ExperienceBased Theory Critique Social Science Essay

ExperienceBased Theory Critique Social Science - Essay Example The occurrence of the above mentioned criminal mindset and how the same gets nurtured in an individual right from the its formative age could be explained through Gordon Allport's theory of "The formation of In Groups". The crime and its implications has to be made understood to each and every citizen of the nation right from the stage he or she starts getting the feel of the society and things that have been associated with it. The most important philosophy around which the whole act of crime and crime prevention hovers is that this crime is very much a manmade enigma and the perpetrators or the criminals are not born, they are developed in this society and later become a bane to the same society from where it has been developed. In other words it can be understood that crime is very much a human act and if we take out the civilization clause from the dictionary of human society and make it equivalent to the savagery, this crime is not exactly something which can be termed inhumane. It's something present in very nature of humans and they technically possess every characteristic of an animal. It is a threat that is comparable to anything that has been faced by the society in past but is actually a very intelligent form of threat that waits for the opportunity to transform its ability into an act of crime under the influence of desire. Hence this phenomenon of crime is basically an action which involves at least two human beings with one being the perpetrator and the other one is the victim. Crime prevention is another part of the solution that has to tackle the social complexity of crime. Though the legal procedures and enforcement agencies are very much present to redress the problem, they have miserably failed to provide something which will have some long term impact. They actually provide security either through prosecution or through prevention. Prosecution leads to arrest and a whole lot of legal procedures including the judgment and imprisonment. Prevention deals with stopping a criminal from committing something heinous. The option of committing a crime is to be closed. Hence the target issue is the creation the hindrance for a criminal through wide spread precautionary measures being implemented through every single home to any of the working place or public place present in the locality. The important point is to shield oneself from being a victim. The crime and its different techniques have to be made understood to each and every person. Right from the begin ning i.e., during childhood, one should be made aware of the prevention procedures and the importance of it has to be made a part of the complete thought process. But still after this much precaution the outcome of these procedures has been found to be very much limited and the crime rate is on its way to rise and rise. The most important thing is to act against the cause that make a criminal rather than reducing the opportunities for him to commit some crime. We have to realize that this criminal has been developed from this society only and the problem is in the social pattern and due to these patterns we have to face certain people who have got out of the normal way of social life and are acting against the group of which it is a very important part. So the

Year of Wonders Essay Example for Free

Year of Wonders Essay â€Å"I wished to know how things stood in the world†. For Anna, the year of the plague is about a journey from ignorance to knowledge. Discuss. In the extraordinary novel, Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks exposes the difficult yet admirable life of Anna Frith, trapped in a community caught in desperate times. As the plague strikes this small village, ignorance and a fear of the unknown become dominant sensations in Eyam in 1666-1667. Anna is completely unaware of the opportunities to grow and succeed that surround her as she struggles with uneducated parents throughout her childhood. London Tailor, George Viccars, opens Anna’s eyes to the world, inspiring her to learn more about herself and the way in which the world works after bringing the devastating illness known to Anna as, â€Å"God’s wrath made manifest† to the village. Anna works hard and dreams of finding a cure for the plague after the loss of her two sons. Anna turns to herblore and together with motherly-like figure Elinor, the pair study together after initially not being â€Å"interested† in such beliefs. Anna then goes even further, extending her knowledge in the health area after delivering a child by pure instinct. This is the first of many as from this Anna gains in confidence. She slowly begins to improve her understanding of father Josiah and step mother Aphra and why they came to be how they are, although still despises them for their oblivious actions. However it is at the novel’s conclusion, when Anna flees Eyam due to revealing circumstances that she finally recognizes her ignorance to the world she has been living in. She is able to see most clearly her abilities and skills that have been withheld from her due to an uneducated life. It is at this point when she realizes, â€Å"I was alive, and I was young, and I would go on until I found some reason for it†. A child’s upbringing can shape their experiences for the rest of their life; this was the case for Anna Frith. Anna never got to familiarize herself with a normal childhood, brought up by her father Josiah Bont whom she witnessed kill her biological mother at a young age. She was married off to Sam at the tender age of fifteen years old under the instruction of her father. Anna was ignorant to the world around her, as she didn’t know any better. A â€Å"timid† girl, Anna despised her father stating â€Å"he loved a pot more than his own children†. This situation worsened when Josiah married new wife Aphra, who looked down upon Anna. Anna has the clear view that, â€Å"to my stepmother Aphra, I was always a pair of hands before I was a person, someone to toil after her babies†. She taught Anna nothing but how not to care for you own children believing it was â€Å"ill fortune to love a child until it walks and is well grown†. Anna was easily confused at this and wondered how Aphra could think so. If it wasn’t for a natural motherly instinct in Anna, she may well have followed in Aphra’s footsteps unwittingly. Anna never knew she had the ability to stand up to her father and is very conservative about her opinions of him although she trusts her own decisions. The arrogance and plain ignorance of Josiah Bont led to Anna’s childhood being very uneducated and undesirable, resulting in Anna not being well prepared for the years of devastation to come. Anna discovers a wider world the minute deadly disease is brought into her life. It is London tailor George Viccars, bearer of the plague, who opens Anna’s eyes to world beyond Eyam. When Viccars arrives at Anna’s croft, â€Å"he brought the wide world with him†. Anna had not had a man of any real significance in her life since the death of Sam, until the arrival of George Viccars. He showed her that there was more to life than everyday chores in a small village. Captured by his talents, Anna begins to realize the opportunities to learn that surround her. Seeing the work of Viccars and hearing the stories of his life, Anna, â€Å"wished to know how things stood in the world†. Anna is devastated at the death of Viccars, and it is at this point in the novel where she learns of the plague as a fatal disease. Although the plague spells the end of a lifetime for many villagers in Eyam, including Anna’s two sons, it is the beginning of a new life for Anna. Her first instinct is to help in as many ways as she can, attending the dying bedside of all sufferers, caring for widowed wives and orphaned children. However she does not only wish to care for the ill, but dreams of finding a cure to stop the small pandemic. She approaches the ever intelligent Elinor, who inspires her to learn. Anna expresses, â€Å"when she had discovered that I hungered to learn, she commenced to shovel knowledge my way†. The plague intrigues Anna, as the reader observes her transformation from being completely illiterate to becoming deeply involved and gaining a slightly better understanding of the way the human body functions. Together Anna and Elinor research further into a mysterious practice known as herblore. Anys and Mem Gowdie are seen as the â€Å"witches† of Eyam, which ultimately leads them to their death. For Anna however, she believes the work of the Gowdie’s was innocent, and has a strong desire to keep the ractice of herblore alive. Anna openly shares that she never had a close relationship with Anys, yet before she was murdered, the pair bonded. It is when Anna learns of Anys’ relationship with George Viccars, which intrigues Anna to get to know Anys and learn of her beliefs and values. Anys teaches Anna that it is acceptable to be independent. Anys believes she was, â€Å"not made to be any man’s chattel† and following this Anna admires her for, â€Å"listening to her own heart rather than having her life ruled by others conventions†. The plague’s devastating effects require Anna to research herblore. Together with Elinor, the duo explore and grow in this area of expertise together. Anna is able to quickly grasp many herblore concepts and invent new herbal remedies in hope that each new one may be a good treatment for the plague. Anna goes on to deliver several children in the area. At first she delivers a baby with no experience only motherly instinct. Over time, she develops the skills necessary to repeat this many times. With the help of Elinor, Anna begins to learn and see the world as a bigger place, as well as have better understanding of it through education brought about by the plague. When it is revealed to her that Michael Mompellion had mistreated Elinor, Anna has the knowledge of the wider world to make the decision to flee Eyam. Although well educated, Michael Mompellion reveals a dark secret that tests Anna’s awareness and knowledge. When it is exposed to Anna that Michael had been denying Elinor sexual desires as punishment for her aborting a child when she was younger, Anna is shocked. She is forced to cope with the fact that the man who she had admired since being the Rector of the village, had betrayed her, â€Å"beautiful friend, full of affection, made for love†. Although this doesn’t sit well in Anna’s mind, it uncovers much confusion for her. She comes to the realization of why she had never seen Elinor and Michael touch and concretes in her mind that Michael is a man of very strong beliefs. Anna comes to an understanding of why Michael punished Elinor in this way, as he believed it was almost too difficult to, â€Å"atone for a life†. Anna loses her faith in Michael but does not lose hope in her life to come as she flees Eyam with adopted child Aisha, biological daughter of Mrs. Bradford. It is the beginning of the end at this stage of the novel for Anna as she leaves her hometown after dealing with the plague and much death, to create a new life full of joy and hope. It is in her new Muslamic country where she meets husband Ahmed Bey, whom she marries in order to be able to stay under his roof and learn medicine. Ahmed agrees to this as he needs female doctors to deliver children as husbands do not let him do it himself. Anna continues her studies and grows in her literacy skills. It becomes apparent that by this stage Anna has set herself up in the world with a good standard of knowledge and education. It is clear that by the end of the novel, Anna Frith underwent a journey from ignorance to knowledge. From living in the small village of Eyam with no direction given to her by her parents, Anna overcomes the plague and its terrible effects by being eager to learn. She develops intellectually during the novel, learning how to read and write from scratch, as well as researching remedies and delievering babies. By the conclusion of the novel, Anna is a well-educated young woman, aware of the opportunities and world around her.

Teaching Children with Autism Essay -- Teaching Education Disorders Sp

Teaching Children with Autism There has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism or other autism spectrum disorders. It is likely as an educator that you will have at least one child with this diagnosis in your classroom. This paper explores some of the methods used to teach autistic children. Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to high-functioning (some communication and inappropriate but existent social skills.) One of the most difficult things teachers will face when dealing with Autistic children is their lack of communication skills and inappropriate or nonexistent social skills. In addition to academic instruction children with Autism require instruction in communication techniques and social skills. Kamps et.al. says â€Å"A key to accommodating students with autism in public school settings is the provision of social and behavioral programming to develop meaningful participation with nondisabled persons† (p.174). There are many techniques that are useful in teaching children with autism communication and social skills. One method is the Responsive Classroom, an instructional approach that integrates the teaching of academic and social skills as an aspect of everyday classroom life (Sapona & Winterman, 2002, p. 30). According to Sapona and Winterman (2002) teachers implementing this model in their classroom include six comp... ...avioral Skills to Children with Autism. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 10 (1), 1-9. Dempsey, I. & Foreman, P. ( 2001). A Review of Educational Approaches for Individuals with Autism. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 48 (1), 105-116. Kamps, D. et.al. (2002). Peer Training to Facilitate Social Interaction for Elementary Students with Autism and Their Peers. Exceptional Children, 68 (2), 173-187. Marks, S. et. al. (2003). Instructional Management Tips for Teahers of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Teaching Exceptional Children, 35 (4), 50-55. Dunlap, G. & Fox, L. Teaching Students with Autism. ERIC Digest, E582. Winterman, K. & Sapona, R. (2002). Everyone’s Included: Supporting Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Responsive Classroom Learning Environment. Teaching Exceptional Children, 35 (1), 30-35.

The treatment plan

A client profile:   John Moran is a thirty-four year old man who lives with his fiancà ©e in the town centre of Galway. He is the bar manager of a local venue and is a singer in a rock band. He is a very busy man and seldom has time for himself. His job is very stressful as his boss puts him under a lot of pressure.He also finds dealing with drunken customers very stressful and often ends the night with a headache. He doesn’t get much sleep ( about six hours a night at the most) because he finds it hard to switch his brain off when he is trying to sleep and doesn’t have a day off. He is a non-smoker but feels that the smokey working atmosphere is having a toll on his lungs. On average he does at least one gig a week with his own band. They play all over the country so he spends a lot of time traveling at the weekend. Although he puts a lot of time into the band, organising bookings etc he finds this very enjoyable. He does find however those things can get on top of him and he gets a bit overwhelmed. Because of the amount of time he spends at work he gets little time to exercise. He was once very fit, he use to work on a building site, but would see himself as been very unfit now. He has put on a bit of weight over the last couple of years and is finding it hard to lose it as he loves his sweet stuff and eats a lot of microwave meals.The treatment plan: Because John Moran has no serious health problems, and I found no areas of tension or stiffness, I intend to make John’s sessions as relaxing as possible. I will put more emphasis on effleurage and petrissage movements and stray away from frictions and percussion. This will also help him with his sleeping problems. I will try to make the session as relaxing as possible to help him get some time away from his stresses. I will encourage him to try to eat more healthily and try to take some exercise. I will suggest that he cuts down on his caffeine intake and try to relax a bit more.SESSION ONEDetails of how the client felt du ring and after the treatment:   John Moran seemed to be a bit nervous at the beginning of the session so I asked him what his concerns where. He told me that he had never gone for a massage session before and wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. I explained that he would be covered with towels at all times apart from the area that I was working on.I explained that I would start on his legs, go to his abdomen, followed by his head shoulders and arms. I would then ask him to turn over and I would work on the back of his body. I told him that if at any time he was feeling uncomfortable, tender or in pain to let me know. He seemed a bit calmer and relaxed after this and so we proceeded with the session.Reflective practise:   Judging by the amount of stress that John is under form work I was expected to find areas of tension in his body. However over the entire message I found no area of significant stiffness or tension. All his muscles seemed quite relaxed.Details of home care advice given:   For homecare advice I suggested that he cut down on his caffeine intake as this may be a factor in his sleeping patterns. I also encouraged him to drink plenty of water as he drinks very little to none at the moment. I also suggested that he cut down on his sweet and biscuit intake and try to eat a more balanced diet.

Representation of Partition of India in Sunlight on a Broken Column, Ice-Candy Man, and 1947 Earth

Partition of India, which is almost overlooked in traditional historiography with India’s Independence and Birth of Pakistan, led to one of the largest and bloodiest migrations in the history of the world. Sunlight on a Broken Column, Ice-Candy Man and 1947 Earth are all set in the same time span and portray Partition in quite different ways. Different as in not only different from each other, but also different, more significantly, from the way it is portrayed in traditional historiography. Traditional historiography merely gives facts and figures without examining all its social, political, economical, cultural and psychological effects. Also, it is largely governed by national biases and hence, tends to sweeps under the carpet anything that projects a negative image of the nation or raises a finger at its pet ideologies. Hence, it not only fails to give a true picture but is also, incapable of examining â€Å"why? † or linking the past with the present as in bringing out the relevance of it as of now. The above three texts, to a lesser or greater extent do precisely that, as in question the traditional historiography. And, I think that’s where their merits lie. Sunlight on a Broken Column which focuses chiefly on how it was an era of changes and change whether it be for good or for bad cannot occur without pain examines the causes of partition most effectively. Not only was it the end of colonial rule, resulting into a power struggle between Hindus and Muslims (with Muslims having ruled over India for centuries before British and the Hindu dominated Congress gaining power after them) but, it also marked the end of feudalism which is very significant as in it brings to light the power struggle that occurred amongst Hindus and Muslims themselves. A society based on class (feudal lords) was being replaced to that governed by caste (Congress, Muslim league). That is, change or reversal of Power roles occurred not just at a political level between Hindus and Muslims or British and Indians (as in colonial India) but, also at a social level amongst the Hindus as well as amongst the Muslims themselves. To quote from the text: â€Å"For times had changed sadly since the integration of the Princely States, and Their Highnesses were left with itles, no states, reduced incomes and unchanged habits and tastes, To play polo, entertain, race, drink, flirt or fornicate with the proper air of aristocratic nonchalance needed co-operation between those who had the means and those who had the titles. † Also, psychologically, it brings out the conflict between modernity and tradition as in the Laila, â€Å"I felt I lived in two worlds; an observer in an outside world, and solitary in my own†¦. Because on one hand was the very strong urge to cling to all that was Indian as in not imported or forced on by the British while, on the other hand was the need and desire to break free from the old, rotten customs. Or in other words, an individual’s cultural identity was being questioned. Which, on summing up gives a very different cause of the riots and the massacre, as in it was â€Å"A resistance to change that changed everything†. That is, contrary to what we would like to believe, British might be one of the several reasons but, they are certainly not the only ones to blame. The causes were manifold and lay very much within India. Divide and rule policy of British was not the only reason. This fact is also brought out through Saleem’s character in the text. Saleem believed and blamed the divide and rule policy of British initially but, later his opinions changed he blamed the Congress leaders (very much Indian! ) instead and himself become a supporter of the Muslim League. Partition did not occur all of a sudden but, it was a gradual process that occurred at all levels, most importantly, inside the minds of people! Talking about the implications, it happens to be the only text among the all three which talks of breaking up of families (or partition within them) due to the geographical partition of India. It also brings out the economical implication as in loss of property due to evacuee property being allotted to refugees by having to not only move out of the old zenana but, also sell it and the bitterness caused in Aunt Siara because of it. Besides, by writing about the partition chiefly in the last section as a retrospect which has a very strong sense of nostalgia running through it she emphasizes the fact that the past won’t ever return but, won’t ever be forgotten as it’s effects are everlasting and especially for those who suffered in partition (loss of near and dear ones etc) tomorrows will always be yesterdays. But, on the negative side it is very much a Pro India, Pro Gandhi novel, a very very strongly biased text. For eg, it kind of patronizes the Muslims who stayed in India while, calling those who left â€Å"traitors†. Also, the novel manipulates the readers’ sympathies towards the characters very effectively which in turn are linked to the ideologies they stand for. For eg, in the arguments between Kemal and Saleem one tends to clearly sympathize with Kemal, same with Laila vs Zahra and also, Laila vs Nadeera (towards the end). And, most importantly, Asad who is portrayed as someone to be looked up to and respected stands for the Gandhian ideology. The novel ends with a kind of moral preaching by Asad, and Laila, a confused person who follows no particular ideology accepting him and embracing his ideology. Towards ‘the end’, there is the sense that the Gandhian Ideology wins. Perhaps coz she’s trying to imply that now it’s the only possible solution to the problem left. But, most importantly of all, the abduction of women is very marginally mentioned and ‘women’s recovery camp’ is only indirectly hinted to in an otherwise feminist text. Though, she does question patriarchal power system by the character of Sita. Unlike the Ramayana’s Sita, this Sita stays by her own personal choice with Ravana and questions Ram’s ideology by saying, â€Å"I think it is the sense of possession in a man that is hurt, not his sense of morality†. But, it’s quite indirect not an obvious link. On the whole, through Sunlight on a Broken Column, Attia Hosain presents a more or less complete picture of Partition and fills up a lot many gaps in traditional historiography and though indirectly, questions almost all of its basic assumptions. Ice-Candy Man chiefly focuses on the basic animal instincts in men which are brought out effectively by the character of the Ice-Candy Man itself. He doesn’t come across as a positive character yet, Lenny likes him! Even after he abducts ayah and ill treats her, Lenny sympathizes with him. She says she can see him as Godmother sees him treacherous, dangerous†¦. but, yet she considers him harmless! With the novel written in first person and the fact we see everything from Lenny’s perspective, this is significant. That is, we identify with Lenny who in turn identifies with ice-candy man (a royal bastard! ) whom we hate!!! A wonderful irony on human nature!! And, this perhaps can be seen as one possible reason for partition. Also, the novel is terribly biased against politicians. Sidhwa lashes out on politicians especially Indians though there is an indirect sarcasm at Pakistanis as well. And, Ice-Candy Man is a kind of politician or rather the bridge between the common man and cold, calculating, icy politicians. Its portrayal of the suffering of women and ‘abducted’ women’s recovery camp in its full complexities unlike the other texts, is quite meritious. Ayah is abducted and converted into a prostitute; the women in Ranoo’s village are tortured like hell so, much that they prefer death to it. Hamida, is recovered but, her family refuses to accept her. Lenny just can’t bring herself to terms with it: â€Å"Hamida was kidnapped by the Sikhs†, says Godmother seriously. On serious matters I can always trust her to level with me. â€Å"She was taken away to Amritsar. Once that happens, sometimes, the husband-or his family-won’t take her back. † â€Å"Why? It isn’t her fault she was kidnapped! † â€Å"Some folk feel that way-they can’t stand their women being touched by other men. † It’s monstrously unfair: but Godmother’s tone is accepting. I think of what Himat-Ali -alias- Hari once told me when I reached to lift a tiny sparrow that had tumbled from its nest on our veranda. â€Å"Let it be,† he’d stopped me. the mother will take care of it. If our hands touch it, the other sparrows will peck it to death. † â€Å"Even the mother? † I asked. â€Å"Even the mother! † he’d said. It doesn’t make sense – but if that’s how it is. It is. But, though it stresses on women’s suffering, it doesn’t quite question the patriarchal not ions of power and treatment of women as passive victims. No where does it question the use of women's identities and bodies as symbols of community honor and ‘tradition' that makes them targets of violence during sectarian conflicts. It elaborates equally well on the women’s recovery operation and even accepts that it can’t wipe out the past or truly ‘recover’ them, but doesn’t quite question the purpose of it all. This is probably, because the only female character that emerges very strong is Godmother’s but, the power and authority that she exercises is very patriarchal in nature. Lenny’s mother is portrayed as a very feminine character but, she cannot save Ayah from Ice-Candy Man. Though towards the end she says, Give me the (mystic) wine that burns all veils, The wine by which life’s secret is revealed. The wine whose essence is eternity. The wine which opens mysteries concealed. Lift up the curtain, give me power to talk. And make the sparrow struggle with the hawk. – Iqbal The sparrow or the women has to struggle with the hawk or the men in order to survive!! Apart from these, she highlights how religion had transformed (or probably still is) from being a faith or a belief to a weapon. â€Å"One man’s religion is another man’s poison. † Also, unlike the other two texts, this isn’t staged in one country only, though indirectly (through Ranoo) but, it does go to India. Also, there is an indirect mention of Bengal as in Gandhi’s fasting stops riots from reaching Bihar (though Sunlight on a Broken Column too deals with partition at the Bengal border and that too more directly). Besides, at a domestic level, it shows breaking up of families due to death of some members in riots, as in Ranoo’s family. Socially and culturally it well portrays division of people into Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and hence, the colours in the park are gone. As for biases, it is clearly a Pro Parsee, Pro Pakistani novel. Parsees emerge miraculously unaffected by everything on the contrary they are the ones who at times set things right. Lenny’s mother and aunt help their neighbors get petrol, Godmother manages to get Ayah released from the captive of Ice-Candy Man within a fortnight, which had it not been for her would have been consigned to the ingenious bureaucratic eternity of a toddler nation greenly fluttering its flag – with a white strip to represent its minorities. And, though Sidhwa makes a desperate attempt to sit over the fence it collapses in the dinner table scene n epigraph when she blames the British. And, it is very much governed by Political Biases. It is clearly pro Jinnah, and lashes out on Gandhi without quite justifying. On the whole, it brings out the power dynamics and links it well to the basic human tendencies. 1947 Earth focuses on the loss of innocence through the transformation of Dilnavaaz from a common man to a sadistic, cold blooded criminal. It too highlights the basic animal instincts in men. Dilnavaaz says, â€Å"Santabibi, yeh sirf Hindu aur Musalman ki baat nahi hai. Yeh to kuch hum sab he andar hai. Hindu, Musalman, Sikh hum sab haramzadey hain. Sab janwar. Chidyaghar ke us sher ki tarah jissey Lenny baby itna darti hain. Kaisey pada rehta hai is intazar main†¦. ke pinjra khuley aur jab pinjra khulta hai to Aalah he malik hai. † And, then he asks Shantabibi to marry him saying, â€Å"tumhara sath hoga to yeh janwar hai jo yahan merey andar woh kaboo mein rahega. † And when she doesn’t marry him, he abducts her which, brings out the fact women are made victims of men’s hatred and jealousy. Also, it is brings out the psychological implications of the partition very well. The sense of insecurity and fear runs through out the movie. For example, the car scene, the surrounding by the mob at the end etc. Besides, it shows Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsees all equally affected. And, even questions though indirectly as to what religion is when, Lenny’s father comments on the marriage and conversion of Papoo to Christian saying, â€Å"good move, anyways, Hindu Gods don’t count much for the happenings in Lahore this days. † Most importantly, unlike the other two texts, it links it very well with the present and brings out the relevance wonderfully. At the end, what happened to Ayah isn’t clearly stated, Deepa Mehta leave a question mark there but, says, mainey apni Ayah ko us din ke baad kabhi nahi dekha , 1947 ke us din ke bad jab mainey apni Ayah ke sath apney vajud, apney dil ka ek hissa hamesha ke liye kho diya tha† Dissmissing the question on her fate as whatever it was, was obviously tragic and hopeless and instead linking it to our identity and finally, questioning the audience w ith the song, â€Å"Ishwar, Allah†¦. † Because, more than 50 years have passed since partition, and yet the riots haven’t really stopped! Partition was more than anything birth of Hindu-Muslim hatred which will probably never die. As for demerits, it’s a pro India, pro Hindu novel. It’s silent politically, but, openly blames the British without really examining the causes. It is also silent on the women’s recovery operation. Besides, it doesn’t talk of the partition on the Bengal border. But, on the whole, Deepa Mehta has packed a lot in the 3-hour movie and brought the relevance of the partition literature well. Looking at all three texts, simultaneously, I personally, feel Sunlight on a Broken Column questions the traditional historiography at almost all levels unlike Ice-Candy Man and 1947 Earth. So, going by the criteria of questioning traditional historiography, it portrays the Partition of India best. Though even 1947 Earth and Ice-Candy Man do it but, to a lesser extent. 1947 Earth highlights the massacre and suffering and stresses more on the psychological impact and relevance as of date but, it doesn’t question that many or even that far the assumptions of traditional historiography. Ice-Candy Man on the other hand focuses on the ill-treatment of women very well, but, it doesn’t quite question the patriarchal power system and its assumptions.

Antibiotic Sensitivity In Microorganisms Biology Essay Essay Example

Antibiotic Sensitivity In Microorganisms Biology Essay Essay Example Antibiotic Sensitivity In Microorganisms Biology Essay Essay Antibiotic Sensitivity In Microorganisms Biology Essay Essay Antibiotics are compounds that putting to death or inhibit micro-organisms from turning. Antibiotics can be made from natural merchandises, such as bacteriums and Fungis, or man-made chemicals. Individual antibiotics are effectual against specific bacteriums by selectively aiming or modulating some important procedure in the microbic cells. Bacterias that produce antibiotics to modulate the growing of their neighbours need to develop opposition for self-defense. Antibiotics work by suppressing the needed synthesis and tracts, such as cell wall synthesis, production of proteins required for reproduction, written text, and interlingual rendition, and disrupting phospholipid bilayers to increase cell permeableness ( Walsh, 2003 ) . Their short coevals times may take to the development of mutants that would perchance give them resistance to different antibiotics. Once a cistron has been found to let a bacteria to go immune to an antibiotic, the bacteria will be selected for survival adva ntage. Antibiotic opposition can be obtained through geting an R ( opposition ) plasmid, an excess chromosomal Deoxyribonucleic acid that carries an antibiotic opposition cistron ( Woolfolk et al. , 2004 ) . Some bacteriums are even immune to multiple antibiotics. The impairment in societal conditions has besides shown to increase the spread of infective diseases ( Walsh, 2003 ) . As medical specialty progresss, antibiotic opposition additions because over clip bacteriums can germinate and develop opposition. Antibiotics have been overprescribed and used falsely, such as non following the dose instructions given by the physician. Antibiotics are besides unsuitably prescribed for virus infections, which would non hold any consequence. Continuous over-dosage of antibiotics can besides kill the normal vegetations that protects us from some pathogens and toxins. Even with all the antibiotics and vaccinums that have been discovered up until today, there will neer be adequate antibiotics. There will ever be an antibiotic opposition job. New antibiotics are needed to battle new strains of bacteriums that arise from antimicrobic opposition. The Kirby-Bauer method is one of the common techniques used in clinical research labs to prove susceptibleness of different strains of bacteriums to an array of antibiotics ( Woolfolk et al. , 2004 ) . This technique allows us to detect the minimal repressive concentration ( MIC ) of antimicrobic activity. The MIC is the smallest concentration of the antibiotic that will halt the growing of bacteriums. The process works by insulating a pure strain of bacteriums from a beginning and is uniformly dispersed onto Mueller-Hinton agar. Small filter paper phonograph record that contain different antibiotics are suspended onto the surface of the agar home base. The antibiotic will spread into the Mueller-Hinton agar home base and this will bring forth a glade around the phonograph record that will suppress bacterial growing if the bacteriums do non hold a opposition cistron for the antibiotic. Susceptibility can be determined by mensurating the diameter of the zone of growing suppression tha t is produced around the antibiotic paper phonograph record. The aim of the antimicrobic susceptibleness testing is to compare the antimicrobic capablenesss of Gram-negative bacteriums and Gram-positive bacteriums from Enterobacter spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, severally. The consequences from the Kirby-Bauer method are so compared to the standard consequences in the CLSI Document M100-S17 ( M2 ) : Disk Diffusion Supplemental Tables, Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing ( Woolfolk et al. , 2004 ) . Consequences Genus name: Gram positive isolate Gram negative isolate Staphylococcus aureus Enterobacter spp. Antibiotic Zone of suppression ( millimeter ) Recorded sensitiveness Expected sensitiveness Zone of suppression ( millimeter ) Recorded sensitiveness AMOXICILLIN/ Clavulanic Acid 38 Susceptible Susceptible 40 Susceptible Azithromycin 30 Susceptible Susceptible 31 Susceptible Cephalothin 40 Susceptible Susceptible 34 Susceptible Ciprofloxacin 40 Susceptible Susceptible 39 Susceptible Gentamicin 30 Susceptible Susceptible 24 Susceptible PENICILLIN G 27 Intermediate Susceptible 21 Immune Piperacillin 28 Susceptible Susceptible 24 Susceptible POLYMYXIN B 18 Susceptible Immune 9 Intermediate Rifampin 44 Susceptible Susceptible 35 Susceptible Sulfadiazine 0 Immune Susceptible 0 Immune Tetracycline 35 Susceptible Susceptible 30 Susceptible Vancomycin 22 Susceptible Susceptible 14 Immune The above chart includes the diameter ( zone of suppression ) that was measured for each ascertained round glade of each antibiotic for S. aureus and Enterobacter spp. From the zone of suppression, the sensitiveness of the bacterium was determined and compared to the expected sensitiveness. The S. aureus isolate is immune to sulfadiazine, intercede to penicillin G, and susceptible to all of the other antibiotics. The Enterobacter spp. isolate is immune to penicillin G, sulfadiazine, intermediate to polymyxin B, and susceptible to all of the other antibiotics. Discussion The interpretative criterions for the Kirby-Bauer technique was used to find whether the bacteriums are susceptible, intermediate, or resistant to the antibiotic ( Woolfolk et al. , 2004 ) . After 48 hours in incubation at 37 A ; deg ; C, each home base is examined. If the bacterium run was done decently, there should be a lawn of bacteriums growing. Improper streaking ( e.g. extremely diluted sample, light streaking ) will take to the presence of single settlements. If bacterial growing is inhibited by the MIC at the site of infection, the being is considered to be susceptible. The intermediate class means that bacterial growing is still observed within the expected perimeter of the expected handbill glade, but non every bit much as susceptible bacteriums. If bacterial growing is still observed in the presence of the antibiotic, the being is considered to be immune to the antibiotic. Not all of the isolates conform to the form of antibiotic opposition sensitiveness. The unexpected opposition of these bacteriums may be due to the fact that I was antecedently exposed to ampicillin and kanamycin in a research lab. The Enterobacter spp. isolate was out of the blue susceptible to azithromycin and rifampin. Azithromycin and Rifadin are non supposed to suppress the growing of Gram-negative bacteriums. In an agar dilution method carried out by Chayani et Al. ( 2009 ) , Enterobacter spp. isolates were found to hold a 0 % susceptibleness to azithromycin with an MIC A ; lt ; 8Â µg/mL and 100 % opposition to azithromycin with an MIC A ; gt ; 8Â µg/mL, and 33.33 % susceptibleness to azithromycin by the usage of the disc diffusion method. Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis by adhering to the 50S rRNA. The 50S fractional monetary unit is common in all procaryotes ; therefore it is possible that Zithromax can aim the 50S fractional mo netary unit in the Enterobacter spp. isolate. Rifampin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and is chiefly active against Gram-positive bacteriums and can hold minimum consequence on Gram-negative bacteriums. The antibiotic specifically acts on DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which blocks messenger RNA synthesis and interferes with nucleic acerb metamorphosis. In Kerry et Al. s survey ( 1975 ) , Rifadin was shown to hold an consequence against all strains of Enterobacter spp. Enterobacter spp. s opposition to penicillin G was expected, but its opposition towards sulfadiazine does non conform to the criterion of antibiotic opposition sensitiveness. Sulfadiazine is portion of the household of sulfonamide antibiotics. Bacterial opposition to one sulfa drug antibiotic can take to resistance to all antibiotics within the sulfonamide household ( Rosenkranz et al. , 1974 ) . Sulfadiazine has a broad spectrum that works on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteriums, which could explicate why Enterobacter spp. and S. aureus isolates were both immune to sulfadiazine. Sulfadiazine interferes with the production of folic acid, which is required for bacterial growing. Sulfadiazine inhibits p-aminobenzoic acid ( PABA ) , which interferes with the folic acerb metamorphosis rhythm because PABA is usually converted to folic acid by the bacteriums ( Rosenkranz et al. , 1974 ) . A possible ground to how both Enterobacter spp. and S. aureus became immune to sulfadiazine is because both isolates were taken after exposure to the Kantrex antibiotic. In a survey done by Rosenkranz et Al. ( 1974 ) , they noticed that isolates of Enterobacter cloa cae that were immune to sulfadiazine are besides immune to carbenicillin and kanamycin. The opposition to carbenicillin and kanamycin suggested the possibility that there is a presence of an R plasmid which would transport the determiners for carbenicillin and Kantrex opposition. Strains with an R plasmid displayed an enhanced opposition to sulfadiazine. R plasmids carry the opposition cistron that encodes proteins to undergo assorted mechanisms to short-circuit the antibiotic, such as demobilizing antibiotics via chemical alteration, barricading the antibiotic from acquiring into the cell and taking the antibiotic if it does acquire into the cell, making a replacement mark for the antibiotic, or have alternate tracts that are non sensitive to the antibiotic ( Woolfolk et al. , 2004 ) . The S. aureus isolate was out of the blue susceptible to polymyxin B and resistant to sulfadiazine. Polymyxin B inhibits the growing of Gram-negative bacteriums by interfering with the phospholipids, hence increasing cell permeableness. This antibiotic does non hold much consequence on Gram-positive bacteriums because the cell wall is excessively thick for the antibiotic to acquire entree to the membrane. It is possible that the concentration of the polymyxin B was much greater than the S. aureus isolate denseness, leting the antibiotic to be more effectual and efficient to killing Gram-positive bacteriums. Polymyxin B was found to hold small consequence on different strains of S. aureus, but however there was still some consequence against Gram-positive bacteriums ( Scott et al. , 1999 ) . Lipoteichoic acid ( LPA ) is a big constituent of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteriums. Polymyxin B contains a cationic construction that would interact with the LPA of Gram-positive bacteriu ms because the construction of LPA contains an overall negative charge. Some attacks, such as new trial methods, different micro-organisms, and fluctuation of civilization conditions, have been used to better the opportunities of happening new substances. Microbiologists are now analyzing conserved unfastened reading frames that are alone to procaryotes and non eucaryotes. Old marks, such as cell wall biogenesis, protein biogenesis, and DNA reproduction and fix, are being studied more exhaustively to develop new and more effectual antibiotics. There have besides been new marks, such as bacterial fatty acid, isoprenoid, isocitrate lyase, and lipid A in Gram-negative bacteriums, which are speculated to be susceptible to new antibiotics ( Walsh, 2003 ) . New antibiotics are being developed as we increase our cognition of bacterial mechanisms and physiology, but in order for antibiotics to stay effectual against bacterial infections antibiotics must be prescribed and taken in right dose and in relevant infections.

Design and make a product for my mums bedroom. Essays

Design and make a product for my mums bedroom. Essays Design and make a product for my mums bedroom. Essay Design and make a product for my mums bedroom. Essay The product must have the following features:; Blend in with the rest of the colours in the room; Last for 1-2 years; No more then à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10-20 each; Easy to fasten and unfasten; Made to a good marketable standard; Suitable for commercial production in batchesThe material I use has to be:; Strong and hard wearing; Easy to wash; Stain resistance; Reasonably priced; Light weightPOSSIBLE FABRICSEXISTING PRODUCTSSolitare curtains.7-5cm (3-in) heading tape.Machine washable.42% polyester, 58% cotton.From à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½16.99Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ pole ready-made roller blind.50% polyester, 50 %cotton.Spongable finish. Side winder action.Easily trimmed to size.Width 122cm. Drop 160cm.From à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15.99The Mia collection duvet cover.50% polyester, 50% cotton.Machine washable.From à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9.99Pair of beaded cushion casesCo-ordinates with heritage.1000% cotton velvet.Cool hand wash. Iron on reverse.Size 46 46cm (18 X 18ins)From à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14.99Pair of PVC leather look cushion cases.Co-ordi nates with metropolitan.Iron on reverse.Size 46 46cm (18 X 18ins)From à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9.99DEBENHAMSBeaded two tone cushion Embroidered velvet cushionJessica bolster cushionTwo tone throwSackville cushionMARKS ; SPENCERPalazzo patchwork square pillowcaseElephant parade cushionBeaded two tone cushionAmbridge rose ready-made curtainsLavender fragranced pillowSackville cushionPlain suede cushionsDuck feather ; down all seasonBamboo panel cushionsMock suede cushionsOttoman Hem cushions

Text Wrapping in Microsoft Word

Text Wrapping in Microsoft Word Text Wrapping in Microsoft Word From corporate logos in press releases to scientific diagrams in research papers, there are many reasons to include images in a Microsoft Word document. But how images fit with surrounding text is important when formatting a document, so you need to understand text wrapping. What Is Text Wrapping in Microsoft Word? Text wrapping refers to how images are positioned in relation to text in a document, allowing you to control how pictures and charts are presented. Your options for this in Microsoft Word are: In Line with Text This option places an image on the same line as surrounding text. The image will thus move as text is added or removed, whereas the other options here mean the image stays in one position while text shifts and ‘wraps’ around it. In-line text wrapping. Square This wraps text around an image on all sides at right angles, as if it had a rectangular box around it. This is the most common form of text wrapping. Square wrapping. Top and Bottom Text wraps above and below the image so it is on its own line. This is most useful for larger images that occupy most of the width of a page. Top and bottom wrapping. Tight This is similar to Square but without the rectangular box, so text wraps around the edges of the image itself. Useful for irregularly shaped images. Tight text wrapping. Through Similar to Tight, but text will also fill any white gaps within the image. Text wrapping through an image. Behind Places an image behind the text, allowing you to add a watermark or background image on a page (although MS Word has a separate watermark option, too, which is easier to use in many cases). An image behind text. In Front of Text Places the picture in front of the text. This can be used to place a circle around some text or to add an arrow to highlight part of a passage. An image in front of text. The best choice will depend on your needs, but Square and Tight work in most cases. As such, these should be your default options. How to Control Text Wrapping After adding an image to a document, you can adjust the text wrapping to make sure it fits with the surrounding text. To do this: Click the image you want to format Click Layout Options or go to Format Arrange on the ribbon Open the Wrap Text menu and select the setting required Text wrapping options. If you want to use the Tight or Through options effectively, you may also need to adjust the wrapping points for the image. To do this: Select the image you want to adjust Go to Format Arrange Open the Wrap Text menu and click Edit Wrap Points Drag the red lines to adjust the wrap points as required Editing wrap points. The instructions above are for Microsoft Word on Windows computers, but the process is similar in Word for Mac.

Business and Leisure Events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and Leisure Events - Essay Example All these activities come under the fold of business events. Before embarking upon the topic, it would be advisable to define business events. Business event simply refers to an event, arranged, administered or managed by the ownership, board of directors or executive of an organization, which contains the element of the corporate activity, and the purpose of such arrangement is the expansion and development of the organization. Such an event may be co-organized by the staff members and sponsor companies usually related to beverage and IT companies and news channels etc. The important business events have been briefly described as following: Training Sessions: Training sessions are an essential part of business events, and are carried out by all big and small companies, industries and business units. The main objective behind conducting training sessions is to make the employees, managers and workers obtain technical, theoretical and practical exposure regarding the tasks related to their corporate responsibilities while working at different departments of the organization. Training sessions increase workers’ efficiency, communication skills, IT expertise, customers’ satisfaction proficiency and employment adeptness. Educational Workshops: Like training sessions, educational workshops are also conducted by the corporations as business events. The main difference between the training sessions and educational workshops is this that in the training sessions, specific technical abilities related to the relevant department is concentrated upon by the trainers. On the contrary, in educational workshops, the employees learn some new course or skill essential for their professional liabilities. Staff Meetings: Staff meetings are frequently called by the directors, managers and owners in order to devise and revise strategies, make plans, articulate schemes and introduce projects as well as for

Leadership in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership in Film - Essay Example Coach Norman Dale became Gene Hackmans comeback role, and Dennis Hopper earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch. "Hoosiers is told from a nostalgic distance, and those allergic to corniness might best be advised to stay home," wrote a reviewer for The Washington Post. "But what do you expect in a movie about Indiana Corn is what they make there. And the movies enormous craftsmanship accumulates till you're actually seduced into believing all its Pepperidge Farm buncombe." Clearly, one man's corn can be another's inspiration. At sporting arenas around the country, it's not unusual for Jumbottons to play clips of Coach Dale firing up his Hickory Huskers with a pregame speech. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has been known to compare his management decisions to those of Hickory High's principal, Cletus. Last year, Ron Hunter, coach of the IUPUI Jaguars, made his team watch Hoosiers before taking on number-one seed Kentucky in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. But not everyone loves Hoosiers.

Witchcraft in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Witchcraft in America - Research Paper Example The nature of witchcraft in America demonstrates very insignificant relationship with those of other countries if any and is consigned to perform more or less the same needs as those of other areas. This paper then discusses the various forms of witchcraft in America after the realization that they were caste to play different roles by different peoples. The origins of the forms are also discussed to give in depth analysis of the witchcraft trajectory path. This paper provides useful information for understanding how various communities in the world believe in the power of the unseen forces for values. Introduction In old days and the contemporary society, witchcrafts are not a new term. Witchcraft started long time and the writings about witchcrafts can be traced during Paleolithic period and in the bible and other religious writings like Koran. The fact the there are writings about witch crafty in the basic religious teachings and that they are highly condemned, it makes even the m ost doubtful believers about the power of witchcrafts to think about their position for the second time. Taking about witchcrafts bring into focus the issue of the sorcerers. To distinguish the two has been a problem to many people, and in very many circumstances, the two are interchangeably used. It is though not accurate to consider the two as the same thing. Witchcraft can be said to be an involuntary innate personality in a person that is associated with unique physical happenings. It should be noted the witchcrafts do not need spells, tools and any sort of ceremony to perform his /her business but use pure psychic (Mirecki, and Marvin, 133). On the other side, sorcerers can be defined as the use of spells, ceremonies, and accessories that are performed by a proficient person who understand the process of using them. One needs not to have the innate ability to perform sorcery though it is a physical process that can be witnessed. From the two definitions, the distinction between sorcery and witch crafty can be drawn; it is though important to note that the two uses spirits to achieve their aims. The extent of witch crafty has been found to take place all over the world from Africa to Asia and to America. Christians believe in the power of the witchcraft and that explains why in the early times, the Catholic Church is in record to have engaged in the killing of those who are suspected to be practicing witch crafty in the society (Mirecki, and Marvin, 98). The same applies to other religions such as the Islamic who in their Koran writings also recognizes and condemn the power of witchcrafts. A strong debate has always erupted as to whether the power of witchcrafts can harm or not, this is because from most witchcrafts, the assertion is that they do not harm while the conventional belief about it is that it is purely used to harm. The concrete response to this can be left to the individual experience or knowledge about witchcrafts. The persecution of the witc hcraft during the middle age period resulted into the witchcrafts taking low profile and issues related to witchcraft were done under ground. This explains why there are no writings and books to aid in referencing the account of witchcraft during the ancient times. Even though there are no records of witchcraft, there were found painting and sketchy writing by the archeologist, this painting and writings are believed to have been occasioned by the then witchcrafts. As a matter of public knowledge, witchcrafts have been billed to be possessing supernatural powers and that they can perform rituals that go against the laws of

Answer the questions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer the questions - Case Study Example The temporal cortex is also much larger than predicted for an ape of our size, which might affect our language ability as this part of the brain contains Broca’s area, implicated in language use. d) From viewing chimps in the wild (The New Chimpanzees), can they be said to have a language? Include Uhlenbroek’s description of pant hoots, the chimp patrol of their territory, their displays in dominance of behaviour, and grooming and begging behaviour. These elements do seem to represent a kind of communication between chimps, so yes, it could be seen as a language by some, although not perhaps as advanced as human language. The differences in behaviours between different groups have been described as ‘cultural differences’. Koko had extensive exposure to sign language and did seem to pick up some elements of language, although the grammar was not perfect. Many of the utterances could just be imitation or nonsense. Michael learned much less than Koko because he was only alive for a short while, but perhaps the transmission of the signs could be seen as language transmission. Ndume does not currently use sign language. Although the video describes Koko has having a lot of knowledge and the gorilla does seem to know a lot of signs, it is not completely clear whether this is imitation or language and therefore is extremely difficult to describe. It does not seem to be a very strong case, although Koko does show extensive evidence of learning. Merely learning a lot of different signs or letters does not create language, although it is interesting that some of these signs were transmitted to another gorilla. However, it is also possible that sign language may not be the right medium for language and gorillas may have their own complex language structure in a form that humans cannot understand. Some people think that language is necessary for a culture, but there are many different aspects of culture (such as

1. What advantages or disadvantages will bring globalization to any Essay

1. What advantages or disadvantages will bring globalization to any small business To any large business To you as a citizen - Essay Example Globalisation in the 21st century is believed to have the ability to transform the political, economic and social environment of all member countries in the coming years. Thus, the paper tries to bring out the activities, both advantageous and disadvantageous, that result in general globalisation i.e. globalisation to both small and large businesses as well as citizens. This is the act of bringing together different people with different political, social and economic backgrounds and forming of one global community (Ghoshal and Bartlett, 2000). Behind the success of the process lies the economics of international trade, free market frameworks and investment. As earlier mentioned, globalisation encompasses integrating people from different settings, thus it bridges the gap between developing and developed nations as well as creates new cultural exchanges, business models, considerations and experiences within the participating nations (Ghoshal and Bartlett, 2000). The globalisation process began during World War II when Britain and USA leaders helped to establish the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) so as to encourage a capitalist world that is liberal and eliminate the Socialism and Marxism world (Nayyar 2000). Nayyar further affirms that the borrower of the loan from these organisations automatically qualified to follow the preset conditions i.e. reduce import barriers, eliminate financial backing for local-based industries, devalue their currency, put emphasis on export production as opposed to production for local consumption and reduce wages and expenditure on social wellbeing. These conditions resulted in a number of open economies developing a mechanism for integrating with other economies which led to the formation of the World Trade Organisation. Small businesses, small and medium enterprises or simply SME’s as referred to in the European Union (EU) and by other

Answer the questions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer the questions - Case Study Example The temporal cortex is also much larger than predicted for an ape of our size, which might affect our language ability as this part of the brain contains Broca’s area, implicated in language use. d) From viewing chimps in the wild (The New Chimpanzees), can they be said to have a language? Include Uhlenbroek’s description of pant hoots, the chimp patrol of their territory, their displays in dominance of behaviour, and grooming and begging behaviour. These elements do seem to represent a kind of communication between chimps, so yes, it could be seen as a language by some, although not perhaps as advanced as human language. The differences in behaviours between different groups have been described as ‘cultural differences’. Koko had extensive exposure to sign language and did seem to pick up some elements of language, although the grammar was not perfect. Many of the utterances could just be imitation or nonsense. Michael learned much less than Koko because he was only alive for a short while, but perhaps the transmission of the signs could be seen as language transmission. Ndume does not currently use sign language. Although the video describes Koko has having a lot of knowledge and the gorilla does seem to know a lot of signs, it is not completely clear whether this is imitation or language and therefore is extremely difficult to describe. It does not seem to be a very strong case, although Koko does show extensive evidence of learning. Merely learning a lot of different signs or letters does not create language, although it is interesting that some of these signs were transmitted to another gorilla. However, it is also possible that sign language may not be the right medium for language and gorillas may have their own complex language structure in a form that humans cannot understand. Some people think that language is necessary for a culture, but there are many different aspects of culture (such as

How far Has the Modern Conservative Party Departed from the Coursework

How far Has the Modern Conservative Party Departed from the Thatcherite Agenda - Coursework Example The departure of Cameron’s â€Å"Big Society† from Thatcher’s â€Å"New Right† is more on the semantics but many of the principles of its predecessor remain the same. First, Thatcher’s â€Å"there is no such thing as society† did not mean the dissolution of social ties that composed society. She herself clarified that the original intent of the statement was distorted beyond recognition. What she meant by â€Å"there is no such thing as society† is to diminish dependency on welfare and to encourage individual members of society to help themselves. In effect, it lessens the burden on public expenditures which contributed to the inflation that beset UK’s economy. Thatcher may have just put it in the wrong way but the intent and purpose of her statement was to strengthen industry by enabling society’s individual members. In effect, Cameron’s â€Å"Big Society† is just the same with Thatcherism when it intends c ut back public expenditures (though explaining that he is just returning it to 2007 level). It only differs in a way that it encouraged public engagement and volunteerism and by putting up a Big Society fund of ?200M to enhance societal capability (Channel4.com 2011). With regard to the economy, Cameron also adopts the free market system which is precisely what Thatcher asserted despite public criticism during her time. Cameron’s economic policy pronouncements also do not subscribe to Keynesian inflationary measure of pump priming the economy through increased public expenditure. It is only his method that differs from Thatcher because he intends to cut public expenditure which Thatcher was opulent during her term. II. The Conservative party and its ideology The Conservative Party used to be known as Tories that dated back in 1678. It only assumed its present name Conservative Unionist Party in 1912 after it allied with the Liberal Party. Its dominant ideology in the early 20 th century was One Nation Conservatism, which was to unite the varying sectors of society (Heywood 2007). Among the esteemed ideologues of the Party was Edmund Burke. Burke was a follower of Adam Smith and his market economy whom Thatcher herself acknowledged to have influenced her liberal economic policy. During the late 19th century, the Conservative Party agreed for a greater representation of the middle class in the parliament. This was contained in the Tamworth Manifesto which was the fundamental political belief of the new Conservative Party. Business also supported the Conservative Party with its coalition with the Liberal Party which made the Party of industry and commerce (Ingle 2008). III. The Thatcherite Agenda: The New Right (1979-1990) Before Margaret Thatcher assumed as the Prime Minister of UK in 1979, UK had been experiencing high unemployment rate under a series of trade union strikes which the media dubbed the â€Å"Winter of Discontent† because the Labour l ed government implemented a freeze on the pay increase of the workers to control the lingering inflation of 20% (Hall and Jacques 1983). Upon assumption of office, Margaret Thatcher implemented her policy programs which are popularly known as â€Å"The New Right†. The Thatcherite Agenda was characterised by neo-liberal policy of a market oriented economy and neoconservative policy which emphasises the traditional Tory values of One Nation Conser

Health and Diet Essay Example for Free

Health and Diet Essay Pienso que llevo una vida sana, ya que mi dieta es sana y balanceada. Tambien hago deportes regularmente y no tengo problemas de salud. Tambien evito la comida grasosa. Me considero estar en buena forma, ya que practico deportes y siempre estoy activo y en forma. Ademas me encanta la education fisica en el colegio. Un habito que tengo es que, me muerdo las unas a veces me muerdo las unas pero solo cuando estoy nervioso. Normalmente, como bien y me gusta la comida casera que es sana, me gusta comer ensalada y pasta en el fin de semana y de vez en cuando bebo agua o leche pero generalmente bebo naranjada y tambien tomo sopa y me encanta el pescado especialmente para la cena o la comida. En mi opinion las comidas saludables son los alimentos frescos y nutritivos, como las legumbres que contienen vitaminas. No obstante la comida procesada no es saludable ya que es rica en grasa y sal que sube la presion arterial. Asi que comer bien es muy importante pra estar en forma y para mantenernos sanos. Me gusta hacer ejercicio. Juego al futbol regularmente y tambien hago pesas dos veces a la semana, ademas duermo bien y descanso lo suficiente y no veo mucho la tele. Recientemente jugue un partido de baloncesto y corri mucho ya que era un campeonato y por suerte ganamos. Creo que por esto no tengo muchos problemas para estresarme. En las proximas semanas me gustaria dejar de comer comida rapida espeicialmente las patatas fritas y empezare a comer frutas que son mas deliosas ademas, me gustaria ir al gimnasio mas a menudo y deberia de levantarme mas temperano. Para no llegar tarde al colegio. Quiero estar mas en forma ya que asi podria tener mas energia para usar usarla en mi colegio. Si mi colegio me ayuda a estar sano y en forma porque me ensena a comer bien y puedo practicar deportes como el futbol o el rugby. Tambien hay muchos profesores que me dicen que hacer cuando estoy enfermo. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Spanish section.

A Historical Sketch Of ELT In India English Language Essay

A Historical Sketch Of ELT In India English Language Essay Introduction This study aims at studying the language needs of under graduates students, revealing the discrepancies of different participants with respect to actual English language skills and target language skills and then suggest corrections in curriculum, wherever required. The study is conducted at Sant Gadge Baba University; Amravati, on students studying in under-graduate courses.This chapter presents information on the background and purpose of the study. Next, research questions are presented. Finally, definitions of some basic terms used in this study are presented. Background to the Study Global English World English is broadly categorised into three varieties: English as a Native Language (ENL), English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Accordingly, there are three geographical divisions of English speaking nations viz., ENL territories, ESL territories and EFL territories (Braj B. Kachru in Koul N. Omkar (eds.) 1992: 2 -3, cited in Hasan Kamrul Md,2004).1 ENL territories In countries like the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, English is the first or often the only language of communication among the people. In ENL territories people use the mother tongue variety of English. ESL territories- In ESL situations English plays a vital role and is used to perform a variety of official, educational, and other roles. For ESL speakers, although English is not their native language but it is an important language in their professional and social lives. Like India, English is used as a second language in almost all the former British colonies (Singapore, Nigeria, South Africa etc.) Often the persons second language becomes the first functional language in adulthood in such cases. In ESL countries English is generally given importance in the educational framework of the nation and taught in schools and colleges. EFL territories In some countries English neither enjoys the status of native language nor second language. It is treated as foreign language and its use is restricted to occupational and educational purposes. In countries like China and Japan, English is taught and learnt mainly for reasons of trade and business and it does not play any role in social interactions. A historical sketch of ELT in India: Pre-colonial period Vasco da Gamas discovery of the sea route to India also paved way for the introduction of English in the sub-continent in 1498.However, it was only in the 18th century, when the Mughal Empire was on the decline and the English East India Company had secured a foothold in India that Indias tryst with the English language began. During this period, English was the language of communication of the elite people and was not the lingua franca of the people. Colonial period With the consolidation of the activities of the East India Company in eighteenth century, began the efforts of teaching English in the South Asian subcontinent. As far back as 1759, Christian missionaries entered India and the 1787 despatch welcomed the efforts of Rev. Swartz to establish schools for the teaching of English. Another significant effort was the publication of the first book, The Tutor, to teach English to the non-Europeans by author John Miller in 1797. This book was published in Serampore in Bengal. Thus the socio- historical stage for the role of English in education was set by the end of the 18th century. T.B. Macaulay, in the Minutes of 1835, for the first time, formally introduced the teaching of English in the South Asian subcontinent. In his Minutes he mentioned the importance and usefulness of the education that would be given to the natives through the medium of English. There were primarily two objectives of such education. The first was to create through this education a class of natives who, despite their blood and colour, would be English in culture and be able to interpret between the rulers and the subjects:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern a class of persons, Indians in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinion, in morals and in intellect (quoted in Macaulay 1835, quoted in Thirumalai, 2003)2. The second was to create a demand for the European institutions. Although both the objectives were designed to serve the interest of the Masters, not of the subjects, but it provided the framework of formal English ed ucation to India which to a large extent is followed even today.. Thus by the middle of the nineteenth century the aims and objectives of teaching English were very clearly laid out For the remaining period of colonial rule there were a few landmarks in the development of English such as: The establishment of universities in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai in 1857 and in Dhaka in 1920 Selective education and training in administration, imparted through English, the Indian University Act (1904) The Resolution on Educational Policy (1913). For the entire period of British rule four broad developments with regard to English education took place: 1600 -1800: During the early years the variety of English used was imitative and formal. It was the language of the rulers and the elite class. 1850 -1947: During the later years more varieties (from very high to very low) appeared. Indian intellectuals and freedom fighters effectively used English as tool to for political awakening and resurgence. Interaction with vernacular languages: As the use of English penetrated the different sections of the educated Indians, a new variety of English emerged. This variety of English had a very distinct Indian flavour and a number of words of vernacular origin were absorbed in English, e.g., Brahmin. Coolie, jungle, and so on. Methodology: Language studies were based on literature and grammar and the means of studies was the grammar-translation method. The spoken component of the language was not practised. The emphasis was given on correctness and complete sentence construction. English also played a critical role in Indias struggle for independence as it became the language of political awakening and resurgence. Even Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), although a strong advocator of use of national language, used English language effectively to put forth his message to the British Government . Post colonial period Post independence, the perception of English as having an alien power base changed. Kachru notes that English now has national and international functions that are both distinct and complementary. English has thus acquired a new power base and a new elitism (Kachru 1986, p. 12 as cited in Baldridge, 2002).3 For most part of the twentieth century, it remained a language used by a select few. English primarily remained the language of law and administration. The Present State Twentieth century witnessed great advancements in science and technology and this enabled many new ways of sharing information and doing business. Indias international commercial activities led to the need for acquiring proficiency in English as an international language. Now, English was not just the language of the administrators and policy makers but also became the language of the business and professional class. In India, the English speaking population is only about 3-4%, but with Indias massive population, India is among the top three countries in the world with the highest number of English speakers. In terms of numbers of English speakers, the Indian subcontinent ranks third in the world, after the USA and UK. Most English speakers in India are second language speakers, in 1971, it was estimated that the rate of bilingualism in India was 13% and 99% of English speakers are second-language speakers (Mahapatra 1990: 7 cited in Hohenthal , 2003).4 Spolsky points out that English is the most widely spoken second language, followed by Hindi. English is more useful as a lingua franca; the usefulness of Hindi as a lingua franca is regionally limited (Spolsky 1978: 42 cited in Hohenthal , 2003)5. The small segment of the English speaking population controls domains that have professional prestige (Kachru 1986a: 8 cited in Hohenthal , 2003)). It is this small segment of Indian population that hea ds Indias economic, industrial, professional, political, and social progress. Most interactions in the above spheres of life take place in English. In the linguistically plural settings of India, English often acts as the link -language among people of different dialect. For many educated Indians English is virtually the first language. Thus in the present context English is playing a vital role in bringing together people from different regional languages for a closer exchange of social, educational and administrative network of India . It provides a linguistic tool for the administrative cohesiveness of a country (Kachru 1986a: 8). English is used in both public and personal domains and its functions extend far beyond those normally associated with an outside language, including the instrumental, the regulative, the interpersonal and the innovative, self-expressive function (Hohenthal citing Kachru 1986a: 37, 2003))6. As pointed out before, the role of English is not replacive: it overlaps with local languages in certain domains (Kandiah citing Sridhar, 1985;Shridhar and Shridhar, 1986; 1991: 273)7. English language in Indian Education System English is taught as a second language at every stage of education in all states of India and has been accepted as the main medium of instruction in higher education. English is also the state language of two states in eastern India, Meghalaya and Nagaland. In India, English has become an integral part of the curriculum almost at all levels of education. However there are various social, political and cultural factors that affect the position of English in different boards, universities and other institutions. Even the curriculum offered and evaluation tools employed are very diverse across the country. The model of English offered to the learners lacks uniformity and it is this question that continues to challenge the policy makers and education planners. While most States accord English the position of second language, some others treat is as the third language; the regional language and the national language getting precedence. as in other linguistically and culturally pluralistic societies, the position of English is determined by various political, cultural and social considerations. Kachru (1986b:20 cited in Hohenthal , 2003)8 sees primarily three questions which continue to be discussed. The first question concerns the position of English in early and in higher education. The second question is concerned with the roles of the regional language, Hindi and English. The third question deals with the model of English presented to Indian learners, and how that presentation can be made uniformly and effectively. The Government of India has primarily been concerned with the first two questions, which are directly related to language planning at both the national and state levels. There are, as yet, no acceptable answers to any of these questions (Kachru 1986b:20 cited in Hohenthal , 2003).9 1.2 Language Teaching Context at Amravati University Established on 1st May, 1983, this University geographically covers the western Vidarbha belt (i.e., five districts Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Buldhana and Washim) of Maharashtra State. The University, in its small span of two and a half decades, has contributed in many ways for economic, social and cultural upliftment of the society by offering quality education. The Motto of this University is Education for Salvation of Soul The University is recognised under Section 12(B) of UGC   Act. The University is also an associate member of Association of Commonwealth Universities, London (U.K.) The University has 10 faculties which includes Arts, Commerce, Sciences, Medicine, Ayurved, Education, Social Science, Law, Home Science, Engineering Technology. The University has facilities to offer post-graduate advanced education in Computer, Biotechnology, Business Management, Law degree courses in Chemical-Technology. SGB,Amravati University University has been one of the foundation universities undergoing expansion and developments in the recent years. Although the University does not have an English Department to date, English courses are offered both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in colleges affiliated to the University. Evaluation tools used in order to assess the students performance are generally written exams stated to cover the course objectives moderately rather than fully. That is because listening and speaking skills are not evaluated although practiced during the classes. The exam is generally conducted once, at the end of the academic session. The nature of the written examination paper is largely theoretical. Thus, the results of this study will be an aid to the Curriculum Development Unit of English Board of Studiesof Amravati University (SGBAU)in deciding on the needs of the students and improving the already existing program to better meet the needs of those students. 1.3 Purpose of the Study? English has penetrated all functions and all sections of society. It is a universally accepted tool for communication. It is no longer restricted to the English or Americans as a means for communication. Even within India, with its diversity of languages, English has emerged as the accepted language of communication cross culturally. It has even overtaken Hindi, which is officially the national language, as far communication among people of different native languages is concerned. Although, from time to time, various political lobbies have raised the issue of prohibiting the use of English language, however, they have so far been unsuccessful. This is primarily the result of the accommodating quality of English . Moreover, most of the world communicates in English and if India has to be a part of the Global scenario, English language can be a major bridge. Looking at English language courses in sub metroplises, the fact that glaringly stands out is that little has been done to understand the special learning needs of students here and even lesser attention has been paid to prepare them to function effectively in their workplaces and academic environment. Students hailing from townships and rural areas suffer from geographic as well as cultural disadvantages. Their distance from the metros does not bring the exposure and environment which is naturally a part of the cosmopolitan work culture. Culturally as well, most students belong to families where native language is the means of communication and even in academic institutions the medium of instruction is primarily the local dialect. The prime purpose of this study was to understand the special needs of students who belong to non-metropolitan areas and then attempt to suggest how they can be optimally trained to perform academic and professional functions efficiently. Each of the skills which may be required, reading, writing, listening and speaking may be of different value in terms of their use in a specific field. This study has been able to assess the students only in reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. Due to a large and scattered sample, the researcher was constrained not to test the listening and speaking skills of the respondents. This study aims at collecting data about the ESP needs of undergraduate students in 2008-2009 Academic Year. By comparing the results of students in each skill and the desired competence level of the items, this study, also aims at examining whether or not there is a need for improvement in those skills. Rodgers (1969 as cited in Hutchinson and Waters,1987) in Nese Ekici,2003 expresses that developments in educational psychology has contributed to the rise of ESP by emphasising the central importance of the learners and their attitudes to learning. Learners have different needs and interests, which has an important influence on their motivation to learn and therefore on the effectiveness of their learning. To get an idea about students English language skills and to see whether there was any discrepancy between their actual language skills and desired skills constituted an important dimension of the study. The foci of this study were both the target needs and learning needs for the English curriculum which is implemented during the undergraduate program. This needs assessment study will be useful in improving the already existing curriculum or designing a new needs-based curriculum and choosing more appropriate curricular elements for the undergraduate students at Amravati University Necessity for syllabus development A planned approach to the teaching-learning process can go a long way it making a course effective and relevant. However, as it is seen as something very complicated , many a times the content of the text books available for the course take the place of the syllabus. There are very strong grounds to support the need for a systematic syllabus development process, the most important of them are: First, right from the onset of the course the teacher understands the ultimate objective of the course as a result of the planned process. This gives an opportunity to the teacher to interrelate and integrate all the elements. This in turn ensures better chances for the syllabus meeting its learning objectives. Secondly, a planned approach enables better selection of teaching materials and aids. The class delivery is better planned and oriented towards the end result. Finally, this syllabus development process leads to improvement of language education. The teacher plans, structures, selects, organises the teaching content in accordance with the learning objectives. Both the learner and the teacher are well aware of the outcome desired and both work in coordination to achieve the common goal. The syllabus theory has not found wide application in ELT practice yet and has often been ignored by applied linguists. However, the application of this theory could be very beneficial for the whole ELT process improvement. This research is an attempt to bring in the application of syllabus development process for SGBAUs language courses.

Antigone as a Tragic Hero Essay -- essays research papers

Antigone as a tragic hero The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone is unanswered. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a tough one. Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic hero of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies for doing what she believes is right. She buries her brother without worrying what might happen to her. Unlike Antigone, Ismene says â€Å"And break the law, our death will be more shameful even then theirs† (pg.5 line 60). In Sophocle's Antigone, the characters show a variety of traits. However, Antigone's life of aspiration, family of noble rank, and display of good mentality portray her as the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero has haughty, opulence, and perfunctory. A tragic hero must include thre...

A necessary Evil

I am completely against the proliferation of supermax prisons. Despite the fact that these people who are put in there are put with a reason I still think that this is not a final solution but instead it is a beginning of a bigger problem. The fact that these prisoners will one day be set free and come to join us is actually threatening after looking at the effects these super max prisons have on the victims.I will want to discuss the effects of these as analyzed in `A Necessary Evil? ` By Vince BeiserThese super max prisons are turning prisoners into mental cases; the set up of these prisons is very different in terms of isolation and activities. Unlike other prisons including Maximum security prisons where inmates can play basketball, work in the laundry room or in the dining room, the super max prison one can hardly take in to any activity, there aren’t any jobs, nothing educational.You are left alone and there is no human contact! One is locked in a room of 8 – by à ¢â‚¬â€œ 10 foot almost the whole time. One can not even see other prisoners or the prison guards. It is truly a cage of isolation. These places are meant for those prisoners who commit crimes while in prison and therefore can be as ‘prison in prison’When one is left in such isolation for a long period, a lot of things are likely to happen affecting especially the psychology of the victim. ‘Psychiatrists, activists and some correctional officials say the intense isolation of supermaxes is producing prisoners who are uncontrollably furious and sometimes violently deranged. Most of those Prisoners will one day be set free.In the past three years, in fact, Nearly 1,000 California SHU inmates at the end of their sentences were moved to less-restrictive prisons for just a few weeks, and then released’. As seen from Dr. Stuart study of effects of solitary confinement for a period longer than two decades, the examination was on more than one hundred super max priso ns and his conclusion was: super max can literally drive inmates crazy. The fact that there are many cases of people who never suffered psychiatric illnesses but once they went through super max prisons they developed such illness. This is enough good prove that these institutions are doing more harm than good. People going through these institutions are expected to come out worse than they were in the beginning. Dr Terry Kupers, a psychiatrist based in Oakland who has many years of experience in prison work had this to say â€Å"I've almost never seen self-mutilation among adult males anywhere else, but it's very common in SHUs.† At the landmark Madrid v. Gomez federal trial in 1995 over conditions at Pelican Bay, even the prison’s senior staff psychologist acknowledged seeing psychiatric deterioration among some SHU prisoners.There are problems faced and experienced by the prison in the super max prisons such as hypersensitivity to external stimuli, paranoia and sometimes hallucinations. Prisoners some time develop panic attacks, hostile fantasies involving revenge, torture, mutulatuion and outbursts. This at times gets to higher extents and the prisoner can even gorge out their eyes, they can bite chucks of their own flesh†¦ The speech of one prisoner featured is â€Å"Matthew Lowe’ he confesses that in his years at the super max prison he only had a chance to speak to five or six people in the whole period of three years. He says that he just sat there and thought of doing something crazy all the time.He has known that since then he has become paranoid and jumpy; ‘†So many times I've come so close to snapping since I got out,† he says. â€Å"One time in a store, someone cut in front of me in line—a 50-year-old guy, I don't think he even realized it. I had to catch myself, because my first thought was just to smash him.†An interview conducted to the other prisoners of the regular prisons support the fact that those in the supermax prisons are getting damaged psychologically was by Dr. Grassian. Almost all the inmates interviewed including one correctional officer admiited that other prisoners suffer serious mental deterioration in the SHU; they could be heard screa ming, banging on doors cutting themselves.

Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo about twenty locks before he could open the door, and even then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place. â€Å"Yes?† he asked suspiciously. I put on my business face. â€Å"I'm Odile. Lara set up our appointment?† He studied me. â€Å"You're younger than I thought you'd be.† A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he ushered me inside. I glanced around as I entered, taking in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers – and a definite lack of light. â€Å"Kind of dark in here.† â€Å"Can't open the blinds,† he explained. â€Å"You never know who'll be watching.† â€Å"Oh. Well. What about the lights?† He shook his head. â€Å"You'd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. It's what's making cancer run rampant in our society.† â€Å"Oh.† We sat at his kitchen table, and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time concealing my skepticism. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of, but I was starting to pick up on Lara's â€Å"schizo† vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply have been a figment of his imagination. â€Å"This is her.† He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. â€Å"Taken just before the abduction.† â€Å"She's cute. And young. Does she†¦did she†¦live with you?† He nodded. â€Å"Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. â€Å"Our dad was always off on some business trip, and our mom kept sleeping around on him. So it's always just sort of been Jasmine and me.† â€Å"And what makes you think she was taken by gen – fairies?† â€Å"The timing,† he explained. â€Å"It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. That's one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.† He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to roll my eyes as he rambled. I didn't really need a layman explaining remedial information to me. â€Å"Yeah, I know all that. But a lot of scary people – humans – roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I don't suppose you reported it to the police?† â€Å"I did. They weren't able to turn up anything, not that I really needed them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she disappeared. That was what made me know fairies did it.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"This one park. She was at a party with some kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they saw her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this clearing, and then they just stopped. And you know what was there?† He gave me a dramatic look, evidently ready to impress me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. â€Å"A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.† â€Å"It happens. Flowers do that.† He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. â€Å"You don't believe me!† I worked hard to keep my face as blank as a new canvas. You could have painted a picture on it. â€Å"It's not that I don't believe what you're describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could have been abducted by any number of things – or people.† â€Å"They said you were the best,† he told me, like it was some kind of argument. â€Å"They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. You're the real deal.† â€Å"What I can or can't do isn't relevant. I need to make sure we're on the right track. You're asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It's dangerous.† Wil sat back down, face desperate. â€Å"Look, I'll do anything at all. I can't let her stay there with those – with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you want.† I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. â€Å"Uh†¦what exactly do you do for a living?† â€Å"I run a blog.† I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn't get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on†¦well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I'd watch reality television. He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didn't I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? I'd vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me? It was actually because of the keres, I realized. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldn't erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentry's plaything. Because that's what she would be, though I'd never tell Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot. â€Å"Can you take me to the park she disappeared from?† I asked at last. â€Å"I'll get a better sense if fairies really were involved.† Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasn't going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He spent the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a cave and finally emerged into the light. â€Å"Skin cancer's on the rise,† he explained. â€Å"Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of protection – especially here.† That I actually agreed with. â€Å"Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.† He eyed my light tan askance. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, hey, it's Arizona. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I walk to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.† â€Å"‘Try,'† he scoffed. â€Å"Does it protect against UVB rays?† â€Å"Um, I don't know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.† â€Å"Not good enough. Most sunscreens will protect from UVA rays only. But even if you don't burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.† â€Å"Oh.† I hoped we got to the park soon. When we'd almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didn't think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously. â€Å"I always hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.† I again schooled myself to neutrality. â€Å"Well†¦it's been awhile since our last earthquake around here.† Yeah. Like, never. â€Å"You just never know,† he warned ominously. Our arrival couldn't have come a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someone's idiotic attempt to defy the laws of southern Arizona's climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmine's abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one. â€Å"Who knew?† I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasn't a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. But on a sabbat like Samhain†¦well, this place could very well be an open doorway. I'd have to let Roland know so we could check it when the next sabbat rolled around. â€Å"Well?† Wil asked. â€Å"This is a hot spot,† I admitted, trying to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand. â€Å"Will you help me then?† â€Å"Like I said, this really isn't my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. It's as big as ours.† â€Å"She's being held by a king named Aeson.† I spun around from where I'd been staring at the crossroads. â€Å"How the hell do you know that?† â€Å"A sprite told me.† â€Å"A sprite.† â€Å"Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran away and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.† â€Å"Sold it?† â€Å"He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.† It sounded ludicrous, but it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of crazy people who wanted to live in Scottsdale. â€Å"When did this happen?† â€Å"Oh, a few days ago.† He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy. â€Å"So. You were seriously approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?† Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen he'd missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. â€Å"Well, I'd already known she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.† I studied Wil. If he hadn't seemed so hapless, I almost wouldn't have believed any of this. But it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. â€Å"What did he call me?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"When he told you about me. What name did he give you?† â€Å"Well†¦your name. Odile. But there was something else too†¦Eunice?† â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Yeah, that was it.† I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites weren't really known for being criminal masterminds. If I'd killed his cousin, I suppose he might hope some other motivated creature would take me down. â€Å"So what? Are you going to help me now?† â€Å"I don't know. I've got to think on it, check up on some stuff.† â€Å"But – but I've shown you and told you everything! Don't you see how real this is? You have to help me! She's only fifteen, for God's sake.† â€Å"Wil,† I said calmly, â€Å"I believe you. But it's not that simple.† I meant it. It wasn't so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldn't cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed. â€Å"You have to – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I snapped, and this time my voice wasn't so neutral. â€Å"I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and take my own jobs. Now, I'm very sorry about your sister, but I'm not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I don't generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, it'll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I don't take it, then I don't take it. End of story. Got it?† He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we both wanted it. On the way home, I swung by my mom's place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didn't see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talked shop. He sat at the table working on a model airplane. I'd laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasn't so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff I'd find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling I'd make a good candidate for cross-stitching. His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and he'd managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadn't lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage. Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. â€Å"You're not here to ask about Idaho.† I hadn't really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever. Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didn't love many people in this world – or any other – but him I would have died for. â€Å"No. I'm not. But how was it anyway?† â€Å"Fine. It's not important. What's wrong?† I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected he'd still be out there fighting, right by my side. â€Å"Just got a job offer. A weird one.† I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence I'd found for her abduction. I also added in Wil's bit of information about this Aeson guy. â€Å"I've heard of him,† said Roland. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But he's strong, I know that much.† â€Å"This gets better and better.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Are you thinking about doing it?† I eyed him back. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"That's a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.† There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. I'd never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved. â€Å"She's just a kid, Roland.† â€Å"I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with taking women every year. Most don't ever get recovered. The danger's too high. That's the way it is.† I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. â€Å"Well, here's one we can get back. We know where she is.† He rubbed his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses; his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to – or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently. â€Å"This isn't a drop-in and drop-out thing,† he warned. â€Å"It'll take you right into the heart of their society. You've never been that deep. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"And you do?† I asked sarcastically. When he didn't answer, I felt my eyes widen. â€Å"When?† He waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"That doesn't matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, you'll get yourself killed or captured. I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You won't let me? Come on. You can't send me to my room anymore. Besides, I've gone over lots of times before.† â€Å"In spirit. Your total time over in body's probably been less than ten minutes.† He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. â€Å"The young never realize how foolish something is.† â€Å"And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs.† The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look. â€Å"You think you're stronger than me now?† I didn't even hesitate. â€Å"We both know I am.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you don't even know.† I stared at him in surprise. We weren't exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. He'd married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father I'd never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. They'd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didn't want to stick it out – not for her, not for me. Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could – except when it came to my job. When he'd realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, he'd started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple I'd ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. They'd stayed together in the end, but she'd never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasn't like one of those silly people in the movies who could â€Å"see dead people† and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect one's calling was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings. Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. I'd come here for strategy and ended up on the defensive. I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My mom's car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it. My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face – so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones – put on a smile as warm as Roland's. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a perpetual concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, she'd had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing. She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it. â€Å"You going to stay for dinner?† she asked. â€Å"I think you've lost weight.† â€Å"She has not,† said Roland. â€Å"She's too skinny,† complained my mom. â€Å"Not that I'd mind a little of that.† I smiled. My mom looked amazing. â€Å"You need to eat more,† she continued. â€Å"I eat, like, three candy bars a day. I'm not depriving myself of calories.† I walked over and poked her in the arm. â€Å"Watch it, you're being all momlike. Smart, professional moms aren't supposed to be that way.† She cut me a look. â€Å"I'm a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.† In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my mom's food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up. When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a beaded head wrap and buckskin vest. â€Å"Greetings, Sister Eugenie,† he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old West movie. â€Å"Join us. We're going to a concert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirit's gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred beat of the music course through our souls.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room. A moment later, he followed sans girls. â€Å"Oh, come on, Eug. It's gonna be a blast. We've got a cooler of beer and everything.† â€Å"Sorry, Tim. I don't really feel like being a squaw tonight.† â€Å"That's a derogatory term.† â€Å"I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesn't deserve much better.† I eyed him askance. â€Å"Don't even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules.† He flounced into my wicker chair. â€Å"So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?† I'd actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"Hey, I've got stuff to do.† â€Å"Fuck, Eugenie. You're becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.† I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend; we'd broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadn't expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadn't expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed? â€Å"Some things are worse than staying home alone,† I muttered. â€Å"Dean is one of them.† â€Å"Timothy?† one of the girls called from the living room. â€Å"Are you coming?† â€Å"One moment, gentle flower,† he hollered back. To me he said, â€Å"You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isn't really healthy to be away from people so much.† â€Å"I'm fine. Go enjoy your flowers.† He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as he'd predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten. Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Roland's quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything he'd told me had been true. Dropping this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to him†¦yet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasn't supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day. I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didn't want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification: I didn't want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind – warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. More important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonight I threw on some jeans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirt's V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.