Succubus Shadows Chapter 17 Free Essays

string(24) " of this taken care of\." My initial time with the Oneroi had been a mix of true and false dreams. As time went on – and I really had no way of saying how much of it did go on – the majority of them seemed to be true ones. They were either visitations of awful memories or more glimpses into my current life, meant to demoralize me and make me homesick. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Shadows Chapter 17 or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was still torn apart, still feeling more animal than human or succubus or†¦whatever. Yet, the fleeting pieces of rationality within me wondered at the sudden lack of handcrafted visions. One might argue the Oneroi were being lazy. They were just giving me recycled material, and whenever I did see my friends in the world, I got the impression that it was less a dream and more like the Oneroi flipping me onto a TV channel to make sure I stayed distracted and gave them something to feed off of. It almost felt like they were trying to keep me busy because†¦well, they were busy. But why? What had happened? What had Dante been about to tell Roman and the others? Was it enough to make the Oneroi pull some of their attention from me? Or were these simply more mind games meant to leave me in turmoil? I kept hoping I’d see a follow-up to what had happened with Dante, but the Oneroi had other parts of the life I’d left behind to show me. Or, well, parts I hadn’t left behind. Simone was still impersonating me, and the Oneroi wanted me to know. Adding insult to injury, she was helping Maddie and Seth with the wedding. The three of them were out cake shopping, and honestly, I was almost more surprised to find Seth there than I was Simone in her disguise. He’d pretty much kept away from the wedding planning as much as possible, using the pretense that he was no good at decisions and was happy to let Maddie run things the way she wanted. I didn’t doubt the first part of what he said but wondered about the second. In my heart of hearts, the one that believed he was still in love with me, I secretly hoped he was passing it to Maddie just because he was indifferent to it all. I wanted to believe that he really didn’t care about the planning because he didn’t care about the wedding. It was clear, however, that I cared. Or rather – Simone cared. Considering my reluctance at dress shopping, you would have thought Maddie might notice the sudden increase in zeal. Nope. Maddie was too caught up in her own bubble of happiness and welcomed â€Å"my† assistance. So, the three of them set off on a cake adventure, visiting all the bakeries Maddie had compiled and ranked on a list pulled from hours of Internet research. â€Å"You want it creamy,† said Simone, licking icing off her fingers at a bakery in Belltown. Actually, it was more like sucking. â€Å"This is a little too sugary.† The threesome sat at a table where they had been provided with a plate of samples. â€Å"That’s the point,† said Maddie. She was eating a bite-size piece of chocolate cake in a much less pornographic way. â€Å"Mega sugar rush.† â€Å"Yeah, but if you get too much sugar, it just tastes grainy. You want it to slide right over your lips.† She turned to Seth. â€Å"Don’t you think so?† Seth had taken a bite out of a piece of marble cake. â€Å"It is kind of grainy.† Simone gave him a knowing smile, one that seemed to say, See? I know you better than anyone else in the world. Seth held her eyes for a moment, but his expression was unreadable. He turned toward Maddie. â€Å"But we can do whatever you want.† â€Å"No, no,† she said, not sounding too disappointed. â€Å"This is for both of us. I want it to be something you like too.† Seth gave her a mischievous smile. â€Å"Does it matter? It all gets shoved in the face anyway.† Maddie’s eyes went wide. â€Å"No, it doesn’t! Don’t even think about doing that.† â€Å"Guess you won’t know until the time comes, huh?† His smile had grown. Seeing him play with her made me (figuratively) squirm, but I took comfort in seeing a flash of annoyance in Simone’s eyes. Maddie was succeeding where Simone couldn’t. That was how it should be†¦or was it? Maddie’s unwitting triumph over Simone meant she had†¦well, triumphed over me. Or had she? Simone looked like me but wasn’t truly me. Damn. This was all so confusing. â€Å"Seth wouldn’t do that,† said Simone, resting her hand on his shoulder in what was supposed to be a friendly way. Maddie couldn’t see it from her vantage, but Simone’s fingers lightly brushed the back of his neck. â€Å"Not if he wants a good honeymoon.† She spoke lightly, but there was a sly undertone there. Having her sex life brought up in public made Maddie blush. Seth had shifted uncomfortably, but the reason was unclear. Simone’s fingers? The mention of sex? Maybe both. Simone removed her hand, seeming innocent to all the world, except Seth and me. Maddie seemed eager to change the subject from the romantic goings-on of a honeymoon. â€Å"I think you should at least pick the cake flavor,† she said. â€Å"I’m choosing so much else.† â€Å"I don’t know,† said Seth. He still seemed uncomfortable. â€Å"I don’t care if you do it.† â€Å"Yeah, but she wants you to,† said Simone. â€Å"Come on, make one firm decision here. You can’t go wrong. Maddie’ll eat anything you pick.† Loaded statement. Neither Seth nor Maddie acted as though they read anything into it, but I had a feeling Simone had intended it as a reference to Maddie’s very buxom figure. â€Å"Exactly,† said Maddie. â€Å"What’s your favorite flavor?† â€Å"I bet I can guess,† said Simone. â€Å"Chocolate.† â€Å"Strawberry,† said Maddie. Losers. It was vanilla. â€Å"Vanilla,† said Seth. Maddie groaned. â€Å"Naturally. Well, there’s one decision made.† She rose from the table. â€Å"Let’s try a few other places and get the rest of this taken care of. You read "Succubus Shadows Chapter 17" in category "Essay examples" Not much left after this.† They reached the door, and Maddie stopped to glance at Simone. â€Å"Oh, hey. Will you do me a favor? Will you take Seth tux shopping?† â€Å"What?† asked Seth. No neutral face now. He was shocked. Maddie grinned. â€Å"If you don’t have a keeper, you’ll show up at the church in a Billy Idol T-shirt. And it’s bad luck if I go with you.† â€Å"I thought that was just for the bride,† said Seth. â€Å"I want to be surprised,† Maddie countered. â€Å"Of course I’ll go,† said Simone, putting her arm around Seth again in that â€Å"friendly† way. Maddie beamed, and the bakery faded away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦transforming into Erik’s store. Erik sat at a small table with Jerome and Roman, and – so help me – they were drinking tea. Even Jerome. Roman was visible, which made me think Jerome must have decided they no longer needed to fear the eyes of higher powers who might wonder why my â€Å"human† roommate kept tagging along with Seattle’s archdemon. Erik was tapping his tea cup thoughtfully. â€Å"If your theory is right, it would explain a lot.† These words were directed at Roman. â€Å"The dream quality of the visions. Mr. Jerome’s complete inability to find her.† Jerome’s slightly arched eyebrow was the only indication of his displeasure over the word â€Å"inability.† Erik continued, eyes on his cup as he pondered it all. â€Å"And you’re right†¦of all the creatures you suggested, Oneroi or Morphean demons make the most sense.† Oh! I thought in triumph to the Oneroi. How do you like that, bitches? My friends are on to you. No response came. No dissolving of the dream, as I would have expected. â€Å"But why her?† asked Roman irritably. I had a feeling he’d taken credit for the dream idea, shielding Dante from Jerome’s wrath. â€Å"Why a succubus? Don’t they only care about human dreams?† â€Å"They’re tied to Nyx,† pointed out Erik. Oh, yes. My friends were smart. Smarter than Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys put together. Maybe even Matlock too. â€Å"The ‘why’ is irrelevant,† said Jerome, speaking at last. â€Å"Whether it’s Oneroi or Morpheans is also irrelevant. If something’s taken her to the world of dreams, she’s completely inaccessible.† Roman frowned. â€Å"Why? Can’t you just go in there and pull her out now that you know?† Jerome gave his son a smile that almost, almost seemed genuinely amused. â€Å"You’re half-human, and it shows. Greater immortals can’t go there. We don’t dream. Only humans do. The way is barred to us.† â€Å"Because you have no hopes or imaginings of what might be,† said Erik. His manner and tone clearly indicated he believed such a thing to be a failing for angels and demons. â€Å"You need a soul to dream.† â€Å"Well, if I’m half-human, then I’ll go there,† said Roman obstinately, cutting off any retort Jerome might have given. â€Å"I dream. So I can enter, right? And I can take on whatever’s there.† There was so much determination in his voice that I half believed he could take on an army of Oneroi right now. â€Å"You have no idea what you’re talking about,† said Jerome. â€Å"Clearly. Do you have any idea what the dream world is like?† â€Å"Do you?† asked Roman dryly. â€Å"I thought you couldn’t go there.† â€Å"Dreams are what fuel human existence. Dreams of power, love, revenge, redemption†¦the dreams of mankind are vast, uncountable. Humans dream both waking and asleep. Those hopes and fears are what put them at risk – they gamble their lives and souls on dreams. You go into the world of dreams, and it’s like stepping into a blizzard. Every snowflake is some human imagining flitting by so quickly, you can’t even see it. All you see is a blur, a tangle of longings and chaos. If Georgina is there, she is one of those snowflakes. You would never find her soul.† Heavy silence fell. Finally, Roman said, â€Å"That was like poetry, Dad.† â€Å"But he’s correct,† Erik told Roman. More silence. Roman glanced between the two of them incredulously. â€Å"So that’s it? It’s hopeless? You’re giving up without even trying to find her?† â€Å"Trying is hopeless,† said Jerome. Demons might not dream the way humans did, but I suspected even he could picture what his superiors would do when they found out he’d lost a succubus. â€Å"Human magic could access the world of dreams, but it’d do no good.† He glanced at Erik, who nodded. â€Å"Someone lost among all that couldn’t be called back. Not even the strongest ritual could do it. Her soul would never hear anything we could muster.† Roman’s face was a mixture of emotions. Anger. Disbelief. And†¦resignation. That didn’t surprise me. Jerome’s face did, however. He had stiffened at Erik’s words, a spark of insight flashing in those cold, dark eyes. â€Å"But you could do the ritual, correct?† he asked Erik. â€Å"You’re human. You’re strong enough to open the way.† Erik eyed him warily. â€Å"Yes†¦but by your own admission, it would achieve nothing. The connection you had to her was theoretically strong enough to possibly summon her back, but you can’t enter. All we’d have is a useless doorway.† Jerome stood up abruptly. He glanced at Roman. â€Å"Find your own way home.† The demon vanished with a showy poof of smoke. And I vanished back into the Oneroi’s prison. They stood there in the dark, glowing from what they’d taken from me. In dreams, though I suffered, I never felt the horrific effects they caused until I returned from them. That was when the agony, energy loss, and confusion hit me. Yet, this time, I wasn’t completely lost to despair. â€Å"You were wrong,† I said. I tried to put some smugness in my voice, but it came out hoarse from my exhaustion. Good God. I was so, so tired. I guess dreaming didn’t necessarily mean sleeping. â€Å"My friends have figured it out. They know where I am.† As always, One and Two were nearly impossible to read. â€Å"What makes you think that was a true dream?† Excellent question. â€Å"Gut instinct,† I said. â€Å"You believe you can trust it?† asked One. â€Å"After all this time? After so many dreams? How can you tell what’s real and unreal?† I couldn’t. I knew when the memories were true – for now – but the â€Å"real world† scenes were harder. Maybe it wasn’t my gut so much as my blind optimism that believed what I’d just seen was real. Two guessed my thoughts. â€Å"You hope. And we’ve fed that hope, making you think you have a chance. So you will wait. And wait. And wait.† â€Å"It was real,† I said firmly, as though that would make it so. â€Å"Even if it was,† said One, â€Å"it meant nothing. You saw for yourself. There is no way to bring you back.† â€Å"Maybe that was the lie,† I said. â€Å"Maybe the rest was true. You mixed it. They figured out where I was, but you didn’t show me the part where they learned how to rescue me. They’re going to do that ritual.† â€Å"They will fail. Nothing can pull your soul from here.† â€Å"You’re wrong.† I didn’t even really know what I was saying. My essence felt like it was tearing apart, and really, the only thing I knew to do was to keep contradicting them. â€Å"And you are naive. You always have been. Lesser immortals carry that weakness over from their human days, and you’re one of the worst. Our mother nearly used your weakness to free herself from the angels. Now it will be your downfall.† â€Å"What do you mean Nyx almost used it?† The Oneroi exchanged glances – very, very pleased ones. â€Å"Your dream. Your fantasy,† explained Two. â€Å"The one she promised to show you if you freed her. You wanted so badly to believe it was possible, that you nearly gave in.† For a moment, I didn’t see them or that perpetual blackness. I was in a dream of my own creation, not theirs. The dream Nyx had sent to me over and over had been one of my future, with a home and a child – and a man. A man I loved whose identity remained a mystery. Nyx had never shown me the ending. Never shown me the man in the dream. â€Å"You are so full of shit,† I said. â€Å"You claim Nyx shows the truth – the future. But how could that vision have been true if I’m also supposed to be locked here for all eternity? They can’t both be true.† â€Å"The future is always changing,† said One. â€Å"That was true when she showed it to you. Your path shifted.† â€Å"Oh, come on! What’s the point of having a vision of the future if it can change at any moment? That’s not a truth or a lie. That’s a guess. And I never believed her anyway. What she showed me was impossible – even if I wasn’t here with you two assholes.† â€Å"You will never know if it was,† said Two. Then, he reconsidered. â€Å"Actually it was possible, but you will live with the knowledge that it’s a future that’s been taken from you.† â€Å"You can’t take what I never had,† I growled. â€Å"Succubi can’t have children. I could never have that kind of life.† What I didn’t add was that one startling thing had come from the dream. In it, I’d had two cats. At the time, I’d only had one – Aubrey. Not long after, I’d found Godiva, who was the other cat in the dream. Coincidence? Or had I truly been on the path to that future, only to have it ripped from me now? As always, the Oneroi could see into my heart and knew what I was thinking. â€Å"Do you want to see?† asked One. â€Å"See what?† â€Å"The man,† said Two. â€Å"The man in the dream.† How to cite Succubus Shadows Chapter 17, Essay examples

Patton Fuller Community Hospital - Network Assignment free essay sample

Fuller Community Hospital (PFCH) has been a not for profit healthcare facility since 1975 with a focus on providing the highest quality of healthcare. PFCH specializes in the following services; emergency medical care, specialized surgical procedures, baby delivery and prenatal care, physical therapy, and has a well-established radiology department. Being one of the primary healthcare facilities in their area, PFCH has raised the bar by providing a diverse selection of health programs that support the local community. This paper will review the current business systems in place, suggest improvements and provide how those changes could overall improve PFCH, both internally and externally. PFCH has implemented an extremely unique network developed in conjunction with the fundamentals of systems development. There are multiple business and medical systems in place, which this shall explain in detail and then provide areas for improvement including recommendations in enhancing PFCH’s Information System. Ultimately the first and most critical business system in place within the Patton Fuller’s infrastructure is their MAC OS X Leopard operating system. We will write a custom essay sample on Patton Fuller Community Hospital Network Assignment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fundamentally this is the core of each computer in place at PFH, and acts as the operating system for the desktops and servers within the datacenter. By using a single consolidated operating system between all hardware components, PFCH can create a synergy between communication and data transfer, understanding that adding additional various operating systems will only create more to support and ultimately add additional costs in the long run. This operating system is deployed on all the Apple Mac Pros, Apple iMac, and Apple Cluster Servers. Patton Fuller currently is exclusively using the Apple hardware and software in all clinical areas of operation as well as in PFCH’s administration and the various IT departments. PFCH’s decision to leverage the Apple Macintosh platform was driven by their need in the usage of imaging software to support the wide rage of application which are relevant in the medical field, Apple provides great support and has noteworthy graphical support, and when it comes to the medical industry, the details in the imagery matter. Within PFCH, the Radiology Group leverages these technologies to view the interior of the physical human, enabling them to provide both diagnosis and treatment. The graphical capability as well as the ease of use that the Apple Macintosh operating systems provide PFCH’s staff not only the ability to support the growing need of MRI’s (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), CT Scanning (Computed Tomography) also known as Cat Scan, Projection Radiography, Mammography, PET Scanning (Positron Emission Tomography) as well as Sonograms. PFCH currently employs Modality Viewing Stations and two Apple 30 inch monitors. The second system within PFCH is the OsiriX (OsiriX, 2010) imaging software. OsiriX is the primary application employed for the Modality Viewing Stations in the Radiology department for PFCH. OsiriX is application, which processes the imagery and is ultimately designed to capture, manage, maintain, view and print the imagery. OsiriX as well transmits Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine or DICOM images produced by various other medical imagery equipment. This equipment includes Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography, Positron Emission Tomography, and the other various medical imagery technologies. Ultimately DICOM has a unique file format definition and leverages a network communications protocol that uses TCP/IP to communicate between the various medical and imaging systems. This is a perfect fit to Patton Fuller’s Ethernet infrastructure. DICOM has the capability to transfer files between two systems within the hospital, both transmitting and receiving image as well as the associated patient data in unique DICOM format. This can enable better integration of other systems and hardware, such as scanners and printers; various networked hardware from all different vendors and manufacturers who use DICOM format. The various different manufacturers devices that comply with DICOM standards will out of the box work during the implementation in PFCH. PFCH has as well deployed Digital to Film Printers including the Kodak 6800 Dry Laser Printer Throughout the hospital in its various departments. These enable the staff to physically print hard copies of the images from all various hardware technologies. The RIS or Radiology Information Systems Data Center manages and supports the storage of the OsiriX/DICOM imagery created and used by the Radiology Group. This Data Center has multiple Apple Cluster Servers. Each Apple Cluster Server is using the MAC OS Leopard Xserve operating system. The cluster servers also support the PACS or Picture Archiving and Communication Systems software to ensure that the hospital has the ability to store, retrieve and access the stored imagery from various locations withi n the hospital. As stated PFCH is already on the cusp of technology systems, however unfortunately there is only limited information available in regards to the administrative functions as well as the various business systems which are currently employed at PFCH. It only then makes sense that PFCH would see an immediate return on investment from implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning or (ERP) system. An Enterprise Resource Planning system is a tool, which would enable PFCH to better understand their processes, and create a centralized database, which maintains and helps to analyze them. The Enterprise Resource Planning system would give PFCH insight to standardize all management processes. The proper ERP system would provide a series of tools, and functionalities, based on potential best practices and those lessons learned throughout the various industries. An ERP system can truly enable PFCH to standardize their processes, enabling PFCH to reduce redundancy and create the most efficient use of their processes as possible. By leveraging this standardization, PFCH can analyze software and reduce complexity, creating a more component-based method of application and system deployment. Each unique component or module will work independently, but in conjunction with additional modules. Using a common language and a common method of connectivity, this component based process driven program can eliminate those systems, which are under utilized and increase productivity to those, which are currently limited. The implementation of a ERP system would have the capability to increase productivity and performance on PFCH’s various departments including but not limited to radiology, accounting, finance and payroll, the human resources, and of course the information technology group. By introducing an ERP system there will be other advantages to PFCH such as the consolidation of hospital data into on central location. Thus removing any issues with the ability to sync data between various departments, and enabling technicians to do their job and less fussing with the complications involved in data accuracy. This consolidation will as well enable management a macro level perspective of how the hospital is doing, and plan where to focus their attention. Giving management the ability to make better business decisions and consolidating this into one view enables those decisions to be made faster and more efficiently. Ultimately after reviewing the systems currently in place, and understanding the benefits gained from the implementation of an ERP system, it is clear to see that truly not much else needs to change. For Patton Fuller, they are and have been driving industry standards in regards to their medical technologies, and there is very little room for improvement, but if they could implement an ERP system it would not only enable them the insight to enhancing their business processing it would give them an opportunity to increase productivity and reduce complexity, which after all is what effects the bottom line. References University of Phoenix (2011) Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Information Technology. Retrieved July 1, 2011, from: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/IT/ITNetDTop. htm University of Phoenix (2011) Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Retrieved July 1, 2011, from: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/Ancillary/PandP/PPSA001. htm

Sweatshops essays

Sweatshops essays How do Sweatshops tie into our Nations Products? Many companies and schools in the United States buy their products from factories that have their workers working in horrible conditions. That is employing over 50,000 workers to work in these conditions. They have the workers work from 5 A.M. until nighttime inhaling dangerous chemicals and working in temperatures that get as high as 130 degrees. These high temperatures cause heat stress, burns, and injuries to workers. Many of the factories that the United States buys from are in another countries. In these countries they have horrible working conditions. Working in these places called sweatshops should be banned. Sweatshops are a shop or factory in which employees work long hours at low wages under poor conditions. These factories cause problems for their workers later in the worker's life. Occasionally these problems lead to death. Many workers do not get to see a doctor when they are ill. Workers choose to go work to make money rather than see a doctor. Most do not receive regular vaccinations that help their body fight against "smallpox, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, and diphtheria". A sweatshop factory brings visions of dangerous, filthy, and cramped conditions. Many of these sweatshops do not pay their workers the right amount. "In Bangladesh and Myanmar, they pay ten to eighteen cents; in China, Pakistan, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia they pay twenty to sixty-eight cents per hour. Why do owners pay their workers so little? The wages they give these workers should be different. Many of these factories hire children who are ineligible to work in these places. About 250 million children between the ages five and fourteen work in sweatshops. Half of these children are working full time and one third of them are working in extremely dangerous conditions. These children do not belong working in such dangerous conditions. "Many of these childre...

8 Romantic Date Ideas on a College Budget

8 Romantic Date Ideas on a College Budget The Love Doctor just got back from Maui so in this article he’s going to expand on 8 really solid and romantic date ideas for college students who don’t have deep pockets. You’ve got a little bread and want to make a big impression. Totally. These ideas are going to get you there, all it takes on your part is some charm, planning and finesse (which are free). Let’s begin. 1. Road Trip! Just about everybody loves a road trip as long as they trust you and aren’t too conservative, or have scheduling conflicts. Anyways, the goal here is to take them somewhere that’s close enough to feel safe, but far enough away to feel like an adventure. In reality you don’t need anything but gas money. However, if there’s public transit where you’re going a bus ride can be fun and presents plenty of opportunity for conversation. Make sure you take them somewhere they haven’t been before. Ideally. But, it would be just as cool to head to a remote and popular hot spot where there will be plenty of other people out and about and having fun. To make a big impression you need to create a sensual memory of movement, adventure, excitement, curiosity and FUN! 2. A Personalized Dinner a Movie No, we’re not talking about a table for two at a nearby restaurant and then the local theater for two. That’s so outdated! And, let’s be honest, the movie theaters these days are so expensive it’s crazy. Instead, plan out a really tasty home cooked meal you can make together. It doesn’t have to be nuts. There’s no rules. Whatever sounds really good that will put a smile on your faces and make for good conversation. Then you can watch a movie for free using a computer silly. The screen won’t be so big and it’ll just be the two of you without all the buttery popcorn getting in the way (unless that’s what you decide to cook!). 3. It’s Time to Dance Seriously, take them to a dancing class. Yes, it can be freaky for non-dancers. But you’ll be braving it together and it’s cheap (oftentimes free). It gets the blood pumping, puts you in close contact and if all goes well it will be unforgettable. It can be any type: hip hop, salsa, ballroom, etc. You never know, it could become a thing and you might be one of those couples who dance together. 4. Workout some Pamper Working out and exercising can be completely free. Get outside. Go on a hike or jog. Sure, head to the gym and get them in free with a guest pass. Or, the college gym is probably free for you because a fee is typically included in tuition. Don’t get super sweaty, but don’t be afraid of it either. Just have some clothes to change into and make sure they have some as well. Afterwards if you can afford it take them to a spa, regardless of whether it’s a guy or girl. EVERYONE loves a massage whether they want to admit it or not. It’s completely refreshing and rejuvenating and they’ll feel amazing after the day with you. 5. Bird Watching Anyone? All you need is the ability to get to where the birds are and a pair of binoculars. When was the last time someone asked you to go bird watching? It sounds corny, but for the right person it could be a real adventure. You can outside, get to walk around in nature together, spot birds and learn about them. Why not? Open-minded people will jump at the opportunity if it’s something they’ve never done before. 6. Comedy or Improv If you can get your date laughing (in a good way of course) then there’s a 99% chance it will be a successful experience for both of you. That’s a fact. And the good news is that there’s always comedy events taking place on and off campus. And, they’re not expensive. For a drink or two and a seat at a comedy show you’re not looking at much. It can get expensive if you want dinner, drinks, desert, a table in front, etc. Improv is also really fun and interesting as well. Make sure you don’t set it up so that you part ways directly after the show. There’s should be some time to chat about your favorite parts or jokes and continue laughing together. 7. An Oddball Course Cooking, dancing, DJ class, painting, basket weaving, etc. You get the idea. Nothing over the top or too mentally draining. Something fun, interesting, unforgettable and spontaneous would be ideal. 8. Bucket List Item We’ll keep this short because it’s simple. Ask them about their bucket list casually, and if there’s anything on there that you can afford and that’s plausible, then do it! That right there is a solid list from the college Love Doctor, but what do you do to make your dates awesome without breaking the bank?

Authentic Leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Authentic Leadership - Dissertation Example The second article deals with increased performance due to trust given by subordinates to their leaders. Individuals with disability are excluded from social participation. Authentic leaders require strategies that involve these individuals in social contributions. This is discussed in the third article. The last article deals with strategic orientations for coping with organizational change. Different leaders have different goal oriented inclinations, which affect sustainability of change in an organization. From Avolio Bruce (2009) Most researchers concentrate on what a leader does, what they have done in the past, and how they have performed as a measure of quality leadership. Constituents of genuine leadership require a frontier of both the practice and science of leadership. In the current world, organizations are competing for leadership talent. Governments and businesses are concerned with developing leadership that will promote a sustainable world. The world is faced with fin ite resources, which calls for more attention for management and leadership qualities. The current leadership interventions aim at enhancing the self awareness of leaders. In the previous regimes of leadership, charismatic leaders could use symbols, images, and rhetoric to perform above ordinary levels (Avolio and Gibbons, 1988). These leaders sacrificed everything to show their followers their commitment to achieving their vision. According to Burns (1978) such leaders were inspiring, morally uplifting, and focused on converting followers into leaders. They transformed several of their followers into leaders. However, not all charismatic leaders are morally uplifting. Some leaders like Joseph Stalin advantaged on group by destroying others. They eliminated other people inclined towards leadership. Transformational leadership is characteristic on the leader throughout their life span (Avolio and Luthans, 2006). These leaders are inspiring and visionary. Positive outcomes in the orga nization and within an individual emanate from transformational leadership (Judge and Piccolo, 2004). According to Kegan (1994) leaders guided by self interest make it difficult to invest time to develop their followers into leaders. Their moral perspective is typically stuck at determining their personal gaining from transforming others into leaders. They dislike changes in the leadership positions and cannot judge the overall best course to pursue in transforming others. An authentic leader is self-aware, moral centered, transparent, and fair in decision making (George, 2003). As individuals advance in experience and wisdom, they shift from individual performers to morally uplifting and focus on transforming followers. Some of these leaders display transformational qualities but lack the moral basis to become transformational. Such leaders are seen to be very successful but leave their organizations in ruins. This is as a result of lack of transformational nature in these leaders and self motivated gains. Leadership is more made than born. In an incremental perspective, development is more elastic and modifiable within the life course. However, those who believe that leaders are born have an entity view. They consider personality and leadership as fixed entities at certain points in the life stream. Developing leadership is therefore difficult in people who think certain things are fixed. Transformational leadership should exist in strategic levels in an organization. Cascading effects are witnessed

Professional Issues - Child Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Professional Issues - Child Protection - Essay Example In the task of looking after the children who are being abused the child protection workers have to face many problems. Child welfare work is difficult and Child protection social workers have to face lots of challenges in relation to the management of violence done to the children. These child protection professionals have to face the threatening of the parents and they also have to challenge the underlying assumption that working with parents is always possible. Many of the workers have to face the threats of not only the parents but also of the supporting agencies. Decision making is the main thing which is the essence of child protection. Rebecca Aviel in his article Restoring Equipoise to Child Welfare says that an error in decision making from the part of a social worker will lead him/her to answer the questions raised by the federal court. (Aviel, 2010). Despite the area of consultation a social worker has to make decision about child safety. In a monthly article titled Ã¢â‚¬Ë œCPS Supervision: What does the present suggest for the Future?’ it appeared that despite the area of consultation a social worker has to make decision about child safety. For this they need assistance for sorting out the problems of maltreating families. When the workers do not get any assistance they make it anyway which may not be a proper one. Many young people are coming into this field without any proper education or training. They cannot be considered as professionals and they are prone to make wrong decisions which may affect the child in a bad way. In such a condition of lack of professionals the supporting agencies do not even think of keeping supervisors. The agencies also support an ineffective means of treatment of the social workers. They often try to compensate and support the ineffective supervisors and they ignore the work of the supervisors. (Liddle, et al, 1988). Child workers work in close association with the families to monitor child’s safety and well being. They have to assess the on going service needs of the children and also of the foster parents. They also have to ensure the safety of the child and look for â€Å"stable living arrangements that promote the well being of the children† (Child Welfare Caseworker Visits with Children and Parents: Innovations in State Policy, 2006). Formerly being a social worker, Robert Tapsfield, Chief Executive, Fostering Network says that it is a challenge for a social worker to make the decisions and make it right. It should be identified that the protection of the children who face child abuse is not the sole responsibility of the social worker. The responsibility is to be shared among the directors, managers, supporters, lead members and the counselors. One of the main difficulties faced by the social workers is to find out or identify the families in which the child is abused. They family may try to hide matters from the social worker who go to interview the child. Robert Taps field says that it may need officials or professionally skilled persons to undertake this task. (Milton, 2011). Social workers are to be well trained to do this task of finding facts from the family in which a child is abused or suffering. They also find it difficult to work with aggressive and violent parents who may not disclose the secrets in front of a stranger. They may indulge in violent means to prevent this. â€Å"

Argumentative Essay On Drinking Water Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay

Argumentative Essay On Drinking Water Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay Although most of the earths surface is covered with water, water shortage is a serious threat to the survival of humanity at present and in future. There is a water crisis which faces many parts of the world and it is a threat to survival of human beings since humans are primarily dependent on water. Shortage in drinking water is a major problem facing developing countries which have not taken drastic steps to harvest water and purify it to make it safe for human consumption. However, this problem is also being increasingly felt in developed countries where the population growth has strained available water resources and stretched the ability of governments and private firms to provide safe drinking water to the population. There are many conflicts around the world where people have died or have been injured as a result of clashes over a water resource. Most of these conflicts have occurred in Asia and Africa where most developing countries are located (Gleick 17-22). When humans cla sh over resources, this underscores the seriousness of the issue and calls for drastic actions to be taken to solve the problem. Shortage of drinking water is therefore an issue which must be investigated in detail and solutions developed to curb this problem. There are various causes of shortage of drinking water and most of these are attributable to human activities. These include such activities as deforestation and pollution which contribute to global warming, misuse of the water resource and groundwater contamination among others. It is important to develop solutions to this problem if future generations are to survive. This paper aims at analyzing the shortage in drinking water resource, its causes and solutions which should be implemented to solve the problem. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Shortage in drinking water It has been discussed that there is shortage of drinking water in various regions across the world. In many developing countries, people do not have access to drinking water due to various reasons. In some cases, water resources have dried up while in others, they are polluted. As a result, there populations especially in Africa face many water-borne diseases mainly due to pollution of water resources. Human activities such as population growth and industrial activities have further strained water resources and caused a shortage of drinking water. As a result, there are many conflicts over pastures or water resources and these lead to injuries or fatalities (Gleick 17-22). As mentioned earlier, this underscores the importance of finding a solution to the problem of shortage of the water resource. In the United States, there is pressure on available water resources since half of water collected is usually used in electricity generation, leaving the population to share the little left. There are already calls for charging water resources in order to increase efficiency of use (CQ Researcher 531-550). Although water protection has been implemented for years, there is still water pollution occurring within the United States. After the Civil war, America strived to provide its population with clean water and its water treatment system was and is still is one of the best globally. However, industrial revolution led to the pollution of water resources, leading to shortage of clean drinking water. Other external factors such as effects of global warming have also put a strain on available water resources. It is important to understand how shortage of drinking water occurs and its causes. These will be discussed in the section below; How human beings contribute to the problem of shortage in drinking water There are various human activities and trends which are primarily responsible for the problem of shortage of drinking water. These activities damage the environment, contaminate water sources or put pressure on water resources leading to a shortage of drinking water. Some of these will be discussed below; Pollution Environmental pollution is one of the major causes of lack of drinking water. Pollution contaminates available water sources, making water available unsafe for human consumption. Pollution also damages the environment and causes adverse effects which result in drying up of water sources (Levy 62-67). There are three major types of pollution which will be discussed in this section and these are water and air pollution as well as contamination of ground water sources. Air pollution occurs through human activities such as burning of fuel, release of harmful gases by industries or products such as vehicles, release of greenhouse gases among others. Air pollution is a major cause of global warming since gases released into the atmosphere allow more heat to be trapped within the earths surface resulting in global warming. Water pollution results from discharging waste into water sources and this is common in developing countries which do not strong laws which deter such forms of pollution. Contamination of ground water sources occurs after the use of certain chemicals including fertilizers which contaminate ground water after use, making such water toxic to humans (Upmanu et. al. 1-17). These forms of pollution reduce the amount of water resource which may be used by humans leading to a shortage in drinking water resources. Increasing population There is a very high population growth rate in many countries across the world. The average world population growth rate is over 1% and some countries especially in Africa and Asia have growth rates of over 2% per annum. A large growth rate puts pressure on available resources and causes a shortage. Human beings depend on water to live and the large population growth rate has put pressure on available water resources. Since water infrastructure and resource has generally remained constant over the years, population growth rate strains the water resource and creates a shortage in drinking water for populations across the world. Global warming Global warming can be attributed to a large proportion of the loss of water resources. It is caused by the emission of certain gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere leading to retention of heat by the earths surface. This raises the average temperatures and causes adverse effects such as heat waves and melting of glaciers. Global warming causes higher evaporation of water resources due to higher temperatures on the earths surface. This results in the decline of availability of fresh water sources. It also leads to the drying up of water resources such as rivers and lakes due to higher temperatures. Global warming should be addressed if humans are to have fresh drinking water in the long run. Use of water for agriculture Agricultural activities are a major part of many countries economies. Many people rely indirectly or directly from agriculture. Agricultural activities heavily rely on water for sustenance. In many countries, fresh water resources are used for irrigation of crops and feeding of animals. The use of freshwater sources for irrigation strains the water resource and creates shortages especially when agriculture is practiced in large scale (Buchanan Horwitz 67-69). In developing countries, areas which have large scale agricultural activities especially in water intensive agricultural activities such as horticulture usually experience water shortages due to the amount of water used in agriculture. It is important that alternative water sources are used for agriculture is there is to be clean drinking water for people across the world. Wastage of water resource Wastage of water is common in nearly all countries due to ignorance on potential benefits of conserving water. There are many ways in which water is wasted and these include letting water run within households when it is not in use, lack of water recycling and lack of water harvesting among other means. When water within households is allowed to run when not in use, it may appear to be a little quantity, but when compared against numerous households, it becomes clear how much water is wasted. When water is also not recycled like for instance purified and used for other sources, this is wastage of the water resource. Poor harvesting of water or lack of water harvesting incentives allows water which would have been put to use to be wasted. This creates a situation where people do not have access to drinking water as is the case in many countries. Solutions There are various solutions which should be implemented to solve the problem of shortage of drinking water. Some of them will be briefly discussed below; Reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere This is one of the most effective solutions needed to conserve the water resource. As has been discussed, one of the greatest threats to the availability of water is global warming. Global warming increases temperatures and encourages evaporation of water resources. Carbon dioxide emission is one of the major causes of global warming. It is therefore essential that emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is reduced. Greenhouses are some of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and reduction of greenhouse gases will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted. The Kyoto Protocol is a global agreement by countries to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions. More countries should join such agreements and they should develop a global approach in reducing carbon dioxide emissions (Glennon 33-38). Other measures such as planting of trees should be encouraged since trees are important in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Afforestation and re-afforestation Afforestation and re-afforestation are two effective approaches in conserving the water resource. Afforestation involves planting trees where there were none while re-afforestation involves plating trees which were cut down. The planting of trees is useful in conserving the water resource for two main reasons. The first is that trees use carbon dioxide and give out oxygen thereby purifying the air. Carbon dioxide emission has been discussed as a cause of global warming and depletion of clean drinking water due to high temperatures. Planting of trees reduces the carbon dioxide levels in air and prevents adverse effects of global warming (Solomon 46-52). The second reason is that planting of trees attracts rainfall through the water cycle which involves transpiration. Transpiration by trees allows moisture to evaporate and form clouds which eventually fall down as rainfall. Availability of rainfall increases water resources and ensures that humans have access to clean drinking water. Harvesting of water Harvesting of water is one form of water conservation and it involves collecting waste water and purifying it to make it safe for drinking (The Economist 14-16). Water harvesting should mainly be done when there are heavy rains and water should be directed towards reservoirs where it may be stored and purified for human consumption. This form of water conservation ensures that there is minimal water wastage and that human beings have access to clean drinking water. It also ensures that there is enough water to sustain human activities such as agriculture. Avoiding water wastage It is important for governments and the private sector to educate the public on importance of water conservation and avoidance of water wastage. Avoiding water wastage ensures that the water resource is conserved and that there is enough water to meet all human activities. Water wastage through simple measures, such as letting water run when not in use or using excess water to perform various household functions, is very effective in conserving the water resource if done in large scale. When the public at large is advised about these simple measures, more water will be harvested, purified and stored for consumption by human beings. Legal regulations In order to enforce these solutions, it is important to criminalize any actions which contribute to the depletion of the water resource. Human activities such as deforestation, pollution and contamination of ground water resources should be discouraged through the passage of tough laws which act as deterrent to such actions. Harsh sentences and fines should be imposed on people who are caught polluting or damaging the environment. This will discourage others from committing the same and it will encourage society to preserve various resources including the water resource. Summary and conclusion Shortage of water resources has been seen to be a serious problem which threatens the survival of mankind. Water is an essential part of the lives of human beings who need water for survival. However, there are many human activities which either pollute water resources or which pollute the environment leading to the drying up of the water resources. Some of these activities include air pollution which occurs through human activities such as burning of fuel, release of harmful gases by industries or products such as vehicles, release of greenhouse gases among others. Water pollution occurs through discharging waste into water sources while contamination of ground water sources occurs after the use of certain chemicals including fertilizers which contaminate ground water after use, making such water toxic to humans. Other human activities such as deforestation and agriculture also contribute to the shortage of clean drinking water. Population growth puts pressure on water resources mak ing it difficult to satisfy human needs. There are various steps which should be taken in order to address the problem of water shortage. Afforestation and re-afforestation are two effective approaches in conserving the water resource since they help in attracting rainfall and purifying the atmosphere. Harvesting of water is a form of water conservation and it ensures that there is minimal water wastage. Finally, string laws which discourage environmental pollution should be passed in order to ensure that the environment is conserved and that there are enough water resources for all. This will ensure that future populations survive on current water resources available.