Early Detection Of Perinatal Asphyxia Health And Social Care Essay

Meconium staining amnionic fluid ( MSAF ) is associated with tonss of inauspicious result and has long been considered to be a bad forecaster of foetal result. Meconium aspiration syndrome ( MAS ) is often associated with foetal hypoxia which promotes meconium discharge in amnionic fluid, panting and aspiration of MSAF, and besides alterations in the vascular muscular media of pneumonic arterias of the foetus. About 30 to 50 % of MAS required mechanical airing or uninterrupted positive air passage force per unit area ( CPAP ) .Aim: –This retrospective survey was undertaken to happen out immediate foetal result in meconium stained spirits in relation to perinatal asphyxia.MATERIAL AND METHOD: –It was a retrospective survey. We reviewed the medical records of all Neonates admitted to neonatal intensive attention unit ( NICU ) between 1st September 2011 to 31st July 2012 at NICU of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Nepal. Gestational age of babes & lt ; 37weeks are coded as prete rm, & gt ; 42weeks as station term and 37 to 42 hebdomads as term. Chi square trial and Binary logistic arrested development were used for the analysis. We calculated odds ratios ( OR ) and their 95 % assurance intervals ( 95 % CI ) . P-valueConsequence: –Out of 399 entire admittances in NICU, male ( 62.4 % ) showed preponderance as compared to female ( 37.6 % ) , among which 6.8 % were instances of MAS, doing female ( 10.7 % ) more prone compared to male ( 4.4 % ) while perinatal asphyxia came out to be 11.5 % , doing male ( 12 % ) more prone to female ( 10.7 % ) . Post term [ odds ratio=3.50 ( CI: 0.39, 31.42 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.58 ( CI: 1.16, 5.75 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing MAS compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) . Post term [ odds ratio=9.15 ( CI: 1.91, 43.75 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.67 ( CI: 1.41, 5.08 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) . MAS babe is holding 6.62 ( C I: 2.85, 15.38 ) times hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia ( p & lt ; 0.01 ) .Decision: –MAS is a perinatal job which requires a full co-operation and coordination of Obstetrician and Pediatrician if it is to be avoided. Prompt and efficient bringing room direction can minimise the sequeale of aspirated meconium and diminish the opportunity of perinatal asphyxia.KEYWORDS: –Meconium aspiration syndrome ( MAS ) , Perinatal asphyxia, NICU, PaediatricBackground: –In the early 2000, the prevalence of MAS ranged from 0.20 % to 0.54 % in the general population [ 2-4 ] and from 1.0 % to 6.8 % in babies born through MSAF [ 1, 2-4 ] . A reappraisal of 10 studies published from 1990 to 1998 showed a combined incidence of 13.1 % for MSAF, 0.52 % of MAS, 4.2 % of MAS among MSAF, and 49.7 % of MAS necessitating ventilatory support with a 4.6 % mortality rate [ 3 ] . However, big population-based surveies were scarce and suggested a lower incidence of MAS: the national US birth cohort survey conducted on the footing of singleton term non-Hispanic white unrecorded births ( 1995-2001 ) showed that the rate of MAS markedly increased with gestational age ( GA ) , that is, from 0.10 % at 37 hebdomads gestation ( WG ) to 0.22 and 0.31 % at 40 and 41 WG, severally [ 5 ] . The prevalence of MAS could be extrapolated to 0.18 % in this population of term babies. In Australia, the rate of MAS necessitating mechanical airing in flat III units ranged between 0.024 to 0.046 % at 36-40 WG and so increased to 0.080 % at 41 WG and 0.14 % at 42 WG [ 6 ] . In France, the prevalence of automatically ventilated MAS was estimated to 0.043 % by a retrospective national study among newborns born in 2000-2001 [ 7 ] . Meconium-stained amnionic fluid occurs in about 13 % of unrecorded births. Meconium aspiration syndrome ( MAS ) occurs in 5 to 10 % of babies born through meconium-stained amnionic fluid. When MAS occurs, there is an addition in neonatal mortality and morbidity. Great advancement has been made in the betterment of endurance of babies with MAS. Great advancement in direction has been made since first description of the pathophysiology and hapless result of babies with MAS in 1975. [ 8 ] These include improved intrapartum and post-delivery direction of MAS. Although there is a important lessening in the happening of MAS and associated mortality in developed states MAS remains a major job in developing states. Meconium, the faecal stuff that accumulates in the fetal colon throughout gestation, is a term derived from the Greek mekoni, intending poppy juice or opium. It is a unfertile, thick, black-green, odourless stuff foremost observed in the foetal bowel during the 3rd month of gestation. Meconium consequences from the accretion of dust, including desquamated cells from the bowel and tegument, GI mucin, lanugo hair, fatty stuff from the vernix caseosa, amnionic fluid and enteric secernments. The black-green colour consequences from bile pigments. [ 9, 10 ] Most babies have their first intestine motion after birth ( within the first 24 to 48 hour after birth ) . Occasionally a foetus can go through meconium in uteri. Aspiration of meconium and amnionic fluid can go on during any point of the labour and bringing. The foetus could draw out this mixture of fluids while they are still in the womb, coming through the birth canal, or when they take their first breathe after birth. This is refer red to as Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ( MAS ) . MAS is an of import cause of respiratory hurt in the term neonate, is a serious status with high morbidity and mortality. [ 11,12 ] The pathophysiology is complex and non good defined, including airway obstructor, pneumonic high blood pressure, epithelial hurt, surfactant inactivation, and redness. [ 11,13 ] Fetal asphyxia [ 14 ] and infection are suggested to be chief causative agents. [ 15,16 ] Meconium produces inflammatory responses in both carnal theoretical accounts and neonates with MAS. [ 17 ] After intratracheal instillment of meconium in animate beings, there is an intense pneumonic inflammatory reaction with inflow of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, monocytes/macrophages, and T cells within a few hours. The production of proinflammatory cytokines further propagates parenchymal lung cell hurt, [ 18,19 ] and apoptotic epithelial cells are present in meconium containing lungs. [ 20,21 ] MAS is a disease of the term and near-term baby that is associated with considerable respiratory morbidity. The disease is characterized by early oncoming of respiratory hurt in a meconium-stained baby, with hapless lung conformity and hypoxemia clinically and patchy opacification and hyperinflation radiographically. [ 22, 23 ] At least one tierce of babies with MAS require cannulation and mechanical airing, [ 24, 25 ] and newer neonatal therapies, such as high-frequency airing ( HFV ) , inhaled azotic oxide ( iNO ) , and surfactant disposal are frequently brought into drama. [ 26, 27 ] In the past few decennaries, there seems to hold been a decrease in the incidence of MAS in many centres, at least in the developed universe. [ 25, 28, 29 ] The evident decrease in the hazard of MAS has been attributed to better obstetric patterns, in peculiar, turning away of postmaturity and expeditious bringing where fetal hurt has been noted. [ 28 ]Aim:This retrospective survey was undertaken to happen out immediate foetal result in meconium stained spirits in relation to perinatal asphyxia.MATERIALS AND METHODS: –Study design and the participants:It was a infirmary based retrospective experimental survey conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Manipal College of Medical Sciences ( MCOMS ) , Kathmandu University. Manipal learning infirmary ( MTH ) is a third attention infirmary in pokhara metropolis of Nepal and it is a good facilitated and equipped infirmary for patients with neonatal intensive attention unit ( NICU ) . It was chosen for the survey because Manipal lea rning infirmary is a third attention 825 bedded infirmary and it was expected that most of the patients will come to this infirmary from Western Nepal.DATA COLLECTION: –This survey was carried out from 1ST SEPTEMBER 2011to 31st JULY, 2012. The survey population included patients admitted in Pediatrics NICU from different parts of Pokhara, Nepal. After obtaining the permission from the caput of the section, information was collected from the medical record section of the patient from NICU. The variable collected were Age, sex, weight, manner of bringing and gestational age. Sum of 399 instances were included in the survey holding both meconium aspiration syndrome, perinatal asphyxia and other neonatal infections.INCLUSION CRITERIA:Gestational age of babes & lt ; 37weeks are coded as preterm, & gt ; 42weeks as station term and 37 to 42 hebdomads as term.SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION: To be added subsequentlyResult Variables:To happen out immediate foetal result in meconium stained sp irits in relation to perinatal asphyxia.Explanatory Variables:Factors at single degree are gestational age and sex.ETHICAL COMMITTEE APPROVAL:Predating the survey, blessing for the survey was obtained from the institutional research ethical commission.DATA MANAGEMENT AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:Analysis was done utilizing descriptive statistics and proving of hypothesis. The information was analyzed utilizing Excel 2003, R 2.8.0, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ( SPSS ) for Windows Version 16.0 ( SPSS Inc ; Chicago, IL, USA ) and the EPI Info 3.5.1 Windows Version. A p-value of & lt ; 0.05 ( two-tailed ) was used to set up statistical significance. [ 30, 31 ]Consequence: –Table 1: Cross tabular matter between Socio demographic factors and meconium aspiration syndrome: Variables MECONIUM ASPIRATION SYNDROME p-VALUE Yes NO Entire Sexual activity Male 11 ( 4.4 % ) 238 ( 95.6 % ) 249 0.016 Female 16 ( 10.7 % ) 134 ( 89.3 % ) 150 Gestational age 1 ( & lt ; 37 hebdomads ) 12 ( 4.5 % ) 252 ( 95.5 % ) 264 0.001 2 ( 37-42 hebdomads ) 14 ( 10.9 % ) 114 ( 89.1 % ) 128 3 ( & lt ; 42 hebdomads ) 1 ( 14.3 % ) 6 ( 85.7 % ) 7 Table 1depicts: female ( 10.7 % ) more prone compared to male ( 4.4 % ) . Post term [ odds ratio=3.50 ( CI: 0.39, 31.42 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.58 ( CI: 1.16, 5.75 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing MAS compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) . from the above statistics it ‘s really clear the female in our survey are doing an dominant portion as compared to do in meconium aspiration syndrome. Along with this, we can do out that station and term newborns are holding larger hazard of developing meconium aspiration syndrome. Table 2: shows relationship of perinatal asphyxia with Socio demographic factors and meconium aspiration syndrome: Variables PERINATAL ASPHYXIA p-VALUE Yes NO Sum Sexual activity Male 30 ( 12.0 % ) 219 ( 88.0 % ) 249 0.676 Female 16 ( 10.7 % ) 134 ( 89.3 % ) 150 Gestational age 1 ( & lt ; 37 hebdomads ) 20 ( 7.6 % ) 244 ( 92.4 % ) 264 0.001 2 ( 37-42 hebdomads ) 23 ( 18.0 % ) 105 ( 82.0 % ) 128 3 ( & gt ; 42 hebdomads ) 3 ( 42.9 % ) 4 ( 57.1 % ) 7 Meconium aspiration syndrome Yes 11 ( 40.7 % ) 16 ( 59.3 % ) 27 0.0001 NO 35 ( 9.4 % ) 337 ( 90.6 % ) 372 Table 2: shows Perinatal asphyxia came out to be 11.5 % , doing male ( 12 % ) more prone to female ( 10.7 % ) . Post term [ odds ratio=9.15 ( CI: 1.91, 43.75 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.67 ( CI: 1.41, 5.08 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) . MAS babe is holding 6.62 ( CI: 2.85, 15.38 ) times hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia ( p & lt ; 0.01 ) . From the tabular array we formulated that male are holding more hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia as compared to females.post term babes and term are holding greater hazard holding asphyxia. Therefore from the above consequence we can do out that there is strong relationship between MAS and perinatal asphyxia i.e, meconium aspiration newborns are prone for developing perinatal asphyxia.Discussion:The increased hazard for pneumonic morbidity and mortality among babies born through meconium stained amnionic fluid is good recognized. Though many studies have noted a clinical spectrum of pneumonic disfunction such as mild tachypnea and terrible pneumonic inadequacy, this survey confirms that meconium stained amnionic fluid is associated with an increased hazard for pneumonic disfunction. The hazard for pneumonic disease, nevertheless, is non manifested every bit in all babies with meconium staining. As it was shown by several old surveies, the greatest hazard for pneumonic disease occurred among babies with associated marks of possible intrapartum foetal via media. Despite airway direction following recommended guidelines, these babies continued to attest a high rate of pneu monic morbidity [ 32-35 ] . The recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1983 did non propose that all babies born through thick meconium stained amnionic fluid needfully necessitate tracheal suction. The 2nd edition of these Guidelines noted the absence of extra surveies to back up or rebut the pattern of tracheal suction for meconium stained amnionic fluid and recommended that â€Å" in the presence of midst or particulate meconium, the voice box should be visualized, and if meconium is present, the clinician should cannulate the windpipe and use suction † . The most recent edition of the Guidelines published in 1992, is downwind dogmatic. It is recommended that down babies with meconium in the hypopharynx have tracheal suction. However, it is further noted that cord visual image and tracheal suction in the vigorous baby with thick meconium may non be necessary. None of the Guidelines have recommended tracheal suction of babies born through thin meconium stained amnionic fluid [ 32, 33 ] .MECONIUM ASPIRATION SYNDROME WITH GESTATIONAL AGE:The overall incidence of MAS and terrible MAS additions with GA as reported in recent population-based surveies [ 36, 37 ] . The overall rates of MAS in the USA [ 36 ] and Burgundy are similar: 1.0 versus 1.1 per 1000 unrecorded births ( aˆÂ ° ) at 37 hebdomads ; 1.1 versus 1.0aˆÂ ° at 38weeks ; 1.5 versus 1.1aˆÂ ° at 39weeks ; 2.2 versus 2.4aˆÂ ° at 40 hebdomads, and 3.1 versus 2.6aˆÂ ° at 41weeks. Furthermore the incidence of terrible MAS recorded in Australia [ 37 ] at 41weeks ( 0.80aˆÂ ° ) is close to the 0.67aˆÂ ° observed at 39-41weeks in our series. Some surveies suggested that bar of post term gestation prevents terrible MAS [ 38 ] .Our retrospective observational survey showed that station term [ odds ratio=3.50 ( CI: 0.39, 31.42 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.58 ( CI: 1.16, 5.75 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing MAS compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) .MECONIUM ASPIRATION S YNDROME WITH SEX:In our survey, male ( 62.4 % ) showed preponderance as compared to female ( 37.6 % ) , among which ( 6.8 % ) were instances of MAS, doing female ( 10.7 % ) more prone compared to male ( 4.4 % ) .PERINATAL ASPHYXIA WITH GESTATIONAL AGE:For more than two decennaries, post term gestation has been defined as a gestation that persists beyond 294 yearss or 42 hebdomads of gestation [ 39 ] . The most common ground to name it is inaccurate gestation dating. Last catamenial period with regular catamenial rhythm is the best physiological landmark to measure the gestational age in gestation. However, a few adult females are certain of their day of the months and frequently cause anxiousness when they come with postdates [ 40 ] . The cause of post-term gestation is unknown. A Post term gestations are associated with higher hazard of perinatal mortality and morbidity including meconium aspiration syndrome, A asphyxia neonatrum respiratory hurt syndrome, icterus neonatrum, sepsis neonatorum, oligohydramnios, macrosomia, foetal birth hurt, foetal hurt and increased rate of cesarean subdivision [ 41 ] . Our survey showed that station term [ odds ratio=9.15 ( CI: 1.91, 43.75 ) ] and term [ odds ratio=2.67 ( CI: 1.41, 5.08 ) ] babes were holding more hazard of developing perinatal asphyxia compared to preterm ( P & lt ; 0.01 ) .PERINATAL ASPHYXIA WITH SEX:In legion surveies, asphyxia was more prevailing in male than female [ 42, 43, 44 ] . In our survey, male preponderance is seen. Out of 399 instances perinatal asphyxia came out to be 11.5 % , doing male ( 12 % ) more prone to female ( 10.7 % ) .Decision:The present survey showed a good correlativity of prevalence of meconium aspiration syndrome and perinatal asphyxia both in term and post term babes doing perinatal asphyxia more common in meconium aspiration syndrome. There is demand of a big randomized controlled test to analyze the functions of intrapartum nasopharyngeal and immediate postpartum tracheal suctioning in newborns born through MSAF in developing state scene.Conflict OF INTERESTS:The writers do non hold any struggle of involvement originating from the survey.RecognitionsDr. K.S RAO, Professor and Head of Department, Pediatrics, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara ( Nepal ) for allowing the writers to utilize the infirmary paperss during the survey.What this survey adds:By agencies of this survey we can turn out that perinatal asphyxia is more prevailing in meconium aspiration syndrome.

Analysis of Rosemary’s Baby and Religious Faith

Is God Dead? Rosemary’s baby written by Ira Levin is a masterpiece of modern day horror that emphasizes the importance of religion. Rosemary, Guy Woodhouse’s wife and a young soon to be mother was raised by a strict religious catholic family. As she supposedly became agnostic towards her catholic faith, she left behind her an angry, suspicious father, a silent mother and four resenting brothers and sisters (Levin, 24). Throughout the novel we learn that Rosemary has re-embraced her religious beliefs and has never truly abandoned them.The author is also depicting a crisis of faith in the modern era explaining how there is a growing decline in religious belief in the 60’s. Rosemary regrets doubting and turning away from her religious beliefs after she discovers that pure Satanic evil does exist, and is residing next door. She re-embraces her religious beliefs as she utters a prayer â€Å"Oh Father in heaven, forgive me for doubting! Oh Jesus help me save my innoce nt baby† (287). This reveals how she seeks forgiveness of ever doubting gods existence and the power of religion itself.She is not only seeking forgiveness, but help for her baby. She realises that becoming agnostic and leaving her faith behind has allowed the devil to enter a doorway in her life. She re-embraces religion because it is her last hope since Guy, Doctor Sapirstein, the Castevets have all terribly deceived her: â€Å"All of them, they were all in it together. All of them witches† (257). This betrayal caused her to search for hope and to reconcile her inner conflict she had with her own faith. Moreover, as Rosemary is giving birth she apologizes to her baby â€Å"I’m sorry, my little darling!Forgive me! † (272). She is apologizing for being too late and for failing to protect her new born from the evil that surrounds her. Rosemary knows that if she had not put aside the importance of her catholic faith, this would not be happening. She then ask s the child for forgiveness because she feels that it is her fault. This foreshadows how she wants to accord importance once again to her religion. She feels that she could be forgiven if she became a true catholic again. At this moment she would do anything to save her child from â€Å"those witches†.Furthermore, Rosemary sees her helpless baby in a monstrous bassinet in the hands of the evil Satanists. She then proves re-embracement of her religious faith as she avoids collapsing and crying. Instead, â€Å"she shut her eyes tight to stop the tears and said a quick Hail Mary† (293). Even after all she has just been through, she still takes time to say a prayer. This demonstrates how she still has hope and faith. Additionally, not only does Rosemary go through evolution by re-embracing religion; she has also never abandoned her beliefs.When asked by the Castavets if she is religious, Rosemary's response is flustered and confused: â€Å"No, no not at all, I was brought up to be but now I am agnostic† (76). As Mrs. Castevet wanted more details about how she truly felt about the Pope and religion, Rosemary answers: â€Å"Well he is the Pope; I’ve been conditioned to have respect for him and still do† (77). This demonstrates that even though she does not think of him has holy anymore, she still has respect for him. This proves that the way her family raised her impacts her view on the Pope regardless if she is religious or not.As the Pope is visiting New York, Rosemary takes time to watch his appearance on television and to listen to his speeches. She mentions that the Pope’s speech at the UN â€Å"moved her† (102). Which reveals once again that he is important for her and that she respects him. As well, Rosemary receives a phone call from her sister Margaret and reveals an important declaration: â€Å"Religion doesn’t mean as much to me now as it did back home† (104). This reveals to us how religion r emains meaningful to her even though it is not as important as it used to be. As Rosemary wavers in her own beliefs, she does not abandon them.Furthermore, in Rosemary’s dream we perceive how she is in conflict with the beliefs towards religion and her agnostic point of view. She dreams of a church burning on fire and of catholic prejudices (113). Her unconscious reveals how her loss in interest with the catholic faith troubles her. In the dream, the Pope is also there with a suitcase and she asks him for forgiveness (116). This foreshadows how she wishes the Pope would forgive her for ever doubting the religion and how she seeks acceptance from him and her family. Lastly, the author is aiming to depict a crisis of faith in contemporary society.This is seen when Rosemary picks up a copy of Time magazine that was right next to her. â€Å"Is God dead†? It asked in red letters on a black background (255). This reveals how the society is doubting the existence of god. It a lso expresses the need for society to recognize that it is behaving as if God were no longer active in the world. The fact that the author took the time to mention this specific magazine foreshadows how Rosemary is not the only one doubting existence of god. As well, when Rosemary see’s the cover of the magazine she looks for the index right away and turned to the show business section (255).She did not read it because at that moment the existence of God did not mean much to her. This reveals how the God of the Christian past no longer served a function. For instance, the â€Å"Bramford† is a perfect example. Its morbid history of cannibalism and Satanism, infanticide and suicide, becomes reason for the growing decline of religious belief (26). Society is asking â€Å"If God does truly exist, how could he let these things occur? † 1,001 Words WORKS CITED Levin, Ira. Rosemary’s Baby. New York: New American Library, 1967. Print.

How has Sweatshops Affected Ciudad de Juarez Mexico?

What are sweatshops? Labor Departments around the world defines sweatshops as workplaces that violate two or more basic labor laws – it includes child labor, minimum wage, overtime and safety laws. Sweatshops conjures up vivid images of unsatisfactory working conditions, factories that are dirty, cramped reminiscent of turn of the century New York tenements where majority of immigrant women worked as seamstresses (Given).True to the assessment, sweatshops workers report horrible working conditions, below minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, corporal punishment and illegal termination. In some instances children are found working in sweatshops, instead of going to school as mandated by local laws (â€Å"Definition of Sweatshop†).Most sweatshop operators thrives on notoriety as they force women workers to regularly take birth control pills to avoid pregnancy; or abortion; and for those women who defy the orders, are not giv en maternity leaves and most often terminated. These conditions are the result of women’s illiteracy, ignorance of workers rights and access to workers union (Given).Why do sweatshops continue to proliferate? In more advanced countries, sweatshops are not tolerated by government, in fact they have line agencies that process reports of violation of existing labor laws. In the process manufacturers have to follow mandated codes that results in products that are not price competitive in the world market.Upon the fall of Communism, â€Å"free market† followed and the marked rise in anti-union sentiment. Governments likewise pushed for the encouragement of free trade that actually hastened the globalization process. This also brought the creation of the government initiative known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which seeks to abolish all known trade barriers among countries (â€Å"Sweat Shop Labor†).In so doing, large corporations are now free to seek labor outsourcing; particularly on the poor and impoverished countries with oppressive dictatorial regimes. Through suppression of workers freedom of speech and the right to workers union, low wages are offered that appeal to most large corporations. The NAFTA as an agency can enforce a minimum standard for workers rights only to some extent, but never on â€Å"free trade zones† (Mexican maquiladoras), where the workers rights provisions of the agreement simply cannot be enforced (Given).The Juarez, Mexico Maquiladoras (Sweatshops); The city of Juarez in Mexico lies along the border with the United States, in fact only a 15foot wall separates the two countries. Because of the NAFTA provision on the creation of â€Å"free trade zones† (maquiladoras), Juarez became the center of trade with American multi-national companies. 90% of all the products churned out in Juarez are destined for the United States (â€Å"Delegation Objectives†).In the Juarez maquiladora s alone thousands of young women are hired and are recipient of poverty level wages. Since the NAFTA provisions are not binding, inferior environmental regulation permeates the manufacturing plants and agricultural farms coupled with low tariffs, thus the maquiladoras had amassed prosperity and massive amounts of wealth.To maintain the level of efficiency in the maquiladoras, workers are brutally treated. Those who manifest resistance and disloyalty are subjected to torture, some are abducted and raped and still others are murdered. This has been the situation of Mexican women hired in the maquiladoras, as present records would reveal that over 400 victims had disappeared from Juarez alone. Although these cases have been going on since 1993, yet nothing has been done about it and this violent disappearance and crime remains unsolved and continues unabated to this day (â€Å"The Tragedies†).Even with evidence of the gruesome crimes already brought into the open, authorities in practically all levels of the Mexican government continues to exhibit indifference about the matter. Strong evidence suggests that some high level officials may be part of the conspiracy. Corruption at the higher level of government offices allow these criminal acts to be committed with impunity, secure in the belief that there will be no consequence (Hanna).Though minor advances have been made in the struggle for justice due in part to the determination of the victim’s families who can never submit to the state and federal authorities bullying to keep them quiet. This has reached significant breakthrough because international non-government organizations are spearheading the campaign so justice can finally be meted out. The grassroots group working with the NGO’s often work under a climate of fear, threats and defamation by government officials.Stand and be counted To be honest, I abhor the atrocities committed on the countless women workers in Juarez, Mexico. What h appened to them is a form of exploitation perpetrated by supposed to be a sane society in this modern era. So, all forms of legal remedies must be laid out to stop these senseless disregard for human rights and violations of the moral framework.After being presented with a lengthy account of women workers conditions at the various maquiladora (free trade zones) companies, I can only sympathize with the victims and families for the fate that befalls them. What happened to them was a gruesome tale inflicted to them by their own kind. It could have been more understandable if such treatment happened during the war and succeeding invasion, but from a countryman simply because they are motivated by greed, is the lowest form of inhumanity. Such atrocities should be condemned and perpetrators brought to the bar of justice so a commensurate punishment could be meted out.Women who work in Mexican maquiladoras are paid wages that vary from $25 to $50 a week, a rate that is not even classified poverty level since pants costs $15 to $20. How can you live with this income, while most American’s believe that Mexican workers can survive with lower wages simply because their living expenses are cheaper. Baloney, because basic commodities such as milk, bread, sugar are much cheaper across the border in the U.S.Workers have to scrimp to make ends meet, most live in shacks constructed from packing crates which are usually sold (not given free) by companies. How can you expect workers to be comfortable in this situation, they do not have running water, and the water they use are stored in containers previously used by toxic chemicals, further contributing to health risks. How can these flimsy shacks protect these workers from the harsh elements, particularly heat from the sun and severe cold at night (Dr. Kayann).In the workplace the same miserable condition exists, workers are always subjected to dangerous and inhumane working conditions, such as exposure to toxic chemica ls without any form of protection because owners cut costs to increase profitability. Workers are made to stand long hours and not even allowed to turn their heads and converse with a neighboring worker. When a quota is placed it has to be completed and workers have to put in extra hours without additional compensation. The situation borders on slave labor of the past, only that this time they are paid with diminutive wages. Is this practice correct? (Dr. Kayann).Despite the gruesome treatment, what have NAFTA done to ease the suffering of the workers. Proponents of the NAFTA have always maintained that the U.S. backed Treaty would literally improve wages and conditions of the Mexican workers, the contrary has happened however, since wages have plummeted and the working conditions have turned from bad to worst. Part of the emergency plan at the time (1994) was the devaluation of the peso to provide relief during the Mexican economic crises. It cuts the purchasing power of the peso i n half and resulted in untold misery to the workers. The Mexicans suffered in the trade-off, but it brought prosperity to the multi-national companies based in the U.S (Wikipedia Contributors).Where then is the ethical conducts that the NAFTA treaty envisioned. Can you be morally correct if your company profited at the expense of the hapless Mexican workers at the Juarez maquiladora? We are the bastion of democracy around the world, we encourage free and equal opportunities for all, yet we deprive our neighbor Mexico the right to co-exist with us and put the question of survival of its workers to the brink. How can we do this?While NAFTA was promoted as the magic potion to heal the ailing Mexican economy, the contrary has happened, it brought the economy to its knees. When heavily subsidized American agri-business products entered the mainstream Mexican economy it forced Mexican farmers off their land because of the low-priced imports. This single blow alone forced some 2 million fa rmers out from agriculture and suffered the pangs of poverty (Bybee & Winter).Again with NAFTA’s service sector rules, it enjoined giant firms like Wal-Mart to enter the Mexican market, it sold low-priced goods made by China that totally displaced the local based manufacturing firms. It is reported that a total of 28,000 medium sized Mexican firms have been eliminated. How can Mexican businesses compete in a playing field that is grossly one sided, naturally the weak suffered. Mexico is not a David that can slew a Goliath.Due to the economic shortfall and the demise of the medium-sized manufacturing firms there is now an oversupply of workers and guided by the governments policy of crushing labor unions, it resulted in sweatshops along the border that pays wages of 60 cents to a dollar an hour. Wages have actually gone down since the NAFTA provisions came into effect.The overall consequence of the NAFTA provision on the people of Mexico have been the cause of marked reduction in industrial wages, peasant’s were forced off the agricultural lands, small manufacturing businesses closed shop, and the incidence of growing poverty. This would explain why so many desperate Mexicans were lured into the border to find a decent way to make a living under the U.S backed maquiladora (Bybee & Winter).Those who didn’t find work risked their lives to cross the border to provide for their family. Records would show that there were 2.5 million illegal Mexican immigrants in 1995 and 8 million more have crossed the border thereafter. In 2005, around 400 desperate Mexicans died while attempting to cross the border. A tragedy that should have been averted had the tenets of the NAFTA been willfully designed (Grieco & Ray).In effect NAFTA failed to discourage illegal immigration for the simple reason that it was not designed as a genuine development program. Had it been devised as such, NAFTA could have raised the standard of living; provided health care; encour aged environmental clean-up; and instigated workers rights in Mexico. Economically speaking, Mexico has now been annexed by the U.S. as the manufacturing base for cheap labor. (Bybee & Winter).These are the very reasons why I express displeasure over the continued existence of the maquiladora in Juarez, Mexico. And to think that America had a hand in its creation, in the guise of globalization is doubly embarrassing.ConclusionThe effect of globalization has been grossly exercised in Mexico, as balance of trade was compromised. The NAFTA, the vehicle that was supposed to bring equal economic directions to both countries was glaringly one sided, bringing prosperity to one and misery to the other. The economic tug of war manifested with the closure of businesses in Mexico and the creation of â€Å"free trade zones† near the border.As the Mexican economy was reeling because of unfair competition, the labor force quadrupled and to make ends meet, people were forced to work within the maquidora. Mexican officials took advantage of the economic recession and took its toll on the hapless Mexican labor force, by instigating low wages, harsh and brutal treatment on workers. Some endured in order to survive but the rest crossed the border to seek a better life.I am really for the dismantling of the maquidora and return the dignity to the Mexican labor force. What happened to the workers in Juarez is morally oppressive, considering that they were forced out of their normal work routine, because of the failure of the NAFTA to provide for the essentials in order to remedy the effects of a floundering economy.The Mexicans had placed hopes in the American inspired economic bailout system and even acceded to the devaluation of the peso to finally rise from the ashes. Only to be confronted with the evils of the Juarez maquiladora as inspired by the provision of the NAFTA (Paul).Looking now at the dilemma of the Mexican people, it is only morally right that well-intention ed government agencies correct the failures that had been perpetrated. Make a thorough evaluation of the crimes that has been committed to the hapless women workers of the Juarez maquiladora and expedite justice. Above all a valid rectification and restitution program must be extended to the victims of the atrocities so they can live anew with dignity and self respect.Bibliography â€Å"Definition of Sweatshop.† Yahoo! Education. 2000. Houghton Mifflin Company. 11 December 2007. < http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/sweatshop>.â€Å"Delegation Objectives: Congressional Delegation to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.† Latin America Working Group. 2003. Latin America Working Group. 11 December 2007.â€Å"Sweat Shop Labor.† InterReligious Task Force on Central America. 11 December 2007.â€Å"The Tragedies of Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico.† Spark. 11 December 2007. .Bybee, Roger & Winter, Carolyn. â€Å"Immigration Flood Unleashed by NAFTA’s Dis astrous Impact on Mexican Economy.† Common Dreams. 25 April 2006. Common Dreams org. 11 December 2007. < http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0425-30.htm>.Dr. Kayann. â€Å"Who Makes It?† Why Shop? Colorado University. 11 December 2007. .Given, Olivia. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions About Sweatshops and Women Workers.† Feminist Majority Foundation Online. September 1997. The Feminist Majority Foundation. 11 December 2007. .Grieco, Elizabeth & Ray, Brian. â€Å"Mexican Immigrants in the US Labor Force. Migration Information Source. March 2004. Migration Policy Institute. 11 December 2007. .Hanna, Erin. â€Å"NOW to Protest the Brutal Murder of Juarez Women.† National Organization for Women. April 2005. National Organization for Women. .Paul, Ron. â€Å"The Mexican Bailout.† Project Freedom. 1997. 11 December 2007. .Wikipedia Contributors. â€Å"1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 December 2007. Wikimedia Fou ndation, Inc. 11 December 2007. .

Interrelationship between at least two problems Essay

The economy of a state is very important and connected to many things in the life of each and every person. This paper will show that the economics of California affects the education and the immigrants in California. These three things are connected because both education and many things about immigration need money and money is a part of the economy. One of the things that connects the economy with education is Proposition 13 and government budgets. What connects the economy to immigration issues is their contribution to the economy and also their status as workers in the country. Proposition 13 was a move to limit property taxes by voters in 1978 and increased taxes in other places such as income and sales taxes for schools and other local and state programs. Instead, those who benefited a lot from Proposition 13 was large corporations and businesses. If this is what is happening to schools, then it will have a direct bad effect to the education system. It means that education will be more expensive for people especially in the private schools they are enrolling in. Also, the proposition makes it obvious that the government will lack sources of funds because the properties are not taxed. There are big taxes coming from properties, especially businesses, which is why they have less sources of taxes. This means that there is less revenue for the government. Less revenues means less money given to a lot of things that the government has to fund. This includes the money that the government gives to public schools and community colleges because the government lacks budget especially to make the schools better for the students. The smaller budget also creates another problem because school staff could be laid off, smaller classrooms because of more students coming in, putting schools to closure, and cutting school programs that will help many students such as sports, music, and art programs. Because of this, students will have problems becoming better and focusing on their lessons and the things that they have to learn. If it goes really bad, then it will be no different from the poorly-funded education of less prominent nations. Like other poorer nations, students will have very difficult time to pay attention to the teachers which will make their grades lower and decrease the number of graduates. This means that there will be more students who drop out and become juvenile delinquents. Also, teachers who are talented will be lost because the benefits are not good anymore and because some of them will be laid off. In terms of connecting the problems of California government economic and education system, the lower budget for schools affects the immigrants badly. In California, there are 600,000 ethnic minority colleges who rely on government funding. The budget cuts have resulted in less spending per student in important subjects especially in learning English. Because the government spends less money for them, minorities who rely on community college for their education will fall further behind. This will be bad especially because Latinos are becoming a bigger population and are easily growing to soon become the majority of the state and have the characteristic of being less educated. In the end, a less educated population will also mean that things will go bad for the economy also. Because businesses and the economy relies on a competent and able workforce, they need to have quality people working in businesses, institution and even in the government. It’s bad enough that students learn less from community colleges but it’s even worse that there are students who can’t even go to community colleges because of the lack of funding provided to the schools. The state seems to be even scarier especially because the types of jobs that California needs are skilled and need specialized training in college like in health care, education, technology and construction work. The California economy also has a direct effect on immigrants that isn’t coursed through education. We already know that immigrants contribute to the economy by paying taxes, starting a business, and being a good source of labor for companies and businesses. Because of the current good economy of California, many immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are coming in to get better paying jobs than in their home countries and helping the economy grow. The current economy of the state also helps immigrants have better lives than what they have in their third world nations. The economy also helps the immigrants raise their families either in the United States or in their home countries especially when they send money to them. If the economy of California goes down, then a lot of immigrants will lose jobs and will not be able to support their families. Many immigrants will also not have a better life. It’s very obvious that immigrants are an important aspect of the California economy. The government should take care of them and not shun them. If the immigrants are treated well by the economy, then they will help make the economy more prosperous and it will produce a cycle of improvement in the whole state. All in all, the economy of California will affect both the state of education and the state of the immigrants in a directly proportional way and vice versa. If the economy goes down, the system of education will also go down. If the economy goes down, the effect on the immigrants will be negative. If education goes down, the economy and the plight of immigrants will be worse. If the state of the immigrants become worse, it will affect the economy and the quality of education as well. This means that all of these three factors are linked together and a difference in one will affect the others.

Facebook Case Analysis Essay

1. Why and how do people use Facebook? Facebook is now one of the biggest platform to help people connect with friends and family. People share their information with each other on Facebook. People use Facebook in three broad ways. Firstly uploading and sharing photos, videos or statuses this acts as a means to connect with friends and family, at one click information can be shared with a number of people. Secondly, Facebook offer companies and businesses to create free profile pages, where they can share information about their products and offers. This helps companies engaging with their customers, learn about them, listen to their feedback and promote their new products and services. Finally, the Facebook platform, which attracts third-party developers to build applications and games catering to Facebook users. This platform has helped Facebook in attracting lots of users. All these functionality has helped Facebook in increasing their user base and developing an internet eco system. Different functionality offer uniqu e advantages to different user group attracting them towards Facebook. 2. Evaluate the success of Facebook Fan pages. Facebook Fan pages are so successful because they are integrated right into user’s news feeds. If a company has any update or promotes on their page then fans of that page will automatically see it and know about it. In order to make fan page successful admin must update page regularly. Admin can also use photos, videos or other advertising techniques to increase fan’s engagement with the page. These technique catch users’ attention and encourage users’ input if they like the videos or photos, these updates help users remember sales, deals and new products that are being advertise. Another advantage with Facebook fan page which makes it hugely successful is that when you promote a Fan page, it shows up on the friend’s feeds making page accessible to friends of fans making it more likely for your friend to like or promote the page.

Black House Chapter Twenty-six

26 WE HAVE HAD our little conversation about slippage, and it's too late in the game to belabor the point more than a little, but wouldn't you say that most houses are an attempt to hold slippage back? To impose at least the illusion of normality and sanity on the world? Think of Libertyville, with its corny but endearing street names Camelot and Avalon and Maid Marian Way. And think of that sweet little honey of a home in Libertyville where Fred, Judy, and Tyler Marshall once lived together. What else would you call 16 Robin Hood Lane but an ode to the everyday, a paean to the prosaic? We could say the same thing about Dale Gilbertson's home, or Jack's, or Henry's, couldn't we? Most of the homes in the vicinity of French Landing, really. The destructive hurricane that has blown through the town doesn't change the fact that the homes stand as brave bulwarks against slippage, as noble as they are humble. They are places of sanity. Black House like Shirley Jackson's Hill House, like the turn-of-the-century monstrosity in Seattle known as Rose Red is not sane. It is not entirely of this world. It's hard to look at from the outside the eyes play continual tricks but if one can hold it steady for a few seconds, one sees a three-story dwelling of perfectly ordinary size. The color is unusual, yes that dead black exterior, even the windows swabbed black and it has a crouching, leaning aspect that would raise uneasy thoughts about its structural integrity, but if one could appraise it with the glammer of those other worlds stripped away, it would look almost as ordinary as Fred and Judy's place . . . if not so well maintained. Inside, however, it is different. Inside, Black House is large. Black House is, in fact, almost infinite. Certainly it is no place to get lost, although from time to time people have hoboes and the occasional unfortunate runaway child, as well as Charles Burnside/Carl Bierstone's victims and relics here and there mark their passing: bits of clothing, pitiful scratchings on the walls of gigantic rooms with strange dimensions, the occasional heap of bones. Here and there the visitor may see a skull, such as the ones that washed up on the banks of the Hanover River during Fritz Haarman's reign of terror in the early 1920s. This is not a place where you want to get lost. Let us pass through rooms and nooks and corridors and crannies, safe in the knowledge that we can return to the outside world, the sane anti-slippage world, anytime we want (and yet we are still uneasy as we pass down flights of stairs that seem all but endless and along corridors that dwindle to a point in the distance). We hear an eternal low humming and the faint clash of weird machinery. We hear the idiot whistle of a constant wind either outside or on the floors above and below us. Sometimes we hear a faint, houndly barking that is undoubtedly the abbalah's devil dog, the one that did for poor old Mouse. Sometimes we hear the sardonic caw of a crow and understand that Gorg is here, too somewhere. We pass through rooms of ruin and rooms that are still furnished with a pale and rotten grandeur. Many of these are surely bigger than the whole house in which they hide. And eventually we come to a humble sitting room furnished with an elderly horsehair sofa and chairs of fading red velvet. There is a smell of noisome cooking in the air. (Somewhere close by is a kitchen we must never visit . . . not, that is, if we ever wish to sleep without nightmares again.) The electrical fixtures in here are at least seventy years old. How can that be, we ask, if Black House was built in the 1970s? The answer is simple: much of Black House most of Black House has been here much longer. The draperies in this room are heavy and faded. Except for the yellowed news clippings that have been taped to the ugly green wallpaper, it is a room that would not be out of place on the ground floor of the Nelson Hotel. It's a place that is simultaneously sinister and oddly banal, a fitting mirror for the imag ination of the old monster who has gone to earth here, who lies sleeping on the horsehair sofa with the front of his shirt turning a sinister red. Black House is not his, although in his pathological grandiosity he believes differently (and Mr. Munshun has not disabused him of this belief ). This one room, however, is. The clippings around him tell us all we need to know of Charles â€Å"Chummy† Burnside's lethal fascinations. YES, I ATE HER, FISH DECLARES: New York Herald Tribune BILLY GAFFNEY PLAYMATE AVERS â€Å"IT WAS THE GRAY MAN TOOK BILLY, IT WAS THE BOGEYMAN†: New York World Telegram GRACE BUDD HORROR CONTINUES: FISH CONFESSES!: Long Island Star FISH ADMITS â€Å"ROASTING, EATING† WM GAFFNEY: New York American FRITZ HAARMAN, SO-CALLED â€Å"BUTCHER OF HANOVER,† EXECUTED FOR MURDER OF 24: New York World WEREWOLF DECLARES: â€Å"I WAS DRIVEN BY LOVE, NOT LUST.† HAARMAN DIES UNREPENTANT: The Guardian CANNIBAL OF HANOVER'S LAST LETTER: â€Å"YOU CANNOT KILL ME, I SHALL BE AMONG YOU FOR ETERNITY†: New York World Wendell Green would love this stuff, would he not? And there are more. God help us, there are so many more. Even Jeffrey Dahmer is here, declaring I WANTED ZOMBIES. The figure on the couch begins to groan and stir. â€Å"Way-gup, Burny!† This seems to come from thin air, not his mouth . . . although his lips move, like those of a second-rate ventriloquist. Burny groans. His head turns to the left. â€Å"No . . . need to sleep. Everything . . . hurts.† The head turns to the right in a gesture of negation and Mr. Munshun speaks again. â€Å"Way-gup, dey vill be gummink. You must move der buu-uoy.† The head switches back the other way. Sleeping, Burny thinks Mr. Munshun is still safe inside his head. He has forgotten things are different here in Black House. Foolish Burny, now nearing the end of his usefulness! But not quite there yet. â€Å"Can't . . . lea' me ‘lone . . . stomach hurts . . . the blind man . . . fucking blind man hurt my stomach . . .† But the head turns back the other way and the voice speaks again from the air beside Burny's right ear. Burny fights it, not wanting to wake and face the full ferocious impact of the pain. The blind man has hurt him much worse than he thought at the time, in the heat of the moment. Burny insists to the nagging voice that the boy is safe where he is, that they'll never find him even if they can gain access to Black House, that they will become lost in its unknown depth of rooms and hallways and wander until they first go mad and then die. Mr. Munshun, however, knows that one of them is different from any of the others who have happened on this place. Jack Sawyer is acquainted with the infinite, and that makes him a problem. The boy must be taken out the back way and into End-World, into the very shadow of Din-tah, the great furnace. Mr. Munshun tells Burny that he may still be able to have some of the boy before turning him over to the abbalah, but not here. Too dangerous. Sorry. Burny continues to protest, but this is a battle he will not win, and we know it. Already the stale, cooked-meat air of the room has begun to shift and swirl as the owner of the voice arrives. We see first a whirlpool of black, then a splotch of red an ascot and then the beginnings of an impossibly long white face, which is dominated by a single black shark's eye. This is the real Mr. Munshun, the creature who can only live in Burny's head outside of Black House and its enchanted environs. Soon he will be entirely here, he will pull Burny into wakefulness (torture him into wakefulness, if necessary), and he will put Burny to use while there is still use to be gotten from him. For Mr. Munshun cannot move Ty from his cell in the Black House. Once he is in End-World Burny's Sheol things will be different. At last Burny's eyes open. His gnarled hands, which have spilled so much blood, now reach down to feel the dampness of his own blood seeping through his shirt. He looks, sees what has bloomed there, and lets out a scream of horror and cowardice. It does not strike him as just that, after murdering so many children, he should have been mortally wounded by a blind man; it strikes him as hideous, unfair. For the first time he is visited by an extremely unpleasant idea: What if there's more to pay for the things he has done over the course of his long career? He has seen End-World; he has seen Conger Road, which winds through it to Din-tah. The blasted, burning landscape surrounding Conger Road is like hell, and surely An-tak, the Big Combination, is hell itself. What if such a place waits for him? What if There's a horrible, paralyzing pain in his guts. Mr. Munshun, now almost fully materialized, has reached out and twisted one smoky, not-quite-transparent hand in the wound Henry inflicted with his switchblade knife. Burny squeals. Tears run down the old child-murderer's cheeks. â€Å"Don't hurt me!† â€Å"Zen do ass I zay.† â€Å"I can't,† Burny snivels. â€Å"I'm dying. Look at all the blood! Do you think I can get past something like this? I'm eighty-five fucking years old!† â€Å"Duff brayyg, Burn-Burn . . . but dere are zose on z'osser zide who could hill you off your wunds.† Mr. Munshun, like Black House itself, is hard to look at. He shivers in and out of focus. Sometimes that hideously long face (it obscures most of his body, like the bloated head of a caricature on some newspaper's op-ed page) has two eyes, sometimes just one. Sometimes there seem to be tufted snarls of orange hair leaping up from his distended skull, and sometimes Mr. Munshun appears to be as bald as Yul Brynner. Only the red lips and the fangy pointed teeth that lurk inside them remain fairly constant. Burny eyes his accomplice with a degree of hope. His hands, meanwhile, continue to explore his stomach, which is now hard and bloated with lumps. He suspects the lumps are clots. Oh, that someone should have hurt him so badly! That wasn't supposed to happen! That was never supposed to happen! He was supposed to be protected! He was supposed to â€Å"It iss not even peeyond ze realm of bossibility,† Mr. Munshun says, â€Å"zat ze yearz could be rawled avey vrum you jusst as ze stunn vas rawled avey from ze mouse of Cheezus Chrizze's doom.† â€Å"To be young again,† Burny says, and exhales a low, harsh sigh. His breath stinks of blood and spoilage. â€Å"Yes, I'd like that.† â€Å"Of gorse! And soch zings are bossible,† Mr. Munshun says, nodding his grotesquely unstable face. â€Å"Soch gifts are ze abbalah's to giff. But zey are not bromised, Charles, my liddle munching munchkin. But I can make you one bromise.† The creature in the black evening suit and red ascot leaps forward with dreadful agility. His long-fingered hand darts again into Chummy Burnside's shirt, this time clenches into a fist, and produces a pain beyond any the old monster has ever dreamed of in his own life . . . although he has inflicted this and more on the innocent. Mr. Munshun's reeking countenance pushes up to Burny's. The single eye glares. â€Å"Do you feel dat, Burny? Do you, you mizz-er-a-ble old bag of dirt and zorrow? Ho-ho, ha-ha, of gorse you do! It iss your in-destines I haff in my hand! Und if you do not mooff now, schweinhund, I vill rip dem from your bledding body, ho-ho, ha-ha, und vrap dem arund your neg! You vill die knowing you are choking on your own gudz! A trick I learned from Fritz himzelf, Fritz Haarman, who vas so yunk und loff-ly! Now! Vat do you say? Vill you brink him, or vill you choke?† â€Å"I'll bring him!† Burny screams. â€Å"I'll bring him, only stop, stop, you're tearing me apart!† â€Å"Brink him to ze station. Ze station, Burn-Burn. Dis one iz nodd for ze radhulls, de fogzhulls not for ze Com-bin-ay-shun. No bledding foodzies for Dyler; he works for his abbalah vid dis.† A long finger tipped with a brutal black nail goes to the huge forehead and taps it above the eyes (for the moment Burny sees two of them, and then the second is once more gone). â€Å"Understand?† â€Å"Yes! Yes!† His guts are on fire. And still the hand in his shirt twists and twists. The terrible highway of Mr. Munshun's face hangs before him. â€Å"Ze station where you brought the other sbecial ones.† â€Å"YES!† Mr. Munshun lets go. He steps back. Mercifully for Burny, he is beginning to grow insubstantial again, to discorporate. Yellowed clippings swim into view not behind him but through him. Yet the single eye hangs in the air above the paling blotch of the ascot. â€Å"Mayg zure he vears za cab. Ziss one ezbeshully must wear za cab.† Burnside nods eagerly. He still smells faintly of My Sin perfume. â€Å"The cap, yes, I have the cap.† â€Å"Be gare-ful, Burny. You are old und hurt. Ze bouy is young und desberate. Flitt of foot. If you let him get avey â€Å" In spite of the pain, Burny smiles. One of the children getting away from him! Even one of the special ones! What an idea! â€Å"Don't worry,† he says. â€Å"Just . . . if you speak to him . . . to Abbalah-doon . . . tell him I'm not past it yet. If he makes me better, he won't regret it. And if he makes me young again, I'll bring him a thousand young. A thousand Breakers.† Fading and fading. Now Mr. Munshun is again just a glow, a milky disturbance on the air of Burny's sitting room deep in the house he abandoned only when he realized he really did need someone to take care of him in his sunset years. â€Å"Bring him just dis vun, Burn-Burn. Bring him just dis vun, und you vill be revarded.† Mr. Munshun is gone. Burny stands and bends over the horsehair sofa. Doing it squeezes his belly, and the resulting pain makes him scream, but he doesn't stop. He reaches into the darkness and pulls out a battered black leather sack. He grasps its top and leaves the room, limping and clutching at his bleeding, distended belly. And what of Tyler Marshall, who has existed through most of these many pages as little more than a rumor? How badly has he been hurt? How frightened is he? Has he managed to retain his sanity? As to his physical condition, he's got a concussion, but that's already healing. The Fisherman has otherwise done no more than stroke his arm and his buttocks (a creepy touch that made Tyler think of the witch in â€Å"Hansel and Gretel†). Mentally . . . would you be shocked to hear that, while Mr. Munshun is goading Burny onward, Fred and Judy's boy is happy? He is. He is happy. And why not? He's at Miller Park. The Milwaukee Brewers have confounded all the pundits this year, all the doomsayers who proclaimed they'd be in the cellar by July Fourth. Well, it's still relatively early, but the Fourth has come and gone and the Brew Crew has returned to Miller tied for first place with Cincinnati. They are in the hunt, in large part due to the bat of Richie Sexson, who came over to Milwaukee from the Cleveland Indians and who has been â€Å"really pickin' taters,† in the pungent terminology of George Rathbun. They are in the hunt, and Ty is at the game! EXCELLENT! Not only is he there, he's got a front-row seat. Next to him big, sweating, red-faced, a Kingsland beer in one hand and another tucked away beneath his seat for emergencies is the Gorgeous George himself, bellowing at the top of his leather lungs. Jeromy Burnitz of the Crew has just been called out at first on a bang-bang play, and while there can be no doubt that the Cincinnati shortstop handled the ball well and got rid of it fast, there can also be no doubt (at least not in George Rathbun's mind) that Burnitz was safe! He rises in the twilight, his sweaty bald pate glowing beneath a sweetly lavender sky, a foamy rill of beer rolling up one cocked forearm, his blue eyes twinkling (you can tell he sees a lot with those eyes, just about everything), and Ty waits for it, they all wait for it, and here it is, that avatar of summer in the Coulee Country, that wonderful bray that means everything is okay, terror has been denied, a nd slippage has been canceled. â€Å"COME ON, UMP, GIVE US A BREAK! GIVE US A FREEEEAKIN' BRAYYYYK! EVEN A BLIND MAN COULD SEE HE WAS SAFE!† The crowd on the first-base side goes wild at the sound of that cry, none wilder than the fourteen or so people sitting behind the banner reading MILLER PARK WELCOMES GEORGE RATHBUN AND THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S KDCU BREWER BASH. Ty is jumping up and down, laughing, waving his Brew Crew hat. What makes this doubly boss is that he thought he forgot to enter the contest this year. He guesses his father (or perhaps his mother) entered it for him . . . and he won! Not the grand prize, which was getting to be the Brew Crew's batboy for the entire Cincinnati series, but what he got (besides this excellent seat with the other winners, that is) is, in his opinion, even better. Of course Richie Sexson isn't Mark McGwire nobody can hit the tar out of the ball like Big Mac but Sexson has been awesome for the Brewers this year, just awesome, and Tyler Marshall has won Someone is shaking his foot. Ty attempts to pull away, not wanting to lose this dream (this most excellent refuge from the horror that has befallen him), but the hand is relentless. It shakes. It shakes and shakes. â€Å"Way-gup,† a voice snarls, and the dream begins to darken. George Rathbun turns to Ty, and the boy sees an amazing thing: the eyes that were such a shrewd, sharp blue only a few seconds ago have gone dull and milky. Cripe, he's blind, Ty thinks. George Rathbun really is a â€Å"Way-gup,† the growling voice says. It's closer now. In a moment the dream will wink out entirely. Before it does, George speaks to him. The voice is quiet, totally unlike the sportscaster's usual brash bellow. â€Å"Help's on the way,† he says. â€Å"So be cool, you little cat. Be â€Å" â€Å"Way-GUP, you shit!† The grip on his ankle is crushing, paralyzing. With a cry of protest, Ty opens his eyes. This is how he rejoins the world, and our tale. He remembers where he is immediately. It's a cell with reddish-gray iron bars halfway along a stone corridor lit with cobwebby electric bulbs. There's a dish of some sort of stew in one corner. In the other is a bucket in which he is supposed to pee (or take a dump if he has to so far he hasn't, thank goodness). The only other thing in the room is a raggedy old futon from which Burny has just dragged him. â€Å"All right,† Burny says. â€Å"Awake at last. That's good. Now get up. On your feet, asswipe. I don't have time to fuck with you.† Tyler gets up. A wave of dizziness rolls through him and he puts his hand to the top of his head. There is a spongy, crusted place there. Touching it sends a bolt of pain all the way down to his jaws, which clench. But it also drives the dizziness away. He looks at his hand. There are flakes of scab and dried blood on his palm. That's where he hit me with his damned rock. Any harder, and I would have been playing a harp. But the old man has been hurt somehow, too. His shirt is covered with blood; his wrinkled ogre's face is waxy and pallid. Behind him, the cell door is open. Ty measures the distance to the hallway, hoping he's not being too obvious about it. But Burny has been in this game a long time. He has had more than one liddle one dry to esscabe on hiz bledding foodzies, oh ho. He reaches into his bag and brings out a black gadget with a pistol grip and a stainless steel nozzle at the tip. â€Å"Know what this is, Tyler?† Burny asks. â€Å"Taser,† Ty says. â€Å"Isn't it?† Burny grins, revealing the stumps of his teeth. â€Å"Smart boy! A TV-watching boy, I'll be bound. It's a Taser, yes. But a special type it'll drop a cow at thirty yards. Understand? You try to run, boy, I'll bring you down like a ton of bricks. Come out here.† Ty steps out of the cell. He has no idea where this horrible old man means to take him, but there's a certain relief just in being free of the cell. The futon was the worst. He knows, somehow, that he hasn't been the only kid to cry himself to sleep on it with an aching heart and an aching, lumpy head, nor the tenth. Nor, probably, the fiftieth. â€Å"Turn to your left.† Ty does. Now the old man is behind him. A moment later, he feels the bony fingers grip the right cheek of his bottom. It's not the first time the old man has done this (each time it happens he's reminded again of the witch in â€Å"Hansel and Gretel,† asking the lost children to stick their arms out of their cage), but this time his touch is different. Weaker. Die soon, Ty thinks, and the thought its cold collectedness is very, very Judy. Die soon, old man, so I don't have to. â€Å"This one is mine,† the old man says . . . but he sounds out of breath, no longer quite sure of himself. â€Å"I'll bake half, fry the rest. With bacon.† â€Å"I don't think you'll be able to eat much,† Ty says, surprised at the calmness of his own voice. â€Å"Looks like somebody ventilated your stomach pretty g â€Å" There is a crackling, accompanied by a hideous, jittery burning sensation in his left shoulder. Ty screams and staggers against the wall across the corridor from his cell, trying to clutch the wounded place, trying not to cry, trying to hold on to just a little of his beautiful dream about being at the game with George Rathbun and the other KDCU Brewer Bash winners. He knows he actually did forget to enter this year, but in dreams such things don't matter. That's what's so beautiful about them. Oh, but it hurts so bad. And despite all his efforts all the Judy Marshall in him the tears begin to flow. â€Å"You want another un?† the old man gasps. He sounds both sick and hysterical, and even a kid Ty's age knows that's a dangerous combination. â€Å"You want another un, just for good luck?† â€Å"No,† Ty gasps. â€Å"Don't zap me again, please don't.† â€Å"Then start walkin'! And no more smart goddamn remarks!† Ty starts to walk. Somewhere he can hear water dripping. Somewhere, very faint, he can hear the laughing caw of a crow probably the same one that tricked him, and how he'd like to have Ebbie's .22 and blow its evil shiny black feathers off. The outside world seems light-years away. But George Rathbun told him help was on the way, and sometimes the things you heard in dreams came true. His very own mother told him that once, and long before she started to go all wonky in the head, too. They come to a stairway that seems to circle down forever. Up from the depths comes a smell of sulfur and a roast of heat. Faintly he can hear what might be screams and moans. The clank of machinery is louder. There are ominous creaking sounds that might be belts and chains. Ty pauses, thinking the old guy won't zap him again unless he absolutely has to. Because Ty might fall down this long circular staircase. Might hit the place on his head the old guy already clipped with the rock, or break his neck, or tumble right off the side. And the old guy wants him alive, at least for now. Ty doesn't know why, but he knows this intuition is true. â€Å"Where are we going, mister?† â€Å"You'll find out,† Burny says in his tight, out-of-breath voice. â€Å"And if you think I don't dare zap you while we're on the stairs, my little friend, you're very mistaken. Now get walking.† Tyler Marshall starts down the stairs, descending past vast galleries and balconies, around and down, around and down. Sometimes the air smells of putrid cabbage. Sometimes it smells of burned candles. Sometimes of wet rot. He counts a hundred and fifty steps, then stops counting. His thighs are burning. Behind him, the old man is gasping, and twice he stumbles, cursing and holding the ancient banister. Fall, old man, Ty chants inside his head. Fall and die, fall and die. But at last they are at the bottom. They arrive in a circular room with a dirty glass ceiling. Above them, gray sky hangs down like a filthy bag. There are plants oozing out of broken pots, sending greedy feelers across a floor of broken orange bricks. Ahead of them, two doors French doors, Ty thinks they are called stand open. Beyond them is a crumbling patio surrounded by ancient trees. Some are palms. Some the ones with the hanging, ropy vines might be banyans. Others he doesn't know. One thing he's sure of: they are no longer in Wisconsin. Standing on the patio is an object he knows very well. Something from his own world. Tyler Marshall's eyes well up again at the sight of it, which is almost like the sight of a face from home in a hopelessly foreign place. â€Å"Stop, monkey-boy.† The old man sounds out of breath. â€Å"Turn around.† When Tyler does, he's pleased to see that the blotch on the old man's shirt has spread even farther. Fingers of blood now stretch all the way to his shoulders, and the waistband of his baggy old blue jeans has gone a muddy black. But the hand holding the Taser is rock-steady. God damn you, Tyler thinks. God damn you to hell. The old man has put his bag on a little table. He simply stands where he is for a moment, getting his breath. Then he rummages in the bag (something in there utters a faint metallic clink) and brings out a soft brown cap. It's the kind guys like Sean Connery sometimes wear in the movies. The old man holds it out. â€Å"Put it on. And if you try to grab my hand, I'll zap you.† Tyler takes the cap. His fingers, expecting the texture of suede, are surprised by something metallic, almost like tinfoil. He feels an unpleasant buzzing in his hand, like a mild version of the Taser's jolt. He looks at the old man pleadingly. â€Å"Do I have to?† Burny raises the Taser and bares his teeth in a silent grin. Reluctantly, Ty puts the cap on. This time the buzzing fills his head. For a moment he can't think . . . and then the feeling passes, leaving him with an odd sense of weakness in his muscles and a throbbing at his temples. â€Å"Special boys need special toys,† Burny says, and it comes out sbecial boyz, sbecial toyz. As always, Mr. Munshun's ridiculous accent has rubbed off a little, thickening that touch of South Chicago Henry detected on the 911 tape. â€Å"Now we can go out.† Because with the cap on, I'm safe, Ty thinks, but the idea breaks up and drifts away almost as soon as it comes. He tries to think of his middle name and realizes he can't. He tries to think of the bad crow's name and can't get that, either was it something like Corgi? No, that's a kind of dog. The cap is messing him up, he realizes, and that's what it's supposed to do. Now they pass through the open doors and onto the patio. The air is redolent with the smell of the trees and bushes that surround the back side of Black House, a smell that is heavy and cloying. Fleshy, somehow. The gray sky seems almost low enough to touch. Ty can smell sulfur and something bitter and electric and juicy. The sound of machinery is much louder out here. The thing Ty recognized sitting on the broken bricks is an E-Z-Go golf cart. The Tiger Woods model. â€Å"My dad sells these,† Ty says. â€Å"At Goltz's, where he works.† â€Å"Where do you think it came from, asswipe? Get in. Behind the wheel.† Ty looks at him, amazed. His blue eyes, perhaps thanks to the effects of the cap, have grown bloodshot and rather confused. â€Å"I'm not old enough to drive.† â€Å"Oh, you'll be fine. A baby could drive this baby. Behind the wheel.† Ty does as he is told. In truth, he has driven one of these in the lot at Goltz's, with his father sitting watchfully beside him in the passenger seat. Now the hideous old man is easing himself into that same place, groaning and holding his perforated midsection. The Taser is in the other hand, however, and the steel tip remains pointed at Ty. The key is in the ignition. Ty turns it. There's a click from the battery beneath them. The dashboard light reading CHARGE glows bright green. Now all he has to do is push the accelerator pedal. And steer, of course. â€Å"Good so far,† the old man says. He takes his right hand off his middle and points with a bloodstained finger. Ty sees a path of discolored gravel once, before the trees and underbrush encroached, it was probably a driveway leading away from the house. â€Å"Now go. And go slow. Speed and I'll zap you. Try to crash us and I'll break your wrist for you. Then you can drive one-handed.† Ty pushes down on the accelerator. The golf cart jerks forward. The old man lurches, curses, and waves the Taser threateningly. â€Å"It would be easier if I could take off the cap,† Ty says. â€Å"Please, I'm pretty sure that if you'd just let me â€Å" â€Å"No! Cap stays! Drive!† Ty pushes down gently on the accelerator. The E-Z-Go rolls across the patio, its brand-new rubber tires crunching on broken shards of brick. There's a bump as they leave the pavement and go rolling up the driveway. Heavy fronds they feel damp, sweaty brush Tyler's arms. He cringes. The golf cart swerves. Burny jabs the Taser at the boy, snarling. â€Å"Next time you get the juice! It's a promise!† A snake goes writhing across the overgrown gravel up ahead, and Ty utters a little scream through his clenched teeth. He doesn't like snakes, didn't even want to touch the harmless little corn snake Mrs. Locher brought to school, and this thing is the size of a python, with ruby eyes and fangs that prop its mouth open in a perpetual snarl. â€Å"Go! Drive!† The Taser, waving in his face. The cap, buzzing faintly in his ears. Behind his ears. The drive curves to the left. Some sort of tree burdened with what look like tentacles leans over them. The tips of the tentacles tickle across Ty's shoulders and the goose-prickled, hair-on-end nape of his neck. Ourr boyy . . . He hears this in his head in spite of the cap. It's faint, it's distant, but it's there. Ourrrrr boyyyyy . . . yesssss . . . ourrrrs . . . Burny is grinning. â€Å"Hear 'em, don'tcha? They like you. So do I. We're all friends here, don't you see?† The grin becomes a grimace. He clutches his bloody middle again. â€Å"Goddamned blind old fool!† he gasps. Then, suddenly, the trees are gone. The golf cart rolls out onto a sullen, crumbling plain. The bushes dwindle and Ty sees that farther along they give way entirely to a crumbled, rocky scree: hills rise and fall beneath that sullen gray sky. A few birds of enormous size wheel lazily. A shaggy, slump-shouldered creature staggers down a narrow defile and is gone from sight before Ty can see exactly what it is . . . not that he wanted to. The thud and pound of machinery is stronger, shaking the earth. The crump of pile drivers; the clash of ancient gears; the squall of cogs. Tyler can feel the golf cart's steering wheel thrumming in his hands. Ahead of them the driveway ends in a wide road of beaten earth. Along the far side of it is a wall of round white stones. â€Å"That thing you hear, that's the Crimson King's power plant,† Burny says. He speaks with pride, but there is more than a tinge of fear beneath it. â€Å"The Big Combination. A million children have died on its belts, and a zillion more to come, for all I know. But that's not for you, Tyler. You might have a future after all. First, though, I'll have my piece of you. Yes indeed.† His blood-streaked hand reaches out and caresses the top of Ty's buttock. â€Å"A good agent's entitled to ten percent. Even an old buzzard like me knows that.† The hand draws back. Good thing. Ty has been on the verge of screaming, holding the sound back only by thinking of sitting at Miller Park with good old George Rathbun. If I'd really entered the Brewer Bash, he thinks, none of this would have happened. But he thinks that may not actually be true. Some things are meant to be, that's all. Meant. He just hopes that what this horrible old creature wants is not one of them. â€Å"Turn left,† Burny grunts, settling back. â€Å"Three miles. Give or take.† And, as Tyler makes the turn, he realizes the ribbons of mist rising from the ground aren't mist at all. They're ribbons of smoke. â€Å"Sheol,† Burny says, as if reading his mind. â€Å"And this is the only way through it Conger Road. Get off it and there are things out there that'd pull you to pieces just to hear you scream. My friend told me where to take you, but there might be just a leedle change of plan.† His pain-wracked face takes on a sulky cast. Ty thinks it makes him look extraordinarily stupid. â€Å"He hurt me. Pulled my guts. I don't trust him.† And, in a horrible child's singsong: â€Å"Carl Bierstone don't trust Mr. Munshun! Not no more! Not no more!† Ty says nothing. He concentrates on keeping the golf cart in the middle of Conger Road. He risks one look back, but the house, in its ephemeral wallow of tropical greenery, is gone, blocked from view by the first of the eroded hills. â€Å"He'll have what's his, but I'll have what's mine. Do you hear me, boy?† When Ty says nothing, Burny brandishes the Taser. â€Å"Do you hear me, you asswipe monkey?† â€Å"Yeah,† Ty says. â€Å"Yeah, sure.† Why don't you die? God, if You're there, why don't You just reach down and put Your finger on his rotten heart and stop it from beating? When Burny speaks again, his voice is sly. â€Å"You looked at the wall on t'other side, but I don't think you looked close enough. Better take another gander.† Tyler looks past the slumped old man. For a moment he doesn't understand . . . and then he does. The big white stones stretching endlessly away along the far side of Conger Road aren't stones at all. They're skulls. What is this place? Oh God, how he wants his mother! How he wants to go home! Beginning to cry again, his brain numbed and buzzing beneath the cap that looks like cloth but isn't, Ty pilots the golf cart deeper and deeper into the furnace-lands. Into Sheol. Rescue help of any kind has never seemed so far away.

The Australia government and trade unions policies of teaching skills Essay - 1

The Australia government and trade unions policies of teaching skills shortage - Essay Example Changes in technology have greatly affected the education sector with most of the trained teachers leaving the profession to join other professions hence causing shortages in the sector. Most graduates who have trained as teachers have joined freelance employments such as online academic writing and research writing that are flexible and less restrictive in terms of qualification and experience and also pay well as compared to teaching. Although the introduction of new technology and changes in the existing ones due to changes in industries in the country have contributed to shortages in teaching skills, changes in attitudes of the students towards teaching have been cited as the main cause of the shortages. Most candidates in Australia regard teaching as a professional that is not favorable in terms of income or social status thus have resorted to venture in other sectors hence causing shortages in teaching sector. Both those who are joining colleges to train as teachers and those who have trained as teachers, shy away from the profession claiming that it pays less as compared to other professions and holds low social status in the society. Therefore, this has escalated the problem in the country and has made the government initiate or put down solutions to curb the shortage. Due to a lot of pressure from stakeholders in the education sector, the Australian government has been forced to increase its level of immigr ation to help deal with the critical shortages in the teaching sector.

Health Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Impact - Essay Example Health refers to the ability of the person to function effectively, physically, socially, psychologically, spiritually, and intellectually. Effective physical functioning refers to the ability of the body structures to change and adapt to the changing environment. To different levels of physical stress, the body responds in all parameters of physiological functions, such as, heart rate, neural function, musculoskeletal function and others. The physical stressors may be of many categories. Of them, most important are muscular exercises, ambient temperature, and sound levels at work. The psychological stressors may be economic condition, housing condition, and family environment. The psychological stressors at work also influence individual's health status. Psychological stressors suppress cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity leading to heart rate variability and eventually cardiovascular disease. Serious disease and treatment experiences affect the psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual wellbeing. It should be mentioned that this might yield both negative and positive outcomes.

Capstone Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capstone Project - Essay Example d vision; and also if it has appropriate strategies in place that can help it in achieving its goals while utilizing its strengths and exploiting its opportunities. Toyota’s mission states, â€Å"Toyota will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, constant innovation and respect for the planet, we aim to exceed expectations and be rewarded with a smile. We will meet challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way (Toyota, 2012, p.12).† Careful analysis reveals that Toyota has been concerned with providing a product line that is affordable to its customer and also serves community by playing its role in environmental protection and social stability. Comparison of its mission and vision to its financial performance indicated that Toyota has managed to retain its profitability ratio as compared to last financial year 2011. Although due to strong position of Yen, its product became expensive for American and European markets, which is later on reflected in decrease in its gross sales which is  ¥ 17,820,520 for 2011 and  ¥17,511,916 for financial year 2011 and 2012 respectively. However, other losses attributed to recalls made further decreases in profits. Toyota’s vision entails making better cars and enriching communities’ lives through sustainable growths and adherence to its original values. Its guiding principles indicated that respect for culture and customers, fair business activities, corporate citizenship, innovative management, individual creativity and team work and working with business partners in research and manufacture to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits (Toyota Global, 2011a). However, losses incurred through recalls indicate that Toyota digressed from its values and mission of making better cars and benefitting consumers. Therefore,

The self is a recurring theme in the religions of Asia. Choose three Essay

The self is a recurring theme in the religions of Asia. Choose three of the religious traditions we have discussed and explain how their theories of the self are different from each other - Essay Example & Slingerland, 2006). Buddhism perceives self-concept as the â€Å"no-self† rather than the self-actualization implying that an individual is neither an integral nor an autonomous entity (MascaroÃŒ , 1973). On the other hand, Daoism theory by Chuang-tzu reveals self as the satisfaction felt after harmonizing the surroundings manifested by humility, compassion, respect, and moderation (Zhuangzi & Watson, 2003). Consequently, there exist distinctions in the way the Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism perceive the self-concept, which is a common theme in Asian religions. The three religions portray differing understanding of self-concept implying that they perceive ‘self’ from a different point of view. The concept of self in Buddhism is focused on understanding the ‘self’ in a human being (Ho, 1995). Actualization of oneself in Buddhism is characterized by the process of pursuing acts such as helping others to achieve happiness within an individual. From the broad view of Buddhism, ‘self’ is portrayed as the religion advocate for the process in which individuals realize when they become aware of the actions as well as change that need to be done to achieve enlightenment. MascaroÃŒ  (1973) in his translation of Dhammapada says, â€Å"For a person forced on by his thinking, fierce in his passion†¦He’s the one who tightens the bond† (348*). In Confucianism, the theme emphasizes on understanding relationships of each other. It refers to the Golden rule as the base of establishing self in an ind ividual, which considers the actions that an individual does to others should be similar to the actions that she/he would do to himself/herself. Conversely, Daoism perceives self as the endeavor to improve and understand the environment surrounding human beings (Zhuangzi & Watson, 2003). This indicates that a major aspect in developing the theme of self in Daoism is respect to the environment and ensuring its

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of Essay

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of your choice. What does the comparison tell you about the factors that shape public management in each country - Essay Example The objective is to understand deeper the specific circumstances confronted by each country in public sector management. The first, command and control, involves top-down management and asserts that government can take charge and â€Å"can be highly effective† (Barber 2007, p. 21). Two such examples of the â€Å"command and control† approach is the UK government’s National Literacy Strategy between 1997 and 2001 and the UK government’s reduction of health care waiting times between 2000 and 2005 (Barber 2007, p. 21). The â€Å"quasi-market† approach attempts to provide government services as how one may provide a service in the market wherein privatisation is an option (Barber 2007, p. 21-22). According to Barber (2007, p. 22), some of the good examples of the â€Å"quasi-market† market approach are as follows: (1) the Medicare program of the United States; (2) the UK policy of encouraging the use of independent providers for routine operations in the UK health care system; and (3) the use of private providers for public schools in Philadelphia. According to Barber (2007, p. 22), evidence on the quality of impact of the â€Å"quasi-market† approach is mixed but â€Å"success seems to depend on the precise design of the program†. In third approach, â€Å"devolution and transparency,† government devolves â€Å"responsibility to the frontline units delivering the service and then use transparency† or making public the results in a way that allows comparison s to drive performance higher (Barber 2007, p. 22). On the other hand, Briggs and Fisher (2006, p. 30) advanced that the three paradigms of public sector management are the traditional public administration approach, the new public management paradigm, and the public value management. In the traditional public management approach, public managers are assumed to have the task of ensuring that rules and appropriate procedures are followed and that the public sector has the monopoly of the service ethos

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Saving the Environment and the Bottom Line - Essay Example Environmental Protection Agency which seeks to protect the future of our nations water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes and other related services. In this case, a good example can be draw from Xavier Hotel. It can save 15 gallons per person per day implementing various improvements. With our operations including 375 rooms and if it’s occupied 70% of the time with 1.4 people, our yearly annual saving in gallons will be 2,015,895. This means that about $ 115,309.194 is saved a year. In order to purchase water sense labeled products such as toilets, showerheads and sinks from â€Å"www.lowes.com/† it will cost Xavier Hotel approximately $ 134,617.50 for all 375 rooms without any kind of industrial discounts and employee costs. Electricity consumption is a big problem in hospitality business. Guests and other staff members might waste electricity without knowing it. There are a couple of solutions that can be implemented in order to prevent extra electricity usage. For guest rooms, the hotel should use guest room key as an electric power by placing the room card into an electric source so it can save electricity usage while guests are not inside the rooms which is called key activated guest room energy management system. Also, the hotel management could use magnets for windows that is, if windows are open, it can directly turn off the air conditioning system. There are so many guests that leave windows open while they are sleeping and they also do not turn of the air conditioning system without knowing it this can lead to extra consumption of electricity. Hotels also consume electricity in the hallways. Hotel management could place motion sensors in order to prevent electricity usage. So if there is not an yone walking in the hallways, motion detectors can save

Knowledge, Truth, Belief Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Knowledge, Truth, Belief - Assignment Example We know that when someone dies, they are gone forever. We don’t see the people who have died. They’re put in the ground, and we know that there is no possibility of ever seeing them alive again. Death is the ultimate reality that gives life meaning—because we know that once we’re dead, there may be some astral traveling to various yugas, but that life is the ultimate experience with realia. 2. One of the more contentious points in Descartes argument centers around the claim that God must necessarily exist because he is a perfect being, and a perfect being would not lack the attribute of existence. When this argument was first posed by St. Anselm in 1078, (almost 560 years earlier) a contemporary of Anselms, a monk named Gaulino, parodied this argument by suggesting that if someone could conceive of a "perfect island" then this perfect island must exist somewhere, since the idea of a non-existent perfect island (much like a non-existent but perfect God) would represent an inconsistency in ones thinking. Is Gaulino correct when he suggests that this kind of argument seems to open the door for the (somewhat sudden) existence of all kinds of entities so long as we conceive of them as being perfect? Explain. Descartes’s assertion that all entities exist because they are perfect produces a troubling difficulty that cannot be immediately remedied. As Descartes said himself, even he had doubts about certain issues. â€Å"All that I have, up to this moment, accepted as possessed of the highest truth and certainty, I received either from or through the senses. I observed, however, that these sometimes misled us†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 He is admitting, then, that the senses can deceive one when conceptualizing philosophical ideas. This doesn’t make him an expert, then, when he says that everything that truly exists has to be perfect—because we all know that there are many things in the world that do indeed

Personal Management Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Personal Management Skills - Essay Example This is the most suitable way of overcoming the limitations and challenges in my current skills. Through training, I will expand my knowledge in political, economic, social cultural and technological factors which determine the attainment of my goals and objectives. I aspire to gain more experience in leadership through seeking management positions in a reputable organization. Love, (2005, p. 42) explains that experience gives leaders connections and resources which enhance achievement of the target aims and objectives. Through work experience in leadership, I will acquire connection with prominent and influential people. Moreover, work experience will help me attain the financial resources which are required for effective attainment of goals. My personal aspirations are based on the knowledge that a leader requires personal management skills such as communication, interpersonal relations, proper time and resource management. Additionally, I am aware that there are political, economi c, social-cultural and technological factors in the environment which influence the success of leadership. Personal SWOT Analysis My Strengths According to Boone & Peborde (2008), planning, resource management, communication and organizational skills are required by a leader. Additionally, an effective leader should have ability for self development and overcoming challenges. My personal strengths make me suitable for leadership because apart from been excellent in managing people, I am a very responsible person and this enables me to effectively manage both financial and human resources. Riley & Mulford (2007, p. 81) points out that ability of a leader to take responsibility in the management of financial resources demonstrates that he or she would be relied upon in leadership. I am a serious individual when it comes to work and I act professionally in execution of all duties that I am responsible for. My experiences in leadership roles make me confident that my personal management skills are adequate for a leadership role. In University I was a leader of our student association for a period of one year. In this period I applied my personal strengths to effectively lead a group of eight executives My time management skills and adaptability are among my core strengths which proved to be very important in my leadership experience in University. As a president of the students association, I was able to make timely arrangements for meetings and projects. It is through my admirable adaptability that I was able to interact with students from diverse backgrounds and accommodate their different ideas. According to the assertions of Cameron (2002), leaders need to be flexible so that they would adapt to the divergent opinions of their followers. In my leadership experience I was enabled to apply my abilities and strengths to control, align and coordinate many activities associated with student activities. However, I consider my ability to learn fast as the most lucrat ive strength which helped me to be a successful leader of the student’s association. This is because, I started as a novice leader but gained management and leadership skills very fast through quick leaning especially in professional communication and relationship with other officials and members of the association. My personal managem

Teamwork Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teamwork - Coursework Example Resistance to the approach may be due to the struggle over control of the leadership of the group, which may be due to divergent opinions or challenging the decisions made by the team leader (Cragan 78). Another reason for resistance may be due to hostile leadership where the team leader either may be racist, sexist or practices various discriminatory practices. Resistance in the form of a bid to control the team in terms of ideas may be dealt with by brainstorming of opinions shared by the team players and accommodating everyone’s opinion. Hostile leadership can be controlled by action from all the team players as opposed to the challenger and the team leader holding a private dialogue. Experts view teams as means, not an end in that they view the team as a way of achieving the vision of the organization. An end is described as the goal of the organization where the teams created are deemed as a way of achieving the vision and not the vision itself. Companies that focus on creating teams as opposed to achieving its goals is bound to collapse if the strategy is not looked into (Means 56). A company should focus on the ultimate aim of attaining its goals, which may be achieved by formation of teams among other strategies (Rothstein 100). It is important that team members analyze their team role at their work place, their contribution and whether or not they are comfortable with their specific position. The roles of team players may be categorized into task roles, nurturing roles and dysfunctional roles. One can become a better team member by understanding their responsibility and understanding that the decisions that they make affect the overall performance of the team. The concept of self-management of employees is highly successful in organizations where the decision-making by employees is embraced (Cheltenham 60). Self-managed groups are held

What factors influence policies and practices of multinational firms Essay

What factors influence policies and practices of multinational firms Discuss - Essay Example To initiate and actualize the entry, MNCs have to set targets and formulate various strategies according to the situation prevailing in those foreign markets. While formulating the strategies, the organizations’ leader and the management team will firstly look at the factors that may aid them to make a successful entry. After analyzing the positive factors, the firms will or should have to analyze the negative factors or challenges that may impede its entry. As every foreign market or country will have different political, social, economic conditions as well as different customers, competitors, prospective employees, etc, etc, there will be many challenges, which will block the firms’ success. Thus, both these factors could influence the practices and policies of MNC’s particularly in its foreign operations. Among the many economic based movements, globalisation is the one which had and is still having major impact on the economic development of many countries and its people worldwide. â€Å"The word globalisation marks a set of transitions in the global political economy since the 1970s, in which multinational forms of capitalist organization began to be replaced by transnational† (Appadurai, cited in Meyer and Geschiere 1999). Economic part of globalisation is the key because with the whole world becoming a kind of global village, barriers between the countries are broken with integration happening mainly in the economic aspects. In this scenario, foreign organizations particularly MNCs, using the globalisation plank, have entered and will also enter various sectors of the businesses leading to the establishment of many industries. With these MNCs providing good employment and the resultant good development, people of those countries have became financially stable and are going in search of material comforts, causing impacts on social change. For a