€Å"in depth†. It goes behind the summit and states its background while still stating information about Colin Powell's heckling and also the achievements of the summit e. g. the agreement, aimed at reducing world poverty and protecting the environment. It also has statements from the some of the world leaders such as â€Å"there should not be any more such mega-summits† which was ade by the Prime Minister of Denmark and the president of the European Union. Comparing the two articles, I find that The Times article is more detailed than The Sun article. Also there are the differences in language which you find between a tabloid (Sun) and a broadsheet (Times). The Sun seems to deal with the main issue of Colin Powell's heckling while The Times deals with the summit as a whole with Colin Powell's heckling included. The writers approach the article in different ways because of the types of newspaper they work for (e. g. tabloid) and perhaps there ersonal opinion on the subject. The Sun article is based more on the interesting parts of the incident with Colin Powell and also has hints of the writers opinion e. g. â€Å"agreement was branded inadequate†. While The Times article deals with issues of the summit and includes information about Colin Powell's heckling. e. g. â€Å"Powell's speech made it clear that the Bush administration has written off the planet† Both articles are biased but The Sun is more than The Times. The Sun seems to be pro-America which means most of its comments seem to make America seem in the right and are trying to create sympathy for Colin Powell. But The Times is very critical of America â€Å"Bush has written off the planet† even though it is critical, it does not mean that its against America but it does seems to â€Å"nit-pick†. To draw this to a close, I think that The Times article and The Sun article expressed different opinions on these events. Some points were bad while others were good. I believe that The Times article is the best due to its contrast of opinion and â€Å"in depth† information of the summit. I think that the Johannesburg summit like its predecessor was a failure even though some agreements were made. Some of the delegates branded the agreements inadequate therefore not everyone liked it. Also one of the biggest problems (America) did not seem to take much notice and as I stated have written off the planet. The main problem with putting agreements into practice is that perhaps some countries will adopt a scheme but not all countries will so the problem goes on and that some of the people on these countries will not do the extra work required to make it work (e. g. Recycling)

A Brief History of Steamboats

A Brief History of Steamboats The era of the steamboat began in the late 1700s, thanks initially to the work of Scotsman James Watt. In 1769, Watt patented an improved version of the steam engine that helped usher in the Industrial Revolution and spurred  other inventors to explore how steam technology could be used to propel ships. Watts pioneering efforts would eventually revolutionize transportation. The First Steamboats John Fitch was the first to build a steamboat in the United States. His initial 45-foot craft successfully navigated the Delaware River on August 22, 1787. Fitch later built a larger vessel to carry passengers and freight between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey. After a contentious battle with rival inventor James Rumsey over similar steamboat designs, Fitch was ultimately granted his first United States patent for a steamboat on August 26, 1791. He was not, however, awarded a monopoly, leaving the field open for Rumsey and other competitive inventors. Between 1785 and 1796, Fitch constructed four different steamboats that successfully plied rivers and lakes to demonstrate the feasibility of steam power for water locomotion. His models utilized various combinations of propulsive force, including ranked paddles (patterned after Indian war canoes), paddle wheels, and screw propellers. While his boats were mechanically successful, Fitch failed to pay sufficient attention to construction and operating costs. After losing investors to other inventors, he was unable to stay afloat financially.   Robert Fulton,  the Father of Steam Navigation   Before turning his talents to the steamboat, American inventor Robert Fulton had successfully built and operated a submarine in France but it was his talent for turning steamboats into a commercially viable mode of transportation that earned him the title of the father of steam navigation. Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on November 14, 1765. While his early education was limited, he displayed considerable artistic talent and inventiveness. At the age of 17, he moved to Philadelphia, where he established himself as a painter. Advised to go abroad due to ill health, in 1786, Fulton moved to London. Eventually, his lifelong interest in scientific and engineering developments, especially in the application of steam engines, supplanted his interest in art.   As he applied himself to his new vocation, Fulton secured English patents for machines with a wide variety of functions and applications. He also began to show a marked interested in the construction and efficiency of canal systems. By 1797, growing European conflicts led Fulton to begin work on weapons against piracy, including submarines, mines, and torpedoes. Soon after, Fulton moved to France, where he took up work on canal systems. In 1800, he built a successful diving boat which he named the Nautilus but there was not sufficient interest, either in France or England, to induce Fulton to pursue any further submarine design.   Fultons passion for steamboats remained undiminished, however. In 1802, he contracted with Robert Livingston to construct a steamboat for use on the Hudson River. Over the next four years, after building prototypes in Europe, Fulton returned to New York in 1806. Robert Fultons Milestones On August 17, 1807, the Clermont, Robert Fultons first American steamboat, left New York City for Albany, serving as the inaugural commercial steamboat service in the world. The ship traveled from New York City to Albany making history with a 150-mile trip that took 32 hours at an average speed of about five miles per hour. Four years later, Fulton and Livingston designed the New Orleans and put it into service as a passenger and freight boat with a route along the lower Mississippi River. By 1814, Fulton, together with Robert Livingston’s brother, Edward, was offering regular steamboat and freight service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi. Their boats traveled at rates of eight miles per hour downstream and three miles per hour upstream. Steamboats Rise Cant Compete with Rail In 1816, when inventor Henry Miller Shreve launched his steamboat, Washington, it could complete the voyage from New Orleans to Louisville, Kentucky in 25 days. But steamboat designs continued to improve, and by 1853, the New Orleans to Louisville trip took only four and a half days. Steamboats contributed greatly to the economy throughout the eastern part of the United States as a means of transporting agricultural and industrial supplies. Between 1814 and 1834, New Orleans steamboat arrivals increased from 20 to 1,200 each year. These boats transported passengers, as well as cargoes of cotton, sugar, and other goods. Steam propulsion and railroads developed separately but it was not until railroads adopted steam technology that rail truly began to flourish. Rail transport was faster and not as hampered by weather conditions as water transport, nor was it dependent on the geographical constraints of predetermined waterways. By the 1870s, railroads- which could travel not only north and south but east, west, and points in between- had begun to supplant steamboats as the major transporter of both goods and passengers in the United States.

The Plains Zebra essays

The Plains Zebra essays Deep ebony, blinding cream, these are the colors of the zebra. The zebra is one unique animal. Zebras are one of the marvelous animals in Africa. About the size of a small horse, these amazing animals are about 50-53 inches in height. When a male zebra grows up, he can weigh up to 520 pounds! It's a good thing that the female zebra is friendly. It can weigh a whopping 510 pounds, almost as much as the male! Zebras usually do not attack unless threatened though, whew! The large animal, the zebra, mates all year round, but mostly during the early rainy season. Eighteen male zebras battle it out with the dominant male at that certain time to see who has the rights to mate with the number one female. In three years, female zebras are able to mate, and the is able when he is about five. Found mainly in the Southern Savanna, these hungry zebras can also be found in the arid plains of eastern Africa. They are also found in many national parks because hunters kill countless zebras for their picturesque fur, much as the elephant for its tusks. During the day, zebras are not as active as they are at night. The zebra easily adapts to just about anything Africa can throw at them, from poachers to food shortage. Therefore, one of the most successful herbivores in Africa. These friendly zebras main predator is the lion. When attacked by a lion, the zebra makes it difficult to eat just one zebra, so it is kind of "all for one, and one for all!" as the Three Musketeers would say. Also, poachers present another problem. People are trying to stop the hunting of endangered animals, but as long as people have the right to bear arms, we will keep running into this horrible problem. The poachers get a large sum of money for killing these poor, defenseless, endangered animals, and selling their fur on the black market. ...

Bullets, Silver and Magical

Bullets, Silver and Magical Bullets, Silver and Magical Bullets, Silver and Magical By Maeve Maddox A reader remarked on the use of â€Å"silver bullet† in this quotation: â€Å"The answer is to find a silver bullet that will wean us from fossil fuels.† Suggests the reader, â€Å"The reference should be ‘magic bullet’ from the polio vaccine. ‘Silver bullet’ belongs to the lone ranger.† The expression â€Å"magic bullet† may have originated in a medical context, but it is now used interchangeably with â€Å"silver bullet† to refer to â€Å"something providing an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem.† According to a note in M-W, â€Å"magic bullet† is a translation of German zauberkugel and its â€Å"first known use† in English was in 1924. Earlier than that (1907) a medical writer used the expression â€Å"charmed bullet† to mean â€Å"an idealized therapeutic agent that is highly specific for the pathogen or disorder concerned†: â€Å"Antitoxins and antibacterial substances are, so to speak, charmed bullets which strike only those objects for whose destruction they have been produced by the organism.† The OED includes a 1992 citation for â€Å"magic bullet† that shows its use outside a medical context: â€Å"No one has yet found a magic bullet for quickly cutting Milwaukees crime rate.† The phrase â€Å"magic bullet† appears on the Ngram Viewer as early as 1858, but doesn’t make much of a showing until 1920. The phrase â€Å"silver bullet† precedes both â€Å"magic bullet† and the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger stories originated on US radio in 1933. The Ngram Viewer shows â€Å"silver bullet† on the graph as early as 1800, and the OED cites the phrase as early as 1648. Magical properties have been ascribed to silver since ancient times. A silver bullet is supposed to be able to kill supernatural beings- such as witches and werewolves- that are impervious to ordinary weapons. In the Grimm story â€Å"The Two Brothers,† (published 1812), one of the brothers kills a witch with a silver bullet. An OED citation dated 1856 refers to â€Å"a belief in bullet-proof men† that caused some soldiers â€Å"to put in a silver coin with their bullets.† The Lone Ranger’s use of a silver bullet as a talisman has nothing to do with supposed magical properties. This is the explanation given in a Lone Ranger FAQ at Weird Science-Fantasy: Silver bullets are the Lone Ranger’s calling card. Silver is a symbol of purity. On the television show the Lone Ranger says he uses silver bullets as a symbol of justice, but more importantly, silver bullets serve to remind the Ranger of just how heavy a price firing a gun can be. Digression Although it has nothing to do with silver bullets, I cannot resist mentioning another bit of Lone Ranger lore. The guidelines prepared by the series’ producers include the following directive: The Lone Ranger at all times uses precise speech, without slang or dialect. His grammar must be pure. He must make proper use of â€Å"who† and â€Å"whom,† â€Å"shall† and â€Å"will,† â€Å"I† and â€Å"me,† etc. Be still, my heart. An early use of â€Å"silver bullet† was as a metaphor for â€Å"money used to achieve military aims,† as illustrated in these OED citations: We have won with the silver bullets before.- D. Lloyd George Speech Treasury, Times, 1914. Invest the savings in buying ‘Silver Bullets’ in the form most suitable and convenient- Exchequer bonds, scrip, or through the Post Office Savings Bank.- Times, 1916.   Ã‚   Liberty Bond slogans, the appeal of young America to their elders for ‘silver bullets’ to fight the battle of liberty, will be prominently displayed. - Oakland (Calif.) Tribune, 1917. As for present usage, Google search shows â€Å"magic bullet† and â€Å"silver bullet† about equally frequent: â€Å"magic bullet†: 7, 290,000 results â€Å"silver bullet†: 7, 220,000 results Bottom line: Both expressions are used with the same meaning: something- substance or action- that provides an all-encompassing solution to a long-standing problem. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a RowHyphenation in Compound Nouns

Ethical responsibilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethical responsibilities - Essay Example 1), "There are many ways consumers can use their spending power to make a difference to the world." This notion refers directly to the manner in which consumers decide how to spend their personal budgets. In fact, the ethical decisions of consumers and the ethical decisions of businesses-or vice versa-go hand-in-hand. As such, there is quite a bit of overlapping that occurs between the two during the course of this discussion of ethical consumer behaviour (Vitell and James, 2005). At the Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA), we argue that the rise of ethical consumerism is closely connected to globalisation and the pressures this puts on democratic governments to avoid corporate regulation. So unless something occurs to reverse this process, we would certainly predict no early demise for ethical consumerism. Indeed, with few other ideas on the horizon which so directly address the social and environmental consequences of globalisation, most evidence points to increasing levels of activity in the field. Much of this will be focusing on improving the quality of information about ethical issues. Of crucial importance will be the development of governmental regulation of corporate disclosure, environmental claims, and general information availability. Independent monitoring of corporate ethical claims by accountants and pressure-groups will also flourish. Hopefully we will also see the current growth in ethical marketing by companies sustained and increas ed. One of the key features that distinguish ethical consumers from those who are not is whether or not each consumer believes he or she can make a difference in the world. There are some dramatic examples of consumer power that have happened in the past that help to illustrate this concept. One of these is the Esso boycott over climate change (Schroeder, 2002 and Irving, 2005). According to the work of Irving (2005, pg. 1), "For the last 30 years or so, multinational corporations have been trying to shape the decisions of elected governments to fit their vision of a global free market. And whilst governments have in most cases been pretty obliging, it is the ordinary people that buy their products who haven't been so convinced. The corporate vision of a morally barren future where only the strong survive and where money is the only measure of value was hardly going to meet with universal acclaim." There are a variety of ways in which consumers can make ethical decisions when they are deciding how to spend their personal budgets. Many consumers have done so in the past, and current and future spending of consumers can be based on the ethical examples that have been set for them before, as well as their own personal morals and values. According to Irving (2005, pg. 1), some of the particularly sensitive areas in which ethical consumer decisions should be made include the following: Animal welfare (live exports, free range, organic, endangered species, angling, dolphins, whaling, vegetarianism) Animal testing (cosmetics testing and other) The environment (timber, PVC, chlorine, ozone depletion, organic agriculture, out-of-town superstores) Fair trade and workers' rights (fair trade companies, clothes, sports shoes, toys, footballs, carpets, supermarkets, trade union campaigns) Oppressive regimes (South Africa, Burma, China

Puerto Rico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Puerto Rico - Essay Example Its original inhabitants were Aboriginal people. Christopher Columbus discovered it. It was a Spanish colony who transformed its culture and physical landscape. European knowledge, customs and traditions including Roman Catholicism, Spanish language, agriculture, stone constructions and the printing presses. In the present day, its people are American citizens and the region has a local constitution. They elect their own governor although they lack voting members in Congress and is a subject of the plenary jurisdiction of the United States under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 (Luis, 2009). Its economy is a high-income economy and the most competitive in the Latin America. This economy is mainly driven by the manufacturing and service industries. The manufacturing industry comprises of pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals and electronics while the service industry is of finance, insurance, real estate and tourism. The Unites States controls its foreign affairs exerting trading restrictions especially in its shipping industry. It is also a small island lacking natural resources and depends mostly on imports (Duany, 2003). Puerto Rico experienced recession from 2006 to 2011 and again in 2013. However, it has managed to maintain a relatively low inflation in the past decade at the same time maintaining a purchase power higher than 80% of the world. It is unable to become a self-sufficient and self-sustainable economy since it has a public debt equal to 68% of its gross domestic product (Sanchez, 2009). It is, therefore, poorer than other American states, even Mississippi, with 41% of its population below the poverty line. Puerto Rico does participate in globalization through activities such as consumerism of society, attracting industries, computers and through its tourism program. On the other hand, globalization has greatly affected Puerto Rico’s natural environment. The future of the country is greatly jeopardized by the

The Effect of Sentencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Effect of Sentencing - Essay Example The Benefits, Drawbacks, and Deterrence Effects of Various Forms of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System Sentencing is the product of a long process of bringing individuals to justice for their crimes and, as a result, it plays a crucial role in determining whether a criminal justice system is successful in achieving its purpose. If individuals are sentenced too harshly, according to rules that are too rigid, then the justice system has failed to live up to its promise of equitably distributing justice in society. If individuals are sentenced too laxly, according to rules that are not rigid enough, then the justice system can neither achieve retribution against offenders for their crimes against others nor achieve a deterrent effect to prevent further crime. The deterrent effect of sentencing is particularly important because criminals recognize the relative weight that prosecutors and judges place on certain crimes under certain circumstances; in cases in which a criminal knows sentencing will be soft, a crime is more likely to occur. Therefore, it is important for the criminal justice system to achieve a mean between too harsh and too soft in how crime in general is sentenced. Part of determining how to achieve this mean is by defining the kind of sentencing that ought to be practiced most often, with the major choices being indeterminate, determinate, and mandatory sentencing. Indeterminate sentencing denotes a term of incarceration that does not state a specific period of time or release date, but just a range of time. For instance, the imposition of â€Å"five-to-ten years† is an indeterminate sentence. Indeterminate sentencing is a perspective in criminal law closely tied to the rehabilitative perspective—the idea that prison should be an instrument for correcting and improving the behavior of inmates. According to O’Hear (2011), this perspective fell from favor in the 1970s and in the years that followed, many states pared back their investment in indeterminate sentencing practices where release dates were determined by a parole board years after the initial conviction. Besides the drawback of being linked to an antiquated theory of justice, indeterminate sentencing has the benefit of taking into account behavior while in prison as justification for expediting or delaying one’s release into society. Determinate sentencing, which is the imposition of a sentence that includes a fix or minimum period as specified by a statute. Determinate sentencing provides less flexibility than indeterminate sentencing, which is neither a benefit nor a drawback. However, one clear weakness with determinate sentencing is that situational factors do not enter easily into the equation. In Lockyer v. Andrade (2003), a form of determinate sentencing known as the three-strike law in California was challenged based on the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The essence of the law is that a heavy sentence is required for individuals convicted of a third felony, which is thought to provide a strong deterrent effect after the second felony conviction. However, the nature of the three felonies could be as wide ranging as drug trafficking to shoplifting. Therefore, even if three felonies are relatively minor crimes, determinate senten

Mangosteen Remedies Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mangosteen Remedies Marketing Plan - Coursework Example From this paper it is clear that physicians prescribe the drugs for chronic diseases as mentioned above, which are mostly NSAIDs, to provide relief from pain. Although, they are highly effective yet they have severe side effects too. The worst part is that once patient stops consuming it, disease returns with a bang. They are only a stopgap arrangement and not a real cure in themselves. These medicines cause stomach cramps, drowsiness, diarrhea, heartburn, edema (swelling of the feet), nausea and much of the discomfort. Moreover, NSAIDs pose a risk of causing stroke, heart attacks, clotting, and kidney failure, if consumed for a longer duration. The risk is associated with the amount of dosages. No one would like to have such risks and dependency on such drugs. If choice is available for an alternative medicine; it is for sure that patient would prefer switching over to a safer drug where there are no side effects even after taking medicines for a long time. ‘Mangosteen Remedie s’ produces medicines from rind of mangosteen and using many such herbs. Mangosteen is a naturally available fruit. Its remedial potential lies in compounds called xanthones found in abundance in the rind of this fruit. Medical science has found a large group of xanthones in mangosteen. Xanthones are recognized as most potent antioxidants provided by Mother Nature. Antioxidants are the compounds that throw toxic elements out of our body and prevent oxidation of our cells. That is how it increases our immunity slowing the process of ageing and providing strength to fight back chronic diseases. Anti-inflammatory properties of xanthone make it an ideal substitute for many steroid-based drugs in the long run. (Properties of Xanthones) That is why it is found to work on asthma patients giving them relief including the patients suffering from bronchitis asthma. Mangosteen rind extract is found to work in many ailments for the above mentioned reasons. It imparts a rejuvenating effec t increasing the energy levels in humans and a good part is that it delivers a permanent cure without causing any side effects. The manufacturing operation consists of extracting xanthones from mangosteen rind and suitable preparations are made that are high in xanthone concentrations. Medicines outside of U.S FDA ‘Mangosteen Remedies’ products will be marketed in the form of dietary supplements. U.S. FDA does not offer any opinion on dietary supplements. This is to establish the fact that these medicines are beyond the purview of U.S. FDA.

Sustainable Events Management Course work Essay

Sustainable Events Management Course work - Essay Example Also, MCI delivered satisfactory results in social, economic, and environmental aspects as they conform to the ISO 20121 (event sustainability management system). The reality shows that more and more businesses have perceived sustainability principles and practices as important success factors in today’s business landscape; hence, they have incorporated these into their systems and activities. Sustainability among these companies are being provided in various societal and corporate initiatives, but most of them are centered on environmental or natural, economic, and social dimensions (Haugh & Talwar, 2010). These dimensions of responsibility are known as the triple bottom line (TBL) approach, which was coined by John Elkington in 1990s (Elkington, 2004). In this regard, various industries are encouraged to give importance on environmental and societal issues in their decision-making and sustainability reporting; this approach can be seen in the MCI group. The main thrust of this paper is to critically assess the sustainability policy of MCI in relation to the TBL theory. Also, recommendations will be given after the critical appraisal of the company’s sustainability plan. MCI is a privately held company whose expertise is in the field of event management. It was founded in 1987 by Roger Tondeur and Ursula Wiger, which is currently headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (MCI, n.d.a.). Furthermore, MCI is one of the leading companies in the event industry with 48 offices in 22 countries worldwide including the U.S, EU, Asia, Middle East, and many more (MCI, 2011). Also, the company expressed that their continuing growth for almost 25 years is attributed to their commitment to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the application of the TBL theory. This theory has been embedded in all of MCI’s policies, practices, decisions, programs, and reporting. In fact, they are

Ch 40 dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ch 40 dis - Essay Example No doubt free market economy reaps free trade benefits, businesses, and consumers the consumers as well. These have been classified into four main areas a) agreements between competitors b) contractual arrangements between sellers and buyers c) maintenance of monopoly power and d) mergers (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law 1997). The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 is the focal point for antitrust law which subsequently followed by the other States of the United States of America. The congress addressed the weaknesses of given acts and amended it accordingly. In this respect, we may refer the acts of Clayton Act of 1914 and the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936. The efforts of the Congress with regard to enforcement of law are highly appreciated. It should be taken into account the ongoing analysis influenced by economic, intellectual, and political changes. The U.S. Supreme Court has had the leading role in shaping up and applying these laws (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law 1997). Since the association of bakeries is responsible for creating monopolistic environment and raising the retail price of bread from 75 cent to 85 cent at their own whims and fancies, hence found violating and negating the antitrust

Sustainable Events Management Course work Essay

Sustainable Events Management Course work - Essay Example Also, MCI delivered satisfactory results in social, economic, and environmental aspects as they conform to the ISO 20121 (event sustainability management system). The reality shows that more and more businesses have perceived sustainability principles and practices as important success factors in today’s business landscape; hence, they have incorporated these into their systems and activities. Sustainability among these companies are being provided in various societal and corporate initiatives, but most of them are centered on environmental or natural, economic, and social dimensions (Haugh & Talwar, 2010). These dimensions of responsibility are known as the triple bottom line (TBL) approach, which was coined by John Elkington in 1990s (Elkington, 2004). In this regard, various industries are encouraged to give importance on environmental and societal issues in their decision-making and sustainability reporting; this approach can be seen in the MCI group. The main thrust of this paper is to critically assess the sustainability policy of MCI in relation to the TBL theory. Also, recommendations will be given after the critical appraisal of the company’s sustainability plan. MCI is a privately held company whose expertise is in the field of event management. It was founded in 1987 by Roger Tondeur and Ursula Wiger, which is currently headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (MCI, n.d.a.). Furthermore, MCI is one of the leading companies in the event industry with 48 offices in 22 countries worldwide including the U.S, EU, Asia, Middle East, and many more (MCI, 2011). Also, the company expressed that their continuing growth for almost 25 years is attributed to their commitment to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the application of the TBL theory. This theory has been embedded in all of MCI’s policies, practices, decisions, programs, and reporting. In fact, they are

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Globalization - Essay Example Armed Forces. He took part in the hostilities in Vietnam. In the 70-ies Al Gore worked as a manager of the company Tangle-wood Note Builders Co. in the state of Tennessee, and was a columnist for The Tennessean. In 1977 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the 95th Congress convocation, and was re-elected in 1979, 1981 and 1983. In 1985 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Tennessee, and reelected in 1991. In 1991 he announced his candidacy for a U.S. presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. At the Democratic National Convention he became a candidate for vice president. In November 1992 he was elected vice president of the United States and re-elected to that position in 1996. Al Gore is married and has one son and three daughters. He lives in Washington, DC. The book â€Å"Earth on the Balance† (1992) was written at a time when Al Gore was the chairman of the Senate committee on ecology and environmental protection. In it in an accessible an d vivid form the problems of maintaining global ecological balance in the current situation are considered. According to many critics, it is one of the most professional researches on environmental problems, ever issued from the pen of political activist. This certainly gives the book a special flavor and keen reader's interest, especially in the third part, where the author offers a number of specific practical measures to improve environmental law and keeping the natural balance in third world countries. The book consists of three parts. In the first part called â€Å"Balance at Risk† the specific examples of ecological imbalance in the different regions of the planet are viewed. In the second part â€Å"The Search for Balance† which, from my point of view, is the most conceptually rich, the author analyses the social, economic and ideological reasons that have made a destructive attitude to the environment possible, which was until recently characteristic of the ind ustrialized world and which even today distinguishes the policy of most developing countries. The third part â€Å"Striking the Balance† is devoted to assessing the ways out of this situation. The book combines a deep analysis of economic and social causes of the current ecological crisis and the great factual material with, in my view, idealistic notions about the possibility of consolidating the efforts of developed countries in the fight against the impending danger. In particular, considerable attention is given to the propaganda of â€Å"a new Marshall Plan† as the author names it, i.e. the reallocation of national product of developed countries (amounting to 100 billion dollars per year) in favor of environment-oriented programs in third world countries. I can’t help noting that even much more modest financial measures approved by the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, have not been implemented up to now as well as the fact that the volume of U.S. aid to developing countries in this area was significantly reduced during Bill Clinton and George Bush’s presidency. Meanwhile, a book by A. Gore remains highly relevant as an example of a deep analysis of the origins of the ecological crisis and reflection of the concerns of political circles in the West. â€Å"Earth on the balance† over its four hundred pages undoubtedly gives us a lot of hard-to-dispute empirical facts about the Earth on which we live, about the environment.

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Example for Free

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? 1 Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? 2 Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? 2 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? 3 Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? 3 Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? 4 Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? 5 Technical Issues 5 Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? 5 Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? 6 Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? 7 Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? 8 Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? 9 Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? 9 IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? 10 Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? 10 Conclusion 11 Introduction There are a number of good reasons why companies should consider supporting a remote worker program including an expanded labor pool, reduced traffic congestion costs (late arriving/stressed out employees), improved recruitment and retention of staff, facility cost savings, reduced parking costs, reduced sick leave and improved worker productivity. Conversely, there are some disadvantages that companies should also be aware of including an isolated work force, family turf problems, lack of social interaction with other employees and the fear by remote workers that they will be overlooked for promotions. Companies obviously have a lot to factor in deciding whether or not to implement a telecommuting program. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide consideration points to many of the common questions facing such companies. The questions and discussion herein are divided into two primary categories: technical and organizational. They are intended to provide more generalized information that decision makers can use to enhance their understanding of telecommuting issues. Organizational Issues Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? In general, remote workers appear to be more productive than traditional office workers. In an October 1995 survey of Fortune 1000 managers, 58% reported increased productivity by employees who telecommuted. Also, according to the State of Californias Telecommuting Pilot Program, companies that implemented a remote work force experienced productivity increases ranging from 10 30%. Further, telecommuters working for American Express produced 43% more business than their office-based counterparts1. Clearly the case can be made that remote workers are indeed more productive. The primary explanation for improved productivity is a quieter work environment, which offers fewer interruptions. Certainly the remote worker also faces interruptions in their daily work, such as family business, neighbors, chores, television, etc. However these interruptions are generally much fewer than those experienced by the traditional office worker. Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? The biggest savings for companies result from reduced absenteeism costs and reduced real estate costs. Oftentimes when employees need to take care of personal business such as doctor visits, car repair, tending to children, etc. they call in sick for the entire day. However, remote workers can take care of personal business and still accomplish some or most of their work tasks from home. The International Telework Association Council estimates that employees who telecommute can save their employers $10,000 each in reduced absenteeism costs2. According to PC World, telework can cut corporate real estate costs from 25 to 90%, which can result in substantial savings for employers. In fact, ATT saves $25 million per year from employees who are full-time telecommuters3. Many companies who have implemented a successful telecommuting program have instituted hoteling systems in their offices. A hotel is essentially an empty cubicle that is set up with a phone, network connections and basic office supplies that any employee can use, often by making a reservation with an office administrator. Hoteling offers telecommuting employees a place to work in the office when necessary without employers having to provide them with a full-time workspace. Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? Without doubt one of the most important keys to implementing a successful telecommuting program is proper planning. And since every organization has their unique differences (i.e. size, industry, complexity, culture, locale), there is no single formula for such planning. However, successful telecommuting programs should address the following at a minimum: * Perform an initial assessment * Consider organizational strategy and culture * Consider the role of management * Consider the need for staff input * Determine which staff tasks are most amenable to telecommuting * Consider regulatory compliance and legal issues * Determine technology needs * Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and/or ROI analysis4 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? According to Langhoff, tasks that are most appropriate for telecommuting are jobs where a person works alone, handling information such as reports, proposals, data or research. Writers, salespersons, accountants, programmers, graphic artists, researchers, engineers, architects, public relations professionals all are prime candidates for telecommuting5. In determining eligibility for telecommuting, managers should first consider whether the employees tasks can be performed remotely. Second, an examination of the individuals level of performance should be made (i.e. are they hard working and self-motivated or do they need constant supervision and coaching?). Of course it can be tricky selecting who can and cannot telecommute; therefore companies should be aware of the potential legal implications stemming from employees who wished to work remotely but were turned down. Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? Too often companies only view telecommuting as providing benefits to them and to their employees; however, there remains potential downsides. One potential downside is the lack of social interaction between employees. Employees who work at an office setting spend a considerable amount of their day interacting with other employees. These water-cooler discussions foster a camaraderie that translates into value for companies when the same employees work on projects together or are in need of support from each other. Also, the camaraderie indirectly benefits the company when management is trying to achieve buy-in on various initiatives. Lastly, having close relationships allow employees to maintain a healthy mental balance at work resulting in an overall higher level of morale. Once telecommuting is introduced into the mixed, some or all of those relationships are lost. Analysis of past telecommuting research shows that the most cited problem associated with negative impacts of telecommuting is the feeling of isolation and loss of morale6. Although isolation feelings and loss of morale (and the resulting decrease in a companys value) are difficult metrics to measure, some workable solutions have been devised to combat these negative issues. Other solutions have included limiting telecommuting days and making sure to include telecommuting employees in company events7. Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? The office environment offers some benefits that telecommuting cannot provide. Most important amongst these benefits is the companys ability to communicate to its employees. Most offices display signs of the companys direct communication whether it is embodied in mission statements, annual goal and targets, or newsletters. Indirectly, the company communicates with corporate color schemes, promotion company clothing, and other branding material such as coffee mugs. All of these communications are omnipresent throughout the corporate office setting and help to build company pride, employee loyalty, and a sense of corporate culture. Employees who tend to work remotely are only exposed slightly to this communication through email, conference calls, and other mailed material. This lack of corporate communication may lead to low motivation, lack of identification with the company, and reduced company loyalty8. The solution to the communication challenge is to ensure that corporate communication includes channels to the remote worker. In fact, companies should recognize that off-site employees need more direct and indirect communication such that employees do not develop those negative feelings. Also, companies should make a concerted effort to limit telecommuting days and to include all telecommuting employees in company events9. Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? Another challenge with telecommuting employees revolves around their direct management. Not only do managers find it much more difficult to monitor the productivity and effectiveness of their telecommuting employee, but they are also challenged by having to change their management style to incorporate the limitations brought about by telecommuting10. Managers who have telecommuting employees are also faced with more potential issues such as family conflicts arising from their employee working from home. These conflicts cross the boundary of work and personal life, and almost always negatively impact productivity. Lastly, it is the role of managers to provide organizational support to the telecommuting employee. With the employee being off-site, the manager is usually limited to email and telephone to support his employee. This limitation further restricts a managers effectiveness and typically utilizes more of a managers time in sorting out support logistic11. Solutions to the managers challenge involve setting up a detailed action plan between manager and telecommuting employee. This action plan should be supplemented with an active communication plan12. Once expectations for both parties are clearly outlined in the action plan, both parties can then communicate progress or support needs more efficiently. Moreover, managers can adapt their management styles to telecommuting employees by setting results-based milestones and orienting tasks into projects such that managers still retain control of certain processes13. Technical Issues Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? Before considering the strategy to deploying remote access for a company, a survey should be done of the existing network and current remote access configurations. Once a complete analysis of the current configuration and future needs are assessed, then the following issues need to be included in your strategy of preparing and deploying the company network for a remote force: security, bandwidth, and infrastructure.14 Table N1 3 Areas of Security15 Internal Network Usually the most secure of the three, but still should be reviewed for any fallacies. External Network Must secure the PC in the remote location (i.e. firewalls, RSA encryption, etc) to prevent unauthorized access and snooping from the remote location. Remote Worker Least secure, must require security policies to be followed about passwords, where to connect, and who to trust. With more remote workers, there will be an increased demand of bandwidth on the network. Will the remote employees be productive with the current infrastructure that your network can provide? Perhaps considerations for upgrading from16: From To Dial-up (56K) ISDN (128K-256K) ISDN (128K-256K) T1 (up to 1.5M) T1 (up to1.5M) T3 (44.736 Mbps) With the increase demand more infrastructure will be required for allowing an increasing number of remote workers to connect to the corporate network (more servers, security hardware, and routing hardware). Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? For the employees who travel often, they are usually provided some mobile computing solutions and they have found ways to work from remote locations. However the new generation of employees, the remote worker will work from the comfort of their home. Working from home brings a new set of issues in to play. HARDWARE * Can the employee keep work and personal items separated? * If not, should the company provide additional hardware? * If the company does NOT provide additional hardware, then how much of the employees hardware can be expensed if upgrades are necessary? * The employee may need/require a fax machine, an additional phone line, or other office equipment. SOFTWARE * Software licensing has be clear-cut as far as how many computers can use the same license, however what about home workers? * The companys site licensing may not cover home computers and will require the company to pay extra for these licenses. INFRASTRUCTURE * For someone at home who has a DSL, Cable, or Dial-Up connecting, how much of that should the company pay for? * Support, Support, Support. Who will provide the maintenance and support? * Is the home PC secure? If not, who will provide the hardware/software in order to secure it? Also consider how much of the companys data should be on the personal machine. What happens if the home PC is hacked? Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? Outlined in this paper is the most common setup for a company to develop telecommuting options for their employees. However most of these configurations allow the employee to use limited resources over the Internet (access to shared folders, documents and e-mail). Depending on the size, the costs of setting up an infrastructure for telecommuting workforce could be unaffordable. The following are other options available to companies who wish to have a telecommuting workforce. Citrix Remember or heard about the mainframe days? Well, history tends to repeat itself. As more PCs were becoming powerful, we moved away from the mainframe days. However with the Internet, the paradigm of sharing resources has returned and now software applications and operating systems have the enhanced ability to handle more than one user concurrently. Citrix17 allows concurrent remote users access to a single server that will give a separate session for each user. Each user will have access to the same set applications on one machine. This solves the software licensing issues of working from a remote location as well as reduces amount of maintenance of hardware/software for the IT department. Satellite Offices Companies are opening satellite offices to reduce commute times for employees and help alleviate city traffic and parking congestion problems. This will result in reduced land costs since these centers are away from the city where the cost of living is lower.18 Telework centers are similar to a satellite office, but operate by independent parties. Unlike satellite offices, numerous employees use them. Think of these options as outsourcing building/infrastructure issues. Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? In todays information environment, connectivity has become essential for a significant portion of the workplace. Access to email, network resources, server applications, and the Internet is a continual activity for the white-collar professional. At a minimum, companies would be well served to support webmail. In much the same vein as portal email (Hotmail, Yahoo), mail is maintained on the company server. This server is then linked to a website, and employees can gain secure access to the company server via any browser. Once logged in, an individual has the full functionality of their account to compose, receive, store, and delete email without explicitly needing to connect to the company network. However, there will be a resulting lack of security employees need to be encouraged to create and regularly modify complex passwords, and to close public web sessions. That said, the security risk is only to an individual email account; not the company network as a whole. A second logical step for an IT department is to enable Virtual Private Networking (VPN). This will allow employees to connect their remote machines to the company network after establishing an Internet connection through an ISP. This machine then behaves just as a networked office-located computer. For users maintaining both an office and remote computer, this solution requires any desktop applications be maintained on both systems. To avoid this duality, many users will first establish a VPN connection and then emulate their office computer with built-in Windows 2000 and Windows XP remote desktop tools or 3rd party tools such as VNC19. In essence, the remote machine then acts as a terminal or monitor to the office computer, and the user can run the applications found on that machine without any needs for secondary software. The downside to this solution is that emulation is only as good as the connection speed. Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? Todays telephone solutions for the telecommuter generally consist of providing an office phone with call-forwarding features to an employees business cell phone an often times reimbursed expense. This avoids some of the problems associated with using a home line for a combination of business, personal, and dial-up use. The office system simplifies contacting an individual (Simply dial an extension and press 7 to connect to the forwarded line rather than maintaining a constantly changing set of employee contact information). A home line alternative is a distinctive ring system multiple phone numbers (home, office, fax) use a single line with each producing a unique ring that can be directed to an appropriate voice mail box or machine (PC, fax). A second alternative consists of an off-premise-extension (OPX) or foreign exchange (FX) system. While more expensive, these systems truly mimic the office with a separate home line that is identical to an office extension20. Electronic mail is a requirement for most remote users. IT departments can help support employees using multiple computers to access their email by allowing mail to be retained on the company server rather than downloaded to the individual PC. (As an unrelated benefit, this provides much greater redundancy in the event of a computer hard drive crash). Please see the discussion on web mail for more on remote e-mail use. A less intrusive substitute to phone conversations is instant messaging. While this has potential for both misuse and unproductive use (where conversation is more efficient), this is often times an ideal mechanism for sharing small tidbits of information and is especially valuable for troubleshooting. A more extensive tool would be the newsgroup in combination with a company intranet. Here, employees can develop an extensive knowledge base of processes, questions and answers. Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? At the lowest end of the technology spectrum, there is the traditional conference call a virtual audio meeting with many parties. In an effort to fight the inherent isolationism of remote workers, the videoconference personalizes the conference call as participants better identify with the visual image than the audio. To implement, however, youll need additional webcam hardware, videoconferencing software and a fast Internet connection. Chat rooms (a variation on the aforementioned instant messaging) are suitable for short discussions or as supplements to a meeting (agenda, minutes, links, data, follow-ups) Web conferencing often includes both videoconferencing and chat room features, but distinguishes itself in that it allows a moderator to emulate his/her desktop to the attendees. Among the forefront of the software leaders in this area is WebEx21. IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? One of the drawbacks to working remotely is the absence of immediate technical support for both trivial and complex hardware and software issues. Given that troubleshooting is often a hands-on activity, solving problems for telecommuters is likely to be frustrating and time-consuming. However IT managers can take a number of steps to reduce downtime. * Standardize the equipment and installation. The more alike your users systems are, the better positioned you will be to reproduce and diagnose problems. * Maintain an inventory of back-up equipment in the same way that a car repair shop offers loaner cars. * Set up remote users so their desktops can be emulated by technical support in this way an IT department can provide step by step demonstrations to fix problems * Maintain an easily accessible FAQ and update it with each new problem and solution Managers may also want to consider outsourcing their technical support requirements. Companies like Voyus22 provide 24 hour help desk support and web-based support applications. Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? The decision that the companies face is how much ownership the company will take for each of the types of telecommuters. For an occasional telecommuter, the employee will more than likely take on the costs. For a heavy telecommuter, the company will probably need to cover the costs to the employee. Telecommuter Type Frequency Implementation Costs Involved Occasional Infrequently Dial-up, Web-based applications Regular Scheduled intervals Remote Connection, 3rd Party Software, Laptop, Firewall, Router. Heavy Frequently to Full Time Provide second computer, VPN connection, ISP costs, other office equipment, maintenance. It is not the technology costs that make or break the telecommuting decision, but its the organizational issues that should benefit the company if deployed properly. Conclusion Telecommuting seems to be the answer to the increased workload versus work/personal life balance issue that many companies are seeking. While there exist many challenges towards implementing a successful telecommuting plan, there also seem to be many practical solutions. The real issue seems to stem from whether a company will change its processes and standards to allow for telecommuting to co-exist with office employees. Such a decision, as this paper has outlined, is not as simple as providing remote employees with an internet connection. Rather, the decision has significant technical and organizational ramifications that need to be well thought out before implementation; otherwise, the company is doomed to make the mistakes of many companies that have haphazardly gone down this path. 1 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 2 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 3 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 4 http://www.tfw.org.uk/teleworking/contents.htm 5 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 6 Pinsonneault, A. (1999). The Impacts of Telecommuting on Organizations and Individuals: A Review of the Literature, Cahier du GreSI, 99(9). 7 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 8 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 9 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 10 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 11 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 12 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 13 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 14 Ascend Communications, 2002, Telecommuting Network Guide: A Resource for Planners, Excutives, and Information Managers, http://users.skynet.be/teletravail/PDF/solut_technique.pdf 15 Jessica L. Hirsch, 2000, Telecommuting: Security Policies and Procedures for the Work-From-Home Workforce, http://www.teleworker.org/articles/telework_security.html 16 Bandwidth Savings, 2003, Services In Detailed, http://www.bandwidthsavings.net/servicesdetail.cfm 17 Citrix.com, 2003, Home Page, http://www.citrix.com 18 Hall, Aric, Bilski, Alicia, Wadman, Scott, 2003, Ways People Telecommute, http://members.tripod.com/~trom/page3.html 19 http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc 20 Wrobel, Leo A., February 1997, Helpful Hints for MIS Managers Supporting Telecommuters and Nomadic Users -Part I: Voice Communications, http://www.rewireit.com/articles/w0297.pdf 21 http://www.webx.com 22 http://www.pcsupport.com/

Essay --

Critical analysis â€Å"A man would never set out to write a book on the peculiar situation of the human male. But if I wish to define myself I must first of all say: ‘I am a woman’; on this truth must be based all further discussion. A man never being by presenting himself as an individual of a certain sex; it goes without saying that he is a man. The terms masculine and feminine are used symmetrically only as a matter of form, as on legal papers. In actuality the relation of the two sexes is not quite like that of two electrical poles, for man represents both the positive and the neutral, as is indicated by the common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas woman represents only the negative, defined by limiting criteria, without reciprocity†¦.Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being †¦He is the Subject, he is the Absolute- she is the Other†. This pie ce of writing is taken from the book ‘Y: The Descent of Men’ by Steve Jones published in 2002, Little, Brown. This was written originally by de Beauvoir in The Second Sex, that is later elaborated both in the context and the meaning by Jones. The historical context of the writing follows the academic feminism as an interdisciplinary proposition that is deep rooted in a sort of â€Å"political reality that challenges confinement to one particular discipline†. Consequently, philosophies and principles â€Å"which developed from the 1960s onwards were shared as feminist philosophers, historians, literary therorists, anthropologists, sociologists, cultural theorists and others, engaged in a project that had a common political background – to take action against women's subordination. The genesis of fe... ...of the 1970s and early 1980s. In anthropology this concept has never lost its value, as many societies do not allow unfamiliar men to interact with their women†. Endnotes Y: The Descent of Men by Steve Jones2002, Little, Brown. Reviewed by D. M. Procida Human Nature Review 3 (2003) 67-71, Available at http://human-nature.com/nibbs/03/sjones.html, Accessed 10/05/03 Peggy Reeves Sanday / Ruth G. Goodenough (eds.) (1990): Beyond the Second Sex. New Directions in the Anthropology of Gender. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Heidi Armbruster (2000) Feminist Theories and Anthropology, Available at http://www.polylog.org/lit/1.2/re2-en.htm, Accessed 10/05/03 Rayna Reiter (ed.) (1975): Toward an Anthropology of Women. New York: Monthly Review Press. Michelle Z. Rosaldo / L. Lamphere (1974): Woman, Culture, and Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

The Philippines And The World Market :: essays research papers

The Philippines and the World Market   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Philippines is considered to be one of the most westernized countries in Asia. It has strong ties to the United States and the United Nations. In fact, It is the only charter member of the U.N. in all of Southeast Asia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States has a very close relationship with the economy and culture of the Philippines. For instance, Filipinos have a strong resentment toward communistic countries. During the cold war, the Philippines supported America by consistently being hostile toward communist countries, and did not maintain diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union or any other communist state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States is the largest foreign consumer of Philippine products. In many ways the survival of the philippine economy depends on the united States. We purchase almost all of the sugar exports, most of the coconut oil, embroidery, at least half of the base metals, and a fourth of the lumber. The United States supplies most of the Philippine imports of machinery, dairy products, cotton, papers, drugs, automobiles and much or the petroleum products. Although countries like Japan, Canada Australia, and New Zealand are getting more and more involved in trade with the Philippines, America remains to be the Philippines most important trading partner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When America acquired the Philippines and established free trade in 1909, the economy of the islands was tied to that parent country. As a result, the Philippines became almost entirely dependant upon United States markets. Thus, America has had a strong influence on not only the economy of the Philippines, but also the politics of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States established a public education system in the Philippines in the early 1900 ¹s. Although they were not American schools they had many similarities. American teachers were used as well as American books.

Middle school Essay

â€Å"I want my child’s education to be holistic! † â€Å"I don’t like cramming and the loads of homework. † â€Å"I want my child to grow in a stress-free environment. † â€Å"The curriculum must stimulate reasoning and analytical skills. † At the beginning of every academic year this is what you hear from your parents. Newspaper and magazines highlight the stress and strain students undergo during examinations. Good as it may seem, this generate a false hope parents have woken up to view education from a different dimensions. It makes educator believe that they do not want to support a system that evaluates a child’s potential through marks and grades. The success of every child initially depends on parents only. But unfortunately parents suddenly realize the importance of exams, results, percentage and college admissions and begin to rethink and re-valuate their personal convictions. Then they say :†I must prepare my child to enter this competitive world†. â€Å"I must help my child to succeed in life†. What is this success they talk about? Is it a fulfillment of the child’s dream ? Have they channelled the child’s talents to achieve? Instead they run from pillar to post collecting question papers and application forms for all the competitive exams. There is no time to consider what the child wants and need. Children are not perceived as individual. Schools become factories churning out prize commodities. As long as parents fail to consider their children as growing individual with aspirations and talents, institutions will continue to capitalize on mass production. No doubt education is a necessity, but what do you want your child to be? Surely, not automatons and generators of wealth. The goal is to develop them into thinking individuals. Only then will we see change. It is the duty of educationists and the governing bodies to give a new meaning, a new direction and strike a new path towards a meaningful education. This is the foundation for a generation of sensitive and cultured human beings. I think this speech will bring a change in parents mind about child’s problems about their life. Thank you 2: A Parent’s Role in Education Home Education Parents have a vital role in their child’s education. By taking a few simple steps at home, you can help them enjoy school more, improve their studying and homework skills and prepare for college. The articles in this category, A Parent’s Role in Education, are full of tips on to help them with their schoolwork, such as creating a positive learning environment to making learning fun. There are also articles on warning signs to help you identify potential learning or school problems. A Parent’s Role in Education Nothing helps a child succeed like an involved parent. A little willingness from a child’s parents can work wonders in the classroom. Read on to learn more about your role as a parent in the education of your child. Creating a Positive Home Learning Environment Your child needs a special place to call their own. Setting aside a room or nook in your home dedicated to your child’s education will show him or her that you’re serious about their education. Read on to learn more about creating a positive†¦ Evaluating Educational Resources on the Web There are many options available when looking for additional educational help online for your child. An awareness of the costs, services, advantages and disadvantages is crucial. Read on to learn how you can best evaluate educational resources†¦ Improving Your Child’s Grades Parents play an important role in a child’s education. This article examines some very simple things you can do every day provide your child with the support and encouragement they need to take on the challenge of improving their grades. Improving your Child’s Study Habits Learning skills need to be fostered at home. This article provides tips for parents who want to create a home environment that will help their children develop and maintain positive study habits. Preparing a Child for High School The transition from middle school to high school can be challenging and bewildering for some students. Parents can help make this period of great change easier on their children and themselves. Read on to learn more about preparing a child for†¦ Preparing a Child for Junior High School The transition from elementary to middle school or junior high is a difficult one, filled with new social and academic challenges. Here are some tips to help your child prepare for this big change. Reasons Your Child May Be Struggling in School Is your child struggling in school? This article details several of the common reasons why a child might fall behind in their studies — and what parents can do to help. Recognizing Student Struggles 1 of 7: The Importance of Identifying Warning Signs The first in a 7 part series, this feature stresses the importance of recognizing your child’s classroom difficulties and resolving them quickly. Read on to learn more about the importance of identify warning signs and recognizing student†¦ Recognizing Student Struggles 2 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–Confidence Levels This article is the second in a seven part series aimed to help parents recognize the warning signs given off by struggling students. Read on to learn more about how you can remain aware of your child’s confidence level, and how you can help†¦ Recognizing Student Struggles 3 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–Grades As part of the Recognizing Student Struggles series, this feature explains what a sudden decline in grades might say about a student’s curricular experience. It also offers suggestions for the most appropriate methods of correction should your†¦ Recognizing Student Struggles 4 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–Attitude As part of the Recognizing Student Struggles series, this article explores the attitude changes to look for in struggling students and offers suggestions for improving a child’s educational experience. Recognizing Student Struggles 5 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–Homework Is your child struggling with their homework. A new approach and an involved parent can work wonders for a child’s success in the classroom. This is the fifth article in the Recognizing Student Struggles series. Recognizing Student Struggles 6 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–Class Standing This feature in the Recognizing Student Struggles series discusses the importance listening to your child’s teacher and making use of their feedback. It also highlights what can be done if you’re told that your child has fallen behind in his or†¦ Recognizing Student Struggles 7 of 7: Identifying the Warning Sign–(Lack of ) Determination This article (the last in the Recognizing Student Struggles series) explains several ways to assess a student’s progress and level of determination based on their responses to failure. The 28 educational standards of the state of New York The state of New York has 28 standards that guide elementary and middle school education. This article outlines those standards in detail. The Educational Advantages of Using Computers and the Internet Computer programs and the Internet create educational opportunities not available to previous generations. Read on to learn how modern technologies can become valuable educational tools. Transform Your Child’s Poor Report Card Have your child’s grades taken a turn for the worse? Did they just bring home their first poor report card? Don’t worry. Read on to learn more about how you can help your child transform his or her poor report card.

Child abduction Essay

Kidnapping is any illegal capture or detention by any strangers for criminal and mischievous purpose. In criminal laws, kidnapping means taking away or asportation of a person against the person’s will. These problems are usually caused by parental child abduction, children abduction for slavery and abduction results from parents to bring up as their own. Now, here are some preventions for these particular circumstance from occur. First of all, parents ought to give guidelines to their children. They should play their very important role to build up a family safety plan. Parents need to educate their kids to think logically, in order to do so, kids must be taught that questioning, reasoning, and criticizing are good requirement to stay safe. They have to stay aware of the surrounding issues and keep alert. For example, teach the kids about stranger and common lures used by kidnapper such as giving sweets to seduce them and many more. Other than that, parents should also listen to their kids’ problem. Ask if they have question, and listen carefully to their answer. Parents have to put themselves into their children’s shoes. Moreover, it is essential to know where the kids are going, who is with them and when they are suppose to return home. Parents can check on the location of their children if they keep a list of acquaintance’s phone numbers. Besides that, an implantable chip touted is another effective solution for child kidnapping. The chip can be surgically planted under a child’s skin, putting it into the fabric of clothes or inserted under the skin by injection. With this chip, parents can easily detect their children’s situation, once they are out of the certain area the special alarms will send out a SOS signal. This is because it has an SOS button, which sends an SMS and position coordinates to a predefined mobile number if the child is in trouble. A parent can call the child back to find out what the problem is. Kidnapping can be controlled if the laws are strong and if you inform your parent or guardian where you are going.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 14

Seth shot up from the chair, face filled with hurt and fury. It was surreal. For a moment, he looked like a stranger . . . and yet, he also looked like everyone I'd ever known. Everyone I'd loved. Everyone I'd hurt. â€Å"You,† he exclaimed, striding toward me. â€Å"How could you do that to me? How could you do that to me?† I had never heard Seth yell like that. I cringed against my chair, too stunned to react. Meanwhile, Hugh seemed to come to life. He had been as shocked by Seth's initial reaction as me, particularly since Hugh understood even less than I did about what was going on. He was still undoubtedly confused, but some instinct spurred him to action when he saw Seth advance. I didn't think Seth would've hurt me, but he was kind of scary just then. Hugh grabbed a hold of Seth's arm. â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† said Hugh. â€Å"Easy there. Everyone calm down.† Roman likewise seemed to suddenly realize something was wrong here. He'd been so excited by the developments, his face aglow as all his theories fell into place. Now events were moving in a direction he hadn't foreseen. He rose, mirroring Hugh's fighter's stance. Only, Roman was doing it defensively, coming to stand in front of me, in case Seth broke Hugh's hold. That didn't seem very likely. The imp was strong. â€Å"How could you do that to me?† repeated Seth, voice still roaring with fury. â€Å"I trusted you! I trusted you and I loved you!† I had witnessed all of this unfolding but hadn't dared allow myself to really and truly accept it. I had seen the impossible. I had seen Seth relive the lives of men he hadn't known – men he couldn't have known – walking back through the centuries of my long existence. Some voice inside of me kept saying, No, no, this isn't happening. This can't be real. It's some trick of Hell's. I was working hard not to process what I'd heard because processing it meant accepting it. But with those last words, Seth penetrated something inside of my numb self. He broke through, and I snapped. â€Å"I didn't! I didn't do anything to you!† I cried. I had to peer around Roman to meet Seth's eyes and almost wished I hadn't. They were cold. So terribly cold and hurt. â€Å"You cheated on me,† said Seth, straining against Hugh. â€Å"Cheated on me with my best friend. . . .† Yet, even as he spoke, I could see him falter. The feelings he'd felt as Kyriakos were real, but he was examining it now as Seth Mortensen. The mixed realities were confusing him. It was understandable. They confused me. â€Å"Seth,† I said desperately. â€Å"I didn't do that to you. Think about it. I love you. I love you so much.† Seth stopped struggling, though Hugh didn't relinquish his grip. Seth's features were still filled with hurt and confusion. â€Å"Not to me . . . to him. But I am him. I'm all of them.† Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What had been reasonable and clear under hypnosis was becoming more difficult to grasp. â€Å"How? How is that possible?† â€Å"Past lives,† said Roman. â€Å"You're right. You were all of them. You lived all of those lives, long before you were born into this one.† â€Å"Reincarnation? That . . . that's impossible,† said Seth. â€Å"Is it?† asked Roman, regaining some of his confidence now that the situation was no longer escalating. â€Å"How do you know? Do you have a direct line into the way the universe works?† â€Å"So, wait . . . what about you guys?† asked Seth. â€Å"Are Heaven and Hell not real?† â€Å"Oh,† said Hugh wryly, â€Å"they're real.† â€Å"All of it is real,† said Roman. â€Å"And vastly more complex than any faulty human system can understand.† He turned to me, expression softening. I must have looked terrified. â€Å"What Seth saw . . . what he lived through. You knew all of them, didn't you? All of those identities?† I focused on Roman, afraid I'd lose my nerve if I looked at Seth again. I nodded. â€Å"Yes . . . they were all people . . . all men I knew in my life.† Hugh frowned. â€Å"How is that possible? I can get on board with reincarnation. I've seen enough to believe it can happen. But him always being reborn around you? You running into him – what was it, ten times? That's statistically impossible.† â€Å"The things we're dealing with aren't really governed by statistics and probability,† said Roman. â€Å"There are other forces at work here, forces that guide his rebirth. It was part of his contract, the deal you made as Kyriakos. What can you tell us about it?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about. . . . I don't remember . . . I . . .† Seth shook his head, the anger returning. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let me go. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from her!† â€Å"Seth . . .† I said. â€Å"But you're the key!† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"The key to unlocking Georgina's problems. You're the other contract, the one Erik was talking about. You're tied to her, tied to everything that's been going on with her.† â€Å"I don't care,† said Seth. He seemed to just barely be able to keep his emotions in check. â€Å"I don't care about your various and sundry plots! Do you have any idea what I just saw? What I just went through? I'm still not even sure I understand any of it! I don't understand who I am! All I know is her – and what she did to me.† â€Å"Seth,† I tried again. Or should I address him as Kyriakos? I didn't know. â€Å"Please . . . I love you. I've always loved you. What happened . . . it was . . . it was an accident. . . .† The look Seth gave me was dark and wary. â€Å"It sure didn't seem like an accident when I walked in on you.† â€Å"I never meant to . . .† â€Å"To rip my heart out?† he cried. â€Å"To destroy my world? My life?† â€Å"Roman,† said Hugh carefully. â€Å"Maybe we should give him some time to process this.† â€Å"We don't have time,† said Roman. â€Å"Hell can move fast – especially if they find out what we know. If we're going to save Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"I don't care!† said Seth again, this time with more vehemence. â€Å"I don't care what happens to any of you, and I certainly don't care about what happens to her. It's probably less than she deserves.† â€Å"She didn't do anything to you,† said Roman. â€Å"She's been a pretty solid girlfriend, from what I've seen.† â€Å"Seth,† I pleaded, knowing Roman wasn't quite getting it yet. â€Å"I . . . I'm sorry. It was a long time ago.† My words were terribly, terribly inadequate, but Seth was tapping into things I'd forced myself to block out – because they were too painful. â€Å"For you, maybe,† said Seth. â€Å"It happened over the course of centuries. One life for you. But for me . . . whatever you guys did with the hypnosis, it's all here now. All of those lives . . . those memories. Here in my head at the same time. It didn't happen ‘a long time ago' for me. It's like it just happened yesterday! All those feelings, all that pain . . .† â€Å"It'll fade,† said Hugh, not sounding as though he was certain. â€Å"What you regressed through is still fresh, and you weren't brought out of the trance properly. Give it time. Or . . . if you want, I can put you back under and make you forget this.† â€Å"And forget her?† demanded Seth. â€Å"So I can forget what a faithless, conniving bitch she's been to me?† â€Å"Seth . . .† I could feel tears forming in my eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would.† â€Å"Which part?† he asked. â€Å"The part where you proved our marriage meant nothing to you? Or the countless other times you lied to me and broke my heart? Do you have any idea how I feel? What it feels like to be experiencing all of that at the same time? Maybe you've moved past it all and don't care anymore, but it's real for me!† â€Å"It is for me too. I . . . I love you.† They were the only words I managed to get out, and they still weren't enough. Where was all my usual glib charm? My ability to talk my way out of anything? I was still too choked up on my emotions, still reeling from the fact that looking into Seth's eyes meant looking into the eyes of every man I'd ever loved. I wanted to convince him how sorry I was and explain that having a long life hadn't dulled the feelings inside me. If anything, it had only provided more time for those feelings to sink in and punish me. I wanted to explain to him how I'd felt during that first transgression and how it had been a poor reaction to feelings I didn't know how to process as a scared young woman. I wanted to explain that most of my actions since then, especially the times I'd pushed away other lovers, had been weak attempts at protecting them. There was so much I wanted to say, but I just didn't have the words – or courage – to get any of it out. So, I remained silent, and the tears spilled out of my eyes. Seth took a deep breath, forcing. â€Å"Let me go, Hugh. I won't hurt her. I don't want anything to do with her. I just want to go home. I need to get out of here.† â€Å"Don't,† said Roman. â€Å"We need him. We need more answers, so that we can understand the contracts.† â€Å"Hugh, let him go.† I barely recognized the voice as my own. Roman looked at me incredulously. â€Å"We need him,† he repeated. â€Å"He's done enough,† I said flatly. In my head, Seth's words echoed: I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"We've done enough to him.† When nobody reacted, I met Hugh's gaze squarely. â€Å"Do it. Let him go.† Hugh glanced between Roman and me and then made a decision. Still keeping hold of Seth's arm, Hugh steered him away from us and walked him to the door. Roman made more protests and took a few steps toward them, but I remained frozen where I was. I didn't look behind me, not even when I heard the door slam. Hugh returned, and Roman slumped back into his chair, sighing with frustration. â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"Once he calms down, we'll get him back and talk things out.† â€Å"I don't think he's going to calm down,† I said, staring off at nothing. I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"He's just in shock,† said Roman. I didn't answer. Roman didn't know. Roman didn't understand the full scope of our history together. He hadn't seen Kyriakos's face after my betrayal, the grief that had been so deep it had nearly driven him to suicide. That was part of why I'd become a succubus, using my soul to purchase peace for him in the form of forgetfulness. It was the only way to save him. But if he remembered everything now, if he really was Kyriakos reborn . . . then, no. He wasn't â€Å"just in shock.† I had done a terrible, terrible thing to him, and his outrage wasn't unfounded. A shiver ran through me as I thought about the instant connection I'd had with Seth, the feeling like I'd always known him. It was because I had always known him. Life after life. I'd always felt like we were bound into something greater than ourselves . . . and we were. Something great and terrible. Hugh dragged up a chair and sat across from me. He caught hold of one of my hands. â€Å"Sweetie, I swear to you, I had no clue any of that would happen.† I gave him a halfhearted squeeze back. â€Å"What . . . what did you think would happen?† Hugh glanced at Roman. â€Å"He asked me if I could hypnotize Seth and attempt some past life regression. I had no idea what it was for. Fuck, I had no idea it would really work, let alone walk us through nine emotionally damaged lives. Ten, since we now seemed to have fucked up this one.† I felt hollow inside, hollow and aching. I turned to Roman, astonished I could manage any sort of reasonable discussion when my world had just been destroyed. â€Å"How did you know it would happen? How did you figure all of this out?† â€Å"I only figured some of it out,† said Roman. â€Å"It was actually your stupid Santa stuff that tipped me off. About how that guy was worried about Santa being in two places at once?† He scoffed and raked a hand through his hair. â€Å"I started thinking about how everyone says your contract is fine and how Erik had mentioned a second contract. We'd already deduced Hell wanted you and Seth apart, but why? And I thought, what if it's like the Santa thing? There's nothing wrong with your contract or Seth's in and of themselves, but together, something goes wrong.† â€Å"How did you even know Seth had a contract?† asked Hugh. â€Å"Well, that's the thing. I didn't. And since Seth had never mentioned it before, it seemed he didn't know he had one either. And how could that be? I started thinking maybe it was because he hadn't made the contract in this life. I thought maybe Hell had a long game going on with him across lives, and hence . . . the hypnosis.† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† said Hugh, shaking his head. â€Å"You made a fuckload of deductions there.† â€Å"And they were right,† said Roman. â€Å"Georgina and Seth both have contracts with Hell. And those contracts don't work together.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. That zealous gleam was back in Roman's eye. â€Å"What were we able to deduce about Seth's contract? What did he get?† The only thing I'd deduced was that Seth was never going to speak to me again. When I refused to answer, Hugh obligingly played student to Roman's teacher. â€Å"He got ten lives instead of one. The gift of reincarnation.† â€Å"Why?† asked Roman. â€Å"To find Georgina,† said Hugh. He paused, and I guessed he was replaying what Seth had described. â€Å"It sounds like he died in that first life, and when the time came for his soul to move on, he was aware of missing her. I'm guessing Hell wouldn't have gotten his soul then, so they made the deal to give him nine more chances to find Georgina and be reunited with her.† â€Å"He did find me,† I said flatly. â€Å"Over and over.† Betrayal after betrayal. â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"And you were drawn to him without even realizing it. He certainly seemed to fit your dreamy artistic type each time. But you never made it work out.† â€Å"Which Hell was probably hoping for,† said Hugh. The imp in him was coming out, puzzling over how a contract like this would have been designed. â€Å"Hell has to be fair, but they always want an advantage. So, they probably went into the deal thinking a guy hoping to make amends with his soul mate could never do it if she was a succubus. Seth – or whoever – certainly didn't know that. He only knew that he was supposed to have forgotten her.† He thought about it a few moments more. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with that, though. That's hedging your bets on a contract. There's no violation.† â€Å"You're right,† said Roman. â€Å"And that's not the problem.† He focused back on me. â€Å"What was your deal? What was your contract for becoming a succubus?† â€Å"You already know it,† I said wearily. I was tired of the scheming and fallout. I want to crawl off, curl up in my bed, and sleep for the next five centuries. I wanted to renegotiate my contract and have my memory and heart purged of all pain. â€Å"Humor me,† he said. â€Å"Just tell me the basics again. The deal Niphon made with you.† â€Å"Roman, leave her alone,† said Hugh. I waved him off. â€Å"Fine. I sold my soul and became a succubus in exchange for everyone I knew as a mortal forgetting about me.† Roman looked so supremely satisfied and triumphant that I wanted to punch him just then. He nodded to Hugh. â€Å"And tell me Seth's again, to the best of your guessing.† â€Å"At a guess? He gets to live ten lives, all of which will put him near her, giving him the chance to find her and make amends with her. Hell gets his soul at the end of the tenth life.† â€Å"And why did Seth make the deal?† prompted Roman, practically trembling with excitement. â€Å"Because he remembered that – † Hugh cut himself off, eyes widening. â€Å"Exactly,† said Roman. He shook me in his excitement when I didn't react right away. â€Å"Don't you get it? Your contracts contradict each other! In fact, Seth's should never have even been written! He remembered you. He knew that you were gone from his life.† â€Å"He knew his ‘soul mate' was gone,† I said bitterly. â€Å"I don't think he remembered specifics. You saw how much trouble he had.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"Doesn't matter. I'm guessing your contract specifies forgetting you entirely. He remembered. By that happening, Hell violated your contract. Then, they wrote an impossible contract for him, claiming he'd have the chance to reunite with you – which again, implies a degree of remembering you.† â€Å"We don't know that exactly,† warned Hugh. â€Å"We haven't seen the contract and didn't get all the details from him. I couldn't follow if he got anything for patching things up with her or not.† â€Å"We know enough,† said Roman. â€Å"Seth wanted to be reunited with her and make amends. For that to happen, it would contradict Georgina's contract – specifying he forget her.† â€Å"I'd want to see the wording,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'm not trying to dash your hopes. I just know how these things work.† â€Å"Fair enough,† said Roman. â€Å"But can you deny that when Seth called her ‘Letha' last month, that was most definitely in violation of her contract? He remembered. Not consciously. But some part of him, deep inside, remembered her.† My thoughts were still moving sluggishly, but something clicked into place. â€Å"The transfer . . . the transfer came through the morning after I told Jerome about Seth calling me Letha.† â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"That's why things were mucked up with it. I guarantee my dear father has always known about your contracts and has accepted them grudgingly, especially if Seth's contract allows for you two to keep running into each other. But, when you told the gang about the name, Jerome had a serious problem. He recognized the violation and tattled to his superiors as fast as he could, making them panic and act quickly – too quickly – to get you out of here.† â€Å"But . . . it already happened. Seth remembered. The violation took place,† I said, scarcely able to believe it. â€Å"It's like a tree in the woods,† remarked Hugh. â€Å"It only happens if they're called on it. Neither you nor Seth would have known about the contracts or any violation. You were oblivious. Jerome needed to keep it that way, get you guys apart and kill any chance of you figuring out what had happened.† â€Å"Hence the Vegas dream job,† said Roman. â€Å"It's like we talked about before. Forbidding you guys to be together would've drawn too much attention. A run-of-the-mill transfer, however, would've seemed like business as usual – if not for the screwup. Hell was so anxious to get it going that they sent you the memo before Jerome had a chance to meet with you. I guarantee everything you saw in Vegas was thrown together on a day's notice.† I drew my hand back from Hugh's and buried my face in my palm. â€Å"Oh God.† Roman patted my shoulder in a way that was probably supposed to be comforting but mostly made me grit my teeth. â€Å"God's not the one you've got to look to right now. Do you realize what you've got here, Georgina? A once in a millennium opportunity to thwart Hell! You can challenge them, call your contract into dispute. And Seth's. All you need to do is talk to him, get the exact details of – â€Å" I jumped up from my chair, finally giving way to all my own grief and fury. â€Å"No! Didn't you see his face? Didn't you hear him? He won't talk to me! Not now, not ever. And don't say he's just in shock again,† I warned, seeing Roman about to speak. â€Å"You don't know what I did, what it was like for him . . . back then. There's a reason I made him forget! He's not going to forgive me for this. Never. He didn't then and isn't going to now. Oh Lord. Why did we have to do this? Why did we have to make him remember? We should've just let him forget. . . . Everything was fine. . . .† My frantic pacing led me over to the living room window, where I drew back the curtains. It was late in the day now, the sunset turning the clouds orange. â€Å"Fine?† asked Roman, coming to stand beside me. â€Å"Hell was creating elaborate ploys to separate you and cover their asses! And they were killing his sister-in-law to do it. That is not fine. You and Seth have done nothing but play into Hell's hands all these centuries. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? Especially when they didn't even give you what you were promised?† I rested my cheek against the glass, taking comfort in the coolness, refusing to listen to Roman's logic. â€Å"But Seth didn't remember until we made him.† â€Å"Not true. He remembered before that,† said Roman. â€Å"On his own, when he called you Letha. That's how this all started. Nothing we did here changed that.† â€Å"He hates me,† I said, fully aware of how whiny I sounded. Roman didn't try to deny it. â€Å"People forgive.† I scoffed. â€Å"Do they?† â€Å"They do,† said Hugh, coming to stand on my other side. â€Å"Seth must have – or whomever he used to be. Your husband. Why else would he have made that bargain in the first place to find you?† â€Å"Because he didn't remember what I'd done,† I said. I met Hugh's eyes. â€Å"He only knew that I was missing from his life.† â€Å"You answered your own question, sweetie. His love for you was stronger than his hate, if he was able to remember the one and not the other.† I wanted to argue with that but didn't know how. â€Å"I can't . . . I can't face him. You don't know what this is like. It's . . .† My lifelong fear? My greatest sin? â€Å"I just can't.† â€Å"We need to know about the rest of his contract,† said Roman. â€Å"We need all the details if we're going to see this through.† Hugh sniffed. â€Å"You keep saying ‘we,' but somehow I don't see you being the one filing the paperwork with Hell to challenge her contract.† When Roman didn't answer, Hugh added, â€Å"Which, by my estimate, we don't need any more of Seth's information for. We already have enough to question her contract's integrity.† â€Å"Question its integrity?† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"We have enough evidence to blow it wide open.† There was that metaphor again. Roman loved the dramatic. â€Å"Hell failed to hold up their end of the bargain. They told you they'd make everyone forget. Obviously, they didn't.† â€Å"It may not be quite that simple. Hell will question what you call evidence,† said Hugh. â€Å"But it can be done, right?† asked Roman. â€Å"You know how to do it – to file the necessary paperwork?† â€Å"Well, I've never done it before,† said Hugh. â€Å"Jesus. I don't know anyone who's done it.† I dragged my gaze from the window. â€Å"Don't,† I told Hugh. â€Å"It's not worth it. You don't know anyone who's done it because no imp who values his job or his life would ever try to get a contract revoked. I don't want you doing that for me.† â€Å"Hugh,† said Roman, looking over me like I wasn't even there. â€Å"You could free her. You could get her soul back for her. You could end this life she has – sleeping with strangers for eternity.† â€Å"Stop it,† I snapped. â€Å"Stop trying to guilt him into it. I made this choice. No one tricked me into being a succubus. They told me what it entailed and what I'd get.† â€Å"And you didn't get it,† said Hugh quietly. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. If I didn't have Seth, one form of Hell was as bad as another. â€Å"I would do it for you,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'll file the paperwork. Maybe you knew what you were getting into, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to change your mind – especially if you were played. If you want it, I'll help you do it.† â€Å"Why?† I asked, recalling all the times Hugh had become uneasy whenever we'd talked of challenging the status quo. â€Å"Why would you risk it?† â€Å"Because you're my friend,† Hugh said, his lips twisting into a bitter half smile. â€Å"And that still means something to me. Besides, give your pal Hugh some credit here. I might be able to pull this off with minimal punishment for myself.† A strange feeling welled within my chest, tight at first and then loosening. This day had become one impossible thing after another. Somehow, hearing Hugh say it made it more real. I was so used to Roman's ideas and dreams for undermining Hell that at times, it was easy to ignore them. But to hear Hugh saying this might actually work . . . I swallowed, feeling more tears were on the way. â€Å"I can't even imagine that. A world where I don't belong to Hell. I don't know what my life would look like.† â€Å"Like anything you want it to,† said Hugh, wrapping me in a hug. Behind me, I heard Roman sigh. â€Å"Well. I'll settle for one contract blowing up in Hell's face. I mean, Seth was already Hell-bound anyways, wasn't he? With or without any of this?† I winced. It was true. Seth's soul – once so bright and shining – had darkened when he cheated on Maddie with me. He'd come to my bed out of love but had still felt guilty over what he'd done. The mark of sin had tainted his soul enough that were he to die right now, Seth would go to Hell. Hugh cleared his throat and let go of me, suddenly looking uncomfortable. â€Å"It's funny you mention that. . . .† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"I hadn't seen him in a while and nearly didn't notice . . . but today when he was here, his soul . . .† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"I don't know what all he's done, but it's lightened. It's not the spotlight it used to be, but something's changed. Enough of the taint's gone now that I don't think he's marked for Hell anymore.† â€Å"Except, he is because of his contract,† I realized. â€Å"That was the price for all those lives. It doesn't matter how good he is.† I felt my legs grow weak again and had to struggle to stay up. Seth had redeemed himself for his sin. How? Probably through the sacrifices he'd made for his family. He'd given up the things he loved most for them – writing, even me. It was a remarkable feat, something few humans were able to rebound from. Usually, those who were damned stayed damned. But it didn't matter. Seth's soul could shine like a supernova and he would still go to Hell, because it was the same soul he'd had as Kyriakos, the one that had made the bargain to come and find me. â€Å"We don't know for sure,† I said. â€Å"He didn't make it clear if he definitely signed his soul over or if there was a wager, like he'd get to keep it if he made amends with me.† â€Å"Which doesn't really seem like it's going to happen at the moment,† said Roman. â€Å"So either way, he's damned.† â€Å"Unless we can break his contract too,† I said. â€Å"And we need his help for it.† Hugh gave me a sympathetic look. â€Å"Do you want me to try to talk to him?† I had hated myself for what I'd done to Kyriakos all those years ago, hated myself so much that I'd paid the ultimate price to be wiped from his memory. And after seeing the look in Seth's eyes earlier . . . well, honestly, if given the chance, I might very well have asked to be erased again. I couldn't stand seeing that hate, that disappointment in the eyes of someone I'd loved. I'd hurt him. I'd let him down. I wanted to hide and never see him again because if I faced him, I would have to face the failings within myself. That had always been a problem for me, I realized. I hated confrontation – especially when I was the one at fault. I'd continually run away from that my entire life. I forced a weak smile for Hugh, who stood there offering me a cowardly way out. No, I decided. If we were going to get Seth's help, it would be better coming from me. Would he talk to me? I didn't know, but I had to try. For nothing else would I have risked facing that hate and sorrow again . . . but for Seth's soul, I would. â€Å"I'll go to him,† I said.