Stakeholders in Health Reform

When talking about healthcare reform, one must always think about the stakeholders. Stakeholders are â€Å"people and organizations that have a stake (interest) in what a healthcare organization does and that could affect the healthcare organization† (Olden, 2011). There are many different stakeholders in our case study but we will focus on the main ones. In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act had a considerable impact on hospitals and the health care system.Most community health centers were benefiting from coverage expansions and safety net hospitals were struggling financially due to the fact that the state put more funding towards insurance subsidies to expand coverage. Academic medical centers (AMC) were able to command higher prices and attract more patients from community hospitals due to the fact that policy makers kept putting off making decisions about slowing the growth of healthcare spending.AMCs â€Å"received the highest payment levels and we re able to negotiate the largest percentage increases, which increased the spending trends and widened the disparities between have and have-not providers in the market. † The more prestigious, big name hospitals had more power and thus could exercise more leverage. AMCs also expanded to the suburbs, which posed a considerable amount of threat to community hospitals by â€Å"raising the rates paid for services delivered in community settings and by increasing the number of referrals to downtown AMCs, which command the highest rates. Physician/ providers who owned free-standing, ambulatory centers had been approaching hospitals with offers to sell their facilities due to the fact that they were becoming less profitable due to â€Å"updated fee schedule and more aggressive health plan utilization management. † Physicians were also aligning themselves with hospitals and other larger practices. Small practices risked losing a large share of their patient panels if they dro pped out of health plan networks.The impact on the smaller, less prestigious hospitals/ healthcare systems were definitely negative, while the impact on larger, more prestigious hospitals/healthcare system seemed considerably more positive and beneficial. In regards to employers, according to the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act (the Act), on July 1, 2007, Massachusetts employers with 11 or more full-time employees working in Massachusetts had three principal obligations. First, Massachusetts employers had to either make a â€Å"Fair and Reasonable Premium Contribution to heir employees' health care premiums or make a contribution to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of up to $295 per year per employee. Second, Massachusetts employers had to establish a cafeteria plan for their employees under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. Finally, every employer was required to report whether the employer has offered to pay for-or to arrange for-health care insurance coverage and w hether the employee has accepted or declined it† (James, 2007). If employers did not comply, they would face hefty fines.A provision of the Act was the merger of the small group and individual or non-group insurance markets, which was designed to make premiums more affordable for individuals. Small group premiums actually increased by 2. 6%. â€Å"The premiums of small employers had increased substantially since the merger of the small group and individual health insurance markets† (case study). Employers who were merged into the small group and non-group market â€Å"felt the impact of rising premiums because they were now subsidizing individuals in that market† (case study).Large employers didn’t really feel any impact except for the hassle for complying with the reporting requirements. Smaller employers usually didn’t have the manpower to guide them through the Act’s requirements, which put them at a higher risk of not being compliant. Ove rall though, compliance became a lot more challenging and â€Å"annoying† for employers. Insurance providers are also â€Å"major† stakeholders in healthcare policy and decision-making.Though they can be very influential in the healthcare policy and law decision-making process, they also are probably the most vilified. In Massachutettes, health plans wanted to eliminate â€Å"continuous open enrollment, assess the full annual penalty for any significant period of continuous un-insurance, impose waiting periods for certain services and bar consumers from buying in the merged market if they had access to employer sponsored coverage† (case study). Doing these things, the insurance companies hoped to lower premiums.Bill 2585 did pass but the law did not go as far as the insurance companies had hoped. It only â€Å"limited open enrollment in the merged market to twice a year in 2011 and once a year after that† (case study), which didn’t really help much . Due to loss in the small market group in 2009, health plans â€Å"planned double digit premium increases in 2010† (case study), but the government stepped in and put a stop to it. Even though the big name hospitals were driving up cost, the insurance companies were seen as the bad guys.This caused local plans to â€Å"record sizable operating losses for the first quarter of 2010 and had to draw on reserves to cover expected losses resulting from the rate rollbacks† (case study). The insurance companies, especially the smaller ones, suffered financially. The most important stakeholder in the healthcare policymaking is probably the patient. In Massachusetts, the Act provided â€Å"nearly universal health insurance coverage† (case study). In 2009 the uninsured dropped from 8. 2% to 2. 7%. People who had previously been uninsured and had no way to get proper healthcare, could now do so.There were some issues though. According to the Act, â€Å"the youngest and he althiest could avoid being the merged risk pool by purchasing less expensive coverage in a separate young adult market or by remaining on their parent’s plan until they turn 26† (case study). This was good for those patients but for others, it was a big issue because it was causing premiums to increase. Freestanding, ambulatory centers were being sold to hospitals. This increased the rates paid for services delivered at these facilities.Patients who â€Å"were covered by employer-sponsored insurance can buy short-term policies so that they can get access to treatments which are not usually covered in their regular plans† (case study). This is known as jumping in and out. Jumping in and out of these short-term plans caused premiums for other patients to up, which was one of the big issues that health plans wanted to resolve. Policymakers also proposed provider rates or giving the state the authority to tie provider rate increases to medical inflation in order to c ontain cost but nothing really came of that.There are many stakeholders involved in healthcare reform in Massachusetts. These included patients, hospitals and health systems, employers and insurance providers. There are of course other stakeholders that are on a smaller scale, such as medical equipment providers, healthcare advertisers and so forth but we wanted to focus on the major ones. Works Cited: James, L. H. , ; Rebecca, F. A. (2007). The massachusetts health care reform act: What employers need to know. Employee Benefit Plan Review, 61(12), 17-19. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/216889767? accountid=10559.

Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain

Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain-Based Learning People often say that everyone can learn. Every person is born with a brain that functions as an immensely powerful processor. Brain-based learning offers some direction for educators who want more purposeful, informed teaching. This paper will provide information on how brain-based learning works. In addition, discuss how brain-based learning is improving student test scores. Lastly, provide research findings on the benefits of brain-based learning. Creating stress-free environments, enhancing complex cognitive skills, and understanding memory become essential in brain-based learning. Receiving, encoding, storing, and retrieving information make sense as the memory pathways are defined. Assessing student learning becomes the simple task of accessing the same methods that were used for teaching. The more we understand the brain, the better we will be able to educate it. Brain-Based Learning (definition) Brain-based learning is the informed process of using a group of practical strategies that are driven by sound principles derived from brain research. Brain-based education is defined by three words, engagement, strategies, and principles. It is learning in accordance with the way the brain is naturally designed to learn (Jensen, 2008). The overall goal of brain-based education is to attempt to bring insights from brain research into the arena of education to enhance teaching and learning. The area of science often referred to as brain research typically includes neuroscience studies that probe the patterns of cellular development in various brain areas; and brain imaging techniques, with the latter including functional MRI scans and positron-emission tomography scans that allow scientists to examine patterns of activity in the wake, thinking, human brain. These brain imaging techniques allow scientists to examine activity within various areas of the brain as a person engages in mental actions such as attending, learning, and remembering. Proponents of brain-based education espouse a iverse group of educational practices and approaches, and they generally attempt to ground claims about effective practice in recently discovered facts about the human brain. They argue that there has been an unprecedented explosion of new findings related to the development and organization of the human brain and that the current state of this work can inform educational practice in meaningful ways. Advances in brain science led brain-based educator David A. Sousa to proclaim that â€Å"no longer is teaching just an art form, it is a science† (Sousa, 1998). Principles of Brain-Compatible Learning that have Emerged from Brain Research. Educators who have a background in the neurobiology of learning and memory have a distinct advantage in their classrooms. By following the brain-based teaching principles we can create an enriched, brain-compatible environment and effectively counter such existing negative influences as stress, sleep deprivation, and poor nutrition. According to Ronal Kotulak in his 1996 book â€Å"Inside the Brain†, an enriched environment can contribute up to 25% increase in the number of brain connections both early and later in life. Our environments need to allow for active manipulation. To summarize, there are at least twelve principles of brain-compatible learning that have emerged from brain research. 1. Uniqueness-every sing brain is totally unique. 2. Impact of threat of high stress can alter and impair learning and even kill brain cells. 3. Emotions are critical to learning-they drive attention, health, learning and memory. 4. Information is stored and retrieved through multiple memory and neural pathways. 5. All learning is mind-body-movement, foods, attention cycles, all have powerful effects. 6.  The brain is a complex and adaptive system-effective change involves the entire system. 7. Patterns and programs drive our understanding-intelligence is the ability to construct patterns. 8. The brain is meaning-driven-meaning is more important to the brain that information. 9. Learning is often rich and non-conscious-we process both parts simultaneously. 10. The brain develops better in concert with other brains. 11. The brain develops with various stage of readiness. 12. Enrichment-the brain and grow new connections at any age. Cognitive skills develop better with music and motor skills (Kotulak, 1996). Three Instructional Techniques Associated with Brain-Based Learning. Orchestrated immersion-creating leaning environments that fully immerse students in an educational experience. The idea is to take information off the blackboard to bring it to life in the minds of students. Orchestrated immersion provides learners with rich, complex experiences that include options and a sense of wholeness. Relaxed alertness-trying to eliminate fear in learners, whole maintaining a highly challenging environment. It is a dynamic state that is compatible with great deal of change. Relaxed alertness ensures that students are being challenged within a context of safety. It also includes a personal sense of well-being that allows students to explore new thoughts and connections. Active processing- Allowing the learner to consolidate and internalize information by actively processing it. It is the path to understanding, rather than simply to memory. Active processing necessarily engages emotions, concepts and values (Caine & Caine, 1994). How Brain-Based Learning Impacts Education. There are three ways that brain-based learning impacts education through curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Curriculum- teachers must design learning around student interests and make learning contextual. Instruction- educators let students learn in teams and use peripheral learning. Teachers structure learning around real problems, encouraging students to also learn in setting outside the classroom and the school building. Assessment-since all students are learning, their assessment should allow to understand their own learning styles and preferences, this way, students monitor and enhance their own learning process (Jensen, 1998). What Brain-Based Learning Suggests. How the brain works has a significant impact on what kinds of learning activities are most effective. Educators need to help students have appropriate experiences and capitalize on those experiences. As Renate Caine points out in her book Making Connections, three interactive elements are essential to his process. Teachers must immerse learners in complex, interactive experiences that are both rich and real. One excellent example is immersing students in a foreign culture to teach them a second language. Educators must take advantage of the brain’s ability to parallel process. Students must have a personally meaningful challenge. Such challenges stimulate a student’s mind to the desired state of alertness. In order for a student to gain insight about a problem, there must be intensive analysis of the different ways to approach it, and about learning in general. This is what’s known as the â€Å"active processing of experience. † A few other tenets of brain-based learning include: Feedback is best when it comes from reality, rather than from an authority figure. People learn best when solving realistic problems. The big picture can’t be separated from the details. Because every brain is different, educators should allow learners to customize their won environments. The best problem solvers are those that laugh (Caine & Caine, 1994). Most neuroscientists believe that at birth the human brain has all the neurons it will ever have. Some connections, those that control such automatic functions as breathing and heartbeat, are in place at birth, but most of the individual’s mental circuitry results from experiences that greet the newborn and continue, probably, throughout his or her life. Some researchers believe the circuits are completed by age five or six. Other studies extend the period of development from birth to the later elementary school years. Still others argue that nerve connections can be modified throughout life with new connections forming perhaps even late in life. The links between learning, the number of neural connections, or the time frame for development of those connections are not clearly understood. These and other findings encourage educators and parents to expose very young children to a variety of learning experiences-providing blocks and beads to handle and observe, talking to the child, playing peek-a-boo. How does Brain-Based Learning Improve Student Test Scores. Recent scientific studies about the brain and how it learns have given educational leaders and teachers new insights about teaching and learning. Recently, educators have explored links between classroom teaching and emerging theories about how people learn. Exciting discoveries in neuroscience and continue developments in cognitive psychology have presented new ways of thinking about the brain-the human neurological structure and the attendant perceptions and emotions that contribute to learning. Brain-based research also discusses the school environment that is best for optimal learning to occur. According to Dr. Petrie and Dr. Chan in their article, â€Å"The Brain Learns Better in Well-Designed School Environments, â€Å" optimal learning takes place in well-ventilated classrooms, which offer plenty of water for students to drink. In addition, students learn best in bright warm colored well-lit environments that offer challenging activities including visual and performing arts, physical activity, and real life situations (Chan & Petrie, 1998). Summary of Findings: A study Conducted by the Education Trust in 1998, done in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), demonstrates those qualities which appear to be necessary to promote student achievement. Such qualities demonstrate how teaching to higher standards can be effective when appropriate support. This work analyzed data collected from 1200 high performing high poverty elementary schools in 21 states. The study concluded that high performing; high poverty schools tend to use state standards extensively to design curriculum and instruction, assess student work, and evaluate teachers. Over 80% of the successful schools in this study were using state standards to design instruction, assess student work and evaluate teachers. In the great majority of top performing schools in this study, extended learning time in the areas of math and reading was provided for their students. In addition, to crease student achievement, these schools often devoted a larger proportion of funds to support professional development focused on changing instructional practice. The school in this study appeared to be making greater progress than lower performing schools in creating greater opportunities for teacher to obtain training in those areas determined to be important to helping students achieve. It was noted that a majority of schools implemented comprehensive systems to monitor individual student progress and provide extra support to students as soon as it’s needed. 80% of the schools in this study had systematic ways to identify and provide early support to students in danger of falling behind in the academic progress. It was obvious in this study that the more uccessful schools focus their efforts to involve parents on helping students meet standards; the traditional role of parents in schools is that to provide support in fund raising efforts. In the majority of the schools in this study, parents were given opportunities to increase their knowledge of the standards, be involved in curriculum and in reviewing students’ work. Lastly, it was clearly observed that these successful schools have state and district accountability systems in place that have real consequences for adults in schools (The Education Trust, Inc. 1999). Teachers can no longer ignore the findings and implications of brain-based research in the educational environment. The cognitive development of children is affected by a multitude of diverse factors, but educators have been slow to recognize the impact that brain-based research provides in our awareness of the role of the brain in learning Findings suggests that heredity provides 30-60 percent of our brain’s wiring, while 40-70 percent is due to environmental factors (Jensen, 1998). Teachers and educational leaders need to develop a biological understanding of how the brain works. In order for student achievement to continue, principals must look at all aspects of instructional strategies. Understanding the brain’s ability to grow and adapt in response to stimuli increases our ability to develop meaningful relevant lessons, which challenge students and broaden their comprehension of their world. Developing interdisciplinary instruction allows the brain to develop patterns and thus increases student learning. Learning to apply brain research in the classroom helps teachers gain a deeper understanding of how students learn and to develop challenging lessons that stimulate the brain. All in all, understanding how the brain functions is just one more way to help students achieve. In conclusion, scientists caution that the brain is complex and, while research has revealed some significant findings, there is no widespread agreement about their applicability to the general population or to education in particular. Nevertheless, brain research provides rich possibilities for education and reports of students from this field have become popular topics in some educational journals. Enterprising organizations are translating these finding into professional development workshops and instructional programs to help teachers apply lessons from the research to classroom settings. Every person is born with a brain that functions as an immensely powerful processor. The more we understand the brain, the better we will be able to educate it.

What should Divan do?

Situation: Prem Nath Divan has decided to retire six years earlier that the company's retirementage of 65. Divan must decide upon his successor before he leaves. He has a personal discussionwith one of his trusted colleagues called Ramcharan Saxena. Qualifying successors:1) Ranjan Warrior (Suggested by Divan)2) Richard Crasta (Suggested by Saxena)3) An outsider (An option)INPUTS:1) Ranjan Warrior:Divan like him. Ranjan is a Divan's Protege that means basically Ranjan is a doer. Ranjan is relys on Divan for every thing he does. That mean Ranjan will also be obidient to Divan. Divan will not be in the company to control RanjanRanjan is not liked by most of the senior executive to the extent that there could be a revolt if hebecomes a successor and Saxena knows about it. Seniors may leave the company if Ranjan becomes a sucessor. Divan will earn a bad reputation if he decides to choose Ranjan as his sucessor. 2) Richard Crasta:Richard is a doer just like Ranjan is(Divan's Protege). There is no reported hostility between Richard and the senior executive. Richard should be accepted by the employees as the successor of Divan. Divan does not think Richard is suitable to become his successor Saxena is in favor of Richard becoming Divan's successor. 3) Outsider:An outsider as Divan's successor would be risky. An outsider could be good or bad. Divan cant be sure of an outsider Saxena cant be sure of an outsider Outsider will be readily accepted as Divan's successor by all the employeesAnalysis:Ranjan and Richard, both are doers. An outsider is not known. An outsider or Richard are more likely to be accepted than Ranjan as Divan's successor by thecompany's employees. Saxena is in favor of Richard but can not be sure of an outsider Divan is not in favor of Ranjan after knowing about him and he is also not in favor of an outsider. Conclusion:According to my analysis, Richard Crasta should be the successor of Prem Nath Divan. Solution:Divan should choose to make Richard Crasta as his successor.

The effects of coaching on nurse turnover Research Paper

The effects of coaching on nurse turnover - Research Paper Example The wide scope of data collection through triangulation will on the other hand ensure reliability of results and conclusion of the research. The hypothesis is important because it will facilitate evaluation of the research question to determine whether coaching that is offered to nurses has an impact on their probability of leaving the profession. The research issue, relationship between nurses’ turnover and coaching is on the other hand important because it will help in evaluating coaching as a possible solution to nurse mobility and shortage. The research therefore has a potential of presenting a solution to the crisis in the nursing profession. Research design This section discusses the research approach and designs to be adopted. It defines the proposed approach together with its associated advantages and disadvantages. It also offers an overview of the design to be adopted and a comparison with alternative designs besides describing the procedure for the research study. R esearch approach The research will apply quantitative approach in its methods. This is because the nature of data to be collected as well as the research question to be answered suits the quantitative approach. Quantitative research for example allows for test of hypothesis besides evaluation of quantifiable variables. Quantitative research approach has a number of advantages. It for example, when properly undertaken, guarantees reliability of the results and hence conclusions. This is because of its application of statistical tools in analysis to express the true features of the collected data. The analysis in quantitative approach is therefore free from manipulation based on the researcher’s attitudes and... The main aim of the study is the determination of existence of a significant relationship between coaching of nursing personnel and the turnover rate. In order to achieve this, the study intends to collect both primary and secondary data over participants’ perception on the two variables. While secondary data will be sought from existing publications, primary data will be obtained through designed questionnaires to be administered to sampled participants. The research will further use randomised design in sampling to minimize chances of biasness for reliability. Similarly, triangulation of data will be developed through selecting different cohorts of respondents that will include trainees, trainers, and different subsets of registered nurses. Data in the two variables will be collected in numeric scale with coaching being measured in terms of effectiveness and mobility being measured in terms of probability. The results will then be analyzed to evaluate existence of a relation ship to answer the research question. Based on the result, the study will recommend necessary measures towards finding a solution for the highly reported turnover rates.

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing Essay

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing - Essay Example Current trends emphasize world class manufacturing (WCM) which highlights maximum manufacturing efficiency in businesses, and customer and workforce satisfaction. WCM is regarded as "manufacturing systems which demonstrates best industry practice( World Class Manufacturing)." Accordingly, a world class manufacturer is a firm which displays excellence in key competitive points like quality, price, delivery speed, delivery reliability, flexibility and innovation. Its main features is the utilization of a total quality management (TQM) approach, highly flexible and motivated workforce, Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing philosophy, and the pursuit of satisfying customers at a global level. Consistent with the goal of a world class manufacturer, TQM denotes a set of management practices within the organization which are implemented to ensure the quality of products and services offered. The primary goal of TQM is the production of commodities which consistently meets or even exceeds customer requirements. This feature of world class manufacturing emphasizes process measurement and controls to pursue continuous improvement (John Stark Associates 2000). However, TQM does not just involve the production system or processes of the company but embraces the whole operation of a manufacturing business. Implementing TQM involves modifying the whole organization as it has strong bearing on the culture, attitude, and organization of the company. TQM culture requires the unmatched quality in all aspects of the company's operations "with things being done right first time, and defects and waste eradicated from operations (John Stark Associates 2000)." Important aspects of TQM incl ude customer-driven quality, top management leadership and commitment, continuous improvement, fast response, actions based on facts, employee participation, and a TQM culture (John Stark Associates 2000). A flexible and highly motivated workforce is another essential feature of WCM. As discussed above, WCM as opposed to the traditional manufacturing implements a totally innovative approach in operations which has a huge impact on employees. WCM needs a flexible workforce as these employees will not handle production in the traditional assembly line. WCM often requires teams which work together to finish an output. Specialization of jobs is often displaced in WCM replaced by "job enrichment." This new approach is intended to eliminate boredom and lessen employee dissatisfaction. Job enrichment is geared to "expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency (Mione 2005)." Thus, in WCM it is imperative that employees are flexible to take on a more responsibilities. Motivation is also increased as jobs are "enriched" and employees become are empowered. Motivation, in turn is a great factor in the success of WCM. In this new manu facturing approach, employees need to be motivated to excel in their job to produce the best job results. A highly flexible and motivated workforce results into a high quality product which is the main goal of WCM. JIT is a manufacturing philosophy which aims to

Case #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case #5 - Essay Example This entails a thorough scrutiny of the subject of interconnection of computers, which facilitates flow of computer data from point to another via a well-designed set of network protocols. A significant set of sub topics have been considered for this agenda. This is to ascertain that they add great value to the final objective of this training session, which is to enhance employee knowledge of key notions behind data communication (Banzal 18). The top sub topic is definition of computer networks. In simple terms, computer networks refer to the interconnection of computers over the internet to facilitate sharing of data from one computer to another. Computer networks are of great importance to an organization in that they play a huge role in ensuring that there is a quality information-sharing platform among staff members. The second sub topic is data communication, which entails electronic transmission of computer data from one point (source) to another (destination). In essence, data communication acts as the building to enhancing the quality of the day-to-day business operations of an organization (Banzal 102). Thirdly, it is on the subject of importance of computer networks. As stipulated earlier, computer networks are of great importance to the operations of an organization. This is because they play a very important role in the delivery of fast, accurate and secure sharing of organizational data amongst the staff members. Consequently, it creates a quality platform for coming up and sharing of sound business decisions. Types of computer networks is the fourth sub topic. To be exact, there are many types of computer network in use in most successful organizations. These include the LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN, SAN, PAN and VPN. LAN stands for Local Area Network, WAN IS Wide Area Network, MAN is Metropolitan Area Network, WLAN is Wireless Local Area Network, SAN is Storage Area Network while VPN refers to a Virtual Private

Marketing Communications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Communications - Assignment Example The project makes a study of the external environment. The external environment looks favourable, especially because the world has been gradually moving out of the recession. The most favourable situation is the rapid technological advancement across countries. The use of internet has increased drastically over the years and thus has become the most popular medium of communication by most organisations. Also, there have been an increasing number of teenagers using the internet which makes the internet the most effective medium of marketing communication for brand development (Neuez, 2003, p.4). It is also seen that teenagers are the largest consumers of chocolates. The conventional method of marketing communications in the chocolate industry in UK has been the electronic media. However, the chocolate market in UK looks bright. There is also a high demand for fast food in the nation. One of the close competitors in the field is Cadburys. However, the market share of the company has re cently fallen. â€Å"Data from Nielsen, the market research company, showed Cadbury’s chunk of the chocolate market by value slipped 1.7 per cent to 29.8 per cent last month, the first time that it has fallen below 30 per cent all year† (Boyle, 2009). This situation could be used to the company’s advantage. However, there is one drawback that it would be confronting with. It might confront with a dip in the demand for chocolates as majority of the population greatly suffers from obesity. Application of Theories to Practice Scholars and marketing practitioners have been abandoning the approach of marketing mix and increasingly focussing on the process of relationship marketing and marketing communication strategies. Relationship marketing is defined as the process of establishment, development and maintenance of successful relationship exchanges. The activities involved focuses on decreasing exchange uncertainties and creating customer collaborations and commitme nt by gradually developing and adjusting with the mutual norms and routines (Andersen, 2001, p.168). If the customers can be retained over a number of transactions, both the sellers and the buyers may gain profits resulting from the previous transactions. The aim lies in the attempt to maximise profits as much as possible through the increase in the customer’s lifetime spending instead of generating profits from a single transaction. Thus the process of development of buyer and seller relationship is considered to be the numerous phases in which the trustworthiness of buyers and suppliers are put to test and â€Å"mutual norms governing exchange activities are developed† (Andersen, 2001, p.168). Scholars agree that communication is the fundamental aspect in relationship development. Communication is considered to be the quintessence behind the coordination of behaviour in an organisational setting. The entire inter-organisational distribution channel is held together b y the process of communication. Communication is defined as the way in which a message is transferred to others and also giving it an understandable meaning for everyone. The definition primarily focuses on the way in which communication

Not required,just answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Not required,just answer the question - Essay Example The fourth is, of course the last and the most important, the way it has changed our culture: the ways we think, learn, express and share as a society. Changes in culture are also a composite effect of the changes in the first three categories. Before the times of the internet, humanity as a whole witnessed the emergence of first the printed medium like books, magazines and newspapers and then of the audio and video---radio and television respectively. Each of these had a profound impact on the modern way of life, but then came the internet. To properly understand the true impact of the internet, one has to realize the ways it is different from the old media. The internet was different from these media because it made communication two-sided and interactive, at the click of a mouse. It meant that the audience could react fast, anonymously, and did not have to depend on a phone line and the mercy of a selector to express its reactions. The internet also eliminated boundaries; communication across the world became cheap. It gave the possibility for someone in Thailand to interact with another person in Sweden, and establish relationships based on common interests. The internet empowered through information, and gave equal and prompt access to a wealth of information to everyone across the world. Not only that, it made self-publishing through blogs, video-blogs and podcasts cheap and simple, making it impossible to curb the freedom of expression. While examining the first category, namely social organization, the first factor is the individual's power to move or create opinion, or propagate a way of life, which has increased exponentially. Anonymity has meant an obvious decrease in discrimination: race, color and age are secondary to the ability to prove a point in a given context. Internet can thus be a great leveler of social hierarchy. The ability to search for and connect with people with the same interests or points of view means the creation of strong virtual communities, which could be geographically diverse. This is radically different from earlier social communities that could be formed only by people in close physical vicinity. Online love, friendship, cybersex and searching for partners online introduce a change in social dynamics, where relationships can be formed outside real-world social occasions, thus weakening the previous role of social organization in personal relationships. Just as with social organization, the way politics is conducted has undergone a sea-change with the advent of the internet. Blogs, podcasts and articles on the internet influence public opinion more effectively than other media, because of their interactivity and the ability to support and empower individual opinion. The internet is increasingly becoming a part of modern campaigns also because of its affordability and ability to infiltrate to a younger base of the population. The changes brought about by the internet in the economy have been a hot topic of discussion for the past decade. It has been the biggest enabler in the creation of trans-national corporations, making cheap knowledge capital and skills accessible anywhere in the world. Internet has also spawned individual entrepreneurship, and ensured job-security. It has reduced costs across the board. An individual can now be self-employed, thanks to the millions of creative ideas that use anything from websites

Capstone simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capstone simulation - Essay Example To start with, a company has to understand its present position in the industry. Position means that a company should assess its strengths and weaknesses as well as the possible opportunities and threats (Betts & Ofori, 2000, p.512). After having such an understanding, the company will be in a better position of minimizing its weaknesses, and at the same time exploiting every opportunity that comes its way. Another factor to address is the competitive nature of the market. Betts and Ofori (2000, p.515) asserts that competition trends in the market have to be studied closely in order to determine a specific company’s capability of selling its products. Companies that produce similar products need to be analyzed and their marketing abilities discussed. Through this consideration a company will be able to determine the possible threats posed by new entrants into the business, as well as threats of potential substitutes. In addition to that, a company will be in a position to determine the bargaining power of both the suppliers and buyers. This factor analyses all the market forces that are linked to competition intensity within a certain industry (Betts & Ofori, 2000, p.515). The extent of rivalry that exists between the competing companies needs to be determined, since any competitive move made by a single company may greatly affect other companies. Betts and Ofori (2000, p.525) argues that market attractiveness is also another factor that needs to be addressed when developing a strategic plan in a global context. This is where the business strength is analyzed, by assessing the possible factors that determine the market attractiveness. This can be done through carrying out an assessment of market growth-rate and the company’s profitability. Market attractiveness is a critical factor in business, since if a company has low market attractiveness it is likely to suffer from low sales. As a result a business has to keep high

Health Policy Delivery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Health Policy Delivery - Essay Example Stakeholders include the government, private healthcare providers such as hospitals, health plans, office-based clinicians, industry groups or the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device manufacturers and marketers, professional associations, industry and trade associations, advocacy groups, and consumers (Donaldson and Gerard, 1993). In the policy process, UK health policy encompass knowledge and effects on the networks between national government systems, arm's length bodies, the NHS, patient groups and charities, as well as information and processes in the Demand-side reform, Supply side reform, Transactional reform, Regulation or the Healthcare Commission, NICE, Therapy knowledge of gastroenterology, dermatology, cardiovascular medicine, anti-infective, sleep medicine, pain management, palliative care, oncology and neurology, identifying and utilising opportunities arising from non-medical prescribing, effective collaboration with patient groups, medical societies and Royal Colleges, managing national and regional guideline programmes producing timely responses and positive outcomes, knowledge of controlled drugs legislation, implications for commercial teams and preparation of submissions for Home Office consultations, knowledge of the NHS changing environment and incorporation into business plans and strate gic marketing, Parliamentary lobbying - understanding the process, networking and influencing, submissions to Government organisations including the Home Office and Health Select Committee (Donaldson and Gerard, 1993). A policy is a deliberate plan of action that guide decision-makers in order to achieve rational outcomes that apply to governments, the private sector, organisations and groups as well as individuals (Jenkins, 1978). Policy could also refer to the process of making important organizational decisions, such as the identification of different alternative programs or spending priorities, or choosing among a list on the basis of the impact or result they will have. These can be political, management, financial, and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach explicit goals and objectives (Birkland, 2001). Birkland (1995) have pointed out that while "the study of politics has a long history, the systematic study of public policy, on the other hand, can be said to be a twentieth century creation. It dates, according to Daniel McCool, to 1922, when political scientist Charles Merriam sought to connect the theory and practices of politics to understanding the actual activities of government, that is public policy," (p.4). In most instances, according to Bridgman and Davis (2004), the eight step policy cycle includes: 1. Issue identification - In this process, emerging problems are identified, although

Characteristics of the breakfast cereal industry Essay Example for Free

Characteristics of the breakfast cereal industry Essay Brand History Breakfast cereals are not a homogenous product. The ready-to-eat breakfast cereal industry may be characterized by relatively low economies of scale and relatively low levels of technology. In other words, the entry into this industry is easy. Between the 1950s and the 1970s there was no entry of new firms in the industry even though all the incumbent firms such as Kellogg, General Mills, General Foods and Quaker Oats, made significant profits. Later however, there was the entry of new low-end companies in the markets and the number of brands sold by these firms also increased substantially from 25 to more than 80, and this number is still on a rise (Cabral, 2000, p. 265-266). Pricing trends For decades the breakfast cereal market was one of the most profitable in the United States. The industry had a consolidated structure dominated by Kellogg, General Mills and Kraft Foods with its Post brand. Strong brand loyalty, coupled with control over the allocation of supermarket shelf space, helped to limit the potential for new entry. Meanwhile the steady demand growth of around 3% per annum kept the industry revenues expanding. Also Kellogg, which accounted for over 40 percent of the market share, acted as the price leader in the industry for years in the industry. Every year Kellogg increased cereal prices, its rivals followed and industry profits too remained high. However, this favorable structure started to change in the early 1990s when the growth in demand slowed and then stagnated as the lifestyle and hence food patterns changed and the market saw the rise of powerful discounters such as Wal-Mart that started promoting their own brand of cereal. As sales of cheaper store-brand cereals began to take-ff, supermarkets no longer were as dependent on brand names to bring in traffic and hence they started to demand lower prices from the branded cereal manufacturers. Initially, the branded cereal manufacturers tried to hold against these adverse trends. However, in 1996 Kraft which was then owned by Philip Morris aggressively cut prices by 20 % for its Post brand in am attempt to gain market share. Kellogg son followed with a 19 percent price cut on two-third of its brands and General Mills quickly did the same. However, this too did not change the consumption pattern the growth rates of which remained flat and revenues then started going down for all the branded cereals (Hill, Jones, 2009, p. 52). The trend continued in 2000s also and the situation worsened with the private-label sales continuing to make inroads, gaining over 10 percent of the market. To top it all off, the sales of breakfast cereals started to contract at 1 percent per annum and the period between 1998-2001 saw the market leader Kellogg sliding down to the 2nd position for the first time in its history since its inception in 1906, by General Mills that continued to launch expensive price and promotion campaigns. To cover the rising cost General Mills raised prices in 2001 and competitors soon followed the trend. However, both Kellogg and General Mills tried to move further away from price competition in the industry by diversifying and focusing on brand extensions such as Special K on the behalf of Kellogg and new varieties of Cheerios. Special K was instrumental and helping Kellogg recapturing its market leadership position from General Mills and this renewed focus on non-price competition halted years of damaging price warfare (Hill, Jones, 2009, p. 52). Target markets The breakfast cereal industry targets several diverse markets but focuses upon two large ones namely the baby boomers and their children. Since a high proportion of the baby boomers are highly educated, health appeals are paramount. Thus many brands have placed emphasis on various types of oat-bran cereal. The other sizeable market, targeted to children is also highly developed. Various brands have successfully used sports personality and trade characters such as Tony the Tiger to attract the children towards their products and retain brand loyalty. The breakfast cereal industry has been adept at target market segmentation and promoting favorable brand images. The strategy of the overall industry especially Kellogg, the market leader, has been to provide a comprehensive assortment for the retailers targeting specific market segments (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 109-111) Competition Breakfast cereal industry faces competition from hand-held breakfast products such as bagels, muffins, doughnuts etc. These have in fact led to a decrease in the growth of the breakfast cereal industry. The industry also faces competition from frozen waffles, pancakes, and French toast brands which have proved to be a concern both in the past and the present. Many analysts consider that the competition is due to the change in dietary habits, though some also say that this has been due to th increase in cereal prices for the branded segment (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 112-113). Advertisements and Promotional activities From the time of WH Kellogg, the breakfast cereal industry has been dependent on marketing strategies and expensive promotions. In fact in 1909 itself the advertisement budget of Kellogg had reached 1 million per annum. Needless to say this is a major problem in the industry which has become price sensitive in present times. This activity has led to a decrease in profits and considering that the market share has not increased since the 1990s, this has become even more of a problem. There were also many insufficiencies generated by coupons and in-store promotions. For instance, more than 95 percent of the cereal coupons were thrown away and not redeemed and approximately half of the promotional expenditures did not reach the consumers in the form of lower prices. Because of these inefficiencies, as well as congressional investigations and competitive treats, the breakfast cereal industry has moved to lower prices. As the returns earned by the cereal manufacturers exceed most other grocery products, there is fierce competition among manufacturers (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 113-114). Factors contributing to success and failure There are a combination of variables that contribute to the successes and failure of the breakfast cereal industry. These variables and strategies include innovation, target-market segmentation, image, physical environment resources, and human resources. Such factors must be combined in various degrees for success. The breakfast cereal industry has shown innovation in product and packaging strategies. In addition to this, breakfast snack bars are a new innovation. The image of the breakfast cereal industry has been positive enough to withstand the assault of private-label brand sot a large extent. Also cereal manufacturers with their successful track records and huge advertisement budgets do not have much difficulty in convincing retailers to give their new product introduction a chance. In 1970s, Kellogg designed shelf space allocation programs for supermarkets. Sophisticated computers and programs developed by members of the breakfast cereal industry now help to allocate shelf space according to turnover. The breakfast cereal industry has also been successful in designing packaging for shipping and for display purposes. To sell their product brands and retain the company brand value, the breakfast cereal manufacturers have developed the strategy that links the brand name to the company name instead to identifying brand products by their individual brand names. For instance, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Special K, as well as General Mills’ Total Raisin Bran and Total Corn Flakes use this strategy. To fend off private brand competition by offering product line depth and high brand identification (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 114-115).

The Mask of Benevolence Essay Example for Free

The Mask of Benevolence Essay The Mask of Benevolence BY sarniJ010 The Mask of Benevolence was honestly shocking to me and made me rethink a lot. I thought it was interesting and intriguing that it discussed the views of most hearing people and talked about why they arent necessarily right. Many of the facts, opinions, and details of how things had been dealt with in the past completely surprised me. One of the most surprising things for me was how each culture viewed one another; which was almost all negative. Of course, not all people in each category have those thoughts. The book was an amazing read for me because I was able to see nd understand some things as the deaf culture does because the author, Harlan Lane, was so specific and explained things through the thoughts she heard from people within the deaf community. In the beginning of the book, Lane discusses how the deaf culture views cochlear implants and the oral communication of deaf people. And though I was unsure why there was there was such a strong dislike of these things, it soon made sense to me. Deaf children that are forced to get an implant or to rely on oral communication get lost in an in between world of deaf and hearing. Lane stated, the implanted child will not move easily in the hearing world, it is unlikely that he will learn American Sign Language (ASL) fluently and make his own fundamental values of that community. So there is a real danger that he will grow up without any substantive communication, spoken or signed. (p4). This was extremely eye opening because although I had never thought negatively in any way about the deaf community I did have the impression that medical advancements and such implants would be viewed incredibly highly to the deaf. As most hearing people are, I uppose I was simply uneducated on the facts of cochlear implants. Lane claims that the result of the discrepancies between the implant and the natural mechanism of hearing is a sound that many formerly hearing adults have trouble interpreting and sometimes even localizing. (p219). On page 20, Lane tells a story about a woman from a large deaf family and hoped dearly that her daughter, too, would be deaf. Deaf people do not wish to hear, they simply wish for people to be more aware of their culture. They are not impaired, they were simply born into a small culture; like eing Hispanic or Jewish, why would you wish to wake up and be white one day? That is not who you are. Lane discusses so many negative things of how the hearing think of the deaf that not only completely blew me away but also made me feel disgusted toward the majority of hearing people that do look down on the deaf community. I was astonished. I honestly never knew there were that many naive people out there that saw hearing people as that much better and higher than the deaf; simply because I have never known anyone who thought that way and I never even considered that! I was in shock when I saw Lane quoting an American psychiatric publication from 1985 that stated, Profound deafness that occurs prior to the acquisition of verbal language is socially and psychiatrically devastating. (p35). Devastating?! The view of the deaf from so many hearing is outrageous! After quoting the publication, Lane went on the list several characteristics that the hearing culture has labeled to all deaf people. These characteristics included aggressive, irritable, egocentric, and even shy. How would a nearing person know it a deat person is sny or isolated? Hearing people see that the deaf person is not communicating with them and automatically assumed these things. However, how do you expect someone who does not share the same language as you chat and visit with you? That is extremely egotistically of all hearing people that think that way. And that Just goes back to hearing people expecting the deaf to learn our language. How unbelievably naive! Its not like the Hispanic culture moving here that have the ability and resources to learn English yet refuse to. The deaf have the most unique language in the world and are imply unable to learn any other language fluently. How can you learn to speak a language fluently when you are unable to hear it? As I Just stated, sign language, which I will refer to as ASL from now on even though sign is not exclusive to America, is simply the most unique language in the world. And those that deny it as a language are simply Just incredibly uneducated. Something I found interesting was when Lane discussed storytelling in the deaf community on page 16. She explained how deaf children learn the importance of storytelling and they practice at a very young age. Lane states that clear communication is highly valued; stories should be rich in detail, start at the beginning and end at the end, and contain plain talk; hinting and vague talk in an effort to be polite are inappropriate and even often offensive (p16). How is that not talking about a culture with a rich language? In fact, I feel as though the deaf can actually communicate more than the hearing. Because not only do they have the language like we do, their facial expressions and attention to detail are way beyond the average hearing person. Another point from early on in he book that I wanted to discuss was a something that I could relate to. The chapter entitled The Paternalism Indictment discusses the flaw with the teachings for deaf children. That market is completely controlled by hearing people who hardly understand the deaf and their culture and so it is all basically based of stereotypes. On page 49 Lane states, It is said to be conducted in the interest of deaf people, but the profits go almost exclusively to hearing people. And I got to see this first hand when I was a sophomore in high school. My long time best friend, Rachel, was born rofoundly deaf in one ear. She can hear fine and is in no way deaf or a part of that culture. She never once required any special treatment in school. However she did use a hearing aid or speaker box in elementary from time to time. All throughout middle school and our first year of high school she maintained a pretty high GPA. One day while we were sophomores, she randomly received a new schedule from the office. Following the new schedule, she went to her first class and discovered that they had put her in all special education classes. Obviously she was confused and pset, so she called her mother and they went to the office to sort out what was clearly a mistake. The office stated that it was not a mistake. Apparently, the school had been claiming Rachel as profoundly deaf, which she was in one ear, and requiring the special attention of any other child with a severe impairment. And of course, the school was getting large additional funds because of Rachels impairment; Shame on the school for knowing that they would receive additional benefits for claiming Rachel. And shame on the state for that matter for giving the chool extra funds because the poor school was Just so kind as to deal with all of Rachels special needs due to hearing impairment. Lane stated there are paternalistic universals and parallax in the attributions, and a claim to a civilizing burden that fails to mask the benefactors economic interest (p49).

General Strain Theory

General Strain Theory Agnew (2001) produced three different categories of strain that have the potential to induce a negative reaction. These categories include: being in the presence of negative stimuli, not being able to get past goal blockages, and the loss of positive stimuli. In context of the category of strain related to being in the presence of a negative stimulus, a negative stimulus can be described as any stimulus that has undesirable consequences. Some examples of negative stimuli include but are not limited to: sexual abuse, physical abuse, harassment, teasing, bullying, or any form of violence. With regard to strain as it relates to goal blockages, this form of strain involves an individual failing to meet their desired goals for one or more various reasons. An example of goal blockage would be when someone is unable to attend a prestigious private college because they cannot afford to pay tuition. Finally, in regard to the last category of strain, the loss of positive stimuli, positive stim uli can be operationally defined as a loss of a stimulus that has a desirable consequence. An example of one such positive stimulus would be an end to a desired relationship, or loss of a loved one. In addition to these three categorical theories of strain, Agnew (2001) came up with the idea that there are two different ways by which to measure strain: subjectively and objectively. Agnew (2001) says that subjective strains refer to conditions and events that are not liked by the people who are actually experiencing the m. In other words, subjective strains are personal conditions that someone has an aversion towards based on their experiences. Conversely, objective strains refer to negative conditions/ events that are not liked by most of the members of a specific group (Frggio Agnew, 2007). A powerful and common example of objective strain would be when people are or feel they are being deprived of basic human necessities. Agnew (2001) stated that almost all of his research on General Strain Theory involved using dealings of objective strain, with barely any measures of subjective strain. After Agnew came out with the aforementioned statement about not using as much subjective strain research as objective strain research, he became worried that other researches would undermine the integrity of Strain Theory on the basis that objective strains occasionally for m minor subjective strains (Agnew, 2001). What Agnew was suggesting in supporting objective strain over subjective strain was that emphasis needs to be placed on objective strain research; he never discredited the role of subjective strain research at any point.. As stated in the introduction, not everyone who experiences strains goes on to commit crimes. Instead, the vast majority of individuals have coping mechanisms that aid in the diversion from taking part in criminal behaviors. Agnew (2001) stated that it is only when these coping mechanisms fail that criminal activity may ensue. Agnew (2001) discusses four different types of characteristics that can potentially lead to coping by means of criminal behavior. The four different characteristics that will most likely lead to crime in the instance that coping mechanisms fail to provide sufficient relief from the experience of strain include: unjust, high in magnitude, associated with little to no social control, and strains that create stress or incentive to engage in criminal activities (Agnew, 2001). First, strain is more prone to lead to criminal behavior when it is seen as unjust or unfair, as this perception has the potential to trigger negative emotions, such as anger. When anger comes in to the picture, the individual will potentially think irrationally, making it easier for them to engage in criminal actions (Agnew, 2001). These crimes are often called crimes of passion. An example of a crime of passion can be seen in a husband assaulting a man he discovers his wife cheating on him with. Second, individuals turn to crime if the strain is perceived to be high in magnitude. More specifically, if an individual perceives strain as being significant, they are more likely to commit criminal activity than they would be if the strain was not as significant. For example, someone with a small amount of debt is less likely to engage in delinquent behavior than someone who has a large amount of debt. Another characteristic of strain is observed when a strain is coupled with little to no social control, which increases the likelihood of an individual committing a crime. Agnew (2001) says that this category of low social control can be broken down in three smaller subcategories: commitment, attachment, and absence of direct control. The fourth and final characteristic of strain that can lead to criminal behavior occurs as a result of strains that create stress or incentive to engage in criminal activity. One way stress can cause an individual to engage in criminal behavior can be seen occurring in response to financial hardships. For example, if a family is struggling financially, the son from this family may resort to physically assaulting other kids and stealing their money or possessions. Another example that would work for the fourth characteristic would be if the individual observes his/her model committing a crime. On Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 at about 11:00 a.m., police responded to a report of a possible child abduction in Palmdale, California. The suspect was a seventeen year old father who had taken his five month old baby. The sheriffs department located Christopher Earl Glass and his son, Christopher Glass Jr., driving in Glass car, and began to pursue the vehicle. During the course of the pursuit, deputies noticed Glass making stabbing movements inside the vehicle. As the sheriffs closed in, Glass crashed his white SUV, then took off on foot. A couple of deputies chased after the suspect, while others looked inside the SUV to check on the child. Christopher Glass Jr. had been stabbed multiple times. Police rushed the injured five month old baby to the hospital in a squad car. Regrettably, Christopher Earl Glass Jr. was pronounced dead at the hospital. While being pursued by authorities, Christopher Earl Glass broke in to a random house and, when cornered, charged at the police with a kni fe in hand, resulting in him being shot to death. By looking at all of the facts of the case, Agnew would say that this crime falls within the classification of General Strain Theory. First, Agnew would say that the strain experienced by Christopher Glass in this case could be measured subjectively, due to the fact that Glass was under extreme emotional distress.. Christopher Earl Glass thought that having a child at age 17 was too much to handle, and cracked under the pressure of being a new father. Agnew would also say that Christopher Earl Glass was under a great deal of strain because he was in the presence of a negative stimulus, goal blockages, and because he was experiencing a loss of positive stimuli. The new negative stimulus Glass experienced was his babys mother constantly hounding him for support and payments. Christopher was a talented athlete who was looking for the chance to get a scholarship to play collegiate basketball, but since he had a child, all of his dreams of ever going professional came crashing down. He al so had a loss of positive stimulus because he was a new father who had all of these new responsibilities that kept him from going out and having fun. These negative feelings, coupled with a loss of positive feelings, caused Christopher to think that getting rid of his son was the only means he had by which to restore balance to his life. Agnew would also say that Christopher shows all of the four characteristics that would make him want to resort to criminal behavior. In Christophers eyes, having a child at age 17 was an unjust situation. He was probably thinking to himself, Thousands of teens have unprotected sex every day; why did I have to be the one to have a child? Also, his babys mother chose not to have an abortion, and this might also have been something Christopher perceived as unfair. Because Christopher was a gifted and talented athlete, having a child at such a young age must have been perceived as a problem high in magnitude, because the responsibilities of being a new father redefined his priorities. The next characteristic of low social control can be seen when the babysitter essentially gave the baby to her father without contacting the authorities right away. Finally the last characteristic of strains that create pressure or incentive to engage in criminal activities is present because, in the report , it was mentioned that Christophers coach was talking to him about getting a scholarship to go and play collegiate basketball. This last characteristic of criminal coping was the final catalyst for Christophers need to relieve strain by means of criminal activity.. Agnew would argue that because Christopher did not have the coping skills to deal with his problem, he resorted to delinquent behaviors in order to deal with his situation.

Essay example --

Megan Moore Composition 2 A. Gaffney March 11, 2014 To Dope or Not to Dope: The Answer is No As most New York Yankee fans know, Alex Rodriguez finished the 2013 baseball season with 654 home-runs on his career. 654. He is currently fifth in home-run record books. Sadly for A-Rod fans, there will be no 2014 season. Following a lengthy bout with the MLB, Rodriguez was suspended after testing positive for PEDs--testosterone supplements to be exact. Tied to the, now-closed, Biogenesis clinic, Rodriguez and (at least) a dozen others are in the spotlight for cheating the game they love. Non-baseball fans might recognize the name Lance Armstrong: multi-cancer survivor, cyclist and guilty of cheating his sport as well. These two, among several others, are the posterboys for a dark era in athletics. As most people would agree, steroids and other drugs are a major problem in athletics today, not just for the athletes but for those of us who enjoy a just, fair, clean game. For many, many years, doping has been an integral part of athletic society. Research believes that doping derives roots back in ancient Greek and Roman culture, 776 B.C (Baron)! Granted PEDs back in the day were god-awful mixtures of herbs, drugs, and alcohol, the drugs athletes are taking now are just as bad. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist and the president of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), explains the different side-effects of steroids. As a ringside physician of boxing matches, she’s listened to the boxers talk about performance-enhancing drugs. Fighters using dope described the horrible consequences: heart, kidney, liver, bone, brain and psychiatric ailment (Goodman). Recently, there is a push for the legalization of steroids and various other PE... ...cles and testosterone. Where’s the fun in knowing someone is cheating a sport they love? As more and more athletes come under-fire, the accomplishments of well-to-do athletes are covered up. How many baseball fans knew Johan Santana, a former Minnesota Twin, threw his first no-hitter in 2012? This no-hitter was also the first in the new York Mets team history. Meanwhile, that same season, favorites like Melky Cabrera and Bortolo Colon, among others, were suspended after testing positive for PEDs. Not only are performance-enhancing drugs destroying our athletes’ bodies, they are destroying the sports we enjoy. The athletes we look up to are leaving a negative effect on the children looking up to them. If we allow this practice to continue, or even worse, legalize steroids, we run the risk of hurting our athletes, our students and the good integrity of our sports.

Stoicism Essay -- essays research papers

In the tree of Ethics, there are many twigs and branches that all trace back to a single root: how a person ought to act. Now, the paths that some branches take to get to that single root differ in many ways, yet all arrive at their own definition of how they themselves should live. The ‘branch’ that I will be talking about today, is Stoicism. I will discuss the history and beginnings of Stoicism in the Hellenistic period, the basic ideas of stoicism, and I will share my own personal beliefs and skeptical ideas as concerned with Stoicism. To begin, what does the word ‘stoic’ mean? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘stoic’ as â€Å"one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain.† In the world of Ethics, a stoic is defined as â€Å"a member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium about 300 B.C. holding that the wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submissive to natural law.† So what school of philosophy are we talking about? Who is Zeno of Cittium? Why did the stoics behave as they did? In the early part of the 4th century B.C. going on into the middle of the 3rd, a man named Zeno of Cittium left his home of Cyprus and went to Athens. There, he began to teach small groups of people about his ideas of ethics. He held his sessions on a painted porch on the Athenian agora known as the Stoa Poikile, from which the terms stoic and Stoicism derive from. At one point, Zeno, who had become adjusted to a life of riches, could not pay a resident tax, and as a consequence, was sold into slavery, where he was bought by a friend and freed. At first glance, one could look at stoicism and dismiss it as a relatively easy way to lead one’s life. At the heart, stoics do not care about abstract reality, about how and why the universe began, or Earth for that matter. To a stoic, the most important concept is that of acceptance in human life. Some of the ideas that Stoicism is based upon comes from the mind of one Heracletus. In the 6th century B.C., Heracletus formed his ideas at his home in Ephesus. In his mind, the universe is an ‘ever-living fire.’ In description, Heracletus came up with the Flux and the Logos. The Logos, in a universal sense, is a single connection between everything in the world, but is always changing with the Flux. Back when philosophers classified everything into 1 of the 4 elements, Heracletus’ Logos w... ...believer in Fate, I am not a true believer. Instead of classical Stoic beliefs, where the Logos governs my every choice towards the final ‘good’, I believe that free will does play a part in philosophical life. Person A comes to choice X, but based on occurrences put out by Fate, makes a decision Y. Fate and free will are 2 strands to a rope, one depending on the other to be strong. Back with emotions, with free will depending on Fate, it depends on emotion as well. Person A comes to choice X, based on occurrences put out by Fate, but still is torn between decision Y and decision Z. Using his emotions and feelings, Person A makes decision Y, because of occurrences put out by Fate as well as feelings he has towards each decision. In conclusion, I feel that Stoicism is almost a valid pattern of thought to live by, but is nonetheless quite interesting to look upon and debate. The basics and foundations of Stoicism, as well as the pillars on which it sits are something to be learned from, and could be wise to cite. My soul, the very being that I am, restricts me from devoting myself completely to Stoicism, although it is the closest thing to my ‘ethical standpoint’ that I have found.

Sons and Lovers :: Free Essay Writer

Sons and Lovers The Parallels Between Two Families â€Å"It is morning again, and she is still here...† These are the words D.H. Lawrence wrote to a friend describing his terminally ill mother in 1913. â€Å"I look at my mother and think ‘O Heaven-is this what life brings us to?’ You see mother has had a devilish married life, for nearly forty years- and this is the conclusion- no relief.† (Baron’s Educational Series, 1993). At the time this letter was written Lawrence was fictionalizing his relationship with his mother, as well as the rest of his family, in the novel Sons and Lovers . In the novel the Lawrences would be named the Morels, but though the names are different there are many parallels between Sons and Lovers and Lawrence’s own life. These parallels are what make the novel truly autobiographical. However, the strongest evidence of the autobiographical nature of this novel exists in the comparisons between Lawrence and his parents with their fictional counterparts in the book. David Herbert Lawrence was born in 1885, in Eastwood, England. Eastwood is an industrial town, the main industry being coal mining. In the novel, Eastwood becomes the town of Bestwood. As in the novel, Lawrence’s family was poor and working class. Lawrence was a sickly child (Croom, 1996). He had bronchitis a mere two weeks after he was born, and lung problems would plague him all his life, eventually developing into repeated bouts of pneumonia which permanently weakened his lungs (Meyers, p. 248). Eventually, it was tuberculosis, which attacked his weakened lungs, that killed him (Moynahan, p. xiii). At that time, one of the few ways for a poor person to better himself was through education. Lawrence’s mother Lydia recognized this, and encouraged it in young Lawrence. Lawrence started school at the early age of four, but it proved too much for the child. He was withdrawn from school and did not return until he was seven years old. The fact that he was older than the other children when he reentered school set him apart socially. He had few friends, and instead sought out the company of his younger sister, Ada. Despite Lawrence’s late start, he did well in school, and became the first pupil in his school to win a scholarship to Nottingham High School (Croom, p.

How far was Henrys foreign policy merely defensive in the years between 1487 and 1509?

Henry worked hard to establish, consolidate and recover many foreign relations within his reign. This was mostly defensive due to pretenders threatening Henry’s throne which meant a lot of Henry’s foreign relations were defensive. However, Henry did also establish policies to help other factors during his reign. One way in which Henry did establish relations out of defence was to rid of short term pretenders and threats to his throne. An example of this would be the Treaty of Etaples which was made in 1492 with France.This treaty outlined neither country would support imposters which resulted in France having to stop supporting and give up Perkin Warbeck who was at the time pretending to be Richard, Duke of York. The treaty was a defensive manoeuvre to ensure the pretender was stopped to reduce the threat to Henry’s throne and this helped Henry a lot as France did not particularly like Henry at the time so the Treaty meant they would no longer support Warbeck whi ch helped Henry protect his security well. However, some of Henry’s actions could have been seen as an attack rather than defence.The treaty of Etaples also meant Henry demanded money resulting in France had to pay an annual pension of 50,000 crowns (?5,000). The money was given due to Henry reasserting an ancient claim to French lands and besieging Boulogne which was quite assertive and was this part of the treaty was more of an attack towards France. This is why it is debatable whether Henry was more defensive or attacking in foreign policy as the Treaty of Etaples did both as it forced France to give up pretenders, protecting Henry, but also demanding money, an attack of France.However, it is clear that indeed, henry did use the treaty to attack France but overall used it as a defence. Another reason Henry instated foreign policy completely as a defence was to secure his dynasty through marriages and treaties and make peace for his and others future rule. The Treaty of Ayt on, made in 1497, established Anglo-Scottish harmony which matured into a formal peace Treaty in 1502 and the long term strength was symbolised with the marriage of Princess Margaret, Henry’s daughter, and James IV in 1503.This was entirely to put a stop to the on-going conflict on the Scottish border and ensure a lasting truce and alliance with Scotland for his dynasty and future security. Yet on the other hand, Henry also established foreign policies and agreements to help improve England’s trade. Due to Margaret of Burgundy showing continuous support for Warbeck, Henry issued an embargo on English trade with Burgundy that lasted until 1496.Henry then later dealt with this with the Intercursus Magnus also known as the Great Settlement in 1846 as both Henry and Philip had suffered from the commercial restrictions and needed each other’s trade again. This cannot be seen as defensive as relations did not improve massively as Philip continued to harbour Yorkists m eaning this agreement was purely made to improve trade and English profits and did not benefit Henry in securing his throne nor dynasty. This clearly means Henrys foreign policy was not entirely defensive but was placed to improve trade as well.In conclusion, Henry worked hard to establish foreign policies for different reasons. It is clear that Henry’s main priority was as defence but also that it was not the total reason and foreign policy was not used completely for defence as Henry did make some agreements to assist trade and as a form of attack on countries to instate and show power. However, it is fair to say Henry’s foreign policy was defensive to help secure his throne but mostly to provide and protect his dynasty.

Banana Cake Essay

Greetings, my fellow visitors, today, I would like to recommend a few local dishes which you might want to indulge yourself while you are here. Firstly, I would like to recommend you an intercontinental dish known as†¦ Chilli Crab Chilli Crab, also known as Singapore’s unofficial â€Å"national dish† is cooked in various ways. The most common style is done with chilli and sweet-sour sauce ribboned with beaten egg. My favourite way and probably the most common, is to eat it with French bread or Chinese buns called Mantou to help you soak every last drop of delicious sauce. I strongly recommend all of you to try this dish as it is by far the best seafood dish in Singapore. Secondly, I would like to recommend to you the famous Chinese dish†¦ Fried Hokkien Mee You can easily imagine, from this description, how good this dish tastes! Egg noodles and rice vermicelli otherwise known locally as bee hoon, stir-fried with pork, prawn, squid, bean sprouts and loads of garlic, and then braised in a rich pork and prawn stock. The dish is served steaming hot and garnished with fresh lime and a dollop of spicy chilli sambal. Alive with the pungencies of both China and Southeast Asia, Fried Hokkien Mee is one of the favourite Singapore dishes. Now, I would like to recommend a unique dish eaten by all races. This dish is none other than†¦ Mee Rebus Translated into English, this dish means simply ‘boiled noodles’ — but the dish is anything but simple. It is yellow egg noodles in thick, spicy, slightly sweet gravy, garnished with boiled eggs, sliced green chilies, fried cubes of beancurd, and fresh lime. Some people add a dash of dark soy sauce as a finishing touch†¦. Just like our multiracial society, Mee rebus is a fine example of a fusion cuisine. The egg noodles, beancurd and dark soy sauce are Chinese touches, while the gravy speaks of combined influences from Indian and Malay cuisine, with its curry-like flavour and use of dried shrimp and tamarind. Last but not least, I would like to recommend the traditional Indian dish†¦ ? Roti Prata A dough-based flat pancake that is cooked by heating over a flat grill plate. Roti prata is commonly served with either vegetable or fish curries, but it is not unusual to see it being eaten plain with white large-grain sugar. Prata-making has been refined to such an art that if you’re lucky, you’ll sometimes see cooks get theatrical with the flipping and turning of the prata as it’s being cooked over the plate.

Nietzche’s Moral and Political Philosophy Essay

In â€Å"Nietzche’s Moral and Political Philosophy† Nietzches theory of the strong and weak willed is explained to us. Nietzsche â€Å"seems to want to say that anyone who is strong, independent, and so on — anyone who fits his description o the higher type of man — is one who has value in himself†. I think it is interesting that Nietzsche puts such high value on a man who can think for himself, but if this man has followers and admirers of his work, these followers are considered weak willed. If everyone in the world thought for himself and broke free of the society accepted norms, our World would be one of mad chaos. Nobody believing each other or taking another mans word, everyone having to find out for themselves, and everyone trying to rise above another to â€Å"break free from societal norms†. Although it should be praised when a man has a strong will to power and can break free from the common attitudes and beliefs, i do not believe this path of master morality is something every man should do. Nietzsche seems to place a much higher value on a man that breaks free of society, and says the â€Å"followers† shape everything in society to work against this man,â€Å"[m]oral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited† (BGE 219), and he claims that the â€Å"chief means† by which the â€Å"weak and mediocre†¦weaken and pull down the stronger† is â€Å"the moral judgment†. To better understand this you could say, that the Government (the weak willed) put restrictions on citizens to get them to conform to societal norms. The goal of this is to weaken the citizens and prevent them from rising above the government. In the example I used above I would [Type text] [Type text] [Type text] argue to Nietzsche that in rising above this weak willed government in order to become a strong willed person, could mean i am breaking laws and harming others in order to fit in the master morality category. How would he explain criminals who â€Å"break free of societal norms and attitudes† but do it by unjust means? I think this theory of what a strong and weak willed man is, is very questionable. Although you should aspire to question what you are taught and common beliefs are, i don’t believe all men who do this are â€Å"strong-willed†.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 11

Angel's voice was taut but calm. (Pick up a pen from the counter. The black one's fine. Now-let go. Just relax and let me move it.) Gillian let go. It was a process she couldn't have described in words if she'd tried. But she watched, with a sort of fascinated horror, as her own hand began to draw on a small white invoice slip. It drew across the lines, in some kind of pattern. Unfortunately the pen seemed to be out of ink, so all Gillian could see was a faint scribble. (Show her the carbon copy.) Gillian peeled off the first sheet of paper. Underneath, in carbon, was her design. It looked like a flower-a dahlia. It was crudely colored in, as if it were meant to be dark. (What is it, Angel?) (A sort of password. Unless you know it, she's not going to let you buy what you need.) Melusine's face had changed. She was looking at Gillian with startled interest. â€Å"Unity,† she said. â€Å"I wondered about you when you came in. You've got the look-but I've never seen you before. Did you just move here?† (Say â€Å"Unity.† It's their greeting. And tell her that you're just passing through.) (Angel-is she a witch? Are there other witches around here? And how come I have to lie-) (She's getting suspicious!) The girl was looking at Gillian rather oddly. Like someone trying to catch a conversation. It scared Gillian. â€Å"Unity. No, I'm just visiting,† she said hastily. â€Å"And,† she added as Angel whispered, â€Å"I need the Dragon's Blood and, um, two wax figures. Female. And do you have any charged Selket powder?† Melusine settled back a little. â€Å"You belong to Circle Midnight.† She said it flatly. (Whaaaat? What's Circle Midnight? And how come she doesn't like me anymore?) (It's a sort of witch organization. Like a club. It's the one that does the kind of spells that you need to do right now.) (Aha. Bad spells, you mean.) (Powerful spells. In your case, necessary spells.) Melusine was scooting her chair behind the counter. For a moment Gillian wondered why she didn't get up, and then, as Melusine reached the edge of the counter, she understood. The chair was a wheelchair and Melusine's right leg was missing from the knee down. It didn't seem to hinder her, though. In a moment, she was scooting back with a couple of packets and a box in her lap. She put the box on the counter and took out two dolls made of dull rose-colored wax. One of the packets held chunks of what looked like dark red chalk, the other a peacock-green powder. She didn't look up as Gillian paid for the items. Gillian felt snubbed. â€Å"Unity,† she said formally, as she put her wallet away and gathered up her purchases. She figured if you said it for hello, you could say it for goodbye. Melusine's dark eyes flashed up at her intently and almost quizzically. Then she said slowly, â€Å"Merry part . . . and merry meet again.† It almost sounded like an invitation. (Well, I'm lost.) (Just say â€Å"Merry part† and get out of here, kid.) Outside, Gillian looked at the town square with new eyes. (The Witches of Woodbridge. So, are they, like, all over here? Do they own the Creamery and the hardware store, too?) (You're closer than you think. But we don't have time to stand around. You've got some spells to cast.) Gillian took one more look around the quiet tree-lined square, feeling herself standing in the bright air with her packages of spell ingredients. Then she shook her head. She turned to the car. Sitting in the middle of her bed with the bedroom door locked, Gillian contemplated her materials. The plastic bags of rock and powder, the dolls, and the hair she'd gathered from the brush in Macon's bathroom last night. Two or three strands of sun blond curls. Three or four long black glossy hairs. â€Å"And you don't need to tell me what they're for,† she said, looking at the air beside her. â€Å"It's voodoo time, huh?† â€Å"Smart girl.† Angel shimmered into being. â€Å"The hair is to personalize the dolls, to link them magically to their human counterparts. You've got to wind a hair around each doll, and name it out loud. Call it Tanya or Kimberlee.† Gillian didn't move. â€Å"Angel, look. When I got that hair, I had no idea why I was doing it. But when I saw those little wax figures-well, then I realized. And the way that girl Melusine looked at me. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She has no idea what you're up against. Forget her.† â€Å"I'm just trying to get things straight, all right?† Hands clasped tightly in her lap, she looked at him. â€Å"I've never wanted to hurt people-well, all right, yes, I have. I've had those-those images or whatever at night, like seeing a giant foot splat down on my geometry teacher. But I don't really want to hurt people.† Angel looked patient. â€Å"Who said you were going to hurt them?† â€Å"Well, what's all this for?† â€Å"It's for whatever you want it to be for. Gillian, dragonfly, all these materials are just aids for a witch's natural powers. They're a way of focusing the power, directing it to a particular purpose. But what actually happens to Tanya and Kim depends on you. You don't have to hurt them. You just have to stop them.† â€Å"I just have to stop them from doing what they're planning to do.† Gillian's mind was already sparking into action. â€Å"And Tanya's planning to write letters. And Kim's planning to spread the word†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So what if Tanya can't write letters? And if Kimberlee can't talk? It would be sort of†¦ poetic justice.† Angel's face was grave, but his eyes were glinting with mischief. Gillian bit her lip. â€Å"I think it would kill Kim not to talk!† â€Å"Oh, I bet she could live through it.† They were both laughing now. â€Å"So if she had, say, a bad sore throat†¦ and if Tanya's arm were paralyzed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian sobered. â€Å"Not paralyzed.† â€Å"I meant temporarily. Not even temporarily? All right, what about something else that could keep her from typing or holding a pen? How about a bad rash?† â€Å"A rash?† â€Å"Sure. An infection. One she'd have to keep bandaged up so she couldn't use her fingers. That would stop her for a while, until we can think of something else.† â€Å"A rash†¦ Yeah, that could work. That would be good.† Gillian took a quick breath and looked down at her materials. â€Å"Okay, tell me how to do it!† And Angel walked her through the strange process. She wound the dolls with hair and named them aloud. She rubbed them with crumbled Dragon's Blood, the dark red chalky stuff. Then she dabbed the hand of one and the throat of the other with the iridescent green Selket powder. â€Å"Now†¦ may I be given the power of the words of Hecate. It is not I who utter them, it is not I who repeat them; it is Hecate who utters them, it is she who repeats them.† (And who the heck's Hecate?) She sent the thought to Angel wordlessly, in case speaking aloud would ruin the spell. (Be quiet. Now concentrate. Pick up the Tanya doll and think Streptococcus pyogenes. That's a bacteria that'll give her a rash. Picture it in your mind. See the rash on the real Tanya.) There was a certain satisfaction in doing it. Gillian couldn't deny that, even to herself. She pictured Tanya's slim olive-skinned right hand, poised to sign a letter that would destroy David's future. Then she pictured itchy red bumps appearing, another hand scratching. Redness spreading across the skin. More itching. More scratching†¦ (Hey, this is fun!) Then she took care of the Kim doll. When she was finished, she put both dolls in a shoe box and put the shoe box under her bed. Then she stood up, flushed and triumphant. â€Å"It's over? I did it?† â€Å"You did it. You're a full-fledged witch now. Hecate's the Queen of the Witches, incidentally. Their ancient ruler. And she's special to you- you're descended in a direct line from her daughter Hellewise.† â€Å"I am?† Gillian stood a little straighter. She seemed to feel power tingling through her, a sparkling energy, a sense that she could reach out and mold the world. She felt as if she ought to have an aura. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Your great-grandmother Elspeth was one of the Harmans, the Hearth-Women, the line that came from Hellewise. Elspeth's older sister Edgith became a big witch leader.† How could Gillian have ever thought she was ordinary, less than ordinary? You couldn't argue with facts like these. She was from a line of important witches. She was part of an ancient tradition. She was special. She felt very, very powerful. That night, her father called. He wanted to know if she was okay, and to let her know he loved her. All Gillian wanted to know was whether he'd be home for Christmas. â€Å"Of course I'll be home. I love you.† â€Å"Love you.† But she wasn't happy when she hung up. (Angel, we've got to figure things out. Is there a spell I should do on him?) (I'll think about it.) The next morning she sailed into school cheerfully and looked around for someone who would talk. She spotted the cropped red head of J.Z. the Model and waved hello. â€Å"What's up, J.Z.?† J.Z. turned hazy blue-green eyes on her and fell into step. â€Å"Did you hear about Tanya?† Gillian's heart skipped a beat. â€Å"No,† she said, with perfect truth. â€Å"She's got some awful rash or infection or something. Like poison ivy. They say it's driving her crazy.† As always, J.Z. spoke slowly and with an almost vacant air. But Gillian thought there was a gleam of satisfaction under the blank look. She shot J.Z. a sharp glance. â€Å"Well, that's too bad.† â€Å"Sure is,† J.Z. murmured, smiling absently. â€Å"I sure hope nobody else catches it.† She was hoping to hear something about Kim. But J.Z. just said, â€Å"Well, at least we know David won't.† Then she wandered off. (Angel, that girl doesn't like Tanya.) (A lot of people don't like Tanya.) (It's weird. I used to think being popular meant everybody likes you. Now I think it's more like everybody's afraid not to like you.) (Right. Let them hate you as long as they fear you. But, you see, you've done a public service, putting Tanya out of commission.) In biology class, Gillian found out that Kim was absent and had canceled gymnastics practice for the day. She had something' like strep throat and couldn't even talk. Nobody seemed heartbroken over this, either. (Being popular means everybody's glad when something bad happens to you.) (It's a dog-eat-dog world, kid.) Angel chuckled. Gillian smiled. She had protected David. It gave her a wonderful feeling to be able to protect him, to take care of him. Not that she exactly approved of what he'd done. Buying an English paper and turning it in as your own-that was pretty bad. Not just wrong, but petty somehow. (But I think he was sorry. I think that was maybe one of the things he was saying he wasn't proud of. And maybe there's some way he can make up for it. Like if he wrote another paper and turned it in, and explained to Ms. Renquist. Don't you think, Angel?) (Hm? Oh, sure. Good idea.) (Because sometimes being sorry isn't enough, you know? You've got to do something. Angel? Angel?) (I'm here. Just thinking about your next class. And your powers and things. Did you know there's a spell to bring in money?) (There is? Now, that's really interesting. I mean, I don't care about money money, but I'd really love a car†¦) That night Gillian lay in bed, head propped on pillows, legs curled under a throw, and thought about how lucky she was. Angel seemed to be gone for the moment; she could neither see him nor hear his voice. But it was Angel she was thinking about. He had brought her so much-and he'd brought her himself, which she sometimes thought was the greatest gift of all. What other girl could have two gorgeous guys without being unfaithful to either of them, or making either of them jealous? What other girl could have two great loves at once, without doing wrong? Because that was how she'd come to think of Angel. As a great love. He wasn't a pillar of light to her anymore, or a terrifyingly beautiful apparition with a voice like silver fire. He was almost like an ordinary guy, only impossibly handsome, devastatingly witty, and incidentally supernatural. Since learning she was supernatural herself, Gillian felt he was somehow more accessible. And he understood her. Nobody had ever known her, or could ever know her, the way he did. He knew all her deepest secrets and most carefully hidden fears-and he still loved her. The love was obvious every time he spoke to her, every time he appeared and looked at her with those startling eyes. I'm in love with him, too, Gillian thought. She felt quite calm about it. It was different from the way she loved David. In a way, it was more powerful, because nobody could ever be as close to her as Angel was-but there was no physical aspect to it. Angel was a part of her on a level nothing human could touch. Their relationship was separate from the human world. It was unique. â€Å"Tie me kangaroo down, mate!† A light was appearing beside the bed. â€Å"Where've you been, Australia?† â€Å"Checking on Tanya and Kim the Gym, actually. Tanya's bandaged from shoulder to fingers and she's not thinking about writing anything. Kim's sucking a popsicle and moaning. Inaudibly.† â€Å"Good.† Gillian felt a triumphant glow. Which was wrong, of course; she shouldn't enjoy other people's pain. But she couldn't hide it from Angel-and those girls deserved it. They would be sorry, sorry, sorry they had ever tangled with Gillian Lennox. â€Å"But we've got to work out a more permanent solution,† she said. â€Å"And figure things out about my parents.† â€Å"I'm working on all of it.† Angel was gazing at her with a kind of dreamy intentness. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Nothing. Just looking at you. You look particularly beautiful tonight, which is absurd considering you're wearing flannel pajamas with bears on them.† Gillian felt a quick sweet throb. She looked down. â€Å"These are cats. But the bears are my favorite, actually.† She looked back up and grinned wickedly. â€Å"I'll bet I could start a little bears fashion at school. You can do anything with enough guts.† â€Å"You can do anything, that's for sure. Sweet dreams, beautiful.† â€Å"Silly. Stop it.† Gillian waved a hand at him. But she was still blushing when she lay down and shut her eyes. She felt absurdly happy and complimented. And beautiful. And powerful. And special. â€Å"Hear about Tanya?† Amanda the Cheerleader said at lunch break the next day. She and Gillian were in the girls' bathroom. Gillian eyed herself in the mirror. A touch with the comb†¦ perfect. And maybe a little more lipstick. She was doing the glamour thing today. Dark, mesmerizing eyes and bold, laughing red mouth. Or maybe she should pout instead of laugh. She pursed her lips at herself and said absently, â€Å"Old news.† â€Å"No, I mean the new stuff. She's got complications, apparently.† Gillian stopped applying lipstick. â€Å"What kind of complications?† â€Å"I don't know. Fever, I think. And her whole arm's turning purple.† (Angel? Purple?) (Well, I'd say more mauve myself. Relax, kid. Fever's a natural side effect of a bad rash. Just like poison ivy.) (But-) (Look at Amanda. She's not too upset.) (No, 'cause she probably knows Tanya was messing with her boyfriend. Or she has some other reason not to like her. But, I mean, I don't want Tanya really hurt.) (Don't you? Be honest.) (Well, I mean, not really, really hurt, you know? Medium hurt. That's all.) (I don't think she's going to drop dead this minute.) Angel said it patiently. (Okay. Good.) Gillian felt a little embarrassed for making a big deal-and at the same time she had a fleeting impulse to go check on Tanya herself. But the impulse was easily quashed. Tanya was getting what she deserved. It was only a rash. How bad could that be? Besides, Angel was looking after things. And she trusted Angel. She added the last dab of lipstick and smiled at herself in the mirror. Definitely she was one hot witch. In sixth period, messengers brought candy canes that people had ordered last week from the Vocal Jazz Club. You could send the candy canes, which came with a ribbon and a note, to anyone you wanted. Gillian got a pile so large that everyone laughed, and Seth Pyles ran over and snapped a picture of it for the yearbook. After school David came and rummaged through the pile, looking at the messages and shaking his fist, pretending to be jealous. It was a very good day. â€Å"Happy?† Angel asked that afternoon. David's mother had recruited him for heavy-duty Christmas housecleaning, so Gillian was alone in her bedroom-which meant it was just her and Angel. She was folding socks and humming her favorite carol, â€Å"O Come All Ye Faithful.† â€Å"Can't you tell?† â€Å"Not with all that noise you're making. Are you really happy?† She looked up. â€Å"Of course I am. I mean, except for the stuff with my parents, I'm totally happy.† â€Å"And being popular is all you expected it to be.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian paused in bewilderment. â€Å"It's-it's a little different from what I expected. It's not the be-all and the end-all I'd have thought. But then I'm different from what I thought.† â€Å"You're a witch. And you want more than just candy canes and parties.† She looked at him curiously. â€Å"What are you trying to say? That I should do some more spells?† â€Å"I'm saying that there's more to being a witch than doing spells. I can show you, if you trust me.†