Principles for Systems of Managed Care in Accordance with IOM recommendations

The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Care (CMHC) set the first step in attaining and transforming mental health care in the United States. The federal action agenda is the first step in addressing such issues and challenges confronting the mental health care in the state. The Principles for Systems of Managed Care emphasizes on building a system that is evidence-based, recovery focused, and consumer and family driven.Reforms is insufficient to use in order to improve the current mental health care system, the commission carefully chose the word ‘transformation’ to drastically reach its visions and objectives (SAMHSA, 2008). The principles point out the main objective of the healthcare focusing on individual level, community level, policies, mental health researches and the principle of federalism. The Federal Action Agenda focuses its action base on these fi ve principles of the executive order.Principles are as follows: (1) attaining each individual's maximum level of employment, self-care, interpersonal relationships, and community participation is one of the main focuses in order to extract the desired outcomes of mental health care; (2) focus on community-level models of care that effectively coordinate the multiple health and human service providers and public and private payers involved in mental health treatment and delivery of services; (3) focus on those policies that maximize the utility of existing resources by increasing cost-effectiveness and reducing unnecessary and burdensome regulatory barriers; (4) consider how mental health research findings can be used most effectively to influence the delivery of services; and, (5) follow the principles of Federalism, and ensure that [the Commission's] recommendations promote innovation, flexibility, and accountability at all levels of government and respect the constitutional role o f the States and Indian tribes. 2. Are they in accordance with the IOM recommendations for redesigning the healthcare system that we have been discussing throughout the session? Please explain. These agenda fits the call of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for redesigning the healthcare system.IOM as established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. As the IOM serves as an adviser to the state to improve health situation, it sets standards and suggestions in redesigning the health care system in order to improve the present condition of the nation’s healthcare system. IOM recommends focus on the individual level of recovery of the mental health patients; transform services to community level, policies supporting the improvement of the services and most importantly is the health resea rches that will further develop the health care practices.The agenda set by SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is in accordance to the IOM recommendations in redesigning the health care system in order to advances. References What is Mental Health?. (July 25, 2006). Retrieved June 1, 2007, from http://mentalhealth. about. com/cs/stressmanagement/a/whatismental. htm United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA. The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps. (2008). United States Department of Health and Human Services Institute of Medicine. In Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. from http://www. iom. edu/

Poland Business Cycle

This Country Focus analyses and interprets the statistical characteristics of the Polish business cycle. It also identifies leading and lagging variables and shows that the economic fluctuations in Poland differ to some extent from those in other emerging and mature economies, with Polish growth notably more volatile and government expenditure highly erratic. The available data on GDP growth suggest that the Polish economy is approaching the peak of the second business cycle since the start of economic transformation from a centrally planned to a market economy.The current upswing is to some extent similar to the one of 1995-1997 which ended in large macroeconomic imbalances (increasing unemployment, spare capacity, widening fiscal and current account deficits). However, Poland now appears to be better positioned than after the last cycle and should be able to avoid a repeat of that outcome. Business cycles in emerging market economies Although the economic literature on business cyc les is vast, only recently have some papers on business cycles in emerging market economies appeared.Usually they analyse economic fluctuations within particular countries (e. g. Benczur and Ratfai, 2005) or make some cross-country comparisons (e. g. Aguayo et al. , 2004 or Carmignani, 2005). A common methodology used in the analysis of business cycles (based on observations of mature economies and economic theory) distinguishes pro-cyclical, counter-cyclical and a-cyclical variables. Pro-cyclical variables fluctuate together with GDP (e. g. industrial production, investment, employment, inflation), countercyclical variables against GDP (e. g. nemployment, net exports) and a-cyclical variables independently of GDP (e. g. real interest rates). 1 With respect to timing, the ‘stylised facts' of the business cycle identify leading, lagging and coincident variables: leading variables move ahead of GDP (e. g. average labour productivity, inventory investment, money supply), lagging variables follow GDP (e. g. inflation, nominal interest rates) and coincident variables, as the name suggests, move coincidentally with GDP (e. g. industrial production, consumption, employment) (Snowdon & Vane, 2005, p. 306).Overall, business cycles in emerging market economies (Carmignani, 2005)2 are not much different from those in mature economies (Snowdon and Vane, 2005, p. 306), By Michal Narozny* The business cycle in Poland: where do we stand? Highlights in this issue: †¢ While on the whole not different from mature economies, the properties of the business cycle in Poland display some special characteristics †¢ The current cycle seems to have reached a peak but the slowdown is likely not to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle Volume IV, Issue 9 03. 08. 2007 ECFIN COUNTRY FOCUS Directorate for the Economies of the Member States. The views expressed in the ECFIN Country Focus belong to the authors only and do not necessarily correspond to those of the Director ate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs or the European Commission.Economic analysis from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs Identification of direction and timing is key in business cycle analysis ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 2 but economies in transition (though they do not constitute a homogeneous group) display some specific characteristics: overall, the economy is much more volatile than in the euro area, which is the consequence of structural changes and catching-up, †¢ shocks are slightly less persistent than in the euro area, and fluctuations consequently more frequent, †¢ government consumption is more erratic than in the euro area, suggesting a significant discretionary element in fiscal policies, but not one that is necessarily aimed at cyclical stabilisation, †¢ employment is a-cyclical in some, but pro-cyclical in other emerging economies, †¢ inflation in emerging economies is volatile and not clearly pro-cyclical.Table 1 shows some tentative analysis of the key macroeconomic variables in the Polish business cycle. All variables (except for inflation and net exports) were logtransformed, de-seasonalised by means of the X. 12 method and later de-trended using the HP filter. Net exports were expressed as a ratio to GDP and deseasonalised by means of the multiplicative X. 11 method before being de-trended. Volatility of cyclical fluctuations, and hence the magnitude of the business cycle, is measured by the standard deviation. Polish GDP volatility is about 0. 015, compared to 0. 08 for the euro area. The persistence of cyclical fluctuations is measured by the auto-correlation coefficient: the closer to 1, the more persistent the shock (and the longer it takes to absorb it) and therefore the less fluctuation in the business cycle. Testing for the Polish business cycle persistence yields a coefficient of 0. 55 compared to 0. 85 for the euro area. Table 1. Su mmary statistics of business cycle fluctuations in Poland Correlations with the cyclical component of GDP Poland Standard Autodeviation correlation -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 GDP 0. 015 0. 550 1Industrial production 3. 317 0. 730 -0. 018 0. 154 0. 314 0. 515 0. 771 0. 599 0. 444 0. 229 0. 113 Private consumption 0. 013 0. 269 0. 015 0. 079 0. 283 0. 433 0. 434 0. 385 0. 463 0. 380 0. 037 Government consumption 0. 020 0. 001 -0. 200 0. 007 0. 230 0. 022 -0. 211 0. 175 0. 282 0. 199 0. 051 GFCF 0. 070 0. 717 0. 357 0. 399 0. 403 0. 484 0. 824 0. 585 0. 371 0. 313 0. 344 Inventories 1. 189 -0. 072 -0. 139 0. 044 0. 021 0. 074 0. 199 0. 187 0. 150 0. 177 0. 230 Net exports 0. 012 0. 574 -0. 061 -0. 174 -0. 386 -0. 373 -0. 326 -0. 513 -0. 497 -0. 389 -0. 452 Exports 0. 58 -0. 005 0. 098 0. 199 0. 177 0. 225 0. 594 -0. 018 0. 030 -0. 016 -0. 193 Imports 0. 063 0. 378 0. 097 0. 252 0. 350 0. 408 0. 672 0. 377 0. 384 0. 258 0. 175 Employment 0. 017 0. 857 0. 291 0. 372 0. 411 0. 452 0. 545 0. 40 9 0. 333 0. 355 0. 344 Labour productivity 0. 354 0. 512 0. 120 0. 090 0. 056 0. 070 0. 133 0. 257 0. 109 0. 026 -0. 142 Money supply (M1) 0. 041 0. 776 -0. 078 -0. 060 0. 092 0. 260 0. 475 0. 472 0. 535 0. 505 0. 432 Inflation 1. 819 0. 779 0. 092 0. 321 0. 511 0. 596 0. 473 0. 290 0. 082 -0. 082 -0. 146 CPI 1. 737 0. 777 0. 086 0. 255 0. 411 0. 422 0. 00 0. 082 -0. 075 -0. 167 -0. 184 Real interest rate 0. 655 0. 942 0. 226 0. 279 0. 302 0. 263 0. 135 0. 132 0. 120 0. 092 0. 088 Source: Own estimates. Data source: Eurostat. Sample: 1995Q3 – 2007Q1 Summary statistics Lags Leads Business cycles in Poland – what is different and what is alike The analysis of the Polish cycle yields a number stylised facts, which are to some degree typical for emerging economies. Table 2 summarises a number of stylised facts on business cycles in mature economies and in Poland (bearing in mind the relatively short time span for the latter).It shows that some of the usual characteristics of business cycles in mature economies (or even in emerging economies) are not seen in Poland. Where this is the case, some interpretation is offered. Industrial production is usually pro-cyclical and coincident in both mature and emerging economies, but in Poland it has a slightly leading property, which indicates the importance of industrial production as a driver of the business cycle. In the aggregate demand components, private consumption seems to be procyclical in Poland.However, it is not coincident as in mature economies, and has a lead-lag profile that is not typical: it is almost flat over four quarters with some lead. Hence, although private consumption is the largest component of GDP, the dynamic relation over time between the two variables is erratic, possibly indicating consumption smoothing, which is characteristic of low-income economies. However, the ratio of the standard deviation of private consumption to the standard deviation of GDP (by which consumption smoothi ng is usually judged) is estimated at 0. 8, i. e. higher than the upper bound of the normal range reported in the literature. 3 This suggests that consumption smoothing is not present in Poland, which might indicate lower risk aversion and/or underdevelopment of financial markets. The Polish business cycle displays some characteristic properties Business fluctuations in Poland are highly volatile and persistent ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 3 Table 2. The ‘stylised facts' about business cycles in mature economies and Poland Variable Mature economies* Poland** category VariableDirection Timing Direction Timing Supply side Industrial production pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/leading Private consumption pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical erratic Government consumption pro-cyclical erratic counter-cyclical /erratic erratic GFCF pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Inventories pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Net exports counter- cyclical coincident/ lagging counter-cyclical erratic Exports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Demand components Imports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincidentLabour Employment pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/lagging market Labour productivity pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Money supply pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Monetary Inflation pro-cyclical lagging pro-cyclical lagging variables Real Interest rates a-cyclical erratic pro-cyclical lagging * Features commonly found in the literature. Main source: Snowdon ; Vane (2005) ** See Table 1 Source: Own calculations (see Table 1) and Snowdon ; Vane (2005) Government consumption seems to be neither systematically counter- nor procyclical.High volatility and a very low persistence (i. e. frequent fluctuations of sizeable magnitude) point to an irregular pattern of government consumption, suggesting an important role of discretionary fiscal policies, which is a distinctive feat ure of emerging economies (Carmignani, 2005) and possibly related to the existence of a political cycle in public finances. Gross fixed capital formation appears to be coincident, highly pro-cyclical and persistent (auto-correlation of 0. 2) and inventories behave according to the ‘stylised facts': they are pro-cyclical and leading (though less so than in mature economies). Finally, both exports and imports can be seen as pro-cyclical, but imports slightly more so than exports, which is in line with the features of mature, but not emerging economies where exports are a-cyclical on average. Moreover, imports seem to be quite persistent (following persistent GFCF), unlike exports (which depend on external demand); both variables are highly volatile (standard deviations are more than the double of the euro-area).Net exports are moderately counter-cyclical with an erratic pattern over time (due to persistent imports), whereas in mature economies net exports are also counter-cyclic al, but usually coincident or lagging. With respect to the labour market, employment shows up as pro-cyclical and coincident, with some evidence of lagging, which places Poland somewhere in the middle between mature and emerging economies in this respect. Labour productivity appears to be pro-cyclical and leading, in line with the ‘stylised facts', though the leading property is less pronounced than in mature economies.Pro-cyclicality of employment with its smooth and slightly lagged correlation profile suggests labour hoarding (Burnside et al. , 1993). Among the monetary variables, the money supply apears to be pro-cyclical and leading. Inflation seems to be pro-cyclical and to follow GDP as in mature economies, which is not the case in most emerging economies (where inflation is acyclical – see Carmignani, 2005). This is probably due to the fact that at the beginning of the transformation process all emerging economies had very high inflation rates that systematically decreased.Thus, it is hard to discern a clear cyclical pattern. Poland managed to achieve relatively low inflation sooner than other emerging countries, allowing this pro-cyclicality to be revealed earlier. Contrary to the ‘stylised facts' for mature (but also emerging) economies, where real interest rates are a-cyclical with no clear pattern with respect to timing, real interest rates in Poland show up as being pro-cyclical and lagging, implying a countercyclical monetary policy (coefficient of correlation with GDP is 0. 4 and there is a clear lagging pattern). Smooth and lagged correlation profile of pro-cyclical employment suggests labour hoarding The irregular pattern of government consumption suggests that discretionary fiscal policies play an important role ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 4 Troughs, peaks and the drivers of growth The first economic cycle since the beginning of economic transition lasted about 10 years, with the expansion and slowdown phases each spanning about 5 years; the cycle ended in the second quarter of 2001.The current upswing has already lasted 6 years, which suggests that the peak is imminent if the length of the current cycle is similar to the previous one. Decelerating leading variables (industrial production, net exports and labour productivity) may also be signs of a turning point. Chart 1. Developments of basic economic variables in Poland in 1991-2008 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 % CA deficit (% of GDP) Unemployment rate (rhs) CPI inflation (rhs) GDP growth Fiscal deficit (lhs)Source: Commission services In both the early 1990s and in 2001, when the economy was at its trough, there was a large unutilised labour supply and substantial reserves in enterprises’ capacity utilisation. The fiscal deficit was also substantial. In the first cycle, ample supply of resources was a consequence of t ransition to a market economy which caused a recession in 1990-1991. In 2001-2002 it followed from the world economic slowdown and a restrictive monetary policy, which forced Polish enterprises to reorganise to raise their competitiveness and efficiency. Poland got out of the trough twice hanks to exogenous impulses to investment: the restructuring of the London Club debt in 1994 (which brought the first major wave of FDI) and entry into the EU in 2004 (which led to an inflow of EU funds). The external circumstances were also favourable as the world economy expanded in the nineties until 1998 and has been on a stable growth path since 2003. Chart 2. Contributions to GDP growth in Poland in 1991-2008 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % total consumption GFCF Inventories Net exports GDP growthSource: Commission services The main factor that drove real GDP growth in 1995-1997 to about 7% was dynamic domest ic demand growth of 8? % on average, supported by robust consumption (about 5 percentage points contribution to GDP growth on average). Despite the fact that the economy was growing above potential and domestic demand was growing significantly faster than GDP, a strong zloty appreciation (with a temporary blip in 2000) ensured that the disinflation process was not disturbed. However, this There are indications that the Polish business cycle has approached a peak Large acroeconomic imbalance during the troughs ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 5 situation led to a fast-growing imbalance on the current account: the 2% of GDP surplus in 1994 fell to a deficit of 6% of GDP in 1999 (to which the Russian crisis also contributed). Growth outlook based on solid foundations for now It is estimated that the Polish economy is currently expanding at a pace close to its potential (approximated at 5. 9% in 2007), on the back of rising domestic demand, which is likely to be followed by i ncreasing imports and a deteriorating current account balance.The growth of gross fixed capital formation accelerated to 17% in 2006 and to nearly 30% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007. Private consumption increased at 5. 2% in 2006 and stepped up to 6. 9% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007, which is significantly higher than the 2. 7% average growth in 2000-2003. So far, this expansion of consumption has not led to a rapid increase in the current account deficit (which rose from 1. 7% in 2005 to 2. 3% of GDP in 2006) or a rise in inflation (which has come in below the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. % for eight quarters in a row), mainly thanks to moderate real wage growth. However, with a tightening labour market, emerging skill mismatches and workforce emigration the pressure on wages is expected to become more significant, contributing to a further increase of consumption. In consequence, it might lead to an escalation of the external imbalance and/or increase d inflation. Nevertheless, GDP growth in the current phase seems to be based on more solid foundations than in the late 1990s: †¢ Firstly, the share of exports in GDP has nearly tripled in 1992-2006 to about 40%; the number of exporters has also increased considerably.The structure of exports has improved, with a bigger share of processed goods and a higher value added. Foreign direct investment has helped increase the production capacity of the Polish economy, which enables the domestic market to better meet increased private demand, and makes the balance of payments less prone to fluctuations in domestic demand. In addition, increased investment-driven imports are largely balanced by increased exports on account of a good situation in the external environment. †¢ Secondly, the floating exchange rate is likely to act as a buffer against imported inflation.However, even without a strong zloty appreciation, inflation in Poland during the coming years is expected to stay rel atively low: below or around the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. 5%. As the Polish economy is now more open than 10 years ago, inflation is more influenced by global factors. Increased exposure of Polish enterprises to international competition limits their ability to freely increase prices and wages. They are forced to increase labour productivity faster than wages to maintain their market position. Thus, even with growing wage demands, enterprises are more willing to decrease mark-ups than to raise prices. Thirdly, increased household incomes acquired as a result of higher wages and an improved labour market situation may not translate into consumption to the same extent as in the previous economic cycle. There is evidence that households are now more saturated with basic durable and consumption goods which they lacked before4 and are more eager to spend additional income on holidays abroad owing to a more mature service sector. Financial markets are more develop ed than 10 years ago, giving an opportunity for financial investments. ConclusionsThe business cycle in Poland exhibits similar properties to cycles in mature economies, but there are some notable differences for government consumption, net exports and real interest rates (although for the last variable the picture may be blurred by its very high level at the beginning of the transformation process). However, because the data series are short, the results should be interpreted with caution. The irregular behaviour of government consumption in Poland with respect to influence on the business cycle could be related to a discretionary fiscal policy implemented within a political business cycle.GDP growth is based on more solid foundations in the current cycle ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 6 The analysis of the previous upswing in Poland, the identification of variables with leading properties with respect to GDP, and the latest developments all seem to suggest that the Po lish economy might have reached the peak of the current cycle in the first quarter of 2007. Nevertheless, thanks to the ongoing process of restructuring of the economy, the slowdown phase is not likely to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle and should not lead to major imbalances.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eighteen

I CERTAINLY HADN'T EXPECTED to walk away from today's trip with joint custody of a miniature dragon. (I refused to call it a demon). And, as it turned out, Adrian was already proving not to be the most dedicated of â€Å"fathers.† â€Å"You can take him for now,† he told me when we got back to Amberwood. â€Å"I'll handle weekend visitations.† â€Å"You don't have anything going on. Besides, we're only a few days from the weekend,† I protested. â€Å"And you don't know that it's a ‘he.'† â€Å"Well, I don't think he'll mind, and besides, I'm not going to investigate to find out the truth.† Adrian put the quartz in the basket and closed the lid before handing it over to me. â€Å"You don't have to summon him back, you know.† I took the basket and opened the car door. â€Å"I know. But I feel kind of bad leaving him as a rock.† Ms. Terwilliger had told me it'd be healthier for him if I let him out once in a while. â€Å"See? Motherly instinct already. You're a natural, Sage.† Adrian grinned and handed me a bag of pie slices. He'd kept some for himself. â€Å"Look at you. You don't even need to break the tattoo. You think you would've been mothering a baby dragon a month ago?† â€Å"I don't know.† But he had a point. It seemed likely I would've run screaming from it back in the desert. Or maybe tried to exorcise it. â€Å"I'll take him for now, but you've got to pull your weight at some point. Ms. Terwilliger says the callistana needs to spend time with both of us. Hmm.† â€Å"Hmm, what?† I shook my head. â€Å"Just getting ahead of myself. Wondering what I'd do with him if I did go to Mexico.† Adrian gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"What about Mexico?† It had never come up, I realized. All Adrian had known about was Marcus's mission and the initial tattoo breaking, not the sealing. I hadn't been keeping the rest a secret, but suddenly, I felt uncomfortable telling Adrian about it. â€Å"Oh. Well, Marcus says that after I perform this rebellious act, we can break the elements and free me from the tattoo's control. But to truly bind the spell and make sure the tattoo is never repaired, I need to tattoo over it – like he did. He calls it sealing. But it takes some special compound that's hard to find. He got his done in Mexico and is going to take some of his Merry Men there so they can do it.† â€Å"I see.† Adrian's smile had vanished. â€Å"So. Are you joining them?† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. Marcus wants me to.† â€Å"I'm sure he does.† I ignored the tone. â€Å"I've thought about it . . . but it's a big step. Not just for the tattoo, either. If I did that, there'd be no going back. I'd be turning my back on the Alchemists.† â€Å"And us,† he said. â€Å"Unless you really are only helping Jill because of your orders.† â€Å"You know it's not about that anymore.† Again, I didn't like his tone. â€Å"You know I care about her and . . . and the rest of you.† His face was hard. â€Å"And yet you'd run off with some guy you just met.† â€Å"It's not like that! We wouldn't be ‘running off together. I'd be coming back! And we'd be going for a specific reason.† â€Å"Beaches and margaritas?† I was speechless for a few moments. It was so close to what Marcus had joked about. Was that all anyone associated with Mexico? â€Å"I see how it is,† I snapped. â€Å"You were all in favor of me breaking the tattoo and thinking on my own – but that's only okay if it's convenient for you, huh? Just like your loving from afar' only works if you don't have an opportunity to get your hands all over me. And your lips. And . . . stuff.† Adrian rarely got mad, and I wouldn't quite say he was now. But he was definitely exasperated. â€Å"Are you seriously in this much self-denial, Sydney? Like do you actually believe yourself when you say you don't feel anything? Especially after what's been happening between us?† â€Å"Nothing's happening between us,† I said automatically. â€Å"Physical attraction isn't the same as love. You of all people should know that.† â€Å"Ouch,† he said. His expression hadn't changed, but I saw hurt in his eyes. I'd wounded him. â€Å"Is that what bothers you? My past? That maybe I'm an expert in an area you aren't?† â€Å"One I'm sure you'd just love to educate me in. One more girl to add to your list of conquests.† He was speechless for a few moments and then held up one finger. â€Å"First, I don't have a list.† Another finger. â€Å"Second, if I did have a list, I could find someone a hell of lot less frustrating to add to it.† For the third finger, he leaned toward me. â€Å"And finally, I know that you know you're no conquest, so don't act like you seriously think that. You and I have been through too much together. We're too close, too connected. I wasn't that crazy on spirit when I said you're my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. Our backgrounds don't matter. What we have is bigger than that. I love you, and beneath all that logic, calculation, and superstition, I know you love me too. Running away to Mexico and fleeing all your problems isn't going to change that. You're just going to end up scared and confused.† â€Å"I already feel that way,† I said quietly. Adrian moved back and leaned into his seat, looking tired. â€Å"Well, that's the most accurate thing you've said so far.† I grabbed the basket and jerked open the car door. Without another word, I stormed off toward the dorm, refusing to look back in case he saw the tears that had inexplicably appeared in my eyes. Only, I wasn't sure exactly which part of our conversation I was most upset about. The tears seemed like they were going to stay put by the time I reached my room, but I still had to calm down. Even once my emotions were settled, it was hard to shake his words. You're my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. What did that even mean? At least smuggling a dragon into my room provided a pretty good distraction. I brought the basket inside, hoping demonic dragons weren't contraband. No one stopped me when I went upstairs, and I was left wondering how I was going to confine him if I did summon him back. The basket didn't seem all that secure, and I certainly wasn't going to let him run loose in my dorm room. When I reached my door, I found Jill standing outside, her pale green eyes wide with excitement. â€Å"I want to see him,† she said. The bond was strongest in moments of high emotion, and judging from Adrian's face when the dragon had been chasing us, his emotions had been running pretty strong. I wondered if she'd witnessed our argument too or if that hadn't come through the bond. Maybe the tension between him and me was second nature to her now. â€Å"I can't let him out yet,† I said, letting her into my room. â€Å"I need something to keep him in. Like a birdcage. Maybe I can get one tomorrow.† Jill frowned in thought, then brightened. â€Å"I have an idea.† She glanced at my alarm clock. â€Å"I hope it's not too late.† And without further explanation, she took off, promising to be back soon. I was still a little shaky from today's magic but hadn't had time to rectify the situation after all the other excitement. So, I sat at my desk with a spell book and ate the rest of the now-soft coconut cream pie, careful to first cut off the part where the dragon had eaten. I didn't know if callistanas had communicable germs, but I wasn't taking any chances. Jill returned an hour later, bearing a rectangular glass aquarium, like the kind you'd keep fish or gerbils in. â€Å"Where'd you get that?† I asked, moving a lamp off my desk. â€Å"My biology teacher. Our guinea pig died a couple weeks ago, and she's been too sad to replace him.† â€Å"Didn't she ask what you needed it for?† I examined the tank and found it spotless, so someone had apparently cleaned it after the guinea pig's unfortunate passing. â€Å"We can't have pets.† â€Å"I told her I was building a diorama. She didn't question it.† Jill eagerly brought the aquarium over to the desk. â€Å"We can give it back when you get your own.† I set the quartz crystal inside and slammed on the tank's lid, making sure it was securely attached. After more entreating from Jill, I spoke the summoning words. A bit of smoke appeared, and the quartz transformed back into the dragon. Mercifully, he didn't make any more of that screeching, so I guessed he was still full. Instead, he scampered around the tank, examining his new home. At one point, he tried to climb the side, but his tiny claws couldn't get traction on the glass. â€Å"Well, that's a relief,† I said. Jill's face was filled with wonder. â€Å"I think he'll be bored in there. You should get him some toys.† â€Å"Toys for a demon? Isn't it enough that I give him pie?† â€Å"He wants you,† she insisted. Sure enough, I glanced back at the tank and found the callistana regarding me adoringly. He was even wagging his tail. â€Å"No,† I said sternly. â€Å"This isn't a Disney movie where I have an adorable sidekick. You aren't coming out.† I cut off a piece of blueberry pie and put it in the tank in case he wanted a midnight snack. No way would I risk a late-night wakeup call. After a moment's thought, I added a stress ball and a scarf. â€Å"There,† I told Jill. â€Å"Food, a toy, and a bed. Happy?† The callistana apparently was. He batted the ball around a few times and then curled up on the nest I'd made with the scarf. He looked more or less content, aside from the fact that he kept watching me. â€Å"Aww,† she said. â€Å"Look how sweet he is. What are you going to name him?† Like I needed something else to worry about. â€Å"His ‘father' can name him. I'm already on the hook for the Mustang.† After a bit more swooning, Jill finally retired for the night. I made my own preparations for bed, always keeping one eye on the dragon. He did nothing threatening, however, and I even managed to fall asleep, though my sleep was restless. I kept imagining he'd find a way out and come get into bed with me. And of course, I had my usual fears about Veronica coming after me. I did hit one stretch of sound sleep, during which Adrian pulled me into a spirit dream. After our earlier fight, I honestly hadn't expected to see him tonight, a thought that had saddened me. The reception hall materialized around us, but the image wavered and kept fading in and out. â€Å"I didn't think you'd come,† I told him. No wedding clothes tonight. He wore what he'd had on earlier, jeans and the AYE shirt, though both looked a bit more wrinkled. He was dressed as he was in reality, I realized. â€Å"You think I'd abandon you to Veronica?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"What's wrong with the room?† He looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"My control's not all it could be tonight.† I didn't understand . . . at first. â€Å"You're drunk.† â€Å"I've been drinking,† he corrected, leaning against one of the tables. â€Å"If I was drunk, I wouldn't be here at all. And really, this is pretty good for four White Russians.† â€Å"White what?† I almost sat down but was afraid the chair might dematerialize beneath me. â€Å"It's a drink,† he said. â€Å"You'd think I wouldn't be into something named that – you know, considering my own personal experience with Russians. But they're surprisingly delicious. The drinks, not real Russians. They've got Kahlua. It might be the drink you've been waiting your whole life for.† â€Å"Kahlua does not taste like coffee,† I said. â€Å"So don't start with that.† I was insanely curious to know why he'd been drinking. Sometimes he did it to numb spirit, but he seemed to still want to access that magic tonight. And of course, half the time, he didn't even need a reason to drink. Deep inside me, I wondered if our fight had driven him to it. I didn't know whether to feel guilty or annoyed. â€Å"I also had to come tonight to apologize,† he said. He sat down, apparently not having the same fears about chairs. For one inexplicably terrifying moment, I thought he was going to take back the part about me being his flame in the dark. Instead, he told me, â€Å"If you need to go to Mexico to finish this process off, then I understand. I was wrong to criticize you for it or even imply that I had some kind of say in it. One of the greatest things about you is that in the end, you always make smart decisions. Can't always say the same for myself. Whatever you need to do, I'll support you.† Those annoying tears almost returned, and I blinked them back. â€Å"Thank you. That means a lot . . . and to tell you the truth, right now, I still don't know what I'm going to do. I know Marcus is worried about me eventually getting in trouble and being under their control. Then again, staying part of the Alchemists seems like it'd give me more power, and besides . . . I don't want to leave you. Er, you guys.† He smiled, and it lit up his whole face. Like a flame in the dark. â€Å"Well, ‘we' are certainly happy to hear that. Oh, and I'm also happy to watch our darling little love child dragon while you're in St. Louis.† I grinned back. â€Å"As a rock or in his real form?† â€Å"Haven't decided yet. How's he doing right now?† â€Å"He's locked in an aquarium. I'm guessing I'd wake up if he got into bed with me, so he must still be asleep.† I hoped. â€Å"Well, I'm sure getting into bed with you would be – † Adrian held back whatever comment he'd been about to utter. He instead gestured to the table, and a Monopoly board appeared. â€Å"Shall we play?† I walked over and peered at the board. It apparently was also suffering from his drinking, seeing as half the streets were blank. The ones that were there had names like â€Å"Castile Causeway† and â€Å"Jailbait Avenue.† â€Å"The board's a little incomplete,† I said diplomatically. Adrian didn't seem concerned. â€Å"Well, then, I guess that improves your odds.† I couldn't resist that and took a gamble on sitting in one of the chairs. I smiled at him and then began counting money, happy that all was (relatively) right in the world with us again.

The French Revolution and Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The French Revolution and Nationalism - Essay Example A force that is capable of rendering a national character to any uprising or event, nationalism is a phenomenon that permeates into the very core of a citizen’s life. It does so by giving the people of a country a common platform where they can meet, interact and bond. Subsequently, this leads to a rise in the national character as these people begin to identify with each other on the basis of a language, color, race or even suffering. Nationalism as a feature on any country’s historical or cultural climate rises to the fore as a result of threats. It is only when confronted with a threat, does a country – made up of its people and their collective sentiments – wake up and recognize their strengths. These in effect become the strength of the nation and nationalism is born. In this way, nationalism is defined, anew; every time there is suffering followed subsequently by an upheaval. As a result of this, nationalism can be called dynamic concept. This is owing to the fact that its elements change with the changing times and the reasons for upheavals. The only thing constant about nationalism is its power to bind people together as a nation and the fact that it rises to prominence only in the face of adversity. In modern times, nationalism has become a matter of celebrating everything that a nation takes pride in. This includes independence days, art, literature, music and various other symbols th at are a part of the national character as a whole – elements that remind nations of its past victories and present strengths. (Voltaire, 2005) The French Revolution and Nationalism The French Revolution was an upheaval that was marked by the formal birth of what we call nationalism. Spanning over a decade (1789 to 1799), this Revolution had a strong socio political dimension to it. The embodiment of nationalism in this revolution arose as a matter of its ability to define the elements that would support the construction of a democratic society free of feudal patterns. This was at the behest of the citizens from every quarter of the French society, who wanted to break free of the double standards that were being imposed on their way of life in the form of the Church's intervention

Ernest L. Blumenschein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ernest L. Blumenschein - Essay Example The painting beautifully depicts the young man in a photographic manner. The artist effectively used colors not only to create a natural look on the details of the painting but also to express the culture of the subject. Native Americans are known to use colorful woven garments and this painting illustrates how color is important to them. The man’s headdress and the eagle fan are remarkably crimson in color which often symbolizes royalty in most cultures. The two different kinds of feather are distinctively defined not only by their colors but also by their texture. This is created through the use of thick, long brushstrokes and thin, short brushstrokes. The long and thick brushstrokes create the rougher texture of the bigger feathers while the short and thin brushstrokes give a more defined detail of the finer feathers. These finer feathers are colored brown and black which gives a contrasting color to the dominant red. There are also black lines in between the red feathers w hich effectively show the divisions of the feathers and shows in detail how they are arranged with one feather placed on top of another. Other colors used on the headdress are white, blue and yellow which also add to the contrasting hues to the warm color red. The simple off-white shirt also contrasts the grand elements of the headdress and the fan. It is portrayed as naturally as it would be look on a person. There are creases on the clothing which is created through the use of short, thick brushstrokes. Darker colors are also used to emphasize the folds, making an impression that the folds create a shadow on the garment. This technique makes the folds stand out. Such also create an almost photographic image because even though the painting is two-dimensional, the image reflects a three-dimensional characteristic. This is evident especially on the midsection of the painting wherein the part of the man’s headdress overlaps his

Does Board Gender Diversity Have a Financial Impact Evidence Using Article

Does Board Gender Diversity Have a Financial Impact Evidence Using Stock Portfolio Performance - Article Example Market operators like securities exchanges, regularly give best corporate governance practice guidelines. Market operators and law breakers started addressing women under-representation in the corporate world’s upper echelons. For example, in UK and Australia, the operators suggest that companies listed explain and disclose their self-assessed performance and chosen diversity policy (AICD, 2012). The growing regulation targets on board gender diversity and the development of the entire corporate board diversity. In portfolio approach, gender diversity provides an extensive economic development over firm-level analysis. Forming portfolio requires the averaging out of firm-specific characteristics, getting rid of heterogeneity issues and reduction of neglected variable problems. The research of corporate governance is affected by endogeneity, such as reverse causality, omitted variables and heterogeneity among samples (Adams & Ferreira, 2009). Therefore, portfolios accurately reflect the impact of new regulation on the entire market. In addition, portfolio statistics shows that the board diversity adoption has led to a significant transition. Between 2004 and 2010, sampled companies’ percentages with diverse boards increased to 36% and 42%. After self-regulation (2011), a total of 52% of the sampled companies reported that they have diverse boards. For example, the Institute of Company managers in Australia stated to have recruited women in a relatively large number to boards since 2010 (AICD, 2012). Hence, self-regulation contributed hugely to diversity growth in firms. Firms’ portfolio aggregate returns can examine diversity. It is carried out through comparing the diversity-boards with non-diversity boards and boards that have varying degrees of diversity. The diversity boards have more than one woman representing the directors while the non-diversity boards have none. According to research, the boards with woman representation have more

Strategica HRM and change management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategica HRM and change management - Essay Example environment it operates in, it is important for an organization to adapt to changes and formulate policies and strategies which are fit for the changing environment. Due to the rapid development of technology and increased competition, the environment has become very volatile. The spread of globalization at an accelerating pace has further made the environment more and more volatile. In order to survive in such a volatile environment, organizations need to be very flexible so that they can proactively form or reform their strategies according to the changing environment. Today, one of the most important assets for any organization is its ability to manage change. Organizations which failed to be flexible enough to fit in this environment eventually died as their survival became impossible. Change is the only constant thing in life. The world is constantly changing and it is often difficult to predict what it is changing into. The change results in hundreds of opportunities and pitfalls which an organization comes across every moment. The concept of organizational change refers to organization-wide change rather than smaller changes such as modifying a product of adding a new employee. It includes activities such as a change in mission of the company, operations restructuring, introduction of new technology, mergers, collaborations, launching new programs such as TQM, etc. Organizational change is usually provoked by outside factors such as new markets, changing consumers’ demands, substantial cuts in funding, need for an increase in the productivity, etc. As a business evolves through various cycles of a business lifecycle, it needs to change its overall strategies in order to be successful. Any organization attempting to bring about a change must take into consideration the three key aspects of organizational life which are: the organization’s culture, the leadership and the existing network of power. An organizational culture is defined as the

Polluters pays principle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Polluters pays principle - Essay Example It is this relentless pursuit of growth around the world that is causing increasingly dangerous levels of environmental degradation and giving rise to the phenomenon of climate change with all its consequences. Environmental concerns of the earlier years that focused on adverse effects on human health have since long moved to the more universal concerns regarding the very survival of life on this planet. These concerns have led to concerted efforts at national and international levels to enact stringent laws to safeguard our environment. These laws embody the principle of ‘polluter pays’ and are intended not only to control and regulate emissions / discharges (including, due to unforeseen incidents) from any economic activity, but also to forewarn the businesses of the penal liabilities for failing to confirm to regulations. However there are arguments supporting and opposing the effectiveness of this principle. This article examines them in the light of specific incidents and proposes that the principle of ‘polluter pays’ is a sufficient and necessary deterrent for any The polluter pays principle came into vogue in 1973 and was incorporated into the European Communities Treaty in 1987 (Coffey and Newcombe, 2002, p.1-3). The European Communities Act, 1972 (UK) enabled the government of UK to implement European Community Law as a domestic law through regulations brought before the Parliament to make the necessary changes to the UK laws (UK Law online, 2009). The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009 is one such instance concerning the UK environmental laws and it came into force on March 1, 2009 embodying the polluter pays principle. By using the terms remediation and liabilities, the concept of making good any damage to the environment / suffering penalties, is brought forth through these regulations. In other words, businesses that conduct specified activities in all the three

Social Work Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Work Reflection Paper - Essay Example The objective of the project was to determine if the social workers could draw a distinction between personal values and those of patients and their families. Another objective was to determine how the role of social work could change in the midst of a treatment. Finally, the last objective was to allow social workers to identify their comfort levels regarding the end of life discussions. The evaluation was divided into three activities. This paper presents a reflection on how my group responded to the activities, how the objectives were met, and implications of this exercise for my practice as a social worker. Activity 1, Activity 2, and Activity 3 were end of life care, comfortable and dignified death, and completing the five wishes respectively. Activity 1 involved a scenario of Mr. Cortez, who is connected to ventilator 24 hours following gunshot wounds. Additionally, Mr. Cortez cannot feed on his, so he is given food through tubes. Moreover, the patient is sore and cannot make any purposeful movement. The group responded to the scenario guided by a number of issues including personal values, factors that bar families from making healthcare decisions, and application of social work expertise in the situation. As the discussion went on, I noted a number of important factors. For instance, the main barriers to decision making by families include culture, religion, the inability of the patient to air his opinion, and language/comprehension. Additionally, from the activity, it emerged that not everyone is comfortable with discussing end of life issues and initiating end of life with the fa mily of the patient. For example, Sarah Welsh and Roy found it hard to talk about death and initiate the end of life conversation with the family. Nevertheless, the group responded well to the activity, and one of the strengths demonstrated was the ability to convince and encourage one another to uphold the duties of a social worker. For instance,

Business plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business plan - Case Study Example Our products aim at balancing consumers blood sugar levels by controlling their sugar intake at our Locarb foods. Their bodies take longer to break down these foods controlling their blood sugars than when they consume GI foods. Low levels of GI foods control seizers in epileptic patients. Our products aim at delivering the food that is of high quality to control the rates of epilepsy in our customers. Our store will also avail portion sizes, which they require in their meals because it is the main component in reducing seizures. Our products aim at assisting our customers who are obese. Our products take time before being digested taking a longer time in the stomach than GI foods. Our customers will feel full for longer reducing their food intake and helping them monitor their diet. Diets that are low carbohydrates help control appetite, increasing the rate fat is lost due to the body entering ketosis making the body rely on fat as fuel. Locarb foods do not have competition; therefore we are flexible in setting our price range that will enable us maximize on profits. For example the low glycemic snack bar is found only in our store. The normal snack bar is found in many outlets such as Wal-Mart, Shopper drug mart, and Loblaw’s. A customer who needs low glycemic snack bar will only come to our stores. Face to face relationship between our customers and us is crucial in the success of our business. Our marketing strategy will focus on improving our social networks with our customers and suppliers. Our market is quite informed on environmental issues and different food issues. Many of our targeted market are already into our information, social and professional networks and this will improve on efficient communication. Our main strategy is to supply our customers with healthy food products and be seen as community initiative. Our secondary strategy will include branding activities where we will improve on our branding, packaging,

The Odyssey Essay Example for Free

The Odyssey Essay Hunger, whether a literal hunger or a hunger for power has always been a downfall for humankind. In the Odyssey hunger destroys the lives of many men. Even though the Odyssey is just an epic it reflects in many ways how hunger can ruin and sometimes even destroy someone’s life. In history, hunger has shown itself in many different and unique ways. For example Hitler’s hunger for power destroyed millions of lives. It forced millions of people to move their homes and change their lives or to even lose their lives. Hunger has caused people and even entire nations to be decimated. If people could control there hunger the world and its people would be a safer and happier place. In this epic hunger rules all. In the Odyssey Odysseus shows several types of hunger. One that stands out above others is Odysseus hunger for knowledge. Odysseus is always on a quest for knowledge. To him knowledge is more powerful than anything else. No other weapon can stand up to knowledge. This has put Odysseus and even his crew in much danger and trouble in â€Å"The Odyssey†. Odysseus shows his hunger for knowledge in the â€Å"Lotus Eaters† when he sends his men to scout the land when they get to the land of the Lotus Eaters. If he would have never done that he would not have lost two of his men to the mind numbing effects of the Lotus plans. One of Odysseus’s other crazy acts to learn knowledge was in the â€Å"Cyclops†. In the epic Odysseus led himself and his men into a Cyclops cave. This caused several of his men to be eaten by the Cyclops. Many of Odysseus’s men have died because of his hunger for knowledge. Odysseus shows his hunger again when he ventures into the land of the dead! The man is so crazy to even try to go to the Underworld. Odysseus lives for wisdom and something that shows knowledge is everything to him is that the Goddess f Wisdom, Athena has taken Odysseus under her protection. But even with Athena as his protector Odysseus will face many troubles because of his hunger. Many of his men will suffer for his many mistakes. Odysseus also has a hunger for self glorification. He is always trying to make himself be in the spotlight. Odysseus tries to make himself a figure of the perfect hero that everybody should bow down to. An example of this is in the beginning of the story that Odysseus is so self-glorified is he even tempts Poseidon by saying that he does not need the gods and that he only needs himself. If Odysseus never did this he would have gotten home without having to make the long journey which is told in â€Å"The Odyssey†. But since Odysseus thinks he does not need the gods it forced him to face many dangers and to lose his crew. His wife has been forced to wait several years because of Odysseus’s insolence. Another example is when Odysseus goes back to Ithaca disguised as a beggar he tells his swineherd that he has seen â€Å"Odysseus† and that Odysseus is strong, perfect, and amazing. He is always trying to make himself seem like the most amazing person. Odysseus is a lustful man. He is a man that is not faithful to his wife. But if his wife would so much as dare think about another man it would be the end of the world. In Odysseus’s mind everything is about Odysseus. In the story Odysseus first becomes unfaithful with Circe and then later with Calypso. He is the perfect example of someone that says one thing and does another (a hypocrite). But because of his lust many problems have been unearthed and left unchecked for many years in the Odyssey. It has caused that his wife Penelope has to wait several extra years for Odysseus. It has also brought the problem of the suitors upon Ithaca. The reason being is that if Odysseus would have arrived home earlier the suitors would not have tried to make a move on Odysseus’s throne. Odysseus also has a hunger for power. He always wants to be the leader. He wants to be the person that everyone is looking up to. This caused him to go through great grief and sorrow many times throughout the Odyssey. The first of these incidents was when the Cyclops took away several of his men and ate and killed them. Also when Scylla and Charybdis took away more of his men Odysseus felt responsible for their deaths and went through a depression like state. In the â€Å"Lotus Eaters† Odysseus lost some his men to the Lotus plant. This hurt him as well. But the one that affected him the most was when Zeus cast his lightning at their ship and killed everyone except Odysseus himself. Odysseus is not the only one with a hunger for knowledge in this story. His crew also has the same hunger. They have taken after Odysseus in many ways but this one above all has shown itself. There are several examples showing where there hunger has gotten them into trouble or placed into the face of danger. One time above all where this has affected them was when the crew opened the bag of winds that Odysseus would not let them open. This caused the ship to come into view of Ithaca but then be pushed far out to sea away from their home and ultimately to their own deaths. The crew always wants to know what’s going on. If they come across a new land they automatically want to explore it. An example of this is in the â€Å"Lotus Eaters†. The crew wanted to know about this new land and because of this curiosity they lost two men. The crew also has a great hunger for the taste of food and drink. They indulge themselves whenever they can. One example of this is in Circes hall. The crew ate her food and drank her wine which ultimately had them turned into pigs. If they had never taken the food right away and had thought about their situation they would have never been turned into pigs. But the men’s hunger for drink and food overpowered their other thoughts. The crews mind is always on the thoughts of food and drink. If food and drink weren’t in the world the crew would no longer love life as they do. They are always indulging themselves. Another instance of where the crews hunger for food overpowers all other thoughts is on the island of Helios, The Sun God. The crew was shipwrecked on this island with no food or water but there are a lot of cattle there so the crew wonders why. Odysseus specifically tells them they can’t eat the cattle, but Odysseus makes the mistake of not telling the crew why they cannot eat the cattle. The crew not knowing why they cannot eat the cattle and dying from starvation takes a chance by eating the cattle. They believed they would rather die by drowning then by starvation. This angers the Sun God Helios. Helios makes Zeus kill every one of the crew except Odysseus. The suitors also have a great hunger for many things. They have a hunger for Odysseus wealth and all his lands. They want to be the king of the land. They want to be the ones in control the ones with the power. They want this so bad that they try to take his wife. This hunger did them no good when Odysseus returned home to find them eating his food and drinking his wine. This brought the wrath of Odysseus down upon them all. This led to the suitors deaths. But that wasn’t the own thing that brought Odysseus’s wrath. The suitors want to be king of Ithaca. The reason being is because Ithaca is a wealthy and powerful nation. They want to have all the power and all the wealth. These men let their or hunger for power rules their lives. Since they let this hunger rule their deaths came a lot earlier than it would have if they wouldn’t have let that same hunger rule. The thing that angered Odysseus the most was that they were trying to take Odysseus’s wife Penelope as their own. This angered Odysseus so much that he killed them all for the men’s insolence. If the men would have just stayed in their own land they would have never faced their own demise and would have lived to be old and happy. But the suitor’s greed drove the men to their own demise. The suitors are another perfect example of mans greed. Man is a species that always wants more. Nothing can ever stop man from wanting. â€Å"The Odyssey† shows perfectly how hunger in a man or in several men can ruin someone’s life. In The Odyssey a man and his crews hunger ruin the lives of themselves and many others. It forces the men to go on a journey that could have been easily avoided. This hunger causes their own lives and the lives they meet to experience the men’s hunger. These men are a perfect example of the hunger men can have in the real world. Even though Odyssey is just an epic it shows perfectly how hunger can destroy someone’s life. Hunger, whether a literal hunger or a hunger for power has always and will always rule people’s thoughts. If you don’t control your hunger it will destroy you and everything you love.

The Mexican Crisis Anticipation Essay Example for Free

The Mexican Crisis Anticipation Essay The reading â€Å"The Mexican Crisis Anticipation At Micro-Level deals with the emergence of crisis into Mexico and how it was anticipated by the firms at the micro level through making adjustments into their capital structure. The writer(s) is of the view that the Mexico mad rapid economic growth during the period of late 1980s and early 1900s as the trade as well as financial liberalization has allowed the growth to take place at more robust pace. The Writer(s) has successfully demonstrated the fact that with the financial liberalization, the credit supply to the economy increased the exposure of banks to potentially risky projects as due to availability of easy credit, the quality of credit was compromised for earning more and more as banks started to shift their focus to being more market oriented rather than risk oriented. However, as the political conflict in the country started to begin, the economy of the country started to feel the heat too as due to widening the external current account deficit as well as political instability forced economic conditions to take a U-turn as most of the economic indicators started to show adverse trends. The basic assumptions of the writer(s) are based on the studies which indicated that the crisis was not anticipated by most of the economic entities such as policy makers, banks and economic analysts who often based their analysis on the macroeconomic changes that took place during the period. However, most of the studies done so far on the issue dealt with the macroeconomic aspect of the crisis and failed to integrate the anticipating of crisis at the firm level. The writer(s) attempted to fill that gap by focusing on the anticipation of the crisis at the micro level by the firm through changes into their capital structure to reflect the economic changes taking place within the economy. While concluding the study, writer(s) argued that most of the firms did not anticipate such economic downturn, and it was something unexpected for them. At the micro level, there were not so many changes to reflect the changing attitude of the firms to reflect more fully the prevalent economic conditions therefore they did not try to change their capital structure. Three Questions One of the fundamental questions which need to ask is whether the firm at micro level can anticipate such an economic change or not? Since Mexican economy was largely dependent upon the external flows therefore the reliance of the economy on the local firms was less. Further due to the size of the firms, it was practically impossible for such firms to typically assess the impacts of changing economic trends due to lack of expertise in predicting such a behavior. The nature of SMEs indicates that at their individual level, they are nothing more than the expertise and skill of their owners. Therefore, if the owners are not well versed with the skill of assessing the change in the economic variables than it becomes more difficult to determine whether the firms have the ability to anticipate such changes? Lastly, authors have completely failed to assess the anticipation of such an impact through variables other than capital structure. It may be difficult for firms to change their capital structure within short period of time given the fact that economic conditions were showing declining trends. Therefore, changing capital structure in such times may have added to the overall risk of the firms.

Oscar Micheauxs Films: Literature Review

Oscar Micheauxs Films: Literature Review Green, J. R. (2000).   1. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 1-30). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu Film director and author Oscar Micheauxs works are compared and contrasted to contemporary filmmaker D.W. Griffiths film, Birth of a Nation.   Micheauxs film, Within Our Gates, like Griffiths film, idealizes a happy bourgeois couple, but the social intricacies and background stories of these couples are very different.   Griffiths character Elsie Stoneman is a privileged and frail white northern woman who later embraces racism and falls in love with a Klu Klux Klan member who rescued her. Micheauxs Sylvia is a mixed African American woman who does not come from a privileged family and is very independent.   She falls in love with Dr. Vivian, not because he rescued her, and raises money for an underprivileged black school.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Micheauxs novel, The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker Races, illustrates Michaeuxs philosophical moderation compared to Griffiths steadfast Manichean way of thinking. The author notes that Griffiths resolution to conflicts usually involved forc e; Micheauxs resolutions were accomplished by education. Micheauxs portrayal of restitution is two lovers finally joining together as soul mates.   Griffiths restitutions are revenge and repayment.   Both Micheaux and Griffith attempted to portray the ideal bourgeois American society, but with fundamental differences between the two portrayals. Griffith wanted this idyllic icon to remain with the white supremacists and to maintain racial purity.   Micheaux wanted others to be able to access the middle-class life.   The author relates that Micheauxs views were from the bottom looking up as underprivileged people trying to become middle class, while Griffiths views were from the top down, relying on upper class to construct the middle class.   Green, J. R. (2000).   8. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 123-136). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu The author discusses in detail the stereotyping and caricature of African Americans as dealt with by Oscar Micheaux in his films and particularly the characters in his productions.   Micheauxs main focus in life was to uplift others, but stereotyping and caricatures were often roadblocks for him.   The author considers the film The Exile by Micheaux and relates the struggles of the films characters Jean, Jango, and Edith to the bigger social issues of African American stereotypes among whites.   The argument between Edith and Jango about education is compared to the contemporaneous opinion that African Americans during the period of Prohibition were often overeducated for the jobs they were performing.   The author highlights Micheauxs concerns of the degradation of the dignity of African Americans by taking part in jobs of illegitimate business during Prohibition.   The film The Darktown Revue, the only concert film by Micheaux, provides both positive images and negative r acial stereotypes which the author describes as logical arguments by Micheaux to illustrate the issue of African American twoness.   Alain Lockes timeline of African American music closely matches Micheauxs own musical experiences and can be used to identify Micheauxs films from both a musical and political perspective.   The author explains the word darktown as a black community, but also demonstrates a deeper meaning, that of a sanctuary for African American minstrel entertainers escaping the ethnic caricatures of their stage performances.  Ã‚   These minstrel entertainers suffered a blurred line between fear of failure or criticism and fear of harm or even death. Green, J. R. (2000).   9. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 137-156). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu Oscar Micheauxs film The Darktown Revue is discussed from the standpoint of how Micheaux handled the many negative caricatures of African Americans and comparisons are drawn to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.   The author relates how the Fisk Jubilee Singers from the black Fisk University in Nashville toured the eastern US during the 1870s and were a success both financially and politically.   This group of black performers is revealed as the group which paved the way for future black musical theater and also worked to uplift the caricature of Black Americans as viewed from the predominantly white public.   Comparisons are drawn to G. D. Pikes story of the Fisk Singers and Micheauxs film The Darktown Revue as both used bourgeois caricatures to effect change in their audiences.   The author notes how the racial climate in Micheauxs years was even more violent than the time of the Fisk Singers nearly sixty years earlier.   Caricature in Micheauxs time was viewed as a roadblock for African American growth.   The author explains the two acts of the Darktown Revue and the caricatures presented.   Micheauxs use of structure in the film is paradigmatically explained as alternating between positive and negative figures, portrayed by the chorus representing middle class African Americans and the performances featuring varied racial caricatures, respectively.   The cutting gaze of Micheaux is explained as his spotlight on negative images.   Contrasts to the Fisk Singers and Micheaux are noted as the Fisk Singers primarily used only positive images.   The author defends Micheauxs perspective on caricatures and compliments his spirit. Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay And Plymouth | Colonies Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay And Plymouth | Colonies The colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay each were different by nature, goals, successes, and failures. There were numerous similarities as well as differences. However, each colony was looking for something better that was missing in their main land. Members of each colony had a vision of what they expected the New World to look like. When they arrived, they were given a sense of reality. Each colony had challenges that it would have to overcome to thrive as a new establishment in the New World. The three colonies succeeded at different levels in the New World. Primary Source Assignment 1 The English migrated to the New World around the early1600s. I will be discussing the colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. I feel as though the laws and ideas of the colonists from this century have formed American into what it is today. The first establishment of the New World was Jamestown in 1607. This colony was founded by King James I. King James sent merchants and adventurers that were looking to profit from land and wealth to the New World just as the Spaniards did in Mexico and Peru. The London Company issued a Virginia charter to form plantations in Virginia. This was lead by Sir Thomas Smith, one of the wealthiest merchants aboard the ships to the New World. There were approximately 104 settlers that arrived on a peninsula along the James River. These settlers wanted to make a profit to take back to England. This peninsula was known as Jamestown. The colonists in this low lying swamp area was stricken with disease, contaminated drinking water, and was attacked by Spaniards or Native Americans. This was a serious threat to the early settlers of Jamestown. Those that came to the New World were mainly men. The majority of the population was men. They outnumbered the women six to one. Jamestown needed male labors to attend to the large plantation used for farming. There was no sense of community due to the lack of women settlers. Jamestowns government focused more on the survival of the colony rather than religion. Jamestown would not have survived had it not been for the strong leadership capabilities of Captain John Smith. He brought order out of anarchy (Brands, 2009, p. 35). Captain John Smith traded with the Indians for food. Smith was later saved from execution by an Indian named Pocahontas. Smith forced people to work if they wanted to eat. By enforcing this, many of the colonists disliked Smith; however he was able to keep this colony alive during such a harsh time. During 1609 and 1611, Smith was in England (Brands, 2009, p. 36). This left the Jamestown settlers without a strong leader. During this time, the settlers lacked food, possibly due to the lack of leadership. Some colonists became cannibals in order to attempt to survive. This was known as Starving Time (Brands, 2009, p. 36). The few remaining colonists turned to local Powhatan Indians to help them learn the process of planting and harvesting corn and tobacco. John Rolfe, and English colonists to this region, began to cultivate and experiment with the growing of tobacco. He established a milder form of this crop and exported it to Europe. By doing so, Virginia began to flourish with profits. Tobacco was easy to grow due to the mild climate and fertile soil. Slave trade began to evolve around the tobacco plantations. Land owners would hire out indentured servants from their home land to work these crops to increase production. Slave trade became a leading industry. Jamestown mainly focused on one product for profit. After starving time, laws were written for the colony to provide a sense of order to their situation. The laws, also known as Laws of Virginia, contained duties and obligations of the settlers. If the duties and obligations were not followed there were penalties. Officers were required to ensure that all attended service twice daily and to punish those who irreverently used Gods name or challenged authority. There was only one church, God, and law. Many believed that these laws were necessary in order to survive. These laws were not attractive to potential settlers to Jamestown. The Virginia Company agreed to for the House of Burgess that would make the colony more attractive to the wealthy. The House of Burgess was the first formed in 1619 (Brands, 2009, p. 39). This form of government made decisions for this region. It was overseen by a council in England that could overrule any decisions made from the House of Burgess. The House allowed wealthy planters a say in the government. Th e existence of the House of Burgess was officially recognized by King Charles in 1639 (Brands, 2009, p. 39). Massachusetts Bay colony was lead by a strong, religious, Puritan leader named John Winthrop. He established order prior to arriving in America. His actions and ideas gave the Puritan colony its character. He agreed to come to American with the Massachusetts Bay Company. Winthrop was chosen as governor. He presented a sermon on the ship named Arbella. John Winthrop pushed for a community that revolved around God. Full citizenship was only available to church members. The colonists developed a church government known as Congregationalism. The people of this colony were the church and they agreed to uphold Gods law. Just because you lived in a particular community did not mean that you had to attend their church. Massachusetts Bay Colony largely consisted of Puritan Separatists that wanted religious freedom from the Church of England. They were hoping to be able to practice how they wanted. They wanted to purify the Anglican Church. The vast population of Massachusetts Bay was devoted English families. They focused more on a strong sense of community that revolved around God and family. This strong bond ensured their survival as a colony. The government did not partake in a democracy or a theocracy. The elected officials ruled in favor of the people and their responsibilities were to God. Groups of men and women joined together to observe shared goals. The community formed a meetinghouse for this to take place. Even though many villages did not agree on several issues, they relied on the civil courts settle their indifferences. The civil court later formed Lawes and Libteries (Brands, 2009, p. 46). This was a clear explanation of the colonists duties and obligations to their region. The Massachusetts Bay colony chose not to put all their eggs into one basket as the Jamestown settlers did. This colony had many products to sell and trade. Their climate was colder and the soil was rocky which is unsuitable for farming. This Boston colony relied more on small scale agriculture, fishing, shipbuilding, and trading. However, just as Jamestown, this colony traded with, learned from, and ended up at war with the local Indians. They, too, pushed the Indians off of the land when the colony began to expand. Due to the fact that the communities were so family oriented, farms were only large enough for feed their families. The men of the household worked these farms. Since the farms were rather small there was no need for slaves. Massachusetts Bay survived due to more favorable conditions than Jamestown. They had better climate, clean water, and plumbing that helped prevent the spread of disease in their communities. Many of the colonists led long easy going lives due to the stress free God and family oriented structure of their communities. Pilgrims set sail for the New World just as the colonists of Massachusetts Bay did; to find religious freedom. The Separatists moved to Holland and soon feared that their children were going to become Dutch. The Pilgrims were also Puritans like Boston. They selected their own leaders of the church. The Pilgrims requested land from the Virginia Company. A patent was given for them to settle north of the Virginia Colony. A storm caused the Mayflower to veer off course. It landed the settlers in Plymouth. The patent they had for Virginia did not have validity in this area of New England. With no patent, the colonists knew that they would not have authorization to form a civil form of government. To prevent the community from anarchy, 41 men signed a patent, known as the Mayflower Compact (Brands, 2009, p. 42). This document gave the government guidelines on how to conduct themselves the way God had wanted them to. William Bradford assisted in drafting the Mayflower Compact. He later became the second governor of this region. Even though the first several months claimed nearly half of the colonists due to disease and hunger, Bradford encouraged the men and women that it was possible to survive in the New World. Bradford was the person to help quite the differences between the Indians and the colony. Like Jamestown, Plymouth was settled in the lands of the Indians. Squanto was joined with Massasoit in greeting and interacting with the Pilgrims. Bradford was the go between. These Native Americans taught the Pilgrims about hunting, fishing, and agriculture. Massasoit realized that the Indians and colonists shared many interests. Squanto was the interpreter between the Pilgrims and Indians. The Pilgrims owed their survival skills to Squanto, who taught them how to grow many crops and survive the wilderness. The Pilgrims did set up a trading post to trade corn in return for furs from the Indians. The settlers engaged in fishing and lumbering to sale to England for profit. However, the Pilgrims never mastered the skill to fish and the financial return for exported lumber was small. In the beginning, the colony was finically sound. However, due to the limited economic return, Plymouth later became part of the larger Massachusetts Bay colony. In conclusion, population, political, economic, religion and social systems played a large role in Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay, and Plymouth. Though the origins of each colony were English, they all developed different views. Massachusetts and Plymouth were more religious and concerned with the commonwealth of the people because of their strong God and family oriented communities. These colonies migrated as families of six to ten that made for a strong family bond. They had a diverse product due to cold weather and poor quality of soil. They participated in small agriculture, fishing, trading, and shipbuilding. Many of the Massachusetts and Plymouth settlers live long happy lives because they were focused and healthy. Jamestown on the other hand had a harsh non religious form of government due to want to survive. Jamestown settlers were mainly male with a sense of personal gain. As a result of very few women, this colony lacked a sense of community. This colony had a mild climate an d fertile soil which produced mainly tobacco which was a major export product. They lived harder laboring lives in an unhealthy environment. The challenges that all the colonies faced and managed as well as their belief in God, helped them overcome their differences and eventually form a nation.

Edward Rowland Sill: An Early American Poet Essay -- Biography Biograp

Edward Rowland Sill: An Early American Poet Edward Rowland Sill was born in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1841. His mother's side of the family was religious, while his father's family was scientific. Deeply rooted in New England heritage, the Sill family could trace their ancestry back to Jonathan Edwards. Sill's background in religion and science led him to a life-long struggle between faith and doubt. He has been described as a "poet of antithesis, torn between intellectual conviction and spiritual question" (Ferguson 1). These qualities strongly shaped his personality as well as his writing style, and influenced him throughout his life as a poet and teacher. As a child, Sill was weak and constantly in poor health, leading to a chosen life of seclusion. Although he remained active in his later years both teaching and writing, Sill constantly struggled with his introspective qualities. He was quiet and shy, despite a "talent for friendship" (Ferguson 22), which he displayed upon entering Yale at age sixteen. At Yale, Sill spent two years in academic rebellion, refusing to conform to general expectations, and instead choosing to think for himself and follow his thirst for knowledge. During his last two years at Yale he matured into a deep thinker, still yearning for ultimate knowledge. The poems Sill published in the Yale Literary Magazine signaled the start of his writing career. Despite his university education, Sill remained indecisive about his future career. His love of knowledge pulled him in all directions, from writing to medicine. To make his final decision, he moved to California with his good friend Sextus Shearer. Ultimately, Sill spent a majority of his life writing and teaching, both on the East coast and the ... ...nd down. Send down Thy love, Thy life, Our lesser lives to crown, And cleanse them of their hate and strife: Thy living love send down. Send down Thy peace, O Lord: Earth’s bitter voices drown In one deep ocean of accord: Thy peace, O God, send down. Bibliography "Edward Rowland Sill." The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907-21). XVII.II. 14 Nov. 2002 < www.bartleby.com/227/0314.html>. Ferguson, Alfred Riggs. Edward Rowland Sill: The Twilight Poet. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1955. Sill, Edward R. "The Fools Prayer." 14 Nov. 2002 <http.//www.eyeontomorrow.com/ embracingthechild/Cfoolspray.html>. ---. "Opportunity." 14 Nov. 2002 <http.//www.geocites.com/sscolari0001/Opportunity.hyml>. ---. "Send Down Thy Truth , O God." 14 Nov. 2002 <http://www.cyberhymnal.org/ hym/s/d/sdttogod.htm>.

Hybridizing the Destruction of Nature and Pauline Melville’s Erzulie Es

â€Å"Erzulie†, a short story written by Pauline Melville, illustrates an important theme in Caribbean literature. The story is an example of literature that uses a strong theme of nature in the text and displays environmental symbolism throughout. The main theme in Caribbean literature is seen as the struggles of indigenous people and the consequences they face after the islands were colonized, however other themes such as post-colonial environmental harm can be seen in stories such as â€Å"Erzulie†. You can see a similarity between the natives and the island itself. The native’s suffer from social wrongs and suppression and the land of the Guyana country is also suppressed in a sense and destroyed as a consequence of colonialism. Melville’s use of nature and environmental symbolism can be seen prominently when reading the short story with ecocriticism awareness. While most symbolism and themes aren’t at the surface level of a story, some theme s can be even more hidden within the text. In this essay I will further illustrate how the goal of Melville’s work changes when you read it with an ecocritical mind. Reader’s can now realize the importance of Guyana, not only because of its relationship with the author, but also because of its environmental damage that was caused by colonialism. You can also see that the character Erzulie was not only used as the protagonist to create a frightening female murderess, but she is a representation of the land of Guyana. Lastly, Melville’s language is enlightening in the evolving theme of nature that is seen from beginning to end. Guyana is the former British Colony on the South American Coast that received its independence in 1966 from the United Kingdom [4]. It’s one of the only Caribbean countri... ...ndation, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. 5. Heise, Ursula K. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Ecocriticism." PMLA (2006): 503-516. 6. Kahn, Aliyah. "Nations of Eden: Race and Ecology in the Post-Pastoral Caribbean." Research Projects. Aliyah Kahn, 2013. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. 7. McLeod, John. "Cultural Models of Creolization." The Routledge Companion to Postcolonial Studies. London: Routledge, 2007. 102-03. Print. 8. Melville, Pauline. â€Å"Erzulie†, in The Migration of Ghosts, pp. 140–41. 9. Pyne-Timothy, Helen. "Reading the Signs in Pauline Melville's" Erzulie"." Journal of Haitian Studies (2001): 136-147. 10. Ramraj, Robert. "The Omai Disaster in Guyana." Gamma Theta Upsilon. Gamma Theta Uppsilon, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. 11. Renk, Kathleen Williams. "â€Å"Magic that Battles Death†: Pauline Melville's Marvellous Realism." The Journal of Commonwealth Literature 44.1 (2009): 101-115.

Musicians have a responsibility to serve as role models to our youth :: Music

Musicians have a responsibility to serve as role models to our youth I strongly disagree with this statement because music artists have the right to express what ever subject they wish. Musicians do have to serve as role models to our youth through their actions, if that is their target market, but they do not have to take any responsibility what so ever for what teenagers choose to listen to or the actions they choose to take because of artists lyrics. The lyrics in many musicians? songs, especially ?rap? music should not be taken seriously, because a number of music artists have said that the lyrics in their songs are not meant to be taken seriously. Many rap artists use extremely exaggerated and profound lyrics (which are not to be taken seriously) to portray a message. There has been much debate over whether musicians should be banned from releasing music with explicit lyrics, especially by parents. Ozzie Osbourne has been taken to court on three occasions because of parents that accused him of influencing their sons? actions due to the explicit lyrics in his songs. Each of the boys had committed suicide, and on all three occasions parents believed that Ozzie Osbourn?s lyrics contributed to, or were the main cause of their sons? unfortunate deaths. But in all three court cases Ozzie Osbourne was not held accountable for the actions of the parents children, because music artists are allowed to express themselves freely. Even though all musicians have the right of ?freedom of speech? there is warning stickers on all CD?s such as ?Explicit content MA 15+? or ?High Course Language? etc. These labels help differentiate music with explicit lyrics/content from music that has no explicit content. The labels warn all parents that if their child or teenager is under the age of 16, that this music may not be suitable for them to listen to.

The Social Networking Effect on Teenagers

The Social Networking Effect on Teenagers The social networks are to people today what the TV was to people 20-30 something years ago. Human dependence on computers and the internet has come to the point that if the social networks ceased to work, relations and social connections would falter more so in teens than in adults. Teenagers have taken to social networking to do their everyday tasks and activities like interacting with friends and family, socializing and entertainment. While this sounds convenient, it really hinders a teen’s development.Teenagers may get hooked to these websites due to their many features and become social outcasts because they form a social life on these websites. As a result, one-on-one interaction with friends, family and even enemies are slowly phased out. To top all that off, social networking websites are haven for cyber bullies and stalkers and a playground for predators who are looking for their next target using fake profiles. Even after all these effects, critics still maintain that social networking websites are good for today’s youth because it helps them gain computer skills and improve their literacy skills.The government needs to form a body to at least monitor the use of these social networks because these websites have the potential of leaving teenagers socially and physically inactive and expose them to other lurking dangers. People who support the use of social networking websites argue that these websites are actually beneficial for teenagers. These people assert that by spending so many hours on social networks, teenagers are gaining newer and better computer skills. That, they say, is helping them work their way towards getting a job a with a computer company.Even if working at a computer company is not what teens want, learning computer skills is still helpful because computers and internet are here to stay. Lauren Gerber, a journalist for PC1news. com wrote â€Å"The thing that parents donâ€℠¢t know is that even simply going on Facebook is teaching your teenager how to use the internet to their advantage† (11). Gerber also wrote that teenagers, by socializing on various online sites, are learning how to get along with other people (11).Teenagers, by communicating with a wide variety of people, may be getting better at socializing with people of every race, religion and color. Marcia Clemmitt wrote a journal article called â€Å"Social Networking. † In this article she quoted Sonia Larsen, editor of website Global Voices, saying that with online social networking â€Å"it’s more likely you will retain some degree of connection or friendship with a broader cross-sector of the population, leading to more harmonious human relations nationally and internationally† (752).Another reason why people support the use of these websites by teenagers is that, by continuously having to read and being exposed to words, teenagers will develop good literacy ski lls. As teenagers get more comfortable with social networks they spend lesser and lesser time with the people around them, slowly detaching themselves from reality. Because teenagers are easily attracted to flashy objects, they get easily hooked to these websites for all the features they have to offer. Who wouldn’t want something in which people can view other people’s profiles without them ever finding out about it!This is exactly the reason why Facebook appeals to so many people; its privacy. Teenagers may take a moment to check what’s going on, and the moment turns into an hour and the hour to several hours. The cold hard truth is that teenagers are attracted to these websites like two magnets and this causes inactivity in teens. If they get addicted to these websites they will opt to stay on the computer hours at a time, phasing out any kind of physical activity what so ever. Teens will slowly detach themselves from the real life and live their life in the virtual world.In her article, â€Å"Wrapped Up In the Web: The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction,† Sue Scheff, who is an author and parent advocate, wrote â€Å"The Internet has made it all too easy for teens to recoil from the pressures of adolescence and remain indoors†¦The lure of the web can often make it seem as though social networks and online gaming are acceptable substitutes for real life† (16). As a result of spending so very little time with actual people, teenagers lack decent social skills. Social networking websites have become a safe haven for cyber bullies and stalkers due to the privacy these sites offer.Cyber-bullying, which one of the fastest growing problems on the internet, is the use of the Internet, cell phones and other digital technology to harass, intimidate, threaten, mock and defame. Thomas Billitteri, in his article â€Å"Cyberbullying,† reports about a statistic from the Pew Research Center: Roughly a third of teens who use th e internet said they’d received threatening messages, had e-mail or text messages forwarded without consent, had an embarrassing picture posted without consent, had rumors about them spread online, or experienced some other kind of online harassment. 387) Teenagers are very susceptible to this type of bullying as it inflicts deep and painful wounds on them, more mental than physical. Teenagers and children may intentionally or unintentionally bully their peers which may cause irreparable damage as teens are susceptible to being victimized throughout the day, week, month or year. In a study published by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin of the Cyberbullying Reasearch Center, it showed that 20 percent of 10-18 year olds were cyberbullied in their lifetime and 7. percent were cyberbullied in the past 30 days (Hinduja and Patchin). Another growing problem on these websites is stalking. Teenagers may get obsessed with an interest of theirs and the simple online profile viewing may become a case of stalking, at first online then in real life. Cyber stalking has become a serious problem today as the privacy of social networking websites allows stalkers to view anyone’s photos and videos without that person ever finding out.It has serious psychological effects as it is more stressful and traumatizing due to its potential of being there 24/7, as Charlene Laino, a reporter for WebMD, quotes Elizabeth Carll, a psychologist, in her article â€Å"If you're harassed in school or at work, you can come home to a safe environment†¦If you're cyberstalked, it can be all the time, no matter where you are†. Sexual predators use social networking websites to look for unsuspecting children and teenagers to try and lure them into their traps. Predators use fake profiles to get in contact with children and teenagers and then try to tempt them into meeting them.Teenagers who are unaware may actually befriend these people and when called to meet they will go to them, unsuspecting of the trap they are walking into. Even though social networking websites have an age restriction of 13 or older joining the network, it is very easy for even a nine year old to join without so much as a hiccup. Because of this, social networking websites have become a playground for sexual predators. According to Predator Statistics, in the United States alone, â€Å"there are over 644,865 registered sex offenders†¦and over 100,000 are lost in the system†.This makes allowing teenagers access to social networking websites, or even the internet, a nightmare for parents. Today, every teen’s first impulse when left at home is to go online onto a social network and check what has been going on and in the midst if they are contacted by someone pretending to be their age they are bound to allow them access to their profiles. Even with all the bad things that could happen to teens using social networking websites people still support its use for them not considering the fact that these websites might render teenagers socially and physically inactive and expose them to other lurking dangers.No matter how much they try, parents are eventually going to end up with at least one if not all of these problems. For example, parents working full time might have to deal with a child who is so lost in the online social networking that he or she has no social life outside of it. Today, with the ever expanding technologies, people who wish to do harm will think of newer and worse ways to penetrate and destroy families which is why parents need to raise their voice over this sensitive issue. The biggest issue remains that there is still no form of entity or authority that can monitor, if not control, the use of these social websites.The government should form a body that not only monitors the use of these websites but also keeps out people who use it as a means to harm other people. These entities should also take measures so that children an d teenagers under a specified age are not allowed to access these websites what so ever. Work Cited Billitteri, Thomas J. â€Å"Cyberbullying. † CQ Researcher 2 May 2008: 385-408. Web. 21 Aug. 2011. Clemmitt, Marcia. â€Å"Social Networking. † CQ Researcher 17 Sept. 2010: 749-72. Web. 21 Aug. 2011. Gerber, Lauren. â€Å"New Discovery: Teenagers Are Actually Benefiting From Spending Too Much Time Online. † Are Social Networking Sites Harmful?Eds. Stefan Kiesbye. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven press, 2011. 10-12. Print. Hinduja, Sameer, and Justin Patchin. Cyberbullying Victimization. Rep. Cyberbullying Research Center, 2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. Laino, Charlene. â€Å"'Cyberstalking': Worse Than in-Person Harassment? † WebMD. WebMD Health News, 8 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Aug. 2011 â€Å"Predator Statistics. † Internetsafety101. org. Enough Is Enough, n. d. Web. 24 Aug. 2011. Scheff, Sue. â€Å"Wrapped Up In the Web: The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction. â €  Are Social Networking Sites Harmful? Eds. Stefan Kiesbye. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2011. 13-18. Print.