Intimate Partner Violence and Other Incidents - Critical Incident Assessment and Counselor Competencies Free Essay Example, 3250 words

I volunteered as a domestic violence advocate at a non-profit organization for many years and part of my responsibilities in that role was to answer a 24/7 crisis line. Most of my contact with victims of IPV followed an incident of physical violence that involved law enforcement and the arrest of the perpetrator. Short and Long-Term EffectsHomicides and injury-related deaths are major effects of the intimate partner violence (IPV), owing to the fact that this form of crisis renders a victim hopeless and totally incapable of withstanding the pressures of life, due to the violence and being abused, at the expense of love, affection and support from the intimate partners (James Gilliland, 2013). Miscarriages and premature delivery as well as lost pregnancies are other major effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the side of women, since physical violence, emotional and psychological abuses from their intimate partners causes such women to develop both blood and abdominal pressures, which eventually see the conditions of the uterus deteriorate, leading to pregnancy problems. Interpersonal relationships deterioration and family-breakups are the other effects of this form of traumatic crisis. We will write a custom essay sample on Intimate Partner Violence and Other Incidents - Critical In cident Assessment and Counselor Competencies or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Alcohol, drug and substance abuse is yet another effect of this form of crisis, owing to the fact that without sufficient support, the victims of the intimate violence and abuse turns to alcohol and drug as the source of consolation (Miller, 2008). Counselor CompetenciesEmpathy and non-judgmental attitude are some essential components that are necessary for intimate partner violence (IPV) counselor since the counselor needs to immerse into the position of the victim, so as to be able to understand them well (Miller, 2003). Respect and sensitivity is yet another core competency requirement for a counselor in this form of crisis, due to the fact that intimate matters are very sensitive and deserving of a high level of confidentiality and privacy.

Human Rights Animal Rights Essay - 1490 Words

Animal Rights Name Institutional Affiliation Animal Rights Animal rights as well as animal welfare are different concepts that identify variant points in a continuum that extends from the exploitation of animals to the animal liberation. Animal rights can be perceived as the belief in the fact that humans have no right to take advantage of animals for their gains, in the farms, labs entertainment or in the wild as well as the prohibition of unnecessary cruelty against animals. A number of distinctions can be made when it comes to these terms, but at the end of the day, they all connote the concern for welfare and suffering of animals. There have been a number of aggressive and cruel actions against animals. Some of the most notable topics are inclusive of vivisection, which makes reference to the cutting up of the animals. It makes refers to all experimental procedures that result in the death of injury of the animal. Specialism refers to the discrimination or the exploitation of certain species or animals by the human, which is based on the assumption that humanity is more superior (Animalethics.org.uk, 2015). History Animal Rights Legislation The concern for animals is an element that has emerged in a number of laws, from the Old Testament to date. For instance, there were requirements that stipulated that animals ought to rest on the Sabbath. There were other forms ofShow MoreRelatedAnimal Rights And Human Rights923 Words   |  4 Pages Animal Rights â€Å"Nearly as many, 68 percent, were concerned or very concerned about the well-being of animals used in ‘sports’ or contests as well as animals in laboratories (67 percent) (Kretzer, 1).† Many people question whether an animal is capable of thought and emotions. Others feel as though animals are the equivalent of humans and should be treated as such. Since the 1800’s, animal rights has been a topic that has several different sides including two extremes. If animals can react to theirRead MoreAnimal Rights And Human Rights1857 Words   |  8 PagesWhether we think about it or not, our views on animal rights affect the choices we make every day from the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, the products we use on our skin, the medicine we take, and even the pets we may or may not keep in our home. Each of these choices hinge on our views of animal rights. Although animal rights are not a new issue we are facing here in the U.S., recent events have brought t hem back into the foreground. News stories like the slaying of Cecil the lion, and HarambeRead MoreAnimal Rights And Human Rights1627 Words   |  7 Pages Animal rights is a very controversial topic in today’s world. This controversy began back in 1975 when Peter Singer’s novel Animal Liberation was published. In the book, Singer explains the issues we still face at the top of animal protectionism today. Although Singer and his theories enlightened a lot of people of animal protectionism, he actually did not start the animal rights debate. People started questioning the status of animals all the way back to ancient Greece. Some people in these timesRead MoreAnimal Rights And Human Rights1808 Words   |  8 PagesThe idea that animals have rights seems to be heavily agreed on by a large majority of scholars whom have studied this topic. However, what comes into question is understanding the severity and range of these rights. How do we determine the level of animal rights? How do we understand animal rights in relation to human rights? This paper aims to address these questions by showing that animals have the basic righ ts to live a life without harm, but cannot have equal rights to humans because of ourRead MoreAnimal Rights And Human Cruelty1908 Words   |  8 Pages(iii) Animal Rights Once rights are granted to certain groups of people, more and different types of group also starts asking for rights. This is an example of a â€Å"slippery slope† argument. Similarly, there are groups of people who advocates for the rights of animals. They are speaking out against cruelty that animals have to go through like slaughtering them for food, conducting different kinds of experiments on them, etc. While pro-animal rights people argue about those types of â€Å"cruelty,† anotherRead MoreAnimal Rights, Human Wrongs929 Words   |  4 PagesComparing Animal and Human Rights Should animals be used for humans joy or prosperity? People still are yet to agree on if animals should be basically used for anything that humans want, or if animals deserve their own rights. The viewpoint from animal believers is that there are no advantages fro using animals, but from a scientist and researchers viewpoint animals can be helped and are necessary for human’s existence. In both essays, â€Å"Animal Rights, Human Wrongs† by Tom Regan and â€Å"Proud to beRead MoreShould Animals Be Granted The Rights And Protection Of Humans?1152 Words   |  5 PagesIf animals are so different from humans, then why should they be granted the rights and protection of humans as stated in our Constitution (Hurley, 1999, p. 49)? As the Bible states in Genesis 1:26, â€Å"And God said... Let them [human beings] have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,†(â€Å"ProCon.org†, 2015). Mankind has rule over animals, to respect them and love them, but also to use them as necessary (Harnack, 1996). The AmericanRead MoreDo Animals Have A Say?: Comparative Analysis of Animal Rights, Human Wrongs and Proud to be Speciecist1188 Words   |  5 Pagesof animal testing for human advantages has always been a debatable topic. It is still undecided whether the use of animals for human benefits is morally right. On the other hand it is scientists and researchers who think that animals are good testing subjects because of various reasons such as preventing harmful products or finding cures to diseases. The two essays â€Å"Animal Rights, Human Wrongs† by Tom Regan and â€Å"Proud to be Speciesist† by Stephen Rose talk about the concerns of animal rights butRead MoreAnimal Rights and Human Wrongs6049 Words   |  25 Pages5 Animal Rights and Human Wrongs Hugh LaFollette Are there limits on how human beings can legitimately treat non-human animals? Or can we treat them just any way we please? If there are limits, what are they? Are they sufficiently strong, as som e peop le supp ose, to lead us to be veg etarians and to se riously curtail, if not eliminate, our use of non-human animals in `scientific experiments designed to benefit us? To fully ap preciate this question let me contrast it with two differentRead MoreP.E.T.A.: Animal Rights, Human Abuse1707 Words   |  7 PagesWith over 850,000 active members, the animal rights organization People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has blossomed into an exceptionally powerful speech community. Their main goal is to enlighten others about the prominent existence of animal cruelty in the world, hoping to gain enough power to abolish it, or at least prevent it from happening as often as it does. PETA uses language as a tool of power, verbalizing its message through controversial ad campaigns, ralli es, marches and protests

Chemical Control vs Biological Control free essay sample

Chemical pesticides are substances that are manufactured in laboratories that, when applied to crops, reduce the vitality of pest populations while leaving crops unharmed. There are many chemicals available to help eradicate common pests in a number of ways. Chemical controls can kill pests that come in contact with the chemical (toxicants), eliminate the reproductive potential of pests (sterilants), disrupt their developmental potential (growth regulators) or influence their behaviour (semiochemicals). Most of these chemical controls are fast acting and effective. Biological Control Biological control methods employ the use of living organisms such as predators, parasites and pathogens to control the populations of pests on agricultural crops. Biological control agents can be bred and reared in large numbers and then released into infected crops to reduce the populations of pests (augmentation) or simple land conservation measures can be implemented on agricultural lands that maintain healthy populations of native predators (conservation). Many pests that cause damages to crops thrive because they are invasive and have no natural predators. We will write a custom essay sample on Chemical Control vs Biological Control or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finding and importing predators of these invasive pests is essential for effective biological pest control. Benefits Chemical controls are cheap and readily available. Chemical controls, especially toxicants, have been in use since the 1940s and have remained in popular use due to their fast acting and effective results in controlling pest populations. Many new chemicals have been developed in recent years that are even more efficient in controlling pests, maintaining the popularity of chemical control in agricultural practices. However, biological control has seen an increase in use in recent years due to its perennial and organic nature. Many biological control methods remain in effect year after year, limiting pests without any additional costs or synthetic additives to the natural environment. Considerations While chemical controls are often effective they are usually seasonal and require reapplication with each growing season. Biological controls may take  a longer period of time to see the desired results, but they only require the initial investment and introduction to control pests. Chemical controls also have additional environmental costs. Many chemical pesticides are persistent in the environment, damage organisms other than the pests they are meant to control (including humans) and are not permanently effective, as pest populations can build up a resistance to chemicals over time. Thus, while chemical controls may be more economical and effective in the short term, their use requires caution and consideration for future costs, both environmental and economic. Integration While some landowners look only at seasonal profits and depend on chemical methods, others contemplate only the environmental sustainability of their practices and opt for biological methods. However, many landowners blend chemical and biological controls together in order to maximize profits while minimizing costs as well as reduce the environmental impact on their land. The use of multiple pest control methods is referred to as integrated pest management (IPM). Dense infestations often require the potency of chemical pest control but limited application, coupled with preventative biological control, is the most effective agricultural management practice.

More than Two Sexes free essay sample

This paper explains that although Western culture recognizes only two sexes, other sexes exist as well. This paper examines the possibilities of more than two sexes from a biological and sociological viewpoint. The paper points out the problems faced by those who do not fit into the two sex definition. The definition of intersexuality sets a basis to be able to group Sterlings five sexes into their own subgroups. The standard medical definition of intersexuality or intersex refers to the three major subgroups with some mixture of male and female characteristics, which include: the herms, ferms, and merms. The hermaphrodites or herms, posses one testis and one ovary, the productive gonads. In some cases, with the true hermaphrodites, the testis and ovary grow separately but bilaterally. In other people, they grow together within the same organ, forming an ovo-testis. Usually the sperm cells or eggs function quite well, along with the production of sex hormones such as: estrogen and androgen. We will write a custom essay sample on More than Two Sexes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Taylor 99-101)

Geographical and Historical Overview of Poland

Geographical and Historical Overview of Poland Poland is a country located in central Europe to the east of Germany. It lies along the Baltic Sea and today has a growing economy centered on industry and the service sector. Population: 38,482,919 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: WarsawArea: 120,728 square miles (312,685 sq km)Bordering Countries: Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, UkraineCoastline: 273 miles (440 km)Highest Point: Rysy at 8,034 feet (2,449 m)Lowest Point: Raczki Elblaskie at -6.51 feet (-2 m) History of Poland The first people to inhabit Poland were the Polanie from southern Europe in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 10th century, Poland became Catholic. Shortly thereafter, Poland was invaded by Prussia and divided. Poland remained divided among many different peoples until the 14th century. At this time it grew due to a union by marriage with Lithuania in 1386. This created a strong Polish-Lithuanian state. Poland maintained this unification until the 1700s when Russia, Prussia and Austria again divided the country several times. By the 19th century however, the Polish had a revolt due to the foreign control of the country and in 1918, Poland became an independent nation after World War I. In 1919, Ignace Paderewski became Polands first prime minister. During World War II, Poland was attacked by Germany and Russia and in 1941 it was taken over by Germany. During Germanys occupation of Poland much of its culture was destroyed and there were mass executions of its Jewish citizens. In 1944, the government of Poland was replaced with the communist Polish Committee of National Liberation by the Soviet Union. The Provisional Government was then established in Lublin and members of Polands former government later joined to form the Polish Government of National Unity. In August 1945, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, Joseph Stalin, and Britains Prime Minister Clement Attlee worked to shift Polands borders. On August 16, 1945, the Soviet Union and Poland signed a treaty which shifted Polands borders west. In total Poland lost 69,860 square miles (180,934 square kilometers) in the east and in the west it gained 38,986 square miles (100,973 square kilometers). Until 1989, Poland maintained a close relationship with the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1980s, Poland also experienced a large amount of civil unrest and strikes by industrial workers. In 1989, the trade union Solidarity was granted permission contest government elections and in 1991, under the first free elections in Poland, Lech Walesa became the countrys first president. Government of Poland Today Poland is a democratic republic with two legislative bodies. These bodies are the upper Senate or Senat and a lower house called the Sejm. Each of the members for these legislative bodies are elected by the public. Polands executive branch consists of a chief of state and a head of government. The chief of state is the president, while the head of government is the prime minister. The legislative branch of Polands government is the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Tribunal. Poland is divided into 16 provinces for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Poland Poland currently has a successfully growing economy and has practiced a transition to more economic freedom since 1990. The largest economies in Poland are machine building, iron, steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages and textiles. Poland also has a large agricultural sector with products that include potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat, poultry, eggs, pork and dairy products. Geography and Climate of Poland Most of Polands topography is low lying and makes up a part of the North European Plain. There are many rivers throughout the country and the largest is Vistula. The northern part of Poland has a more varied topography and features many lakes and hilly areas. Polands climate is temperate with cold, wet winters and mild, rainy summers. Warsaw, Polands capital, has an average January high temperature of 32 F (0.1 C) and a July average high of 75 F (23.8 C). More Facts about Poland Polands life expectancy is 74.4 years The literacy rate in Poland is 99.8 percent Poland is 90 percent Catholic Resources and Further Reading Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 22). CIA - The World Factbook - Poland. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.htmlInfoplease (n.d.) Poland: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107891.htmlUllman, H.F. 1999. Geographica World Atlas Encyclopedia. Random House Australia.United States Department of State. (2009, October). Poland (10/09). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2875.htm

Mass Shootings and Related Issues of Race and Gender

Mass Shootings and Related Issues of Race and Gender â€Å"Sick,† â€Å"twisted,† â€Å"disturbed,† â€Å"psychotic,† â€Å"mentally ill,† â€Å"psychopath,† â€Å"acted alone.† These words  are familiar to anyone who pays attention to news accounts of mass shootings carried out by white males over the last three decades. Trouble is, none of these guys- Eliot Rodger, Adam Lanza, James Holmes, Jared Loughner, Anders Breivik in Norway, among others- really acted alone. While news accounts typically frame mass shootings by white males as the work of  deranged individuals, the actions of these  men and boys are expressive of widely held patriarchal and white supremacist beliefs. They are the manifestation of  a sick society. The  shooters who left digital trails have made it clear that their actions were prompted by their perceived loss of power and status in society. They felt slighted by women who do not obey them and their desires, by people of color and queer folks who have fought for, earned, and defended their civil rights, and by a society that doesn’t afford them the respect and place they believe they deserve by accident of their race and gender. They are the product of a changed and ever-changing social context in which historic forms of power and domination are being slowly but loudly destabilized, and of a society that socializes them to believe that this is wrong, and that they deserve to be in positions of power. Demographic Shifts in the U.S. and Anomie Among White Men​ Writing in 1897, sociologist Émile Durkheim popularized a theoretical concept that can be  usefully applied to understanding how this perceived problem of individuals is actually a social problem. Anomie, Durkheim explained, is a condition that results when the values and expectations of an individual do not match those that predominate in society. When an individual experiences anomie, they feel disconnected from their society; they feel destabilized. Anomie, per Durkheim, is a state of social derangement. Applying the theory of anomie to the phenomenon of white male shooters throws into relief the conditions of social derangement experienced by boys and men who take such action. White males, especially those with economic privilege relative to others, have historically lived at the top of the power hierarchy in the United States. They hold power in terms of their gender, their race, sometimes their class, and often, their sexuality. But, in today’s social context in which patriarchy, heteronormativity, white supremacy, and economic power have been destabilized by various social movements, legislation, and paradigm shifts in popular consciousness, their power over others is waning. With it, so too is their historically unjustly inflated social status. The Violent Death Grip of Patriarchy and White Supremacy This is not to say that patriarchy, heteronormativity, white supremacy, and economic control by white men are things of the past. These forms of domination live today in a wide variety of attitudes, values, beliefs, and practices. The actions of white male shooters make it fatally clear that the ideologies that undergird these forms of oppression are not only alive, but thriving today. They are expressed in their most overt and terrifying forms in the Youtube videos, chat logs, conversations, and manifestos of Anders Breivik, Elliot Rodger, and Jared Loughner, among others. They were expressed with violence and hatred in a rash of hate crimes against women, people of color, LGBT people, and immigrants following the 2016 presidential election. In this social context of anomie, shooting others is a desperate attempt to reclaim norms lost. It is an assertion of power that has been destabilized by the changing nature of society, its norms, and its values. Yet, the actions of white male shooters are couched within the larger social problem of a troubled masculinity that transcends race. Viewed through a wider lens, the connections between shootings perpetrated by white males and other forms of violent masculine expression, like street harassment, gendered and sexualized violence, hate crimes, gang violence, and white separatist and nationalist movements become clear. Society Needs Masculinity Rooted in Respect and Care for Others A social problem like this requires a social solution. Background checks and reforms to gun laws might reduce gun violence, but they will not stop other forms of violence that stem from a social sickness. Alleviating the social sickness of racism, and the gendered and heterosexist norms of patriarchy  is work that must be done collectively by all of us. We, as a society, must reconfigure what masculinity means, and cast off the dangerous values and expectations that we socialize boys to hold and express in their behavior. Curing this social sickness requires a new masculinity detached from notions of superiority, dominance, control, and compliance of others. It requires what the writers at Rad Dad advocate for in their call for a Feminist Fathers’ Day: a masculinity premised on respect and care for others.

Project development and implementation for strategic managers Essay

Project development and implementation for strategic managers - Essay Example I am grateful to my parents, who have always assisted me in every step. This study only became possible for their blessings and confidence on me. Thank you all for believing in me and make myself belief that I can fulfill my dreams. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Chapter 01 – Introduction 4 Chapter 02 - Literature Review 4 Chapter 03 - Research Methods 7 Chapter 04 - Summary of the Response Details 8 Chapter 05 - Data Analysis 10 Chapter 06 – Conclusion 10 Reference List 12 Appendix 13 Chapter 01 – Introduction A project is referred to as an endeavor that is designed for achieving a unique product or result within a given time frame. The aim of a project is to bring beneficial changes to the end user or make value additions (Anderson, Grude and Haug, 2009). However, the temporary character of project differentiates itself with the usual business operation. As a result of that, the management of these two factors is completely different and requires a diffe rent approach. Project management is dubbed as the discipline that encompasses planning, organizing, motivating as well as controlling the resources of the firm to achieve particular goals (Faiz and Edirisinghe, 2009). A number of scholars have emphasized on the fact that a good project manager should encompass both management skills as well as technical knowledge. The primary goal of a project management and organization is the achievement of the project goals. However, the key constraints in this factor are time, scope, quality and budget. In addition, optimum utilization of the resources and integrating these resources to meet the predefined objectives is another challenge (Eastman, Teicholz, Saks and Liston, 2008). In this assignment, the aim is to develop a new software package and ensure its timely delivery to the client. The software to be manufactured is CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, for the client company XXX3 Ltd. The company is aiming to implement CRM f or the purpose of managing the relationship with customers. XXX3 Limited is an apparel retailing company and therefore the company is obvious to have a diversified customer base. The software will be designed in such a manner that it fulfills all the objectives of the company. It is expected that once the company implements CRM into their system of operation, the company will be able to maintain a good relationship with its customers. Moreover, in this turbulent business environment, management of relationship with the customers is a key issue and therefore implementation of technology or a system that promotes management of relationship with the customers is a necessary activity (Edum-Fotwe, Egbu and Gibb, 2003). Chapter 02 - Literature Review Project Management Theory Project management is a vast area and requires knowledge of domain, technology as well as administration. Moreover, for better project management a company requires specialized skills. Larson and Gray (2006) states t hat maintaining a positive attitude, remaining clear about the project structure and managing proper communication will greatly help a company to achieve success. Project management encompasses 5 stages that are namely initiation, planning and design, execution, monitoring and controlling and closing. (Source: Alterspark, 2013) Stage 1: - Understanding / Initiation – In the first stage, research about the area of concern is carried out and this can

Destination Marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Destination Marketing - Coursework Example Tourism destination has been defined as â€Å"a geographical region, political jurisdiction, or major attraction, which seeks to provide visitors with a range of satisfying to memorable visitation experiences† (Bornhost, Ricthie and Sheehan, 2010). A tourism destination must also seek to enhance the economic and social well-being of the residents within its boundaries. To be called a tourism destination it must also offer a wide range of activities and experience to the tourists. Kenya can be called a tourism destination as it is an attractive, and one of the most developed tourist destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa (Ayoo, 2007). As of 2007 Kenya had 29 National Parks and 29 National Reserves that together occupy about 7.5% of the country’s total area. Biodiversity ranging from marine parks, mountain, arid and semi-arid parks to ecosystems can be found at these parks. The Equator divides the country into almost two equal halves. The country has several attractions such as natural and cultural attractions such as game viewing, bird-watching, deep-sea fishing and mountain climbing, apart from being free of terrorism (Pennington-Gray et al., 2005). The diversity of physical landscape and scenery provide both beauty and variety to the country (Odunga, 2005). Wildlife and nature-based tourism is the greatest attraction for the tourists visiting Kenya. Tourism in Kenya grew over the years and became an important economic activity. However, the sector has been experiencing decline because it could not segregate mass tourism from eco tourism and sustainable tourism. The focus initially was on mass tourism but then the focus shifted towards attracting a niche segment or the upmarket segment (Odunga, 2005). This affected the image of Kenya as a tourist attraction. With another policy shift the focus was again on both mass tourism and the niche segment. The constant shifting of strategies has led to an adverse image of the destination. Tourism in Kenya is in the decline stage of the Tourism Area Life Cycle as product quality has declined. Effective promotion is needed to restore the image that Kenya as a destination carried. Situational analysis would help recommend a suitable promotional strategy to attract the UK tourists, comprising of a niche segment. 2. Situational Analysis An analysis of the macro environment or the external factors that influence tourism in Kenya would help develop the framework for promotion as well as the marketing objectives. 2.1 Environmental Analysis The country is undergoing political instability and political unrest. One of the major issues is the unequal distribution of resources such as land on which tourism depends. Some hold the view that while tourism consumes large resources the distribution of the revenue remains at the discretion of the central government, which often disregards the social and economic needs of the region (Mayaka and Prasad, 2012). The political situation in the country makes the tourism industry vulnerable to uncertainties and volatility. The tourism sector in Kenya contributes to 11 percent of the GDP but the global financial crisis further affected the political events, which resulted in reduced flow of tourists (Mayaka and Prasad, 2012). Tourism has reduced unemployment while maintaining balance of payments (Pennington-Gray et al., 2005). The recession

Thesis Project Manual Essay Example for Free

Thesis Project Manual Essay Research Description 1.1. Overview of the Current State of Technology This section gives the reader an overview of the specific technology or field in the international or local setting. The information regarding the technology or field should be contemporary and not based on outdated sources. Discussion must not be too technical or too detailed. This section ends with a discussion on the problems faced by or that still exist in the specific technology or field (e.g., limitations of existing software or algorithms). 1.2. Statement of the Problem This section contains the statement of the problem which summarizes the closing discussions in Section 1.1 of the Thesis Proposal. The problem statement would lead to the research objectives. If possible, limit this to one (1) sentence only. 1.3. Research Objectives 1.3.1. General Objective This subsection states the overall goal that must be achieved to answer the problem. 1.3.2. Specific Objectives This subsection is an elaboration of the general objective. It states the specific steps that must be undertaken to accomplish the general objective. These objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timebounded. Each specific objective may start with ―to design/survey/review/analyze†¦Ã¢â‚¬â€" Studying a particular programming language or development tool (e.g., to study Windows/Object-Oriented/Graphics/C++ programming) to accomplish the general objective is inherent in all thesis and, therefore, must not be included here. 1.4. Scope and Limitations of the Research This section discusses the boundaries (with respect to the objectives) of the research and the constraints within which the research will be developed. Thesis Proposal Outline and Contents 3 1.5. Significance of the Research This section explains why research must be done in this area. It rationalizes the objective of the research with that of the stated problem. Avoid including here sentences such as ―This research will be beneficial to the proponents/department/collegeâ€â€" as this is already an inherent requirement of all CS thesis projects. Focus on the research’s contribution to the Computer Science field. 2.0. Review of Related Literature This chapter discusses the features, capabilities, and limitations of existing research, algorithms, or software that are relevant and related/similar to the thesis. The reviewed works and software must be arranged either in chronological order, or by area (from general to specific). Observe a consistent format when presenting each of the reviewed works. In this chapter, the maximum number of pages is 10. 3.0. Research Methodology This chapter lists and discusses the specific steps and activities that will be performed by the proponents to accompl ish the project. The discussion covers the activities from the proposal stage to the final stage. Examples of activities include inquiry, survey, research, brainstorming, canvassing, consultation, review, interview, observe, experiment, design, test, document, etc. The methodology also includes the following information: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 4.1. Who is responsible for the task The resource person to be contacted What will be done When and how long will the activity be done Where will it be done Why should be activity be done Calendar of Activities This chapter contains the Gantt chart showing the schedule of activities outlined in Chapter 3 of the Thesis Proposal. The following table is an example of a Gantt chart: ACTIVITY JAN Data Gathering **** Software Requirements Analysis Initial Architectural Design FEB ** **** MAR **** APR **** ** †¦ Thesis Proposal Outline and Contents 4 Appendix A. Bibliography Appendix B. Resource Persons For each resource person, specify the following items: Appendix C. Personal Vitae For each proponent, specify the following items:

Fresno State :: essays research papers

Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian will announce his retirement from coaching Friday after a 31-coaching career, the past seven seasons at Fresno State, a source close to Tarkanian told ESPN.com on Thursday. Tarkanian's attorney met with Fresno State president John Welty Thursday and the three are expected to meet again later Thursday to finalize the details of his retirement. A source close to the 71-year old Tarkanian said he would be retained as a consultant at Fresno State -- his alma mater -- at an estimated salary over $100,000 for two years. A source also said the floor at the Save Mart Center, set to be finished in 2003, would also be named for Tarkanian. A source close to Tarkanian said he was worn down after Wednesday night's first-round postseason NIT loss to Temple at Selland Arena. Tarkanian will end his career with 778 wins and 202 losses in 31 seasons. He entered the season as the fourth active winningest coach in Division I and he entered the season as the top active winningest coach by percentage at .802, but that dropped to .794 after the 19-15 season. The 19 wins prevented him from getting his 30th 20-win season. Tarkanian took three different teams at Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State to 18 NCAA Tournaments. He went to four Final Fours, including one national championship with UNLV in 1990. He took Fresno State to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2000 and '01, the first time the Bulldogs had been to the NCAAs since 1984. The program had only been to the NCAAs three times prior to Tarkanian's arrival. He also raised the first $1 million for the Save Mart Center. Fresno State ended its season Wednesday night with an 81-75 loss to Temple in the NIT.

My Life in the Light of the Rule of Benedict

We live in a time impatiently dashing towards the next. Ours is a society plagued by the need to move on without resolving issues of the here and now. We readily throw objects for the latest, and within the same breath complain that things are not the way they used to be. We so willingly burn bridges, and under the same lifetime demand for meaningful and lasting connections. Our lives are imbalanced and devoid of meaning because we are so caught up in the demands that society imposes upon us. And at the end of each day we feel so empty and restless, longing for something more. The good news is that meaning and purpose can be found for those who truly want it in their lives and are willing to do what it takes to find it and keep it. The book of St. Benedict was written some 15 centuries ago. But it finds place even in modern times. The precepts that it gives are enduring for those who want to find a semblance of spiritual peace in our chaotic and often uncertain world. The book is mainly about how man can strike a balance between his work and his spiritual life of prayer and meditation. This work of St. Benedict, which was written in the Middle Ages, became the foundations of the monastic life, where men of God were men of the world as well, doing menial jobs even as they tend to their spiritual lives. St. Benedict’s philosophy revolved around three main concepts: peace, pray and work. That in spite of the daily grind and drudgeries of our existence, we can all strive to find peace in our lives through finding time to pray and sanctify all our daily activities. He believes that the men of God should never turn their backs to the world and their responsibilities to their communities because a life of prayer without the actual good work that benefits other people is useless. Our duty as Christian is two-fold, the daily worship of God and the daily service to mankind. In every aspect of living, there is a way to find balance and address these two things at the same time. The wonderful thing about The Book of Benedict is that while it deals with profound issue of faith and grace, it also has practical advices on how to observe them in the real world. Balance and moderation is the key to a peaceful and content life. We must never be tempted to excesses and overindulgence. In food, two of a kind is sufficient so that if a person does not eat one, then there is always a second option. In my life I make it a point to enjoy my food, the key to feeling food is to savor every bite and celebrate the blessings that it represents. There are some cases when celebrating through food is well-deserved, but still, it should be taken in moderation. As St. Benedict said, â€Å"For nothing is so contrary to Christians as excess, as our Lord saith: ‘See that your hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting’ (Lk 21:34).† I have realized that food, to be truly enjoyed need not be taken in excessive amounts. The secret is in learning how to delight in and appreciate each small bite of food. In terms of clothing and other possessions, the same principle of moderation and appropriateness should apply. The clothing that we buy should be suitable to its use and to the climate of the place that we live in. Circumstances and not wants should dictate our choice of the clothes to buy. Of course every article of clothing should be tasteful in design, never ostentatious and ornamental, but tasteful and practical. And for those who have too much should give them away to the less privileged so that other people can find use for them. Looking at St. Benedict’s philosophies of moderation and appropriateness, I have realized that the tendency to hoard and acquire more material belongings is at the very heart of the loneliness that afflicts most of us. We are never happy with what we have, always wanting more in an effort to cover up the emptiness that we feel. The sad truth is that most of us look outside ourselves for answers, when all that we could ever need has been laid out in front of us. All that is needed is that we spend the time to look at all the blessings that we have and give thanks for them. My life is dictated by duties and responsibilities. But I know the value of prayers in my life. I make the time to attend to matters of my soul, even as I try to fulfill my duties to my family and my community. I have realized that I have everything I need to have a happy and full life. It is just a matter of changing how we look at our lives. If we continue to define our lives by what we do not have, then we shall never be content even while we are drowning in material possessions. The grace to have a grateful heart can only be achieved through constant prayer, and while my day is filled with things to do, I make it a point to make prayer a necessary habit. Indeed the secret to a happy life is no longer a secret. St. Benedict has long given us the power to define our own lives. Our lives may be filled with the realities of work and responsibilities, but in prayer we find a safe haven where we can find peace and the strength to carry on with what needs to be done for the day.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 40

But after an endless time in the soft, kind darkness, something was forcing Elena back up into light. Real light. Not the terrible green half-light of the Tree. Even through shut eyelids she could see it, feel its heat. A yel ow sun. Where was she? She couldn't remember. And she didn't care. Something was saying inside her that the gentle darkness was better. But then she remembered a name. Stefan. Stefan was†¦? Stefan was the one who†¦the one she loved. But he'd never understood that love was not singular. He'd never understood that she could be in love with Damon and that it would never change an atom's worth of her love for him. Or that his lack of understanding had been so wrenching and painful that she had felt torn into two different people at times. But now, even before she opened her eyes, she realized that she was drinking. She was drinking the blood of a vampire, and that vampire wasn't Stefan. There was something unique in this blood. It was deeper and spicier and more heavy, al at once. She couldn't help opening her eyes. For some reason she didn't understand, they flew open and she tried immediately to focus on the scent and feeling and color of whoever was bending over her, holding her. She couldn't understand, either, her sense of letdown when she slowly realized that it was Sage leaning over her, holding her gently but securely to his neck, with his bronze chest bare and warm from the sunlight. But she was lying down flat, on grass, from what her hands could feel†¦and for some reason her head was cold. Very cold. Cold and wet. She stopped drinking and tried to sit up. The light grip became firmer. She heard Sage's voice say, and felt the rumbling in his chest as he said it, â€Å"Ma pauvre petite, you must drink more in a moment or so. And your hair has Stillsome of the ashes in it.† Ashes? Ashes? Didn't you put ashes on your head for†¦now what had she been thinking about? It was as if there was a block in her mind, keeping her from getting close to†¦ something. But she wasn't going to be told what to do. Elena sat up. She was in – yes, she was very sure – the kitsune paradise, and until a moment ago her body had been arched back, so that her hair had been in the clear little stream that she had seen earlier. Stefan and Bonnie had been washing something pitch-black out of her hair. They both were smudged with black as well: Stefan had a big swath across one cheekbone, and Bonnie had faint gray streaks below her eyes. Crying. Bonnie had been crying. She was Stillcrying, in little sobs that she was trying to suppress. And now that Elena looked harder she could see that Stefan's eyelids were swol en and that he had been crying too. Elena's lips were numb. She fel back onto the grass, looking up at Sage, who was wiping his eyes furtively. Her throat ached, not just inside, where sobbing and gasping might make it hurt, but outside, too. She had a picture of herself slashing at her own neck with a knife. Through her numb lips, she whispered, â€Å"Am I a vampire?† â€Å"Pas encore,†Sage said unsteadily. â€Å"Not yet. But Stefan and I, we both had to give you massive amounts of blood. You must be very careful in the next days. You are right on the brink.† That explained how she felt. Probably Damon was hoping that she would become one, wicked boy. Instinctively, she held out her hand to Stefan. Maybe she could help him. â€Å"We just won't do anything for a little while,†she said. â€Å"You don't have to be sad.†But she herself Stillfelt very wrong. She hadn't felt this wrong since she'd seen Stefan in prison and had thought that he would die at any moment. No†¦it was worse†¦because with Stefan there had been hope and Elena had the feeling that now hope was gone. Everything was gone. She was hol ow: a girl who looked solid, but whose insides were missing. â€Å"I'm dying,†she whispered. â€Å"I know it†¦Are you al going to say good-bye now?† And with that Sage – Sage! – choked up and began to sob. Stefan, Stilllooking so oddly mussed, with those traces of soot on his face and arms and his hair and clothes soaking wet, said, â€Å"Elena, you're not going to die. Not unless you choose to.† She had never seen Stefan look like this before. Not even in prison. His flame, his inner fire that he showed to almost no one but Elena, had gone out. â€Å"Sage saved us,†he said, slowly careful y, as if it cost him great effort to speak. â€Å"The ash that was fal ing – you and Bonnie would have died if you'd had to breathe any more of it. But Sage put a door back to the Gatehouse right in front of us. I could barely see it; my eyes were so ful of ashfal , and it's only getting worse on that moon.† â€Å"Ashfal ,†Elena whispered. There was something at the bottom of her mind, but once again her memory failed her. It was almost as if she'd been Influenced to not remember. But that was ridiculous. â€Å"Why were ashes fal ing?†she asked, realizing that her voice was husky, hoarse – as if she'd cheered too long at a footbal game. â€Å"You used Wings of Destruction,†Stefan said steadily, looking at her with his swol en eyes. â€Å"You saved our lives. But you kil ed the Tree – and the star bal disintegrated.† Wings of Destruction. She must have lost her temper. And she'd kil ed a world. She was a murderer. And now the star bal was lost. Fel ‘s Church. Oh, God. What would Damon say to her? Elena had done everything – everything wrong. Bonnie was sobbing now, her face turned away. â€Å"I'm sorry,†Elena said, knowing how inadequate this was. For the first time she looked around miserably. â€Å"Damon?†she whispered. â€Å"He won't speak to me? Because of what I did?† Sage and Stefan looked at each other. Ice went down Elena's spine. She started to get up, but her legs weren't the legs she remembered. They wanted to unlock at the knees. She was staring down at herself, at her own wet and smudged clothes – and then something like mud came down her forehead. Mud or congealing blood. Bonnie made a sound. She was Stillsobbing, but she was speaking, too, in a new husky voice that made her sound much older. â€Å"Elena – we didn't get the ashes out of the top of your hair. Sage had to give you an emergency transfusion.† â€Å"I'l get the ashes out,†Elena said flatly. She let her knees bend. She fel onto them, jarring her body. Then, twisting, she leaned down to the little brook and let her head fal forward. Through the icy shock she could dimly hear exclamations from the people above water, and Stefan's sharp, Elena, are you All right? in her head. No, she thought back. But I'm not drowning, either. I'm washing out my hair. Maybe Damon will at least see me if I'm presentable. Maybe he'll come with us and fight for Fell's Church. Let me help you up, Stefan sent quietly. Elena had come to the end of her air. She pul ed her heavy head out of the water and flipped it, soaking but clean, so that it fel down her back. She stared at Stefan. â€Å"Why?†she said – and then, with a sudden panic – â€Å"Has he left already? Was he angry†¦with me?† â€Å"Stefan.†It was Sage, speaking tiredly. Stefan, who was staring out of his green eyes like a hunted animal, made some faint sound. â€Å"The Influence, it is not working,†Sage said. â€Å"She will remember on her own.†

The Origins of the Boxer Uprising essays

The Origins of the Boxer Uprising essays The Origins of the Boxer Uprising was published in 1987 by University of California Press. Since the 1960s, the Qing archives in both Beijing and Taiwan have been opened to scholars. Additional sources such as Jiao-wu jiao-an dang (Archives on Missionary Cases) and documents from Shandong have been made public. The author, Joseph W. Esherick, was intent on using the new resources available to disprove previous notions about the Boxer Uprising. Esherick stated in the preface of the book that he intended on disproving the ideas of Victor Purcell. Purcells The Boxer Uprising: A Background Study, published in 1963, was the last serious treatment on the subject of the origins of the Boxers until Eshericks time. The major problem in Purcells book was that Purcell believed there to be an alleged Boxer shift from an anti-dynastic to a pro-dynastic stance. (pg xvi) Esherick sought to prove that from the very beginning the Boxers were a loyalist movement, and there never was an anti-dynastic phase. The authors sources came from both parts of the world, places such as Shandong University, the First Historical Archives in Beijing, the Palace Museum in Taiwan, the East Asian Library of the Hoover Institution, the Stanford University Library, the University of California Library, Harvard University Library and others. Esherick also included oral history told by the people of Shandong and other focal points of Boxer activities. A key factor for some of the sources is that they werent available to the scholars until that time. Esherick restate that fact repeatedly throughout the book. The book began with detail background of the cults that eventually spawned the Boxers themselves. Afterwards, Esherick started a narrative of an overview of economic and political conditions in Shandong between 1898 and 1899. There is also a description of the hist ...

Definition and Examples of Inflectional Morpheme

Definition and Examples of Inflectional Morpheme In English morphology, an inflectional morpheme is  a suffix thats added to a word  (a noun, verb, adjective or an adverb) to assign a particular grammatical property to that word, such as its  tense, number, possession, or comparison. Inflectional morphemes in English include the  bound morphemes  -s (or -es); s (or s); -ed; -en; -er; -est; and -ing. These suffixes may even do double- or triple-duty. For example, - s can note possession (in conjunction with an apostrophe in the proper place), can make count nouns plural, or can put a verb in the third-person singular tense. The suffix -ed can make past participles or past-tense verbs.   Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, authors of Linguistics for Everyone, explain  why theres overlap:  This lack of distinction in form dates back to the  Middle English  period (1100–1500 CE),  when the more complex inflectional affixes found in  Old English  were slowly dropping out of the language.(Wadsworth, 2010) Contrast With Derivational Morphemes Unlike derivational morphemes, inflectional morphemes  do not change the essential meaning or the  grammatical category of a word. Adjectives stay adjectives, nouns remain nouns, and verbs stay verbs. For example, if you add an -s to the noun carrot to show plurality, carrot remains a noun. If you add -ed to the verb walk to show past tense, walked is still a verb. George Yule explains it this way: The difference between  derivational  and inflectional morphemes is worth emphasizing. An inflectional morpheme never changes the  grammatical category  of a word. For example, both  old  and  older  are adjectives. The  -er  inflection here (from  Old English  -ra) simply creates a different version of the adjective. However, a derivational morpheme can change the grammatical category of a word. The verb  teach  becomes the noun  teacher  if we add the derivational morpheme  -er  (from Old English  -ere). So, the suffix  -er  in  modern English  can be an inflectional morpheme as part of an adjective and also a distinct derivational morpheme as part of a noun. Just because they look the same (-er) doesnt mean they do the same kind of work.  (The Study of Language, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Placement Order When building words with multiple suffixes, there are rules in English that govern which order they go in.  In this example, the suffix is making a word into a comparative: Whenever there  is  a derivational suffix and an inflectional suffix attached to the same word, they always appear in that order. First the derivational (-er) is attached to  teach, then the inflectional (-s) is added to produce  teachers. (George Yule, The Study of Language, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Linguistics for Everyone lists additional examples to drive home the point about placement order of the affixes: For example, the words  antidisestablishmentarianism  and  uncompartmentalize  each contain a number of derivational affixes, and any inflectional affixes must occur at the end:  antidisestablishmentarianisms  and  uncompartmentalized. (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck. Wadsworth, 2010) The study of this process of forming words is called  inflectional morphology.

Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia- Major Influences & Essay

Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia- Major Influences & Motivations - Essay Example It was also in France where he became acquainted with the prospective leaders of Khmer Rouge and the masterminds of one of the most atrocious governments in human history. This essay discusses Pol Pot’s and the Khmer Rouge’s regime in Cambodia, as well as Pol Pot’s major influences and inspirations. While in France Pol Pot began to gain and nourish his leftist, revolutionary ideas. For instance, Saloth Sar took on his pseudonym, Pol Pot, while in Paris. At the same time, he became fascinated with Marxism and joined the French Communist Party’s Cambodian wing.3 Pol Pot made friends with other Cambodians in France who shared his own beliefs, most of whom would be his strongest comrades for decades to come. One of his notorious friends was Ieng Sary. Sary would eventually become the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea.4 A cohesive faction was emerging. Pol Pot socialized with numerous other Khmer scholars, such as the revolutionists Keng Vannsak and Thiounn Mumm. Numerous of these students belong to the elite families of Cambodia. For instance, Thiounn was part of the most influential clan in Phnom Penh. Studying applied science, Mumm in all probability familiarized and invited Pol Pot into the Communist Party.5 Similarly, Keng Vannsak had ro yal acquaintances. He studied Cambodian linguistics in France. Even though interested in leftist ideas, Keng Vannsak did not become a communist; but he was a passionate patriotic.6 Pol Pot and his friends started to create their radical ideologies while in France. Progressively, these radical ideologies were expressed in enormously nationalistic ways. The revolutionary ideology was to be fully independent, with the goal of building a self-governing and autonomous Cambodia. This objective would eventually put these Paris-schooled radicals against Vietnamese-inspired Khmer radicals. In the early 1950s, in

Chaucer writes a 'feminine kind of romance' ( Burrow). Discuss with Essay

Chaucer writes a 'feminine kind of romance' ( Burrow). Discuss with reference to 3 canterbury tales - Essay Example n the battles and events of the past, such as the battles of Troy, the conquests of Alexander the Great or the chivalric traditions rising out of the Arthurian legend. Among these stories, the primary focus was typically placed upon the action of the story, the battles and the skirmishes that occurred between characters, and the aftermath of such behavior, such as the winning of the lady, the acquisition of worldly fame or the re-enforcement of nobility. However, not all stories followed this basic formula, especially as the written tradition began to grow through the 14th century. As writers began to experiment with various means of recording the stories that had been passed down through the oral tradition as well as working to develop stories of their own, new modes of expression began to emerge. For example, Colin Burrow assertively states that Chaucer wrote a feminine kind of romance. What is a feminine kind of romance and how does this apply to Chaucer? To answer these questions , the following paper will first define the characteristics of the kind of ‘feminine’ romance Burrow was discussing and then analyze three of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – the Wife of Bath, the Prioress and the Knight’s Tale – to determine whether this description applies. The concept of the feminine romance has a great deal to do with the underlying structural format of the novel, particularly as it relates to the issues surrounding gender and the differences between the various ways in which the genders relate to others. For example, studies continue to show even today that women place greater emphasis upon the concept of relationships while men place more emphasis upon action.2 It should not be surprising, therefore, to discover that feminine romances, as such, are primarily concerned with the relationships of characters rather than the actions they undertake. This includes a certain focus upon the emotional lives of the characters as opposed to their physical

DEP Discussion 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DEP Discussion 1 - Assignment Example They were the ones who helped me in learning about sexual matters and my attraction towards the opposite gender and why these feelings were taking place. At this point in life I started idealizing and listening to rock music and from that time onwards I developed a taste for rock music and to date rock music has not only become the main music choice, it has even defined the way I dress and act. My interest in rock music even defined my personality which is quite aggressive in nature. Another part of development in this age was my relationship with my parents. At this age I used to believe that my parents are quite old fashioned and things are not as they perceive and due to this we used to have a conflict. My parents did not reject me and rather accepted my state of mind and confusion that I was facing and they helped me through that time period and became my close friends instead of being authoritarian. The major difference between development in young adulthood and adolescent is th at during adolescent individuals are more focused on their physical development, but during young adulthood individuals start being concerned about their future career and what kind of a future they want to experience. Furthermore, during young adulthood social bonds become stronger and those individuals who become friends during this age lasts for a longer period of time and may even last throughout the life of an

Effects of Health Inequalities on Infant Mortality

Effects of Health Inequalities on Infant Mortality Health and social policy assignment Introduction Longest (2002), the Health Policy Institute Director at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, states that †Public policies are authoritative decisions made at the legislative, executive or judicial branches of government †¦ (which are) †¦ intended to direct or influence the action, behaviors, or decisions of others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He continues, â€Å"When public policies pertain to or influence our pursuit of health †¦ then †¦ they become health policies.† (Longest, 2002). Longest vision of health policy is seen in United Kingdom as well as Europe in the same manner as â€Å"†¦ view of public health activism that sees little distinction between health policy and public policy as a whole† (Randall, 2000, p. 8). Petersen and Lupton (1996, p. xii) describe the new public health as â€Å"†¦ at its core a moral enterprise, in that it involves prescriptions about how we should live our lives individually and collectively†, which represent an approach that is much like Monnet’s plans for Europe (Fontaine, 1994, p. 12), which explains the European health policy as it exists today. As a unitary state, the United Kingdom’s central government directs most activity representing government functions. Social policy applies to those policies that governments utilize for welfare as well as social protection, the manner and ways via which welfare is devised and developed, and the academic study of social policy (Robert Gordon University, 2006). Social policy, in its primary sense is concerned with the welfare state and social services, and in its broader context represents the range of issues that extended beyond governmental actions, including the means that welfare is promoted as well as the economic and social conditions shaping its development (Robert Gordon University, 2006). William Beveridge offered the citizens of the United Kingdom â€Å"†¦ a blueprint for social advance and a modern caring state †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which would provide for citizens â€Å"†¦ from cradle to grave† (Randall, 2000, p. 5) which were foundations of the welfare st ate that Britain briefly embarked on after World War II that offered full employment, a minimum national safety net, free and equal access to health and education, and a state provision for welfare. The Beveridge Report aimed at the elimination what was termed the ‘five giants’ of want, ignorance, idleness, squalor and disease, which he believed â€Å"†¦ construed an investment to facilitate a healthier workforce that would be able to promote productivity† (Gormley, 1999, p. 31). Beveridge’s vision helped to serve as the foundation for the later development of the National Health Service. The National Health Service came into being in 1946 by the UK Minister of Health and enacted through the National Health Service Act 1946, the National Health Service â€Å"†¦ was created by a national consensus within Britain† (Rintala, 2003, p. 3). Prior to its creation patients in the United Kingdom generally were responsible for paying for their health care services with free treatment sometimes available at hospital that taught as well as charitiable hospitals (Gormley, 1999, pp. 14 – 21). As a country, the United Kingdom â€Å"†¦ has a long history of offering some form of assistance for the sick, destitute and poverty-stricken† (Gormley, 1999, p. 13). Evidence of the foregoing is found under the National Insurance Act of 1911 a small deduction was taken from wage payments, 4d, that was also aided by employer contributions, 3d, and the government of the UK contributed 2d (Spartacus Educational, 2007). Workers received free medical service as well as being guaranteed a payment of 7s per week for a term of fifteen weeks when unemployed that were paid at Labour Exchanges that also posted notices regarding job vacancies (Spartacus Educational, 2007). Aneurin Bevan is credited as being the architect of the â€Å"†¦ successful implementation of the National Health Service †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as a result of his â€Å"†¦ personal political skills† (Gormley, 1999, p. 36). The NHS today is Britain’s largest employer, and is managed by the Department of Health, controlling the ten Strategic Health Authorities which have the responsibility for overseeing National Health Service activities in specific areas (Bevan, 2006). The Strategic Health Authorities have the responsibility for the strategic supervision of the 302 Primary Care Trusts that oversee the general practioners and dentists, 29,000 and 18,000 respectively, along with the commissioning of acute services from the private sector and other NHS Trusts (Bevan, 2006). The National Health Services Trusts number 290, representing 1,600 hospitals, and also falling under the supervision of the Strategic Health Authorities are the NHS Ambulance Services, Care Trusts and Mental Health Services Trusts (Bevan, 2006). The National Health Services broad and comprehensive program(s) includes Special Health Authorities, Blood and Transplant, Business Services Authority, National Treatment Agency, National Patient Safety Agency as well as the National Insitute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Bevan, 2006). This document shall critically analyse the inequalities in health care services as it relates to infant morality in Northern Ireland. As of 2006, the infant morality rate for all of Ireland stood at 5.3, and in Northern Ireland stood at just under 6 in 2001 (Bureau for Vital Statistics, 2001) which is higher than the 5.1 for the United Kingdom, and a number of other European Countries (infroplease.com, 2007). The problem lies in the infant morality rate for children from the highly deprived areas who are fifty percent more likely to die in their first year than are babies from more affluent areas (BBC News, 2000). This is problematic in light of the provision for equal health care for all as mandated under the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. This examination of the health care system in Northern Ireland shall take into account why the infant morality rates are high as well as whether there are inequalities in the system and if so what they are and why they exist. The reason is to reach a determinatation as to the causes, and reasons for the higher infant morality rate as well as what is being done to reverse the occurance. The figures for infant morality in Northern Ireland have been showing a downward trend, yet the morality rates for infants from deprived areas indicates a mortality rate that is 50% higher than the overall average during the first year (BBC News, 2000). The signifacne of Tables 1 through 4 is to provide a foundational frameowrk from which to make comparisons of underlying reasons and facets attributing to higher infant mortality rates as a factor of inequalities to be discussed utilizing varied class, income, and other correlations. Table 1 – Neonatal Morality in Northern Ireland 1988 – 2003 (dhsspsni.gov.uk. 2004) Table 2 – Post-Neonatal Mortality in Northern Ireland 1988 – 2003 (dhsspsni.gov.uk. 2004) Table 3 – Infant Mortality in Northern Ireland 1988 – 2003 (dhsspsni.gov.uk. 2004) The preceding figures take on increased importance with regard to the nature of this examination when viewed in comparison to figures from other regions. Table 4 – Live Births, Stillbirths and Infant Deaths by Mother’s Country of Birth, 2005 (National Statistics, 2006) These figures represent the Northern Ireland population as a whole. An important facet in this examination is represented by economics. The region has a higher proportion of people that are receiving benefits for being out of work, large numbers who are not working and a larger population of low pay wage earners (Joseph Roundtree Foundation, 2006). In finding conducted by a study it was found that infants of lone mothers as well as those that belong to parents in manual social classes are of the highest risk regarding infant morality (Whitehead and Drever, 1999). They also found that the lives of babies has at the highest risk in lower income groups as tabulated by the numbers of live births, stillbirths, early neonatal, late neonatal and postnatal deaths for babies in all types of marriage and non-marriage circumstances (Whitehead and Drever, 1999). The ‘Black Report’ in 1980 presented the term ‘inequalities in health’ as a result of it uncovering the gap between the richest and the poorest concerning experiences in illness, life expectancy and accident rates (Unison, 2001). The broader context of inequality in health, which has bearing upon infant mortality rates is comprised of factors associated with access to quality services, along individual as well as group characteristics that can affect and or lead to unequal treatment and discrimination (Unison, 2001). The report by Unison (2001) also identified social and economic factors, broader economic and environmental societal conditions and risk factors that are a part of lower income lifestyles. These aspects directly affect not only the mothers, but also fathers of infants in that their personal health, choices before and during pregnancy may not constitute the best avenues to the development of healthy offspring. In addition the importance of prenat al care, treatments, diet, nutrition, exercise, abstinence from smoking, drinking, drugs and other damaging aspects is higher in the lower socioeconomic groups (Investing for Health, 2006). The report also drew attention to health inequalities as a factor of an individuals social class, gender, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, political opinion, marital status and sexual orientation that area aspects even though these discrimination potentials are addressed in Northern Ireland’s equality and human rights laws (Unison, 2001). The overall effects of the broader consideration, representing age as a facet in infant mortality rates is illustrated in the following Table: Table 5 – Standardised Mortality Rates for People Aged Under 75 (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) 1997 – 2001 1998 2002 The preceding clearly indicates the differences in mortality rates as referred to in the Unison (2001) study, as well as the underlying health / lifestyle aspects of smoking, drinking, nutrition, exercise and allied factors indicated by Investing for Health (2006). The Health, Social Services and Public Safety (2004) report indicated that life expectancy for mean and females in deprived areas represented 72.0 and 77.9 years as compared to the non-deprived males and females of 75.2 and 80.2 years. The preceding also reveals itself in infant mortality rates, as shown by the following: Table 6 – Infant Mortality Rates per 1,000 Live Births (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) The foregoing clearly indicates the vast differences as uncovered in the Unison (2001) and Health, Social Services and Public Safety (2004) reports where the infant morality rate in deprived areas is a staggering 23% higher. A factor in the overall causes and reasons attributing to higher infant mortality rates is also shown by the higher incidences of teenage pregnancy: Table 7 – Teenage Birth Rates per 1,000 Females Aged 13 – 19 (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) The preceding indicates a 70% deferential in2001, and 71% differential in 2002. Another factor in the higher deprived area infant mortality rates is immunization. Table 8 – Immunisation Uptake Rates, Children born in 1998 (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) Table 9 Immunisation Uptake Rates, Children born in 2001 (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) In seeking to equate the causes and reasons for the higher incidence of infant mortality rates in Northern Ireland as a result of socioeconomic class, and inequalities in health care, the facet of overall general admission rates for non maternity reasons represents a valid area to be explored. The rationale for the preceding is to seek to determine, in a general fashion, if the inequalities in infant mortality rates represents more of a factor of lifestyle, health and personal choices as opposed to inequalities in the health system with regard to treatment, discrimination and related factors that are much harder to prove as well as seeming less likely to be a broader system wide occurrence. Table 10 – Standardised Admission Rates (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) 2001 – 2002 2002 – 2003 From the preceding, the argument that inequalities in health care being available or offered to lower income or deprived individuals as a factor of race, martial status, or other discrimination aspects is not seemingly borne out by the above table. What this table does suggest is that there are increased health factors affecting this segment of the population that are more in keeping with poorer health lifestyle choices, nutrition, smoking, drinking and drugs. Further evidence of the preceding rational is supported by the waiting time for inpatient admissions that does not indicate a bias against lower income groups despite their higher incidence of health services utilization as shown in Table 11. And while the area of reference utilized for this aspect is not within the infant mortality confines, it does provide a general factor that does not seemingly support bias in treatment as a result of income, or social status. Table 11 – Waiting Times for Inpatient Admission Proportion of inpatient elective admission where the patient has waited more that 18 months, or 12 months for cardiac surgery (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) Further illustration that the health care system in Northern Ireland is not seemingly discriminating against individuals with a lower socioeconomic status, and or other facets of discrimination is indicated in the following Table: Table 12 – Median Ambulance Response Times (in minutes) (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) In further analising factors representing potentially inequalities in health care that contribute to higher rates of infant mortality, the following Table indicates that there is a higher incidence of mortality in rural wards, which are more likely to also be lower income: Table 13 – Infant Mortality Rates per 1,000 Live Births (Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004) Further support for the contention that inequalities in infant mortality in Northern Ireland are seemingly more of a product of factors inherent in the lifestyles, living conditions, health choices and educational background of individuals from deprived wards as opposed to the NHS discriminating and or providing a lower quality of care was reported by the BBC (2000) which advised that the Institute of Public Health was holding a conference to examine ways in which the inequalities in health would be addressed, focusing on social circumstances to build more successful partnerships. One of the key aspects mentioned was that a survey found that babies born in deprived wards had a fifty percent higher incidence of death than those born in affluent areas (BBC, 2000). The report also indicated that males in the lower socioeconomic classifications have a higher incidence of dying younger and have higher chronic illnesses than males from managerial and or professional groups (BBC, 2000). The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (2005) in its ongoing concern regarding higher infant mortality rates in deprived wards has stated that poverty and educational levels of parents continues to represent the biggest threat in this area and that an improvement in poverty rates is an important area in reducing infant mortality. The consultation also pointed out that diet, nutrition, understanding of child symptoms and seeking medical assistance at the onset of problems along with better pre and post natal care are factors attributed to higher infant mortality in lower socioeconomic groups. The updated report found that the government of Northern Ireland has not provided core funding to broaden educational outreach programs aimed at educating mothers and families in the lower socioeconomic groups to the symptoms and dangers facing infants. It points to the lack of the preceding as a clear indication that the government does not consider this a priority (Institute of Public Health in Ireland, (2005). The consultation also advised that monitoring with respect to birth outcomes, vaccination rates, infectious diseases, institution and other facets need budgets to enable the health system to perform better follow up on children identified as living in or subject to these aspects to lower infant mortality rates. I t suggests that through increased partnership cooperation this could be obtained, however, that the commitment of addition funds and resources from the government is required in order to cause this to work. Internationally, the World Health Organization (2005) in its 56th Session held in New Caledonia stated that most child deaths could be avoided through the provision for more basic health care and detection, monitoring and follow up of pregnant mothers and newborns. The World Health Organization (2004) advises that to effectively reduce infant mortality, increased monitoring during the first month of life needs to be addressed as approximately 2/3rds of mortality occurs in the first month, with 2/3rd of that figure occurring in the first week. This holds implications for Northern Ireland in that an extended outreach, educational and monitoring program addressing the first month would effectively reduce infant mortality rates. Sweden, Norway and Demark provide an illustrat

Epic of Beowulf Essay - The Value System in Beowulf :: Epic Beowulf essays

The Value System Revealed in Beowulf  Ã‚   Beowulf is a deeply serious commentary on human life with the main characters embodying a pronounced and coherent set of values. They are also the representatives of the outlined code for conduct and behaviour of those times. Honour, generosity and trust may seem to be the key words in the code. The protagonists reiterate in actions and words a belief in the importance of generosity of spirit and self awareness that make man a responsible member of the society. Beowulf secures the future of his thanes, in case of his death, not leaving them up to their own fate. He proves that in the warrior society, human relationships must be based on mutual respect and trust rather than subordination of one man to another. A warrior vowing loyalty to his lord becomes a voluntary companion more than his servant, taking pride defending him and fighting in battles. In return, he receives affectionate care and rich rewards - e.g. seen in Hrothgar’s attitude to Beowulf’s achievements. The relationship between the relatives is also a part of the outlined characteristics of conduct - if a person was killed, a relative was obliged to kill the slayer or execute the wergild (â€Å"manprice†), even if the killing was accidental. In fact, the money was less important than the actual carrying out of the kinsman’s duty. â€Å"It is better for a man to avenge his friend than to much mourn† – states Beowulf firmly, reiterating the weight attached to the moral responsibilities rather than attention drawn to the materialistic possessions. They were valued highly - the treasure gained in battles improved the well being but it was more of a common factor spiritually uniting the warriors and allowing them to fully realise their potentials. Still, family was the priority. King Hrethel (‘grandfather’ of Beowulf), however, may exemplify a clash in following the code and set values. One of his sons accidentally killed another; by code of kinship king Hrethel was forbidden to exact compensation from a kinsman, yet by the same code he was required to do one in order to avenge death. He was trapped in a situation without a moral way out and therefore Hrethel refused to face life any longer. Marriage also appears to be a part of the general code. It was a form of alliance between the fighting tribes e.

Part One Friday

Barry Fairbrother's body had been moved to the undertaker's. The deep black cuts in the white scalp, like the grooves of skates on ice, were hidden by his forest of thick hair. Cold, waxen and empty, the body lay, re-dressed in Barry's anniversary dinner shirt and trousers, in a dimly lit viewing room where soft music played. Touches of discreet make-up had returned a life-like glow to his skin. It was almost as though he slept; but not quite. Barry's two brothers, his widow and his four children went to bid the body goodbye on the eve of the burial. Mary had been undecided, almost until the minute of departure, as to whether she should allow all of the children to see their father's remains. Declan was a sensitive boy, prone to nightmares. It was while she was still in a fever pitch of indecision on Friday afternoon that there was an upset. Colin ‘Cubby' Wall had decided that he wanted to go and say goodbye to Barry's body too. Mary, usually compliant and agreeable, had found this excessive. Her voice had grown shrill on the telephone to Tessa; then she had begun to cry again, and said that it was just that she had not planned a large procession past Barry, that this was really a family affair †¦ Dreadfully apologetic, Tessa said that she quite understood, and was then left to explain to Colin, who retreated into a mortified, wounded silence. He had simply wanted to stand alone beside Barry's body and pay silent homage to a man who had occupied a unique place in his life. Colin had poured truths and secrets he had confided to no other friend into Barry's ears, and Barry's small brown eyes, robin bright, had never ceased to regard him with warmth and kindness. Barry had been Colin's closest ever friend, giving him an experience of male comradeship he had never known before moving to Pagford, and was sure he would never have again. That he, Colin, who felt himself to be perpetually the outsider and the oddball, for whom life was a matter of daily struggle, had managed to forge a friendship with the cheerful, popular and eternally optimistic Barry, had always seemed a small miracle. Colin clutched what was left of his dignity to him, resolved never to hold this against Mary, and spent the rest of the day meditating on how surprised and hurt Barry would have been, surely, at his widow's attitude. Three miles outside Pagford, in an attractive cottage called the Smithy, Gavin Hughes was trying to fight off an intensifying gloom. Mary had called earlier. In a voice that trembled with the weight of tears, she had explained how the children had all contributed ideas for tomorrow's funeral service. Siobhan had grown a sunflower from seed, and was going to cut it and put it on top of the coffin. All four kids had written letters to put inside the casket with their father. Mary had composed one too, and was going to put it in Barry's shirt pocket, over his heart. Gavin put down the receiver, sickened. He did not want to know about the children's letters, nor about the long-nurtured sunflower, yet his mind kept returning to these things as he ate lasagne alone at his kitchen table. Though he would have done anything to avoid reading it, he kept trying to imagine what Mary had written in her letter. A black suit was hanging in dry-cleaner's polythene in his bedroom, like an unwelcome guest. His appreciation of the honour Mary had done him, in publicly acknowledging him as one of those closest to the popular Barry, had long since been overwhelmed by dread. By the time he was washing up his plate and cutlery at the sink, Gavin would have gladly missed the funeral altogether. As for the idea of viewing his dead friend's body, it had not, and would never have occurred to him. He and Kay had had a nasty row the previous evening, and had not spoken since. It had all been triggered by Kay asking Gavin if he would like her to go with him to the funeral. ‘Christ, no,' Gavin had said, before he could stop himself. He had seen her expression, and knew instantly that she had heard. Christ, no, people will think we're a couple. Christ, no, why would I want you? And although these were precisely his feelings, he had attempted to bluff his way through. ‘I mean, you didn't know him, did you? It'd be a bit weird, wouldn't it?' But Kay had let rip; tried to corner him, to make him tell her what he really felt, what he wanted, what future he envisioned for the two of them. He had fought back with every weapon in his arsenal, being alternately obtuse, evasive and pedantic, for it was wonderful how you could obscure an emotional issue by appearing to seek precision. At last she had told him to get out of her house; he had obeyed, but he knew that it was not over. That would be way too much to hope for. Gavin's reflection in the kitchen window was drawn and miserable; Barry's stolen future seemed to hang over his own life like a looming cliff; he felt inadequate and guilty, but he still wished that Kay would move back to London. Night drew in over Pagford, and in the Old Vicarage Parminder Jawanda perused her wardrobe, wondering what to wear to say goodbye to Barry. She had several dark dresses and suits, any one of which would be appropriate, and yet still she looked backwards and forwards along the rail of clothes, mired in indecision. Wear a sari. It'll upset Shirley Mollison. Go on, wear a sari. It was so stupid to think that – mad and wrong – and even worse to think it in Barry's voice. Barry was dead; she had endured nearly five days of deep grief for him, and tomorrow they would bury him in the earth. The prospect was unpleasant to Parminder. She had always hated the idea of interment, of a body lying whole under the ground, slowly rotting away, riddled with maggots and flies. The Sikh way was to cremate and to scatter the ashes in running water. She let her eyes wander up and down the hanging garments, but her saris, worn to family weddings and get-togethers back in Birmingham, seemed to call to her. What was this strange urge to don one? It felt uncharacteristically exhibitionist. She reached out to touch the folds of her favourite, dark blue and gold. She had last worn it to the Fairbrothers' New Year's party, when Barry had attempted to teach her to jive. It had been a most unsuccessful experiment, mainly because he did not know what he was doing himself; but she could remember laughing as she almost never laughed, uncontrollably, madly, the way she had seen drunk women laugh. The sari was elegant and feminine, forgiving of middle-aged spread: Parminder's mother, who was eighty-two, wore it daily. Parminder herself had no need of its camouflaging properties: she was as slim as she had been at twenty. Yet she pulled out the long, dark length of soft material and held it up against her dressing gown, letting it fall to caress her bare feet, looking down its length at its subtle embroidery. To wear it would feel like a private joke between herself and Barry, like the cow-faced house and all the funny things Barry had said about Howard, as they walked away from interminable, ill-humoured council meetings. There was a terrible weight on Parminder's chest, but did not the Guru Granth Sahib exhort friends and relatives of the dead not to show grief, but to celebrate their loved one's reunion with God? In an effort to keep traitorous tears at bay, Parminder silently intoned the night-time prayer, the kirtan sohila. My friend, I urge you that this is the opportune time to serve the saints. Earn divine profit in this world and live in peace and comfort in the next. Life is shortening day and night. O mind, meet the Guru and set right your affairs †¦ Lying on her bed in her dark room, Sukhvinder could hear what every member of her family was doing. There was the distant murmur of the television directly below her, punctuated by the muffled laughter of her brother and her father, who were watching a Friday-night comedy show. She could make out her elder sister's voice across the landing, talking on her mobile to one of her many friends. Nearest of all was her mother, clunking and scraping in the built-in wardrobe on the other side of the wall. Sukhvinder had drawn the curtains over her window and placed a draught excluder, shaped like a long sausage dog, along the bottom of her door. In the absence of a lock, the dog impeded the door's progress; it gave her warning. She was sure that nobody would come in, though. She was where she ought to be, doing what she ought to be doing. Or so they thought. She had just performed one of her dreadful daily rituals: the opening of her Facebook page, and the removal of another post from a sender she did not know. As often as she blocked the person bombarding her with these messages, they changed their profile and sent more. She never knew when one would appear. Today's had been a black and white image, a copy of a nineteenth-century circus poster. La Veritable Femme a Barbe, Miss Anne Jones Elliot. It showed the photograph of a woman in a lacy dress, with long dark hair and a luxuriant beard and moustache. She was convinced that it was Fats Wall who was sending them, although it might have been somebody else. Dane Tully and his friends, for instance, who made soft, grunting ape-like noises whenever she spoke in English. They would have done it to anybody of her colour; there were hardly any brown faces at Winterdown. It made her feel humiliated and stupid, especially as Mr Garry never told them off. He affected not to hear them, or else to hear only background chatter. Perhaps he, too, thought that Sukhvinder Kaur Jawanda was an ape, a hairy ape. Sukhvinder lay on her back on top of her covers and wished with all of her being that she was dead. If she could have achieved suicide, simply by willing it, she would have done it without hesitation. Death had come to Mr Fairbrother; why could it not happen to her? Better yet, why could they not swap places? Niamh and Siobhan could have their father back, and she, Sukhvinder, could simply slip into non-being: wiped out, wiped clean. Her self-disgust was like a nettle suit; every part of her prickled and burnt with it. She had to will herself, moment by moment, to endure, to remain stationary; not to rush to do the one and only thing that helped. The whole family had to be in bed before she acted. But it was agony to lie like this, listening to her own breathing, conscious of the useless weight of her own ugly and disgusting body on the bed. She liked to think of drowning, of sinking down into cool green water, and feeling herself slowly pressed into nothingness †¦ The great hermaphrodite sits quiet and still †¦ Shame ran down her body like a burning rash as she lay in the darkness. She had never heard the word before Fats Wall spoke it in maths on Wednesday. She would not have been able to look it up: she was dyslexic. But he had been kind enough to explain what it meant, so there was no need. The hairy man-woman †¦ He was worse than Dane Tully, whose taunts had no variety. Fats Wall's evil tongue fashioned a fresh, tailor-made torture every time he saw her, and she could not shut her ears. His every insult and jibe was branded on Sukhvinder's memory, sticking there as no useful fact had ever done. If she could have been examined on the things he had called her, she would have achieved the first A grade of her life. Tash ‘N' Tits. Hermaphrodite. The Bearded Dumb-bell. Hairy, heavy and stupid. Plain and clumsy. Lazy, according to her mother, whose criticism and exasperation rained down upon her daily. A bit slow, according to her father, who said it with an affection that did not mitigate his lack of interest. He could afford to be nice about her bad grades. He had Jaswant and Rajpal, both top of every class they took. ‘Poor old Jolly,' Vikram would say carelessly, after glancing through her report. But her father's indifference was preferable to her mother's anger. Parminder did not seem able to comprehend or accept that she had produced a child who was not gifted. If any of the subject teachers made the slightest hint that Sukhvinder might try harder, Parminder seized upon it in triumph. ‘†Sukhvinder is easily discouraged and needs to have more faith in her abilities.† There! You see? Your teacher is saying you don't try hard enough, Sukhvinder.' Of the only class in which Sukhvinder had reached the second set, computing – Fats Wall was not there, so she sometimes dared put up her hand to answer questions – Parminder said dismissively, ‘The amount of time you children spend on the internet, I'm surprised you're not in set one.' Never would it have occurred to Sukhvinder to tell either of her parents about the ape grunts or about Stuart Wall's endless stream of malice. It would mean confessing that people beyond the family also saw her as sub-standard and worthless. In any case, Parminder was friends with Stuart Wall's mother. Sukhvinder sometimes wondered why Stuart Wall did not worry about their mothers' connection, but concluded that he knew that she would not give him away. He saw through her. He saw her cowardice, as he knew her every worst thought about herself, and was able to articulate it for the amusement of Andrew Price. She had fancied Andrew Price once, before she realized that she was utterly unfit to fancy anyone; before she realized that she was laughable and strange. Sukhvinder heard her father's voice and Rajpal's, growing louder as they came up the stairs. Rajpal's laughter reached a crescendo right outside her door. ‘It's late,' she heard her mother call from her bedroom. ‘Vikram, he should be in bed.' Vikram's voice came through Sukhvinder's door, close by, loud and warm. ‘Are you asleep already, Jolly?' It was her childhood nickname, bestowed in irony. Jaswant had been Jazzy, and Sukhvinder, a grizzling, unhappy baby, rarely smiling, had become Jolly. ‘No,' Sukhvinder called back. ‘I've only just gone to bed.' ‘Well, it might interest you to know that your brother, here – ‘ But what Rajpal had done was lost in his shouting protests, his laughter; she heard Vikram moving away, still teasing Rajpal. Sukhvinder waited for the house to fall silent. She clung to the prospect of her only consolation, as she would have hugged a life-belt, waiting, waiting, for them all to go to bed †¦ (And as she waited, she remembered that evening not long ago, at the end of rowing training, when they had been walking through the darkness towards the car park by the canal. You were so tired after rowing. Your arms and your stomach muscles ached, but it was a good clean pain. She always slept properly after rowing. And then Krystal, bringing up the rear of the group with Sukhvinder, had called her a silly Paki bitch. It had come out of nowhere. They had all been messing around with Mr Fairbrother. Krystal thought she was being funny. She used ‘fucking' interchangeably with ‘very', and seemed to see no difference between them. Now she said ‘Paki' as she would have said ‘dozy' or ‘dim'. Sukhvinder was conscious of her face falling, and experienced the familiar sliding, scalding sensation in her stomach. ‘What did you say?' Mr Fairbrother had wheeled around to face Krystal. None of them had ever heard him properly angry before. ‘I di'n mean nuthin',' said Krystal, half taken aback, half defiant. ‘I was on'y jokin'. She knows I was jus' jokin'. Don' yeh?' she demanded of Sukhvinder, who muttered cravenly that she knew it was a joke. ‘I never want to hear you use that word again.' They all knew how much he liked Krystal. They all knew he had paid for her to go on a couple of their trips out of his own pocket. Nobody laughed louder than Mr Fairbrother at Krystal's jokes; she could be very funny. They walked on, and everybody was embarrassed. Sukhvinder was afraid to look at Krystal; she felt guilty, as she always did. They were approaching the people-carrier when Krystal said, so quietly that even Mr Fairbrother did not hear it: ‘I wuz jokin'.' And Sukhvinder said quickly, ‘I know.' ‘Yeah, well. S'ry.' It came out as a mangled monosyllable, and Sukhvinder thought it tactful not to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, it cleaned her out. It restored her dignity. On the way back to Pagford, she initiated, for the first time ever, the singing of the team's lucky song, asking Krystal to start with Jay-Z's rap.) Slowly, very slowly, her family seemed to be putting themselves to bed at last. Jaswant spent a long time in the bathroom, clinking and crashing around. Sukhvinder waited until Jaz had finished primping herself, until her parents had stopped talking in their room, for the house to fall silent. Then, at last, it was safe. She sat up and pulled the razor blade out from a hole in the ear of her old cuddly rabbit. She had stolen the blade from Vikram's store in the bathroom cabinet. She got off the bed and groped for the torch on her shelf, and a handful of tissues, then moved into the furthest part of her room, into the little round turret in the corner. Here, she knew, the torch's light would be confined, and would not show around the edges of the door. She sat down with her back against the wall, pushed up the sleeve of her nightshirt and examined by torchlight the marks left by her last session, still visible, criss-crossed and dark on her arm, but healing. With a slight shiver of fear that was a blessed relief in its narrow, immediate focus, she placed the blade halfway up her forearm and sliced into her own flesh. Sharp, hot pain and the blood came at once; when she had cut herself right up to her elbow she pressed the wad of tissues onto the long wound, making sure nothing leaked onto her nightshirt or the carpet. After a minute or two, she cut again, horizontally, across the first incision, making a ladder, pausing to press and to mop as she went. The blade drew the pain away from her screaming thoughts and transmuted it into animal burning of nerves and skin: relief and release in every cut. At last she wiped the blade clean and surveyed the mess she had made; the wounds intersecting, bleeding, hurting so much that tears were rolling down her face. She might sleep if the pain did not keep her awake; but she must wait for ten or twenty minutes, until the fresh cuts had clotted over. She sat with her knees drawn up, closed her wet eyes, and leaned against the wall beneath the window. Some of her self-hatred had oozed out with the blood. Her mind drifted away to Gaia Bawden, the new girl, who had taken such an unaccountable fancy to her. Gaia could have hung out with anyone, with her looks and that London accent, yet she kept seeking out Sukhvinder at lunchtimes and on the bus. Sukhvinder did not understand it. She almost wanted to ask Gaia what she thought she was playing at; day by day she expected the new girl to realize that she, Sukhvinder, was hairy and ape-like, slow and stupid, someone to be despised and grunted at and insulted. No doubt she would recognize her mistake soon, and Sukhvinder would be left, as usual, to the bored pity of her oldest friends, the Fairbrother twins.