Reflection on Therapeutic Interaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection on Therapeutic Interaction - Essay Example On this perspective, it is thus imperative for nurses to deliver the right practices to enable achievement of appropriate results. These positive outcomes benefit both the nurse and the patient (Kaptchuk 2008). Nursing therapeutic practice is a highly engaging exercise that demands exclusive attention from the nurse (Donaldson 2010). Nursing is also an emotional exercise that involves exchange of emotions and feeling to be able to draw sympathy and empathy since it is a comforting exercise. After the exercise, it is imperative that nurses develop a sense of reflection to enable theme develop improvements in consequent practices. In this regard, while reflecting on a recent therapeutic care I had on a sixty five year old patient, Marylyn Morrison, who had just undergone replacement surgery of the hipbone, I developed a reflective exercise made an evaluation of the steps involved in the care practice and their implications in nursing as a practice. The reflection would then enable futu re achievement of better outcomes (Smith 2011). Unconditional acceptance As a professional nurse, one is bound to give complete acceptance, not based on any condition such as race, sex or ideology, granted to the patient. In this reflection, it came to my realization that when such acceptance is given to the patient, the same is reciprocated from the patient and thus confidence develops in the patient (Lombard 2011). Such confidence leads to development of mutual trust and thus fosters a faster healing process. In this reflection, Marylyn was hesitant to open up at first but upon realization that the therapeutic care was unconditional, she developed faith and within the duration patient-oriented care was administered to this patient, effective psychological and physical healing processes were achieved at a fast pace; beyond expectations (Thompson 2010.). The learning experience attained from the therapeutic care delivered brought a wider scope of understanding of acceptance that nee ds to be given to a patient despite some conditions that might be considered slightly out of the ordinary. In her special case, the patient had very complicated social sense of acceptance and was resistant to nursing acceptance. However, relentless unconditional acceptance changed the situation at some point during the delivery exercise. Mitchell and Cormack (2008) argue that acceptance is not easily achieved even if given free of charge. Individual differences account for different reactions to situations. Introverts feel better off staying alone under normal conditions. Due to their solitude nature, they find it hard to accept new social circles in their lives. ON the same note, they also find it hard to open up during therapeutic delivery exercise (Maciocia 2010). While the patient continually showed signs of rejection towards the therapist during the early stages of care, persistent and convincing acceptance given to the patient helped change the situation. After three weeks of the nursing care exercise, the patient learned how to give appropriate response to the unconditional acceptance give during the care. She learned to voluntarily accept in return and thus eased the process of the care exercise. This was a great lesson since acceptance cannot be compelled on an individual. Therefore, unconditional acceptance may take time to be effective but with patience in situations such as the case above,

Energy Conservation Essay Example for Free

Energy Conservation Essay Abstract: The gap between supply and demand of energy is continuously increasing despite huge outlay for energy sector since independence. Further the brining of fossil fuel is resulting in greenhouse gases which are detrimental to the environment. The gap between supply and demand of energy can be bridged with the help of energy conservation which may be considered as a new source of energy which is environment friendly. The energy conservation is cost effective with a short payback period and modest investment. There is a good scope of energy conservation in various sectors, viz industry agriculture, transport and domestic, This paper will give overview of energy conservation in Indian scenario. Introduction India today has a vast population of more than 1.20 billions out of which nearly 75% are living in rural areas. Energy and development are inter-related. In order to have sustainable growth rate. It is imperative to have sufficient energy for systematic development in various sectors. Energy sector has received top priority in all Five year pains so far. During seventh Five Year plans 30% of the plan outlay was allotted to this sector. The installed capacity of electric power has increased from 1362 MW. At the time of independence to a staggering 70,000 MW. Despite such achievements, the gap between demand and supply of electrical energy is increasing every year as power sector is highly capital-intensive. The deficit in installed capacity was nearly 10,000 MW, by the and of eleventh five year plan. It is estimated that in 2011 alone India has lost above 10.0 billion US$ in manufacturing productivity because for power is projected to grow by 7 to 10% per year for the next 10 years. The working group on power had recommended capacity addition program of 46,645 MWduring the twelveth plan period along with the associated transmission and distribution works at a cost of Rs. 12, 26,000 corer. With this capacity addition there would have been a peak power shortage of 15.3 percent by the end of the 12th plans. The proven reserves of fossil fuel in India are not very large. A major share of scarce foreign currency is earmarked for importing petroleum products. The bill of which is continuously increasing coal reserve likely to be exhausted by the middle or centaury. Thus a bleak scenario awaits India in future unless absolutely new strategies are adopted. In spite of huge plan outlay of energy sector in last 60 years, most of the rural population has not yet been able to reach the threshold of enough energy to meet their basic human needs. There appears to be something basically wrong in planning. The planners have adopted the western model of centralized energy system without necessary modification to suit Indian condition. In future the energy conservation would assume more significance globally on the basis of the effect of burning fossil fuel on environment, particularly the global warming rather than the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and other consideration. Sector wise energy consumption:Sector Industry Transport Residential Agriculture Others %power consumption 49% 22% 10% 5% 14% THE SCOPE AND POTENTIAL The developing countries like India are obliged to maintain a certain growth rate for which energy is a basic ingredient. Failure to meet the energy demand for the basic needs of the economy will cause inflation unemployment and socio economic disorder. The major energy projects are capital-intensive and result in the degradation of the environment and ecology. Energy efficiency and conservation in the past have been neglected on the assumption of continuous availability of fossil fuel. Energy conservation is the strategy of adjusting and optimizing energy using systems and procedures to reduce energy requirements per unit of output without affecting socio-economic development. Energy conservation means going with what is available, while in developed countries 1% increase in G.N.P. needs barely 0.6% increase in energy consumption in whereas in India the corresponding increase in energy consumption is nearly 1.5% 1. Transmission and Distribution Losses India has a complex transmissio n and distribution network. The Transmission and distribution (T D) losses in Indian Power Systems are rather high. According to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) statistics, on all India basis the losses are around 20 percent. According to the estimates of a few other independent agencies, the real TD losses may be even higher than this figure power systems with those of more developed In order to estimate the cost effectiveness of the various modern techniques available for reduction of TD losses in the context of Indian environment, it is essential to have an idea regarding the energy losses taking place at the various stages of transmission and distribution of power as well as a further break—up of the line losses and transformation losses. The TD losses can be divided in to two parts, namely. Extra-high voltage (EHV) /High Voltage (HV) transmission and low voltage distribution. Out of total 15% TD losses targeted to be achieved. 2. Long Term Conservation Objectives of Energy 4. To take steps to prevent inefficient use of energy in future projects, buildings, products, processes etc. in every sector of energy use. 3. Areas of Energy Conservation The main areas where conservation was possible are as follows:1. Improvement in power factor would result in reduction in actual maximum demand on the system. 2. Improvement in plant load factor results in optimum utilization of plant capacity and increasing production. 3.80% of the industrial electricity consumption is accounted for by induction motors which are mostly used for pumping and compressor application, etc. 4. Various furnaces, electrolysis baths and vessels operating at higher temperature are found to have inadequate insulation. Higher surface temperature means loss of electrical form of energy by radiation. This can easily be prevented by applying proper insulation to limit the surface temperature rise above ambient up to 200C. New Concerpts in Energy Conservation Energy Conservation offers a practical means of achieving development goals. It enhances the international competitiveness of industry in world markets by reducing the cost of production. It optimizes the use of capital resources by diverting lesser amounts in conservation investments as against huge capital investment in power sector. It helps environment in the short run by reducing pollution and in the long run by reducing the scope of global climatic changes. Energy conservation is a decentralized issue and largely depends on the individual unlike decisions of energy supply which are highly centralized. The housewife, the car driver, the boiler operator in industry and every other individual who consumes energy in some form or other is requiring participating in energy saving measures. In order to have energy efficiency strategies really effective some conceptual changes are imperative. †¢ Conservation must be recognized as a new source of Energy- â€Å"a benign and clean source† 1. To bring attitudinal changes in all energy users so that they strive for maximum energy efficiency in all products, projects, buildings, processes, domestic and commercial use, agricultural and transport use in consistent with economic considerations. 2. Take necessary steps to discipline those who fail to fall in line with the above changes. 3. To adopt policies which make energy conservation easy and attractive for being adopted by all energy users. End use management of energy demand should not be met by increased supply only. Energy efficiency is the most cost effective way to bridge the gap between supply and demand. In the past the energy planning was based on continuous supply of fossil fuel. What matters to a consumer of energy is not energy per so but the services it provides cooking. Lighting, motive power etc. thus the true indicator of development is not the magnitude of per capita energy consumption, but the level of energy services provided. A stage has reached when developing countries need not to look at energy consumption per capita as a sign of development and growth. The economics of major power projects ignore the time value of money. The gestation period of the project is ignored. Thus the projects which yield physical benefits after many years are treated at par with projects that yield immediate benefits. Thus no attention is paid to when the returns are obtained. subsidies, liberalization of licenses and loans at concessional terms. It is in this context that Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) has introduced to schemes, with a sharp focus on energy conservation objectives in industries. These schemes are (a) Energy Audit Subsidy Scheme, and (b) Equipment Finance for Energy Conservation Scheme. These Schemes which were initially in operation for a period of 2 years have been extended up to the end of the twelvth Five Year Plan. . a) Energy Audit Subsidy Schemes ENERGY AUDIT AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES 1) Energy Audit The Energy Audit is an accounting tool, an analytical device to detect energy waste.. One series of entries consists of amounts of energy which were consumed during the month in the form of electricity, gas, fuel, oil, steam: and the second series lists how the energy was used: how much for lighting, air conditioning, heating, production processes and other activities. Energy Audit, therefore, is a crucial tool for energy management because it indicates the scope for conservation by identifying the waste areas. Nearly 20-30 percent savings on energy can, at a conservative estimate, be easily achieved by any industry, if energy conservation measured identified by energy surveys are adopted. Moreover, at least 10 percent savings are possible simply by following good housekeeping practices which require no investment whatsoever. Even when a conservation measure demands investment, it is generally always paid back in less than two years. 2) Financial Incentives Assistance would be available under this scheme for preliminary as well as for detailed energy audit. The charges of the approved consultancy agency for carrying out the energy audit would be partly subsidized by IDBI which will bear 50% of the cost, the balance to be borne by the applicant company. For preliminary audit, the amount of subsidy available under this scheme per undertaking/company would be limited to Rs. 10,000 or 0.01 percent of gross fixed assets of the undertaking/company whichever is less. The limit of assistance for detailed energy audit would be Rs. 1.00 lakh or 0.05% of the gross fixed assets of the undertaking/company whichever is lower. Assets value shall be exclusive of revaluation reserves. b) Equipment Finance For Energy Scheme conservation For the purposes of EFEC scheme, equipment shall include plant machinery, miscellaneous fixed assets erection and installation charges, technical know-how fees for designs and drawings. Assistance under the scheme would be available only for installation of equipment for effecting energy conservation in the existing plants/processes and not for expansion or diversification of production capacities, even though, the same may also result in energy conservation. Assistance under the scheme would be in the form of term loan. APPROACHESAND CHALLENGES Approaches The various approaches of energy conservation may be divided into (i) short-term measures (ii) mediumterm measures and (iii) long-term measures. All the short-term as well as medium term measures for the energy intensive sectors may be taken up immediately so that their benefits can be realized during 12th plan itself. Further, the programmes for long- Recognizing the importance of energy conservation projects by the Government and the financial institutions in terms of concessions/reliefs income-tax, excise duties, customs duties, sales tax, term measures should also be initiated simultaneously during the 12th plan hey include: 1) Software components These include: (a) Promotion, motivation education, dissemination of information, data bank and creation of national Energy Conservation centre (b) Promotion of RD in technologies, equipment etc. (c) Promotion of studies on policies, economics of energy use, demand management, various types of survey etc. (d) Developments of standards. (e) Rectification programmes. They include:2) Hardware Components The following are included under this category. A. Energy efficient projects in all the sectors including co-generation. B. Demonstration projects-Models of efficient appliances, demonstration centres etc. Energy may not be very cooperative as there is an information gap in these areas. The creation of a database and its scientific analysis is the backbone of any future planning and decision making. There are certain challenges in effective implementation of energy efficiency programmes. Some of them are given below: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Technological Economics Motivation and Awareness Institutional and Legislation . STRATEGIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS In sixth Five Year Plan (1980-84) for the first time the significance of energy efficiency and conservation was realized. In the Seventh Five Year Plant document too the Planning Commission identified energy conservation and efficiency as thrust areas based on the recommendations of the inter Ministerial working Group (IMWG) (1983) on energy conservation. The Eleventh Year Plan document has also emphasized the implementation of rectification programmes for agricultural pump sets for achieving energy efficiency in the agricultural sector. Even though the Eleventh Five Year Plan realized the opportunity, potential and need for energy conservation it did not incorporate any concrete programmes, policies and budgetary provision in this regard. The working Group on Energy conservation has recommended a comprehensive scheme for twelvth Five Year Plan period. This includes awareness programmes, training, development, research, energy audit, energy efficiency measures in various sectors, providing subsidies to implementing agencies and covering other aspects as well. The status of energy conservation in various sectors is as follows: 1. Agricultural Sector C. Technology import/up-gradation-Acquisition of state-of-art technology through foreign collaborations. D. Strengthening of Transmission and Distribution systems of various State Electricity Boards to reduce the system losses to 15% range. E. Development of infrastructure such as improvement of transport systems, communication systems, electrification of railways etc. 2. Stages of Energy Efficiency The different types of activities of energy efficiency could be put into four distinct categories. The first two types given below concern existing plants and equipment and latter two to new ones:†¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Soft or managerial Solutions Modest Investment New Technology of Production Technological Break through Challenges One important factor in achieving energy efficiency and conservation target is the response of the and-user. As often, the behavior of many end-users of The farmers in the country have installed about 18 million pumps operated by diesel/electricity. These roughly consume 30 billion kWh of electricity and 6 billion litres of diesel. It is necessary to provide the much needed irrigation to the crops but, unfortunately, the pumping systems adopted have remained inefficient and the consumption of electricity and diesel has been 50 to 100 percent more than what it should be. Regarding petroleum products, India produces hardly 60% of the required crude oil indigenously, importing more than Rs. 15,000 crores worth of crude oil and petroleum products to meet the current demand. The excessively wasteful consumption of energy in the agricultural sector has to stop both for conserving energy per se and reducing the irrigation cost for the farmers. There has been an increase in the absolute consumption of energy in agricultural sector. The electricity consumption has grown at the rate of 14.4% per annum whereas the oil consumption has increased at the rate of 10.1% per annum. 2. Transport Sector of light bulb known as E-lamp (electronic light) has been introduced recently in USA. This lamp is supposed to consume 75 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent lamp. Its lifetime is between 15,000 to 20,000 hours. The E-lamp has made its bid to become the â€Å"Compact Disc† of residential lighting, but events during the next few years may determine whether it will become a household word. 4) Industrial Sector The sector uses, nearly thirty two percent of the commercial energy. This sector is second only to industrial sector. Further, this sector is heavily dependent on petroleum products. Import of petroleum is nearly 35 percent of total expenditure on imports in India. Its consumption is increasing at an annual rate of 6 to 8 percent. Automobiles thus offer one of the most promising areas for major savings. There are tow modes of transport which are most common, viz. rail and road. Unlike the railway, the road sector is not wholly in the organized sector and hence its database is rather weak. The road transport has increased very fast during last decade or so. One approach to achieve energy conservation is to shift a part of the traffic from road to rail. It is imperative to develop research and development activities in the direction of improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles and developing alternate energy sources. According to the report of Advisory Board on Energy the conservation potential in transport sector is nearly 20% which can be achieved by an investment of Rs. 890 crores. Conservation measures would yield an annual savings of Rs. 765 crores and avoid an investment of Rs. 432 crores for creating additional energy capacity. A series of measures including operation control, upgrading driver’s skills training programmes to create fuel conservation consciousness and proper use of clutches, reduction of body weight, speed restrictions and improved over hauling practices has been recommended.

Essay --

In 1861, conflicts and tension between the northern and southern United States erupted into the Civil War, the bloodiest war in American history. Economic differences existed between the north and south, which made the Civil War inevitable. The south’s economy was largely agriculturally based and dependent on slave labor, while the north was more industrial and based on free labor. The issue of slavery is often cited as the main cause of the Civil War, but it is actually the economic dependency of the South on slavery that caused the Civil War. Slavery being the backbone of the South led to conflict on whether or not states should be admitted as free or slave states, which could potentially tip the balance of free states vs slave states’ representation in the Senate. The North and South being so radically different in economy and culture created conflict between them. Their differences actually made the Civil War an inevitable event, because as the saying goes, â€Å" United we stand, divided we fall†. Their differences divided the country, ultimately leading to the Civil War. Starting from the end of the American Revolution, the north had developed differently than the south. This was largely due to differences in geography. There were more seaports in the north, and factories became more prevalent. A commercial economy resulted. Roads and canals were built, and cities grew. Many people were merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and salesmen. The north became more and more metropolitan. There were still farmers living in the north, but they differed from southern farmers in that they used more modern technology to farm and became more efficient. Farming was easier in the north than the south as well, because of the south’s difficult ... ...t states, â€Å"Upon the whole, therefore, it is the judgment of this court, that it appears by the record before us that the plaintiff in error is not a citizen of Missouri, in the sense in which that word is used in the Constitution; and that the Circuit Court of the United States, for that reason, had no jurisdiction in the case, and could give no judgment in it. Its judgment for the defendant must, consequently, be reversed, and a mandate issued, directing the suit to be dismissed for want of jurisdiction.† This meant that Scott was not considered a citizen, so he had no rights, could not sue, and had to remain a slave. The court further ruled that banning slavery was unconstitutional, since slaves were property and property is protected under the Constitution.The controversy over slavery was intensified,and further deepened the rift between the north and the south.

Does watching too much television have an impact on behavior Essay

It is very evident that television plays a tremendous role in the society we live in. It can spark imagination, creativity, even take a person out of reality and put them into an imaginary world. Television keeps you informed with news and current events going on around the world, it can take you to unknown places that a person otherwise would never be able to visit, it provides access to the arts, even music and so much more. Although most people look at television as an entertaining and educational way to spend time, some people think there is too much violence in television and that is influencing young members of society into becoming aggressive in nature and learn tolerate violence. Can extensive watching of television cause a significant negative impact on the behavior of the youth today? TV can play a very important role in shaping a person attitude, and behavior but can all TV programs have a negative impact on behavior? Let’s take a look at some of the statistics of television for us to understand a little more about why TV is blamed for bad behavior in youth and adults. According to Nationmaster. com 98. 5 percent of homes in the United States have at least one TV with ninety percent having at least two televisions and eighty-seven percent of homes have at the least a DVD player or VCR. (Nationmaster) With so many homes having TV’s, television has become a debatable issue as many researchers and psychologist question the influence of programs on the attitudes and behavior of today’s youth. According to psychological researches done on youths, violence on television can have a negative impact on the youth. It is estimated that by the time a child starts high school that child will have viewed 8,000 to 10,000 acts of violence whether it be from watching cartoons or a drama crime show. (Villani) Children, who are allowed to view programs in which the violence is very realistic, are more likely to try to imitate what they see on the show. Children that already have emotional, behavioral or control problems may be even more heavily influenced than a child that does not have the emotional ties. Young children and young adults can even be affected by what they are watching even when they have a stable family atmosphere that shows no tendency towards violence. A Study done in October of 2007 showed that out of 3,205 children between the ages of eight and sixteen who watched more than two hours of television in a twenty-four hour period was associated with problems with aggressive behavior towards family and peers. â€Å"Most of the scientific evidence†¦ reveals a relationship between television and aggressive behavior. While few would say that there is absolute proof that watching television caused aggressive behavior, the overall cumulative weight of all the studies gives credence to the position that they are related. â€Å"Essentially, television violence is one of the things that may lead to aggressive, antisocial, or criminal behavior. † (Signorielli) Television is not the only factor in causing aggression among today’s youth, there are many factors. However, television is one of the greatest factors that can cause aggressive behavior in children. This is especially evident in the U. S.  Many criminals confess that their violent actions or attitudes were encouraged by TV. This is becoming a great problem of our society as the rate of criminal behavior is constantly growing. With so much crime being showed on television, it can negatively affect children’s attitude towards school, lifestyle, career, family, and even their future. Television programs should be monitored by parents and limited to the amount of time spent watching TV that does have crime related scenes. Parents should also explain to the child that the violence they see on television is not real and what the consequences would be if it were real.

Reaction Paper Title Page Essay

â€Å"The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen.† August Rush a 2007 drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, and James V. Hart, and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. Music has been part of our lives since memorable times. Undoubtedly, it has touched us at least once. Most people would agree that music is what helps someone to feel better or just to change one’s mood. In fact, different researches have already found a variety of benefits that it can bring. Advantages in the sensory area as well as in the emotional and cognitive ones are the most interesting topics that this current paper will analyze. Thus, one could understand and give much importance to Music in daily life. The sensory area involves everything related to senses and touch is one of them. According to Forgeard, 2008; Hyde, 2009; Schlaug et al., 2005; â€Å"Music enhances fine motor skills. Motor function is the ability to use small, acute muscle movements to write, use a computer, and perform other physical activities essential for classroom learning. The parts of the brain associated with sensory and motor function are developed through music instruction†. This helps to understand how important is music in the motor skills developing especially in children. One might clearly notice how difficult playing an instrument is; however, with practice it becomes easier. Hence, motor skills are developed. Children would become better in small movements like writing if playing an instrument is in their lives. Let us tackle on another benefit, emotions are part of any body and music may help us to change them depending on the situation. For example, when people want to feel relaxed, one thing they do is just play some music. Some people consider music as a relaxing tool in any area like work, school, home, etc. For instance, Jolkoyski points out that â€Å"Music gives pleasure and expresses nuances of emotional life for which there are no words†. Doubtless; the beat, lyrics, voice, melody or only the sound of any piece of music makes a person feel in a different place where nothing else exists. Then, by listening to music one can enter to an own world. Provided that music moves emotions, it also influences mood. There should be always a song which can change one’s attitude. For this reason; when someone is not calm enough; a soft song like a classical one can move it into relaxation. However, it depends on people’s likes because others could feel calmed with different genre. According to Bridget O’Connell â€Å"The effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on people’s individual preference and experience† all depends on what people are into or love. Then, music helps a lot when emotions are involved. To the same extend, music plays an important role in the cognitive area. Researches have established that many different processes in the brain can be developed through music. â€Å"There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain,† says Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University. As a matter of fact, one can easily become good at certain activities if music forms part of his life. Therefore, music should be included in all places so that cognition could wake up in a strong way. By the same token, Professor Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University points out â€Å"To learn to read, you need to have good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds, make sound-to-meaning connections, each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument.† Then one can say that music helps our brain and the cognitive area in fact. Consequently, many different aspects in the cognitive development can be improved when music appears. To sum up, music will always form part of our lives. Good advantages could be taken if one notices how useful music is. Good sensory, emotions or cognitive would be the results of it. Thus, music should be in us since we are conscious of it and then anyone can be benefit of it. References http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/ http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/814331/10-reasons-why-your-child-should-play-a-musical-instrument-1 http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-music.htm http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education/ http://www.aep-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Music-Matters-Final.pdf

Sociological Concepts of Shutter Island Essay Example

Sociological Concepts of Shutter Island Essay Example Sociological Concepts of Shutter Island Paper Sociological Concepts of Shutter Island Paper Shutter Island is about a World War II veteran, Andrew Laeddis who believes he is a United States marshal. He believe he has been sent to Ashecliffe mental hospital in Shutter Island, Boston to investigate a missing patient. Along the way Andrew faces several hardships but those that are most pressing lie in the areas of deviance, illness, and intelligence. Andrew Laeddis is actually at Ashecliffe because he killed his wife after she drowned their three children in the lake behind their house. He knew he was mentally ill but did not find her appropriate help, therefore making him feel responsible for the death of his children. He created the alter ego of U. S. Marshal Teddy Daniels because he could not stand to be Andrew Laeddis knowing what he had done to contribute to his childrens death. Although it was not his own deviance that left him in Ashecliffe, it was his wives that did. No matter the circumstances, murder goes against social norms and most often entails some form of punishment. All of the people around him while at Ashecliffe were deviants, mostly murders and became a part of who he was as Teddy Daniels. Perhaps, Andrew Laeddis did not seek help for his wife Dolores because of the negative stigma that goes along with mental illness. She believed there was a bug in her brain, Andrew was aware of this and his ignorance may have ultimately lead to the death of his three children. Andrew created an alternate universe for himself where he did not have to feel guilt. He said he would rather die a good man, than live as a monster. Although it was ultimately mental illness, his knowledge helped him cope with the trauma he had faced. His doctors were able to create a role play that helped him realize the truth. Shortly after, he relapsed, likely because reality was too difficult for him to deal with. Many social issues are addressed in Shutter Island. Humans often face the issues of deviance, illness, and knowledge. Andrew Laeddis story was able to bring all of these issues to a whole new level.

Russia Trip essays

Russia Trip essays Model United Nations (MUN) is a worldwide activity, held in many different places around the world. It focuses on developing students debating skills and broadens their knowledge of the political world, as students write and try to pass resolutions concerning real situations taking place in the world today. Last year, twenty-five students were selected to represent Dhahran Academy High School (DAHS) at an MUN conference held in St. Petersburg, Russia. The finest and most elite debaters of the school were chosen. The chaperones that supervised them were Mr. and Mrs. Gertz. Along with them came their adorable son Gabriel. On the evening of March nineteenth, students bid farewell to their loved ones and departed on a bus going to Dammam airport. They were headed for Amsterdam, Holland where they would have a six-hour layover before boarding their next flight to St. Petersburg. While on the bus six close friends (Jad and Majd Chaaya, Carlos Napauri, Ahmad Majzoub, Damien Loughery and Omar Sallman.) talked about their excitement and eagerness of getting to Russia. After arriving at the airport, bags were loaded, passports and tickets checked and everyone was on the airplane. The flight was amusing and didnt seem like seven hours. On it was a fat lady with curly orange hair, glasses and an extremely large stomach. This lady had suffered from some sort of narcoleptic illness where she would pass out and awaken randomly. Unfortunately she was seated next to Majd and Ahmad! Two hours after departure, the lady passed out and was unconscious for a long time. During this period of time Majd and Ahmad began taking photographs next to her. They enjoyed taking the pictures, posing like a fisherman next to his catch of the day, while the rest of the boys laughed a great deal After a long but amusing flight the students arrived at Amsterdam. To pass the hours before the next flight Carlos, Ahmad and Omar went to eat. They went to Sba...

The Role of T Cells in the Body

The Role of T Cells in the Body T cells are a type of white blood cell known as a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes protect the body against cancerous cells and cells that have become infected by pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. T cell lymphocytes develop from stem cells in bone marrow. These immature T cells migrate to the thymus via the blood. The thymus is a lymphatic system gland that functions mainly to promote the development of mature T cells. In fact, the T in T cell lymphocyte stands for thymus derived. T cell lymphocytes are necessary for cell mediated immunity, which is an immune response that involves the activation of immune cells to fight infection. T cells function to actively destroy infected cells, as well as to signal other immune cells to participate in the immune response. Key Takeaways: T Cells T cells are lymphocyte immune cells that protect the body from pathogens and cancer cells.T cells originate from bone marrow and mature in the thymus. They are important for cell mediated immunity and the activation of immune cells to fight infection.Cytotoxic T cells actively destroy infected cells through the use of granule sacs that contain digestive enzymes.Helper T cells activate cytotoxic T cells, macrophages, and stimulate antibody production by B cell lymphocytes.Regulatory T cells suppress the actions of B and T cells to decrease the immune response when a highly active response is no longer warranted.Natural Killer T cells distinguish infected or cancerous cells from normal body cells and attack cells that do not contain molecular markers that identify them as body cells. Memory T cells protect against previously encountered antigens and may provide lifetime protection against some pathogens. T Cell Types T cells are one of three main types of lymphocytes. The other types include B cells and natural killer cells. T cell lymphocytes are different from B cells and natural killer cells in that they have a protein called a T-cell receptor that populates their cell membrane. T-cell receptors are capable of recognizing various types of specific antigens (substances that provoke an immune response). Unlike B cells, T cells do not utilize antibodies to fight germs. This is a colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of resting T lymphocytes from a human blood sample. Steve Gschmeissner / Science Photo Library / Getty Images There are several types of T cell lymphocytes, each with specific functions in the immune system. Common T cell types include: Cytotoxic T cells (also called CD8 T cells)  - are involved in the direct destruction of cells that have become cancerous or are infected by a pathogen. Cytotoxic T cells contain granules (sacs containing digestive enzymes or other chemical substances) that they utilize to cause the target cell to burst open in a process called apoptosis. These T cells are also the cause of transplant organ rejection. The T cells attack the foreign organ tissue as the transplant organ is identified as infected tissue.Helper T cells  (also called CD4 T cells)  - precipitate the production of antibodies by B cells and also produce substances that activate cytotoxic T cells and white blood cells known as macrophages. CD4 cells are targeted by HIV. HIV infects helper T cells and destroys them by triggering signals that result in T cell death.Regulatory T cells  (also called suppressor T cells) - suppress the response of B cells and other T cells to antigens. This suppression is needed so that an immune response does not continue once it is no longer needed. Defects in regulatory T cells can lead to the development of an autoimmune disease. In this type of disease, immune cells attack the bodys own tissue. Natural Killer T (NKT) cells - have a similar name as a different type of lymphocyte called a natural killer cell. NKT cells are T cells and not natural killer cells. NKT cells have properties of both T cells and natural killer cells. Like all T cells, NKT cells have T-cell receptors. However, NKT cells also share several surface cell markers in common with natural killer cells. As such, NKT cells distinguish infected or cancerous cells from normal body cells and attack cells that do not contain molecular markers that identify them as body cells. One type of NKT cell known as an invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell, protects the body against obesity by regulating inflammation in adipose tissue.Memory T cells  - help the immune system to recognize previously encountered antigens and respond to them more quickly and for a longer period of time. Helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells can become memory T cells. Memory T cells are stored in the lymph nodes and spleen and may provide lif etime protection against a specific antigen in some cases. T Cell Activation T-cells regulate immune responses, release the perforin and granzymes, and attack infected or cancerous cells. ttsz / iStock / Getty Images Plus T cells are activated by signals from antigens they encounter. Antigen-presenting white blood cells, such as macrophages, engulf and digest antigens. Antigen-presenting cells capture molecular information about the antigen and attach it to a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule. The MHC molecule is then transported to the cell membrane and presented on the surface of the antigen-presenting cell. Any T cell that recognizes the specific antigen will bind to the antigen-presenting cell via its T-cell receptor. Once the T-cell receptor binds to the MHC molecule, the antigen-presenting cell secretes cell signaling proteins called cytokines. Cytokines signal the T cell to destroy the specific antigen, thus activating the T cell. The activated T cell multiplies and differentiates into helper T cells. Helper T cells initiate the production of cytotoxic T cells, B cells, macrophages, and other immune cells to terminate the antigen.

Evolution of Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evolution of Management Principles - Essay Example At the present, the work is supposed to be carried out by a basis of sharing and caring within the organization’s regimes which was not the case say two decades down the road. With the changing times, the business world has evolved and so have the different methodologies and the ways and means through which it is carried day in day out. One needs to realize the fact that business is a consistently changing world and in this world only the people who are ready to change are successful. Thus to put it in the related context, change is the only constant in the world and in the business scheme of things, changing to suit the will and desire of the customers and/or the stakeholders as well as doing one last bit to bring in more revenues and profits for the company just plays the right trick for the business to succeed both in the short term as well as in the long run. (Cyert & March, 1963) Organizations which stagnate over a period of time and do not change because of one pressure or the other usually die out quickly. The ones that have existed thus far have relied a great deal on the phenomenon attached with change and consistent upgrading of the needs as put forward by the business and its norms. Furthermore, the changing market structure might call for changing strategies and lines of action that would all target the people for whom the product is actually designed as well as the competitors with whom the clutter is being broken in the environs of the marketplace. Thus competition brings in more and more quality at the end of the company with regards to its products as well as more sales in the form of its varied and changed stance on focusing towards the customers rather than the product itself. Every big business or multinational that is existent in present times credits itself on to the vision of an exemplary personality which started it all when the going was tough and when there was a huge competition in the related

Comparing and contrasting the Frye standard, [Frye vs. United States Term Paper

Comparing and contrasting the Frye standard, [Frye vs. United States (293 F. 1013 (DC Cir 1923)], with the Daubert standard [Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (509 U.S. 579 (1993) - Term Paper Example s called â€Å"Fyre in drag.† Problems have come up with this standard, due to the fact that it has led to eyebrows being raised regarding the vitality of the standard and on its flexibility to be able to adjust to different situations and fresh and new scientific matters, where "general" or "widespread" approval is not gathered. Conversely, whether fresh or new, supposedly scientific matters are issues of significance to the court have been quizzed. As a substitute to this standard, many law courts apply Rule 702 of the  Federal Rules of Evidence, as the basis for professional testimony and scientific evidence. In my essay I will provide an explanation of how courts view science and how that view has changed over the last century. I will make also make a prediction of future evidentiary issues for forensic evidence and explain whether forensic evidence in criminal investigations and trials will increase or decrease over the next two decades.   Jason Daubert and Eric Schuller were born with abnormal birth problems that relate to the physicality of the body. Both them together with their real parents had decided to take legal action against Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc, which is a branch of Dow Chemical Company, which is solely situated in some state court in the state of California in the United states of America, They believed that a specific drug in the name of Bendectin had caused the birth abnormalities. Merrell Dow thus transferred the case to federal court, and then made the move for Summary judgment owing to the fact that their legal committee submitted records indicating that no published scientific research and experimentation pointed out a connection between Bendectin and birth abnormalities. Daubert and Schuller, forwarded their professional evidence formulated by themselves which postulated that Bendectin might cause abnormalities resulting from the birth process. In the case in the year 1923, Frye vs united states, 293 F1013(D.C Cir 1923), the

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES - Essay Example Inflamed by environmental, security, economic and social concerns, regulations on energy have been in a flux. Majority of the changes are exhibiting impact on renewable energy. This cuts across from policies designed explicitly to promote energy sources that are renewable and some policies targeted to influence indirectly renewable energy barriers and incentives (Frass-Ehrfeld, 2009). Renewable energy is provided by the environment. Thus, practitioners should relocate from buildings closed environments to the exterior. This is not a big deal as our natural environment provides the fulfillment and the joy of renewable energy. The renewable energy sources are resupplied continuously by the solar or through tapping resources that are inexhaustible including geothermal power, wind and water among others (â€Å"NREL.U.S. Department of Energy†, 1997). The utilization of renewable energy modern technologies has contributed significantly to pollution reduction. Due to increased consumer demand, renewable energy technology has expanded significantly. For example, renewable energy is always scattered in the environment making it damn expensive and difficult to contain. According to Twidell and Weir (2006), renewable energy wide spread application would act in favor of communities that are dispersed in comparison to concentrated ones. In that case, powering of electricity grids will be based on embedded generation that is small-scaled. Therefore, power flows will move intermittently in divergent directions corresponding to local demand and local generation. As renewable energy is spreading at a faster speed, modern technology and science has a great influence on it. For instance, they have ensured that there is an improvement to the existing technologies. However, it is quite difficult to exactly predict the long-term impacts of the changes. As a matter of fact, renewable energy

Why have the 1980s been described as a lost decade in terms of Essay

Why have the 1980s been described as a lost decade in terms of development - Essay Example In light of the halt in third world economic growth immediately after the beginning of the debt crisis, especially in Latin America, almost everyone agreed that the tag â€Å"lost decade of development† describing the 1980s was accurate (Santiso 2003, p. 297). The end of the 2nd World War can be regarded as having a hand in starting of a distinct form of world conflict-the cold war. The two superpowers (the U.S. and USSR) became hyper-suspicious of each other’s motives, creating a hostility that lasted till late 1980s. Truman’s Point Four Program addressed the foreign policy of the country and established a modern era for engagement in international politics. One of the outstanding themes in the four point plan was to help more nations in post World War II and assist the countries restore their economies, besides protecting them from communist control (Santiso 2003, p. 297). The Keynesian approach details economic growth, requiring government guidance and activist policies that circumvent the cyclical instabilities, which plagued the pre-war economies. The present international institutions (the UN, IMF, and World Bank) remain strongly rooted in a definite historic era shaped by emerging Keynesian consensus and embody an attempt to institutionalize this policy framework at an international platform. Development schools of thought incorporated during the post-war era include modernization theories (1950s, early 1960s); dependency theories (late 1960s, early 1970s); world economy view (late 1970s, early 1980s) and basic needs approaches (late 1970s). Other schools include alternative modes of production perspective (1980s) and sustainable livelihood approach. Modernization theory was a strong element in the increasing Third World critique of western ideas and practices on development and reinforced the notion that underdevelopment could be created (throug h colonialism and/or exploitation) instead of being an outright natural state (Katie 2005, p. 32). From

Analysing Finances Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysing Finances - Essay Example Additionally, how the company’s share price has been throughout a year, what the audit report is saying about the company’s financial position and performance, whether it provides a positive healthy financial position or the audit report raises some doubts over some aspects of the company. In addition, an investor must try to gain understanding that how the company has obtained the financial numbers, it would be only possible by knowing its corporate strategies. Many reasons require obtain such information. For investors only relying on the provided annual report would be insufficient to convince them as recently many huge companies despite showing a remarkably healthy financial position become bankrupt and declared their bankruptcy; among them, the debacle of energy giant Enron, declared bankruptcy in late 2001 (Barreveld, 2002, pp.118). Additionally, third party evaluation presents more realistic as there are less chances of conflict of interest. Among them, the credi t rankings issued by different ranking companies may offer some help as the ranking companies do not have, most of the time, any direct link or business dealing with the corporate companies. References Barreveld, D.J. (2002), â€Å"The Enron Collapse: Creative Accounting, Wrong Economics or Criminal Acts† USA: IUniverse.

Why have the 1980s been described as a lost decade in terms of Essay

Why have the 1980s been described as a lost decade in terms of development - Essay Example In light of the halt in third world economic growth immediately after the beginning of the debt crisis, especially in Latin America, almost everyone agreed that the tag â€Å"lost decade of development† describing the 1980s was accurate (Santiso 2003, p. 297). The end of the 2nd World War can be regarded as having a hand in starting of a distinct form of world conflict-the cold war. The two superpowers (the U.S. and USSR) became hyper-suspicious of each other’s motives, creating a hostility that lasted till late 1980s. Truman’s Point Four Program addressed the foreign policy of the country and established a modern era for engagement in international politics. One of the outstanding themes in the four point plan was to help more nations in post World War II and assist the countries restore their economies, besides protecting them from communist control (Santiso 2003, p. 297). The Keynesian approach details economic growth, requiring government guidance and activist policies that circumvent the cyclical instabilities, which plagued the pre-war economies. The present international institutions (the UN, IMF, and World Bank) remain strongly rooted in a definite historic era shaped by emerging Keynesian consensus and embody an attempt to institutionalize this policy framework at an international platform. Development schools of thought incorporated during the post-war era include modernization theories (1950s, early 1960s); dependency theories (late 1960s, early 1970s); world economy view (late 1970s, early 1980s) and basic needs approaches (late 1970s). Other schools include alternative modes of production perspective (1980s) and sustainable livelihood approach. Modernization theory was a strong element in the increasing Third World critique of western ideas and practices on development and reinforced the notion that underdevelopment could be created (throug h colonialism and/or exploitation) instead of being an outright natural state (Katie 2005, p. 32). From

Single Tuned Harmonic Filter Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Single Tuned Harmonic Filter Design - Essay Example Ã' uÃ'•tÐ ¾merÃ'•, Ã'•tÐ °rting with hÐ ¾me Ð °Ã'€Ã'€liÐ °nÃ' eÃ'• tÐ ¾ interfÐ °Ã' ing with Ã' Ã ¾mmuniÃ' Ã °tiÐ ¾n equiÃ'€ment Ð °nd temÃ'€erÐ °ture riÃ'•e in Ð °ll Ã' Ã ¾nneÃ' ted eleÃ' triÃ' Ã °l elementÃ'•. TÐ ¾ mÐ °ke the netwÐ ¾rk mÐ ¾re reliÐ °ble Ð °nd Ã'•eÃ' ure, Ã'•tÐ °ndÐ °rdÃ'• Ð ¾f Ã'€Ð ¾wer quÐ °lity Ð °re Ð °Ã'€Ã'€lied in mÐ °ny diÃ'•tributiÐ ¾n netwÐ ¾rkÃ'•, Ð °nd limitÃ'• Ð °re deÃ'•igned fÐ ¾r tÐ ¾tÐ °l hÐ °rmÐ ¾niÃ'  diÃ'•tÐ ¾rtiÐ ¾n (THD). TherefÐ ¾re, the filterÃ'• Ð °re uÃ'•ed tÐ ¾ Ã' Ã ¾ntrÐ ¾l hÐ °rmÐ ¾niÃ' Ã'• in the netwÐ ¾rk. TÐ ¾ deÃ'•ign Ã'•uÃ' h filterÃ'•, it iÃ'• neÃ' eÃ'•Ã'•Ð °ry tÐ ¾: MinimizÐ °tiÐ ¾n Ð ¾f tÐ ¾tÐ °l Ã' Ã ¾Ã'•tÃ'• Ð ¾f the filter (Ð ¾bjeÃ' tive funÃ' tiÐ ¾n) Ã'•ubjeÃ' t tÐ ¾ Ã' ertÐ °in vÐ °lueÃ'• Ð ¾f filter Ã'€Ð °rÐ °meterÃ'• (Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•trÐ °intÃ'•) iÃ'• the biggeÃ'•t Ã' hÐ °llenge fÐ ¾r filter deÃ'•ign. Ð n Ð ¾Ã'€timizÐ °tiÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾Ã' eÃ'•Ã'• Ã' Ã °n be defined Ð °Ã'• Ð ° mÐ °ximizÐ °tiÐ ¾n (Ð ¾r minimizÐ °tiÐ ¾n) Ð ¾f Ð °n Ð ¾bjeÃ' tive funÃ' tiÐ ¾n, f(x), Ã'•ubjeÃ' t tÐ ¾ Ã'•Ð ¾me Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•trÐ °intÃ'• Ð ¾f the Ã'€rÐ ¾blem, g(x). TheÃ'•e Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•trÐ °intÃ'• define the feÐ °Ã'•ible regiÐ ¾n, i.e. Ð ° regiÐ ¾n thÐ °t Ã' Ã ¾ntÐ °inÃ'• Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'•Ã'•ible Ã'•Ð ¾lutiÐ ¾nÃ'• Ð ¾f the Ã'€rÐ ¾blem. The Ð ¾bjeÃ' tive funÃ' tiÐ ¾n iÃ'• tÐ ¾ minimize the tÐ ¾tÐ °l Ã' Ã ¾Ã'•t Ð ¾f the filter Ã' Ã °n be fÐ ¾rmulÐ °ted Ð °Ã'•: where F iÃ'• the tÐ ¾tÐ °l filter Ã' Ã ¾Ã'•t; R the filter reÃ'•iÃ'•tÐ °nÃ' e; XÐ ¡ the fundÐ °mentÐ °l frequenÃ' y Ã' Ã °Ã'€Ð °Ã' itive reÐ °Ã' tÐ °nÃ' e; XL the fundÐ °mentÐ °l frequenÃ' y induÃ' tive reÐ °Ã' tÐ °nÃ' e; Q the quÐ °lity fÐ °Ã' tÐ ¾r; X0 the reÃ'•Ð ¾nÐ °nt reÐ °Ã' tÐ °nÃ' e; min Ð °nd mÐ °x: denÐ ¾te the minimum Ð °nd the mÐ °ximum limitÃ'•, reÃ'•Ã'€eÃ' tively. The Ã'€rÐ ¾blem Ð ¾f filter deÃ'•ign iÃ'• Ã'•tÐ °rted frÐ ¾m the limit thÐ °t twÐ ¾ Ð ¾r mÐ ¾re hÐ °rmÐ ¾niÃ'  Ã' Ã ¾mÃ'€Ð ¾nentÃ'• Ð °re generÐ °ted in the vÐ ¾ltÐ °ge Ð °nd Ã' urrent wÐ °veÃ'• due tÐ ¾ the nÐ ¾n-lineÐ °r Ã' hÐ °rÐ °Ã' teriÃ'•tiÃ' Ã'• Ð ¾f the reÃ' tifierÃ'•. The uÃ'•e Ð ¾f Ã' Ã ¾nventiÐ ¾nÐ °l LÐ   teÃ' hnique iÃ'• Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'€ulÐ °r, Ð ¾ne mÐ °y uÃ'•e due tÐ ¾ the Ã'•imÃ'€liÃ' ity Ð ¾f Ã'•yÃ'•tem mÐ ¾deling Ð °nd Ð ¾bjeÃ' tiveÃ'•. The quÐ °lity fÐ °Ã' tÐ ¾r determineÃ'• hÐ ¾w Ã'•hÐ °rÃ'€ly the filter iÃ'• tuned tÐ ¾ the tÐ °rget hÐ °rmÐ ¾niÃ'  Ð ¾rder.

The Almond Tree Essay Example for Free

The Almond Tree Essay In the poem The Almond Tree, the poet manages to effectively deal with the subject of death, or in this poem, the death of the poets hopes, by using different techniques such as imagery and symbolism. In The Almond Tree by Jon Stallworthy, the poet is drives to the hospital to see his new born son, and once arrives there, finds out his son has Downs Syndrome, and in the rest of the poem, the poet deals with the death of his hopes, and eventualy learns to accept his son. The poet manages to create an appropriate mood for the death of his hopes by having the first section of the poem be positive, and build up a positive and excited mood. The poet manages to create this postivite mood by imagery. When the poet is describing the traffic lights, he refers to them being green as peppermints, the reference to confectionery makes the reader associate the image with sweet and pleasant things. The poet is so excited that he feels he can change scenes to suit himself, shown when the poet says as if i were the lucky prince in an enchanted wood, this builds up the positive mood because it shows that the poet is very enthusiastic, and so the reader feels that enthusiasm too. The poet is very conscious of himself in the first section shown when he said he was aware of the blood running down the delta of my wrist, and so this shows how excited he is. The verse structure in the first section of the poem is also used as a technique to build up a feeling of excitement, the verses vary between 4-8 lines, and have a next to no structure, which give an impression of the poet being very excited so that hes not concentrating on the structure, and is just getting out all his thoughts as they come to him. The poet also states the hopes that he has for his child, such as let it be a son, a son, because he wants the family name to be carried on. All these techniques used help to develop a feeling of excitement and positivity in the first section, which is used to make the bad news to come an even bigger contrast. The second section of the poem is when the news is delivered that the poets son has Downs Syndrome, and is delievered effectively by first introducing the feeling of uneasiness by using onomatopoeia in the form of harsh words, such as scissored and slicing, and so makes the reader feel as if something bad is going to happen. The way the news is actually delivered is also meant to shock the reader, and it is said as quickly and to the point as possible, using only 4 one syllable words, and 1 two syllable word your son is a mongol. The way the news is delivered is made shocking not only by the way the news is delievered, but because it is such a big contrast to the first section of the poem. The third section describes how the poet feels once hearing this shocking news, and describes the death of his dreams,the poet uses techniques such as imagery to get these points across. He describes the news he recieved as going in clean as a bullet, and subsequently stopping the heart within it, which tells the reader that that to the poet, this news is fatal, and that the bullet left no mark on the skin so the poet showed no outward sign of despair. This reaction shows that the poet is in a state of shock. The poet then states that this was my first death, and by his first death he means the death of his hopes, which was for his son to carry on the family name and growing up to be just like the poet, he backs this point up again by stating never to come ashore into my kingdom speaking my language. The poet becomes displaced from reality, saying I held four walls in the lens of an eye, and this experience shows that the poet can see his dead self, and cannot feel anything any more, which proves that the poets hopes have died. The central idea of the poem is that love can overcome all obstacles, which in this case is the poet learning to love his son, no matter what. The only way that the poet would have been able to accept his son was by letting go of his hopes for his son growing up to be just like him and carrying on the family name, and this is what happens. The whole process is shown in the poem through symbolism, which in this case is the almond tree blooming, the poet describes this process as painful by using harsh words, such as split and blood-dark, and finds that the tree had to go through a painful process in order to become what it is, and he compares this to his own situation, and realises that he has to go through a painful process, which is the death of his dreams, in order to do what he was really meant to do, which was to accept his son.

Project Schedule And Budgeting

Project Schedule And Budgeting Project management provides an integrated framework for project organisation, planning and control which is designed to ensure the timely and cost effective productions of all products and services and maintain high quality standard of products and services to satisfy all stakeholders interest. A process approach to project management define step by step procedures that a project manager need to take to effectively manage the project and satisfy all stakeholders interest. For instance, the Risk Management Process will tell how to identify, analyse and monitor project risks more effectively. It also describes the roles and responsibilities of each team member, when taking part in project risk management. A process approach starts with initiations and then goes through planning, implementation, monitoring and control and then finalisation of the project. So a project has a life where it starts and then after a finite period of time it ends. Some projects are small that only matter from some hours whereas some last for years. Because need for specialisation, most of the projects needs multidisciplinary teams. These teams members are most of the time belong to the parent organisation but some of the work are being done by subcontractors, consultants or partners. Organisations that are involved in the projects are sometime find it very difficult to coordinate with each others and this is the big challenge for the project manager to cope with this problem. Time pressure , limited budgets , tight cash flows and uncertainty always require project manager to make trade-offs between these factors with the implicit goals of balancing risks and benefits. Skyscraper (Burj khalifa) World Tallest building in Dubai Burj khalifa is the world tallest building in Dubai with 164 floors. This is an iconic building with the end of the world architecture design and wonder of steel building. With 900 rooms and home of many indoor entertainments, this project was a big challenge. After 6 years, this dream comes true with the silver tower shaped stick standing in the heart of U.A.E. A Process Approach A process is a group of activities that are designed to transform an input into an output. This transformation consists of the data and information, decision making and implementation and control. Firstly, design of a process must address about the data. What can be the data resources, how the data should be collected, stored, retrieved and presented to decision makers. Secondly, the presentation required to decision makers should be clear and transparent. When a real problem is too complicated to solve or some information is missing, simplifying assumption are made and model is developed. Lastly, data and model integration should be used. Data from the database should be integrated with the help of model and then information generated from the model by using data of data based should be presented to the decision makers. A Project process have different stages involve in it.Those are (1) Initiation (2) planning and control (3) closure (2) 3.1 Initiation Every project has a start point. Before start of the project, interest of certain stakeholders is discussed and need for project is finalised. There will be a variety of ideas and opinions about the purpose and scope of the project, what the final product of the project will be, and how the project will be carried out. The Project Initiation Stage is concerned with taking these ideas and intentions and developing them into a formal, planned, resourced and funded project. Burj khalifa was decided by the ruler of Dubai Sheik Muhammad. It was just a theme in the mind of His Highness Mr.Muhammad.Later that theme was discussed and decided to build that building(project).Project is not started yet. But these are the interest of certain stakeholders (3) 3.2 Planning This stage starts with the handing over of project to the organisation or individual who will manage it. Step 1: Project Kick Off The project was kicked off with the handover of assignment to EMAAR (Abu Dahbis biggest construction Company) Step 2: Project Objective Scope In order to define a project in this way, it is first necessary to clearly and explicitly define what the project is intended to achieve and what its scope of interest will be. By defining this first, a benchmark is created for assessing the quality of what is actually produced at the end of the project. So this project was discussed with the members of the government to Dubai to the part of recognition of Dubai as an international business city. The Scope of the project was high as this was $1.5 billion and it was supposed to be an icon for Dubai. The objective of the project was to present Dubai as an international city in front of world. It is also necessary to develop a process by which the project objectives can be achieved. Work Breakdown Structure is a technique to draw the structure of the process that needs to be done in the project. A WBS diagram expresses the project scope in simple graphic terms. The diagram starts with a single box or other graphic at the top to represen t the entire project. The project is then divided into components, with related activities listed under them. Generally, the upper components are the deliverables and the lower level elements are the activities that create the deliverables. (4) (2) http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/pmbok.html (3) http://burj-khalifa.eu/featured/tall-order (4) htttp://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2645.aspx Step 3: Project Schedule and Budgeting Project was scheduled to complete in 4 years but it finished in 6 years. Starting time was January 2004 and it was planned to finished in 2008.Its budget was $1.5 billion. There are different tools and technique that can be used to manage schedule and budgeting. One is Gantt chart that is around for many years. These are excellent models for scheduling and for budgeting, and for reporting and presenting and communicating project plans and progress easily and quickly, but as a rule Gantt Charts are not as good as a Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagram for identifying and showing interdependent factors, or for mapping a plan from and/or into all of its detailed causal or contributing elements. Critical Path Analysis is another technique that is being used for the scheduling of the project. This method calculates the minimum completion time for a project along with the possible start and finish times for the project activities. Indeed, many texts and managers regard critical path schedul ing as the only usable and practical scheduling procedure. Computer programs and algorithms for critical path scheduling are widely available and can efficiently handle projects with thousands of activities. (5) Step 4: Project Organization A South Korean company South Korean company, Samsung Engineering Construction, which also did work on the PETRONAS twin towers and Taipei 101. Step 5: Project Control Procedures Control of every stage of the process is important as this will affect the next stage. This process will typically involve carrying out a number of tasks and producing a number of products during the course of the project. The tasks produce the products. For clarity of purpose and for control reasons it is useful to arrange these tasks in a top down structure, which progressively specify the required work in more detail. Burj khalifa tower project was divided into several small chunks and then each stage was control with a different procedure. Step 6: Project Initiation Stage Assessment Initial stage also defines what resources and associated time commitment are required to carry out the project. The work breakdown structure provides a basis from which this estimation can be carried out. The resource and time commitment can be used to calculate an end date for the project and an estimate of its cost. Resources needed for Burj khalifa was important to manage the flow of work. Steel was used in a very big amount which was imported from India. As the land of Dubai is mostly sand and for the safety purpose, the basement was filled with the soil from other part of the world. The overall project schedule is not in detail to enable the allocation of actual resources to tasks, or to control progress. It is very important to produce a more detailed plan for these purposes. This detailed plan is only produced for the next stage of the project, usually covering an elapsed time of two to four months. (5)http://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/10_Fundamental_Scheduling_Procedures.html The way the project is managed and executed is the key to its success. The involvement of the right people for data capture and decision making is also very important. It is necessary to recruit these people at the start of the project and to define the project organization structure. It is also necessary to establish the procedures that will be used by the people in the Project Organization Structure to carry out and control the project work. Step 7: Business Case Finally, in order to establish a resourced and funded project, it is necessary to establish a clear and convincing business case for the project. This business case should be reviewed, and hopefully accepted by management. The business case will identify the projected benefits of meeting the objectives of the project, and balance these against the costs and risks associated with realizing these benefits. The business case can also be used as a benchmark to compare against actual results, costs and benefits in order to assess the ultimate success of the project. The Project Initiation stage is described here as a sequence of steps. In reality, once the objective and scope have been defined, many of these steps occur in parallel, and the step products are developed iteratively, since there are many dependencies between the steps. It is necessary to plan the Project Initiation stage, albeit in an informal manner. Therefore it is important to create a Project Initiation Kick off Plan sch eduling the activities and resources. (6) 3.3 Execution During this stage of the project, the focus should be on carrying out the work planned for the stage there are many project management activities that need to be carried out in addition to the project work itself .These activities are arranged into a series of steps. A step to initiate the stage, steps that are carried out on an on-going basis throughout the stage, steps that are carried out at the end of the stage and a step that is only carried out in an exception situation. To control the follow of the process and to manage activities during the process stages, project manager should monitor and control project progress, through the use of regular checkpoints involving the project team and formal reviews with project board. Also, quality of the product and changes in the baselined products are also managed. There can be many issues that arose during the processes and those issues should be removed. The constructions of Burj Khalifa was not easy as the building moves on, the filling of concrete into the walls was a problem. The vertical method was used to put the concrete from the top. It was a risky as well as technical challenge. Also, the use of heavy machinery from the top and how to fix that machinery on the top was also an issue of safety. Several of the activities will result in changes to the stage schedule. The Stage Manager should ensure that these changes are made smoothly, and that these changes are communicated to all concerned. Any changes made to individual work assignments should be confirmed in the regular checkpoint meetings. If there as any issue arises during any stage then stage plan will be changed to manage that deviation. (6)http://dijest.com/tools/pmworkbench/pmtemplates/pmoredocs/pmprocess.htm 3.4 Monitoring and Control The documents of all the processed and stages should be managed and update regularly. Electronic and hardcopy file structures are set up to consistently maintain and administer project management and development products. All documentation procedures for the stage should be established and the team should understand what these are for, how they are used, and what their individual responsibilities are. Emaar establish a database for the Burj Khalifa project to monitor all the process and to discuss it with all the management involved in the process to show what is going on. This enables the project manager and other staff to communicate each other more precisely and take appropriate action if there is any deviation. The whole project was broken down into small projects and whole team was divided into small project teams who control these small projects. A Project Board of Burj Khalifa is the executive authority of a project. It authorizes the project to proceed, approve any change or if possible stop the project. It enters in to a contract with the Project Manager through the Project Initiation, Project and Stage Plans, to provide the executive support and resources required to execute a project which will deliver the specified products to schedule and budget. The Project Board should view the project as an investment intended to yield gain business benefits. Failure to achieve those benefits reflects as much upon the control exercised by the Project Board as it does on the execution of responsibilities by the Project Manager and Project Team. The Project Board meet at the end of each stage, including Project Initiation, to review the achievements of the concluded stage and authorize proceeding to the next. Project Manager schedule standing Project Board meetings at the beginning of the project. Confirm the logistics of the next mee ting, namely date, time and conference room. Also, project manager report to the Project Board the results of the Post Implementation Review.This assess the performance of the new system against the objectives planned. It also identifies and captures metrics and factors that will improve the development process.PERT analysis is used to monitor the activities along with Gantt chart and CPA (Critical Path analysis) 3.5 Project Closure Every project has a life. It starts and then after some time it ends. All good things must come to an end. Projects are designed to end at some point that is the nature of project work. Burj Khalifa project started in Jan 2004 and it finished in Jan 2010.To gain maximum benefit from a project, the project went through a formal close down.There may be some outstanding work that needs to be carried out on the products of the project.The project will have been using several lists and tracking mechanisms, such as the change request log and the issues log.These need to be formally closed.The members of the Project Organization will have learnt how to carry out this type of project better in the future, and will have a better idea of how long the various activities on this type of project will take to do.These learnings should be captured for future use.There will be a lot of information generated during a project, and this will have been stored with varying degrees of formality by the me mbers of the Project Organization.This information needs to be formally filed away for possible future use.By this time in the project,all project work should have been completed, and the products of the project should have been accepted by the customers.It is possible however, that the final products do not fully meet the original objectives and requirements.Before the project is completely finished, any outages in the products should be identified and evaluated.If it is decided that the outages need to be fixed, it will be necessary to set up a mechanism to carry this out.This may be by a new project,or a maintenance program.Make sure that the evaluation includes an evaluation against the Business Success Criteria that were defined during the Project Initiation Stage.However, it is also important to evaluate the overall quality of the final product in respect of its ability to meet current requirements.Review the changes that are recommended to the process used on the project. Exa mine each change and decide if it is likely to apply to future projects of this type.Change the standard process based on these reasons.(7) Project in which Scheduling is not important As all the projects have an integral part i.e. scheduling. Scheduling is an important part of any project as this break down the work in small chunks that are easy to manage. But there are some projects in which scheduling are not important. For example the project of US war with Afghanistan. War is started but there is not set schedule of procedding.Plans are changing within an hours or days but no clear schedule .There are no stages involve as everything happening as the change of weather. Although this project has a starting point and there will be an ending point but there is not set process for that. Work Breakdown Structure A challenging project is made manageable by first breaking it down into individual components in the work breakdown structure, or the WBS.This is a hierarchical structure that shows that main part and then its subparts.This is divided into small chunks that can easily be managed by the management as compared to whole big project. Such a structure defines tasks that can be completed independently of other tasks, facilitating resource allocation, assigning responsibilities to different people, and measurement and control of the project. Each organization uses its own terminology for Work Breakdown Structure components according to their own needs. For example, some organizations refer to different levels as main tasks, sub-tasks, and work packages, as shown below. Others use the different terms phases, entries, and activities. The WBS may be organized around deliverables or phases of the project life cycle. Higher levels in the structure generally are performed by groups. The lowest level in the hierarchy often comprises activities performed by individuals, though a WBS that emphasizes deliverables does not necessarily specify activities. (7) http://theconstructor.org/structures/burj-khalifa-dubai-opening-ceremony/1003/ The breaking down of a project into its component parts facilitates resource allocation and the assignment of individual responsibilities. Care should be taken to use a proper level of detail when creating the WBS. On the one extreme, a very high level of detail is likely to result in micro-management. On the other extreme, the tasks may become too large to manage effectively. Defining tasks so that their duration is between several days and a few months works well for most projects.(8) Below is the work breakdown structure used in construction and related to Burj khalifa 8 (8)http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/wbs/ (9)Case study about scope-cost-time integrated model with work breakdown structure http://cife.stanford.edu/online.publications/WP115.pdf Gantt charts Gantt Charts are very useful project management tools that is used mostly in scheduling and budgeting. The Gantt chart is named after US engineer and consultant Henry Gantt (1861-1919) who devised the technique in the 1910s. Gantt charts are excellent models for scheduling and for budgeting, and for reporting and presenting and communicating project plans and progress quickly. Gantt chart can be constructed by using MS Excel. Every activity has a separate bar. Create a time-line for the duration of the project.Colour can be used to show the time blocks to denote type of activity (for example, digging, piling, concreting, finishing, etc.). A Gantt chart can be used to keep track of progress for each activity and how the costs are running. In Burj khalifa project, Gantt chart helps to manage step by step activity. The time blocks around can be moved to report on actuals versus planned, and to re-schedule, and to create new plan updates. Costs columns can show plan and actuals and variances, and calculate whatever totals, averages, ratios, etc., that you need. Gantt Charts are probably the most flexible and useful of all project management tools, but remember they do not very easily or obviously show the im portance and inter-dependence of related parallel activities, and they wont obviously show the necessity to complete one task before another can begin. Project planning tools naturally become used also for subsequent project reporting, presentations, etc., and you will make life easier for everyone if you use formats that people recognize and find familiar. (10) Critical Path Analysis Critical path analysis / method are an effective way to analyse complex projects.CPA represents the critical set of activities to complete a project. Critical path helps us to focus on important activities which are critical to run the project. Once the critical activities are identified, we can devote good resources and prioritize the same accordingly. CPA also gives us a very good basis for scheduling and monitoring for progress.One of the most important thing it does is allows the project manager to concentrate on important activities. This method takes the longest time then the other methods. (10) http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm (11) Mind Mapping Case Study to Support Gantt chart method http://www.matchware.com/en/forms/mindview2%20case%20studies/case_history_form.pdf CPM models the activities and events of a project as a network. Activities are presented as nodes on the network and events that signify the beginning or ending of activities are presented with lines between the nodes. The above is an example of a CPM network diagram. (13) Success of Burj Khalifa Project Burj Khalifa was not just a project. Its a milestone in the history of Dubai which enhances the projection of Dubai in the modern world. As we land on Dubai airport, this tower welcomes you with its shinning image from Arabian Sea. Its a design of human intelligence which satisfied all its stakeholders with nothing below then positivity. As this is the tallest tower, the gravity was an issue which was solved with the design. The success of the project is that it is the only highest man made tower on the earth which was completed finally in 2010. Secondly, the world famous designer ARMANI opens its store in the tower. Also, the world famous business is going to open their offices in that tower. Summary Project management of a powerful field with its knowledge of managing from a small activity to massive project.This field is very interesting in the sense that it provides step by step approach to finish a particular job. I researched many case studies from a construction to the Deli Olympics, from Football World cup to Cricket World cup events. I did not mention these events in my assignments but I try to find similarities of managing these projects. Although there are not much difference between the methods used in these events but there are certain requirements that are required for a particular projects. I am working as a manager in a retain chain and I observe these methods of project in my work indirectly. I am very much interested in project manager in my future and I found these approaches useful for the implications of my job role. I understand from this module that as a project manager how can I initiate, plane, control, monitor and close my projects. Before this module, I was not aware of the role of project manager. I was taking this job as a normal person job that just purchases material and give it to employees and just look around. But after understanding this module and its different aspects, I come to the point that project management is an important field in every aspects of human life from inside a living house to an international consignment. The interest in this role to me is the different stages those are involved in this field. As a project manager the changes that I will make in my approach are Documents all the activities Work Break down into small chunks (12) Case Study of baking a loaf of bread to support Critical path analysis http://tutor2u.net/business/production/critical-path-analysis.htm (13)http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/cpm/ Manage each stage separately Communicate my plan with my staff effectively Evaluate each activity Monitor each activity Control of the workflow Reference http://www.gizmag.com/go/3555/picture/7485/ http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/pmbok.html http://burj-khalifa.eu/featured/tall-order http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2645.aspx http://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/10_Fundamental_Scheduling_Procedures.html http://dijest.com/tools/pmworkbench/pmtemplates/pmoredocs/pmprocess.htm http://theconstructor.org/structures/burj-khalifa-dubai-opening-ceremony/1003/ http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/wbs/ Case study about scope-cost-time integrated model with work breakdown structure http://cife.stanford.edu/online.publications/WP115.pdf http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm Mind Mapping Case Study http://www.matchware.com/en/forms/mindview2%20case%20studies/case_history_form.pdf Baking a Loaf of Bread Case Study http://tutor2u.net/business/production/critical-path-analysis.htm http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/cpm/

Black And White Essay -- essays research papers

Black and White   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the Civil War, just prior to the turn of the century, many American novelist were writing more freely of the previous slave culture. Two of these writers being Mark Twain and Charles Chesnutt. Mark Twain was a popular â€Å"white† author by this time. Charles Chesnutt, the son of free blacks, decided to pursue a dream of becoming an author in order to remove the spirit of racism. By studying these authors in particular, the views of a white raised in the slave holding south are juxtaposed with the views of free black. Both Twain and Chesnutt satirize whites in different ways through their literature. Twain also displays some unfavorable preconceptions of blacks. This can be attributed to his own upbringing in the slave holding south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character of the Chesnutt stories is an old Negro man, previously a slave, who engages his new white employers in many tales about life on the plantation. Uncle Julius relays these stories with much detail. Though, at the conclusion of each, the reader is left wondering whether the tale was true or if Uncle Julius had conceived of it merely to satisfy his own desires. Chesnutt has added to the end of each story an ulterior motive of Uncle Julius that seems to be met by the telling of his tales. By doing this, Chesnutt discretely satirizes whites in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first story, The Goophered Grapevine, Uncle Julius tells of a conjure woman putting a â€Å"goopher† on the grapevines, causing all blacks that eat the grapes to die within one year. This story is relayed upon the first meeting of the northern white couple (John and Annie) and the native South Carolinian. After telling his tale of Henry and the others that suffered from this spell, Uncle Julius concludes that these northerners should not buy this vineyard, adding conveniently that he is not afraid to eat the grapes because he know the â€Å" ole vimes fum de noo ones.† John decides to buy the farm in spite of Uncle Julius's warnings, but he does offer him employment as a coachman. It seems as if Uncle Julius had been trying to guarantee his usefulness on the plantation even after its sale. Was white man tricked into believing Julius' knowledge would be useful in the renewing of the vineyards? Chesnutt lets the reader wonder, but regardless of his tale being ... ... of blacks, especially her own black heritage. When scolding her son Tom for refusing to challenge the twins, Roxy blames his cowardice on â€Å"de nigger† in him. After noting all of the predominant white members of his pedigree, she concludes that â€Å"de nigger† is his soul. Twain seems to have some assumptions of his own that blacks have no pride in their own heritage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twain and Chesnutt both satirize whites, but in different ways. Twain, being a white, satirizes the slave holding south, rather than whites in general. Chesnutt, on the other hand, uses a couple from the north in a story set in the free south. Chesnutt also is more descrete in his satire, while Twain pokes fun directly. Twain also displays some of his own prejudices, being a white trying to explain the black culture. On the contrary, Chesnutt honestly portrays blacks from an inside perspective. Roxy was ashamed of the black blood in her, while Uncle Julius seemed to be a proud old man, happy to tell of his black friends and past. From the analysis these literary selections we can gain a greater understanding of racial views but, one may say that everything is not as simple as black and white

Dear Diary Essay

I’ve lived on this here ranch for many years now, and as a coloured man, I feel my life is nothing but the lowest of all. A white man’s loneliness and hardship is nothing compared to a black man’s isolation. I live here, all alone in my own room. The other men say that it’s good to have your own room, where there ain’t nobody else to disturb your own privacy. But, it’s not like that. There ain’t nothing good about it at all. A lonely life is what I live. By my own self, in my own bunk, with no one. I’m kept away from all the other men on this ranch, because of the prejudice against my coloured people. I have complained too many times about this injustice, but nobody would listen to the nigger speak. But, something funny happened today. Everything was the same as it always is on a Saturday evening. The white fellas out to town, leaving everything else silent, except the quiet echo of the horses, moving about restlessly. As usual, my crippled back, injured from that darn horse, began to throb with pain once again, so I took out my liniment and slowly began to massage the ache with my hands. My mind wandered, and wondered about the reasons I have for staying here. I have many. I can’t leave this place, even though it is the one place where I am always unhappy. It’s just the fact that I’m a black man, I suppose. I haven’t got any choices. It’s either here or nowhere. It was silent as hell. I gazed up from my thoughts and realised Lennie, the new guy was standing in my doorway. I heard things like he was a big fella and everything but by god! That guy is huge. I just thought that there must have been something wrong with his head. How dare he, a white man, who should know about a black man’s privacy, should come and invade my territory? I’m not like them other white men. Seeing as I ain’t allowed in their bunk house, well, why should they be allowed in mine? He stood there, smiling with his great mouth. I told him that he shouldn’t be in here, still stunned at his daring. He smiled even more at that. Then he replied, only talking about his darn pups. But I realised, as the conversation grew on, that the man didn’t understand about prejudice and all those things. I began to feel at ease and even liked his company. Of course I did, anyways. There can’t be any man on earth who likes being on his own all the time. We talked and we talked. And I surprised even myself when I told him about my past, when I was a boy. When my old man had his own chicken ranch and the white kids would come and play. I used to play with them sometimes too, my old man didn’t like that but I didn’t find out why ’til I was older. Wish I could go back to them days. It was nice talkin’ to the big fella though. Normally, If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it. When he next spoke, I realised the boy weren’t taking in anything I say. All he was concerned about was the damn pups. God, a guy could talk to him and be sure he won’t be going off telling everyone else. He was stupid as hell. And I took advantage of him. Advantage of all the dumb things I thought about him. I’d been put down one too many times, and this time, this time, I was the one in power. I suppose I just wanted to scare him, that’s all. Didn’t mean no harm. I threatened him with the thought of his pal, George Milton, who Lennie seemed to be fond of, leaving him behind. Of course, all that’s unlikely to ever happen, but I dunno†¦ It got his attention though. He was scared. God, I was enjoying it, but now, I realise how stupid I was. I enjoyed every moment of this torture, but it was okay. It wasn’t me, or so I thought. I carried on, saying stuff like, supposing George can’t come back, say if he died or something. What would Lennie do then? I was full of glee with the thought of the hurt I was inflicting on Lennie. But I just suppose I was jealous. Too jealous. How come this dumb guy, Lennie, could get a friend, a companion, when I couldn’t? I’m smarter than him. I could’ve been more of a better person to talk to. But I know why. It’s always the same reason. The prejudice white folks have for us black folks. So I kept tormenting him, with all the rage and anger I had kept within myself for a lifetime. Suddenly, Lennie stood up and I realised how big he was. It scared me. This towering ogre, shadowing me with his great body. I stopped teasing him, and tried to be more gentle and reassuring. I know I’m never gonna mess around with that big boy any more. We settled down once again, with comfort and ease among us. It was a nice feeling. Probably better than the feeling of being in power. I suppose power isn’t always everything. Lennie was now talking a lot more than before. About their â€Å"dream† of owning their own land – the same dream every man has before they lose their entire stake to the cat houses in town and finally give up. Too many men I’ve seen have given up. There’s no reason why this dream won’t be the same. But†¦ for some reason, I believe it could come true. It’s just the enthusiasm I saw in Lennie when he was talking about it. Of course, I didn’t hear much about the dream from Lennie. All he was on about was the animals and how he’d be taking care of them. Then, from outside, the sound of a horse whined, and halter chains clinked. I moved to the door painfully. I didn’t realise my back hurt so much. I figured it could have been Slim. He sometimes comes into my room. It turned out to be Candy, the swamper. He old man is older than me, but in less pain. Lucky him. I invited him in though. Might as well anyways. Since everyone else was coming in. And also because I enjoyed the company†¦ He came in and suddenly, it seemed as though all we were talking about was their dream. I was amazed at how real all of their hopes were. I masked my thoughts and pretended to be not interested. I questioned them about the dream, about the land and where would they get it. But they answered with flawless answers. I even tried to put them off the dream, telling Candy how he’s just a swamper, and that’s all he’d ever be. Another act of jealousy. But the two men, with feelings so strong for what they believed in, did not fall for any of my traps. Could it be true? Could they really be doing the impossible? I admit, I ain’t ever seen a guy really do it. Achieve their dreams and own their own land. Nope. Not one person. I suppose that’s why I let my defences down. All my pride collapsed with the entrancing dream†¦ It took a lot of guts to say this, but I offered to work for them for nothing. Just so I could be with them, and perhaps be even†¦ happy†¦ I dunno†¦ It felt like it was worth it at the time. Giving up all this loneliness for a bit of happiness. Who would refuse? Who could refuse? Being part of a dream such as theirs. With their own land, own house, own animals, own everything. It was only a dream – ’til they came along and made it come to life. The moment was spoiled when Curley’s wife entered without my saying so. I couldn’t tell her to leave though. Even as a woman, she still has more power than a nigger. She came looking for Curley. As if she didn’t know already. I asked her politely to leave, but she responded with her loneliness. I suppose I haven’t really paid enough attention to her, to wonder about her feelings, but why should I? If the way she treated me today was just a smack of reality, then I shouldn’t care for anyone but myself. My anger built up and was eventually released. The anger I built whilst listening to her threats, freed themselves in the form of words. I should’ve kept to myself though. I know I didn’t do anything except make things even worse. She didn’t have any rights to be in my room. A coloured man’s room. No rights to be messing around in here at all. And that’s what I told her. Told her to get out. She then turned against me, and threatened me, like I have been for everyday of my life. But this time, it was worse, much worse. She threatened me, telling me that if I told anyone she’d been here, she could get me hung. She knew she could get me killed. A black man ain’t got any power over a white woman even. She threatened to kill me and the painful part was†¦ that I knew she could. And I accepted it. Because I have accepted the prejudice all my life. My body froze and I sat there perfectly still, my eyes in one place, turned away. It’s the position I use to create the wall protecting me from the cruel, white world. Where I can imprison the pain and the hurt from a lifetime of hatred and prejudice. These feelings who crave to scream and shout. Yet, they have no say in this world. Like I don’t have any say. I was grateful towards Candy at that moment. He stood up for me, going up against the bully. But she did the same to him as she did with me. But I appreciated it, I did. It was only when Candy said that he thought he had heard the other men coming back, when she left. I’m not very sure if he was telling the truth, but it did its job. She was gone in a flash, leaving her emotional footsteps behind imprinted upon us. It was time for Candy and Lennie to leave. I would have loved for them to stay for just a little bit longer†¦ but I knew they couldn’t. In the background, George yelled for his friend, Lennie. A friend I envy. As they left and turned their backs on me and my sanctuary, I shouted back for Candy. I told him to forget everything I said about hoeing and doing odd jobs. I didn’t mean it. To him I didn’t. But I really did. It’s just a secret I have to keep to myself now. I felt unwanted, my pride gone, all lost to the hands of that woman. I wish I could go back and ask Candy for another chance, but I know I can’t. I’ve already rejected the offer, and even told him I would have never liked a place like that anyway†¦ I wonder why I said it now. I suppose I didn’t want to seem desperate, even though I really was. I had to rebuild another barrier, and in doing so, I abandoned my only escape out of here. I didn’t think before I acted. But those words were the only thing on my mind at the time. And still I wonder why. I should probably forget about it though. I won’t have another chance. Unless they asked me to†¦ but that isn’t really likely. White men asking a black man to work with them? Perhaps†¦ but just not these men. Now, I’m rubbing my back once again, with the pink palm of my left hand, covered in liniment. With the desire to soothe the pain on the outside, as well as the pain inflicted inside. I’m thinking about this past night, this past year, my past life. I realised I ain’t never been truly happy, have I? Never on this ranch, where I’m always singled out from everybody else, only ’cause I’m the only black man. I don’t like anything on this ranch. Only ’til tonight I found one thing I liked. Friendship. But I don’t have it. Not now, anyways, and probably not ever. I do like it though. I know I do. But all I can do is just sit here night after night, wondering about it. How it’s like, how it’d be, but never experiencing the joy. Just†¦ wondering.