Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Affects of Child Abuse Essay Example For Students

The Affects of Child Abuse Essay 1.One of the worst crimes in existence today is child abuse and neglect. Not only does child abuse affect and hurt a child when it happens, but, it stays with that person for the rest of their lives. It is a crime that does not stop after it has occurred, but, goes on and on for ever. This paper will discuss the horrid crime of child abuse, and identify why this is such a devastating thing to happen to a child. 2.Imagine for one moment that you are not yourself any longer. Visualize instead that you are a young girl; old enough to know right from wrong yet still young enough to be terrified by the dark shadows in your room. It is a cool autumn night and your parents have opted to attend a party which you are not allowed at. It will be fine, they say. Although you already know what is to come. We will write a custom essay on The Affects of Child Abuse specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now 3.Your uncle comes over to watch you for the evening, and your parents are so pleased by the fact that they do not have to find a sitter. As soon as he arrives, your mother kisses you on the cheek and scurries out the door to join your father already waiting in the car outside. The nightmare begins. His slimy hands casually slide a tape into the VCR as he smiles at you seductively. You can feel his eyes worming their gaze through your clothes every time that he looks at you. You feel dirty and violated every time you think about what he does to you when you are alone. He walks over to the couch and sits down next to you. His hand slithers its way onto your knee and you cringe in revulsion. Dont be afraid, I wont hurt you, he chides. 4.Your mind feels panicky as you feel his touch in more intimate places and you scream involuntarily. His grip tightens as he places his hand over your mouth. Well have to do this the hard way! comes his intense whisper. You flail your arms at him, but it doesnt help. His writhing massive body is on top of yours, and you feel so powerless. Eventually, you sink into a sobbing heap and simply wait for his passions to stop. You wait for the nightmare to end. When he is done, you limp to the laundry room and try fruitlessly to get the blood stains out of your clothes (Reardon p.5-68). 5. It is all your fault Abuse: The violation or defilement of; What you have just experienced is one type of abuse that occurs millions of times every year across America. Estimates of abuse range wildly depending on the source of ones information. Estimates of chld abuse or neglice by parents or guardians range from about 1 out of every 100 children to more than 1 out of every 7. At least 500,000 children are physically abused in the United States each year, and many more are emotionally abused and neglected.. (Brittanica p. 1) All sources agree on the simple truth that not nearly all cases of child abuse are reported or even estimated. Many cases go unreported. 7.It is clear that families are undergoing a number of important structural changes: families are smaller than in the past, with fewer children and sometimes with only one parent; parents have children at a later age; more couples live together without the bonds of matrimony which was accepted as a sacred bond so few years in human history. The source of this degradation of such a basic unit of society is unknown throughout all areas of research. It is a question that one person needs to answer for himself and solve for himself. .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .postImageUrl , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:hover , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:visited , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:active { border:0!important; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:active , .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254 .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u122fee86a3e963c0b553b701ab8cc254:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drug Abuse in the NFL Essay Something a young child is not capable of doing. 8.Physical abuse has many forms. It may involve the hitting or kicking of a child with the fists or the feet, or with another object; such as belts, shovels, changes, ropes, electric cords, leather straps, canes, baseball bats, sticks, broom handles, or assorted large objects. Other forms of abuse include the pouring of scalding water or coffee on a childs body, holding a childs head under the water of .

Monday, November 25, 2019

3 Reasons Why The Handmaid’s Tale Remains Relevant

3 Reasons Why 'The Handmaid’s Tale' Remains Relevant The Handmaid’s Tale is the second dystopian work of speculative fiction - after George Orwell’s 1984 - to suddenly appear on top of the bestseller lists years after its release. The renewed interest in Margaret Atwood’s classic story of a post-apocalyptic America dominated by a puritanical religious sect that reduces most women to subjugated breeder status stems from both the current political atmosphere in the United States and the adaptation airing on Hulu starring Elizabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, and Joseph Fiennes. What’s interesting about The Handmaid’s Tale is how many people assume it’s much older than it actually is. The book was originally published in 1985, and while that’s 32 years ago many people are surprised it wasn’t penned in the 1950s or 1960s; blame this on our tendency to believe that the present and very recent past are fairly enlightened. People assume the book was written during what some see as the final gasp of patriarchy- before birth control and the women’s liberation movement started the slow, agonizing process of pursuing equality for women and raising consciousness around the world. On the other hand, a book written three decades ago still resonates with a particular power. Hulu didnt adapt The Handmaid’s Tale as a revered classic kept behind glass, but rather as a pulsing, living work of literature that speaks to modern-day America. Not many books can retain that kind of power for thirty years, and The Handmaid’s Tale remains a powerfully current story- for three distinct reasons that go beyond politics. Margaret Atwood Just Updated It One aspect of The Handmaid’s Tale that is often overlooked is the author’s dedication to the story. When the author herself regards the story as a living, breathing work and continued to discuss and develop the ideas within it, the story retains some of the immediacy that surrounded it upon publication. In fact, Atwood has actually just expanded the story. As part of the launch of the updated audio version of the novel on Audible (recorded by Claire Danes in 2012, but with a completely new sound design) Atwood wrote both an afterward discussing the book and its legacy, but also new material that extends the story. The book famously ends with the line â€Å"Are there any questions?† The new material comes in the form of an interview with Professor Piexoto, which is the sort of thing fans dream about. The material is performed by a full cast in the Audible version, giving it a rich, realistic feel. It’s also a little mind-bending, since the ending of the novel makes it clear that the good professor is discussing Offred’s story far in the future, long after Gilead has disappeared, based on audio recordings she left behind, which Atwood herself has noted makes the Audible version appropriate. It’s Not Really Science Fiction ... or Fiction First of all, we should note that Atwood dislikes the term â€Å"science fiction† when applied to her work, and prefers â€Å"speculative fiction.† It might seem like a subtle point, but it makes sense. The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t actually involve any weird science or anything implausible. A revolution establishes a Theocratic dictatorship that severely limits all human rights (and especially those of women, who are even forbidden to read) while ecological factors reduce the fertility of the human race significantly, resulting in the creation of Handmaids, fertile women who are used for breeding. None of that is particularly sci-fi. Secondly, Atwood has stated that nothing in the book is made-up- in fact, she’s said there is â€Å"... nothing in the book that didn’t happen, somewhere.† That’s part of the chilling power of The Handmaid’s Tale. All you need to do is check out some of the darker areas of the Internet, or even some of the legislative bodies around the country, to see that male attitudes towards women haven’t changed nearly as much as we might like. When the Vice President of the United States won’t have dinner alone with a woman who isn’t his wife, it’s not hard to imagine a world not so different from Atwood’s vision coming around... again. In fact, many seem to have forgotten the 1991 film adaptation of the book, with a script written by Harold Pinter and a cast featuring Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Duvall- a film that almost didn’t get made despite the power of those names because the project encountered â€Å"a wall of ignorance, hostility, and indifference,† according to journalist Sheldon Teitelbaum as reported in The Atlantic. He goes on to say that â€Å"Movie executives declined to back the project, stating ‛that a film for and about women †¦ would be lucky if it made it to video.’† Next time you wonder if The Handmaid’s Tale is so far-fetched, consider that statement. Theres a reason women in Texas recently dressed as Handmaids as a form of protest. The Book Is Constantly Under Attack You can often judge the power and influence of a novel by the number of attempts that are made to ban it- another ghostly echo when you consider that women in the novel are forbidden to read. The Handmaid’s Tale was the 37th most-challenged book of the 1990s, according to the American Library Association. As recently as 2015, parents in Oregon complained that the book contained sexually explicit scenes and was anti-Christian, and students were offered an alternative book to read (which is certainly better than an outright ban). The fact that The Handmaid’s Tale continues to be on the receiving end of these sorts of attempts is directly related to how powerful its ideas are. It’s a slippery slide from celebrating supposedly â€Å"traditional values† and gender roles to enforcing those roles in a cruel, humorless, and terrifying way. Atwood has stated that she wrote the novel in part to â€Å"fend off† the grim future she laid out in its pages; with the release of the new Audible material and the Hulu adaptation, hopefully a new generation of people will be inspired to fend off that future as well. The Handmaid’s Tale remains a living, breathing work of potential history that’s well worth reading or listening to.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Analysis of Addiction Service

Analysis of Addiction Service Colin O’Rourke Sankalpa Addiction Services Sankalpa is a Sanskrit word meaning idea or notion formed in the heart or mind, a solemn vow or determination to perform and a desire or definite intention. History of the agency The Millennium Carvings program which was established in 1998 and was supported and funded by FAS and the Local Drug Task Force (LDTF). Designed to deliver rehabilitation programs for stabilised or former drug users in the Finglas/ Cabra area it offered holistic programs exploring individual creativity together with therapeutic rehabilitation programs. Millennium Carvings evolved into Sankalpa and continued to create an holistic and therapeutic environment utilising artwork and creativity. This allows clients participate in their own recovery process while addressing some of the complex needs of service users through personal development and group work. The LDTF now ensure Sankalpa adhere to the National Drug Strategy. Agency Ethos ‘A sustainable p athway out of addiction leading towards a culture of recovery in Finglas & Cabra, built by support organizations and service users working in solidarity’ The characteristic spirit underpinning the Sankalpa culture is that of client centered therapeutic environment in a creative, holistic environment, the emphasis being on community. In creating this community that enables the clients to change intrinsically, the realization being that the client understands what motivates them better than the therapist, change comes from within. It is recognised that the relationship between the client and the therapist is of prime importance when evaluating the success of the therapeutic process, and that the cornerstone of recovery is this relationship. Aims Sankalpa aim to respect the dignity and rights of the client in a just and safe environment while understanding that sole responsibility for any addiction is the responsibility of the client that developed it. In doing so it hopes to en hance intrinsic worth in a therapeutic environment that values learning with a view to facilitating the healing process. It is believed that the therapeutic process is assisted by creating a space where drug related harm is minimised and where well organised levels of drug services are made available. Best practice and evidence based interventions are aimed to be utilised as is the support of non medical treatment of pain. Sankalpa aim to promote problem solving and critical thinking with their clients while remaining honest and open minded in their affairs. Objectives To meet their aims Sankalpa deliver quality programs while utilising trained staff who are  focused on achieving the desired outcomes by being part of the continuum of clients’ recovery  and linking and partnering with other agencies to assist in this continuum. Sankalpa support  clients by offering CE schemes to assist with moving on to employment and education. They  offer accredited further education to clients’ presenting with addiction issues or stabilised on  their medication and assist motivated clients in the continuum of recovery by way of the  development and implementation of their therapeutic model. What kind of treatment approach underpins the agency? The Sankalpa therapeutic model is psychosocial, client centered and evidence based. It utilises structured interventions the aim being to reduce or stabilise the harms associated with illicit drug use. The therapeutic work is mainly done in groups and uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA), Motivational Interviewing (M.I) and Mindfulness. One to one sessions include goal setting, reviews and assessments. It is understood by employees of Sankalpa that access to education and employment that may previously have been out of reach due to social deprivation can be the cornerstone of successful recovery.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Teaching Materials for Secondary School Teachers Essay

Teaching Materials for Secondary School Teachers - Essay Example To be able to help students to achieve a productive future that ultimately can help the nation, schools should not provide mediocre learning. This can be attributed to the fact that educational system should aim for high quality in the education methods and techniques that are used and utilized. Quality education can be considered as a necessity since the search for employment to be able to survive in the present society can be considered as one of the most competitive process. It is then important primarily to define quality education. Specifically, quality education is a term that is based on the four principles of education. Quality can be equivalent to the standard that makes students more than capable to be able to present themselves in the real world. The basic foundation principles include the concepts of learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together with others, and learning to be. The provision of quality education can be considered as one of the basic rights of a person falling next to the basic needs (Sims and Sims, 1995). Quality education is culturally appropriate and locally relevant where the economic, environmental and social contexts of a particular area are taken into consideration in the formulation of the curriculum. It develops knowledge, perspectives, values, attitudes and life skills. Quality education provides the means to transform existing societies to more sustainable societies (Lee, 1963; Sims and Sims, 1995). Based on the definition of quality education it can be considered that there is a great need to be able to have an in depth study on the factors that can contribute to the achievement of quality education. ... In relation to the said issues regarding education, the main focus of the study is the presentation of the importance of one of the essential factors of educational process which is the educators and the capabilities to facilitate the process of learning. II. Essential Notions in Education In the aim to achieve quality education in the secondary level, there are different notions that are needed to be considered. One is the teaching methods and principles which can be considered as the main content in teaching. The said component can commonly be observed through the analysis of the composition of the curriculum in an educational institution (Lee, 1963). Another important component is the educators that can be considered as the main personalities that serve as keys to the attainment of the type of education that is aspired for. The ability of the educators extends from the capacity to present and achieve a learning process on the different aspects of a learner's personality. To be able to achieve the objectives of learning the learning techniques and styles of an educator is essential. This can be attributed to the fact that the educator facilitates the leaning process (Sims and Sims, 1995). One important factor of the learning process also is the learner. Basically, the abilities, attitudes and predispositions of learner also make the facilitation of the learning process possible. Abilities can be considered as the natural capabilities of the learners and students that are needed to be enhanced and developed in the process of learning. Determination of such abilities is essential although the said measure vary for every student. Another is the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Diversity in organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diversity in organization - Research Paper Example Hence proper management of diverse workforce is acutely necessary for the organizations. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 The evolving concept of diversity 4 Multiculturalism 5 Benefits of diversity in workforce for for-profit business organizations 6 Challenges faced by the organization due to diverse workforce 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction The world is changing rapidly and the concept of diversity has become a truism in current times (Rosado, 2006). Change in the view of the world is more vividly visible since the onset of the twenty-first century. At present diversity has been acknowledged in social and business layers, which include variety in labor force, civil rights of the human being, their property right and living and working conditions of the people. In the different industrialized countries across the globe, instances of demographically diversified labor force are increasing. In many countries gender relations are changing swiftly and the ef fect of this change is visible in the business sphere. With rapid globalization, the number of emigrant workers is increasing and recent trend shows that immigration is taking place into the developed countries of the world (Dumont, Spielvogel & Widmaier, 2010). The structure of labor population is also changing with the aging population in the developed countries, due to which the labor intensive organizations are facing higher diversity in their workforce. Increased diversification within workgroups or labor force has to be dealt sincerely through efficient diversity management. Such changes cast potentially important impact on group performance within organizations. According to Bleijenbergh, Peters and Poutsma (2010) diversity management in an organization further encourages the organization to attain their strategic goals. It allows inclusion of diverse employee categories and provides scope to the organization to allow individual development of its employees. Diversity managem ent in business supports creation and retention â€Å"of equal opportunities† (Bleijenbergh, Peters & Poutsma, 2010, p. 414). In the long term it helps to create a sustainable employment situation and leads to profitable business. The evolving concept of diversity The needs of this century pose the demand for a mass of citizens â€Å"that is culturally sensitive and internationally focused, with an orientation toward the future rather than the past† (Rosado, 2006, p. 1). Recent research works reveal that diversity management has come through over the years. There has been a gradual change in the purpose of diversity management from the ‘purpose of exclusion’ to the ‘purpose of inclusion’. In the beginning of the twenty-first century there was no definite established pattern or model for the organizations to follow while dealing with diversity related to physical, biological and social or cultural differences. Any behavior or attitude that belo nged to outside of the ‘norm’ prevalent in the particular society were identified as diversity and were dealt with the policy of â€Å"exclusion and control† (Rosado, 2006, p. 4). With the passage of time, particularly in the profit oriented corporate firms, organizational policy of dealing with diversity has changed; today in order to realize the maximum potential

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Appraising and Rewarding Performance of Manulife China Bank Life Essay Example for Free

Appraising and Rewarding Performance of Manulife China Bank Life Essay Assurance Corporation Manulife Philippines marks its 100th year of existence in our country. It is one of the oldest insurance firms in the country. The firm received its license to operate in Manila in 1907, twenty years after the company was first established in Toronto, Canada in 1887 by Sir John A. Macdonald, who at the same time was Prime Minister of Canada. Manulife Philippines was the first foreign company to list in the Philippine Stock Exchange, and is among the top five life insurance companies in our country today. The firm’s dedication to client service enabled it to grow and increase financial strength. In 2007, the Philippine Insurance Commission (IC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank) approved the operation of a bank assurance joint venture company, Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCB Life). MCB Life is a strategic bank assurance alliance of China Banking Corporation (China Bank), the Philippines’ first privately owned commercial bank, and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife), a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Manulife Financial Corporation. In Asia, Manulifes goal for each market is to develop a company that will best meet the needs of customers, achieve employee satisfaction, and provide leadership in the life insurance industry. Manulife works hard to build companies that cultivate wealth creation, wealth protection, and an improved quality of life for local customers. Manulifes corporate vision is to be the most professional life insurance company in the world: providing the very best financial protection and wealth management services tailored to customers in every market where the company does business. MCB Life’s mission is committed to develop long term relationships with families and businesses which make us the company of choice in providing economic security through a broad range of financial services, customized and delivered by competent and ethical professionals. C. Company Profile and Background of Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial is an international leader in protection and wealth management with key operations in Canada, US, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Bermuda, and the Philippines. Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) pioneered life insurance in the Philippines in 1895. Today, Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc. , is one of the largest and most trusted insurers in the country with almost a half a million policies in force and is boosted by the strength and stability of Sun Life Financial shares in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. SLAMCI) is the fund manager and principal distributor of the biggest family of mutual funds in the Philippines, the Sun Life Prosperity Funds. It also boasts of being the first in its field to put in place the accounting system needed to adequately comply with the standards set by the International Accounting Standards (IAS). Serving as the company’s wealth management arm, SLAMCI benefits from the expertise of its mother company’s close association with MFS Investment Management (the inventor of mutual funds in the US). Sun Life Financial Plans, Inc. SLFPI) is the second wholly-owned subsidiary of SLOCPI and the sole distributor of its pension and education plans. SLFPI holds the distinction of being the fastest growing pre-need company in the country today. For 113 years now, SLF-Philippines continues to be a proud and trusted partner of the Filipino in his journey to financial freedom. D. Company Mission and Vision of Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial’s vision is To be the preeminent provider of financial security to individuals over their lifetime. With regards to this mission of the company, Sun Life Financial aims to provide financial freedom for Filipinos. The objective of this study is to present the methods of rewarding and appraising performance of our two chosen companies, particularly in the insurance industry. For this research, we chose to do a study on Manulife Philippines, more specifically Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCB Life); and also Sun Life Financial. This paper aims to present the different rewards given to employees and performance appraisals done to evaluate their employees’ performance, while comparing both companies. In order to obtain a clearer picture on how employees are being appraised and rewarded in two companies in the same industry, a comparison between Manulife Philippines and Sun Life Financial should be done. F. Statement of Problem The researchers would conduct a study on the rewarding and appraising of performance of insurance companies, and what the companies want to achieve. The researchers would like to find out how the companies reward their employers in this industry, and the process of performance appraisal; and the effects of these human resource activities in the daily operation of the companies.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Exploitative Commercials in Children’s TV Programming Essay -- Media T

Alcohol. Obesity. Violence. For kids today in the United States, these are only a few of the problems linked to the child-targeted mass media, especially the multi- million dollar business—television commercials in children’s programming. With the disappearance of a TV-free environment, a typical American kid sees about 40,000 television advertisements each year, most of which are for soda, candy, video games, fast food and their free toys. In order to collect some information, I sat down on a Saturday morning on July 16, 2004, and recorded several kids’ TV ads for further analysis. Needless to say, the results were quite shocking—aside from the obvious, I also noticed that most ads featured active and aggressive boys while the presence of girls was rarely to be seen. Being a girl myself, I felt the need to take a close look at such inequality. I began to wonder if commercialism has overlooked the importance of gender issues, which would then create negative impacts on children by sending out harmful hidden messages. For example, these ads can promote a polarization of gender roles that portray the sexes in stereotypical and traditional ways, which will unconsciously affect young viewers’ attitudes and values. In his article written in 1988, â€Å"What Are TV Ads Selling to Children,† John J. O’Connor asserts, â€Å"Things haven’t changed much in the television business of children’s merchandising, and some aspects of the scene are even more appalling.† Indeed, though not as prevalent as in earlier years, TV commercials aimed at kids still contain underlying themes such as sexism that’s extremely harmful to the development of the youth. Stereotypical images permeate kids’ television commercials, giving young chi... ...ey’re being preached of becoming the gentle, pretty, sensitive and domesticated â€Å"dream-girls† who are submissive to boys. It is as if females’ lives revolve around males. On the other hand, boys tend to get the wrong impression that men have to be physically strong, competitive, rational and superior to women. As illustrated by stereotypes, roles, and representation, boys always seem to be the winner in the unequal gender portrayal on kids’ TV commercials. Many kids try to emulate such characteristics from role-models they see on the screen, which can be very misleading and harmful, for they hinder the development of children’s innate talents and abilities. As O’Connor indicates, â€Å"Commercials in children’s programming [are] exploitative and a disservice to society.† Despite recent improvement, sexism remains to be a major problem in the child-targeted commercialism.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Ten

Meredith sat down on the knee-high wall of the ruined church. â€Å"You said it was going to be dangerous, Stefan, but you didn't say you were going to let him strangle me.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I was hoping he'd give some more information, especially after he admitted to being there when Sue died. But I shouldn't have waited.† â€Å"I haven't admitted anything! You can't prove anything,† Tyler said. The animal whine was back in his voice, but on the walk up his face and body had returned to normal. Or rather, they'd returned to human, Meredith thought. The swelling and bruises and dried blood weren't normal. â€Å"This isn't a court of law, Tyler,† she said. â€Å"Your father can't help you now.† â€Å"But if it were, we'd have a pretty good case,† Stefan added. â€Å"Enough to put you away on conspiracy to commit murder, I think.† â€Å"That's if somebody doesn't melt down their grandma's teaspoons to make a silver bullet,† Matt put in. Tyler looked from one to another of them. â€Å"I won't tell you anything.† â€Å"Tyler, you know what you are? You're a bully,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And bullies always talk.† â€Å"You don't mind pinning a girl down and threatening her,† said Matt, â€Å"but when her friends turn up, you're scared spitless.† Tyler just glared at all of them. â€Å"Well, if you don't want to talk, I guess I'll have to,† Stefan said. He leaned down and picked up the thick book he'd gotten from the library. One foot on the lip of the tomb, he rested the book on his knee and opened it. In that moment, Meredith thought, he looked frighteningly like Damon. â€Å"This is a book by Gervase of Tilbury, Tyler,† he said. â€Å"It was written around the year 1210 a.d. One of the things it talks about is werewolves.† â€Å"You can't prove anything! You don't have any evidence-â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Tyler!† Stefan looked at him. â€Å"I don't need to prove it. I can see it, even now. Have you forgotten what I am?† There was a silence, and then Stefan went on. â€Å"When I got here a few days ago, there was a mystery. A girl was dead. But who killed her? And why? All the clues I could see seemed contradictory. â€Å"It wasn't an ordinary killing, not some human psycho off the street. I had the word of somebody I trusted on that-and independent evidence, too. An ordinary killer can't work a Ouija board by telekinesis. An ordinary killer can't cause fuses to blow in a power plant hundreds of miles away. â€Å"No, this was somebody with tremendous physical and psychic power. From everything Vickie told me, it sounded like a vampire. â€Å"And there was another thing. You were in that house, Tyler. You made the mistake of grabbing Bonnie that night, and then you made the mistake of shooting off your mouth the next day, saying things you couldn't have known unless you were there. â€Å"So what did we have? A seasoned vampire, a vicious killer with Power to spare? Or a high school bully who couldn't organize a trip to the toilet without falling over his own feet? Which? The evidence pointed both ways, and I couldn't make up my mind. â€Å"Then I went to see Sue's body myself. And there it was, the biggest mystery of all. A cut here.† Stefan's finger sketched a sharp line down from his collarbone. â€Å"Typical, traditional cut-made by vampires to share their own blood. But Sue wasn't a vampire, and she didn't make that cut herself. Someone made it for her as she lay there dying on the ground.† Meredith shut her eyes, and she heard Bonnie swallow hard beside her. She put out a hand and found Bonnie's and held tight, but she went on listening. Stefan had not gone into this kind of detail in his explanation to them before. â€Å"Vampires don't need to cut their victims like that; they use their teeth,† Stefan said. His upper lip lifted slightly to show his own teeth. â€Å"But if a vampire wanted to draw blood for somebody else to drink, he might cut instead of biting. If a vampire wanted to give someone else the first and only taste, he might do that. â€Å"And that started me thinking about blood. Blood is important, you see. For vampires, it gives life, Power. It's all we need for survival, and there are times when needing it drives us crazy. But it's good for other things, too. For instance†¦ initiation. â€Å"Initiation and Power. Now I was thinking about those two things, putting them together with what I'd seen of you, Tyler, when I was in Fell's Church before. Little things I hadn't really focused on. But I remembered something Elena had told me about your family history, and I decided to check it out in Honoria Fell's journal.† Stefan lifted a piece of paper from between the pages of the book he held. â€Å"And there it was, in Honoria's handwriting. I Xeroxed the page so I could read it to you. The Smallwoods' little family secret-if you can read between the lines.† Looking down at the paper, he read: â€Å"November 12. Candles made, flax spun. We are short on cornmeal and salt, but we will get through the winter. Last night an alarm; wolves attacked Jacob Smallwood as he returned from the forest. I treated the wound with whortleberry and sallow bark, but it is deep and I am afraid. After coming home I cast the runes. I have told no one but Thomas the results. â€Å"December 20. Wolf trouble at the Smallwoods' again. We heard the screams a few minutes ago, and Thomas said it was time. He made the bullets yesterday. He has loaded his rifle and we will walk over. If we are spared, I will write again. â€Å"December 21. Went over to Smallwoods' last night. Jacob sorely afflicted. Wolf killed. â€Å"We will bury Jacob in the little graveyard at the foot of the hill. May his soul find peace in death. â€Å"In the official history of Fell's Church,† Stefan said, â€Å"that's been interpreted to mean that Thomas Fell and his wife went over to the Smallwoods' to find Jacob Smallwood being attacked by a wolf again, and that the wolf killed him. But that's wrong. What it really says is not that the wolf killed Jacob Smallwood but that Jacob Smallwood, the wolf, was killed.† Stefan shut the book. â€Å"He was a werewolf, your great-great-great-whatever grandfather, Tyler. He got that way by being attacked by a werewolf himself. And he passed his werewolf virus on to the son who was born eight and a half months after he died. Just the way your father passed it on to you.† â€Å"I always knew there was something about you, Tyler,† Bonnie said, and Meredith opened her eyes. â€Å"I never could tell what it was, but at the back of my mind something was telling me you were creepy.† â€Å"We used to make jokes about it,† Meredith said, her voice still husky. â€Å"About your ‘animal magnetism and your big white teeth. We just never knew how close to the mark we were.† â€Å"Sometimes psychics can sense that kind of thing,† Stefan conceded. â€Å"Sometimes even ordinary people can. I should have seen it, but I was preoccupied. Still, that's no excuse. And obviously somebody else-the psychic killer-saw it right away. Didn't he, Tyler? A man wearing an old raincoat came to you. He was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, and he made some kind of a deal with you. In exchange for-something-he'd show you how to reclaim your heritage. How to become a real werewolf. â€Å"Because according to Gervase of Tilbury†-Stefan tapped the book on his knee -â€Å"a werewolf who hasn't been bitten himself needs to be initiated. That means you can have the werewolf virus all your life but never even know it because it's never activated. Generations of Smallwoods have lived and died, but the virus was dormant in them because they didn't know the secret of waking it up. But the man in the raincoat knew. He knew that you have to kill and taste fresh blood. After that, at the first full moon you can change.† Stefan glanced up, and Meredith followed his gaze to the white disk of the moon in the sky. It looked clean and two dimensional now, no longer a sullen red globe. â€Å"Very clever,† said Meredith, and Matt said, â€Å"No kidding.† Bonnie wet her finger and marked an imaginary 1 on an invisible Scoreboard. â€Å"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist following one of the girls here if you thought she'd be alone,† said Stefan. â€Å"You'd think that the graveyard was the perfect place to kill; you'd have complete privacy. And I knew you wouldn't be able to resist bragging about what you'd done. I was hoping you'd tell Meredith more about the other killer, the one who actually threw Sue out the window, the one who cut her so you could drink fresh blood. The vampire, Tyler. Who is he? Where is he hiding?† Tyler's look of venomous hatred changed to a sneer. â€Å"You think I'd tell you that? He's my friend.† â€Å"He is not your friend, Tyler. He's using you. And he's a murderer.† â€Å"Don't get in any deeper, Tyler,† Matt added. â€Å"You're already an accessory. Tonight you tried to kill Meredith. Pretty soon you're not going to be able to go back even if you want to. Be smart and stop this now. Tell us what you know.† Tyler bared his teeth. â€Å"I'm not telling you anything. How're you going to make me?† The others exchanged glances. The atmosphere changed, became charged with tension as they all turned back to Tyler. â€Å"You really don't understand, do you?† Meredith said quietly. â€Å"Tyler, you helped kill Sue. She died for an obscene ritual so that you could change into that thing I saw. You were planning to kill me, and Vickie and Bonnie too, I'm sure. Do you think we have any pity for you? Do you think we brought you up here to be nice to you?† There was a silence. The sneer was fading from Tyler's lips. He looked from one face to another. They were all implacable. Even Bonnie's small face was unforgiving. â€Å"Gervase of Tilbury mentions one interesting thing,† Stefan said, almost pleasantly. â€Å"There's a cure for werewolves besides the traditional silver bullet. Listen.† By moonlight, he read from the book on his knee. â€Å"It is commonly reported and held by grave and worthy doctors that if a werewolf be shorn of one of his members, he shall surely recover his original body. Gervase goes on to tell the story of Raimbaud of Auvergne, a werewolf who was cured when a carpenter cut off one of his hind paws. Of course, that was probably hideously painful, but the story goes that Raimbaud thanked the carpenter ‘for ridding him forever of the accursed and damnable form.' † Stefan raised his head. â€Å"Now, I'm thinking that if Tyler won't help us with information, the least we can do is make sure he doesn't go out and kill again. What do the rest of you say?† â€Å"All we have to do is relieve him of one of his members,† Bonnie agreed. â€Å"I can think of one right off,† Meredith said under her breath. Tyler's eyes were starting to bulge. Under the dirt and blood his normally ruddy face had gone pale. â€Å"You're bluffing!† â€Å"Get the ax, Matt,† said Stefan. â€Å"Meredith, you take off one of his shoes.† Tyler kicked when she did, aiming for her face. Matt came and got his head in a hammer-lock. â€Å"Don't make it any worse on yourself, Tyler.† The bare foot Meredith exposed was big, the sole as sweaty as Tyler's palms. Coarse hair sprouted from the toes. It made Meredith's skin crawl. â€Å"Let's get this over with,† she said. â€Å"You're joking!† Tyler howled, thrashing so that Bonnie had to come and grab his other leg and kneel on it. â€Å"You can't do this! You can't!† â€Å"Keep him still,† Stefan said. Working together, they stretched Tyler out, his head locked in Matt's arm, his legs spread and pinned by the girls. Making sure Tyler could see what he was doing, Stefan balanced a branch perhaps two inches thick on the lip of the tomb. He raised the ax and then brought it down hard, severing the stick with one blow. â€Å"It's sharp enough,† he said. â€Å"Meredith, roll his pants leg up. Then tie some of that cord just above his ankle as tight as you can for a tourniquet. Otherwise he'll bleed out.† â€Å"You can't do this!† Tyler was screaming. â€Å"You can't dooooooo this!† â€Å"Scream all you want, Tyler. Up here, nobody's going to hear you, right?† Stefan said. â€Å"You're no better than I am!† Tyler yelled in a spray of spittle. â€Å"You're a killer too!† â€Å"I know exactly what I am,† Stefan said. â€Å"Believe me, Tyler. I know. Is everybody ready? Good. Hold on to him; he's going to jump when I do it.† Tyler's screams weren't even words anymore. Matt was holding him so that he could see Stefan kneel and take aim, hefting the ax blade above Tyler's ankle to gauge force and distance. â€Å"Now,† said Stefan, raising the ax high. â€Å"No! No! I'll talk to you! I'll talk!† shrieked Tyler. Stefan glanced at him. â€Å"Too late,† he said, and brought the ax down. It rebounded off the stone floor with a clang and a spark, but the noise was drowned by Tyler's screaming. It seemed to take Tyler several minutes to realize that the blade hadn't touched his foot. He paused for breath only when he choked, and turned wild, bulging eyes on Stefan. Little whimpers were coming from Tyler's throat and there was foam on his lips. â€Å"I don't know his name,† he gasped out. â€Å"But he looks like you said. And you're right; he's a vampire, man! I saw him drain a ten-point buck while it was still kicking. He lied to me,† Tyler added, the whine creeping back into his voice. â€Å"He told me I'd be stronger than anybody, as strong as him. He said I could have any girl I wanted, any way I wanted. The creep lied.† â€Å"He told you that you could kill and get away with it,† Stefan said. â€Å"He said I could do Caroline that night. She had it coming after the way she ditched me. I wanted to make her beg-but she got out of the house somehow. I could have Caroline and Vickie, he said. All he wanted was Bonnie and Meredith.† â€Å"But you just tried to kill Meredith.† â€Å"That was now. Things are different now, stupid. He said it was all right.† â€Å"Why?† Meredith asked Stefan in an undertone. â€Å"Maybe because you'd served your purpose,† he said. â€Å"You'd brought me here.† Then he went on, â€Å"All right, Tyler, show us you're cooperating. Tell us how we can get this guy.† â€Å"Get him? You're nuts!† Tyler burst into ugly laughter, and Matt tightened the arm around his throat. â€Å"Hey, choke me all you want; it's still the truth. He told me he's one of the Old Ones, one of the Originals, whatever that means. He said he's been making vampires since before the pyramids. He said he's made a bargain with the devil. You could stick a stake in his heart and it wouldn't do anything. You can't kill him.† The laughter became uncontrolled. â€Å"Where's he hiding, Tyler?† Stefan rapped out. â€Å"Every vampire needs a place to sleep. Where is it?† â€Å"He'd kill me if I told you that. He'd eat me, man. God, if I told you what he did to that buck before it died†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tyler's laughter was turning into something like sobs. â€Å"Then you'd better help us destroy him before he can find you, hadn't you? What's his weak point? How's he vulnerable?† â€Å"God, that poor buck†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tyler was blubbering. â€Å"What about Sue? Did you cry over her?† Stefan said sharply. He picked up the ax. â€Å"I think,† he said, â€Å"that you're wasting our time.† The ax lifted. â€Å"No! No! I'll talk to you; I'll tell you something. Look, there's one kind of wood that can hurt him-not kill him, but hurt him. He admitted that but didn't tell me what it was! I swear to you that's the truth!† â€Å"Not good enough, Tyler,† said Stefan. â€Å"For God's sake-I'll tell you where he's going tonight. If you get over there fast enough, maybe you can stop him.† â€Å"What do you mean, where he's going tonight? Talk fast, Tyler!† â€Å"He's going to Vickie's, okay? He said tonight we get one each. That's helpful, isn't it? If you hurry, maybe you can get there!† Stefan had frozen, and Meredith felt her heart racing. Vickie. They hadn't even thought about an attack on Vickie. â€Å"Damon's guarding her,† Matt said. â€Å"Right, Stefan? Right?† â€Å"He's supposed to be,† Stefan said. â€Å"I left him there at dusk. If something happened, he should have called me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You guys,† Bonnie whispered. Her eyes were big and her lips were trembling. â€Å"I think we'd better get over there now.† They stared at her a moment and then everyone was moving. The ax clanged on the floor as Stefan dropped it. â€Å"Hey, you can't leave me like this! I can't drive! He's gonna come back for me! Come back and untie my hands!† Tyler shrieked. None of them answered. They ran all the way down the hill and piled into Meredith's car. Meredith took off speeding, rounding corners dangerously fast and gliding through stop signs, but there was a part of her that didn't want to get to Vickie's house. That wanted to turn around and drive the other way. I'm calm; I'm the one who's always calm, she thought. But that was on the outside. Meredith knew very well how calm you could look on the outside when inside everything was breaking up. They rounded the last corner onto Birch Street and Meredith hit the brakes. â€Å"Oh, God!† Bonnie cried from the backseat. â€Å"No! No!† â€Å"Quick,† Stefan said. â€Å"There may still be a chance.† He wrenched open the door and was out even before the car had stopped. But in back, Bonnie was sobbing.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Bill Proposal

This bill will require all police stations to make sure all of thee r officers take a est. every year over information learned at police academy, including civil right TTS, state and local laws, incident reporting, crime investigation, constitutional law, and criminal p psychology. This bill will also require that if an officer makes below a 75% on the test, they will have to take classes in order to pass the test before they can resume work. This bill will be implemented by the chief police officers of each station in the state.Also, there will be test ad ministration who create the test with the appropriate information listed above from the police academy. Police chiefs will require and make sure that all of their officers take the test and pas s, if they do not test the officers, the station will be fined $5,000 dollars. This bill will need funding for the test administrators. The funds will come from the money made from certain traffic c violations. It will be enforced by the hea d of each police station, they will require for their office errs to take the test and be rectified.The agencies involved in this bill include all of the police SST actions, police academies of the state, and the test administrators. The police stations will be responsible for giving the tests for recertification, and the test administrators will have to word k with the police academies in order to create the yearly tests. The reasoning behind this bill is to reinforce the important information police officers learn during training, so that they are ABA el to perform their job in an accurate manner. This bill will make the actions of police officers MO re trustworthy and reliable due to the fact that their knowledge is up to date and enforced.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

What Producers Look for in a Screenplay Query

What Producers Look for in a Screenplay Query In my decade or so at Treasure Entertainment, I literally received thousands of query letters from fledgling writers desperate to claw their way to the top of the read pile. Want to guess how many I responded to? If you said less than two dozen, you’d be a winner. This is not to discourage you from querying producers, but rather to drive home the reality that competition is fierce and many letters get tossed. However, there are a lot of things you can do (and avoid doing) in your query to increase your chances that a producer will actually request the script. Here are some of the most prominent: Know Who You’re Querying Research the company you’re sending the letter to. Know what kind of pictures they produce. The information is out there if you do a little digging. Look at the company’s credits on IMDb or Wikipedia. Google their films’ budgets. Treasure produces niche genre films under $10 million, but I can’t tell you how many times I received queries about a $75 million period drama. If you pitch something that’s in their wheelhouse, you have a much better shot at a response. Start with a Solid Logline Don’t meander through some circuitous introduction that forces the producer to find your story. Start with â€Å"Dear _____, I would like to submit the following screenplay for your consideration.† Then go right into the logline – a concise, one-sentence description of the plot. A good logline will reveal the protagonist, the antagonist, the conflict, the protagonist’s goal, and what’s at stake if the protagonist fails. It should also infer the genre, tone and scope of the piece. You want the producer to be able to glean from the logline whether it’s a big-budget action film or a dark indie drama. (Read Ashley Scott Meyers’ article â€Å"Writing a Screenplay Log Line† here: sellingyourscreenplay.com/how-to-sell-your-screenplay/writing-a-screenplay-logline/) Other Key Elements After the logline, follow up with a paragraph describing any enticing background about the project such as attached cast or a director, noteworthy awards or competition wins, whether the script is based on preexisting material like a book or magazine article, and whether any amount of funding is in place. This is your chance to really sell it. Follow that up with a short one-paragraph

Monday, November 4, 2019

Market Structure of the mining industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Structure of the mining industry - Essay Example Secondly, the industry bears a global trait as the largest companies come from distinct countries, including the developing nations (Shapiro, Rusell & Pitt, 2007). More to these, a lot of capital gets invested in this industry, which makes it capital intensive. Fatal injuries also characterize the mining industry according to Gunningham (2007). The ore bodies in this industry also have a relatively short productive life expectancy. More to these, the industry hires technicians to conduct the various processes, as well as engineers and geologists for short periods. In addition, areas affected by mining activities lack development, due to the negative environmental impacts of mining activities (Marinos, 2001). Gross defines an iron ore â€Å"as any merchantable or beneficiated mineral aggregate, that occurs in sufficient quantity to be a sustained supply of raw material to industry, and from which iron can be satisfactorily recovered under existing economic conditions or which may be usable in anticipated economic circumstances† (Geology Report No. 22). This means that iron ore mining serves as an important economic activity as it leads to the derivation of profits. In Minnesota, for example, this industry greatly affects the region. It contributes billions of dollars to the state’s economy. More to this, it accounted for 11,200 jobs in 2010 in the area, and pays huge taxes to the state, thus boosting the economic capacity of the region. Additionally, the industry supports local schools in Minnesota, thus highlighting the significance of this industry, wherever the activity takes place (â€Å"Minnesota iron Organization†, 2014). Various characteristics can be associated with this type of mining. First, iron deposits can be classified into three types. The first one relates to iron deposits that are suitable for iron ore in their natural condition. The second type refers to iron deposits

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Answering questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answering questions - Essay Example The object of knowledge is on that which altogether is real. In contrast, the object of belief is on one which is real and not real (Plato et al. 181; par. 477e). Thrasymachus makes two assertions regarding what is just or right. He points out that justice is the action of serving the interest of a stronger one. It is an advantage of the strong. He also adds that just actions are those that obey the state’s law (Plato and Grube, 15; par. 338c). Glaucon takes up the argument from Thrasymachus in terms of defining justice in a contrasting way. Glaucon points out that justice is a compromise between fear and advantage. People comprehend that being unjust is usually to their advantage; nevertheless, they fear being a victim of injustice. Hence, if one could act in an unjust manner and not suffer consequences, one could (Plato and Grube, 38; par. 358e). Plato describes the ideal city as one based on human virtue and justice. An ideal city is a form of political and social organization that allows individuals to maximize their potentials. The ideal city has three classes of people; the guardians, the auxiliaries and the producers. The leaders and citizens must have courage, wisdom, justice and moderation. This will allow individuals to serve their citizens and live according to the universal truths and laws. The role of the ideal city is to preserve and protect the universal principles. In plato’s ideal city, the guardians serve to protect and lead. There is a division of labor in his ideal city hence enables the satisfaction of the needs of the community. Each man should be given the best job in which he is suited in for. This will ensure productivity in the ideal city (Plato and Grube, 105; par. 412c). It is imperative for the ideal ruler to understand the forms. When one understands the forms, the soul reaches an understanding that is far beyond the thought stage. An ideal ruler should understand the true