Amalise Strategic Management

Running Head: Amalise Strategic Management Name University Course Tutor Date Gauteng Provincial Government is working to the best of its capability with utmost dedication and efficiency to serve the citizens of Gauteng. It demands high performance and competence accompanied by motivation geared with ambition from the various departments it constitutes, to be able to prioritize and fulfill the needs of Gauteng citizens and development of the Gauteng province. The Gauteng Provincial Treasury department handles all the financial matters pertaining to the Provincial Government.It collects, manages and forms strategies to act as guidelines when planning on the usage of revenue contributed by the public. The treasury department works with diligence to ensure government priorities as outlined in a number of documents and key initiatives such as Gauteng Growth and Development Strategy (GDS), The Global City Region (GRC) strategic intent, the shared vision of creating a smart province and as reflected by the innovation programs such as the Blue IQ, Gauteng-online, Gautrain and the Batho Pele principles of delivering high quality services to the citizens of Gauteng are achieved.The treasury also works hand in hand with the provincial departments and municipalities to increase the capacity of financial management, achieve operational efficiency, promote accountability in government, provide strategic leadership and technical support in financial management and budgeting, develop and implement efficient internal systems and processes and provide guidance and leadership in the implementation of financial management reforms for both provincial and local government.To enhance effective and efficient allocation and utilization of fund geared towards fulfilling Gauteng Provincial Government priorities and improving the financial management system, the Provincial Treasury stipulated a statement of purpose to guide it. According to the Gauteng Provincial Treasury five-year strate gic and performance plans for the period 2009-2014 second draft (5th September 2008) the goal of the treasury was, â€Å"to provide sound financial management leadership that maximizes service delivery through effective and efficient use of limited resources in the Gauteng Province† (p.36). The vision of the treasury was, â€Å"to be the pioneer in financial management leadership and fiscal discipline within the public sector in South Africa thus enabling shared economic growth† (p. 37). The Gauteng Provincial Treasury five-year strategic and performance plans for the period 2009-2014 second draft (5th September 2008) states the mission that the Gauteng treasury follows to implement their vision.â€Å"We strive to be an innovative, pro-active and value adding partner to our stakeholders, by: researching and implementing best practice approaches to financial management, enhancing vertical and horizontal alignment in government, promoting and encouraging more informed u nderstanding of the financial management framework, instilling accountability, sound analytical reporting, good enterprise governance and transparency as the norm, ensuring allocative efficiency and optimal utilization of resources facilitating strategic alternative funding solutions thereby supporting an environment of sustainable economic growth and social development† (p.37). The Gauteng Provincial Treasury exhibits reliability and efficiency by performing duties given to them in accordance to the legislative mandate. It ensures the principles it has formed are aligned in accordance to the Batho Pele principles by enabling the provision of technical assistance and analysis, ensuring the spending agencies value the function of money and thus do not misuse the money or misinterpret the role the treasury plays when managing the government’s financial materials.This is done through training programs such as CIBA and SAM. Also the treasury should promoting transparency by publication of their annual reports and budgets through local newspapers, budget statements and MTBPS. The treasury department also ensures the allocation of funds to every department are according to the provincial priorities which include building a competitive Gauteng GCR, implementing Gauteng social GDS and building the capacity and organization of the state.The Gauteng Provincial Treasury being an independent department has a critical role to perform thus needs to be able to motivate the program levels it is working with, to be able to achieve the stipulated goals. The treasury department should be able to plan, organize, have good interpersonal skills and be able to evaluate performance so as to run the duties outlined to it in the most competent and accurate manner (Rees & Porter, 2001).The head of the treasury department was able to show good leadership skills by involving each department in decision making, when reviewing and updating the strategic plan for the period of 2 009-2014, developing medium term tactical plans and outlining the methods to use when evaluating performance of the department after every year. In the period of 2006-2009 the treasury did not fully accomplish some of the roles it played.When formulating the strategic plan for the period of 2009-2014, it discussed ways of overcoming that short fall by improving and adding value to maximize their performance so as be able to raise the living standard of the Gauteng citizens, creating a parallel line between their corporate services function and their core strategies, using internal and external auditors to monitor and evaluate those sent to work in the municipalities to prevent creation of too much dependency which may bring undesirable outcome, interns and the credibility of their data.The results the auditors present should be discussed and the solutions given implemented to lay a competent foundation of performing duties in the most qualified way. The treasury department should fo rm a partnership with the Chief Financial officer (CFO) and professional bodies to enable it function in a reliable manner towards achieving the department’s vision. The treasury should work with the CFO working for Gauteng Provincial Treasury to be able to evaluate the performance of the department in reference to achieving the department’s vision.It should also liaise with other CFO’s to gain more knowledge and tactics of performing the role it has defined to fulfill the department’s vision. Strategies of communicating with other departments in the Provincial Treasury must be improved, to enable full understanding of the duties they perform. For the treasury department to set a good trend of performing the roles given, to enable the Gauteng Provincial Government achieve the goals it promised the citizens of Gauteng, unqualified municipalities should be fired.This means that the treasury should review its strategy of staffing to ensure that it has a qual ity staff in the right quantity. It should design KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics of the organization) that it will use when staffing, to employ qualified and competent people who will work to the maximum of their capability to improve the overall performance of the treasury department. This will place the department in a better position to perform their duties according the preference and priority of the Gauteng citizens.The head of department in the Gauteng Provincial Treasury should have an ambition that drives him, so as to plan and organize the various departments under his disposal and the duties to be carried out by each department in an efficient way. He should have a power of influence and inspiration so as to win the trust of the subordinate leaders by leading the department in an appropriate manner that will accomplish their vision. The HOD should also be innovative and posses qualities of being able to implement and develop the ideas that ha ve come up and those that existed.This will enable excellent performance and smooth running of the treasury department and thus demolish the foundation of the risks that the Gauteng treasury department faced (Caroselli, 2000). By adopting the right staffing strategies the Gauteng treasury will have competent and qualified staff members that will be able to understand any policy or strategy formed for them to implement as they perform their duties, this will prevent the problem of under and over staffing, lack of motivation and good guidance to the staff and poor management in the departments (Rees & Porter, 2001).For instance due to poor strategies of staffing the Gauteng treasury was unable to implement the strategy given to it by the Gauteng provincial government (GPG). The HOD should evaluate the performance of the department on a regular basis to be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of every member and delegate duties to them in a fair manner and according to their skill, capacity and competence. This will also help to raise any problem like lack of resources and technology and thus be in a position to provide them.The same system of organization and running of duties will be maintained eliminating the chances of a confusion cropping up during the performance period. This will curb the problem of lack of integration of financial systems (Caroselli, 2000). As the Gauteng treasury department continues to expand, appropriate measures should be carried out to also expand the working space and enable comfort to prevail to the staff as they are working.This will increase the overall out put and efficiency of each staff member. The HOD should set up a reliable information and technology management system to prevent loss of data that will give the treasury a history of their performance which is very important when evaluating the performance of the department. This will also prevent the loss of any current information or data being worked on thus mai ntain the efficiency of the department, because time will not be wasted repeating the same thing again.A back up measure that is reliable and easy to operate and manage should be devised (Rees & Porter, 2001). Administrative skills and policies have been implemented into each department, enabling good relationship to prevail in the treasury department thus contributing to the overall efficiency of performance in the department. This can be portrayed by the good relationship between the HOD and the employees, national treasury, implementation of NCOP, with the investors and human resource services among others.The Provincial Treasury must take care to prevent the functioning of the treasury to run under the influence of the politicians as this will make them rule biased decisions that favors only one party instead of working to satisfy the desires of the citizens of Gauteng. The treasury department should avoid over reliance to politicians to act as their guarantors in case of financ ial crisis but instead should work closely with the DED and GEP. Contracts formed must be fulfilled according to the terms agreed on this can be guided by implementation of SLA with ABSA.This will ensure trust between the treasury departments and the organization or person they are drawing a contract with is maintained. The HOD should ensure the municipalities are thoroughly audited to ensure the funds allocated to them are put in to their correct use and thus eliminate mismanagement of funds. Before initiating any planning methodologies, appropriate and sufficient research should be done to help accurate and adequate allocation of funds to every department in the treasury (Rees & Porter, 2001).Implementation of good leadership skills will enable the Provincial Treasury to meet their objectives which include; being recognized as the leading Provincial Treasury in South Africa, ensuring good governance of all financial matters in the province, promoting integration and alignment of p lanning processes within the Province, exploring, implementing and managing strategic financing solutions, ensuring the effective and efficient management of Gauteng Provincial Treasury and to be a preferred employer, attracting and retaining high performing individuals (Caroselli, 2000).The strategic management of the Provincial Treasury department should implement good management and leadership skills in the period of 2009-2014, to enable the department to go by their goal, vision, mission and objectives and uplift the performance of the Gauteng Provincial Government. This will make the Gauteng citizens to trust that the Gauteng Provincial Government will act on their needs and will re-elect it back to power.Word Count: 1930 Reference List Caroselli, M. (2000). Leadership Skill for Managers. New York: Mc Graw Hill Professional. Five-year Strategic Plan and Performance Plan (Second draft). (5th September 2008). Gauteng: Gauteng Provincial Treasury. Rees, D. W. and Porter, C. (2001) . The Skills of Management. 5th Ed. Bedford Row, London: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Blood Promise Chapter Nineteen

For someone who had preached to Denis about impulse control, I wasn't setting a very good example. Once left alone in the suite, I continued trying everything possible to get out-emphasis on the â€Å"try† part. Nathan had acted like keeping a prisoner was a rare thing, but from what I could tell, this place had been built to hold people in. The door and window remained impassible, no matter how hard I beat at them or threw objects against them. I didn't bother with the chair this time and instead used one of the living room's end tables, hoping it would carry some extra heft. It didn't. When that didn't work, I actually tried entering random codes into the door's keypad. Also useless. Finally, exhausted, I collapsed onto the leather sofa and tried to assess my options. The process didn't take very long. I was trapped in a house full of Strigoi. Okay, I didn't know that for sure, but I knew there were at least three here, which was far too many for me. Dimitri had referred to this place as an â€Å"estate,† which I didn't find comforting. Estates were big. The fact that I appeared to be on the fourth floor was proof of that. A big place meant that there could be lots of room for lots of vampires. The one comfort I had was that Strigoi didn't cooperate very well. Finding large groups of them working together was rare. I'd observed it a couple of times-the attack on the Academy being one such occasion. They'd come then because the school's wards had dropped, and that had been a big enough incentive for the Strigoi to unite. Even when they did try to work together, the unions were usually short-lived. The friction I'd observed between Dimitri and Nathan was proof of that. Dimitri. I closed my eyes. Dimitri was the reason I was here. I'd come to free him from this state of living death and had promptly failed, just as he'd said. Now, it appeared I might be on the verge of joining him. Yeah, good job, Rose. I shivered, trying to imagine myself as one of them. Red rings around my pupils. Tanned skin gone pale. I couldn't picture it, and I supposed I'd never have to actually see myself if it happened. Strigoi cast no reflections. It would make doing my hair a real pain in the ass. The scariest change of all would be within, the loss of my connection to my soul. Both Dimitri and Nathan had been cruel and antagonistic. Even if I hadn't been around to start the fight, it probably wouldn't have taken long for them to find some other reason to turn on each other. I was combative, but it was always driven by some passion for others. Strigoi fought because they relished the bloodshed. I didn't want to be like that, seeking blood and violence because I enjoyed it. I didn't want to believe that of Dimitri either, but his actions had already branded him as a Strigoi. I also knew what he had to have been eating this whole time to survive. Strigoi could go longer without blood than Moroi, but it had been over a month since he was turned. There was no question he had fed, and Strigoi almost always killed their victims to eat. I couldn't picture that of Dimitri†¦ not the man I'd known. I opened my eyes. The topic of feeding had brought my lunch to mind. Pizza and brownies. Two of the most perfect foods on the planet. The pizza had long gone cold during my escape efforts, but as I stared at the plate, both it and the brownie looked delicious. If the outside light was any indication, it hadn't been a full twenty-four hours since Dimitri had caught me, but it was getting pretty close. That was a long time to go without food, and I wanted to eat that pizza badly, cold or not. I didn't really want to starve to death. Of course, I didn't want to become Strigoi either, but this situation was quickly running away from what I wanted. Starvation took a long time, and I suspected Dimitri was right: he'd turn me long before I had a chance to truly starve. I'd have to find some other way to die-God, not that I wanted that at all-and in the meantime, I decided I might as well keep up my strength on the feeble chance I might be able to escape. Once the decision was made, I gobbled down the food in about three minutes. I had no idea who Strigoi hired to do their cooking-hell, Strigoi couldn't even eat regular food, unlike Moroi-but it was fantastic. Some wry part of me noted that I'd been given food that required no silverware. They really had thought of every possible way I might get my hands on a weapon. My mouth was full of my last giant bite of brownie when the door suddenly opened. Inna slipped deftly inside, the door shutting almost immediately. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† Or at least I tried to say that through my mouthful of food. While I'd been debating whether to eat or not, I should have been staking out the door. Dimitri had said Inna would check in on me. I should have been waiting to overpower her. Instead, she'd gotten in while I wasn't paying attention. Once again, I'd slipped up. Just like when she was around Dimitri and Nathan, Inna made very little eye contact. She held a pile of clothes in her arms and paused in front of me, holding them out. Uncertain, I took them from her and set them beside me on the couch. â€Å"Um, thanks,† I said. Pointing at the empty tray, she actually glanced up at me shyly, a question in her brown eyes. Seeing her straight on, I was surprised at how pretty she was. She might even have been younger than me, and I wondered how she'd ended up being forced to work here. Understanding her query, I nodded. â€Å"Thanks.† She picked the tray up and waited a moment. I wasn't sure why; then it occurred to me she must be waiting to see if I wanted anything else. I was pretty sure â€Å"the combination to the lock† wouldn't translate very well. I shrugged and waved her off, my mind spinning as I watched her approach the door. I should wait for her to open the door and then jump her, I thought. Immediately, a gut reaction sprang up in me, hesitation at striking out at an innocent. Another thought squashed that one: It's me or her. I tensed. Inna pressed herself close to the door as she punched in the combination, effectively blocking my view. Judging by how long she was punching in numbers, the code appeared to be pretty long. The door clicked open, and I braced myself to act. Then-I decided against it at the last moment. For all I knew, there could be an army of Strigoi out there. If I was going to use Inna to escape, I probably only had one opportunity. I needed to make it count. So, instead of leaping up, I shifted slightly so that I could see beyond her. She was just as fast as before, slipping out as soon as the door unlocked. But in that moment, I caught a glimpse of a short corridor and what looked like another heavy door. Interesting. Double doors on my prison. If I did follow her, that would prevent me from making an immediate escape. She could simply wait by the other locked door, holding out until Strigoi backup showed up. That made things more difficult, but understanding the setup at least gave me a spark of hope. I just needed to figure out what to do with this information, provided I hadn't screwed myself by not acting now. For all I knew, Dimitri was about to walk in and turn me into a Strigoi. I sighed. Dimitri, Dimitri, Dimitri. Looking down, I took the time to actually see what she'd brought me. My current attire wasn't bothering me, but if I stayed here much longer, my jeans and T-shirt were going to get pretty gross. Like Tamara, someone wanted to dress me up. The clothes Inna had brought were all dresses and all in my size. A red silk sheath. A long-sleeved, form-fitting knit dress edged in satin. An empire-waist, ankle-length chiffon gown. â€Å"Oh, great. I'm a doll.† Digging deeper into the stack, I discovered there were a few nightshirts and nightgowns tucked in there-as well as some underwear and bras. All of those were satin and silk. The most casual item in the whole lot was a forest-green sweater dress, but even it was made of the softest cashmere. I held it up, trying to imagine myself making a daring escape in it. Nope. With a shake of my head, I heedlessly tossed all of the clothes onto the floor. Looked like I'd be wearing grungy clothes for a while. I paced around after that, turning over futile escape plans that I'd already spun around in my head a million times. In walking, I realized how tired I was. Aside from the blackout when Dimitri had hit me, I hadn't slept in over a day. Deciding how to handle this was like deciding how to deal with the food. Let down my guard or not? I needed strength, but each concession I made put me more at risk. At last, I gave in, and as I lay down on the massive bed, an idea suddenly occurred to me. I wasn't totally without help. If Adrian came to visit me in my sleep, I could tell him what had happened. True, I'd told him to stay away last time, but he'd never listened to me before. Why should this time be any different? I focused on him as hard as I could while I waited for sleep to come, as though my thoughts might act as some sort of bat signal and summon him. It didn't work. There was no visit in my dreams, and when I woke up, I was surprised at just how much that hurt me. Despite Adrian's infatuation with Avery, I couldn't help but recall how kind he'd been to Jill the last time I saw them. He was worried about Lissa, too, and he'd displayed none of his usual carefree bravado. He'd been serious and†¦ well, sweet. A lump formed in my throat. Even if I had no romantic interest in him, I'd still treated him badly. I'd lost both our friendship and any chance of calling for help through him. The soft rustling of paper snapped me from my musings and I jerked upright. Someone was in the living room, his back to me as he sat on the couch, and it took me only a moment to recognize who. Dimitri. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, climbing out of bed. In my groggy state, I hadn't even registered the nausea. â€Å"Waiting for you to wake up,† he said, not bothering to turn around. He was overly confident in my inability to inflict damage-as well he should have been. â€Å"Sounds kind of boring.† I walked into the living room, moving myself far to the side of him and leaning against the wall. I crossed my arms over my chest, again taking comfort in that meaningless protective posture. â€Å"Not so boring. I had company.† He glanced over at me and held up a book. A western. I think that shocked me almost as much as his altered appearance. There was something so †¦ normal about it all. He'd loved western novels when he was a dhampir, and I'd often teased him about wanting to be a cowboy. Somehow, I'd imagined that hobby would go away when he turned. Irrationally hopeful, I studied his face as though I might see some radical change, like maybe he'd turned back to the way he'd been while I slept. Maybe the last month and a half had been a dream. Nope. Red eyes and a hard expression looked back at me. My hopes shattered. â€Å"You slept for a long time,† he added. I dared a quick look at the window. Totally black. It was nighttime. Damn. I'd only wanted a two-hour power nap. â€Å"And you ate.† The amusement in his voice grated at me. â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm a sucker for pepperoni. What do you want?† He placed a bookmark in the book and set it on the table. â€Å"To see you.† â€Å"Really? I thought your only goal was to make me one of the living dead.† He didn't acknowledge that, which was a bit frustrating. I hated feeling like what I had to say was being ignored. Instead, he tried to get me to sit down. â€Å"Aren't you tired of always standing?† â€Å"I just woke up. Besides, if I can spend an hour tossing furniture around, a little standing isn't that big a deal.† I didn't know why I was throwing out my usual witty quips. Honestly, considering the situation, I should have just ignored him. I should have stayed silent instead of playing into this game. I guess I kind of hoped that if I made the jokes I used to, I'd get some kind of response from the old Dimitri. I repressed a sigh. There I was again, forgetting Dimitri's own lessons. Strigoi were not the people they used to be. â€Å"Sitting's not that big a deal either,† he replied. â€Å"I told you before, I'm not going to hurt you.† â€Å"? ®Hurt' is kind of a subjective term.† Then, in a sudden decision to seem fearless, I walked over and sat in the armchair across from him. â€Å"Happy now?† He tilted his head, and a few pieces of brown hair escaped from where he'd pulled it back in a small ponytail. â€Å"You still stay beautiful, even after sleeping and fighting.† His eyes flicked down to the clothes I'd tossed on the floor. â€Å"You don't like any of them?† â€Å"I'm not here to play dress-up with you. Designer clothes aren't going to suddenly get me on board with joining the Strigoi club.† He gave me a long, penetrating stare. â€Å"Why don't you trust me?† I stared back, only my stare was one of disbelief. â€Å"How can you ask that? You abducted me. You kill innocent people to survive. You aren't the same.† â€Å"I'm better, I told you. And as for innocent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"No one's really innocent. Besides, the world is made up of predators and prey. Those who are strong conquer those who are weak. It's part of the natural order. You used to be into that, if I remember correctly.† I looked away. Back at school, my favorite non-guardian class had been biology. I'd loved reading about animal behavior, about the survival of the fittest. Dimitri had been my alpha male, the strongest of all the other competitors. â€Å"It's different,† I said. â€Å"But not in the way you think. Why should drinking blood be so strange to you? You've seen Moroi do it. You've let Moroi do it.† I flinched, not really wanting to dwell on how I used to let Lissa drink from me while we lived among humans. I certainly didn't want to think about the rush of endorphins that had come with that and how I'd nearly become an addict. â€Å"They don't kill.† â€Å"They're missing out. It's incredible,† he breathed. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. â€Å"To drink the blood of another†¦ to watch the life fade from them and feel it pour into you†¦ it's the greatest experience in the world.† Listening to him talk about killing others increased my nausea. â€Å"It's sick and wrong.† It happened so fast that I didn't have any time to react. Dimitri leapt out and grabbed me, pulling me to him and spreading me out on the couch. With his arm still wrapped around me, he positioned himself so that he was half beside me and half on top. I was too stunned to move. â€Å"No, it's not. And that's where you have to trust me. You'd love it. I want to be with you, Rose. Really be with you. We're free of the rules that others put on us. We can be together now-the strongest of the strong, taking everything we want. We can eventually be as strong as Galina. We could have a place just like this, all our own.† While his bare skin was still cold, the press of the rest of his body against mine was warm. The red in his eyes practically gleamed while this close, and as he spoke, I saw the fangs in his mouth. I was used to seeing fangs on Moroi, but on him†¦ it was sickening. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying to break free but promptly dismissed it. If Dimitri wanted to hold me down, I would stay down. â€Å"I don't want any of this,† I said. â€Å"Don't you want me?† he asked with a wicked smile. â€Å"You wanted me once.† â€Å"No,† I said, knowing I lied. â€Å"What do you want then? To go back to the Academy? To serve Moroi who will throw you into danger without a second thought? If you wanted that kind of life, why did you come here?† â€Å"I came to free you.† â€Å"I am free,† he responded. â€Å"And if you'd really intended to kill me, you would have.† He shifted slightly, resting his face close to my neck. â€Å"You couldn't.† â€Å"I messed up. It won't happen again.† â€Å"Suppose that were true. Suppose you were able to kill me now. Suppose you were even able to escape. What then? Will you go back home? Will you return to Lissa and let her continue bleeding spirit's darkness into you?† â€Å"I don't know,† I replied stiffly. And it was the truth. My plans had never gone past finding him. â€Å"It will consume you, you know. As long as she continues to use her magic, no matter how far away you go, you'll always feel the side effects. At least as long as she's alive.† I stiffened in his arms and moved my face away. â€Å"What's that mean? Are you going to join Nathan and hunt her down?† â€Å"What happens to her is no concern of mine,† he said. â€Å"You are. If you were awakened, Lissa would no longer be a threat to you. You'd be free. The bond would break.† â€Å"And what would happen to her? She'd be left alone.† â€Å"Like I said, that's no concern of mine. Being with you is.† â€Å"Yeah? Well, I don't want to be with you.† He turned my face toward him so that we were looking at each other again. Once more, I had that weird feeling of being with Dimitri and not with Dimitri. Love and fear. He narrowed his eyes. â€Å"I don't believe you.† â€Å"Believe what you want. I don't want you anymore.† His lips quirked into one of those scary, smirking smiles. â€Å"You're lying. I can tell. I've always been able to.† â€Å"It's the truth. I wanted you before. I don't want you now.†If I kept saying it, it would be true. He moved closer to me, and I froze. If I shifted even half an inch, our lips would touch. â€Å"My exterior†¦ my power, yes, that's different. Better. But otherwise, I'm the same, Roza. My essence hasn't changed. The connection between us hasn't changed. You just can't see it yet.† â€Å"Everything's changed.† With his lips so close, all I kept thinking about was that brief, passionate kiss he'd given me the last time he was here. No, no, no. Don't think about that. â€Å"If I'm so different, then why don't I force you into an awakening? Why am I giving you the choice?† A snappy retort was on my lips, but then it died. That was an excellent question. Why was he giving me the choice? Strigoi didn't give their victims choices. They killed mercilessly and took what they wanted. If Dimitri truly wanted me to join him, then he should have turned me as soon as he had me. More than a day had passed, and he'd showered me with luxury. Why? If he turned me, I had no doubt that I'd become as twisted as him. It would make everything a lot simpler. He continued when I remained silent. â€Å"And if I'm so different, then why did you kiss me back earlier?† I still didn't know what to say, and it made his smile grow. â€Å"No answer. You know I'm right.† His lips suddenly found mine again. I made a small sound of protest and tried vainly to escape his embrace. He was too strong, and after a moment, I didn't want to escape. That same sensation as before flooded me. His lips were cold, but the kiss burned between us. Fire and ice. And he was right-I did kiss him back. Desperately, that rational part of me screamed that this was wrong. Last time, he'd broken the kiss before too much could happen. Not this time. And as we continued kissing now, that rational voice in me grew smaller and smaller. The part of me that would always love Dimitri took over, exulting in the way his body felt against mine, the way he wound my hair around one of his hands, letting the fingers get tangled up. His other hand slid up the back of my shirt, cold against my warm skin. I pushed myself closer to him and felt the pressure of the kiss increase as his own desire picked up. Then, in the midst of it all, my tongue lightly brushed against the sharp point of one of his fangs. It was like a bucket of cold water tossed upon me. With as much strength as I could muster, I jerked my head away, pulling out of the kiss. I could only guess that his guard had been momentarily down, allowing me that small escape. My breathing was heavy, my whole body still wanting him. My mind, however, was the part of me in control-for now, at least. God, what had I been doing? It's not the Dimitri you knew. It's not him. I'd been kissing a monster. But my body wasn't so sure. â€Å"No,† I murmured, surprised by how pathetic and pleading I sounded. â€Å"No. We can't do this.† â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked. His hand was still in my hair, and he forcibly turned my head so that I was face-to-face with him again. â€Å"You didn't seem to mind. Everything can be just like it was before†¦ like it was in the cabin†¦ You certainly wanted it then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The cabin†¦ â€Å"No,† I repeated. â€Å"I don't want that.† He pressed his lips against my cheek and then made a surprisingly gentle trail of kisses down to my neck. Again, I felt my body's yearning for him, and I hated myself for the weakness. â€Å"What about this?† he asked, his voice barely a whisper. â€Å"Do you want this?† â€Å"Wh-â€Å" I felt it. The sharp bite of teeth into my skin as he closed his mouth down on my neck. For half an instant, it was agonizing. Painful and horrible. And then, just like that, the pain disappeared. A rush of bliss and joy poured through me. It was so sweet. I had never felt so wonderful in my life. It reminded me a little of how it had been when Lissa drank from me. That had been amazing, but this†¦ this was ten times better. A hundred times better. The rush from a Strigoi bite was greater than that of a Moroi's. It was like being in love for the first time, filled with that all consuming, joyous feeling. When he pulled away, it felt like all the happiness and wonder in the world had vanished. He ran a hand over his mouth, and I stared at him wide-eyed. My initial instinct was to ask why he'd stopped, but then, slowly, I reached inside myself to fight past the blissful daze that his bite had sent me into. â€Å"Why†¦ what†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words slurred a little. â€Å"You said it would be my choice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It still is,† he said. His own eyes were wide, his breathing heavy too. He'd been just as affected as me. â€Å"I'm not doing this to awaken you, Roza. A bite like this won't turn you. This†¦ well, this is just for fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then, his mouth moved back to my neck to drink again, and I lost track of the world.

Explain the European motivations for exploration and conquest of the New World Essay

The discovery of the New World happened to coincide with the spread of European power and culture around the known world. This spread was the result of various developments that had occurred, particularly the following: â€Å"the explosive growth of trade, towns, and modern corporations; the religious zeal generated by the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation;†1 as well as the usual reasons of â€Å"greed, conquest, racism, and slavery. †2 By the time of the 1400s, these and other forces combined to make Europeans search for new lands to conquer and settle, as well as for new people to convert, civilize, or exploit. 3 Columbus’ various voyages to the New World opened the door for more exploration and settlement of the New World. The first European power to make concerted efforts to explore the New World was Spain, and they had three distinct motives: to win over converts to Catholicism; to conquer land; and, to get rich. 4 Eventually following Spain were England and France, both of which had similar motives: to extend their empires into the New World, as well as profit from the establishment of colonies in the New World. Clearly, then, the ultimate goal of exploration and conquest in the New World was to increase power and wealth. 2. Explain the religious persecutions in England that pushed the Separatists into Plymouth and the Quakers into Pennsylvania. Explain how England’s Glorious Revolution also prompted changes in the colonies. The Separatists, also known as the Pilgrims, were forced out of England due to their religious beliefs. They were part of the â€Å"most uncompromising sect of Puritans†¦who had severed all ties with the Church of England. †5 They felt that the Church of England was not completely separated from the Catholic Church. Speaking out against the Church of England led to persecutions by King James I and Anglican officials. 6 The Separatists then fled to Holland, but while there, felt that their children were becoming too Dutch and straying from their staunch Puritan beliefs. As a result, they secured a land patent from the Virginia Company and in 1620, sailed to America. 7 The Quakers were the â€Å"most influential of many radical groups that sprang from†¦the English Civil War. †8 They carried further than any other group the doctrine of â€Å"individual spiritual inspiration and interpretation,† which they called â€Å"the inner light. †9 Doing away with many of the trappings of the Church of England, the Quakers embraced a simple way of life and were extremely pacifist. 10 This did not coincide with the ways of the Anglican Church, and thus, they were persecuted a great deal. They chose to leave England and settle in the New World, where they would be able to practice their beliefs without fear of reprisal. First establishing the colony of New Jersey, they soon migrated to the opposite side of the Delaware River and established the colony of Pennsylvania. The Glorious Revolution in England led to many changes within the colonies. The colonies that had been absorbed into the Dominion of New England – Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey – all reverted to their former governments. 11 They were also able to retain their former status, â€Å"except Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth, which†¦were united under a new charter in 1691 as the royal colony of Massachusetts Bay. †12 Another change was the passage of the Bill of Rights and the Toleration Act in England in 1689, both of which â€Å"limited the powers of the country’s monarchs and affirmed a degree of freedom of worship for all Christians, thereby influencing attitudes – and the course of events – in the colonies. †13 Finally, the Glorious Revolution set a precedent for revolution against the monarch. In other words, it laid the groundwork for the American Revolution, which would free the colonies from British rule. 14 5. Explain how and why the British won the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was the last of four major wars involving the European powers and their New World colonies. 15 In this particular war, the cause of contention was upper Ohio River valley. Controlled by the French, they became irate when some Virginians moved into the territory to make trade with the Indians easier, as well as to survey land granted to them by King George III. 16 Attempts to warn off the French failed, and eventually warfare broke out in the disputed area. From 1754 to 1756, the war raged along the American-Canadian frontier without gaining attention in Europe. 17 From 1756 until the war ended, it would be merged with the Seven Years’ War in Europe. 18 The change in status of the French and Indian War coincided with a change within the British government. William Pitt became Prime Minister of Britain, and under his leadership, the British would defeat the French. Allied with the Indians, who wanted the French out of their territory, the British utilized their superior naval fleet to cut off French reinforcements and supplies to the New World. 19 The decisive point of the war was the Battle of Quebec in 1759. After two months of attempting to break French defenses, the British were able to find a path that allowed them to get closer to the French camp. In the battle that followed, the British routed the French, thus ending French power in North America. 20

(social work) compare developmental stages of Australian children to Essay

(social work) compare developmental stages of Australian children to Afganistan children - Essay Example These are traits, which are considered to be inborn temperaments. Other characteristics such as an individual feeling inferior, competent or someone being learned will depend on the support initiated to children by the grown ups. Erikson claims that an individual born with ego as behavior usually turns out to be defensive (Erikson, 1980, Pg, 7). He has documented 8 crucial steps that are necessary for the development of an individual, however this paper will look at two. The two steps are with reference to the development of children in Australia and those in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. It is clear that issues with the life of individuals especially children is normally influenced by culture on behavior and the environment that they are in. The external influence include depression and war which are likely to make children develop viewing the world from a different perspective (Welchman, 2000, Pg 34). The issues they interact with in the body such as the genetic biological programming, the psychological issues which are referred to as the mind and the cultural influences, will determine the development of these children from these regions. These establishments were initiated using two philosophies. The first issue is based on the world growing as people grow while the second one talks of the failure being in many people. The first development stage to be initiated is from the age of 3 to 5, which is referred to as the ego development stage. This is a stage where the child is always filled with the urge of having initiatives and strength copy the things that adults are doing (Aiken, 2002, Pg 80). They will create a playing situation that the children will find themselves engaged in. Under normal circumstances, the children will make up stories on about their toys and dolls, they will even come up with roles for them in

Reform of Human Resource Department in Ontario Public Services Essay

Reform of Human Resource Department in Ontario Public Services - Essay Example The report provides us with an insight that the human resource management can help in shaping the behavior of employee that is consistent with the organization’s reason for existence; purpose, mission and vision. The focus of this research was to shift from traditional HR to strategic HR. This shift from traditional to strategic human resource was to ensure the flexibility and innovation based on technology. Another focus of OPS was to focus on outsourcing that was to be limited only for those departments of the organization where the department needs motivated employees. Other departments in which the organization excels would be handled by the OPS. In this research paper the importance of human resource will be judged by conducting relevant analysis based on Ontario public services. The analysis is based on up-to-date data and models that would help to conclude regarding the progress of human resource management in Ontario public services. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW For an organiz ation to be successful and to respond to the challenges, the organization must bear high recruitment cost. This recruitment would help to accomplish the vision and mission and pursue the organizational excellence (Armstrong, 2009). For such purpose the OPS has developed a plan to focus on outsourcing which would help the OPS to reduce its recruitment cost and provide the organization with the best human resource available. This reduction in cost could be an opportunity for the OSP to use the capital in investing in other programs where the probability of return is greater than the others. According to the Equity theory, employees look for a balance between their input (hard work, loyalty, commitment, determination,... This essay provides relevant analysis of human resource management in Ontario public services and outlines the importance of human resource department in the OPS. The analysis is based on up-to-date data and models. The report provides us with an insight that the human resource management can help in shaping the behavior of employee that is consistent with the organization’s reason for existence; purpose, mission and vision. The shift from traditional to strategic human resource was made to ensure the flexibility and innovation based on technology. Another focus of OPS was to focus on outsourcing that was to be limited only for those departments of the organization where the department needs motivated employees. Other departments in which the organization excels would be handled by the OPS. In this essay the importance of human resource is judged by conducting relevant analysis based on Ontario public services. It could be concluded that OPS was successful in the implementation and change of HRM from traditional to strategic human resource. The shift from traditional to strategic HR is deemed successful by introducing the technology which reduced the efforts and time consumption in the organizations. OPS emphasized on the quality of human resource rather than the quantity of employees. Employees being the greatest resource of OPS, it had been given a special place in the public services. The employees are trained and developed to create competencies that would be helpful for the organizations in the future.

Describe Operating Systems that are common on the internet Research Paper

Describe Operating Systems that are common on the internet - Research Paper Example The family of Microsoft operating systems available on the Internet includes Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 97, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows ME. The most common operating system among these is the Microsoft Windows XP because of its gamming industry. In the contemporary computers’ market, two power houses because of which people purchase new computers are the latest games, and people’s attempts to keep up with Joneses. â€Å"The reason that the gaming industry is the biggest power house is every person that buys a computer will buy some type of game for that computer and with the gamming industry pushing the envelope of processors and video cards consumers want the most realistic games they can find† (Healy, 2003, p. 1). Web operating systems provide the users with a wonderful way to access their data sitting anywhere across the globe. All that is required by the users is a computer, an Internet connection, and a br owser. Web operating systems prove quite handy particularly if the user has many computers, and the user travels frequently and wants all of the data to be compiled in one place instead of many. Five of the most well-known web operating systems are eyeOS, Jolicloud, G.ho.st, Glide OS, and icloud. They are described as follows: eyeOS eyeOS is the web desktop of the open source cloud computing. Individual users and organizations both can use this operating system. eyeOS can be either downloaded from the Internet and run on the server or its account can be created to use it. eyeOS plays the role of a platform for web applications with the help of the eyeOS Toolkit. eyeOS has a Desktop environment which consists of system utilities and 67 other applications that include but are not limited to the address book, word processor, PDF reader, and numerous applications created by the community. Jolicloud Netbooks developed an Internet based operating system with the name Jolicloud. It is a Ne t focused operating system that supports different kinds of connectivity hardware including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G modems. Users of the social media particularly find Jolicloud very convenient to use as it provides them with easy access to such social media websites as Twitter and Facebook. Other features included in Jolicloud include Google Reader, Skype, VLC, Meebo, and Gmail. Jolicloud provides the online users with the facility to live-synch updates from their netbooks using the Jolicloud homebase. The users can read, edit, and write documents, and develop presentations and spreadsheets using the Zoho apps. â€Å"By connecting to the apps and services you already use and love, Jolicloud Me automatically streamlines all the things you create, like or receive into your very own personal library† (jolicloud, n.d.). Jolicloud has compatibility with AIR, Windows, Linux, and other applications which support Gears and Flash for the offline web. G.ho.st G.ho.st is another web o perating system. It is an abbreviation for Global hosted operating system. It is a kind of virtual computer with almost all of the features of a physical computer that include but are not limited to file storage, desktop, and apps. G.ho.st has two versions; G.ho.st Lite and G.ho.st VC. G.ho.st Lite provides access from old computers that have

Sustainable Business and Ethics Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sustainable Business and Ethics - Thesis Example The mission statement of Adidas Group is to become the global leader in the arena of sporting goods which encompasses brands that are developed on the passion for sporting lifestyle and sports as an important consumer-oriented aspect. The mission statement of Adidas suggests that the company focuses on being a leader in design and innovation of sporting products based on the changing needs and demands of the customer groups. Additionally, this mission statement also suggests that Adidas is a company driven by passion and innovation which it aims to incorporate through every part of its value chain and business functionalities. The mission and vision statements formulated for the Adidas business plan are designed on the basis of the primary objective of these statements to address the organizational components, organizational value chain and the organization as a single performing unit. The sustainability initiatives of the company encompass different innovative strategies and initiatives like investing in suitable Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR) initiatives, focusing on maintaining legal and ethical compliance and ensuring the adherence to the international and local regulations and policies of operating in the sports good industry. Becoming a sustainable company has remained one of the primary objectives of Adidas. For achieving the desired level of sustainability in its business practices and functions, Adidas has dealt with varying internal and external challenges. There are five key challenges that have to be faced by the company in its current initiative of tapping in the sports industry of the United States of America. These include being competitive, being a preferred employer, being a responsible multinational company, show an adequate amount of environmental responsibility and also ensure the maintenance of sufficient levels of social responsibility in the management.

Case study about international expansion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About international expansion - Case Study Example Ruth’s Chris did not consider this approach. Out of the four markets that the company operated internationally, the company noted that the current dining experience it offers its clients would be appropriate for new markets without risking confusion or dilution about the brand. In terms of penetration, Ruth’s Chris considered the option of adding more restaurants in the same market. Plans for implementing this strategy were underway, particularly in the case of new restaurants present in Canada. Nonetheless, the major drawback for affecting this approach is that the restaurants would not be able to offer ubiquitous serves compared to fast food establishments, such as McDonalds. Furthermore, it would not be possible for even for the world’s biggest cities to accommodate more than six steak houses owned by Ruth’s Chris. In terms of market development, the company aims at adding similar restaurants in different markets. This approach is obvious in terms of in creasing the revenue of Ruth’s Chris in four global markets, including Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan, and Mexico. These franchisees would be profitable and provide testimony to the company (Sagepub, 2015). The diversification approach is the riskiest one for Ruth’s Chris to implement. By introducing new types of restaurants in different markets, the company would be forced to make major investments in the establishment of stores. In addition, the new stores would be different from the mother company, confusing the customers about the operations of the company. For instance, those customers who are loyal to the brand would perceive the different establishments differently, leading to loss of clients. As a result, the company would end up making losses, bringing down the overall competitiveness of the company in the global marketplace. To attract clients, Ruth’s Chris needs to come up with a strategy that would be appealing to different types of clients with different

IT for Investor Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

IT for Investor Relation - Essay Example In the main, high technological utilization is recommended for the company. Founded in 1963 with its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Comcast Corporation is a media and technology company that in diversity, in the entertainment industry. It functions under Cable Networks, Filmed Entertainment, Cable Communication, Theme Parks and Broadcast Television divisions. Under the brand name XFINITY, the Cable Communication division provides business and residential customers with high-speed internet, on-line advertising, cellular backhaul, voice and video services. Under the names Illumination, Focus Features and Universal pictures, the Filmed Entertainment division engages in the acquisition, production, marketing and distribution of animated and live-action filmed entertainment. The division of Cable networks runs cable networks that provide news, sports, information and entertainment, both regional and international. The Theme Parks division runs island adventures, a dining retail, entertainment complex, studios and theme parks. Finally, the broadcast division controls Telemundo and NBC broadcast networks (Sander, Peter & Scott 143). All the divisions own digital media properties. By 2013, it employed 13,600 full-time employees. By revenue, Comcast is the largest cable and broadcasting corporation. It ranks third in telephone service provision to the people of the United States. . By 2009, the value of the company’s stocks had doubled from $8.19 to $15, with a revenue growth of six folds, $6 billion in 1999 to $36 billion in 2009. In the same period, the company experienced a tripling of return on capital. Its main competitors are Twenty-First Century Fox, The Walt Disney Corporation, CBS Corporation and Time Warner Cable (TWC). However, there is a yet to be approved takeover deal that Comcast signed with TWC in February 2014 (James & Flint, â€Å"Comcast strikes deal†). Competitors have opposed the move,

Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) - Essay Example They are also planning to open up eco-friendly stores for their green credentials. Strategic planning process comprises of an important ingredient of external environmental analysis. Environmental analysis helps ascertain the state of factors internal to the firm which can further be classified as a firm's Strength or Weakness while those external to the firm can be classified as Opportunities and threats. This study of the strategic environment is called SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis facilitates the extraction of strategic information which aids in matching a firm's resources to the environment in which it operates. 1) Acceleration of store renewal programme-M&S have already started investing in their stores and completed about 70% of their modernization programme. They are planning to modernise an additional 10% of space and open up an additional 5.5% of new space in the coming years. With launch of new eco-friendly store, they will be able to cut the down the cost tremendously in the next 5 years. Within one year, they are able to save around 20% of their energy in the store. 2) Private labeled grocery- M&S sells 90% of its own food brands. Despite M&S experiencing difficult trading conditions in their clothing departments, their food halls have continued to run successful business. It consistently offers innovative, high quality and rigorously checked food. 3) Everyday value shop with quality- Making Marks & Spencer a more convenient place to shop, the popular shopping basket items have reviewed prices without comprising with the qualities of the product. Although the company is working according to market price but without hampering their quality and standards. 4) Variety of food products at one stop shop- Marks & Spencer's ready to eat meals are long been famous for their great ingredients. As more of consumer start spending their time in kitchens and would be spending in the next 5 -10 years, they come with new range of 300 ingredients right starting from fresh herbs to bread and cakes-makes easier cooking starting from scratch. 5) Expansion of stores and intensive use of space: Currently in UK, there are 622 stores and 278 international stores all over the world. With the possibility of resurging economy after 2 -3 years, they will be planning to expand their stores in UK as well as globally also. This makes their presence in UK stronger than any other brand. With the current downturn in the economy, they have already started utilizing the floor space for every square foot to its full potential. Selling space will be reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximize returns per square foot. Weakness: 1) Late entrant: With the increasing disposable income of the people and increasing awareness of the people about the healthy and dietary food, Marks & Spencer became a late entrant into this segment. Even talking about the experience of the store and one stop food shop, they had just entered into this segment. This becomes disadvantage for them as last mover. 2) Strong presence in UK- It has strong presence only in UK. It has 622 stores in UK and 278 stores internationally, which

The Kite Runner Theme Assessment Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Theme Assessment Essay Sex, it can be an act of love or even a way to demonstrate passion, but can it also be used as a way to show dominance? In the play â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† Sex represents power. Stanley rapes Blanche in order to demonstrate his superiority over her. Sex is not just a way to show affection to another person. Stanley uses sex as a tool to prove his might. He demonstrates to Blanche that he can have her whenever he wants her. Raping Blanche is one way Stanley proves he has control over Blanche and her sister. Even now in modern society sex is used as not only a way to show affection, but also as a way to display supremacy. In southern California we have thousands of sex offenders running rampant through the streets. In there minds its okay to dominate another person through sexual activities. Stanley, in the play, is described as a masculine person. He is physically strong and is often referred to as a beast. Animals, out in the wild, use sex to show dominance in their clan or group. For example the rest of the walruses looks up the walrus that has a mate. Stanley is in this way an animal. He allows his primal instincts to take over. Therefore he is the dominant male in the household and must have everything his way. Around this time males are still looked upon as the â€Å"providers† for their families, therefore they had a higher position. Even without Stanley raping Blanche he already had some type of influence over her and her sister. Blanche tries to make Stella leave Stanley. Stanley already does not like Blanche and when he notices her not falling in line with what he wants he begins to attack her. First by removing Mitch from her side then by removing Stella. Once he notices she is weak he decides to strike. Power is a desirable thing to come by. It comes to no surprise that Stanley took advantage of Blanche and raped her. Like in the animal kingdom if their dominance is being challenged they must answer the call or risk loosing everything. Stanley like having things the way they were and in the end he displayed his power and control over Stella and her sister.

Preventable Medication Errors Essay Example for Free

Preventable Medication Errors Essay In this essay I am going to discuss what the most common medication errors are, as well as discussing how these errors can be prevented. What are Common Medication Errors? â€Å"Drug errors are defined as unintentional acts, committed by healthcare providers involving medications (Medscape, 2007). Medication errors happen due to ignorance and lack of consciously being observant as to what is going on around them. Granted humans are only humans, and being is indefinitely going to result in human error. However, most of the common medication errors are a result of administering the wrong dosage of a medication, mixing medications with alcohol or simply confusing two medications that have similar names, such as Adderall vs. Inderal. â€Å" According to the national Medication Error Reporting Program, confusion caused by similar drug names accounts for up to 25 percent of all reported errors (Caring, 2008). Insulin is a common medication that is incorrectly administered by patients. Patients sometimes â€Å"double up† on the dosage to make up for a missed dose, or think they are in need of the extra medication. Doubling the dosage of any medication will result in very negative consequences or sometimes more often than not death. Ignorance and medication make for a deadly cocktail, knowing this truth, it is important to be aware of the dangers of mixing alcohol with prescribed medications. Synergism is the mixing of prescription medication with alcohol in order to receive a greater effect of the medication. Knowingly or even unknowingly consuming alcohol with prescription medication can result in permanent physical problems and/or even death. Administering the incorrect dosage of medication, as well as mixing medication with alcohol, or making a simple mistake in the identity of a similar medication are just three of numerous errors happening every day in hospitals and outpatient facilities in the United States. It is highly important to leave no room for error as a medical assistant by consciously being aware of these errors and making it a point to avoid them by checking the medications three times, checking the dosage being administered and being aware of any current prescriptions or alcohol history of the patient. What Can You Do to Prevent Medication Errors in the Practice? If the healthcare workers in the field follow the â€Å"Golden Rule† of the 7 patient rights which are: right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right technique, and right documentation, they will lower the risk of making medication errors. The patients 7 rights were implemented for this very reason, to prevent error in the field and make for a safer healthcare setting. Cognitive psychologists report that the human brain is creative and is wired to make errors (Medscape, 2007) As a medical assistant I can constantly be aware of the risks in not checking medications at least 3 times before administering the medication to a patient that I have personally confirmed to be the recipient of the medication. By making myself aware of a patient’s health history and any possible alcohol use will help ensure the patient’s safety and use of a medication. I believe that it is important in this field to leave nothing to ignorance, but by checking and re-checking the medication prescribed and the routes it is administered will greatly reduce any possible errors in a healthcare practice facility. Conclusion Preventable medication errors can be avoided by following the patient’s 7 rights of drug administration, and educating patients on the safety precautions that should be taken and making them fully aware of the dangers in not doing so. The communication and education of administering medications will help to lower healthcare costs and save the lives of many innocent victims due to medication errors. References: http://www. medscape. org/viewarticle/556487 http://www. caring. com/articles/medication-mistakes http://www. medscape. org/viewarticle/550273

History Of Persuasion Rhetoric English Language Essay

History Of Persuasion Rhetoric English Language Essay Rhetoric, the study of how human beings use symbols to communicate( Foss, Foss, Trapp, 2002), is one of the oldest concepts of human communication in the Western World which dates back to the fifth century B.C( Baldwin, Perry, Moffitt,2004). This field of study marked the advent of speech communication. A pivotal concept studied in the field of rhetoric is Persuasion. Such is the prominence of this particular phenomenon in this discipline that, in present times, the study of rhetoric is generally considered synchronous to the study of persuasive communication.( Baldwin et al, 2004). Persuasion stems from the three cultures which make up the classical rhetorical theory. It all started with the sophists, a body of Greek teachers, who wrote handbooks which defined methods of producing and delivering persuasive messages. The act of sophists charging money for their services and their strong criticism by Plato perpetuated an antisophistic sentiment which lead to their subsequent demise. By this time ( 428 -348 B.C) Plato had come to the forefront and professed the necessity of finding the absolute truth( Baldwin et al, 2004). Platos student Aristotle constructed a philosophy which drew from the ideologies advocated by the sophists as well as Plato, providing a sort of middle ground between completely relative to absolute unvarying truth.( Baldwin et al, 2004, pg 78). In his masterpiece The Rhetoric, Aristotle speaks of the three essential elements of an effective persuasive speech: ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is the moral character of the speaker, pathos is taking into consideration the feelings of the audience members and logos is the accuracy of logic and argument in the speech.( OHair , Wiemann,2009). The current literature review primarily focuses on the role of pathos in persuasive messages. But before progressing in that direction, the most fundamental question which needs to be addressed is : What is persuasion? Persuasion and Interpersonal Influence Persuasion, at its very core, is an attempt to influence without direct coercion ( Dillard, Pfau, 2002). Daniel OKeefe in his book Persuasion: Theory and Research smartly pointed out that success is considered to be ingrained in the concept of persuasion. To make a claim that I was persuaded means that the attempt of influence was indeed successful. This influence attempt can either be to bring in a complete change in attitude and beliefs which is inclusive of emotions and behavior of another person or to just preserve this attitudinal change. (Dillard et al 2002). The early research work conducted on persuasion has primarily been with respect to a large audience setup ( Miller 1987). However, with the realization that almost 80 % of the influence attempts occur in close relationships( Dillard,Knobloch, 2002) the focus on research work has steered towards interpersonal influence which, as the name suggests, focuses on the persuasive message production and effects( dillard , knobloch , 2002) in interpersonal relationships. One of the main differences which crops up between the study of rhetoric and the study of persuasion theories is the fact that research on rhetoric is primarily humanistic while persuasion takes a more social scientific bend trying to explicate the variables which enhance or inhibit the probability of success of a persuasive message (Baldwin et al 2002). Affect, Emotion, Mood and Feelings : Same or different? Some researchers use the terms affect emotion and mood interchangeably, but these terms need to be delineated for a better understanding of each of their roles in persuasive communication( Guerrero, Anderson , Trost, 1998). Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion. Emotions are considered to be internal and have a primary focus on affect. Moods are longer lasting feelings (which are not as concrete and specific as emotions ( Clore, Shwartz,Conway, 1994 ; Frijda,1986 in Jorgenson,1998). A more detailed description of the terms are accounted for below. Affect Definition: Origin: There have been two contesting views on the source of affect. Studies conducted by Dillard and Wilson(1993) explicated the message irrelevant affect where the affect itself bears no logical relationship to the content of the message , it has nothing to do with the message whatsoever ( Dillard, Pfau,2002). This type of affect takes into account the emotional state existing prior to the reception of a persuasive message which has a significant impact on the message processing by an individual(Anderson, Guerrero,1998). The other view on the source of affect, the message induced affect (Dillard, Wilson, 1993) is one where affect is considered a part and parcel of the message evaluation, when messages are designed in a way to evoke certain emotions and feelings which serve as the basis of acceptance of the advocacy(Dillard, Pfau,2002). Dillard and Wilson(1993) refer to it as direct effect as the emotion occurs in direct response to a given message(Jorgenson,1998, pg.406). Structure of Affect Dillard and Meijenders(2002) accounted for three models of affect on which I am going to focus on as well. The first model is the Bipolar Valence Model. According to this model, affect should be structured as a single continuum with positive affect on one end of the spectrum and negative affect on the other. This model suggests how the pre-existing affective states have a considerable effect on how the receiver processes the message. The mood as information hypothesis in this regard states that positive mood or affective state of a receiver encourages heuristic message processing while negative moods elicit cognitive processing. Mood management hypothesis( Wegener and Petty,1996) was formulated as a challenge to the mood as information hypothesis which states that information processing depends on the affective state of the receiver in a different way. If the receiver feels that elaborative processing of a positive message can enhance his mood, he will indulge in it. The second model is the Two Dimensional Model. Dillard and Meijnders(2002) account for two types of two dimensional models. One model has pleasure as one dimension and arousal as the second one. The conceptual allure of this circumplex is its ability to explain affective experience as blends of pleasure and arousal (Reisenzein, 1994 in Dillard, Meijnders 2002). Empirical evidence shows that increased arousal inhibits systematic processing of messages. The second model in this category has two systems as the two dimensions. One of them, the behavioral approach system, facilitates goal directed behavior. The other one, behavioral inhibition system discourages behavior which may lead to undesired negative results.(Davidson,1993 ;Gray,1990 in Dillard, Meijnders, 2002, pg 316). The third and final model named the Discrete Emotion Model distinguished emotions from one another on the grounds that they are characterized by varied systemic changes( Dillard and Meijenders,2002). The main function of this model is to elicit the fact that each emotion has distinct effects on a variety of persuasive outcomes.( Dillard and Meijenders, 2002). Information Processing Models After the persuasive message has been disseminated, the audience member processes the information in different ways depending on factors such as the message features and audience members emotional and affective state. Different models of information processing are formulated based on these caharacteristics. Message Relevant Models : Elaboration Likelihood Model as well as Heuristic Systematic Processing ( as a dual process model as) postulate two distinct modes of message analysis. The Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion is an approach developed by Richard Petty,John Caciaoppo and their associates(1986a,1986b) which postulates that there can be two different routes to persuasion depending on the extent to which the argument is elaborated, by the central route or by the peripheral route( Anderson, Guerrero,1998). The central route is when the receiver of the message weighs the argumentative quality of the message and processes the message using sound logic and reason whereas peripheral route is when the receiver of the message uses cues such as mood(Anderson, Guerrero,1998) to react to the persuasive message. When the receivers motivation is low and he is unable to judge the cognitive aspects of the message, i.e., he performs low elaboration of the message, the receiver is then generally guided by simpler heuristic principles such as credibility, liking, and consensus (O Keefe, 2002). On the other hand, during extensive elaboration, the content of the mes sage takes predominance over the peripheral cues. Jorgensen(2002) argues that emotional appeals are more effective as persuasive tools during low elaboration and even brings about attitude change in the receiver, however such attitude change is more fleeting than those brought about by the central route processing.(authors, pg409). The Heuristic Systematic Processing model is also used to explain the message processing methods used by receivers of persuasive messages. According to this model, there are two ways by which a receiver will judge a message, either by Systematic processing or by Heuristic Processing. Dillard and Peck ( 2000) in their article on evaluation of Public Service announcements succinctly describe both approaches in this model with reference to how the audience perceives the persuasive health campaign messages. They state that systematic processing is contemplative analytic and responsive to the argumentative quality of the message while heuristic processing involves the usage of shortcut decision making rules called heuristics to make a faster decision. Many researchers have stated that affect serves as the basis of the heuristics in heuristic reasoning. Emotion is, perhaps, the psychological heuristic key to human survival( pg 735, persuasion handbook). WHEN ARE THE TWO USED? Appraisal Theory : The appraisal theory explains the simple causal sequence through which emotions arise in the following steps : the message is produced by the speaker, perceived by the hearer and then appraised by the hearer. The receiver makes a judgment call by appraising the message against the dimension of the resultant personal harm or benefit and depending upon the extent of the judgment, an emotion arises( iv). In a nutshell, this theory suggests that a message may engender emotions as a result of the receivers judgment or not evoke any emotions all together. Appraisal Pattern: Message Irrelevant Models Effect of Mood on Persuasion More than models, three hypotheses govern the explanation of how mood has a substantial effect on message processing. We have already discussed how the elaboration of a message affects the message processing by the receiver. Now, we shift our attention to the reasons behind the differing elaboration of the message by the receiver. As suggested by Blumenthal () , the mood regulation hypothesis states that cognitive information processing of a persuasive message is influenced by the receivers mood. If the receiver is in a positive mood , he is motivated to steer away from a deep analysis of the message for it might take him out of that good mood. Similarly , if someone is in a negative mood, he is more likely to evaluate the incoming stimuli more carefully. Thus positive mood involves heuristic cognitive processing of a communication message and negative mood is synchronous with the in depth systematic processing of the message. The motivational hypothesis also has a similar line of belief. It states that the use of peripheral or systematic processing to evaluate a message depends upon the mood of the receiver; if the person is in a certain mood, he might be predisposed to choose a certain method of message processing over another. For example the research conducted by Isen(1991) suggests that people in a good emotional state are more inclined towards low elaboration of a message as they just want to hold on to their positive mood( handbook). On the other hand, people in bad moods tend to be in a threatened mentality where in they want to judge every message carefully to be sure to not make costly judgments about the state of the world( Jorgensen). The motivational hypothesis also sheds light on the way the argumentative quality of the message is perceived in different emotional states. Recipients of strong arguments should be more persuaded when they are in a bad mood and conversely, recipients of weak argu ments should be more persuaded when they are in a good mood. This shows that the mood plays an instrumental role in deciding the acceptance of the message as well as its argumentative quality. The cognitive capacity hypothesis can be considered as an extension of the motivational hypothesis as together with asserting that affective states do influence the information processing capacity of the receiver it also states that these affective states may also interfere with the information processing. However it fails to state which affective state acts as the hindrance because under different circumstances different affective states can become the hindrance. This claim is elucidated by Dillard and Nabi(2006) when they posited that different emotional states can enhance or inhibit persuasive success and that under different circumstances the same emotional states may inhibit or enhance persuasive processes. Understanding that emotional appeals play an important and legitimate role in the process of persuasion is an important first step for communication researchers. Emotions: Emotion plays a major role in various forms of persuasive communication, from politics to health communication to advertisements. Aristotle stated that persuasion is accomplished by the interplay of three forms of rhetorical proof( real communication ph 461), ethos which reflects the speakers trustworthiness and moral character; logos which stands for a well reasoned and structured argument and finally pathos which denotes the audiences feelings. Even though everyday attempts of persuasion depend heavily on emotional appeals, emotion is the one variable which has had very little inquiry. There can be many reasons for this discrepancy. One of them could be the over emphasis of logic over emotion, researchers have always treated logic as a superior dimension in the construction of persuasive messages(Jergenson,1998). On the other hand Seibold, Cantrill and Meyers(1985 p559) point out that most of the times emotion is taken for granted. Since emotion is so effortlessly incorporated in most of our day to day persuasive messages that researchers just assume its effectiveness in the persuasive process rather than tes ting its operation( vi). Jorgensen(1998) posits the two competing notions of studying emotions: one of them states that emotion is not an integral part of the persuasion process rather it is a offshoot of the communicative process. In this view, emotions are looked upon as inherent states of the receiver, ones which do not have any direct relation with the persuasive message. The other view suggests that emotions are an integral part of the persuasive messages and emotional appeals are explicitly used to bring in attitude change thus accomplishing the primary goal of the persuasive process. Affect, Emotion, Feeling and Mood Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion. Emotions are considered to be internal and have a primary focus on affect. Together with this, emotions are also thought to be specific, focused and foregrounded in consciousness.(v) . The concept of emotion becomes clearer when seen in comparison with mood. Unlike emotion, moods are considered to be longer lasting feelings which may not be about anything specific. Instances like I am happy because I feel good , which do not have any sound and concrete reasons backing up the resulting emotion are considered to be moods. Moods are also not characterized by a specific outcome stimuli and even though mood seems to be something which is fleeting and diffusive, it does have serious effects on message information processing. (Geurrero, Andersen, troust,1998). Before we delve into that part of research, we will look a bit more in details on emotion. There are three ways in which emotions can be conceptualized : the discrete emotions approach, the prototype approach and the dimensional approach. The discrete emotion approach pivots around a central claim, emotions guide behavior(handbook of persuasion pg 318). As the name suggests, this approach considers each emotion to be discrete and also postulates that each emotion supplies a unique information manifesting distinct patterns of cognitive change( handbook). This means that if each emotion has a distinct pattern of behavioral change, then these emotions should also elicit distinct effects of persuasion. In the dimensional approach, emotions are categorized according to different dimensions like valence, activity and intensity. The prototype approach offers a middle ground position between discrete emotional approach and dimensional approach by categorizing emotions by a number of characteristics like valence, functions and expressions( pg 19 , guerrero, Anderson and trost). Emotional Appeal and Emotional Arousal: The meaning of appeal is to request for change. Emotional appeal is hence an appeal through emotions. Considering that emotional appeals are profusely implemented in everyday persuasive attempts, the limited attention and research on emotionality is astounding. There can be many reasons for this neglect. One of them could be the over emphasis of logic over emotion, researchers have always treated logic as a superior dimension in the construction of persuasive messages(Jergenson,1998). On the other hand Seibold, Cantrill and Meyers(1985 p559) point out that most of the times emotion is taken for granted. Since emotion is so effortlessly incorporated in most of our day to day persuasive messages that researchers just assume its effectiveness in the persuasive process rather than testing its operation( vi). Dillard and Wilson(1993) claim until the 1960s, research on emotions was negated by many of the social sciences on the grounds of it not being in accordance with the theory of logica l positivism. Although the recognition of the importance of emotion from a communication perspective( Jorgenson,1998) gained prominence in the 1980s.(Dillard and Wilson 1993). Through research it was realized that the effectiveness of persuasive messages in highly enhanced when the message incorporates both flawless logic as well as the effective arousal of the receivers emotions.(Arnold,1985). Emotional persuasion is this the method by which the message receiver is persuaded through the arousal of emotion or through appeal to expected emotion. Sometimes the message producers include emotional appeals in the messages, intending to arouse a certain sort of emotion in the receiver which would increase the effectiveness of the persuasive message. However, the interpretation of the message by the audience member may have three possibilities; after the receiver appraises the message, the intended emotion will be invoked in him; multiple emotions are invoked in the receiver or no emotions are evoked altogether. Thus the study of emotional appeals has been done by a trial and error method ( Jorgenson, 1998) and also challenges the principle of the CFM model(Nabi,1999) to an extent. The cfm model states that the message producers should firstly decide which emotion they want to evoke to achieve their persuasive goals and then construct the message in a way to reflect the core relational theme or the crux of that emotion. This model points out one of the processes of emotional arousal. Another generic way of arousing emotions is by incorporating a novel stimuli in the message. It has been observed that often times prior knowledge may inhibit emotional arousal(iii). There are certain emotional appeals which evoke negative emotions in the audience member for example fear appeals in specific health campaign messages. In such messages, when the emotional arousal is followed up with effective and feasible ways to overcome the fear, this strategy is very effective in increasing the persuasiveness of the message. For example, when a commercial on AIDS elicits fear in the audience member, the next step should be to also inform the audience member about safe sex, the usage of condoms and other preventive measures which reassures the audience member as well. Walton(1992) states that many a times emotional appeals in messages are either irrelevant, i.e. , it is not pertinent to the message being conveyed or they are used as tools to camouflage the weakness of an argument being presented to inappropriately influence the listener(vi). Thus, even though it is the receivers perception of the emotion induced message which guides his attitude and the subsequent action, the receiver should be careful of the way in which he reaches his conclusion about the persuasive message. Thus from the above observations it can be summarized that the efficacy of a persuasive message from the stand point of a receiver can be measured in three parameters : the credibility of the source , the effective emotional arousal by the message and finally the provision of feasible measures to cater to the emotion( vi). Structure of Affect and Future Research :

The Transcontinental Railroads :: essays research papers

The Transcontinental Railroads The Transcontinental Railroad consisted of ten major railroads that together would span the distance between the East and West Coasts of the United States. The completion of these railroads brought change, both for good and bad, and had an enormous impact on the United States and other countries of the world. Without a doubt, each railroad played an important role in shaping America into the country it is today. The Great Northern Railroad was an 8,316-mile long railroad created in September 1889 by predecessor railroads in Minnesota. It went from Lake Superior to Washington, traveling through North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. The line was the dream of James Jerome Hill who was known as the â€Å"Empire Builder† since he had the ability to bring prosperity to areas that were barren before his influence. This railroad provided service and helped build up the grain, potato, and sugar beet regions in North Dakota, Montana, and Eastern Washington. It also played a pivotal role in the prosperity of the cattle counties of Montana as well as the oil, copper, and lumber industries (http://www.gnrhs.org). The Northern Pacific Railroad originally started in 1864 by Josiah Perham; unfortunately, due to financing problems the project was stalled until 1869. The route stretched from Lake Superior to the Puget Sound in Washington. This railroad was unique since it received no government loans to assists in its financing. The Northern Pacific lines were vital in bringing immigrants to various cities along the routes through advertising at home and abroad. Their effort to attract settlers into these regions was directly responsible for Montana, Washington, North Dakota and South Dakota becoming states in 1889. This stimulated the economies in these regions (http://www.linecamp.com). The Union Pacific Railroad was created in 1862 by government grants. Construction began in late 1863 in Omaha, Nebraska. Over a period of six years it was run through Wyoming and on to Promontory Point, Utah. The Union Pacific routes later expanded to reach north to Washington and south to Texas, with numerous subsidiary lines in Colorado. In 1936, the railroad opened Sun Valley, Idaho Ski Resort, which became a model for other ski resorts to follow (http://www.linecamp.com). The Kansas Pacific was the southern branch of the Union Pacific. The building of the route began in 1863 with the intent to transport passengers (immigrants) westward through the Great Plains. The route ran from Kansas City to Denver. Towns sprung up along the different junctions providing economic booms in those areas.

Comparisons :: essays papers

Comparisons Gerard David and Mary Cassatt both are remarkable artists who has influenced artists today. Gerard David was born in 1455 in the Netherlands (Oudewater). Mary Cassatt was born in 1861 in Pennsylvania. Even though they were born at different times, their paintings show the relationship between mother and child. David painted Virgin and Child With Four Angels in 1510. The type of canvas used was wood with oil paint. The wood has a rectangular shape. The Virgin and Child characters that were reproduced from a painting by Jan van Eyck, who influenced David when he settled in Bruges in 1484. In the foreground there are six figures. The mother, child and the four angels. The mother has brown hair and is wearing a red robe. She is also in the center of the painting. She has a dismal look on her face, while holding her child tightly. The mother depicts the Virgin Mary. The child is naked in the mother's arms looking at the viewer. The child represents Jesus and innocence. To the left and right of the mother there are two angels. One is playing a harp and the other is playing a banjo. The one playing the harp is wearing a black robe. Black can represent the darkness or evil. The other angel playing the banjo is wearing a white grayish robe. The white grayish color can represent the purity and good side. Their facial expressions look as if they are sad. The other two angels are above the mother and child. They both are holding a crown over the mother and child. The angels holding the crown symbolizes the war between good and evil. In the middle ground and background there are churches, gardens, and mountains. The colors mainly used are forest green, brown, white and beige color to highlight certain aspects of the painting. The churches in the painting are from Sint-Jakobs and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw. The mood of the piece is melancholy. It is shown in the facial expressions of each character. Looking at the painting I really couldn't tell where David started his work. I think he started with the background first and everything came after. Mary Cassatt painted a Young Mother Sewing on a rectangular canvas. She also used oil paint like Gerard David did. In the foreground, the young child in the painting was wearing a white and sky blue dress.

Humorous Wedding Speech to a Groom with Long Hair :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech to a Groom with Long Hair Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I must admit, I am more nervous about being best man than I was at my own wedding. Maybe it’s because I have been married a year and I know what Jonathan’s letting himself in for! And on that happy occasion, as some of you know, Jonathan was my best man and he did a wonderful job. However Jonathan, there are many reasons why you should get married and I’m not sure if revenge is one of them. But, it is a great thrill and an honor, and Jonathan’s already agreed that I can do it again next time! First of all, Pamela, you look radiant – absolutely stunning in that dress. Jonathan, you need a haircut! As I was walking behind him leaving the church this morning a funny thought occurred to me. From the back, it is very difficult to tell if Jonathan is a man who needs a haircut or a woman who just had one. When Jonathan was best man at my wedding he made a great deal of me having a mullet. Jonathan, I don’t think I have to say anything more about your present hairstyle other than at least mine had a name. But he hasn’t always looked this way as you’re about to find out. When I first met him, at the age of fifteen, he was in the process of developing a 'Human League' style flick, which his sister Sally enhanced with a little coloring. The words 'Babe Magnet' do spring to mind – but not on this occasion. We soon became close and it was great to have someone to hang out with because being a teenager is never easy. Rejection is the worst thing. I know all about the humiliation of being turned away; from football teams for not being good enough, from pubs for not looking old enough and from women for not looking male enough. Yep, I’ve seen Jonathan do all those things, and he carried himself with dignity throughout. After leaving school and between getting a job, Jonathan smartened himself up. But he suffered terribly from headaches during this period, he was going for the wet hair look and the toilet seat kept falling down. However, this new image seemed to completely contradict his emerging obsession with the electric guitar that was to keep him banging away in his bedroom until the small hours – or at least that’s what he told his mum.

I wish I could say I was proud of my generation, but lets face it: the media aren’t far wrong

The common perception of teenagers today is soiled by images of alcohol, drugs, hoodies, crime, disobedience, violence and unintelligence. Most teenagers would counter this with outrage and blame these demeaning interpretations on a small minority and stereotyping in the media; but I am here to say that we bring it upon ourselves to have such a reputation. I wish I could say I was proud of my generation, but let's face it: the media aren't far wrong. Having been amongst it for many years now, I can safely say that we are a generation of deadbeat, attention seeking, conformist, moaners. Thriving from a lack of discipline, we spend our days free of any common manner: loitering around in a constant sulk, yawning without covering our mouths, wearing caps indoors as if it's perfectly acceptable. A rare occasion: when â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you† is used in an exchange, when a smile is seen to disprove any hostility, or when vocal responses outside of a pathetic mumble are explored. That'll be the day. These are all rules which would appear obvious to the older generation, however in my generation, they are disregarded and branded as old-fashioned. â€Å"Who needs standards anyway? Get with the times, I'm not hurting anyone!† we plea, as an excuse to act like slobs and walk around in vests eating pasties in the streets before throwing the wrapping on the floor and wiping our hands on our thighs. Not only is there a decline in manner, but there is a decline in language. It pains me to watch the Americanisation of British English slowly materialise, and this is more prominent than ever amongst teenagers. Every sentence is littered with the word â€Å"like†, and words such as â€Å"whatever† and â€Å"dunno† are common responses. Swearing and slang is used to show some sort of rebellion against manner or social inclusion amongst friends†¦ or should I say â€Å"mates†. And now – with the increased reliance on mobile phones – text speak is diseasing the English language with its pointless abbreviations. TBH, IDK what's wrong with speaking properly. Another embarrassing element of teenage culture is the underage consumption of alcohol, which is now a growing problem amongst teenagers. Flashback 20 years ago and teenagers would be lucky to have a sip of eggnog during Christmas; now, we're out â€Å"on the lash† almost every weekend. Going out with the general motive of â€Å"having a laugh†, stumbling past careless doormen into dingy clubs, awkwardly mingling with people twice their age, and eventually passing out at 4AM without any care or dignity about them and a little nudge towards liver disease. But why is there the need to drink underage? The fact is that as teenagers, we are resistant to accept our adolescence, we all strive for maturity, all we want is to fit in with the grown-ups. We try and convert our undeveloped minds to fit that of an adult's by indulging in such substances as coffee, alcohol and maybe (for the extra-mature kids) drugs. We buy lottery tickets the second we turn 16, learn to drive the second we turn 17, and get plastered the second we turn 18. Oh, how mature. While the teenagers race towards maturity, the parents try their hands at being young and hip just once, and are slated beyond belief. We speedily climb the ladder of maturity, whilst our parents wait at the top fuelling us with food, money and too much damn freedom. Aside from acting mature, teenagers have other means of flaunting their independence, such as fashion. A teenager's sense of fashion is something which often confuses the older generation, and no wonder. Teenagers are now walking around with gaping holes in their ear lobes, absurd hair colours and pieces of metal skewered through their face, it's like we've regressed to the days of the freak show. The reason for this is that we see fashion as a way of self-expression, it's a contest to see who can have the most unique look, and this often leads to a rather outlandish outcome. However, this is no excuse for wearing sunglasses and caps indoors or girls caking their faces in make-up and wearing revealing outfits. The current state of fashion is a gargantuan mess: people trying to stand out and people trying to fit in with those who stand out; that is the general idea. And the result: a cacophony of cries for attention. Something that is corresponding amidst most teenagers is the constant need to complain, it's almost as if we enjoy it. Even if we were living the perfect life, we'd probably whine about how it's â€Å"too perfect†. Facebook is used as a platform for voicing such dire grievances as â€Å"EASTENDERS CANSELLD 4 THA FOOTIE! OMG!† or â€Å"ME MAM BURNT ME CHIKEN NUGETS!† – freedom of speech at its best. Money is an aspect which often spurs complaints: we complain about our lack of money, so we get a job and complain about how bad that is, then we earn money and spend it on trivial things. Then the cycle repeats, over and over and over. Maybe there's nothing wrong with us complaining, I mean, it's not like there are people worse off or anything. It's not easy wielding such a pretentious outlook at my age, it's a constant struggle, withstanding the strain of influence inflicted by fellow teenagers. Alas, few are those who choose a country walk over a pub crawl, Tchaikovsky over Tupac, broadsheets over booze. â€Å"Stuff the rules, we just wanna have fun!† Will a game of chess and some homemade shortbread entice you? Thought not.