Dissecting Rick Kline’s “Bouncing Roundâ€Obama Talks up Economy…”

Rick Klein’s writing deceptively looks like he merely pastes   together the   many sources of opinions he cites.  Ã‚   In this article, he starts a sequential process from   one initial   opinion, followed by   contrary viewpoints   that unravel the author’s intended meaning.The reader will however detect the meaning from relating all the juxtaposed opinions. At times   the opinions seem to clash against each other, but   actually they   progress towards a unified point.   Generally, the conclusions are not directly said, or not those that had been written, but the implications of all of them.   At times,   Klein presents a panorama of many ideas which cancel out one another, and the most likely logical ones stand out sometimes with the stroke of one most convincing opinion.The impressive point here is, the author never seems to   impose any opinion on his readers.   Hs readers conclude from the wide array of choices he presents.Formally no w, let us classify the major divisions of his article on Obama cited in this study.He starts with a rhetorical question   enumerating significant topics –defense cuts, war funding, economic stimulus, immigration push— which he dissects one by one more extensively throughout the essay.   From there the author tackles the issue in the same order as the way he laid them down as rhetorical questions.Klein implies his sympathy for Obama all throughout   the essay,   but again he does this   through   quoted writers.   For example he starts a topic with this quote:   Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The ailing financial system†¦. showed tentative signs of strength †¦.† –quoting a Washington Post article by Shin and Merle.   Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThen follow   four more endorsements of the economy as showing positive signs. He clearly agrees, but not without giving you some relief of skepticism.   And this he does with†¦..A dampener in the next topic:   â⠂¬Å"Will it work?   Paul Krugman, skeptical again†¦.†Ã‚  Ã‚   Followed by several paragraphs   that clearly intend to cast some doubts on the economic recovery†¦..And yet the doubts are meant to subtly enforce the impression that Obama is taking the right track.The subsequent paragraphs are indirect allusions to the difficulties of Obama in negotiating the difficulties ahead.   Some   problems suggested were:   the difficulty of asking Congress to increase the war budget, the risk he is taking in escalating the Afghanistan war,   Ã‚  Obama’s difficult task of appeasing the world, and his difficulties in dismantling the remnants of American abuse in Guantamano.   Again these opinions are not from the mouth of the author.   They were culled from several other writers.Then comes his subtle endorsement of Obama’s centrist positioning on domestic and international issues, now presented in terms of a Ronald Brownstein’s prescription tha t his solutions are likely to sustain public opinion, â€Å"if they accommodate diverse perspectives.†   The next paragraphs from various writers show Obama’s   difficulties, ending up with a depiction of the   hard choice he faced in having to defer immigration issues for at least a year.   And again, Klein presents the pros and cons from other writers’ mouths.Finally, Klein tackles   the significant issue of stimulus package, a key Obama initiative—among the major items of his initial rhetorical questions.   He starts by a defensive posturing of an Obama opponent.   The he cites opinions that weaken anti-Obama critics.Regardless of the apparent attempt to not sound like an Obama apologist, the net effect of the opinions presented   show that even the criticisms are in effect, â€Å"playing politics† against Obama,   in the word of another writer which Klein quotes ( ABC’s Teddy Davis).This sympathetic tone for Obama is cl early enforced when he cites Bill Sammon from Fox News†¦.   this time, radically giving   away   the author’s   sympathies:   He introduced this paragraph now as :   â€Å"Such a shame to see partisanship return†¦.† Coming not from another writer’s pen but from Klein’s himself, a give away. .The last rhetorical question was a petty subject:   When the first puppy would be brought to the White House?–presented as one of those â€Å"issues† the President was to face.  Ã‚   It also ended the article in   the spirit of the last rhetorical question:   Where will Obama   have his first Protestant Sunday service?

Implications of Development in the Environment Essay

This paper deals with the implications due to the development in Northern Canada. The effects of these developments in the environment and people are included in this paper. Also, the groups that are established to eliminate or rather reduce the pollutants emitted in the atmosphere due to these developments and their goals are stated in this paper. Northern Canada is the northernmost region of Canada which can also be called as far north that may refer to the Canadian Arctic’ the portion of Canada which is near to the north of Arctic circle. Canada is known as the largest supplier of crude oil and refined products to the United States. Different explorations are conducted to find oil wells and processed into useful products. Other industrial activities are done to add up into the economic development being raised in Northern Canada. These industrial activities are mineral extraction and processing, forest products and hydroelectric generation. Hence, these developments are the major factors that contribute in destructing the rich land of northern Canada. According to an article these industrial development continued to contaminate the soil in Canada. This contamination leads to denude the land and places that are ecologically significant in Canada’s flora and fauna. Moreover, different test methods are conducted to evaluate this contaminated soils thus, this test methods shows the toxicity of the land. Oil refineries play the foremost destruction of ecosystem. Refining oil leaves a bitumen deposit in soils. Bitumen deposits include extra heavy oils or tar sands and oil sands. Large amount of these sands are can be in Canada. These are dense and viscous form of petroleum which is naturally occurring mixtures of sand and clay. Most of these sands are can be seen in the arctic region of Canada. Accordingly, like all non-renewable resource developments projects, operations related to this mining event have a great impact in polluting the environment. The water used in the separation during the separation process is not dispose properly nor recycled by the processing plant. A large volume of water used in producing synthetic crude oil ends up in ponds. These ponds are connected to Athabasca River which is one of the largest rivers in Canada. Consequently, aside from water pollution, air is also abused in processing crude oil. Most of the petroleum is being burned this action emit carbon dioxide as well as other air pollutant. Of course the huge amount present in the air is carbon dioxide. Aside from this the other pollutants specified are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. These gases are highly toxic in humans it is a major treat in our health based on different studies as well as in our environment. These are the main cause of global warming that we are experiencing right now. Also, hydrogen sulfide and mercury are found to be present in burning fossil fuels and refining oil. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that naturally occurs in crude petroleum and natural gas. As for mercury, it is associated in burning fuels. Furthermore, lands are also not safe in refining oil because oil sands are used to produce barrels of oil. This oil sands are mined which means that to be able to mine these sands clearing of trees is must be done. Removing of topsoil, sand, clay and gravel that is present in top of the oil must also be done. Climate change bound to be the major effect of these developments. As I have said earlier gases with high toxicity are emitted in land, water and air. These gases are named to be as green house gases which are huge in Canada, thus, making the environment clearly denuded. Effects of these developments vary from agricultural, forestry, infrastructure, industry, transportation, water resources, marine ecosystem and terrestrial ecosystem. Since soils are widely affected a lot of aspects with regards to soil greatly suffered. Soils and climate conditions in the North of Canada are now unfavorable to agricultural production. Somehow, hope has its chance for in some areas in Yukon have been seen that there is a moderate capability in terms of agriculture but this takes a long term of cultivation and longer growing seasons may increased the risk of greenhouse production. Moreover, this production is limited due to soil condition. Forestry is also greatly affected. This deals with the hunting and gathering of people. Although forestry is a small contributor in their economy, it plays an important role for them because there is an interest in the growth of this part. Due to extreme heat that we are all experiencing forest fires particularly in Yukon has been emerging in the past few years. This event is expected to continue if developments do not prioritize our environment also. Excessive heat also triggers the stability of transportation and infrastructures in Northern Canada. In some areas, permafrost melt increase the risk of landslides that can cause unwanted damages. It also threatens the water supply, foundation of old buildings and waste disposal infrastructure. Since it is in the Arctic region, it was quite icy there therefore permafrost melting may cause the buckling of pipes and storage tanks that are used in water and sewage. Roads also rely on the ground stability. Transportation in most areas in north relies in this stability. Warmer winters made transporting goods to the communities more difficult because ice roads are freezing later then suddenly melts earlier during spring. Accordingly, this problem will increase if the temperature continues to rise. Economic Impacts are also inter related in climate change, this phenomena has a deep impact in the commercial and industrial activity of Northern Canada. This unfavorable change in weather could require costly upgrades and redesigning of dams structures in mining industry. This can also hinder explorations of oil well which is somehow good and bad. Good, because it means that there will be a reduction in greenhouse gases emitted in the atmosphere. It is bad, because as I stated a while ago oil exploration and refineries is the major factor in economic abundance of Canada. In addition, water resources are also significant in North Canada. The hydrology of North Canada is at risk because an increase in temperature will also increased the possibility of melting of snow and ice. Peat lands may dry out because of increased evaporation and plant transpiration. This climate change may affect hydropower generation in the Yukon. Effect is uncertain; increasing amount of water runoff may boost the capacity of hydropower, while possible heavy storms may reduce its potential. Also, due to the problems arise together with the developments. Thickness of sea ice is also in line with the devastating threats that these developments brought up. Du to climate change extent and thickness of sea ice are expected to reduce in many areas of the arctic. The victims here are those animals that are dependent or those who are living in these areas. These animals include polar bears, walrus and seals. However it may be an advantage as it becomes open water. But it was very unfortunate to those animals. Thus, this is important to all that are included in marine ecosystem because their entire food chain relies on the abundance of plankton and other microorganisms. If the thickness and distribution of sea ice are affected this will be a vast tragedy in the whole marine food chain. Terrestrial ecosystems are also not safe in these changes. Species composition varies as the temperature continues to warm or suddenly change. Due to this extreme heat, parasites and other insect bone disease continue to promulgate in the land infecting the animals that leads to declination of animal population. In addition, since northern Canada is near arctic region warming the region is not a good sign for those animals that are herbivores. Most of the plants are suddenly dying due unwanted climate change, so an herbivore animal will look for their food in other place making them move in other places where they can get their food. As a result those carnivorous animals follow them because they are their prey. This is not a good sign for a country because they will not able to preserve their wildlife. For birds, it is somehow a good sign for them because they can decrease their chick mortality thus; this may decrease the foraging ability of migrating birds. I suppose these changes in marine ecosystem, terrestrial ecosystem, etc mostly affect the traditional lifestyle of Canadians especially those who are in north. It greatly affects their hunting and gathering practices and threatened their long existing traditions. Uneven increased of temperature makes the animals leave and find a more comfortable habitat. Numbers of these animals in particular fishes and plants species greatly affect those people that rely on these; the indigenous people. These probably leads to their traditional way of living such as hunting and harvesting moreover, those traditional foods they eat or sell might be lost now. These changes however are being taken care of different agencies of the government of Northern Canada and other civilian groups that are concern in preserving our environment. Based on an article, several test methods are used to monitor the toxicity of soil in North Canada. They examine the soils to assess or detect the toxic wastes present in that soil. And they identify them individually. These several tests are done for them to develop a better risk assessment plan to punish those polluters and to maintain the rich resources of Canada. Industry sectors are also mandated to provide effective remediation methods at contaminated areas and to monitor every progress that complies with environmental policies. Arctic Council Action Plan to Eliminate Pollution of the Arctic (ACAP) and Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) are two of the leading bodies that protect the environment. Their goal is to reduce emissions of pollutants present in the environment and they encourage Arctic governments to make preventive actions that relates in reducing pollutants that are released by processing plants. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna is also one the concern of the citizens of northern Canada. This deals with the conservation of Arctic ecosystems and habitats. Its goal is to maintain and enhanced the integrity of ecosystem in the Arctic and to avoid the degradation and fragmentation of habitats. The scope of their goal is not just only the flora and fauna of the Arctic thus, they include the physical environment and the socio economic environment of those people who live there. Another is the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Group. This group deals with as they were called, prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic caused by human activities. And the last group would be Protection of Arctic Marine Environment (PAME). This group deals with the protection of Arctic marine environment. It is directed to respond to emerging knowledge of the Arctic marine environment, determine the adequacy of regional or international commitments and promote their implementation and facilitate program and cooperation and support communication, reporting and outreach both within and outside the Arctic Council. Somehow this leads to only one thing, government and industry sector are required to create a strong array in creating methods that appraise the risks that could lead to massive destruction of our environment. Reference Biological Methods Section and S&T Liaison Protecting. Canada’s Boreal Forests and Northern Ecosystems: Developing Biological Methods to Assess and Preserve Canada’s Soil Environments of the North. Retrieved: July 5, 2010. From: http://www. ec. gc. ca/scitech/default. asp? lang=En&n=4B40916E- 1&xsl=privateArticles2,viewfull&po=3AB28EB3

Solve thes problem Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Solve thes problem - Speech or Presentation Example From a table, the probability of a value being to the left or equal to this z-score is .8962; so the probability to be to the right of z = 1.2649 (or to the left of z = -1.2649) is: For 99% confidence intervals, 99% of the area under the curve will be shaded when the endpoints are 2.5758 standard deviations away from the mean. The endpoints for this confidence interval are found by: Adding a sample size m = 75, find the sample mean (m2) of the added sample that would lead to a p-value > 0.05 for the combined sample. Find the probability of obtaining a sample mean from the added sample within the needed range. To calculate the probability that Type 1 error occurs, we want to calculate what is the probability that the null hypothesis is correct ( the p-value is greater than .05 significance level) and the mean of the sample is in one of the tail ends 12. This would result in an interval (6.9 to 13.1). The probability that there is a Type 1 error when the original rejection criteria is used: mean 12, is the probability that the mean falls within the intervals 6.9 to 8 and 12 to

In Support of the Distracted Driving Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In Support of the Distracted Driving Bill - Essay Example The concern of others like Mr. Sauer have been heard. But our state congress has decided that it is not important an issue enough for them to pay attention to. But there are some, like state Sens. John McGee and Les Bock who sponsor the â€Å"Distracted Driving â€Å" bill . We need to protect our motorists from the misuse of the very technology was that created to help save lives before it claims any more lives in the future. Although the bill has widespread public support, it died because of politicking or, in the words of Conservative activist Wayne Hoffman who considered it a â€Å"â€Å"stupid law† that was difficult to enforce because no one can tell if a driver is texting or just twiddling his thumbs. â€Å" (Russel, 2010). The time has come however, to revive this bill and pass it in the state senate. Consider that cellular phones now come with hands free kits for cars and you begin to wonder why a driver would rather type out words while driving when he can always speed dial a number. The National Safety council statistics on texting while driving show that at â€Å"least 200,000 crashes a year are caused by drivers who are texting. â€Å" (Graham, 2011). These accidents are usually caused because texting drivers have proven to have a slower response time than drunk drivers. Texting while driving accidents also come at a financial cost to the driver. In these days of economic problems, the last thing one would want to see is an increase in his insurance premiums, which is exactly what happens each time a driver is involved in a distracted driving incident. further information from car insurance comparison.com (2011) explains that the economic impact is quite high and that , â€Å"avoiding accidents is the only way to keep rates manageable as even one accident boosts your premium by about 10%, subsequent accidents quickly mount to 30, 50 and then eventually almost doubling your costs by your third accident. â€Å" Then there are also the legal implications of the accident. Although there are only fines involved for such accidents, the guilty party will now have a police record and have to show up in court even if only to pay the fine and face the possibility of other punishments or legal actions that may be enforced within criminal or civil courts for any damage to property, or physical being that may have been incurred. The American culture of risk taking is definitely at the forefront of the distracted driving problem. Looked at in the historical context, texting while driving accidents comprise 21 % of adult driving accidents while 46% of teens admit to the same. (car insurance comparison.com, 2011). Even the leaders of the transportation sector see the need for specialized anti- texting while driving laws quoting the fact that â€Å"sixty Idaho fatalities resulted from distracted driving crashes in 2009, representing 27 percent of all crashes. â€Å" (2011). It is easy to see how such accidents can have a cost ly toll on the finances of a person. After all, distracted driving affects 3 driving components: visual, manual and cognitive. (Harmer, 2011). The Idaho Press Tribune (2011) states that those who do not support the bill do so because our police officers can issue tickets for violation of reckless driving due to â€Å"circumstances where the conduct of the operator has been inattentive, careless or imprudent.†

Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chemistry - Essay Example Aluminium is metal with atomic number 13 and it will combine by loosing two electrons. Beryllium and aluminium are metals and will combine with other elements by loosing electrons while oxygen will combine by gaining electrons, therefore our empirical formula will have the following formula: Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons; the atomic number is equal to the number of protons therefore Pn has the atomic number 117. Because atoms are neutral then the number of electrons is equal to the number of neutrons. The atomic number is 117; this means that the electronic arrangement is 2: 8:18:32:50:7 this is given by the formula 2N2 which give us the maximum number of electrons in each cell where N is the shell number. We have 6 shells and 7 electrons in the last shell, this means that the element belongs to the 7th period and the 17th group. The empirical formula will be Pn2O7 because oxygen will tend to gain two electrons or loose 6 electrons and Pn will also tend to gain one electron or loose 7 electrons, therefore the highest normal oxide will be loosing Pn loosing seven electrons and Oxygen gaining two electrons. Six decays means loosing six neutrons, and bearing in mind that the number of neutrons is equal to the number of electrons and that the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons then our resulting element will have an atomic number 67-6 = 61.

What are the health issues faced by young asylum seekers in the uk and Essay

What are the health issues faced by young asylum seekers in the uk and what has the government put in place to improve these issues - Essay Example Various research studied conducted in the past have shown asylum seekers and refugees being maltreated by members of host countries, which in turn, may lead to psychological problems. I have conducted a content analysis study-gathering qualitative, quantitative and mixed method studies on the topic, specifically those which involved children, teenagers and adolescents based 0-24 years old. There were 6 qualitative studies, 1 quantitative study, and 1 mixed methodology study were gathered for the review. Social services and mental health services may correctly address the problematic areas that bother UASC while in the UK, one of which is dealing accordingly to language problems by getting translators or having information translated in the children’s native language. Most articles also suggested that clinicians and other institutions dealing with UASC must be aware of risk factors, since they have implications to children’s mental health. Early detection of highly distr essed UASC is needed so that interventions could be made right away. Should the government ignore this; the entire community of the host country will also suffer as a result. Asylum seekers, including children, show elevated levels of distress and psychiatric disorder trait to difficult experiences in particular constant post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) depression, and anxiety (Patel and Hodes 2006). As a result of the traumatic experiences that these children go through, increases vulnerabilities to psychological disorders ( Papadopoulous et al, 2004). This is because they experience major up heals and long periods of instability once they enter into a foreign country. They might have witnessed killing and torture, sometimes of whom are family members. They are separated from their families, and in addition to this, they might have been subject to brutality themselves. All these events affect their psychological health and well-being. There is a correlation

Democratic Peace Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Democratic Peace Theory - Essay Example 5). In that context the democratic peace theory not only directly challenges the validity and efficacy of the alternate political systems, but also the existing accounts of international relations that lay emphasis on the concepts like the strategic common interests and balance of power machinations, while delving on the international relations between salient democratic powers (Newman & Rich 2004, p. 5). Democratic Peace Theory In a simplistic context, one could ascribe the democratic peace theory as a theory that upholds the fact that the democratic nations seldom engage in war with each other (Schraeder 2002, p. 17). There exist varied other terms aimed at explaining and grasping this theory like ‘inter-democracy non aggression hypothesis’ or ‘mutual democratic pacifism’. ... 17). The other hypothesis that is put forward in the support of the democratic peace theory is that the democratically elected leaders are conversant in resolving issues through negotiations, and hence they carry on with this attribute in their approach towards foreign relations (Schraeder 2002, p. 17). No wonder, there are many people who tend to deny or criticize the democratic peace theory. What is Democracy? To a great extent the validity and relevance of the democratic peace theory is dependent on as to how one tends to define or explain a democracy. Although there is no single paradigm that grasps a holistic definition of democracy, yet, experts have identified varied salient features that delineate an ideal democracy. On most important attribute of the democratic nations is that they do have a democratically elected constitutional form of government that is answerable to people. Besides, these constitutionally elected governments happen to be representative in their scope and nature, directly responsible to the public sentiments, beliefs and aspirations. A workable and pragmatic democracy is always subservient to the principle of the separation of powers, where the powers of the state are judiciously allocated between the varied pillars of democracy like the executive and the judiciary. All the worthwhile and true democracies do extend varied judicial and legal rights to their citizens, which are legally and ethically upheld by the constitution and the state. Last but not the least, democracies do believe in extending avenues for participation to varied sections and segments of the society. Hence, in the interest of practicality, while delving on the democratic peace theory; one does

Assignment 2 BA1010 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2 BA1010 - Assignment Example (Invalid) c. Purchasing decisions are influenced by a consumer’s self-image and desired lifestyle. So, advertising influences purchasing decisions since advertising influences self-image and lifestyle. (Valid) d. Advertisers must try to make potential customers perceive some problem. This is so since problem-solving is the first step in the consumer decision-making process and the first step is probably the most important. (Valid) d. Describe a scenario in which the following sentence is false: Barb retired if and only if she had not saved adequately for retirement. For instance, a mother of three who works as a banker who receives $40K annual income but spends more than what she earns in order to sustain the needs of her family. 8. Symbolize the following arguments then check for validity using a truth table. To simplify, leave the parenthetical parts out of your symbolization. All of the arguments are based loosely on arguments in Chapter One of The Branded Mind by Eric Du Plessis. A. If your client’s purchase was motivated by emotion then it was related to attention. Your client’s purchase was not related to attention. So, your client’s purchase was not motivated by emotion. [You can leave out the parenthetical parts in your symbolization.] B. Either we make decisions in order to feel good or the brain is not in control of our decisions. The brain is in control of our decisions, so we make decisions in order to feel good (and marketers should develop brands accordingly). C. Humans can avoid dissatisfaction in the future (hunger, boredom, loneliness†¦) if and only if consumers plan for future problems. So, either humans can’t avoid dissatisfaction in the future or they don’t plan for future problems. D. Brand choice decisions are based on how a consumer would feel if they decided to buy. If that’s true then the marketer’s job is to manage the feeling that the brain associates with the brand. It follows that the

Philip Johnson's Glass House Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philip Johnson's Glass House - Research Paper Example The Glass House, his most unique, acclaimed and popular creation, constructed in the year 1949, is still considered as an architectural marvel of all times. It can be perceived as the trend setter for architectural constructions in steel and glass. Outdoor and Interior Appearances and Its Relationship with Natural Environment: The Glass House, set on a luxuriant landscape, illustrates style over substance and rather than a habitat it serves the purpose of a lifestyle component, apart from reflecting Johnson’s philosophy of architecture being â€Å"expressive of and compatible with modernity’s machine processes.†5 The exterior of the construction exists in a serene and peaceful ambience of natural elements. It is mostly done in glass and charcoal colored steel with a brick floor that stands about 10 inches from ground level. The lawn is an exquisite green with lush green growth of grass, and the entire structure is again set against the greenery of trees and shrub s. From a distance when one looks at the Glass House, it gives an impression of open space as the transparent glass walls allow an unobstructed view of the other side, the repetition of a lush green abundance. The main focus of the interior is the flow of natural daylight, which the transparent glass structure permits in rich abundance and it sort of blurs its boundaries with the exterior. The interior comprises mainly open spaces, with cabinets made in walnut wood. Brick has been used on in the construction of a cylindrical structure that accommodates a bathroom on one side and a fireplace on the other. The interior of Glass House can further be perceived as the manipulation of the systems of domestic occupation especially in the context of large areas indirect illumination and glazing and Johnson has on several occasions admitted that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe â€Å"served as a prime†¦source† for his design of the Glass House.6 Moreover, Johnson has considered Mies, who had â€Å"employed similar forms† in his design of the Farnsworth House, as a mentor. The influence of Mies also reflect in the furnishings of the interior, the designs of which have apparently emulates his style. As can be evidenced from the above image, the interior is sparsely but elegantly done with a barely minimum furnishing that matches the sleekness of the glasswork. It is also relevant that both the components of the exterior and the interior are selected and placed in such a deft manner as to complement one another and enhance the aesthetic appeal of each. Style and Materials: The construction style of the Glass House is â€Å"so spare in form† that it provides little clue to the â€Å"variety of ideas† or the hard work that has gone behind its conceptualization and execution.7 Its plan necessitated drawing up of 79 â€Å"schemes and variations† that Philip has devised with 27 â€Å"clearly distinguishable approaches†

Sales & Sales Management in this current climate Assignment

Sales & Sales Management in this current climate - Assignment Example Internationally, the profitability of the traditional banking activities has been declining on the past few years. This has been accompanied with massive growth in the financial market owing to globalization of the market, increasing innovation and technology, abundance of new financial products and adoption of enhanced risk management strategies. These developments have enabled the international financial industry to experience immense growth even in the face of decline in the traditional services profits. The Bank of Ireland Finance (BIF) offers various finance packages for its clients. The introduction of the motor finance service by the bank has greatly contributed to its growth. This product is not regulated by the central bank policies allowing for the bank to be flexible. The Irish economy has experienced tremendous growth for the past 15 years. This has created an opportunity for the banking industry to offer improved services and products to the market. The motor finance service is a product by the bank that lends money to their clients to pay for their motor vehicles. This product offers the client the advantage of acquiring the vehicle without liquid cash. They are thus able to repay the loan in installments at an interest. The innovation of such services has lead to the development and growth of the banking industry in Ireland. The banking industry has undergone tremendous growth with the globalization of the market. The formation of the European Union market for the banking sector has increased competition in the market. Furthermore, other lending firms in Ireland have come up increasing the competition facing the bank of Ireland. The increased competition is accompanied by a change in the consumer needs. This has prompted the banks to offer other services in order to retain it market position (Best, 2012). However, this industry has been facing various challenges facing some of the

20th century poetry Essay Example for Free

20th century poetry Essay We have been giving to 20th century poems to examine. They are Evans by R. S Thomas and Death in Leamington by Sir John Betjeman. Both poems are about death, but in two very different situations. I will examine the poem Evans first of all. Evans was written by a man called R. S Thomas. He lived from 1913-2000. he was born in Cardiff. He became a clergyman and taught himself welsh so he could work with the people in the hills, because not many of them spoke English at this time. Evans is a 20th Century poem. The poem begins as if the writer is talking to somebody else. It looks like the other person has asked him something like, Do you remember a man Evans? and the writer replies, yes, many a time. The first verse of the poem describes Evans house. It talks about the bare stairs and the gaunt kitchen. We can depict from the first verse that Evans was a poor man, his house is not at all well furbished, and he doesnt have much to his name. Everything that Evans owns has a dull, dreary adjective attached to it, like stark farm and black kettle. His kitchen must be filthy because crickets can be heard. The last line of this verse tells us that he lives on a lone farm upon a hill. From this verse we have found out that this man is poor, lonely and doesnt really care much about what his house looks like. The 2nd verse tells us that something appals the speaker. He says that it isnt the darkness around him, which seems to fill his mouth and that it isnt the tree that the rain drips off. I think the tree is symbolism, because the speaker says, of rain like blood form that one tree, weather tortured. I think he is really describing Evans appearance. The speaker says that its the veins of Evans. He sees darkness in them, and that it is silting them. Silt is the thick sandy substance at the bottom of rivers. I think it means that the darkness is trapped in Evans veins and that it is slowly killing him. The writer says, I left stranded upon the vast and lonely shore of his bleak bed. The writer believes that he has failed is his job, which is to comfort the sick if they are going to die. The writer feels that he is inadequate and that he hasnt done what he wanted to. Again we see another dreary adjective attached to one of Evans possessions, his bleak bed. The word lonely is used again here. The writer wants to get the point across that Evans has no one, no family or friends to comfort him, that is why the writer feels so bad that he cant do this for him. This poem is about the bad way to die, all on your own and no one to comfort you. The next poem, Death in Leamington, is about the other way to pass on. Death in Leamington was written by Sir John Betjeman. Poets of his day liked to write poems making fun of the middle class people. The first verse tells us that someone has died, and that it is a woman. It has happened in the late evening. She has died in her bedroom. The room has a plate glass window, which means this place wherever she was staying must has been pretty well off. The second verse gives us a little more insight to the woman. She owned a crochet, which means she must have been quite old. It lay beside her bed, which means she cant have been too old because she was still able to walk. Again the writer tells us that she is dead.

Does Herodotus believe in Cultural Relativism Essay Example for Free

Does Herodotus believe in Cultural Relativism Essay For its time and place, The Histories of Herodotus is a work of remarkably expansive scope. To set the stage for the wars between Greece and Persia ( 490-479 B. C. ), Herodotus describes the geographical and cultural background and reviews the political history of Lydia, Media, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Scythia, Libya, Ionia, and various Greek city-states in Asia Minor, on the Aegean islands, and on the European mainland. To record the results of his research (historie, in Greek) with the greatest vigor and accuracy, Herodotus traveled to many of these places and gathered firsthand data from native informants. For this type of research, in the words of a modern commentator, Herodotus merits the title not only of the father of history; he is also the father of comparative anthropology. Among the various classes of information which Herodotus seems to have emphasized, thus suggesting a pattern for later descriptions, were marriage customs, religious rites, burial practices, and food habits. The description of these four categories of traits, or social institutions, were not necessarily executed in the round for every tribe that happened to stroll across the pages of the Histories; but they were mentioned often enough to indicate the direction taken by his curiosity, and the content of the questions he probably put to informants. Herodotus, the ancient Greek, was a cheerful, inquisitive, rationalistic extrovert who traveled over his world to discover the facts, who took delight in telling a good story but usually avoided the temptation to wander very far from sober common sense. His cultural relativism is well known and much discussed, but it is particularly noteworthy that Greeks and barbarians are placed on a equal footing at the outset. Distinctions between Greek and non-Greek break down as the work progresses: the first barbarian for whom we get any detailed information is the Hellenized Lydian king, Croesus; the divisions of lands customary among the Greeks that separate Greek and non-Greek peoples are purely arbitrary; we learn of the Phoenician descent of Spartas kings; and Herodotus states that the descendants of Perseus came to be counted as Greeks. The key dichotomy is not the Hellenic-barbarian bipolarity, but rather the opposition of the ordered society based on law and the arbitrary rule of the despot. But political and social institutions are fragile structures, and Herodotus gives no guarantee that the Greek superiority at the time of the Persian Wars, which was based upon those institutions, will last. In fact his work closes on an ominous note that appears to warn imperial Athens that it is in danger of becoming, if it has not already become, the barbarian. We are presented with the gruesome picture of the crucifixion of the Persian satrap Artayctes at the command of the Athenian commander Xanthippus, father of Pericles, and a piece of wisdom from the Persian founding father, Cyrus, on the dangers of success and affluence. And it is well to remember that Herodotus wrote long after the Persian threat had passed, when Athenian imperial power was at its apogee. Herodotos interest in reciprocity is symptomatic of contemporary philosophy, not least in Ionia. Moreover, Herodotos very project, his attempt to explain and explore the Persian Wars, can be considered as a study of reciprocity in cross-cultural interaction, not least because those wars were for Herodotos a stage in a reciprocal, cross-cultural process, as he asserts in the proem. Indeed, war itself may be seen as an exchange, a reciprocal undertaking: the tactics of the Skythian Idanthyrsos allow him to wage war while explicitly rejecting the relationship that war usually entails. Herodotos origins in western Asia Minor, a key area of interface between Greek and non-Greek culture, may have led him to give particular thought to the issue of cross-cultural reciprocity, as also to the Persian Wars, for which the Ionian Revolt had been the catalyst, if not the cause. At the same time, the justice and injustice of imperialism remained a burning issue through the fifth century into the fourth, and not only Persian imperialism, but also Athenian, Spartan, and Macedonian. The Persian Wars were the great antecedents of the Peloponnesian War, in the early years of which Herodotos seems to have completed his work. The Persians themselves continued to play a major role in the politics of the Greek world: the onset of the Peloponnesian War seems to have inspired new attempts to deal with them, and with other non-Greeks, as indicated in comic style in Aristophanes Akharnians of 425 BC. 25 This is understandable, for it was to be Persian resources that would give ultimate victory to the Spartans in that war. Thus, it is quite possible that crosscultural reciprocity was a topical concern in Athens and elsewhere when Herodotos completed his work, though the issue had been close to the centre of Greek preoccupations at least since the time of the Persian Wars, Herodotos subject. The Persian Wars had reinforced a Hellenic self-image, defined by contrast with the barbarian identity, and had thereby further problematized relationships between Greek and non-Greek. In particular, Greeks (especially Athenians, perhaps) could and did use their defeat of Persia as confirmation of a broader superiority over the barbarian. In exploring the difficulties of forming relationships with the other, Herodotos Histories present readers with failures and disasters, arising primarily from ignorance, over-confidence, and cultural chauvinism. There is a definite element of pessimism in the Histories, for the inability to penetrate beyond contingent nomoi and thereby to see other as self is taken to be an observable feature of human nature, as manifested throughout the narrative. In particular, wars are seen to be the products of injustice and attendant ignorance. But there is also hope; for the author claims for himself the ability to rise above commonplace failings and offers to provide his readers with a better understanding of themselves, of others, and of reciprocity. Like Kroisos, the reader may pass into a state of deeper understanding through advice confirmed by experience. Where Kroisos had the advice of Solon and suffered personal disaster, the reader has the advice of Herodotos the author and suffers vicarious disaster, experiencing experiences. Baldry notices that Herodotos calls into question the whole dichotomy between Greek and barbarian, when he presents the Egyptian perspective, according to which barbarians are not those who do not speak Greek, but those who do not speak Egyptian. At the same time, as Laurot has shown, Herodotos displays no interest in condemning barbarians as such, nor in subordinating them to Greeks. Rather, his presentation in the Histories of nomoi of the barbarian other offers insights into the nomoi of the Greek self (or better, selves), insofar as the various Greek nomoi constitute Herodotos principal frame of reference and benchmark. However, as Rosellini and Said valuably stress, Herodotos does not present the barbarian other as a monolithic unity, any more than he presents the Greeks themselves as a unity: rather he ranges across the different nomoi that exist among barbarians and through the complexities of interaction between various barbarian peoples. The Histories are not so much a mirror, as Hartog would have it, but a hall of mirrors with multiple reflections. The key point is that in the Histories cultural differences, however profound they may be, are presented as secondary to a common human nature and a common human condition: in that sense too Greek is barbarian, self is other. The categories of Greek and barbarian are familiar to Herodotos, but on his view, as the proem indicates, they need not entail the subordination of the barbarian, whose achievements are to be celebrated also. For Herodotos, it is humanness that is the natural identity and the group identity that matters, and man-made variations are merely contingent, for all their exotic character and interest. Confirmation of such a view of Herodotos may be found in the condemnatory response of Plutarch, for whom Herodotos is far too positive about barbarians. The ferocity of Plutarchs response (indeed, his very decision to write a response at all) further indicates the strength of the challenge that Herodotos case presented to the smug asseverations of Greek specialness that seem to have developed through the fifth century and which Plutarch in his day assumed to be right and proper. Cross-cultural interaction was central to Herodotos project in the Histories. At the same time, the problematic nature of reciprocity the uncertainty that arises from its under-negotiation is particularly apparent in interaction across cultures. Indeed, Herodotos concern with the problematics of reciprocity as a phenomenon can be seen as intimately bound up with his concern with cross-cultural interaction. Of course, Herodotos starting-point is a matter of mere speculation. But we can and should observe the organic relationship between cross-cultural interaction, crosscultural reciprocity, and the problematics of reciprocity as a phenomenon. It is precisely within the problematics of cross-cultural reciprocity that the appreciation of cultural relativism is particularly necessary. Therefore, if we move from the claim, already mentioned, that there is a strong sense in which the Histories are about reciprocity to ask why Herodotos should be so interested in the phenomenon, I would suggest that an answer is to be found not in the topicality of reciprocity as a theme in the later fifth century, but in the rationale of Herodotos very undertaking. A broadlybased treatment of the Persian Wars by its very nature invites a simultaneous and inherent treatment of reciprocity as a phenomenon. To examine societies is to explore forms of reciprocities. All the more so, when societies invite comparisons through their It also seems clear that Herodotus approached the task of describing manners and customs with a fairly definite idea of what constituted a culture, and a fairly specific set of questions for evoking details from informants. The criteria which separated one group from another and gave individuality to his descriptive portraits were common descent, common language, common religion, and the observance of like manners in the smaller details of living, such as dress, diet, and dwellings. The Argippeans, who lived at the foot of the Ural Mountains, were presented vividly as being bald from birth, speaking a language of their own, using no weapons, dispensing justice in the quarrels of their neighbors, and dressing after the manner of the Scythians. They lived on the juice of a species of cherry, making the lees into a solid cake which they ate instead of meat. They dwell each man, he said, under a tree, covering it in winter with a white felt cloth, but using no felt in summer. For each group, in other words, seven categories of cultural fact are given. We are told their geographical location and something of their environment. We are told of their language, their dress, their food, their dwellings, their form of self-defense, or their lack of it, their prestige as judges among other peoples. On the other hand, concerning Egypt, one of the more important culture areas, Herodotus says at the outset that he will have to extend his remarks to some length. This countryits climate, its people and animalswas a constant surprise and challenge to the observer, very much as Japan with its customs and Australia with its fauna have challenged the modern traveller. For the Egyptians the number of cultural categories evoked far exceeds the seven used in describing the Argippeans. As for history, Bodins belief in its power to confer knowledge concerning the ways of mankind was unfaltering; and much of both the Methodus and the Republique is devoted to the assemblage of documentation to support this contention. Never before perhaps had a writer on politics or ethnography amassed so large a body of dated materials or laid so large a literature under tribute. He was well-read, not only in the law and the Bible, but in the Talmud and the Cabala; in the ancients, including Herodotus, Strabo, Cicero, Tacitus, and Caesar; in the modern historians, such as Joinville, Froissart, Monstrelet, Commines; and in the travelers, Marco Polo, Leo Africanus, and Las Casas. As they err, said he, who study the maps of regions before they have learned accurately the relation of the whole universe and the separate parts to each other and to the whole, so they are not less mistaken who think they can understand particular histories before they have judged the order and sequence of universal history and of all times, set forth as it were in a table.

The Management of Industrial Relations

The Management of Industrial Relations How Has The Management Of Industrial Relations In Britain Changed In The Last Three Decades? What Does This Tell Us About The Respective Roles And Influence Of Employers, Management, Trade Unions And The State In Industrial Relations? This paper attempts to examine the changes which have taken place during the 1980s, the 1990s and the period 2000-2010 within the field of industrial relations. According to Edwards (2003:9) The employment relationship is by definition a relationship between an employee and an employer this direct relationship may be mediated by the two other key institutions to IR, the trade union and the state. Therefore this essay will also seek to explore the respective strategies, roles and powers of these actors. The paper has two sections; the first one represents the 1980s and the 1990s whereas the second one represents the period from 1997 into the last decade. In the first section the essay starts by describing the interventionist role that the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher adopted when it came in power in 1979. The legislations passed by the government constitute the reason of the development of very confrontational industrial relations throughout the two decades as they caused an imbalance of power in favour of the management and against trade unions. After seeing the legislative initiatives launched by the government the paper will attempt to describe the advantageous position of managers and employers who managed to re-exert managerial prerogative and to impose harsh managerial strategies. With the power always on their side managers imposed their own â€Å"rules† in the employee relations and showed a preference for individualism (employee/management relationshi p) rather than collectivism (union/management relationship) as they saw benefits such as greater flexibility and greater control over employees. Managers in the UK also start placing attention to HRM policies in the 1980s and seek to implement them in an effort to achieve business goals. But evidence suggests that they failed to implement appropriate Human Resource Management strategies. After that this paper will examine the decline in union membership, in unions ideology and therefore the decline of their overall power. In the second section of the essay we will study the period during which â€Å"the New Labour† was in power. In its effort to put an end to the special relationship it had with the trade unions in the past and to promote neo-liberalism the â€Å"New Labour† kept most of the legislation of the previous government but also established its own. Its main goal was to promote workplace â€Å"partnership† which meant that all actors; employers, employees, trade unions and government would work in collaboration to obtain mutual benefits. The strategies implemented by the government in order to promote workplace â€Å"partnership†, on the one hand helped in fostering employee involvement and communication within the workplace and on the other hand helped unions to reassert some of their lost power. During the period 1979 and 1997 the government clearly allied itself with the side of managers and employers in an effort to protect capitalism (Salamon 2000:92). Later on we will see that the alliance between employers and government against trade unions and the unequal distribution of power meant the beginning of an adversarial employment relationship and industrial relations. Committed to its liberalist/laissez-faire ideologies the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher which came in office sought to achieve one goal: to aid management to reassert its authority and power by constraining the power of trade unions. By adopting a very interventionist role the government proceeded with the launching of eight legislations within thirteen years and targeted at curbing unions ability to organise, their ability to pursue industrial action and particularly strikes and it interfered with their internal affairs (Salamon 2000:103). Salamon (2000:65) itemises a number of laws passed by the government during the period 1989-1997 and which account for the decline of the power of trade unions: The Thatcher Conservative government abolished the closed shop and removed the statutory recognition procedure. It prohibited secondary industrial action. Trades unions were required to ballot union members and proceed to industrial action only with the consent of the majority. The government legally enforced the trade unions to use the ballot process for their national elections. Although the costs of conducting ballots were initially subsidised by the government, the Trade Union and Employment Right Act of 1993 put an end to the provision of funds but the procedure was still legally required (Salamon 2000:152). Furthermore they were considered responsible for unlawful actions authorised by unions officers, committees or shop stewards unless they denounced them. Unions were deprived of their right to punish members who opted not to partake in industrial action even if it was legal. In addition to all these, it was easier for employers to fire employees who took part in strikes. In addition to the legislative restrictions that the government imposed on trade unions it also proceeded with the abolishment of tripartite institutions on which the trade unions were represented such as the MSC and the NEDO (Salamon 2000:65). During the 1980s and 1990s managers saw the balance of power shifting towards their side. This was due as we have seen to national legislation suppressing trade unions. Salamon (2000 :248) argues that this reassertion of power as well as the economic climate with the economic recession, the high rates of unemployment and the competition taking place at the international level prompted managers to adopt a managerial style called macho management. Purcell (1982) cited in Salamon (2000:248) explained macho management as the style of tough managers who neglected and scorned trade unions and whose ultimate interest was to manage and establish order. They were characterised by a great unwillingness to change their policies, to negotiate and to make concessions and they preferred dealing directly with employees rather than through unions. This desire to deal with employees on a individual basis also accounts for the a shift from collectivism to individualism. In other words managers used to have to deal with employee issues through their intermediaries that is to say bodies that represented them, such as trade union whereas now they have to confront employees directly (Salamon 2000:66) . Salamon (2000:82) also explains that the new strategies initiated by the management during the period meant that employees were now engaged through individual contracts and whose terms and conditions were different than the rest of their colleagues and that their reward was dependent on their individual performance. Salamon (2000:66) explains that managers embraced individual employment relationships rather than collective ones as they were more flexible. This flexibility and this emphasis on individualism was also explained by managers attempt to introduce Human Resource policies which made their apparition in the UK in the early 1980s and promised managers what they sought: organisational effectiveness and increased performance (Salamon 2000:234) by eliciting employee commitment. According to Salamon (2000:235-236), these strategies were also ways of enhancing managerial authority because employees were directly now accountable to managers, managers were more able to obtain control and now had the freedom to design strategies that would limit empowerment conceded to employees, and set some boundaries to the terms and conditions of the employment contract. Generally from now on they had more freedom in the decision-making while at the same time employees were committed to them. Once more Salamon (2000:239) explores the possibility that managers took advantage of HR practices in order to manipulate employees and claims that in reality managers only desire is to be able to do their work with the slightest possible confrontation from employees. Kessler and Purcell (2003) claim that there is little evidence, from the WIRS data, demonstrating that organisations were willing or had the potential to use HRM strategies. Instead during the period most managers opted for Bleak House strategies. They also claim that managers mostly resorted to opportunistic and cost minimisation strategies. On the same tone, Blyton and Turnbull (2004:129) explain that the economic downturn during the 1980s and 1990s, the acute international competition, the low skills equilibrium in which the UK was entrapped and the feelings of job insecurity made it impossible for employees and employers to develop the trust needed for the implementation of HR practices and therefore the management relied on opportunistic and pragmatic strategies. The issue of employee voice and most particularly employee representation elicited great attention by the government and the management when the European Court of Justice held in 1994 that the legislative initiatives of the government run counter to the EU directives and that the UK had ended up not respecting employee collective consultation rights. The Conservative government was enforced to amend its regulation which had come to mean that managers should either recognise unions at their workplace or/and set up other forms of collective representative bodies elected by the employees. This prompted some organisations too set up work or company councils. The creation of these councils raises three issues. First of all, they might be a threat to employee rights because managers might use them to by-pass trade unions. Secondly, they are not legally recognized so they have no rights and thirdly, employee representatives in these councils have not the training or experience of trade unio n officials and might therefore not elicit the attention and the respect of the management (Salamon 2000:188). As an example Salamon (2000:189) presents the case study of Bristol West, a non-unionised company which in 1994 introduced the â€Å"partners councils† which were employee representative bodies which allowed employees to express their opinion on the firms Human Resource issues. Although the councils were reserved only for employee representatives the company tried to ensure that there was a professional or manager with them. However, according to Ackers and Payne (1998) cited in Salamon (2000:260), it turned out that the reassertion of managerial authority , the HRM strategies introduced aiming at promoting individualism and employee voice and participation and the decline of powers of trade unions did not give to managers what they sought: order, cohesion and employee commitment. That is why they turned to the â€Å"workplace â€Å"partnership approach in pursuit of these goals. The governments hostile position towards the trade unions as well as the harmful measures it took against trade unions had as subsequent repercussion the decline of union membership. This is illustrated by the figures presented by Salamon (2000:67) according to which during the period 1879-1998 union membership dropped by 5,5 million and by the figures provided by Blyton and Turnbull (2004: 139) which demonstrate that during 1979 and 1997 the number of trade union members fell by over 41 per cent. Nevertheless Salamon (2000:109, 111) also reckons that union membership experienced a striking decline in membership in the 1980s and 1990s because of the changes that took place in industrial and employment structures. The economic conditions of the time meaning low inflation and high levels of unemployment kept workers away from joining unions. Unions used to recruit as members full-time male manual workers who worked in large manufacturing firms as well as the public sector. The shift fo r the manufacturing sector to the service sector, the reduction in the size of firms, the rising female and part-time employment had meant that the trade unions not only lost members but they also had to turn to other types of industries and organisations, in order to seek members, which had not been easy because these organisations had no tradition in union organisation. Diamond and Freedman (2001) cited in Blyton and Turnbull (2004: 143) mention that many unemployed union members had no inducement in maintaining their membership because trade unions were not concerned by people who were on welfare while Cully et al. (1999: 212-213) cited in Blyton and Turnbull (2004:143) argue that other employees contested the unions ability to offer benefits and that is illustrated by the WERS98 data according to which only a 46 per cent of union members believed that trade unions actually provided them with benefits. The trade unions collective consciousness was also negatively affected by the governments legislative measures aiming to (Salamon 2000:152) promote ‘responsible unionism, ‘return the union to its members and protect the individual member against union ‘tyranny. Through the Employment Act of 1988 union members obtained individual rights to inspect the unions financial data to ensure that funds were not spent on illegal actions, to resort to the help of court in case the union would be pursuing unlawful industrial action affecting the member, to be protected from being punished by the trade unions whenever they refused to partake in industrial action even if it was lawful. Salamon (2000:153) argues that now the individual member had the right to refuse to accept and to call into questions decisions of the unions even if they were taken democratically. The individual member could go against the unions. Salamon (2000:124) also argues that the ideologies on which trade unionism relies with the most important one its â€Å"collective solidarity† had also declined due to the fact that trade unions started offering â€Å"modern services† to employees individually. The decline in union membership and collective solidarity that have been already discussed overwhelmingly account for the erosion of power of trade unions. Nevertheless other factors have also contributed. Trade unions found themselves not only confronted to managers and employers who have always been reluctant to cooperate but they also had to face the governments hostility (Salamon 2000:111). Moreover the trade unions were further alienated due to the shift from the concept of collectivism endorsed by trade unions to the concept of individualism embraced by the managers who introduced HRM practices such as direct manager/employee consultation and information or performance-related pay. Salamon (2000:118) discusses the loss of the power of conducting collective bargaining by trade unions due to three main reasons. First their collective bargaining power was curbed by the legislation launched by the Conservative government. Secondly there was the decentralisation of collective bargaining, meaning that the terms and conditions obtained in collective bargaining were no longer applicable across an industry. Furthermore the managers tended to prefer deciding the terms and conditions of employees based on an individual basis as well as to opt for a system of remuneration based on the individuals performance or ability. Millward et al. (2000:197) cited in Blyton and Turnbull (2004:150) claim that during the period 1984-1998 the proportion of employees covered by collective bargaining dropped from 70 per cent to 40 per cent. During the 1980s and the 1990s trade unions were on the defensive. They tried to survive during the 1980s and early 1990s because of the unfavourable economic, political and organisational conditions. In other words they had no choice but to make concessions in order to be become more attractive to managers. These concessions included the establishment of single-union agreements with no strike activity and employee councils (Salamon 2000:130). In 1997 The â€Å"New Labour† came in power with the intention to promote its neo-liberalism strategies. In the past the Labour party had close links with the trade unions with the most significant one their financial contributions to the party (Salamon 2000:122). However when it took over in 1997 it attempted to distance itself from the trade unions and in its intention to do so, it maintained most of the legislative initiatives of the predecessor government. Nevertheless it launched two laws in support of the trade unions. The first of them was the National Minimum Wage Act of 1998 which allowed for the introduction of a national minimum wage (Salamon 2000:68). The second one was the Employment Relations Act in 1999 which allowed for the establishment of a statutory procedure permitting union recognition, provided that an employer could not refuse to employ, punish, fire or discriminate against an employee who is or intends to join a trade union or has taken or intends to pa rticipated in industrial action. The legislation provided for time off from work for trade union officials of independent recognised trade unions without pay loss in order for them to respond to their responsibilities within the union and also allowed for union members to be accompanied by trade union officials during grievance and disciplinary procedures (Salamon 2000: 197). The labour government also signed the social protocol of the treaty of Maastricht and as a result the European Working Time directive as well as the European Works Council directive became part of the UK law (Hyman 2003:54). In addition, the government passed legislation regarding part time employment and parental leave. From the late 1990s towards the beginning of the 2000-2010 period the UK workplace experienced the emergence of the notion of â€Å"partnership† a notion that alludes to the idea that the state, employers, employees and trade unions can collaborate in order to achieve common targets and benefits (Salamon 2000:21). The emergence of the workplace partnership approach was allowed when the â€Å"New Labour† came in power. This approached seemed to be desired by the main actors involved in industrial relations who saw it as the solution to their concerns. The government was determined to eradicate the conflicts in the UK workplace, trade unions saw it as a way of striking an alliance with the management and the government in the pursuit of common benefits and the management saw is as way of achieving order and cohesion at the organisation level as they wished (Salamon 2000:260). Salamon (2000:263) highlights two attributes of the â€Å"partnership† approach which are the commitment for actors to cooperate in order to enhance organisational effectiveness and performance and the recognition that employers and employees have different interests and that is why they should use employee voice and communication mechanisms in order to foster their relationship. Blyton and Turnbull (2004: 253) mentions that during the last years the Labour governments wish to promote the aforementioned â€Å"partnerhip† and the European social policies and Britains effort to put in place the EC Information and Consultations Directive have resulted to an acute interest in various forms of employee involvement and participation. Apart from the improvements that took place during the previous two decades in the matter employee voice and employee representation with the set up of work councils (Salamon 2000:188) , the new governments decision to accept the European Work Council Directive has strengthened even more employee voice but most particularly the adoption by the management of direct forms of participation. Kersley et al (2006:139) searched for evidence of direct forms of communication such as face to face meetings, written two-way communication and downward communication and found out that 63 per cent of all workplaces offered face- to- face meeti ngs as well the opportunity for feedback, and that this figure covered 67 per cent of all employees. They also argued that the WERS2004 data demonstrated that there was a decline in union representation and an increase in direct forms of communication. Although union membership and union recognition had fallen between 1998 and 2004 this decline was much smaller than during the 1980s and 1990s. Between 1998 and 2004 methods of employee representation dropped from three-fifths to approximately one half. On the contrary direct forms of communication were more common and sometimes they had increased (Kersley at al. 2006:143) This emphasis on employee involvement and participation is illustrated by the case study provided by Marchington and Wilkinson (2008: 407) who mention the example of Midbank a firm which won a Saturday Times award for implementing high commitment Human Resource policies and facilitating Employee Involvement and direct and indirect methods of Participation. More precisely, some of the forms of information dissemination as well as employee participation they adopted were the presence of a single union, consultation forums and company newspaper to which employees could contribute. Within the context of partnership Johnstone et al (2007) cited in Marchington and Wilkinson (2008:417) give us the case study of NatBank which signed a partnership agreement in 2000 with the recognised union (Unifi) in their effort to ameliorate the union-management relationship , to contribute to organisational effectiveness and performance, to work for the interest of employees, shareholders and customers an d to commit to the implementation of best practice HRM. The partnership has so far proved to be a success with some of the advantages being a better decision making, and improved employment relations thanks to better communication. From 1997 trade unions were given the opportunity to reassert part of their lost power and influence due to the favourable legislation launched by the â€Å"New Labour†. Trade unions were now able to abandon their defensive position of the 1980s and 1990s and to adopt one more proactive position. Salamon (2000:21) argues that trade unions considered â€Å"partnership† at work as a way of developing a more positive and proactive relationship with managers and play the part in order for the idea of â€Å"social partnership â€Å" to successfully work. This would simultaneously allow them to defend their members interests and to contribute on their part to the workplace and society (Salamon 2000:21). Munro and Rainbird (2004) present the example of the UNISON/employer partnership, a partnership concerning workplace learning and explain that the partnership does not only generate benefits for union members but it also generates benefits to employers who provide cost-effec tive and high quality development to employees through this partnership. The government also seems to be placing great emphasis on this partnership as it has passed legislation (Employment Act of 2002) allowing to Union Learning Representatives to take paid time off in order to carry out their duties and most significantly it has set up the Union Learning Fund. Moreover in 2007 the government conceded the management of the fund to Unionlearn within the TUC acknowledging in this respect the important role of unions in governmental strategies.(Hoque and Bacon 2008). This essay has endeavoured to examine the changes in the roles and in the exertion of power of the actors involved in industrial relations, and most particularly the roles of the government, of the trade unions, of the management and of employers, during the 1980s, the 1990s and the period 2000-2010. It has demonstrated that during the 1980s and the 1990s the legislative agenda of the Conservative government led in very confrontational and adversarial industrial relations as it increased the gap between employers power and trade unions power. Macho management, shift from collectivism to individualism and the attempt of the introduction of HRM practices are the most important processes of the period. In 1997 the â€Å"New Labour† which was elected in power committed itself to implementing the European social model, by promoting fairness and social justice in UK industrial relations as well as harmonisation by promoting the model of â€Å"workplace† partnership. References Blyton, P. and Turnball, P. (2004). The Dynamics of Employee Relations. 3rd edit., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Edwards, P. (2003)(ed.). Industrial Relations: Theory Practice in Britain. 2nd edit., Oxford:Blackwell. Hoque, K. and Bacon, N. (2008). Trade Unions, Union Learning Representatives and Employer-Provided Training in Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 46(4), 702-731. Hyman, R. (2003). The Historical Evolution of British Industrial Relations in Edwards, P. (2003)(ed.). Industrial Relations: Theory Practice in Britain. 2nd edit., Oxford:Blackwell. Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Gix, G. and Oxenbridge, S. (2006). Inside the Workplace: Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS 2004). London: Routledge. Kessler, B., and Purcell, J. (2003). Individualism and collectivism in industrial relations in Edwards, P. (2003)(ed.). Industrial Relations: Theory Practice in Britain. 2nd edit., Oxford:Blackwell. Marchington, M. and Wilkinson, A. (2008). Human Resource Management at Work. 4th edit., CIPD Munro, A. and Rainbird, H. (2004). Opening doors as well as banging on tables: an assessment of UNISON/employer partnership on learning in the UK public sector. Industrial Relations Journal, 35(5), 419-433. Salamon, M. (2000). Industrial Relations, 4th edit., London: FT Prentice Hall.

Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide... I once had a boyfriend, who was severly depressed, and became suicidal. The act of his trying to commit suicide broke my heart, and his families. I decided to write my paper about how to help someone who is sucidal and how to spot the signs, if there are any. In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 (both sexes). Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.1 Everyone feels sad at some point — it's only natural. But what doctors call clinical depression is very different from just being "down in the dumps." The main difference is that the sad or empty mood doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, and everyday activities like sleeping, socializing or working can be affected. Suicide is a general term encompassing all types of suicidal behavior, including thoughts about suicide, suicidal "chatter" or threats, deliberate self-harm , and suicide itself. Suicide is an intentional taking of one's own life. It combines a wish to be dead with the action that carries out that wish. A checklist used to determine whether a death is suicide include: (1) They initiate their death (2)the desire to be self-destructive (3) the loss of will to live (4) the motivation to be dead or to die There are some certain signs to watch for,as well, if you think that someone might be considering Suicide. They are as follow:  · Deepening Depression. A depressed person, who withdrawls from friends and family, and doesnt seem to be getting any "happier"  · Final Arrangements  · Risk Taking or Self-Destructive Behaviors  · Pre-Suicidal Statements. Direct or indirect statements about suicide, hopelessness or death, even when said in a joking or off hand manner.

Final Days :: essays research papers

"The Final Days" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein "The Final Days" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein is about former president Richard Nixon and his involvement in the Watergate scandal. The first part of the book deals with the first two years of the Watergate Crisis and the second half is about the final 17 days of the Nixon administration. The first part of the book deals with how Nixon dug himself deeper and deeper in the scandal through lies and deception. There is tension to every decision Nixon makes in his final month in office. Whether to resign or stay in office, surrender his private tapes, or continue the legal battle. Nixon himself even becomes a sympathetic figure through his downfall. Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968. Born into a small lemon farm in California Nixon lived on the edge of poverty. He graduated from Whittier College. After he graduated from Whittier he attended Duke University Law School and in 1937 he graduated with honors. Nixon then went on to join the navy. Nixon won his first campaign in 1946, and became a member of the House of Representatives. He represented California his home state. Nixon was also assigned to the House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee was mostly concerned with Communists in the United States. In 1950, Nixon was elected for a six-year term in the Senate. He only served 2 of these years, the remaining spent as Vice President to Eisenhower. In 1960, Eisenhower's second term was coming to an end. The Republicans chose Richard Nixon to be their presidential candidate, and the Democrats chose John F. Kennedy, Nixon barley lost the race. He once again he ran for President in 1968 and won. The Watergate complex is located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. it contains many hotel rooms and offices. What happened in the complex on June 17, 1972 early in the morning was The Watergate Scandal. At approximately 2:30 in the morning of June 17, 1972 five men were arrested at the Watergate Complex. These five men and two co-plotters were indicated in September 1972 on charges of burglary, conspiracy and wire-tapping. Four months later they were convicted and sentenced to prison terms. The five men arrested were Bernard L. Barker, Frank A. Sturgis, Virgillio R. Gonzalez, Eugenio R. Martinez, and James W. McCord, Jr. The two co-plotters were G. Gordon Liddy and E.

The Biggest Challenge Facing Social Work Today Essay -- Essays Papers

The Biggest Challenge Facing Social Work Today I f the profession of social work was a client we might say that she was wrestling with the psychosocial crisis of identity versus identity confusion. We might assess the conflicted issues from her childhood (casework versus therapy versus policy/administration), the inadequate mirroring she receives from her environment (a culture that needs her to help those who the culture pretends do not exist, but is also compelled to devalue her for the same reason), and the gender biases that help keep social work a low-status, poorly compensated profession. Depending on our theoretical interests we might perform various tasks with our client. We might offer ourselves to our client as idealized figures of power and generosity, evaluate the maladaptive cognitive processes that contribute to her impasse, or attempt to break up the sequences of negative reinforcement and sanctions that lock our client into someone else's agenda. Other professions, such as business, medicine, and law, vigorously identify themselves with expanding technologica...

Carrie Chapter Six

‘Ewen, four years,' Grayle overrode him. ‘Graduation slated June seventy-nine; next month. Tested I.Q. of a hundred and forty. Eighty-three average. Nonetheless, I see she's been accepted at Oberlin. I'd guess someone – probably you, Mr Hargensen – has been yanking some pretty long strings. Seventy-four assigned detentions. Twenty of those have been for harassment of misfit pupils, I might add. Fifth wheels, I understand that Chris's clique calls them Mortimer Snurds. They find it all quite hilarious. She skipped out on fifty-one of those assigned detentions. At Chamberlain Junior High, one suspension for putting a firecracker in a girl's shoe †¦ the note on the card says that little prank almost cost a little girl named Irma Swope two toes. The Swope girl has a harelip, I understand. I'm talking about your daughter, Mr Hargensen. Does that tell you anything?' ‘Yes,' Hargensen said, rising. A thin flush had suffused his features, ‘It tells me I'll see you in court. And when I'm done with you, you'll be lucky to get a job selling encyclopedias door to door.' Grayle also rose, angrily, and the two men faced each other across the desk ‘Let it be court, then,' Grayle said. He noted a faint flick of surprise on Hargensen's face, crossed his fingers, and went in for what he hoped would be a knockout – or at least a TKO that would save Desjardin's job and take this silk-ass son of a bitch down a notch. ‘You apparently haven't realized all the implications of in loco parentis in this matter, Mr Hargensen. The same umbrella that covers your daughter also covers Carrie White. And the minute you file for damages on the grounds of physical and verbal abuse, we will cross-file against your daughter on those same grounds for Carrie White.' Hargensen's mouth dropped open, then closed, ‘You can't get away with a cheap gimmick like that, you-‘ ‘Shyster lawyer? Is that the phrase you were looking for?' Grayle smiled grimly. ‘I believe you know your way out, Mr Hargensen. The sanctions against your daughter stand. If you care to take the matter further, that is your right.' Hargensen crossed the room stiffly, paused as if to add something, then left, barely restraining himself from the satisfaction of a hard doorslam. Grayle blew out breath. It wasn't hard to see where Chris Hargensen came by her self-willed stubbornness. A. P. Morton entered a minute later. ‘How did it go?' ‘Time'll tell, Morty,' Grayle said. Grimacing, he looked at the twisted pile of paper clips. ‘He was good for seven clips, anyway. That's some kind of record.' ‘Is he going to make it a civil matter?' ‘Don't know. It rocked him when I said we'd counter sue. ‘I bet it did.' Morton glanced at the phone on Grayle's desk. ‘It's time we let the superintendent in on this bag of garbage, isn't it?' ‘Yes,' Grayle said, picking up the phone. ‘Thank God my unemployment insurance is paid up.' ‘Me too,' Morton said loyally. From The Shadow Exploded (appendix Ill): Carrie White passed in the following short verse as a poetry assignment in the seventh grade. Mr Edwin King, who had Carrie for grade seven English, says: ‘I don't know why I saved it. She certainly doesn't stick out in my mind as a superior pupil, and this isn't a superior verse. She was very quiet and I can't remember her ever raising her hand even once in class. But something in this seemed to cry out.' Jesus watches from the wall. But his face is cold as stone. And if he loves me – As she tells me Why do I feel so all alone? The border of the paper on which this little verse is written is decorated with a great many cruciform figures which almost seem to dance †¦ Tommy was at baseball practice Monday afternoon, and Sue went down to the Kelly Fruit Company in The Centre to wait for him. Kelly's was the closest thing to a high school hangout the loosely sprawled community of Chamberlain could boast since Sheriff Doyle had closed the rec centre following a large drug bust. It was run by a morose fat man named Hubert Kelly who dyed his hair black and complained constantly that his electronic pacemaker was on the verge of electrocuting him. The place was a combination grocery, soda fountain and gas station-there Was a rusted Jenny pump out front that Hubie had never bothered to change when the company merged. He also sold beer, cheap wine, dirty books, and a wide selection of obscure cigarettes such as Mirads, King Sano, and Marvel Straights. The soda fountain was a slab of real marble, and there were four or five booths for kids unlucky enough or friendless enough to have no place to go and get drunk or stoned. An ancient pinball machine that always tilted on the third ball stuttered lights on and off in the back beside the rack of dirty books. When Sue walked in she saw Chris Hargensen immediately. She was sitting in one of the back booths. Her current amour, Billy Nolan, was looking through the latest issue of Popular Mechanix at the magazine rack. Sue didn't know what a rich, Popular girl like Chris saw in Nolan, who was like some strange time traveller from the 1950s with his greased hair, zipper-bejewelled leather jacket, and manifold-bubbling Chevrolet road machine. ‘Sue!' Chris hailed, ‘come on over!' Sue nodded and raised a hand, although dislike rose in her throat like a paper snake. Looking at Chris was like looking through a slanted doorway to a place where Carrie White crouched with hands over her head. Predictably she found her own hypocrisy (inherent in the wave and the nod) incomprehensible and sickening. Why couldn't she just cut her dead? ‘A dime root beer,' she told Hubie. Hubie had genuine draft root beer, and he served it in huge, frosted 1890s mugs. She had been looking forward to tipping a long one while she read a paper novel and waited for Tommy – in spite of the havoc the root beers raised with her complexion, she was hooked. But she wasn't surprised to find she'd lost her taste for this one. ‘How's your heart, Hubie?' she asked. ‘You kids,' Hubie said, scraping the head off Sue's beer with a table knife and filling the mug the rest of the way. ‘You don't understand nothing. I plugged in my electric razor this morning and got a hundred a ten volts right through this pacemaker. You kids don't know what that's like, am I right?' ‘I guess not.' ‘No, Christ Jesus forbid you should ever have to find out. How long can my old ticket take it? You kids'll all find out when I buy the farm and those urban renewal poops turn this place into a parking lot. That's a dime.' She pushed her dime across the marble. ‘Fifty million volts right up the old tubes,' Hubie said darkly, and stared down at the small bulge in his breast pocket. Sue went over and slid carefully into the vacant side of Chris's booth. She was looking exceptionally pretty, her black hair held by a shamrock-green band and a tight basque blouse that accentuated her firm, upthrust breasts. ‘How are you, Chris?' ‘Bitchin' good,' Chris said a little too blithely. ‘You heard the latest? I'm out of the prom. I bet that cocksucker Grayle loses his job, though.' Sue had heard the latest. Along with everyone at Ewen. ‘Daddy's suing them,' Chris went on. Over her shoulder; ‘Billeee! Come over here and say hi to Sue.' He dropped his magazine and sauntered over, thumbs booked into his side-hitched garrison belt, fingers dangling limply toward the stuffed crotch of his pegged levis. Sue felt a wave of unreality surge over her and fought an urge to put her hands to her face and giggle madly. ‘Hi, Suze,' Billy said. He slid in beside Chris and immediately began to massage her shoulder. His face was utterly blank. He might have been testing a cut of beef. ‘I think we're going to crash the prom anyway,' Chris said. ‘As a protest or something.' ‘Is that right?' Sue was frankly startled. ‘No,' Chris replied, dismissing it, ‘I don't know.' Her face suddenly twisted into in expression of fury, as abrupt and surprising as a tornado funnel. ‘That goddamned Carrie White! I wish she'd taken her goddam holy joe routine and stuff it straight up her ass!' ‘You'll get over it,' Sue said. ‘If only the rest of you had walked out with me †¦ Jesus Sue, why didn't you? We could have had them by the balls. I never figured you for an establishment pawn.' Sue felt her face grow hot. ‘I don't know about anyone else, but I wasn't being anybody's pawn. I took the punishment because I thought I earned it. We did a suck-off thing. End of statement.' ‘Bullshit. That fucking Carrie runs around saying everyone but her and her gilt-edged momma are going to bell and you can stick up for her? We should have taken those rags and stuffed them down her throat.' ‘Sure. Yeah. See you around, Chris.' She pushed out of the booth. This time it was Chris who coloured the blood slammed to her face in a sudden rush, as if a red cloud had passed over some inner sun. ‘Aren't you getting to be the Joan of Arc around here! I seem to remember you were in there pitching with the rest of us.' ‘Yes,' Sue said trembling. ‘But I stopped.' ‘Oh, aren't you just it?' Chris marvelled. ‘Oh my yes. Take your root beer with you. I'm afraid I might touch it and turn to gold.' She didn't take her root beer. She turned and half-walked, half-stumbled out. The upset inside her was very great, too great yet for either tears or anger. She was a getalong girl, and it was the first fight she had been in, physical or verbal, since grade-school pigtail pulling. And it was the first time in her life that she had actively espoused a Principle. And of course Chris had hit her in just the right place, had hit her exactly where she was most vulnerable: She way being a hypocrite, there seemed no way to avoid that, and deeply, sheathed within her and hateful, was the knowledge that one of the reasons she had gone to Miss Desjardin's hour of calisthenics and sweating runs around the gym Floor had nothing to do with nobility. She wasn't going to miss her last Spring Ball for anything. Not for anything. Tommy was nowhere in sight. She began to walk back toward the school, her stomach churning unhappily, Little Miss Sorority, Suzy Creemcheese, The Nice Girl who only does It with the boy she plans to marry – with the proper Sunday supplement coverage, of course. Two kids. Beat the living shit out of them if they show any signs of honesty; screwing, fighting, or refusing to grin each time some mythic honcho yelled frog. Spring Ball. Blue gown. Corsage kept all the afternoon in the fridge. Tommy in a white dinner jacket, cummerbund, black pants, black shoes. Parents taking photos posed by the living-room sofa with Kodak Starflashes and Polaroid Big-Shots. Crepe masking the stark gymnasium girders. Two bands: one rock, one mellow. No fifth wheels need apply. Mortimer Snurd, please keep out. Aspiring country club members and future residents of Kleen Korners only. The tears finally came and she began to run. From The Shadow Exploded (p. 60): The following excerpt is from a letter to Donna Kellogg from Christine Hargensen. The Kellogg girl moved from Chamberlain to Providence, Rhode Island, in the fall of 1978. She was apparently one of Chris Hargensen's few close friends and a confidante. The letter is postmarked May 17,1979: ‘So I'm out of the Prom and my yellow-guts father says he won't give them what they deserve. But they're not going to get away with it. I don't know what exactly I'm going to do yet but I guarantee you everyone is going to get a big fucking surprise . . .' It was the seventeenth. May seventeenth. She crossed the, day off the calendar in her room as soon as she slipped into her long white nightgown. She crossed off each day as it passed with a heavy black felt pen, and she supposed it expressed a very bad attitude toward life. She didn't really care. The only thing she really cared about was knowing that Momma was going to make her go back to school tomorrow and she would have to face all of Them. She sat down in the small Boston rocker (bought and paid for with her own money) beside the window, closed her eyes, and swept Them and all the clutter of her conscious thoughts from her mind. It was like sweeping a floor. Lift the rug of your subconscious mind and sweep all the dirt under. Good-bye. She opened her eyes. She looked at the hairbrush on her bureau. Flex. She was lifting the hairbrush. It was heavy. It was like lifting a barbell with very weak arms. Oh. Grunt. The hairbrush slid to the edge of the bureau, slid out past the point where gravity should have toppled it, and then dangled, as if on an invisible string. Carrie's eyes had closed to slits. Veins pulsed in her temples. A doctor might have been interested in what her body was doing at that instant; it made no rational sence. Respiration had fallen to sixteen breaths per minute. Blood pressure up to 190/100. Heartbeat up to 140 – higher than astronauts under the heavy g-load of lift-off. Temperature down to 94.3. Her body was burning energy that seemed to be coming from nowhere and seemed to be going nowhere. An electroencephalogram would have shown alpha waves that were no longer waves at all, but great, jagged spikes. She let the hairbrush down carefully. Good. Last night she had dropped it. Lose all your points, go to jail. She closed her eyes again and rocked. Physical functions began to revert to the norm; her respiration speeded until she was nearly panting. The rocker had a slight squeak. Wasn't annoying, though. Was soothing. Rock, rock. Clear your mind. ‘Carrie?' Her mother's voice, slightly disturbed, floated up. (she's getting interference like the radio when you turn on the blender good good) ‘Have you said your prayers, Carrie?' ‘I'm saying them,' she called back. Yes. She was saying them, all right. She looked at her small studio bed. Flex. Tremendous weight. Huge. Unbearable. The bed trembled and then the end came up perhaps three inches. It dropped with a crash. She waited, a small smile playing about her lips, for Momma to call upstairs angrily. She didn't. So Carrie got up, went to her bed. and slid between the cool sheets. Her head ached and she felt giddy, as she always did after these exercise sessions. Her heart was pounding in a fierce, scary way. She reached over, turned off the light, and lay back. No pillow. Momma didn't allow her a pillow. She thought of imps and families and witches. (am i a witch momma the devil's whore) riding through the night, souring milk, overturning butter chums, blighting crops while They huddled inside their houses with hex signs scrawled on Their doors. She closed her eyes, slept, and dreamed of huge, living stones crashing through the night, seeking out Momma, seeking out Them. They were trying to run, trying to hide. But the rock would not hide them; the dead tree gave no shelter. From My Name is Susan Snell, by Susan Snell (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986), pp. i-iv: There's one thing no one has understood about what happened in Chamberlain on Prom Night. The press hasn't understood it, the scientists at Duke University haven't understood it, David Congress hasn't understood it – although his The Shadow Exploded is probably the only half-decent book written on the subject – and certainly The White Commission, which used me as a handy scapegoat, did not understand it. This one thing is the most fundamental fact: We were kids. Carrie was seventeen, Chris Hargensen was seventeen, I was seventeen, Tommy Ross was eighteen, Billy Nolan (who spent a year repeating the ninth grade, presumably before he learned how to shoot his cuffs during examinations) was nineteen †¦ Older kids react in more socially acceptable ways than younger kids, but they still have a way of making bad decisions, of over-reacting, or underestimating. In the first section which follows this introduction I must show these tendencies in myself as well as I am able. Yet the matter which I am going to discuss is at the root of my involvement in Prom Night, and if I am to clear my name, I must begin by recalling scenes which I find particularly painful †¦ I have told this story before, most notoriously before The White Commission, which received it with incredulity. In the wake of two hundred deaths and the destruction of an entire town, it is so easy to forget one thing. We were kids. We were kids. We were kids trying to do our best †¦ ‘You must be crazy.' He blinked at her, not willing to believe that he had actually heard it. They were at his house, and the television was on but forgotten. His mother had gone over to visit Mrs Klein across the street His father was in the cellar workroom making a bird-house. Sue looked uncomfortable but determined. ‘Ifs the way I want it, Tommy.' ‘Well, it's not the way I want it. I think ifs the craziest goddam thing I ever heard. Like something you might do on a bet.' Her face tightened. ‘Oh? I thought you were the one doing the big speeches the other night. But when it comes to putting your money where your big fat mouth ‘Wait, whoa.' He was unoffended, grinning. I didn't say no, did I? Not yet, anyway.' ‘YOU ?C'