The Golden Lily Chapter 6

â€Å"YOU SHOOK HIS HAND?† Adrian asked incredulously. I shot an accusing look at Eddie and Angeline. â€Å"Is nothing private around here?† â€Å"No,† said Angeline, as bluntly honest as ever. Eddie actually chuckled. It was a rare moment of camaraderie between them. â€Å"Was it supposed to be a secret?† he asked. We were over at Clarence Donahue's house for Jill and Adrian's biweekly blood feedings. Jill was off right now with Clarence's human housekeeper, Dorothy, who doubled as his feeder. I could take a lot of Moroi things in stride now, but drinking blood – human blood – made me shudder every time. My best coping mechanism was trying to forget why we were here. â€Å"No,† I admitted. Julia and Kristin had grilled me for date details a couple of days ago, so I'd given them some. I supposed I had to accept that once I told them anything, it would inevitably get back to everyone in the world. No doubt my Amberwood family had then passed it on to Adrian. â€Å"Really?† Adrian was still hung up on the end of my date. â€Å"His hand?† I sighed and sank back into a sleek leather sofa. Clarence's house always reminded me of some stereotypical haunted manor from the outside – but inside it was modern and well furnished. â€Å"Look, it just happened – okay, you know what? Never mind. This is none of your business. Just let it go.† But something in Adrian's expression told me he would not, in fact, be letting it go anytime soon. â€Å"With all that red-hot passion, it's a wonder you guys can stay away from each other,† said Adrian, deadpan. â€Å"Is there going to be a second date?† Eddie and Angeline looked at me expectantly. I hesitated. This was information I hadn't given up to Julia and Kristin, largely because it had only just been arranged. â€Å"Yes,† I said at last. â€Å"We're going on a, um, windmill tour later this week.† If I'd wanted to shut them all up, I'd definitely succeeded. They all looked stunned. Adrian spoke first. â€Å"I'm going to assume that means he's flying you to Amsterdam on his private jet. If so, I'd like to come along. But not for the windmills.† â€Å"There's a huge windmill farm north of Palm Springs,† I explained. â€Å"It's one of the only ones in the world that does public tours.† More blank looks. â€Å"Wind energy is a powerful renewable resource that could have a huge impact on our country's future!† I said in exasperation. â€Å"This is a cool thing.† â€Å"‘Cool,'† said Adrian. â€Å"‘Wind.' I see what you did there, Sage. Pretty clever.† â€Å"It wasn't meant to be a – â€Å" The sitting room's stained glass French doors opened, and Dimitri and Sonya entered with our host Clarence in tow. I hadn't seen him since I arrived and gave him a polite smile, glad for the distraction from my so-called love life. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Donahue,† I said. â€Å"It's nice to see you again.† â€Å"Eh?† The elderly Moroi man squinted in my direction, and after a few moments, recognition lit his features. He had white hair and always dressed as though he were at a formal dinner party from about fifty years ago. â€Å"There you are. Glad you could stop by, my dear. What brings you over?† â€Å"Jill's feeding, sir.† We did this two times every week, but Clarence's mind wasn't quite what it used to be. He'd been pretty scattered since we first met, but the death of his son, Lee, had seemed to push the old man even farther over the edge – particularly since he didn't seem to believe it. We'd told him gently – a number of times – that Lee had died, leaving out the Strigoi part. Each time we did, Clarence insisted Lee was just â€Å"away right now† and would be back. Scattered or not, Clarence was always kind and relatively harmless – for a vampire, of course. â€Å"Ah, yes, naturally.† He settled into his massive armchair and then glanced back toward Dimitri and Sonya. â€Å"So you'll be able to fix the window locks?† There had apparently been some other discussion going on before they joined us. Dimitri seemed to be trying to find a nice way to respond. He was as amazing to look at as ever, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with a long leather duster over it all. How anyone could survive wearing a coat like that in Palm Springs was beyond me, but if anyone could, I supposed it was him. Usually he only wore it inside, but sometimes, I'd see it outside too. I'd mentioned this odd wardrobe choice to Adrian a couple of weeks ago: â€Å"Isn't Dimitri hot?† Adrian's response hadn't been entirely unexpected: â€Å"Well, yeah, according to most women, at least.† Dimitri's face was the picture of politeness as he addressed Clarence's concerns. â€Å"I don't believe there's anything wrong with the ones you have,† Dimitri said. â€Å"Everything is sealed up pretty tightly.† â€Å"So it seems,† said Clarence ominously. â€Å"But you don't know how resourceful they are. I'm not behind the times, you know. I know there are all sorts of technologies out there that you can put in. Like lasers that tell you if someone's breaking in.† Dimitri arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You mean a security system?† â€Å"Yes, exactly,† said Clarence. â€Å"That'll keep the hunters out.† This turn in conversation wasn't exactly a surprise to me. Clarence's paranoia had also increased recently – and that was saying something. He lived in constant fear of what he claimed were vampire hunters, humans who†¦ well, hunted vampires. For the longest time, he'd claimed they were responsible for his niece's death and that reports of her being killed by a Strigoi were incorrect. It turned out he was half-right. Her death hadn't been the result of a Strigoi attack – it had been caused by Lee, in a desperate attempt to change back from a Moroi to a Strigoi. Clarence refused to accept that, however, and persisted in his beliefs about the hunters. My assurances that the Alchemists had no records of any groups like that existing since the Middle Ages hadn't gone very far. Consequently, Clarence was always making people do â€Å"security checks† of his house. Since Sonya a nd Dimitri were actually staying with him throughout the experimentation, that tedious task often fell to them. â€Å"I'm not really qualified to install a security system,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Really? There's something you can't do?† Adrian's voice was so soft that I could barely hear him, and he was sitting right next to me. I doubted even the others, with their superior hearing, could've made out his words. Why does he still let Dimitri get to him? I wondered. â€Å"You'd have to call professionals,† Dimitri continued to Clarence. â€Å"I'm guessing you wouldn't want a bunch of strangers coming in and out of your house.† Clarence frowned. â€Å"That's true. It'd be very easy for the hunters to infiltrate them.† Dimitri was the picture of patience. â€Å"I'll do daily checks of all the doors and windows while I'm here – just to be sure.† â€Å"That would be wonderful,† said Clarence, some of his tension easing. â€Å"Admittedly, I'm not really the hunters' usual type. Not dangerous enough. Not anymore.† He chuckled to himself. â€Å"Still. You never know what could happen. Best to be safe.† Sonya gave him a gentle smile. â€Å"I'm sure everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about.† Clarence met her eyes, and after a few seconds, a smile slowly spread over his face as well. His rigid posture slackened. â€Å"Yes, yes. You're right. Nothing to worry about.† I shivered. I'd been around Moroi enough to know what had happened. Sonya had just used compulsion – only a whisper of it – to calm Clarence. Compulsion, the ability to force your will on others, was a skill all Moroi possessed to varying degrees. Spirit users were the strongest, rivaling Strigoi. Using compulsion on others was taboo among the Moroi, and there were serious consequences for those who abused it. I was guessing Moroi authorities would overlook her soothing a nervous old man, but the small act still unsettled me. Compulsion in particular had always struck me as one of the most insidious Moroi powers. And had Sonya really needed to use it? She was already so kind and soothing. Wouldn't that be enough for Clarence? Sometimes I wondered if they just used magic for the sake of doing so. Sometimes I wondered if it was being used around me†¦ without me even knowing. Clarence's talk of vampire hunters always triggered a mix of amusement and unease around everyone. With him pacified (even if I didn't like the means), we were all able to relax a little bit. Sonya leaned back against the loveseat, drinking some fruity drink that looked perfect on a hot day like this. From her dirty clothes and haphazard hairstyling, I was willing to bet she'd been outside – not that she still didn't look beautiful. Most Moroi avoided this kind of intense sun, but her love of plants was so great that she'd been risking it to work on some of the ailing flowers in Clarence's garden. Heavy sunscreen could work wonders. â€Å"I'm not going to be around much longer,† she told us. â€Å"A few more weeks at most. I need to go back and work on some wedding plans with Mikhail.† â€Å"When's the big day again?† Adrian asked. She smiled. â€Å"It's in December.† That surprised me until she added, â€Å"There's a huge, tropical greenhouse near the Court that we're going to use. It's gorgeous – not that it matters. Mikhail and I could be married anywhere. All that counts is that we're together. Of course, if we're able to choose, then why not go all out?† Even I smiled at that. Leave it to Sonya to find a spot of green in the middle of a Pennsylvania winter. â€Å"Dimitri may stay on,† she continued. â€Å"But it'd be great if we could make some kind of progress before I go. The aura tests so far have been†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Useless?† suggested Adrian. â€Å"I was going to say inconclusive,† she replied. Adrian shook his head. â€Å"So all that time we spent was wasted?† Sonya didn't answer and instead took another sip of her drink. I was willing to bet it was non-alcoholic – she didn't self-medicate the way Adrian did – and that Dorothy could make me one if I wanted. Yet, I was also willing to bet it was terrible for me. Maybe I'd see if there was any Diet Coke in the kitchen. Sonya leaned forward, an eager glint in her eye. â€Å"Dimitri and I were talking and realized there's something obvious we've been missing. Actually, I should say avoiding, but not pursuing it would be a waste.† â€Å"What's that?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Blood,† said Dimitri. I winced. I didn't like it when this topic came up. It reminded me of exactly what kind of people I was with. â€Å"Obviously, there's something about restored Strigoi that protects them – us,† he said. â€Å"We've looked for magical signs, but the answer might be more physical. And from the report I read, the Strigoi had trouble drinking ll – his blood.† Dimitri had been about to say Lee, but had amended his choice out of respect for Clarence. The old man's dazed, happy look made it hard to tell if he understood what we were discussing at all. â€Å"They complained about it,† I agreed. â€Å"But that didn't seem to stop them from drinking it.† Strigoi could be forcibly created if a Strigoi drained a victim's blood and then fed Strigoi blood back to him or her. Lee had asked Strigoi to do this for him, but all draining him had achieved was death. â€Å"We'd like to take a sample of Dimitri's blood and then compare it to yours, Eddie,† said Sonya. â€Å"Blood can hold all sorts of magical properties, which might show us how to fight Strigoi.† I kept my face as blank as possible, praying no one would notice me. Blood can hold all sorts of magical properties. Hopefully, in all this talk, no one would recall the mystery of why my blood was inexplicably revolting to Strigoi. And really, why should they? I'd never been restored. I wasn't a dhampir. There was no reason at all they'd want me in these experiments. And yet, if that was true, why was I suddenly sweating? â€Å"We can send it to a lab for the chemical part and try to read any magical properties off it too,† Sonya continued. She sounded apologetic, but Eddie didn't look concerned. â€Å"No problem,† he said. â€Å"Whatever you need.† He meant it too, I knew. Losing blood was a million times easier for him than being inactive. Besides, he probably lost more blood in daily practice than he'd even need to give up for this experiment. â€Å"If you need another dhampir,† said Angeline. â€Å"You can use me too. Me and Eddie could help you. We'd be a team. Sydney wouldn't have to keep coming along, especially now that she's got a boyfriend.† There were so many things wrong with that, I didn't know where to start. The confidence Eddie had shown over giving blood vanished at â€Å"we'd be a team.† â€Å"We'll consider it,† said Sonya. There was a sparkle in her eye, and I remembered her saying she could see affection in auras. Could she detect Angeline's crush? â€Å"For now, I'd rather not take you away from your schoolwork. It's less important for Eddie since he's already graduated, but you should keep up with it.† Angeline looked unhappy about that. She'd had a number of difficulties with her classes, not to mention some outright embarrassments – like when she'd been asked to create a map of Central America and had shown up with one of Nebraska and Kansas. She put on a cocky face, but I knew Amberwood overwhelmed her sometimes. Jill joined us, looking bright and refreshed. Ideally, Moroi drank blood every day. They could survive on this twice-a-week schedule, but I'd noticed that Jill grew tired and rundown the farther she got from feedings. â€Å"Your turn, Adrian,† she said. He was yawning and looked startled at being noticed. I don't think he'd really been interested in Sonya's blood experiments. As he stood up, he glanced over at me. â€Å"Will you walk with me a sec, Sage?† Before I could even lodge my protest, he said, â€Å"Don't worry, I'm not taking you to the feeding. I just want to ask you a quick question.† I nodded and followed him out of the room. As soon as we were away from the others, I said, â€Å"I do not want to hear any more ‘witty' commentary on Brayden.† â€Å"My commentary's hilarious, not witty. But that's not what I wanted to talk about.† He came to a halt in the hallway, outside what I suspected was Dorothy's room. â€Å"So, it seems my old man's coming to San Diego on business next weekend.† I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms, already getting a bad feeling about this. â€Å"He doesn't know why I'm here, of course, or that I'm with Jill. He doesn't even know what city I'm in. He just thinks I'm partying in California, up to no good as usual.† I wasn't surprised that Mr. Ivashkov wouldn't know the true reason for Adrian being here. Jill's â€Å"resurrection† was top secret, as were her whereabouts. We couldn't risk any extra people – not even someone who might not mean her harm – finding out where she was. What did surprise me was that Adrian was working so hard to act like he didn't care what his father thought – but he obviously did. Adrian's face was convincing, but there was a note of bitterness in his voice that gave him away. â€Å"Anyway,† Adrian continued, â€Å"he said he'd meet me for lunch if I wanted. Normally, I'd blow it off†¦ but I'd kind of like to know what's going on with my mom – they never tell me when I call or e-mail.† Again, I picked up mixed emotions from him. Adrian's mother was serving time in a Moroi prison for crimes of intrigue. You wouldn't know it by his cocky attitude and sense of humor, but it must have been hard on him. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said. â€Å"You want to borrow my car.† I was sympathetic to those with difficult fathers, even Adrian. But my compassion only went so far and didn't extend to Latte. I couldn't risk any dents. Besides, the idea of being stuck without any way to get around scared me, especially when vampires were involved. â€Å"No way,† he said. â€Å"I know better than that.† He did? â€Å"Then what do you want?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"I was hoping you'd drive me.† I groaned. â€Å"Adrian, it takes two hours to get there.† â€Å"It's pretty much a straight shot down the highway,† he pointed out. â€Å"And I figured you'd drive a four-hour round-trip before giving up your car to someone else.† I eyed him. â€Å"That's true.† He took a step closer, a disconcertingly earnest expression all over his face. â€Å"Please, Sage. I know it's a lot to ask, so I'm not even going to pretend you'd benefit. I mean, you can spend the day in San Diego doing whatever you want. It's not the same as going to see solar panels or whatever with Brady, but I'd owe you – literally and figuratively. I'll pay you gas money.† â€Å"It's Brayden, and where in the world would you get gas money?† Adrian lived on a very tight allowance his father gave him. It was part of why Adrian was taking college classes, in the hopes that he'd get financial aid next semester and have a bit more of an income. I admired that, though if we were all actually still in Palm Springs come January, it'd mean the Moroi had some serious political problems. â€Å"I†¦ I'd cut back on things to come up with the extra money,† he said after a few moments of hesitation. I didn't bother hiding my surprise. â€Å"Things† most likely meant alcohol and cigarettes, which was where his meager allowance usually went. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"You'd give up drinking to go see your dad?† â€Å"Well, not permanently,† he said. â€Å"That'd be ridiculous. But maybe I could switch to something slightly cheaper for a while. Like†¦ slushes. Do you know how much I love those? Cherry, especially.† â€Å"Um, no,† I said. Adrian was easily distractible by wacky topics and shiny objects. â€Å"They're pure sugar.† â€Å"Pure deliciousness, you mean. I haven't had a good one in ages.† â€Å"You're getting off topic,† I pointed out. â€Å"Oh. Right. Well, whether I have to go on a slush-based diet or whatever, you'll get your money. And that's the other reason†¦ I'm kind of hoping the old man might agree to up my income. You probably don't believe it, but I hate always borrowing from you. It's easy for my dad to dodge phone calls, but face-to-face? He can't escape. Plus, he thinks it's more ‘manly' and ‘respectable' to ask for something directly. Classic Nathan Ivashkov honor.† Once again, the bitterness. Maybe a little anger. I studied Adrian for a long time as I thought about my next response. The hall was dim, giving him the advantage. He could probably see me perfectly while some details were more difficult for me. Those green, green eyes I so often admired in spite of myself simply looked dark now. The pain on his face, however, was all too apparent. He hadn't yet learned to hide his feelings from Jill and the bond, but I knew he kept that lazy, devil-may-care attitude on for the rest of the world – well, for everyone except me lately. This wasn't the first time I'd seen him vulnerable, and it seemed weird to me that I, of all people, was the one he kept baring his emotions to. Or was it weird? Maybe this was just my social ineptitude confusing me again. Regardless, it pulled at something within me. â€Å"Is that really what this is about? The money?† I asked, tucking my other questions aside. â€Å"You don't like him. There has to be something more here.† â€Å"The money's a big part. But I meant what I said earlier†¦ about my mom. I need to know how she is, and he won't tell me about her. Honestly, I think he just wants to pretend it never happened – either for that reputation of his or maybe†¦ maybe because it hurts him. I don't know, but like I said, he can't dodge if I'm right there. Plus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian glanced away a moment before mustering the courage to meet my eyes again. â€Å"I don't know. It's stupid. But I thought†¦ well, maybe he'd be impressed that I was sticking to college this time. Probably not, though.† My heart ached for him, and I suspected that last part – earning his dad's approval – was bigger than Adrian was letting on. I knew all about what it was like to have a father who continually judged, whom nothing was ever good enough for. I understood as well the warring emotions†¦ how one day you could say you didn't care, yet be yearning for approval the next. And I certainly understood motherly attachment. One of the hardest parts of being in Palm Springs was the distance from my mom and sisters. â€Å"Why me?† I blurted out. I hadn't meant to touch on those earlier questions, but I suddenly couldn't help myself. There was too much tension here, too much emotion. â€Å"You could've asked Sonya or Dimitri to drive you. They probably would've even let you borrow their rental car.† The ghost of a smile flashed across Adrian's face. â€Å"I don't know about that. And I think you know why I don't want to risk being trapped in a car with our Russian friend. As for the rest†¦ I don't know, Sage. There's something about you†¦ you don't judge like the others. I mean, you do. You're more judgmental than any of them in some ways. But there's an honesty to it. I feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The smile left his face as he faltered for words. â€Å"Comfortable around you, I guess.† There was no way I could stand against that, though I find it ironic he was allegedly most comfortable around me when Moroi gave me panic attacks half the time. You don't have to help, an inner voice warned me. You don't owe him anything. You don't owe any Moroi anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Have you forgotten Keith? This isn't a part of your job. The bunker came back to me, and I recalled how one vampire deal had landed Keith in Reeducation. How much worse was I? Social interaction was an inevitable part of this assignment, but I was blurring all the lines around it again. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll do it. E-mail me what time you need to leave.† That's when the funniest part came. He looked totally floored. â€Å"Really?† I couldn't help but laugh. â€Å"You gave me that whole pitch and didn't really think I'd agree, did you?† â€Å"No,† he admitted, still clearly amazed. â€Å"I can't always tell with you. I cheat with people, you know. I mean, I'm good at reading faces, but I pick up a lot from auras and act like I just have amazing insight. I haven't learned to totally understand humans, though. You've got the same colors but a different feel.† Auras didn't weird me out as much as other vampire magic, but I still wasn't entirely comfortable with them. â€Å"What color is mine?† â€Å"Yellow, of course.† â€Å"Of course?† â€Å"Smart, analytic types usually have yellow. You've got a little purple here and there, though.† Even in the dimness, I could see a mischievous spark in his eyes. â€Å"That's what makes you interesting.† â€Å"What's purple mean?† Adrian put his hand on the door. â€Å"Gotta go, Sage. Don't want to keep Dorothy waiting.† â€Å"Come on. Tell me what purple is.† I was so curious, I nearly grabbed his arm. He turned the knob. â€Å"I will if you want to join us.† â€Å"Adrian – â€Å" Laughing, he disappeared inside the room and shut the door. With a shake of my head, I started to return to the others and then decided to seek out my Diet Coke after all. I lingered with it in the kitchen for a while, leaning against the granite countertops and staring absentmindedly at the brilliant copper pots hanging from the ceiling. Why had I agreed to drive Adrian? What was it about him that managed to crack all the propriety and logic I built my life around? I understood why I often had a soft spot for Jill. She reminded me of my younger sister, Zoe. But Adrian? He wasn't like anyone I knew. In fact, I was fairly certain there was no one in the entire world quite like Adrian Ivashkov. I delayed so long that when I returned to the living room, Adrian was on his way back too. I sat down on the couch, nursing the last of my Diet Coke. Sonya brightened upon seeing me. â€Å"Sydney, we just had a wonderful idea.† Maybe I wasn't always the quickest in picking up social cues, but I did notice this wonderful idea was addressed to me, and not Adrian and me. â€Å"We were just talking about the reports from the night of the†¦ incident.† She gave Clarence a meaningful look, and I nodded in understanding. â€Å"Both the Moroi and the Alchemists said the Strigoi had trouble with your blood too, correct?† I stiffened, not liking this at all. It was a conversation I'd lived in fear of. The Strigoi who'd killed Lee hadn't just had â€Å"trouble† with my blood. Lee's had tasted strange to them. Mine had been disgusting. The one who'd tried to drink from me hadn't been able to tolerate it at all. She'd even spit it out. â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said carefully. â€Å"Obviously, you're not a restored Strigoi,† said Sonya. â€Å"But we'd like to take a look at your blood too. Maybe there's something about it that could help us. A small sample should suffice.† All eyes were on me, even Clarence's. The room started to close in as a familiar panic filled me. I had thought a lot about why the Strigoi hadn't liked my blood – actually, I'd tried to avoid thinking about it. I didn't want to believe there was anything special about me. There couldn't be. I didn't want to attract anyone's attention. It was one thing to facilitate these experiments and another to actually be a subject. If they wanted me for one test, they might want me for something else. And then something else. I'd end up locked away, poked and prodded. There was also the fact that I just didn't want to give up my blood. It didn't matter that I liked Sonya and Dimitri. It didn't matter that the blood would be drawn with a needle, not teeth. The basic concept was still there, a taboo stemming from the most rudimentary of Alchemist beliefs: giving blood to vampires was wrong. It was my blood. Mine. No one – especially vampires – had any business with it. I swallowed, hoping I didn't look like I wanted to bolt. â€Å"It was only one Strigoi's opinion. And you know they don't like humans as well as†¦ you guys.† That was part of why the Moroi lived in such fear and had seen their numbers reduced over time. They were the creme de la creme of Strigoi cuisine. â€Å"That's probably all it was.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said Sonya. â€Å"But there's no harm done in checking.† Her face was alight with this new idea. I hated turning her down†¦ but my principles on this matter were too strong. It was everything I'd been raised to believe. â€Å"I think it's a waste of time,† I said. â€Å"We know spirit has to be involved, and I have no connection to that.† â€Å"I do think it would be helpful,† she said. â€Å"Please.† Helpful? From her point of view, yes. She wanted to rule out every possibility. But my blood had nothing to do with Strigoi conversions. It couldn't. â€Å"I†¦ I'd rather not.† A tame response, considering the emotions churning inside me. My heart was starting to race, and the walls were still closing in on me. My anxiety increased as I was visited by an old feeling, the awful realization that I was outnumbered here at Clarence's. That it was me and a roomful of vampires and dhampirs. Unnatural creatures. Unnatural creatures who wanted my blood†¦ Dimitri studied me curiously. â€Å"It won't hurt, if that's what you're afraid of. We don't need any more than what a doctor would take.† I shook my head adamantly. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Both Sonya and I have training in this sort of thing,† he added, trying to reassure me. â€Å"You don't have to worry about – â€Å" â€Å"She said no, okay?† All the eyes that had been on me suddenly jerked toward Adrian. He leaned forward, fixing his gaze on Sonya and Dimitri, and I saw something in those pretty eyes I'd never seen before: anger. They were like emerald fire. â€Å"How many times does she have to refuse?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"If she doesn't want to, then that's all there is to it. This has nothing to do with her. This is our science project. She's here to protect Jill and has plenty to do there. So stop harassing her already!† â€Å"‘Harassing' is kind of a strong word,† Dimitri said, calm in the face of Adrian's outburst. â€Å"Not when you keep pushing someone who wants to be left alone,† countered Adrian. He shot me a concerned look before fixing his anger back on Sonya and Dimitri. â€Å"Stop ganging up on her.† Sonya glanced uncertainly between us. She looked legitimately hurt. As astute as she was, I don't think she'd realized how much this bothered me. â€Å"Adrian†¦ Sydney†¦ we aren't trying to upset anyone. We just really want to get to the bottom of this. I thought all of you did too. Sydney's always been so supportive.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† growled Adrian. â€Å"Take Eddie's blood. Take Belikov's blood. Take your own for all I care. But if she doesn't want to give hers, then that's all there is to it. She said no. This conversation is done.† Some distant part of me noticed that this was the first time I'd ever seen Adrian stand up to Dimitri. Usually, Adrian simply tried to ignore the other man – and hoped to be ignored in return. â€Å"But – † began Sonya. â€Å"Let it go,† said Dimitri. His expression was always difficult to read, but there was a gentleness in his voice. â€Å"Adrian's right.† Unsurprisingly, the room was a little tense after that. There were a few halting attempts at small talk that I hardly noticed. My heart was still in overtime, my breath still coming fast. I worked hard to calm down, reassuring myself that the conversation was done, that Sonya and Dimitri weren't going to interrogate me or forcibly drain my blood. I dared a peek at Adrian. He no longer looked angry, but there was still a fierceness there. It was almost†¦ protective. A strange, warm feeling swirled in my chest, and for a brief moment, when I looked at him, I saw†¦ safety. That wasn't usually the first sentiment I had around him. I shot him what I hoped was a grateful look. He gave me a small nod in return. He knows, I realized. He knows how I feel about vampires. Of course, everyone knew. Alchemists made no secret about how we believed most vampires and dhampirs were dark creatures who had no business interacting with humans. Because I was with them so often, however, I didn't think my cohort here in Palm Springs really understood how deeply that belief ran. They understood it in theory but didn't really feel it. They had no reason to since they hardly ever saw any evidence of it in me. But Adrian understood. I didn't know how, but he did. I thought back on the handful of times I'd freaked out around them since being in Palm Springs. Once had been at a mini-golf course when Jill had used her water magic. Another time had been with the Strigoi and Lee, when Adrian had offered to heal me with his magic. Those were small lapses of control for me, ones none of the others had even noticed. Adrian had. How was it that Adrian Ivashkov, who never seemed to take anything seriously, was the only one among these â€Å"responsible† people who had paid attention to such small details? How was he the only one to really understand the magnitude of what I was feeling? When the time came to leave, I drove Adrian home along with the rest of us Amberwood students. More silence persisted in the car. Once Adrian had been dropped off, Eddie relaxed and shook his head. â€Å"Man. I don't think I've ever seen Adrian so mad. Actually, I've never seen Adrian mad at all.† â€Å"He wasn't that mad,† I said evasively, eyes on the road. â€Å"He seemed pretty mad to me,† said Angeline. â€Å"I thought he was going to jump up and attack Dimitri.† Eddie scoffed. â€Å"I don't think it was going to quite reach that point.† â€Å"I dunno,† she mused. â€Å"I think he was ready to take on anyone who messed with you, Sydney.† I continued staring ahead, refusing to look at any of them. The whole encounter had left me feeling confused. Why had Adrian protected me? â€Å"I offered to do him a favor next weekend,† I said. â€Å"I think he feels like he owes me.† Jill, sitting beside me in the passenger seat, had been quiet thus far. With the bond, she might know the answer. â€Å"No,† she said, a puzzled note in her voice. â€Å"He would have done it for you regardless.†

Training in the Workplace

My research report is based around a questionnaire designed to analyse employee’s opinions on work based training. In particular apprenticeships, these are widely used by the government to increase knowledge and to train the current workforce in the work place increasing standards. Their aim is to raise the standard of education within the work place. â€Å"However research has shown that the UK lags behind other advanced countries in the quality and quality of the vocational skills held by its workforce† (Greehalgh 1999). Aim and description of mini project Does age affect employee’s perception of training?This research will show if the age of the employee has an effect on how they see the training, will the younger employees value the training more because they can see the benefits of possible career progression, training does increase the chances of promotion and job opportunities. The organisation for economic cooperation and development (OECD) supports that training does increase prospects. †Education and training may enhance the potential benefits that individuals can reap from participating in the labour market† (Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development 2004).Will the older staff feel this is a waste of time, they are coming towards the end of their careers and may not want to change? Will the answers help support the policy in France were they start the training at an early age. The research by (OECD) also suggests that training the young and highly educated demonstrates a clear impact on their wages and the older employees this helps in sustaining employment prospects. Are the skills learned actually transferred into the working environment? Using the qualitative approach (Grbich 2013) Carol suggests this is primarily an inductive approach.The data I will be using in my research to obtain the employees opinions on what has been gained from the training and what they feel are the major benefits. Do the employe es feel that there is a benefit at all? The government’s policy in increasing training is supported by Reith L, (2000) she reports that a significant improvement has been reported by several high street chains. Who benefits from apprenticeship training program? Although these staff have all undergone the apprenticeship training, will they use the training in their workplace? Is the training of the correct quality?This research will show if these employees believe if their training is relevant to their roles and if they feel they will be using it during their working day and how often they feel they will use it. The research process The first stage in my research process was to calculate what I wanted to find out, what were my aims and could I achieve them using a small research sample which may be too small to gain a true picture. I decided as all of the distribution staff who had undertaken the training should be asked to participate, thus giving me an accurate sample within our workplace.This however could not be multiplied to form an opinion of the whole population as the training provided to our employees was specific to our field and with such a wide range of course type’s opinions could vary extensively from sector to sector. I have considered a range of research ethics when compiling this research, confidentiality was a one of my main concerns however by informing each participant verbally and also writing a statement at the top of the questionnaire reminding them that this was anonymous.I considered age and as shown in the image 1. 1a I have a spread of age groups. All participants are male, the reason for this is that no females are employed within the sampled department. The reason I personally handed out the questionnaires was to encourage their return, each participant is a member of my distribution team and research has shown that the return rate can be very low unless monetary incentives are used. (Yu, Cooper 1983). I was not in a p osition to offer payment or reward.I provided a sealed box with a cut out so each employee could hand it in without me having the ability to read the questionnaires as they were handed in which would have removed the anonymity. By using a paper version this makes it accessible for all participants to take part and the immediate return to me via the box, thus removing the need to use a return date. This also gave me a 100% return rate and no one how was asked to complete the survey refused to do so although all participants were given a choice. Although I debated using a computer based questionnaire, with built in software to analyse the results automatically.This would have made the analysing part of my research easier, however may not have provided me with a true sample because the older generations within the proposed sample base are not as familiar with computers as the younger staff members. Thus increasing the possibility in their ability and willingness to take part. A report in Sweden suggests Technological advances tend to exclude older adults who grew up without these facilities (Berner, Rennemark et al. 2013) The use of dichotomous questions has allowed me to ask the question and get a distinctive response allowing me to analyse my questions easily.Likert scale questions have enabled me to gather responses based on the scale of opinion with more choices than either or, yes or no. One of my questions for instance is â€Å"How will your training be used in your day to day work? † this is impossible to gauge without the use of the scale. I would have had to rephrase the question and only had the option of used or not used. The dichotomous and likert scale questions have provided all of the information which is used in the results section of this report. All of my graphs and charts have been produced from these questions.The use of the open ended questions has provided me with qualitative responses which are not necessarily useful to create statis tics or prepare graphs, however they do allow me to get feedback and opinion I may not have been able to gather using other forms of questioning. Pilot Study I conducted a pilot study of my questionnaire with 3 other members of staff who would not be participants in the real questionnaire. This gave me the opportunity to evaluate my questionnaire, is it coherent and that the type and way I asked the questions could be understood.De Vaus (1993:54) cited in (VanTeijlingen 2001) suggests using this pilot study provides advance warning and this have proved to be the case so served its purpose exactly. One point that was highlighted was the question on educational levels, I was trying to gather what was their previous levels however the tester found this question was not clear and I amended the final version to include the word previous. A very simple mistake but would have rendered that section of the questionnaire useless, as I would have been unable to differentiate who had answered t he question based on previous or present after the training.Results and finding Image 1. 1a shows the age demographics of the sample As shown in image 1. 1 above there is a random spread of age groups within this sample. I do not have any employees in the department sampled under 18 years of age which would have affected the ethics. No employees are over the age of 65 which also gave me 0%. However the largest age group within the sample are between 26 – 33 years old, a 12% increase on the nearest group. Image 1. 1b below shows the mean, mode and median of the age sample. Image 1. 1b Mean Mode Median 4. 2 26- 33 4 Image 1.2 below shows that 52% have answered very relevant when asked about the relevance of the training in their employment. The mode shows that this is positive and the answers indicate that the training is worthwhile. 16% (4 responses) indicated that the training was not relevant, this can partially be explained by the fact that 2 members of this team are curren tly helping out within another department and most of the training is not suitable. None of the sample who indicated that the training was not relevant was from a particular age bracket, therefore suggesting that there is no correlation between the two and answering my first objective.From the sample used neither the younger or older age groups answered in one particular way. Had the sample been in the thousands this may have yielded a clearer correlation. Image 1. 2 shows the percentage on how relevant is the training. Image 1. 3 demonstrates how the employees feel they will use their training Image 1. 3 above suggests that the training received would be used more often than not. Again the 16 percent can be attributed to those who are currently carrying out other roles. The mode is I will use it every day. Altogether 84% are positive about the training and when they will use it.Not one respondent felt they would not use the training provided. Image 1. 4 below is very surprising, on ly 4 participants (16%) have indicated that English and Maths training would help them in their work. Thus suggesting that most employees already had the required standard and possibly suggesting that the government training is too low of a level for the majority and should be tailored to suit the individuals needs more specifically. (Steedman 1990) argued that NVQ level 1 is too low to constitute an adequate measure of skill for a worker in an advanced industrial economy.However the City and guilds training body states â€Å"Maths and English skills are surely the most valuable vocational skills of all† (City and Guilds 2013) 3 of the 4 (75%) who indicated that this training was useful also answered that they did not have any previous qualifications. Image 1. 5 shows all respondents previous level of education. Image 1. 4 Has English and Maths training helped you in your work? Previous Level of Education Answer Tally Frequency Percent Answer Tally Frequency Percent Degree hi gher education 1. 1 2 8. 00% A Level 0 0. 00% 0 Level 1. 1. 1. 1 4 16. 00% GCSE 1. 1. 1. 1 416. 00% Apprenticeship 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1 8 32. 00% NVQ 1. 1. 1. 1 4 16. 00% No Qualifications 1. 1. 1 3 12. 00% 25 25 100. 00% Mean Mode Median 3. 6 Apprenticeship 4 With the exception of English and Maths training my findings show that the training was positive and that this will be used within the employee’s duties and will be useful in the workplace. This indicates that further investment in employee training would be of benefit. This provides the answers to my second and third objective. The question what is most important to you was seeking to clarify the employees main motivation.60% chose self-satisfaction in their ability to complete a qualification as their first choice. While showing your employer you are capable was their second choice and thinking they may get a pay rise was the last option for 87%. (Kovach 1987) supports my theory that monetary reward is not the highe st motivator. Abraham Maslow (Maslow 1948) hierarchy of needs also supports my findings as he demonstrates that self-esteem and self-actualizing needs are in the top layers of the hierarchical pyramid, personal worth and fulfilling one’s own potential are high on people’s needs.The majority also answered the question on whether their employer was correct to invest in staff training answered yes. Reasons provided for answering yes to this questions were provided from my open ended questions which provided me with qualitative data. Respondent A â€Å"because better drivers mean less crashes, so better for the insurance and also reduces fuel consumption† I felt this was answering the question as taught on the training, this is what it set out to achieve in part. Respondent B â€Å"investment in the future of the company†None of the above have mentioned the benefit to themselves and the possible motivational value. Reflection The initial intention of handing out the questionnaires would have worked to my initial planning had in not been for a last minute change to my working patterns. Although this could not have been foreseen, planning for any future questionnaire would now be altered and I would distribute these in the staff pigeon holes and the use of a return date would help, this might have reduced the responses hoverer it would have proved a faster return and not relied on me personally seeing each member of the team.The sample used was selected by me and therefore is classed and non-probability because this was not a random sample and could be a bias sample because of my position within the company I cannot verify if the answers are a true reflection and truthful, I did however allow these to be handed in anonymously and told each participant to be honest. Combining a mixture of qualitative and quantitative provided me with some advantages, the ability to obtain answers from different perspectives and enhancing the validity of my findings, this is suggested by (Grbich 2013).The use of the non-probability sample means that this research cannot be used as a representative sample for the population. Although I found this part of the task easier than expected I feel because of the all-male environment and the small research sample I would like to conduct the same research across multiple companies undergoing the same training and also with mixed sex. It would also be useful to compare my findings alongside those of the management. ConclusionMy conclusion on this research is that from those sampled I cannot find any trends that would suggest from an employee point of view, that the apprenticeship training has a higher value to the younger staff or the older staff. This includes who gains from the training, the employer or the employee. The main motivational reason was self-satisfaction, Demonstrating financial reward is low on most people’s agenda as previous research has shown. The research suggests that from an employee’s point of view the training is relevant and most would use it in the day to day roles within their work place.This is however with the exception of English and Maths, it identifies that the group who found this part of the training useful were the staff with no previous qualifications, the other 84% did not feel it would not help them in their work. This demonstrates that one solution does not fit all and a more tailored training approach with different levels offered to each employee this may benefit and offer a more suitable training approach in the future. To gain accurate results this study would need to be carried out on all apprenticeship trained employees and if done insubject areas this would provide a clearer understanding within a subject area. Does level 1 in maths suffice for a hairdresser who rarely counts compared to a warehouseman who counts daily? Their response to the maths question could have the potentially to vary. References BERNER, J. S. , RENNEMARK, M. , JOGREUS, C. and BERGLUND, J. , 2013. Factors associated with change in Internet usage of Swedish older adults (2004–2010). Health Informatics Journal, 19(2), pp. 152-162. CITY AND GUILDS, July 2013, 2013-last update, Putting Maths and English learning into context [Homepage of City and Guilds], [Online]. Available: http://www.cityandguilds. com/About-Us/Broadsheet-News/July-2013/Maths-and-English-in-context [24th Novembber 2013, 2013]. GRBICH, C. , 2013. Qualitative data analysis : an introduction. 2 edn. London: Sage. GREEHALGH, C. , 1999. Adult vocational training and government policy in France and Britain. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 15(1), pp. 97-113. KOVACH, K. A. , 1987. What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers. Business horizons, 30(5), pp. 58-65. MASLOW, A. H. , 1948. â€Å"Higher† and â€Å"Lower† Needs. The Journal of psychology, 25(2), pp. 433-436. ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION & DEVE LOPMENT, 2004.OECD Employment Outlook 2004. Revised edn. Org. for Economic Cooperation & Development. STEEDMAN, H. , 1990. Improvements in in workforce Qualifications. Improvements in in workforce Qualifications: Britain and France 1978 – 88, pp. 129. VANTEIJLINGEN, E. , 2001. The Importance of Pilot Studies. Social Research Update, 35, pp. 1-2, 3, 4. YU, J. and COOPER, H. , 1983. A Quantitative Review of Research Design Effects on Response Rates to Questionnaires. Journal of Marketing Research, 20(1), pp. 36-44. Appendix The Questionnaire Training In The workplace I would like to thank you in advance for participating in my questionnaire.You have been selected to take part because you have undergone apprenticeship training within the last 12 months. The reason I am asking you to complete this is to aid my research at Hull University where I am a part time student. The information provided is anonymous and confidential and will not be shared with any part of the business, you r responses will have no effect on your employment and I would appreciate if you could be as honest as possible with your answers. Age Group (circle one age group) 18 – 2526 – 3334 – 41 42 – 4950 – 5758 – 6565+ Gender (tick one answer) MaleFemaleWhat is your highest level Education / Qualification? (Tick one you’re highest only) Degree Higher Education A Level O level GCSE Apprenticeships NVQ No Qualifications How would you rate the following in the order of what means the most to you. 1 being the most important to you and 5 least important to you. (Please write the numbers 1 to 5 in the boxes next to each option). A Qualification that is transferable in the workplace Self-satisfaction in your ability to complete a qualification Showing your employer you are capable of passing A qualification which enables you to perform better at workThinking you may get a pay rise for passing How do you rate the relevance of your training in respect of your employment? (Tick one answer) Very relevant Somewhat Relevant Relevant Not Relevant How will your training be used in your day to day work? (Tick one answer). I will use it every day I will use it most of the time I will use it some times I may use it sometimes I will not use it Part of the training involved key skills maths and English, do you think this element of the training should be included? (Tick one answer). Yes No Would you want to undertake further training? (Tick one answer) Yes No Why did you attend the training?

Why are there different perspectives on change within organisations Essay - 1

Why are there different perspectives on change within organisations Consider your answer in relation to both theory and practice and with an attention to value(s) and valorisation - Essay Example Organizational change is at the heart of contemporary organization research. Numerous theories were developed, to ensure smooth and efficient implementation of organizational change frameworks. It is unequivocally acknowledged that leaders and managers view organizational change in entirely different ways. More important is the complexity of governmental change and change management. Apparently, there is a need to explore the relevance of multiple organizational change perspectives in more detail. The following research accentuates that organizational change is the concept with no clear boundaries and draws on a number of traditions and social science disciplines (Hughes 2006). The complexity in organizational change phenomenon justifies the presence of multiple transformation management perspectives. Organizational change is interpreted in a number of ways. Numerous literatures exist on the various perspectives on organizational change and change management. The organizational change process is extremely complex. Generally, organizations apply to change, with the goal to transform and, consequentially, adapt to environmental changes (Stacey 1995, p. 477-478). Organizational change is always rational and intentional (Stacey 1995, p. 478). Most organization suppositions explicate and confirm the variability of organizational characteristics (Hannan & Freeman 1994, p. 149). The multitude of organizational change perspectives can be interpreted from a number of viewpoints. The causes and anticipated consequences of organizational change greatly affect organization attitudes to change. Environmental variables and the disciplines on which organizational change frameworks build matter a lot. The issue in question should be interpreted through the prism of the organizations’ values, missions, and performance principles. All these factors warrant examination and have to be considered in more

American Identity Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Identity Paper - Essay Example e people live in a well established society and it carries all the negative aspects whereas in America the society is not well established and whatever it has, it displays more of positive aspects. In the very outset of the letter the author makes it clear that there is not much of disparity between the rich and the poor in America as the poor and the rich are far removed from each other in Europe; for him, one can find in America â€Å"no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one; no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury in Europe† (Crevecoeur, p.49). In America people are after the primary needs of the society whereas in Europe people have already achieved the primary needs and they are after the secondary or tertiary needs of the society. In America all are equipped with ‘the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained’ (Crevecoeur, p.50). As the Americans have no superiors to work for, they work for themselves and everyone adheres to the common goodness. No castles and no proud mansions can be seen here: on t he other way the perfect living of both cattle and men are here. J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur considers an American as â€Å"a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labour, he has passed toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence† (Crevecoeur, p.56). The life in the British colonies of the North America had contributed a lot to the unique identity of the American people. In the British North American colonies people migrated from various places like England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. In each and every place of the colonies people had different attitudes, aspects, and notions too. When these mixtures of people joined together

Darwin, The Final Nail In the Coffin For Newtonian Religion Essay

Darwin, The Final Nail In the Coffin For Newtonian Religion - Essay Example eligion is likewise wrong in its assumption of passive matter needing the Will of God to set it in motion, that gravity is the ultimate proof of the supernatural act of God, and that the design of the solar system warrants a â€Å"providential God† (Olson, 2004, pp. 123-124). My argument, which favors Mechanism instead of Creation and Design, will further be supported by the weakness of William Paley’s watchmaker argument (Bendz, 1996). The publication of Charles Darwin’s writing The Origin of Species in 1859, wherein he proposed his Evolution Theory and evidences that support his findings, sparked the ancient debate between scientists and the religious (ONeil, 1996). Even before Darwin’s controversial publication, Boucher de Perthes has already put forth archaeologocal artifacts that support the Evolution Theory (ONeil, 1996). However, it was dismissed by scientists and the clergy as they go against what has generally been taught and believed—that God was responsible for all Creation (ONeil, 1996). Thus, Darwin had reopened the age-old debate between science and religion—something that was thought to be reconciled once upon a time through the practice of natural theology, wherein Sir Isaac Newton was a proponent and believer. Natural theology is the process of â€Å"moving from the observable and created to the unobservable and uncreated† as a way of establishing the existence of God (Hart, 2002). Until now, there is still a standing discussion among atheists and the religious, with the scientists being caught in the middle—as the religious aims to use scientific findings as a proof of the existence of God and the atheists, likewise, using science and logic to disprove the notion of a Deity. Scientists who have a firm belief in God have been torn between these two separate schools of thought. Hence, there is a need to look back and trace where the argument came from in order to come to a conclusion on whether science and religion can coalesce and form

Substance abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Substance abuse - Essay Example Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative can be used to resolve the dilemma developed by substance abuse. Deontology describes an act done as morally right if the person performing the act had genuine intentions. The theory has a downside that may justify wrong doing done by someone who is ignorant of the possible outcome and for this reason we integrate the theory of the categorical imperative. Categorical imperative states that when choosing, which act to pursue one, should consider if the principle behind the act can be applied at universal levels (Paton, 1947). The people involved in substance abuse, like marijuana for recreational purposes have the ability to alter their moods, relax and attain certain levels of euphoria. These people are doing substance abuse with genuine intention hence they pass the first theory of deontology. The principle behind the act is illegal as they obtained the drugs illegally. Using comparative imperative one would analyze the possible results if the principle got used in a universal basis. What would happen if people in the world practiced illegal attaining of items? Since obtaining and abusing substance is wrong, one would conclude that this acts in not moral. This dilemma can also be solved using the utilitarian rule. According to this rule, an act is said to be moral if it maximizes utility and minimizes pain of others and oneself. In the person acts to abuse the substance they will be breaking the law acting against the society set rules. This means that this action results to suffering for some people. This act would be described as egoism where one is only considering self-interests and ignoring others (Hills, 2012). Someone practicing utilitarian rule would prefer not to abuse substance and look for other alternative that will produce results with a net gain (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2011). Marijuana

Child Labor in the Victorian Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Labor in the Victorian Age - Essay Example Unfortunately, as many of those in the government were for child labor, many laws and rules stayed the same, continuing to endanger the children in their workplaces. As most of the businesses during the Victorian age were industrial and factorial, "these were the places of employment that children were limited to and forced to work, so the working conditions were horrid, and not just for the children but for their elders as well (Horn, 1997)". In many instances, such as the coalmines and gas companies, the children worked amongst harmful gases and other potentially dangerous vapors. The outdoor industries, such as shipyards and construction sites, found the children working outside in all manners of temperature and weather conditions, from heat to the icy winters, harsh sunshine to foot upon foot of snow (Damrosch, 1104). As these children often came from poor families, they were unable to afford the proper attire to keep them protected during the changing weather conditions. Other dangers that were presented to the children simply came from the areas in which they worked. On a construction site or a shipyard, there was always the fear of falling beams or walls, stepping on nails, which often led to severe infections that caused disease such as tetanus, which could not be cured during that time and the children often died from it. The children were constantly at risk for getting injured in their workplace; they were too young to be properly aware of all these dangers, and the elders took little concern to the well-being of these children, with many of the elders viewing the children as disposable - it would not be difficult to hire another child if need be. In fact, most of the injuries and deaths on the job during the Victorian age were children, and neglect or unchecked safety issues often caused these. The children, as with the older workers, received few, if any, breaks during their workdays. They were permitted meals at the proper times, but those

Gut Motility Practical assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gut Motility Practical assessment - Essay Example The stimuilation causes a reaction on the membrane. It becomes depolarized. Permeability to calcium ions is also increased. The calcium ions concentration in is increased as a result of the voltage gated calcium-ions channel. From the synaptic cleft ACh is released to fuse with the muscuranic receptors as a result. The Gs protein then activates PLC after phosphoinositides activation. Diacylglycerol and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate are generated inducing phosphorylation and leading to the regulation of the calcium ion concentration, Burnstock (1972). This is the initialization of the ileum contraction. Diacylglycerol triggers protein kinase C, phosphorylating the target proteins leading to increased Ca+2 instigating contraction. 3. Explain the cellular mechanisms of action of morphine and atropine on field stimulated-induced contractions and how/why this is affected by naloxone, using the data collected from BOTH the field stimulated and the direct ACH-induced contraction of ileum As illustrated from the graphs, it is evident that morphine has no much variance with field stimulated contraction. Atropine however recorded a substantial effect on the ACh-induced contraction. Atropine at concentration levels of between 10-9 and 10−8 M antagonized the contractile response of the tissues causing relaxation of the ileum described by Brenda et.al (1983). Morphine, through Gi-protein, restrains the formation of cAMP (Gracious et.al, 2008). Ca+2 concentrations are increased. Endogenous ACh release is effected. However, for ACh-induced contractions, M3 receptors are exogenously occupied by ACh. This initiates the ileum contraction. This indicates that morphine has minimal effect on ACh action. It restricts about 0.35mm only. Naloxone does not exploit Muscarinic receptors. According to Gillan & Pollock (1980), it behaves like an opioid receptor antagonist. It has insignificant effect on ACh-induced contraction.

Research paper (How to Prepare a News Broadcast) Essay

Research paper (How to Prepare a News Broadcast) - Essay Example Selection of area to be addressed in the news is the first and foremost step of the planning process, that follows the decision. News needs to be planned at least one day in advance of the broadcasting time. The reporter should make effort to seek information about the topic selected from the most reliable sources available. In the planning phase, the reporter chooses the course of action that he/she would adopt to reach the sources of information. The reporter proceeds to know when and at what time the sources can be approached so as to cause minimum inconvenience both the reporter and the personnel representative of the sources. If required, the reporter has to seek an appointment with a department weeks in advance of the day of meeting. In addition to that, it is the responsibility of the reporter to prepare the questions he/she intends to ask the concerned authority prior to meeting him/her in person. Lack of former knowledge of queries can ruin the meeting and render it useless. The data collected needs to be organized appropriately so as to convey maximum information in minimum time, while retaining the quality of presentation. The report necessarily begins with a title that adequately reflects all that is to follow it. After the title, the first sentence is of prime importance because a listener decides whether to listen further or not on the basis of initial wording. â€Å"A good lead-in "teases" the viewer without giving away the story.† (Salvatore, 2009). Therefore, it should be interesting enough to make the audience curious to know further. It is extremely important to ensure that the report formulated answers who did what, when, where, why and how. These questions are commonly referred to as the â€Å"Five W’s and H Rule.† (White 32). A report that answers these questions is thought to be adequately equipped with all the information

Chinese Mythology Essay Example for Free

Chinese Mythology Essay Chang-e is the lunar goddess in Chinese traditional myths. In China, she is a widely known character. She is known as a very beautiful woman who is living alone in a palace in the moon called â€Å"Guanghan Palace†. Her story is one of the most famous tragedies in Chinese myths. Recently there are several â€Å"retold† versions of the story of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon in different media. In 2010, there was a teleplay named â€Å"Chang-e† that told about the love story of Chang-e, Houyi, Wugang and Jade Rabbit. In the retold story, the relationship of these four persons is very complicated at the beginning. Later on, Houyi falls in love with Chang-e and Wugang is in love to Jade Rabbit. They try to start their new lives happily. However, a great flood troubles people, and it can be only resolved by Chang-e. The Jade Emperor gives 2 pills to Houyi and Chang-e but one of the 2 pills is destroyed and exchanged a fake one by a scoundrel. Houyi eats the fake pill when he knows this since he wants Chang-e to float to the moon and control the tides, so that she can stop the disaster. At the end, Chang-e floats to the moon alone. Jade Rabbit sympathizes with Chang-e so she also floats to the moon to accompany her. The 2 couples are both separated. There are several versions of the ancient myth about Chang-e. But the most famous one is from the book â€Å"huainanzi† . Chang-e is Houyi’s wife. Houyi gets elixir from Xiwangmu (the Western Queen Mother), and give it to his wife to store. When Houyi is going out to hunt, his student Fengmeng try to steal it but he is discovered by Chang-e. When he wants to kill Chang-e, she swallows the elixir and floats to the moon. Houyi is very angry when he backs home and Fengmeng has already fled. Houyi feels sad and miss Chang-e, so he prepares some fruits and cakes Chang-e likes as sacrifices to worship. The Mother of Moon shows mercy and allows them to meet in the night with full moon. People believe Chang-e has become the goddess of moon after hearing of the story, so they follow Houyi and pray to her. This is the origin of worship to Chang-e on Mid-Autumn Festival. Although there are many myths in ancient China, Chang-e’s story becomes one of the most famous. People have retold it for thousands of years. It is because of the â€Å"Yin Yang† culture in China. â€Å"Yin† means negative, dark, cold or female, etc. Chinese people believe the moon belongs to â€Å"Yin†, and it is the most â€Å"Yin† thing in the universe. Also, Chinese people think the moon is beautiful but lonely and cold because of the nature of Yin. So, people believed that the deity of the moon should be also beautiful, female and alone. In the story, Chang-e is a young and very beautiful woman. Her image fits people’s thinking of the moon. Her husband Houyi is a hero with great power and good at archery. He shot down 9 suns. Although these two persons are nearly perfect, their love story is a tragedy. People always remember those sad and beautiful love stories. This is the reason why tragedies are always retold again and again. Also, Chinese think that the wanes and full of the moon hint the parting and meeting of families or lovers. As the great poet Su Shi said, â€Å"People have sorrow and joy, they part and meet again and again. There are wanes and full of the moon, it is sometimes covered and it sometimes shines. These are always regrets since the olden days. † This impression fits the situation of Chang-e and Houyi. They are separated but still can meet in the night with full moon. On another hand, ancient Chinese were very curious about the moon. They thought the moon was beautiful but mysterious, and they always imaged the nature and story of the moon, and tried to get some ideas to go to the moon. From a long time ago, there are so many literary works talking about the moon. Ancient Chinese reposed their thinking on the story of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon, and retell the myth again and again. The popularity of the story of Chang-e shows ancient Chinese people’s eagerness and willingness to explore the moon. Even though they had no abilities to go to the moon, they tried to pass the idea to posterity, and that really comes true recently. In the past several decades, the space flight technology has developed significantly. Nowadays, it allows humans to go onto the moon already. In 2007, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) was launched, and the program is also named â€Å"Chang-e Program†. The lunar orbiters and lunar landers launched in this program are all named â€Å"Chang-e 1†, â€Å"Chang-e 2†, etc. The naming of the program and orbiters and landers hints that the Chinese people’s dream of going to the moon finally comes true. Chinese people can finally set foot on the moon back like the lunar goddess, Chang-e. In contemporary China, the influence of the story of Chang-e still exists in other aspects. The story is retold again and again in different media, such as films, teleplay and cartoons, etc. It is even included in Chinese primary students’ textbooks. Furthermore, many people still keep the tradition of worship to Chang-e on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is said to be largest, and Chang-e can hear the pray of people. People will prepare moon cakes and fresh fruits as sacrifices to the lunar goddess, as what Houyi did many centuries before. This tradition shows Chinese people’s mind does not change among thousands of years. Chinese know that the parting and meeting of people are unchangeable, just like the nature principle that the moon wanes and becomes full, moves in circles. Therefore, on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people recall their family, friends or lovers. The olds hope their children and grandchildren can be with them to celebrate the festival and view the full moon together. And in the night, adults will tell the story of Chang-e to the children, and introduce the culture of Mid-Autumn Festival. The story is retold again and again, and passed to the posterity. Even though those family members has left hometown, they will try their best to back home before the festival to celebrate with the family. In the night with full moon, they pray to the lunar goddess for reunions of members of family. People are eager for â€Å"Yuan†. In Chinese, the word â€Å"Yuan† means the shape of circle and also the reunion of members of family. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people always pray for â€Å"Yuan† of both the moon and family. Even though the myth of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon has more and more retold version since people’s different interest in different times, the culture of it will never change. Chinese people will keep the core value of â€Å"Yuan†, as well as other Chinese traditional core value. References 1. Wen Yu , (2010) ‘ ’, Enorth. com. Retrieved from http://ent. enorth. com. cn/system/2010/11/23/005412956. shtml 2. Gao You. Huainanzi Explanation . Worldbook Taiwan, 1965. 3. Jiang Pei Ying , 300 Song Poems . Thread-Blinding Books Publishing House, 2003. 4. Liu Zhi Qing , (2007) ‘â€Å" † ’,Xinhuanet. Retrieved from http://news3. xinhuanet. com/tech/2007-07/07/content_6340313. htm.

Vertical And Horizontal Integration In Tourism.

Vertical And Horizontal Integration In Tourism. Horizontal Integration is when two industries merge together; it is where one business which offers a product takes over another business who offers similar products. An example of horizontal integration is the First Choice Group and this is because they own First Choice Hypermarket as well as First Choice Travel Agency. The reason why they are part of the horizontal integration is because looking at the buying chain they are on the exact same level. Vertical Integration Vertical Integration is when one company expands its business into a variety of different areas; the company buys another similar organisation however it is on a different level of the chain. An example of vertical integration is Virgin Trains which is owned by Virgin Group and also in partnership with the stagecoach. In the travel industry two companies take over one another in order to find out different ways to sell their products and services to their customers. A clear description of the trade and regularity body giving an explanation of their role and how they link to a tour operator: ABTA is the UK travel trade association for tour operators and travel agencies; they have a responsibility which is to help their members grow their business in a sustainable way. ABTA has been around for more than 60 years and it is essential that customers look for the ABTA logo when booking their holidays. The reason for this is because if anything was to go wrong when they are abroad ABTA is there as their security so therefore they will be able to sort out the complaints. Fairness, reliability and expertise is what the ABTA brand stands for and over 1350 companies use ABTA. FTO stands for the Federation of Tour Operators which ensures that UK outbound tour operators are interested in by people as well as providing about 90% of overseas package holidays which are sold in the UK. FTO has become more aware of sustainable tourism and responsible tourism that brings changes in the environment in all areas which are affecting holidays located overseas looking at the safety, hygiene and health requirements. AITO stands for the Association of Independent Tour Operators who offers a high level of customer satisfaction; members who are part of AITO are all small companies which are independent. They all specialise in certain destinations and are owner managed. Tour operators have recently be involved with AITO, their role is to organise activities for different types of holidays including; city breaks, culture, luxury, sports and adventure. CAA stands for the Civil Aviation Authority who is involved with the aviation police keeping charge of all airports; they also make sure that planes are safe before they take off. They ensure that all UK civil aviation standards are achieved and are responsible for four main areas which consists of; economic and airspace policy, consumer protection group, regulation and air safety group. Explain each legal framework and give examples: EU package travel regulations is a package holiday which has to be checked over before selling it to customers to see if it is under the EU law. A package holiday includes; transport, accommodation and excursions for example a trip to the museum or a tour guide. The travel regulations are clearly written so people can understand what cannot and be measured as a package holiday. Trade description act is another law which states that it is wrong to give out false information to customers about a certain product or service. An example of this is a staff working in a travel agency has helped a couple book their honeymoon and has told them that they will be staying at a beach hotel so therefore they walk down the stairs of their room and outside is the path to the beach. The couple get there and does not recognise the area and this is because there is no beach around the area or at the hotel, this is false information about facilities which was given to the customers by a member of staff in a travel agency. Consumer protection act all relates to safety and price, it protects all consumers from false pricing. This Act has three different rules to remember and they are; information must be basic and clear when it is given to all consumers, suppliers must all confirm any purchases made and if a package is wrong and they are not happy with the purchase consumers therefore need to be given a time in order to think and change their mind if it is needed. ATOL licence stands for the Air Transport Operations Licence which is a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) system which protects all people who have bought a package holiday as well as flights from a tour operator. ATOL protects customers from losing out on any money and offers and also covers accommodation and flights being booked as one. D) A grid showing external influences that could affect Tour Operators with examples: Political An example of this is terrorism, the Bali bombings on 12th October 2002 was a terrorist attack which happened on an Indonesian Island called Kuta. From this attack there were 202 deaths and the number of people that were injured was 240, everyone in Bali from the surrounding areas where the attack occurred shows pictures from the bombings and these have been kept to show others what really happened and how it affected everyone. Tour operators lost out on some money as they had to stop selling package holidays and flights to Bali because of the terrorist attacks, the number of visitors dropped a huge amount. It decreased from 33,000 people to 32,000 and now this year it has increased to 52,000. Economic An example of this is fuel prices from the aircrafts, if this increases then when customers book their holiday tickets this will then therefore increase as well. International Air Transport Association (IATA) updates their website now and again on prices of the jet fuel, prices all vary on where the fuel is bought for example the country and how long a flight will take. Tour operators are allowed to increase their prices as well as advertising new fuel supplements, prices can be adjusted now and again according to charges being made. Customers will be able to see a breakdown of their flight ticket when booking a holiday showing the different prices. Social An example of this is religion which has become really popular in the world today especially holiday trips abroad to religious cities. The most popular religious trip is to Lourdes in France, six million people visit a year to ask for healing either for themselves because they are sick or for family and friends who they love. Lourdes is where miracles can happen, visitors can renew their faith and bathe in the cold water where they go in naked with a towel wrapped around them but come out completely dry. Religious trips to the same country could affect tour operators when they book them because they could get bored after a while booking to the same country for their customers over and over again. However some tour operators may know little about religious trips which can lead to customers being very disappointed and not return back to that travel agent to book their holidays in the future. Technological An example of this is online booking using the internet either at home or at work, this saves customers going to the shop and booking their holiday. Checking in on mobile phones is also acceptable as there are apps which people can download and do everything on there. Check-in must be done at least couple of hours before departure as well as printing out your boarding pass if needed. Tour Operators will earn less money than usual; this means there will be less work for travel agents therefore they will get bored easily as no customers are entering the store. Staff working at the travel agencies will feel it is a waste of time learning basic information for the different countries and they will also give up on decorating their store and shop windows if everyone has decided to book their flights and accommodation using technology. Staff may give up after a while and quit their job if they feel they are not doing anything for a whole day. Environmental An example of this is the volcanic ash cloud which started off from Iceland and slowly expanded across Europe in 2010. British Airways cancelled all their Long Haul and Short Haul flights, Ryanair which is a budget airline cancelled every single flight of theirs to and from the UK and Thomson Airways also cancelled every single flight. Out of 22,000 flights only 5,000 flights were running when the volcanic ash cloud appeared, in result customers were required to call their airline up before departure time to check if their flight was still going ahead. Flights which could no longer go ahead as normal and part of a package deal, it was then the tour operators task to cover every single cost however only if it is protected by Air Transport Operations Licence ATOL. This role can affect all tour operators because they will be getting a number of complaints and calls from customers every single minute, this gives them a high responsibility within the role and a lot of patience. This is ha rd work for them to control by themselves because not every customer is patient and nice so the reason it can affect staff from travel agents because they can also get into trouble if they answer back and act really rude and disobedient towards their customers. E) A factsheet showing the challenges to a tour operator: RESPONSIBLE TOURISM: First Choice offers a green brochure which includes hotels that has been given a Travelife Award for their responsibility of the environment. First Choice staffs are all able to download this brochure from the website to show customers when they enter the store and book a holiday with them because some people are interested in looking after different environments. There are a variety of choices looking at sustainability for travellers; activities and excursions. Projects from the World Care Fund are also included in order to show their ideas and care of the environment, the brochure allows customers to book their package holidays in a simple way when looking for countries abroad that relate to looking after the environment. MAINTAINING THE MARKET SHARE: Thomson Group is one of the popular tour operators which owns a variety of hotels across the world, one of the hotels is called Hotel Annabelle in Paphos. The hotel offers a variety of features; meals, swimming pool, entertainment, activities, facilities and special offers. Thomson also has rights towards transport and accommodation, they offer; private transfers which is a taxi straight to the hotel and reserve seats before departure for every single customer. Check-in before departure to avoid queuing up in the airport and customers are allowed every single benefit option however this can only be allowed if customers have booked a package holiday. Thomson also owns over 50 different aircrafts, they update their website now and again to improve their services and to advertise new products. TRENDS TOWARDS INDEPENDENT TRAVEL: Dynamic packaging which is very similar to a packaged holiday but the only difference is dynamic packaging has more of a variety of choices as an independent traveller. An example of dynamic packaging is as follows: hotel choice + flight choice + airport transfer choice. It is much cheaper in price and this is because everything needed for a holiday is put altogether. Tour Operators can lose out on earning money given by customers after booking their holiday because now everyone prefers to put their own packaged holiday together. If some customers do not know how to do so they can start charging customers who need the help. The way a company runs its business can be affected only when they lose out on money which means fewer customers are booking their holidays in travel agencies.

Comparison Between The Sons Vito and Kiss Miss Carol Essay example --

Comparison Between The Son's Vito and Kiss Miss Carol The differences in both stories are style and language, settings and culture against the social class. The similarities in both stories are feeling that you don't belong to a certain place or area, feeling isolated and trapped, and being unable to do anything because of someone who has more power and are controlling you. Other similarities are the love for their birthplace, education, making important decisions, possible sad endings and conflicts between the parent and child. In 'Kiss Miss Carol' we feel sorry for Jolil and possibly Mr.Miah, and in 'The Son's Veto' with Sophy and possibly Sam. In 'The Son's Veto' the problem between Sophy (the mother) and Randolph (the son) is a class issue because Sophy worked for Randolph's father who was an upper class than Sophy. When Mr.Twycott. Sophy's husband had sent Randolph to a creditable private school and then to Oxford University, Randolph had a beneficial and extensive education, unlike his mother's terms of class. Sophy desired to marry Sam whose background was similar to Sophy's; Randolph completely disapproved of this, even though Sophy kept asking for numerous years. Randolph responds very selfishly. The problem in 'Kiss Miss Carol' is the difference between Jolil and Mr.Miah. Jolil wants to play a part and join in the school play. Mr.Miah Jolil's father is entirely against his son taking part in the play. He believes you should go to school to study and not to play. Mr.Miah states, "Play's all the time, no good" In 'The Son's Veto' the author requires us to sense compassion for Sophy for the reason that she was ... ...as 'The Son's Veto' for the reason that it consisted of a cataclysmic finale and the language was commendable, remarkable and diverse. The style was finally accustomed to the story due to the commiseration and grief that the author projects towards Sophy. The extensive portrayal provides a clichÃÆ'Â © and comprehensible acquaintance and representation of the dilemmas in the story. It also has an immense consequence on the reader, because it primarily makes the reader recognize the condition and the obstacles in the story. In this present generation people would have selected Sam over their son if they were in Sophy's situation. Sophy was trapped between Sam and her son and she chose her son, which displays how things were in the past. People remained solidly to their priorities rather than being indulged in anything.

Character, Morals, Integrity Essay -- Values Argumentative Essays

Character, Morals, Integrity Morals, character, integrity, what do these words mean†¦.actually, the question is, do you have them. A man named Dwight Moody once said, â€Å"Character is what you are in the dark.† You cannot see your morals, character, or integrity, these are only shown as your values. Someone could only show their own values, which are very important to themselves and everyone else. Integrity is the firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. The way you show your integrity, character, and morals or how they are effect you in either a negative or positive way. There are many causes to how your values are. So as you know, integrity is very important and it is important to have it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, people may ask, â€Å"What are morals, character, and integrity,† but they should know that they are mainly the same thing. Character means moral or ethical strength, or as H. Jackson Browne once said, â€Å"Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.† John Wooden said that everyone should, â€Å"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.† Morals are rules or habits of conduct with reference of standards of right and wrong. Socrates once said, â€Å"Moral philosophy is hard thought about right action.† Paul Tillich stated that, â€Å"Morality is not a subject, it is a life put to the test in dozens of moments.† Integrity is the...

Dont Care High - Summary :: essays research papers

The novel Don’t Care High was written by Gordan Korman. This novel, as well as other novels he wrote were based partly on his experiences in high school, where he says, â€Å"the only way to get through high school alive was by laughing†. This novel relates to teenagers about high school and how their high school is different. Korman wrote his first novel at age 12, This Can’t Be Happening at McDonald Hall. Korman graduated from New York University’s Dramatic Writing Program. He now lives in New York City with his wife and children. This novel is based in various High Schools in New York City. One of the main characters Paul, just moved to New York from Saskatoon, Alberta. This novel takes place in the mid 1980’s. At this high school, Don Carey High, none of the students or teachers care about anything that goes on within the school. They have no team spirit at all, there are no teams or clubs because no one shows interest. Shelton Pryor was Paul’s best friend; he was more outgoing than Paul. He didn’t care what the consequences of his actions would he just wanted to have fun. Shelton was upset because of the facts that nobody cared about the school. He had the idea that if they got a student to run for president things would change.Paul Abrams is a conniving teenager who causes trouble when he is around his best friend Sheldon. Since he was the new kid, he acted shy and quiet until he made some friends. Paul met a teen named Sheldon, he was Paul’s first friend in New York and they shared similar interests. When he arrived at Don Carey High he felt weird because it was a dump and know cares about what happened to it. Paul knew right from wrong but Sheldon did not, so Paul got in trouble when he was around Sheldon. Paul’s nickname was â€Å"ambition† because he was the only one with ambition in his life. Mike Otis is a main character that is certainly not popular at Don Carey High. He is an unusual person who is shy and he keeps to himself. He always wears a big raincoat and safety pins in his jeans. Mike is a dweeb who minds his own business. Mike was also a paranoid person. For example, he gave the wrong address and phone number to the school so if something happened they could not contact him.

Are we born with knowledge? Essay

Are we born with knowledge? Of course we are. In this speech, I am going to argue about how ability is knowledge and what knowledge we have when we were younger. As a child, we have been brought up by our environment and culture. Without this, what knowledge would we have? Let’s say, the minute a child is born, and you throw this new born baby into a â€Å"swimming pool† or â€Å"water† it will immediately be able to swim or float. Now the question is, where did this baby get the knowledge of being able to swim from? They were born with it. Many people would disagree with the fact that babies are born with knowledge. For example, David Hume suggests that we are born with a ‘Tabula Rasa’ a blank slate. That we have no knowledge at all, and that we need to experience things and have ideas of these things to gain knowledge. However, the reason we ARE born with knowledge is so that we can have a starting point in life. Our baby knowledge is a foundation for us to build and gain knowledge on. An example of this would be, when we are young we have the privilege of being able to eat and sleep or anything else related. As Hume said, if we were born with ‘blank slate’, then we would not even be able to do these simple things. Also, we are born with many abilities to do many things. Such as â€Å"swimming† when we are younger, it is an ability we have. However, when the time comes and we start to learn how to ‘swim’ we lose this natural ability of being able to swim. Many people would argue that ability ISN’T knowledge. Yet, if ability means we are able to do something, then we must be able to KNOW how to do it. This means that ability is KNOWledge. Furthermore, it is clear that we ARE born with knowledge, and that even if our knowledge has changed over the years, it has been growing since then. This proves that when we were born, we all started off with a basic foundation of knowledge, and are able to develop that knowledge as we grow older. ï » ¿Are we born with knowledge? Essay Are we born with knowledge? Of course we are. In this speech, I am going to argue about how ability is knowledge and what knowledge we have when we were younger. As a child, we have been brought up by our environment and culture. Without this, what knowledge would we have? Let’s say, the minute a child is born, and you throw this new born baby into a â€Å"swimming pool† or â€Å"water† it will immediately be able to swim or float. Now the question is, where did this baby get the knowledge of being able to swim from? They were born with it. Many people would disagree with the fact that babies are born with knowledge. For example, David Hume suggests that we are born with a ‘Tabula Rasa’ a blank slate. That we have no knowledge at all, and that we need to experience things and have ideas of these things to gain knowledge. However, the reason we ARE born with knowledge is so that we can have a starting point in life. Our baby knowledge is a foundation for us to build and gain knowledge on. An example of this would be, when we are young we have the privilege of being able to eat and sleep or anything else related. As Hume said, if we were born with ‘blank slate’, then we would not even be able to do these simple things. Also, we are born with many abilities to do many things. Such as â€Å"swimming† when we are younger, it is an ability we have. However, when the time comes and we start to learn how to ‘swim’ we lose this natural ability of being able to swim. Many people would argue that ability ISN’T knowledge. Yet, if ability means we are able to do something, then we must be able to KNOW how to do it. This means that ability is KNOWledge. Furthermore, it is clear that we ARE born with knowledge, and that even if our knowledge has changed over the years, it has been growing since then. This proves that when we were born, we all started off with a basic foundation of knowledge, and are able to develop that knowledge as we grow older.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act) Essay

The HIPAA is divided into two sections. Section one seeks to protect the right to continued health insurance cover for employees and their family members in the event of losing their job or shifting to another job (U. S. Department of Labor, 2010). This section also dictates limitations to group health plan benefits, which can be provided to preexisting condition to between 12 and 18 months after enrollment into the plan. However, the act does not impose such restrictions to long term plans provided separately from general health plan. This enables employees and their families to have insurance cover even after losing employment. The other crucial provision of the HIPAA is on patient information privacy (National Institute of Health, 2007). In a move to simplify and improve the efficiency of the use and transfer of health information, the act dictates for the development of rules setting standards for such operations within the health care system. The section also defines various programs for mitigating fraud activities or abuse of power in the system. On privacy, the act gives provisions for the use of disclosure of protected health care information of a patient (National Institute of Health, 2007). This is quite crucial in protecting the right to privacy and confidentiality by a patient. HIPAA also sets new transaction and code sets rule, which defines the standards for health care institutions to file their electronic claims for compensation. In addition, the act has established a security rule, which dictates new safeguard in dealing with electronic protected health information (U. S. Department of Health & Human services, 2003). To ensure effectiveness as well as flexibility of the security rule, it defines both required and addressable specifications for implementing the rule; with the latter being more flexible. Therefore, the HIPAA protects employee health insurance cover after loss of change of job and safeguards protected health information use and disclosure.

Organisational Behaviour Essay

In any organisation, the employers exhibit varied behaviours. Behaviour is a social corporate responsibility (Antal & Sobczak, 2004). An organisation should not just demand some kind of behavior but be incorporated in ensuring that this is achieved. The systematic study of how individuals act in an organisation, either individually or as a group is referred to as organisational behaviour (Michael, 2005). There exists many factors that would shape the way people interact in organisations. These seek to predict, control and explain some facts. Despite major criticisms concerning the ethics of controlling the behavior of workers, organisational behaviour has been very instrumental in the development and success of organisations. In the modern world, organisational behaviour is a rapidly growing field. People from different regional and cultural backgrounds have to work together thus making it necessary to moderate the way they interact. These studies have been integrated with other domains for effectiveness, these are: anthropology, ethics and leadership. The leadership domain seeks to give an insight into the role leadership plays in an organisation in the change management process. An individual learns some behaviour from an organisation either directly or indirectly (ICMR, 2007). Theories widely accepted in learning are cognitive, behaviouristic and social learning theories. Learning is attributed to the association between stimulus and response. In behaviouristic theory, the desired behaviour is achieved through the application of theories on behaviour. This theory tends to deal with those skills learnt to be used later excluding those capabilities that are inborn (Behavioural Theory, 2008). People are taught and learn rather than inherit traits. In the context of ‘Waiting Tables for Godot’ passage, we can analyse some of the traits that are taught rather than the inherent ones. Jean-Pierre Godot, the owner of La Maison taught his staff some of the things he expected them to observe. He taught the workers to work as a team and work excellently for that matter. It is out of this that Diane knew that she had to give her best. How else could she be excellent? In essence, she was putting into practice what was taught to her by Godot; excellence in duty. It is also easy to see that Diane had acquired some other knowledge elsewhere. She had learnt to balance several plates on her arms. Diane could speak French despite living and studying in Australia. It is therefore only wise to conclude Diane should have been taught French. This enabled her to perform well since it is clear from the passage that she was an excellent worker. Customers complemented her for offering efficient service and even gave her tips. Cognitive theory involves learning through mistakes (Domjan, 2003). An individual avoids the path leading to pre-committed mistakes the next time similar activities are undertaken (Jaffee, 2000). In the case passage, when Diane dropped a bowl of bouillabaisse appetiser, her boss yelled at her and even went ahead to deduct $44. 95 form her pay. This taught Diane that carrying many order plates at once was not safe. It also made her realise that Godot was not concerned with the good deeds by the workers but rather by their shortcomings. Slowing down her pace was the immediate lesson that Diane learnt from this experience. From the same mistake, the University of Canberra student realised that with a slower pace, she would make little money to meet her needs. It was only advisable for her to carry on at the same pace but take more caution to avoid any outbursts from her boss. Lastly, the kind of behaviour that is passed on through observation is expounded in social theory. An individual watches some traits that others exhibit and adapts the same. It is very common with children. According to Miller and Dollard (1941), the observer imitates the observed action which is then adapted and rewarded with a positive reinforcement. Diane, a newly employed worker at La Maison observed the cook being scolded by Godot. She immediately learnt that she had no option but to give the best in her capacity if she was to avoid any trouble. By observing the nature of her customers, she learnt to be friendly and even employ some other skills like speaking French when need be. Diane observed that by warmly welcoming customers she had served before, she was able to retain them. She thus employed her courtesy skills to retain customers. Social behavior includes the inherent characteristics. Diane exhibited traits like the art of balancing several plates on her arms. She was also talented in the recommendation of wines that go well with specific meals. This Canberra student had persuasive skills to convince customers to buy lavish desserts by the way she described them. Her memory never failed. She correctly entered her orders and duly delivered them. Moreover, she remembered repeat customers and ushered them back warmly. These are some behavioural traits that are not necessarily taught. They could be inborn. Consequences have been used in many cases to determine the occurrence of behaviour. This is referred to as operant conditioning or instrumental conditioning. Learning occurs only at that point where the learner appreciates the connection that exists between behaviour and its consequences (Wagner, 2005). It is operated in by the environment but maintained by consequences. Reinforcement and punishment could either be positive or negative. The positive aspect is achieved when it is delivered due to some response whereas the negative is withdrawn due to a response. Extinction is another tool of operant conditioning where there exists no change in consequences following some response. In punishment, the behaviour of an individual is weakened following the experience of some negative condition (Operant Conditioning Basics, 1999). It is of significance to note that it is only response that is extinguished, punished or reinforced. Positive reinforcement exists where a pleasant stimulus that enhances a certain behaviour is a result of a response. In ‘Waiting Tables for Godot’, customers kept complementing Diane’s service as a consequence of her excellent service. They would also give tips to this University student. Godot on the other hand always yelled at her workers. The La Maison owner would even use French to express his dissatisfaction. In a way, this made sure things get done the right way. It is seen that even Diane becomes more careful when handling his order plates to avert losses like the one experienced before. Godot explained to new workers what he expected from them; excellent job. This, if taken from Diane’s reaction, shows that workers gave their best because of this initiative. On the other hand, negative reinforcement is a situation where a behaviour is a result of stopping a negative condition, usually considered unpleasant. For example, when Godot scolds his cook and chef, they get things moving. When he yells out his anger at Diane for dropping bouillabaisse appetiser on the carpet, Diane reconsiders how careful she is with her job. She therefore averts the negative consequences where she has to break her employer’s property and even have her pay deducted for compensation. It is also clear that Diane finds some work to do during her vacation than just stay at home to avoid rice and spaghetti meals when she resumes back to Canberra University the following semester. Positive punishment would refer to a situation where a response occurs as a result of an aversive stimulus. This includes the introduction of loud noise or shock. Jean-Pierre Godon knew how to employ this tool. He would yell at his workers if only to get things moving faster. Regularly, he would speak in French if only to drive the point home. At one particular time, when Diane dropped the bouillabaisse appetiser, she was scolded and part of her salary deducted to cater for the losses her employer had incurred. This produced positive change as she became more careful in whatever she handled in La Maison thereafter. When Diane’s pay was slashed, she opted to observe extra caution. Not only was her pay deducted but she also lost a considerable amount of tips because of the slow down in her service. This served to improve the way she handled her order plates. This condition where a favorable outcome is withdrawn following an unpleasant behaviour is known as negative punishment (Wagner, 2005). Both the negative and the positive punishment result to decreased behaviour. There are conditions that result when a behaviour that had been reinforced previously ceases to be effective. This is extinction. In the case passage, Diane is portrayed as a very efficient worker who would go extra lengths to accomplish her duties. For instance, she would balance several plates on her arms which made her avoid many trips to the kitchen. She would also carry out her duties so well that Godot, her boss, never crossed paths with her. However, on the day she messed herself by dropping appetiser of bouillabaisse on the carpet, all these things ceased to be meaningful. Her expertise in balancing several plates in her arms was no longer a positive attribute. It had cost her $44. 95 of her pay. It was therefore not worth going on with this but rather resort to carrying just a few plates at a time. Although she did not break any item in La Maison henceforth, Godot was still irritated with this University student. Godot was not satisfied with her wait staff effort. No matter how hard they tried to fulfil their boss’s demands, Godot would still hurry them up with insults in French. Their effort was therefore extinct. Diane’s life was surely affected by these learning tools in one way or another. Positive reinforcements made her achieve her targets. When customers would complement her, she would feel that she was doing the right thing. This motivated her to offer the best that she could. Customers would tip her, t times to a high of $23 a day which implied to Diane that she would not take rice and spaghetti in the next semester at the University of Canberra. She would also get more customers into Godot’s business place because of her good communication and interpersonal skills. Nonetheless, some negative reinforcement aspects caused her humiliation. When Godot finds her on the wrong and scolds her, she is forced to do away with quite a portion of her pay as compensation for the losses the boss incurs. She is prompted to reduce her service speed to avert similar happenings. When Godot imposes a fine to Diane for her actions, he knows that this will assist this lady avoid carelessness in the future. She is forced to serve lesser customers which implies reduced tips for her. This is positive punishment since it is meant to give positive results. It is out of this that this student becomes cautious with her work. Though this impacted negatively on her goals, losses in the organization was prevented. From the unpleasant behaviour of Godot in the context of Diane, this worker changes and becomes even a better employee as she does not break items anymore but becomes more cautious. There are various ways that an employer would incorporate in their management to yield the desired results. Godot’s idea was to pay per hour and allow the workers have tips from customers. It would thus ensure that at no one particular hour would the workers desire to do nothing. They would always seek to be busy each unfolding hour. This simply meant that Godot would have an all time operational business. This translates to more work and more profits for him. He would also not have to pay for any wasted hours during the day than if he was to pay, say per month. It will also mean that he could employ new employees every hour and avert the problem of absenteeism. Tips on the hand encouraged the workers to serve more customers in anticipation for more tips. This similarly translates to more work and consequently profits for Godot.