Is There A need To Ban Fracking - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 677 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category Technology Essay Level High school Topics: Fracking Essay Did you like this example? Fracking is the process of injecting water at high pressure into rocks deep underground, which can cause earthquakes because it can sometimes lift the Earths surface. Since the 1960s, geologists have known that it is possible to cause quakes by pushing fluids into the ground. On September 3, 2016, Oklahoma experienced their strongest earthquake that reached a magnitude of 5.8 and as a result, regulators ordered drillers controlling 37 disposal wells to immediately shut down, according to Nick Cunningham. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Is There A need To Ban Fracking?" essay for you Create order Regulators around the United States should follow Oklahoma in shutting down the wells or ban fracking. The effects of these earthquakes cause damage to the residents homes and the buildings and of course fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1961, crews drilled a deep well outside Denver, known as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, in a chemical weapons facility. Within months of workers pumping into the well of hazardous waste, the residents felt tremors. Between 1962 and 1966, more than 700 small to modest quakes shook the ground. A local geologist named David Evans noticed that injection volume and pressure were equivalent to earthquake rates. In a paper in 1966 he concluded that the well is likely to be responsible for the quakes. He wrote it is believed that a stable situation is being made unstable by the application of fluid pressure (Anna Kuchment). In the year 2016, there have been more than 600 earthquakes in Oklahoma and were nearly all traced to the underground injection of wastewater left over from oil and gas production, claims the NBCNews. There was a time when Oklahoma experienced 19 earthquakes all in one week. Throughout all these earthquakes, many buildings and houses have been brought down or are left with shattered windows or are unstable. The earthquake that was described to most powerful in memory had damaged a historic building that was about 100 years old. Three homes in Pawnee county were damaged. The earthquake shook all the way to the eighth floor of the Childrens Hospital at OU Medical Center, terrifying the nurses and patients. Inspections were done to the state highway, turnpike bridges, and dams, which turned out to be minor cosmetic damage. During this earthquake, a man was protecting a child form a falling fireplace inside a home and suffered a minor head injury. Luckily, he was the only reported injury .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The people that live in Oklahoma are scared for their lives because of these earthquakes. After the strongest earthquake that Oklahoma experienced, social media became alive with people scared and panicking. I thought my whole trailer was going to tip over, it was shaking it so bad, stated Cindy Roe, a resident from Cushing, Oklahoma. It was loud and all the lights went out and you could hear things falling on the ground. It was awful and I dont want to have another one. This earthquake was said to be felt from Iowa all the way down to Texas. Right away, Twitter started to blow up with startled reports. One Iowan asked, is it the end of the world?. There is no doubt that the residents of Oklahoma and other people that felt the earthquake are nervous due to the fact that they are sitting on an earthquake prone region.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other residents on the other hand, have become increasingly angry, and environmental groups have sued, according to Anna Kuchment. This is a public safety issue, and theres been a lot of denial and ignoring of the problem, says Wallace, who has joined neighbors to push for the shutdown of nearby wastewater wells.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, there has been a 5,000% increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma ever since fracking began.   It has been proven that fracking can cause earthquakes. Regulators from all over the U.S should shut down all of the fracking wells and make it illegal. Reasons being is because hundreds of earthquakes happen because of fracking. The earthquakes destroy cities and causes distress among the residents of Oklahoma, along with other people that are rattled by them. Ken Root commented on this topic stating, we are in a lot more danger from what we do to each other than what Mother Nature may do to us.

Langston Hughes Essay - 833 Words

Langston Hughes Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, James Hughes, but was known as Langston. He was the only child from his parents James and Carrie Hughes. His parents were not married for long because of an unhappy marriage. When they separated, Langston was left with his mother, who left him behind to move from city to city to find work. Langston ended up living with his 70 year-old grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. He lived with her until he was 13, and then he moved back with his mother in Lincoln, Kansas after his grandmother died in 1915. Langston, his mother, and his new stepfather lived in Lincoln for a year, until his stepfather found work and then they all†¦show more content†¦In that year, he began writing poetry of distinction. After Langston graduated, he planned to return to Mexico, and to try to convince his father to pay for his college at Columbia University in New York City. On the way to Mexico, on a train, Langston thought about his past and his future and wrote â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†. When Langston got to Mexico, tension between him and his father was very strong. His father wanted him to become and engineer, and Langston wanted to be a writer. Langston sent poetry to Brownies Book and Crisis Magazine, and it was accepted and published. This impressed his father, so he agree to pay for college. Langston entered college in the fall of 1921, and after his first year he dropped out. This is when he became involved with the art scene in Harlem. Langston began regularly publishing his work in the Crisis and Opportunity magazines. When Langston won first prize for his poem The Weary Blues, which was in the poetry section of the 1925 Opportunity magazine literary contest, his literary career began. His first volume of poetry called The Weary Blues came out in 1926. In Langston’s poetry, he uses the rhythms of African American music, particularly blues and jazz. He liked blues and jazz extremely. By using this style, his poetry was distinctive from other writers. Hughess second volume of poetry Fine Clothes to a Jew, was not accepted at the time ofShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes Biography1058 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"James Mercer Langston Hughes, known as Langston Hughes was born February 2, 1902 in Missouri, to Carrie Hughes and James Hughes.† Years later his parents separated. Langston’s father moved to Mexico and became very successful, as his for mother, she moved frequently to find better jobs. As a child growing up Langston spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother named Mary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas. Mary Langston was a learned women and a participant in the civil rights Movement. WhenRead More Langston Hughes Essay1356 Words   |  6 Pagesstands out as one of the most prominent figures of th e Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes defined himself by his ability to pursue the true essence of â€Å"black folk† at a time when black identity, culture, or art was considered an oxymoronic concept. Hughes sought to explore the true identity of Black America even amidst criticism that his work was anti-assimilationist in its literary expression. Wallace Thurman, one of Hughes’ closest friends had this to say about the poet’s subject matter: â€Å"He wentRead More`` Dreams `` By Langston Hughes Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesimpacted the movement against racial inequality, Langston Hughes turned the pages with inspiring work. Whereas in Langston Hughes poem Dreams encourages people to achieve ones goals and goals for a community of people no matter what the obstacles are; Hughes illustrated this through using a lyrical style of writing and metaphors. Due to the lack of acknowledgment of African Americans cultural, social and artistic capabilities, Langston Hughes stood as the hero image for blacks everywhere. LikewiseRead MoreThe Langston Hughes570 Words   |  2 PagesLangston Hughes’ style of poetry renounced the classical style of poetry and sought out a more jazz and folk rhythm style. Most of Hughes’ poems were written during the Harlem Renaissance, named after the cultural activity African Americans participated in, such as: literature, music, art, theatre, and political thinking. William Blake, on the other hand, was a nonconformist who was associated with the leading radical thinkers of his day. Although, considered a lyric poet and a visionary, Blake’sRead MoreLangston Hughes Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesLangston Hughes was a large influence on the African-American population of America. Some of the ways he did this was how his poetry influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and the Harlem Renaissance . These caused the civil rights movement that resulted in African-Americans getting the rights that they deserved in the United States. Hughes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one ofRead More Langston Hughes Essay670 Words   |  3 Pages James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was very small, and his father (who found American racism made his desires to be a lawyer impossible) left the family and emigrated to Mexico. Hughes mother moved with her child to Lawrence, Kansas, so she and he could live with his grandmother, Mary Langston. Langston Hughes mother moved to Topeka in 1907, leaving the five-year-old with his grandmother. Langston came from a family of African-AmericanRead MoreA Brief Look at Langston Hughes1413 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes Langston Hughes’ challenging background, ethnicity, and era of life can all be thought of reasons as to why his style of writing relates among discrimination and unsettling topics. Although his writing can be said to bring hope to the African Americans, his style can be frightening and daunting when taken the time to read his pieces. They may not seem real, but they are his way of interpreting and informing the future of what African Americans, like himself, had to go throughRead MoreEssay on James Langston Hughes891 Words   |  4 Pages (February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967) Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was born into an abolitionist family. He was the grandson of grandson of Charles Henry Langston, the brother of John Mercer Langston, who was the the first Black American to be elected to public office in 1855. Hughes attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but began writing poetry in the eighth grade, and was selected as Class Poet. His father didnt think he would be able to make a living as at writingRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By Langston Hughes1033 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom 1920 to around 1935. Even though this period was short, it still lives on though all African American artists today. According to Biography.com in the article about Langston Hughes, there were many artist, musicians, and writers such as Langston Hughes, who was a huge part of the Harlem Renaissance period. Langston Hughes was a well-known poet and play writer. In the magazine called â€Å"The Crisis† his poem â€Å"Negros Speak of River† was published in 1921 and brought him attention in all the blackRead MoreBiography of Langston Hughes Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pages The well known poet Langston Hughes was an inspiring character during the Harlem Renaissance to provide a push for the black communities to fight for the rights they deserved. Hughes wrote his poetry to deliver important messages and provide support to the movements. When he was at a young age a teacher introduced him to poets Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, and they inspired him to start his own. Being a â€Å"darker brother,† as he called blacks, he experienced and wanted his rights, and that

Kafka’s Realism Regarding the Sirens Free Essays

Kafka’s rendition of Odysseus’ encounter with the Sirens is a realistic approach to Homer’s telling of events. Kafka points out that the song of the Sirens would have been more powerful than anything set in place to block out their song from anyone’s ears, especially the wax Circe advised Odysseus to place in the ears of his men. As Kafka says, â€Å"he had complete faith in the handful of wax† (128). We will write a custom essay sample on Kafka’s Realism Regarding the Sirens or any similar topic only for you Order Now Herein lies Kafka’s main point, namely that despite the efforts put forth by anyone, even those guided by the gods, no one would have been able to escape the Sirens and their deadly, seductive song; it follows that, Kafka maintains, the Sirens could not have been singing at all (128). Kafka’s interpretation of Homer here goes deeper than merely asserting that the Sirens could only have been silent rather than singing when Odysseus led his men past the shore they inhabited. Kafka is attributing the existential motif of choice regarding Odysseus in particular by implying that Odysseus, more sound in mind than even the gods, was able to simply disregard the existence of the Sirens and thereby escape. Realizing this to be the case, the Sirens did not even bother to sing, but Odysseus, as Kafka asserts, in attempting to â€Å"shield† himself from both the Sirens and the gods, told the story as if they had been singing, and that his wiles were enough to protect both him and his men from the deadly song (128). In maintaining that the Sirens were singing, when in all probability they were not as their song would have easily penetrated any barrier, Odysseus was able to keep everyone happy—the Sirens included. Kafka is asking his audience to reconsider the likelihood that Odysseus’ instructions, handed down from Circe, actually worked. In contrast to Homer’s version of events, Kafka is maintaining that realistically it would not have been at all possible for anyone, no matter how strong, to escape the song of the Sirens. Whereas Homer asserts that in fact Odysseus was able to escape the deadly song by filling the ears of his men with wax and then tying their leader up on the mast, Kafka says that Odysseus was merely fooling everyone into thinking that it actually worked, even his men. The implications of the addendum Kafka mentions near the end of his story are that Odysseus was able to close off his inner mind from even the gods, and that they were unable to see in him that in fact the Sirens were silent. In turn, Homer was able to maintain that Odysseus’ legendary journey was in fact rife with danger at every turn by positing that Odysseus had indeed outsmarted the alluring Siren song. But, as Kafka alludes, it would have been a rather dull journey were Odysseus to have admitted that the Sirens were in fact silent. Odysseus’ survival, not only throughout his journey but after as well, rested in his ability to fool himself and in turn the gods. How to cite Kafka’s Realism Regarding the Sirens, Papers

Learning Disability and Challenging Behaviour

Question: Discuss about the Learning Disability and Challenging Behaviour. Answer: Introduction: Challenging Behavior is the reoccurrence of outbursts for duration of time that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious danger and what the person is capable of is unpredictable (Emmerson, 2009). Challenging behavior is Aggression towards others or themselves such as Self-injurious behavior, Property destruction, non-compliant behavior, socially inappropriate behavior (Emmerson, 2009). My first four weeks of clinical placement was in a challenging behavior unit. There was eight clients with moderate intellectual disabilities and two those were is living independently with supervision and minimal assistance I am going to focus this assignment on a woman in this unit named as Katie this name is fictional due to privacy and confidentiality (Chandler and Dahlquist 2014). Katie is a 58 year old woman who has been in this service since the age of 16 she has mild to moderate intellectual disability she also has personality disorder on my first day of placement on the unit Katie was screaming and shouting at staff and was very aggressive there was other residents present and I noticed they were scared and shook so I decided to ask them to come with me to a quite side of the unit till the nurse in charge tried to deescalated the situation and to ensure their safety I brought them to a quite visitors room and reassured them everything was fine and we will go back up for breakfast shortly (Bromley and Emerson 2015). I informed the care staff where we were just in case they needed to get to us quickly I felt a little useless but I done what I thought I was capable of doing at the time as I did not know Katie and the regular staff did I thought I will leave the staff to deal with it as they should know how to calm her down (Holden and Gitlesen 2010). Behavior management is crucial when dealing with people with behaviors that challenge this refers to a set of techniques that are used to manage behaviors that challenge (CudrMauroux, A. 2009).These techniques are usually based on the topography of the behavior for example what the behavior looks like or the physical manifestation of the behavior (Grey, McClean and Barnes-Holmes 2012). On this placement I learned how nurses and care staff intervene. I observed Katie as my weeks here progressed she would scream, cry, and bang on the window attempt to strike at staff and clients around her. I had a discussion with my preceptor about management and nursing interventions for Katie. I was made aware of the incident and prevention plan in place for her. This plan was to identify the specific behavior, setting goals, being aware of early warning signs, triggers, preventative strategies, environmental accommodation. In the event of an early warning sign for example when Katie is observed to begun to be disruptive and raise her voice the response is usually supportive that is speaking to her in a low tone, reassuring her. In the event of an escalation for example when she starts screaming the response is to redirect them to her bedroom room to lie down (Holden and Gitlesen 2013). Reassurance is offered if the behavior continues PRN medication such as diazepam will be given to relax and calm her down and to control the situation and to ensure Katie dose not harm herself or others . It is vital to record the time a client has an episode of behavior that challenge to see a pattern. On my placement we use ABC recording forms: A (antecedent): where did the incident occur. B (Behavior) describes the behavior we observed and C (consequence) how did staff and others react to the behavior (Ager and OMay 2011). We also used scatter plot recording forms to describe the physical aggression we observed for example was the person crying, kicking, punching, screaming, throwing objects please find copy of both forms attached (Hastings, Remington and Hopper 2012). When a person has an episode of behavior that challenges this may mean they are in pain or distress. As nurses we must get to know clients and understand each ones communication style via their facial expressions and hand gestures. Here on my placement the staff understood the clients very well this is crucial in all their daily needs and nursing interventions (Lowe et al. 2014). Causes of Challenging Behaviors individuals with intellectual disabilities have a very high chance of also haven difficulties with behaviors that challenge and this can lead to them feeling sad after their outburst the Effects of Challenging Behavior on an individual is Danger to their self and others. It also upsets other residents and can leave the person alone and in Social isolation and impact on their social, domestic and/or employment opportunities. Individuals with intellectual disabilities will also have other health conditions and this may also impact on their behavior (Moss et al. 2010). According to Arnautovska (2016) Assessment and recording clients who are aggressive and who suffer from multiple behavior problems require a careful assessment for management of the behavior and for the safety of the client, staff and other service users a person who bites, punches, and throws objects requires an assessment called an ABC chart us as nurses must record all to ensure good communication between all staff and that all staff are aware of the clients status when they arrive on duty (Bateman and Fonagy 2012). The ABC chart records what exactly was the clients behavior like what were they doing and what intervention was put in place to reduce the frequency of the behavior. Other forms of assessment must be carried out to see is the client in pain is this why they are haven behavioral issues people with intellectual disabilities may not be capable of describing discomfort and pain (Feeley and Jones 2011). A complete mental status examination is required to exclude depression, mania, psychosis, anxiety, or delirium. Nurses should do a complete review of all medications and assess routine functions such as frequency of bowel movement, oral intake, and ensure best outcomes and interventions are put in place to enhance and improve the quality of life for the client. As a nurse it is a duty to ensure we provide the best care for our clients (Arnautovska 2016). Reference List Ager, A. and OMay, F., 2011. Issues in the definition and implementation of best practice for staff delivery of interventions for challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 26(3), pp.243-256. Arnautovska, U., Robleda, S., Jackson, J. and Pachana, N.A. (2016) the knowledge and skills assessment (KASA) tool in the Australian dementia behavior management advisory service: Development and initial testing, International Psychogeriatrics, 28(05), pp. 833 844. Bateman, A. and Fonagy, P., 2012. Psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bromley, J. and Emerson, E., 2015. Beliefs and emotional reactions of care staff working with people with challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 39(4), pp.341-352. Chandler, L.K. and Dahlquist, C.M., 2014. Functional assessment: Strategies to prevent and remediate challenging behavior in school settings. Pearson Higher Cudr-Mauroux, A. (2009) Staff attributions about challenging behaviors of people with intellectual disabilities and transactional stress process: A qualitative study, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54(1), pp. 2639. Dunlap, G., Strain, P.S., Fox, L., Carta, J.J., Conroy, M., Smith, B.J., Kern, L., Hemmeter, M.L., Timm, M.A., McCart, A. and Sailor, W., 2006. Prevention and intervention with young children's challenging behavior: Perspectives regarding current knowledge. Behavioral Disorders, pp.29-45. Emerson, E. (2009) Challenging behavior: Analysis and intervention in people with severe intellectual disabilities. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing). Feeley, K. and Jones, E., 2011. Addressing challenging behaviour in children with Down syndrome: The use of applied behaviour analysis for assessment and intervention. Down Syndrome Research and Practice, 11(2), pp.64-77. Grey, I.M., McClean, B. and Barnes-Holmes, D., 2012. Staff attributions about the causes of challenging behaviours effects of longitudinal training in multi-element behaviour support. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 6(3), pp.297-312. Hastings, R.P., Remington, B. and Hopper, G.M., 2012. Experienced and inexperienced health care workers beliefs about challenging behaviours. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 39(6), pp.474-483. Holden, B. and Gitlesen, J.P., 2010. A total population study of challenging behaviour in the county of Hedmark, Norway: Prevalence, and risk markers. Research in developmental disabilities, 27(4), pp.456-465. Holden, B. and Gitlesen, J.P., 2013. Prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in adults with mental retardation and challenging behaviour. Research in developmental disabilities, 24(5), pp.323-332. Kaiser, B. and Rasminsky, J.S., 2007. Challenging behavior in young children. Boston, MA: Pearson. Lowe, K., Allen, D., Jones, E., Brophy, S., Moore, K. and James, W., 2014. Challenging behaviours: Prevalence and topographies. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51(8), pp.625-636. Moss, S., Emerson, E., Kiernan, C., Turner, S., Hatton, C. and Alborz, A., 2010. Psychiatric symptoms in adults with learning disability and challenging behaviour. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 177(5), pp.452-456.

The advantages and challenges of European integration for business in the 21st century Essay Example

The advantages and challenges of European integration for business in the 21st century Essay Introduction: With Europe being the epicentre of the two Great Wars of the last century, a robust arrangement of cooperation and mutual benefit was made imperative. With the collapse of the Berlin Wall, an opportunity was created for the erstwhile divided Europe to once again unite under a democratic framework. On the broader geo-political scale, the rise of the United States of America as the undisputed superpower had made a case for a suitable counterbalance. The greater integration within Europe, as witnessed in the last two decades is an attempt toward this end. European integration as it exists today is largely confined to the domain of economics. In other words, the dismantling of labour movement barriers between nations, the floating of a common currency, the adoption of common laws pertaining to trade and commerce, are all outside the purview of domestic/internal policy. To this extent, the constituent nations retain their cultural and social uniqueness, while still benefiting from new economic opportunities created within Europe. This essay will look into the advantages and challenges created by the process of integration by way of studying its various facets. We will write a custom essay sample on The advantages and challenges of European integration for business in the 21st century specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The advantages and challenges of European integration for business in the 21st century specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The advantages and challenges of European integration for business in the 21st century specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The origins of European Integration: Given the long history of war and conflict between European nations, there emerged a need for strong commitment toward cooperation and mutual benefit. The first step toward this cooperative framework was initiated with the formation of Council of Europe and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the year 1950. An impressive 40 European nations subscribed to the resolutions carried forward in the convention. Yet, the Council of Europe remained a peripheral institution as the continent was divided in two during the Cold War. It would be another forty years for the next significant step toward integration, which came with the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989 and with it the collapse of the Soviet Union. The commitment toward amicable relations within Europe resumed with the signing of Maastricht Treaty in 1993, which was further expanded in the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the year 2000. The Charter drew together â€Å"all EU-protect ed personal, civil, political, economic, and social rights into a single text. But it goes beyond simply restating already respected human rights by addressing specifically modern issues such as bio-ethics and protecting personal information and data†. (Nagel, 2004) An important aspect of the integration is the common acceptance of EU law by all constituent members. With it they agree to abide by the judgments of the European Court of Justice, which will be the highest authority in resolving legal disputes. The core principles of EU law were built on the common European traditions of law and justice. As a way of making this new institution effective, all member nations have agreed that â€Å"EU law overrides national law in areas where the EU has authority and that the European Court of Justice is the final arbiter of EU law. Its complete judicial independence makes it one of the best examples of European integration†. (Rucker, 2004) Advantages created by European Integration: 1. Free Market Economy: At the centre of the European Integration is the acceptance of principles of free market economy by national governments. Hence, it is only on expected lines that different member states have embraced the free market ideology at varying degrees. The smaller nations of the EU have benefitted the most from the removal of barriers to trade and labour. The Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty are the key legislations pertaining to this integration of erstwhile separate national economies. These laws endeavour to decrease, if not eliminate, â€Å"national differences in fundamental policies that are viewed as common interest to the Union although there are vast differences in the social and economic structures of the members† (Favell, 2001). The application of principles of market economy across the EU has transformed the economic landscape of the entire region. A healthy state of competition exists between nations and their leading enterprises, which helps generate economic growth, boost trade, encourage investment and lift the standard of living for all European Union citizens. A classic example is the deregulation in telecommunications and air transport sectors and privatization of state-owned enterprises across the EU, which has levelled the playing field and has encouraged competition while also having positive economic implications for the citizens. 2. Opportunities for Smaller Members: In its early days, the European Union comprised of only six nations, all of which had well-developed economies. The subsequent stages of enlargement have made the Union more diverse in terms of the social and economic status of its member states. This has conferred unprecedented opportunities for the smaller nations of the EU. Nations from the Eastern European bloc, especially, have benefitted from this integration. At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, these nations were in economic turmoil. With the adoption of democracy and free market capitalism, these nations have managed to come back from the brink, although some challenges still confront them. Furthermore, the European Court of Justice has gained a reputation for fairness and has not favoured one nation over the other in its short history. This must come as a big boost for the smaller members. For example, â€Å"The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, for its part, has displayed remarkable activism. EU law generally has direct effect: it becomes part of the acquis communautaire that domestic courts must enforce. The Court reviews the legal status of acts undertaken by Union institutions, supervises member-state compliance with the founding treaties and secondary Union legislation, and interprets EU law for domestic courts.The Court has strived to rise above and mitigate the inter-institutional squabbling that has so often paralyzed the EU†. (Favell, 2001) 3. Attainment of Greater Social Solidarity: In the last two decades, the European Union underwent a rapid expansion. The confluence between the Western and Eastern blocs had seemed impossible at a time. But most of the former Communist countries have now been included in the broader EU, which has helped people across the continent progress toward peace and prosperity. It is a testament to this renewed European solidarity that the EU was able to â€Å"launch or complete daring projects such as Economic and Monetary Union and the introduction of the euro, an EU Defence and Security Policy, and the European Immigration and Asylum Policy†. (Schmidtke, 2007) Challenges facing European Integration: 1. The Immigration Problem The most talked about issue regarding European Integration is the issue of immigration. When the EU was initially conceived it was meant to provide a level playing field for labourers from all across the Union. But based on recent statistics and opinion polls the movement of labour across national boundaries has not been hassle-free. The problem is compounded by factors of race, origins and nativity, for â€Å"even more than indigenous Europeans, foreign-origin populations have run into barriers when trying to gain a say in the EU policy-making process† (Verdun, 2005). Furthermore, â€Å"The distance separating immigrants from the Union and its policies, the Union’s institutional structure and the trend toward intergovernmental bargaining, the diversity of national immigration policies, and the specific actions of EU authorities have all hampered immigrant participation. A legal wedge has been driven between EU and third-country nationals, and between second-generation immigrants and their parents.† (Schmidtke, 2007) The particular case of Britain is of importance to the discussion, given its past experience with colonialism and post-colonial immigration. The nature and complexion of immigration to the UK has undergone a radical change since the economic integration of European nations and the enacting of common European Union laws. Ever since the New Labour ascended to power under the leadership of Tony Blair, the British government has been confronted with the challenging task of pleasing its indigenous people while not affronting immigrants. If we accept the precept that public opinion is a driving force for policy changes, then the outlook for immigrants does not look promising. A survey conducted by Channel4’s Dispatches, in collaboration with YouGov titled ‘The survey for Immigration: The Inconvenient Truth’ has thrown light on some surprising facts. A majority of participants are of the view that immigrants contribute to â€Å"diluting our culture and leading to th e breakdown of society† (Gillingham, 2003).

ASU Admissions - ACT Scores, Financial Aid More

ASU Admissions - ACT Scores, Financial Aid More Over half of all students to Alabama State University receive rejection letters; in 2016, the acceptance rate was 46 percent. That said, the admissions bar isnt overly high. Many admitted students have SAT and ACT scores that are below average, and a GPA of C or higher is often adequate (most successful applicants are up in the A an B range). The university uses an index of GPA and test scores for admission eligibility, so students with higher grades can have lower test scores and vise versa. Be sure to visit the ASU admissions website for more information. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): Alabama State University Acceptance Rate: 46 percentGPA, ACT and SAT graph for Alabama StateTest Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 370 / 460SAT Math: 360 / 460What these SAT numbers meanCompare Alabama SAT scoresACT Composite: 15  / 19ACT English: 14 / 19ACT Math: 15  / 17What these ACT numbers meanCompare Alabama ACT scores Alabama State University Description: Alabama State University is a public, historically black university located on a 135-acre campus in Montgomery, a city with a rich civil rights history. Founded in 1867, the schools long history has evolved with the citys. Today, students come from 42 states and 7 countries, and they can choose from roughly 50 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Biology, business, criminal justice, and social work are particularly popular. The curriculum is supported by a 17 to 1  student / faculty ratio. Student life is active at the university and includes numerous fraternities and sororities. In athletics, the Alabama State Hornets, compete in the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The university fields seven mens and nine womens Division I sports. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 5,318  (4,727  undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 38 percent male / 62 percent female92 percent full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $9,220  (in-state); $16,156  (out-of-state)Books: $1,600 (why so much?)Room and Board: $5,422Other Expenses: $3,392Total Cost: $19,634  (in-state); $26,570 (out-of-state) Alabama State University Financial Aid (2015- 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 97 percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 90 percentLoans: 83 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $6,831Loans: $6,634 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Communications, Criminal Justice, Elementary Education, Physical Education, Psychology, Social WorkWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Retention and Graduation Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 63 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 7 percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 22 percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Tennis, Track and Field, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Softball, Basketball, Bowling, Track and Field Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Public relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public relation - Essay Example Proactive public relation is where an organization continues being involved with the publics of the company all through while at the same time finding out new opportunities of creating good will for the company. On the other hand, reactive public relations is whereby an organization do not take their public seriously and only comes up whenever there is a problem to explain to the public. Such organizations are surprised by this issue and they tend to say that there was misunderstanding. The main similarity between the proactive and reactive public relations is that they are both meant to create good will for company as they look forward to bringing public acceptance and understanding. As for Riordan Manufacturing, they should not only come up in the light of public to publicize the company's public when there is a problem, but this should be a continuous process even when there is no problem. They should not have been concerned with their security threat on their internet as a result of meeting the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley. There is a big difference between advertising and publicity. Advertising is whereby a company seeks to create demand for their products by informing or communicate to the public about their goods.

What is America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is America - Essay Example Q. 1 There are varied ethical considerations discussed in the video and most of them tend to focus on the issues of promoting the public interests in the American society. It is significant to understand the behavior of people and possible reactions when attempting to make economic policies. Many economists seem to employ economic policy and the use this model in predicting the behavior of people in the society logically based on varied aspects such as price, interests, aggregate supply and demand. Friedman generally neither intends to promote the interests of the public and even does not know the way to promote it (Freidman, 2012). This is because by directing the business in such a way that its producers may be of the utmost value only intends to promote personal values. Another ethical considerations discussed is the business ethics and this would only be achieved through employing effective policies vital for conducting business. Ethical considerations attempts to focus on effective business decisions on both local and across the globe. The ethical priorities aims of offer effective distribution of economic goods and services among varied people who have freedom for choice of employment, right to work, equal pay, favorable working conditions and protection against unemployment. Lieberman and Hall (2005) argue that the principle of business ethics is to create wealth in a manner that makes one a better person and creates the world a better place. Q.2 The questions posed on the video are still applicable today in light of the current business settings. Freidman focused on the influences shaping business and competition in the contemporary business world, which are fueled by increasing technology in the global environment; thus a call for the government to take significant action to stay a head or sustain a competitive advantage in the business world. The message of Freidman is clear when he urges that the government should be prepared because this phenomenon waits for no one. Secondly, another issue is that of freedom where people should be left to make their own decisions but the government has taken much control of the citizens, and this is also experienced in the contemporary business world. Poor government policies, poor security and other aspects are among the problems that impact many business industries from achieving their business goals effectively. Lastly, in a well regulated market based economy, which is driven by a free trade and increased economic growth, the least-advantaged people in the society should benefit from the mechanisms of the system. However, higher level of inequality and poor resource distribution are among the common problems impacting many people in the contemporary business world; thus driving economy behind. Q. 3 The lecture of Freidman can help me to become a better business person because of varied reasons. First, Freidman talks about bad laws and the way they should be changed and make them flexible in order to enable business carry out their business successf ully. Some of the law such as laws protecting workers, employers, wage laws, free trade laws and many others are significant in an economy. The intervention of the government in the contemporary markets and promoting the practice of freely floating exchange rates and other governmental practices should be flexible

Terrorism and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and Human Rights - Essay Example As contemporary issue for the purpose of this foreign policy brief, terrorism refers "to any violent act directed against noncombatants and carried out by an organized group rationalizing such behavior with political and religious arguments."(Davidson, 20 April 2009) Terrorism is the issue on every one's mind these days. It is global disorder that we have been fighting, and probably will be fighting for many years to come. What is terrorism The word refers different things to different people at different times and the same is very evident. "Violent activity at one point in time may be called terrorism, while the same action may be deemed war, liberation, or crime at another time in history." (Chossudovsky, 24 April 2009) The most accepted definition of terrorism is the illegitimate use of force on innocent people to achieve political objective. National groups or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience." These inflictions cannot be performed directly by any government, but they can be funded by government. If these actions were inflicted directly by government, this is known as terror, not terrorism. However, with these definitions you can see how difficult it is to define terrorism. Terrorism has been around long time and often appears in poor second and third world countries. Since terrorism has affected the world so hard recently, the United States and other countries are trying to find way to end or limit terrorism as much as possible. However, the best way to solve terrorism is to learn the causes of it and then to come up with reasonable method to solve it. Tony Blair's reaction after 7 July 2005 When the terrorist struck in London year ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair had been on an emotional roller-coaster. "From the elation of winning the 2012 Olympic bid for London he flew home from Singapore to chair the G8 summit at Glen eagles in Scotland, only to be woken from few hours sleep to the grim reality of the first suicide attack on Britain." (Tony Blair, 20 April 2009). 'This is very sad day for the British people, but we will hold true to our British way of life,' said Blair, breaking off from the G8 proceedings to chair the government's emergency meetings in London. Opinion polls have consistently shown that, even though his government has been buffeted by many a scandal and internal squabbling, many Britons feel secure with Blair's 'sure touch' on terrorism. "Unlike US President George W Bush, who initially hesitated to return to Washington after the attacks, and Spanish leader Jos Maria Aznar, who by blaming the separatist movement ETA turned the 2004 Madrid bombings into an instant political football, Blair showed leadership in crisis, analysts believe." (Tony Blair, 24 April 2009). 'His initial response showed that he was very much in touch with the British public,' said Frederick Fors, Swedish author of the study Bombings in London: Terrorism and institutionalized crisis management. Fors, from Crisis mart, the National Center for Crisis Management Research and Training of the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm, believes that Britain's long experience with Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism, and Blair's conviction that Britain would become target after 9/11, helped prevent an 'overreaction' to July 7. 'Given the scale of events in London, it might have

Starbucks Motivation Strategy: Case Study

Starbucks Motivation Strategy: Case Study Nowadays, the competition becomes more extreme because rapid globalization in the recent years, especially for the service industry with the similar products. The most vital point for business to success is not only the quality of products they supply, but the atmosphere of cooperating and the amount from yield of teamwork in retail sales. The employees who always touch with customers and can realize what customers really need are first-line staffs. Therefore, it turns to be essential for companies to motivate, reward and train their employees to be the best quality personnel. In the first stage, the historical background of Starbucks will be introduced. Secondly, an issue about the methods of motivating employees are going to discuss. Next, the strategies, which are used by Starbucks to make their teamwork performance well, will be pointer out. In the end, there is a conclusion about the effect of policies in motivation and teamwork. Managers are constantly searching for ways to  create a motivational environment where associates  (employees) to work at their optimal levels to  accomplish company objectives. Workplace  motivators include both monetary and non-monetary  incentives. Monetary incentives can be diverse while  having a similar effect on associates. One example of  monetary incentives is mutual funds provided  through company pension plans or insurance  programs. Because it has been suggested that  associates, depending on their age, have different  needs pertaining to incentives, traditional incentive  packages are being replaced with alternatives to attract younger associates.  This paper will discuss how monetary and non-monetary incentives are influenced by career stages and the problems associated with monetary  and non-monetary incentives. How the entire total reward and human resources (HR) systems at Starbucks are linked to the business objectives and reinforce the companys strong culture and values. Working in mutual support of the business, the culture, and values, this integrated HR system has helped shape a powerful success story that didnt rely on conventional thinking and trends with respect to the treatment of its workforce. Part 2: Setting the Scene A Brief History of Starbucks Starbucks Coffee Company, as we know it today, began in 1987, when Howard Schultz, the current chairman and CEO, acquired the assets from the original founders, whom he had worked with from 1982 to 1985. In 1987, Starbucks had 11 stores. The original business plan, and promise to the investors, was to have 125 stores within five years. From 1987 to 1992, the company remained private, growing at the astonishing rate of 80% per year to more than 150 stores. In June 1992, the company went public, and it was one of the most successful initial public offerings of the year. Today, Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster, and brand of specialty coffee in North America. It operates more than 1,800 retail locations in North America, the United Kingdom, and the Pacific Rim and has established joint-venture partnerships with Breyers (to produce coffee ice cream) and PepsiCo (to produce Frappuccino, a bottled coffee drink). Sales for fiscal year 1997 were $967 million, an increase of nearly 39% over the previous year, and the company employed more than 25,000 partners (the companys term for employees). The company goal is to have more than 2,000 locations in North America by the year 2000. The company mission is to establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromi sing principles as we grow. Starbucks Culture and Values: The Driver of HR and Reward Systems Starbucks is a values-driven company, with a firmly established set of principles that are widely shared within the organization. It is also a company that puts its employees first and invests a tremendous amount in them. None of this is by accident. Source: Wilson, Thomas, B., Rewards That Drive High Performance, Amazon, New York, 1999. www.wilsongroup.com 1 It all stems from the values and beliefs of its CEO. Says Schultz, I wanted to establish the kind of company that gave people a form of equity (ownership) and comprehensive health insurance, and most importantly, give them self-esteem in the workplace. People feel that Starbucks is a place that gives them self-respect and values the contributions they make, regardless of their education or where they are in the company. The company believes that if it puts partners first, the result will be exceptional customer service, and by extension, if it has highly satisfied customers, the financial returns will follow. The history of Starbucks Starbucks began by three friends, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker, who knew each other in the University of Seattle. In 1971, the first name of their store is Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice in Seattle, Washingtons Pike Place Market. They engaged in making profit from selling coffee beans roasted to individual customers and restaurants. Until 1982, they had increased the number of stores to four. During the same period, a sales representative of the house ware business in New York, Hammerplast, visited them. Howard Schultz wanted to know why a small company needs a large number of percolators from Hammerplast. Because of the trade relationship between these two companies, he was acquainted with the three inventors. After he realized the atmosphere and environment of the company, he decided to be a part of Starbucks, then as a director of marketing and retail sales. In the following year, he had a vocation to Milan, Italy. Though the time, he experienced an entirely different coffee culture from the United States. The culture of Italian cafà © had been one part of peoples daliy life. There were numerous coffee bars around the area and the public usually liked to socialize in a coffee bar. Under those circumstances, Schultz had an idea of a new flavor of cafà © and a stylish environment to communicating with friends. After the trip, he prepared the business plan for his vision. However, the three initiators did not want to transfer their business into restaurant industry. Consequently, in 1985 he chose to establish a new coffee shop, named II Giornale, in Seattle. After the next two years, due to the successful strategy of Schultz, the original three owners of Starbucks decided to sell their corporation to Schultz. Then Schultz gathered other investors and took over the name of II Giornale to Starbucks. He sought to pursue his dream to make everyone taste his coffee, so he focused on the rate of expanding. At that time, he though that the most efficient way to grow the amount of branches is to set up new stores in other places. In I987, Starbucks had the first overseas store in Japan. In the subsequent years, owing to the rising expenses with the worldwide broadening, there was a deficit in Starbucks for the next three years. In contrast, he firmly believed that not to sacrifice long-term integrity and values for short-term profit (Michelli, 2006). In 1991, it turned loss into gain and its sales grew up sharply to 84 percent. Until the end of 2002, Starbucks has developed from 17 stores to 5,688 spreading over 30 countries in by this strategy, it is an over 300 times growing in these ten years! (shown as Exhibit 1) From Fortune magazine, Starbucks was ranked the 11th best company to work for in 2005 in the USA and then risen up in 2006 to 29th. As to 2007, it was ranked as the 16th best. In the same year, Starbucks was also voted as one of the top ten UK workplaces by the Financial Times. (Resource: wikipedia) Part 3 Literature Review Definition of Motivation Motivation is one of the most important aspects of an individualà ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬sb eh av io r that determines not only how individual behaves and thinks but also ways in which he / she interacts with others and influences them. Motivation is derived from the word motives. The word motive is derived from Latin word movere, which means to move or to energize. Thus motivation actives us and directs our behavior to a particular goal. According to Armstrong (2002 P.56) states that People wont change their behaviour unless it makes a difference to  them to do so Managers are individuals who achieve their goals through other people. They are constantly searching for ways to motivate their employees to make them work at their optimal level of performance to accomplish the company objective. Various incentives are provided by the managers to their employees for motivation. The incentives that are provided by the mangers to their employees can be broadly classified as monetary incentives and non-monetary incentives. 2.1 Comparison of monetary and non-monetary incentives The purpose of monetary incentives is to reward associates for excellent job performance through money. Monetary incentives include profit sharing, project bonuses, stock options and warrants, scheduled bonuses (e.g., Christmas and performance-linked), and additional paid vacation time. Traditionally, these have helped maintain a positive motivational environment for associates. Monetary incentives can be diverse while having a similar effect on associates. One example of monetary incentives is mutual funds provided through company pension plans or insurance programs. Because it has been suggested that associates, depending on their age have different needs pertaining to incentives, traditional incentive packages are being replaced with alternatives to attract younger associates. On the other hand, the purpose of non-monetary benefits is to reward excellent job performance through opportunities. Non-monetary incentives include flexible work hours, training, pleasant work environment, and sabbaticals. 2.2 Problems with monetary incentives Managements have always looked at man as an animal to be  manipulated with a carrot and stick. They found that when a man is lured/hurt, he will move to get the prize/avoid the pain-and they say, Were motivating the employees. Hell you are not motivating them, you are moving them.* -Frederick Herzberg, Professor Emeritus Monetary incentives usually encourage compliance and achievement of difficult targets instead of encouraging creativity, innovation and foresight which are more important in the long run. Thus employees are not able to express their true talent and in the long run lose their creativity. Employers also may use monetary incentives as an extrinsic rather than an intrinsic motivator. In other words, associates are driven to do things just for the monetary reward versus doing something because it is the right thing to do. This can disrupt or terminate good relationships between employees because they are transformed from co-workers to competitors, which can quickly disrupt the workplace environment. Another problem with monetary incentive is that it is given to circumvent a bigger problem for a short run. Sales employees are given higher monetary incentives to compensate for poor management and poor products, employees are paid more for working in poor work environment. Monetary incentives can even drive the employees to falsely reporting their achievements. Huge monetary incentives given to middle mangers are seen as a hook to retain them which may make them work counterproductively. Though the monetary incentives have a better effect than the monetary incentives in the short run, they fail miserably in the long run and in extreme situations downfall of the company (when employees start anticipating monetary incentives even for routine jobs and in absence of which they start working inefficiently or go on a strike as in the case of some government employee s). Also most of the non-monetary incentives are intrinsic in nature. Intrinsic motivation is more effective as the impetus to work is from within. Employees are working because they feel satisfied or fulfilled by the activity they undertake. Under these circumstances the management can be regarded as more of a support than control. So managers should concentrate more on non-monetary incentives after the minimum level of monetary benefits and properly structure them according to their employees preference. This will ensure high motivational level of the employees which will get reflected in their better performance at work. 2.3 Theories which support intrinsic motivation Various theories that support the concept that intrinsic motivation which is attained through non-monetary incentives is important and better than extrinsic motivation are as follows: Maslows Hierarchy of needs This theory states that the needs of social, esteem and self actualisation are higher order needs. The differentiation between the higher order needs and lower order needs is that the higher order needs are satisfied at the individual level whereas the lower order needs are satisfied externally. Herzbergs two-factor theory It supports the emphasis on factors associated with work like promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth, recognition, responsibility, and achievement which employees find intrinsically rewarding McClellands Theory of Needs This theory focuses on three needs: achievement, power and affiliation. They are defined as follows Need for achievement: The drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards, to strive to succeed. Need for power: The need to make others behave in a way that they would not have behaved otherwise Need for affiliation: The desire for friendly and closely interpersonal relationships. Cognitive evaluation theory This theory states that allocating extrinsic rewards for behaviour that had been rewarding intrinsically leads to decrease in overall level of motivation. Thus it supports the view that it is better to continue intrinsic motivation to boost the morale of employees. Goal-Setting theory This theory supports the idea that specific and difficult goals with feedback  lead to higher motivation and performance. Self-efficacy theory(Social cognitive theory) It is the individuals belief that a task assigned can be done. Higher the self efficacy higher is the confidence of the employee at the workplace. Reinforcement theory This theory states that the behaviour is a function of its consequences. If employees feel that their efforts are duly rewarded then they will work in a more effective manner for the organisation. Equity theory This theory states that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. If their colleagues are given recognition employees will work towards achieving those rewards. This motivates them to perform them to work better which beneficial to the organisation. Expectancy theory The strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. Thus when expectations from a employee increases the employee responds with better performance. From the above theories (however different they may be) it is clear that intrinsic motivation is desired by the employees. 2.4 Intrinsic Motivation by non-monetary incentives Various non-monetary incentives motivate employees intrinsically which is more efficient than the extrinsic motivation. The intrinsic motivation that these incentives offer is the result of intrinsic rewards of self management. Self management In employees perspective self-management is choosing activities, monitoring competence, committing to purpose and monitoring progress. The intrinsic motivation that energises the work comes directly from the four management events namely activities, purpose, opportunities and rewards. From these four events the employees make a judgement -of the meaningfulness of the task purpose, the degree of choice available in selecting activities, the competence with which the activities are performed, and the amount of progress being made to the task purpose. The judgements from self-management lead to intrinsic rewards which in turn provide the energy for self- management which completes the cycle. OPPORTUNITY ACCOMPLISHMENT Rewards Rewards From task ACTIVITIES From task PURPOSE Sense of meaningfulness It is the opportunity that makes the employees feel that they are on a path that is worth the energy and time-that they are on a valuable mission that matters in the larger scheme of things. Sense of choice It is the opportunity that the employees feel to select task activities that make sense to them and to perform them in ways that seem appropriate to them. The feeling of choice is the feeling of being free to choose-of being able to use their judgement and act out of their own understanding of task Sense of competence It is the accomplishment that employees feel in skilfully performing task activities that have been chosen by them. The feeling of competence involves the sense that they are doing good, high-quality work on a task. Sense of PROGRESS It is the accomplishment felt in achieving the task purpose. The feeling of progress involves the sense that the task is moving forward, and their activities are really accomplishing something. It is the accomplishment felt in achieving the task purpose. The feeling of progress involves the sense that the task is moving forward, and their activities are really accomplishing something. 2.5 Non-monetary incentives The non-monetary incentives desired by employees across generations have gone rapid changes. The following table shows the preferences in non-monetary incentives across generations. Baby Boomers (born between 1946-63) Generation Xers (born between 1964-81) Generation Yers (born after 1982) Retirement planning Flexible schedules Job training Sabbaticals Flexible schedules Professional development Feedback Tangible rewards Work environment Flexible schedules Professional development Feedback Tangible rewards Work environment Attentive Employers Autonomy Table 2: Preferences in non-monetary incentives across generations Thus it is obvious that the demands of the current generation of employees are ever increasing and in current scenario where there is low loyalty to the companies, high attrition rate these demands have to be met reasonably well to attract prospective employees who can perform really well and to retain the employees. 3. PRACTICES IN ORGANISATIONS Various non-monetary incentives in Table 1 are affected by career stage and proximity to retirement. The older the associate, the more the focus is placed on retirement or supplementing retirement income with part-time or temporary jobs. The younger the associate, the more the focus is placed on job satisfaction and the work environment. Types of non-monetary incentives Various types of non-monetary incentives are as follows: Flextime Professional development Feedback Tangible rewards Work environment Attentive employers Autonomy Redesigning of jobs Retirement planning and others. 3.1 Flextime Flextime refers to several arrangements that allow the employee to work a non-traditional schedule. The employee and the manager agree in advance on the hours of work. Flextime is a popular option for good reasonit lends balance to busy lives. Fortunately, flextime also benefits the manager too. Allowing employees to work schedules that best suit their lives results in more productive workers. The most common flextime arrangements include: Compressed workweek This arrangement allows the employees to work a full, 40-hour schedule in 4 days by extending the hours they work each day. The compressed week can also be scheduled over 2 workweeks, during which they work 9 longer days and have the tenth off. In any case, the compressed workweek maintains the same overall number of hours, just divided up differently. The workload, benefits, and pay are not affected by the arrangement. Adjusted lunch Working an adjusted lunch schedule doesnt actually allow any additional days off. Instead, he employees can take a longer lunch each day, making up the hours at the beginning or end of the day. For example, he manager may allow the employee to take your lunch from 11-1 so that the latter can run errands, go to a doctors appointment, or work out, but in exchange the employee works that additional hour at the beginning or end of your day. This sort of arrangement may be an unofficial privilege of every worker, especially if its used only occasionally. Core hours Next to the compressed workweek, this is the most popular scheduling strategy because of the flexibility it offers. With this schedule, an employee can work certain hours every day, and as long as the schedule is built around the work time specified. For instance, if the core hours are 10-3, the employee must work 10-3 every day, but the starting and ending times can vary. The employee may choose to work 10-6, or 7-3, or any other combination as long as those core hours are covered. If the employee maintains the same total number of hours, your workload, benefits, and pay remain the same. Flexible hours Common core Lunch Common core Flexible hours 6 A.M 9 A.M 12 noon 1 P.M 3 P.M 6 P.M Figure 2: Example of a Flextime schedule The only problem with flextime is that it cant be extended to employees involved in production as the work time also depends on the machines which have to be run continuously for a certain period of time. Problems may arise if flextime is offered to employees of other departments and not to those of production department. So it is better not to introduce flextime in organisations where it cant be extended to all the departments. 3.2 Professional development In a broad sense professional development may include formal types of vocational education, typically post-secondaryor polytechnic training leading to qualification or acredentia l required to get or retain employment. Informal or individualized programs of professional development may also include the concept of personalcoaching. Professional development on the job may develop or enhance process skills, sometimes referred to as leadership skills, as well as task skills. Some examples for process skills are effectiveness skills, team functioning skills, and systems thinking skills. Some examples of task skills are computer software applications, customer service skills and safety training. Examples of skills relevant to a currentoccupation are leadership training for managers and training for specific techniques or equipment for educators,technicians, metal workers,medical  practitionersand engineers. For some occupations there is a provision for  accreditation tied to continuing professional education and proving competence  regulated by a professional body. 10 3.3 Feedback People dont quit organisations, they quit bosses. This can be extended to colleagues too. Improper communication, negative relationship, backbiting etc can lead to inefficiency and counter productivity. To overcome this, organisations are adopting feedback culture. It is the culture wherein all the employees are taught the skills of effectively receiving and giving feedback which is the degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job results in the employee obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness in their job performance. This includes telling each other frankly, honestly and effectively what they think about their behaviour, job performance, ideas etc. Employees prefer being told what others think about them directly instead of in the round about way and they like being given feedback to self evaluate their performance. They also would like to frankly tell their bosses the various problems and issues faced by them. Feedback is of two types positive and negative. Positive feedback improves the morale of the receiver and negative feedback improves the performance of the receiver. Poor feedback can reduce morale, the ability to do the job, confidence of employees and can even lead to conflicts between the management and the employees. Hence great care has to be taken while giving and receiving feedback. So when both the managers and the employees acquire these skills of giving and receiving feedback the feedback culture works out well for the company. The following factors are to be considered while giving feedback: Make feedback specific Ambiguity and vagueness will make feedback ineffective as the receiver might miss out the whole point. It should be made sure that there is no personality clash between the giver and receiver. Both of them should be comfortable with the way the feedback is being given and neither of them should feel attacked or offended. To do away with these problems the feedback has to be specific. Concentrate on behaviour and results Feedback should concentrate on behaviour, results and future prospective and not on personality and attitudes so that the receiver gets the desired message in the desired manner. Take responsibility The manager/employee should take the initiative of giving feedback rather than putting the blame on others saying that it is not their job. Most often it is due to lack of skills and unwillingness to give feedback. Employees should also be encouraged to take responsibility as there is lot of emphasis on teamwork and empowerment in present days organisations which are becoming flat. Balanced feedback Feedback has to be balanced and accurate. Overstating or understating results will lead to ineffectiveness of feedback. Feedback on periodic basis Feedback has to be on a periodic basis preferably on weekly basis. Delay in giving feedback will render it ineffective. Similarly while receiving feedback the receiver has to listen attentively to all what is said, analyse the feedback and take remedial action. Though difficult to establish, feedback culture promotes teamwork, job satisfaction, employee empowerment, improvement in job performance and so is preferred by most of the employees. 3.4 Tangible rewards It is important to understand how different groups of employees perceive the total reward package offered by the organisation, particularly if the marketing adage Perception is Reality were to be recalled. If the employee doesnt understand the total reward package, how can employee value it? And how can it motivate he employee to perform? Therefore, there is a need to gain an understanding of how managers and employees perceive reward, and, in the case of the Senior Management Team, where they think reward should focus? Perception of reward can be researched using the following tool: Senior Management Team Brainstorm It is always important to involve the Senior Management Team (SMT) in Total Reward policy development. It is best to involve them from the outset to ensure that they understand and contribute to what you are doing. The key reason for conducting management interviews or focus groups is to gain buy-in from those who will be accountable for implementing the strategy. Interviews can help identify the information that managers will find useful, and begin to develop an action plan. This should focus on the big picture and on priorities, not on detail. Top teams (or other senior groups) are likely to be unenthusiastic about detailed level definitions. The specific organisation and style of the debate will depend on the make-up of the team and the nature of the facilitators relationship with it. The focus will be on discovering either what really matters to people who work here? or based on the kind of people you want to work here, what do you think would really matter to them? The focus in each case will be on discovering either what really matters to people who work here? or based on the kind of people you want to work here, what do you think would really matter to them? Cash vs. Tangible Rewards Why Do Merchandise and other Tangible Rewards Motivate Better Than Cash? Perks programs feature custom-designed rewards catalogues with highly desirable and attainable merchandise as rewards. Our reward items are memorable and reinforce the relationship between the reward earner and the reward provider. They keep on giving each time a merchandise reward is viewed or noticed: recipients relive the special recognition and appreciate the organization that honoured them. Cash rewards on the other hand, often have fleeting impact and more often than not, leave the recipients mind as soon as they are spent. Cash unfortunately for those companies that attempt to motivate with it is the least lasting type of reward, because its typically confused with other compensation and therefore forgotten. Additional reasons to use tangible rewards rather than cash are summarized below. Comparison between cash and tangible rewards. Cash or Any Cash Equivalent Purely an extrinsic motivator with little emotional involvement; does not  provide lasting satisfaction and long-term performance stimulation   Creates expectations, leads to entitlement and consequently looses its motivating value A dollar is a dollar; participant attaches no greater emotional or inspirational value to cash. Lacks emotional impact of tangible rewards; thus quickly spent and forgotten   No trophy value to be a constant reminder and continue to motivate. It is  difficult to show off; thus limits the lasting impact of the reward Difficult to target a particular behaviour because of the lacking association  with a particular achievement Recipients often cant recall what they purchased with cash reward which  further diminished its impact Minimal association with Sponsor Company due to minimal trophy value  of reward which minimizes the potential of goodwill toward the company   Not cost-effective; requires three times the incentive investment compared  to non-cash, on average Usually spent on necessities thus lacking a positive association with the  targeted accomplishment or behaviour Participant feels guilty for not spending a cash award on necessities which  taints the reward with unpleasant feelings Tangible Rewards 1. Carry a significant trophy value thus continue to reinforce

Guns in the Cockpit Essay -- Terrorism Airlines Security Safety Essays

Guns in the Cockpit On the morning of September 11, 2001, four airplanes were hijacked and two of them, brought the collapse of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. As a result of these attacks on the United States, airports have come to the realization that the only way to prevent another hijacking is by strengthening the security on aircrafts through the cockpit. In order to secure the cockpit and ensure the safety of the passengers on board, guns were introduced as a possible solution in the event of an emergency situation like those that took place in September of 2001. The Transportation Security Administration head John Magaw, announced the administrations position that they are against guns in cockpits and a pilot should give full, undivided attention to flying his plane. He believes that pilots can use their plane as their line of defense by landing it as quickly as possible and conducting in-flight maneuvers to keep the hijackers off balance (MSNBC 3). John Magaw believes that pilots have to make use with what they have. Captain Tracy Price, head of the Airline Pilots Security Alliance who supports equipping the cockpit with guns, stated, We advocate arming airline pilots with firearms to provide a last resort, final line of defense of passengers, crew and innocent civilians on the ground, in a press conference in Washington D.C. (Pilots 1). She believes that the pilots need more than just their own plane as a weapon against a hijacker, but a gun as well. But in truth, both of these opposing sides are working toward the same goal, to secure the cockpit and making the flying of an aircraft a safe experience for all of those on board. In the events that took place on September 11, the future terrorists... ...daily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28406> House Oks guns in cockpits. July 2002. MSNBC News. 13 Nov. 2002 Senator calls for arming pilots. Jon Dougherty. Mar. 2002. World Net Daily. 13 Nov. 2002 House votes to allow guns in cockpit. July 2002. CNN. 13 Nov. 2002. Drawing a bead on guns in the cockpit. Elliott Hester. Sept. 2002. St. Petersburg Times. 13 Nov. 2002 Press Conference with Senator Robert Smith (R-NH); Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT); and Senator Barbra Boxer (D-CA). Press Conference or Speech- LEXIS NEXIS (search engine) 10 Wed. July 2002. Federal News Service. 10 Nov. 2002

Evaluation of equality and diversity in childcare Essay

The evaluation has just been published of the Pre-School Education Initiative for Children from Minority Groups. The initiative, which the Government funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, involved training and mentoring for early childhood educators in diversity and equality practice, using the Anti-Bias Education approach. The evaluation found the approach to be very effective in achieving positive change. The anti-bias approach supports educators to reflect critically on their practice. In Ireland it informed the development of the à ©ist project, which in turn influenced the recent initiative. Its goals are to: Support children’s identity (individual and group) and their sense of belonging. Foster children’s empathy and support them to be comfortable with differences between children. Encourage each child to think about diversity and bias. Empower children to stand up for themselves and others in difficult situations. It’s an approach that fits well with both the Sà ­olta national quality framework and the Aistear curriculum framework. The principles of Sà ­olta state that â€Å"equality is an essential characteristic of quality early childhood care and education†, and that quality settings â€Å"respect diversity and have their individual, personal, cultural and linguistic identity validated†. Similarly, nurturing equality and diversity is one of the 12 principles of Aistear, and â€Å"identity and belonging† is one of its four themes. Fundamentally, the anti-bias approach does not focus on additional supports for children from minority groups, but on changing mainstream practice so that the uniqueness of every child is recognised and supported, and so that the differences between all children are respected. That’s why equality and diversity are so central to high quality practice – they benefit all children. The Pre-School Education Initiative involved training and mentoring of staff in 160 early care and education settings, spread across nearly all counties, in 2011-2012. Building on the work of the Equality and Diversity Early Childhood Network (EDeNn), the initiative was implemented through the City and County Childcare Committees, and was the first time the training was delivered at a national level.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 4

Winnie's jaw dropped. â€Å"You-you-keep away from me!† Iliana said, and then she got another breath and started shrieking again. She had good lungs, Keller thought The shrieks were not only loud, they were piercing and pitched high enough to shatter glass. Keller's sensitive eardrums felt as if somebody were driving ice picks through them. â€Å"All of you!† Iliana said. She was holding out both hands to fend them off. â€Å"Just let me go! I want to go home!† Winnie's face cleared a little. â€Å"Yeah, I'll bet you do. But, you see, that place is dangerous. We're going to take you somewhere safe-â€Å" â€Å"You kidnapped me! Oh, God, I've been kidnapped. My parents aren't rich. What do you want?† Winnie looked at Keller for help. Keller was watching their prize Wild Power grimly. She was getting a bad feeling about this girl. ‘It's nothing like that.† She kept her voice quiet and level, trying to cut through the hysteria. â€Å"You-don't you even talk to me!† Iliana waved a hand at Keller desperately. â€Å"I saw. You changed. You were a monster! There was blood all over- you killed that man.† She buried her face in her hands and began to sob. â€Å"No, she didn't.† Winnie tried to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. â€Å"And anyway, he attacked me first.† â€Å"He did not. He didn't touch you.† The words were muffled and jerky. â€Å"He didn't touch me, no, but-† Winnie broke off, looking puzzled. She tried again. â€Å"Not with his hands, but-â€Å" In the front seat, Nissa shook her head slightly, amused. â€Å"Boss-â€Å" Tm way ahead of you,† Keller said grimly. This was going to be difficult. Iliana didn't even know that the dragon was the bad guy. All she had seen was a boy trying to talk with her, a girl inexplicably flying against a wall, and a panther that attacked unprovoked. Keller's head hurt. â€Å"I want to go home,† Iliana repeated. All at once, with surprising speed, she lunged for the door handle. It took Keller's animal reflexes to block her, and the movement sent another pang through her injured shoulder. Strangely, as it happened, pain seemed to flicker across Galen's face. He reached out and gently pulled Iliana back. â€Å"Please don't,† he said. â€Å"I know this is all really strange, but you've got it backwards. That guy who was talking to you-he was going to kill you. And Keller saved you. Now they want to take you somewhere safe and explain everything.† Diana raised her head and looked at him. She looked for a long time. Finally, she said, still almost whispering, â€Å"You're all right. I can tell.† Can she? Keller wondered. Does she see something in his eyes? Or does she just see that he's a handsome blond guy with long lashes? â€Å"So you'll go with her?† Galen asked. Iliana gulped, sniffed, and finally nodded. â€Å"Only if you go, too. And only for a little while. After that, I want to go home.† Winfrith's face cleared-at least slightly. Keller stopped guarding the door, but she wasn't happy. â€Å"Straight to the safe house, Boss?† Nissa asked, swinging the car back toward the freeway. Keller nodded grimly. She glanced at Galen. â€Å"You win.† She didn't have to say the rest. The girl would only go if he went. Which made him a member of the team. For the present. He smiled, very faintly. There was nothing smug in it, but Keller looked again. Nothing was going the way she'd planned. And Winnie might still have faith in her Witch Child, but Keller's doubts had crystallized. We are all, she thought, in very big trouble. And there was a dragon that might start looking for them at any minute. How fast did dragons recover, anyway? Big trouble, Keller thought. The safe house was a nondescript brick bungalow. Circle Daybreak owned it, and nobody in the Night World knew about it. That was the theory, anyway. The truth was that no place was safe. As soon as they had hidden the limo in an ivy-covered carport in back and Keller had made a phone call to Circle Daybreak headquarters, she told Winnie to set up wards around the house. â€Å"They won't be all that strong,† Winnie said. â€Å"But they'll warn us if something tries to get in.† She bustled around, doing witch things to the doors and windows. Nissa stopped Keller on her own trip of inspection. â€Å"We'd better look at your arm.† â€Å"It's all right.† â€Å"You can barely move it.† Til manage. Go look at Winnie; she hit that wall pretty hard.† â€Å"Winnie's okay; I already checked her. And, Keller, just because you're the team leader doesn't mean you have to be invulnerable. It's all right to accept help sometimes.† â€Å"We don't have time to waste on me!† Keller went back to the living room. She'd left Iliana in the care of Galen. She hadn't actually told him that, but she'd left them alone together, and now she found he'd gotten a root beer from the refrigerator and some tissues from the bathroom. Diana was sitting huddled on the couch, holding the drink and blotting her eyes. She jumped at every noise. â€Å"Okay, now I'm going to try to explain,† Keller said, pulling up an ottoman. Winnie and Nissa quietly took seats behind her. â€Å"I guess the first thing I should tell you about is the Night World. You don't know what that is, do you?† Iliana shook her head. â€Å"Most humans don't. It's an organization, the biggest underground organization in the world. It's made up of vampires and shapeshifters and witches-well, not witches now. Only a few of the darkest witches from Circle Midnight are still part of it. The rest of them have seceded.† â€Å"Vampires†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Iliana whispered. â€Å"like Nissa,† Keller said. Nissa smiled, a rare full smile that showed sharp teeth. â€Å"And Winnie is a witch. And you saw what I am. But we're all part of Circle Daybreak, which is an organization for everybody who wants to try to live together in peace.† â€Å"Most of the Night People hate humans,† Winnie said. â€Å"Their only laws are that you can't tell humans about the Night World and that you can't fall in love with them.† â€Å"But even humans can join Circle Daybreak,† Keller said. â€Å"And that's why you want me?† Iliana looked bewildered. â€Å"Well, not exactly.† Keller ran a hand over her forehead. â€Å"Look, the main thing you need to know about Circle Daybreak is what it's trying to do right now. What it's trying to keep from happening.† Keller paused, but there was no easy way to say it â€Å"The end of the world.† â€Å"The end of the world?† Keller didn't smile, didn't blink, just waited it out while Iliana sputtered, gasped, and looked at Galen for some kind of sanity. When she finally ran down, Keller went on. â€Å"The millennium is coming. When it gets here, a time of darkness is going to begin. The vampires want it to happen; they want the darkness to wipe out the human race. They figure that then they'll be in charge.† â€Å"The end of the world,† Iliana said. â€Å"Yes. I can show you the evidence if you want There are all sorts of things happening right now that prove it The world is falling into disorder, and pretty soon it's going to fall apart. But the reason we need you is because of the prophecies.† â€Å"I want to go home.† I bet you do, Keller thought. For a moment, she felt complete sympathy for the girl. â€Å"Like this.† She quoted: â€Å"Four to stand between the light and the shadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the bund Maiden's vision; Four less one and darkness triumphs.† â€Å"I really don't know what you're talking about-â€Å" â€Å"Four Wild Powers,† Keller went on relentlessly. â€Å"Four people with a special gift, something nobody else has. Each one of them born seventeen years ago.If Circle Daybreak can get all four of them to work together-and only if Circle Daybreak can get them to work together-then we can hold off the darkness.† Iliana was shaking her head, edging away even from Galen. Behind Keller, Winnie and Nissa stood up, closing in. They faced her in a solid block, unified. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Keller said. â€Å"You can't escape it. You're part of it. You're a Wild Power.† â€Å"And you should be happy,† Winnie burst out, unable to contain herself any longer. â€Å"You're going to help save the world. You know that thing I did back in the Hallmark shop? With the orange fire?† She cupped her hands. â€Å"Well, you're full of blue fire. And that's so much stronger-nobody even knows what it can do.† Iliana put out her hands. â€Å"I'm sorry. I really am. But you guys are nuts, and you've got the wrong person. I mean, I don't know, maybe you're not completely nuts. The things that happened back at that store†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and gulped. â€Å"But I don't have anything to do with it.† She shut her eyes, as if that would bring the real world into focus. â€Å"I'm not any Wild Power,† she said more firmly. â€Å"I'm just a human kid-â€Å" â€Å"Actually, no,† Nissa said. â€Å"You're a lost witch,† Winnie cut in. â€Å"You're a Harmon. A Hearth-Woman. That's the most famous family of witches; they're like-they're royalty. And you're the most famous of all of them. You're the Witch Child. We've been waiting for you.† Keller shifted. â€Å"Winnie, maybe we don't need to tell her all of this right now.† But Winnie was racing on. â€Å"You're the one who's going to unite the shapeshifters and the witches. You're going to marry a prince of the shapeshifters, and then we're all going to be like this.† She held up two intertwined fingers. Iliana stared at her. â€Å"I'm only seventeen. I'm not marrying anybody.† â€Å"Well, you can do a promise ceremony; that's binding. The witches would accept it, and I think the shapeshifters would.† She glanced at Keller for confirmation. Keller pinched the bridge of her nose. â€Å"I'm just a grunt; I can't speak for the ‘shifters.† Winnie was already turning back to Iliana, her curls shaking with earnestness. â€Å"Really, you know,† she said, â€Å"it's incredibly important. Right now, the Night World is split. Vampires on one side, witches on the other. And the shapeshifters-well, they could go either way. And that's what could determine the battle.† â€Å"Look-â€Å" â€Å"The witches and the shapeshifters haven't been allies for thirty thousand-â€Å" â€Å"I don't care!† Full-blown hysteria. It was about as scary as a six-week-old kitten hissing, but it was the best raving Iliana could manage. Both her small fists were clenched, and her face and throat were flushed. â€Å"I don't care about the shapeshifters or the witches. I'm just a normal kid with a normal life, and I want to go home! I don't know anything about fighting. Even if I believed all this stuff, I couldn't help you. I hate PE; I'm totally uncoordinated. I get sick when I see blood. And-† She looked around and made an inarticulate sound of exasperation. â€Å"And I lost my purse.† Keller stood up. â€Å"Forget your purse.† â€Å"It had my mom's credit card in it. She's going to kill me if I come home without that. I just- where's my purse?† â€Å"Look, you little idiot,† Keller said. â€Å"Worry about your mother, not about her credit card.† Diana backed up a step. Even in the middle of a hysterical fit, she was beautiful beyond words. Strands of angel-fine hair stuck to her flushed, wet cheeks. Her eyes were dark as twilight, shadowed by heavy lashes-and they wouldn't quite meet Keller's. â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† â€Å"Yes, you do. Where's your mom going to be when the end of the world comes? Is a credit card going to save her then?† Iliana was in a corner now. Keller could hear both Nissa and Winnie making warning noises. She knew herself that this was the wrong way to get someone on their side. But patience wasn't one of Keller's great virtues. Neither was keeping her temper. â€Å"Let's see,† Galen said, and his voice was like cool water flowing through the room. â€Å"Maybe we could take a little break-â€Å" â€Å"I don't need advice from you,† Keller snapped. â€Å"And if this little idiot is too stupid to understand that she can't turn her back on this, we have to show her.† â€Å"I'm not an idiot!† â€Å"Then you're just a big baby? Scared?† Iliana sputtered again. But there was unexpected fire in her violet eyes as she did it. She was looking right at Keller now, and for a moment Keller thought that there might be a breakthrough. Then she heard a noise. Her ears picked it up before either Winnie's or Nissa's. A car on the street outside. â€Å"Company,† Keller said. She noticed that Galen had stiffened. Had he heard it? Winnie was moving to stand behind the door; Nissa slipped as quietly as a shadow to the window. It was dark outside now, and vampire eyes were good at night. â€Å"Blue car,† Nissa said softly. â€Å"Looks like them inside.† â€Å"Who?† Diana said. Keller gestured at her to be quiet. â€Å"Winnie?† â€Å"I have to wait until they cross the wards.† A pause, then she broke into a smile. â€Å"It's her!† â€Å"Who?† Iliana said. â€Å"I thought nobody was supposed to know we were here.† Good thinking. Logical, Keller thought. â€Å"This is someone I called. Someone who came all the way fromNevada and has been waiting to see you.† She went to the door. It took a few minutes for the people in the car to get out-they moved slowly. Keller could hear the crunch of footsteps and the sound of a cane. She opened the door. There was no light outside; the figures approaching were in shadow until they actually reached the threshold. The woman who stepped in was old. So old that anyone's first thought on first seeing her was How can she still be alive? Her skin was creased into what seemed like hundreds of translucent folds. Her hair was pure white and almost as fine as Diana's, but there wasn't much of it. Her already tiny figure was stooped almost double. She walked with a cane in one hand and the other tucked into the arm of a nondescript young man. But the eyes that met Keller's were anything but senile. They were bright and almost steely, gray with just the faintest touch of lavender. â€Å"The Goddess's bright blessings on you all,† she said, and smiled around the room. It was Winnie who answered. â€Å"We're honored by your presence-Grandma Harman.† In the background, Diana demanded plaintively for the third time, â€Å"Who?† â€Å"She's your great-great-aunt,† Winnie said, her voice quiet with awe. â€Å"And the oldest of the Harmans. She's the Crone of all the Witches.† Diana muttered something that might have been, â€Å"She looks like it.† Keller stepped in before Winnie could attack her. She introduced everyone. Grandma Harman's keen eyes flickered when Galen's turn came, but she merely nodded. â€Å"This is my apprentice and driver, Toby,† she told them. â€Å"He goes everywhere with me, so you can speak freely in front of him.† Toby helped her to the couch, and everyone else sat, too-except Diana, who stubbornly stayed in her corner. â€Å"How much have you told her?† Grandma Harman asked. â€Å"Almost everything,† Keller said. â€Å"And?† â€Å"She-isn't quite certain.† â€Å"I am certain,† Diana piped up. â€Å"I want to go home.† Grandma Harman extended a knobby hand toward her. â€Å"Come here, child. I want to take a look at my great-great-niece.† Tm not your great-great-niece,† Diana said. But with those steely-but-soft eyes fixed on her, she took one step forward. â€Å"Of course you are; you just don't know it. Do you realize, you're the image of my mother when she was your age? And I'll bet your great-grandmother looked like her, too.† Grandma Harman patted the couch beside her. â€Å"Come here. I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Edgith, and your great-grandmother was my little sister, Elspeth.† Diana blinked slowly. â€Å"Great-grandmother Elspeth?† â€Å"It was almost ninety years ago that I last saw her. It was just before the First World War. She and our baby brother, Emmeth, were separated from the rest of the family. We all thought they were dead, but they were being raised inEngland . They grew up and had children there, and eventually some of those children came toAmerica . Without ever suspecting their real heritage, of course. It's taken us a long time to track down their descendants.† Iliana had taken another involuntary step. She seemed fascinated by what the old woman was saying. â€Å"Mom always talked about Great-grandmother Elspeth. She was supposed to be so beautiful that a prince fell in love with her.† â€Å"Beauty has always run in our family,† Grandma Harman said carelessly. â€Å"Beauty beyond comparison, ever since the days of Hellewise Hearth-Woman, our foremother. But that isn't the important thing about being a Harman.† ‘It isn't?† Iliana said doubtfully. â€Å"No.† The old woman banged her cane. â€Å"The important thing, child, is the art Witchcraft. You are a itch, Iliana; it's in your blood. It always will be. And you're the gift of the Harmans in this last fight Now, listen carefully.† Staring at the far wall, she recited slowly and deliberately: â€Å"One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.† Even when she had finished, the words seemed to hang in the air of the room. No one spoke. Diana's eyes had changed. She seemed to be looking inside herself, at something only she could see. It was as if deeply buried memories were stirring. â€Å"That's right,† Grandma Harman said softly. â€Å"You can feel the truth of what I'm telling you. It's all there, the instinct, the art, if you just let it come out. Even the courage is there.† Suddenly, the old woman's voice was ringing. â€Å"You're the spark in the poem, Iliana. The hope of the witches. Now, what do you say? Are you going to help us beat the darkness or not?†