Petroleum and Investment Grade Rating

Petrolera Zuata, Petrozuata C. A. case study â€Å"La Apertura† (The Opening) †¢ Target: Orinoco Belt heavy/extra heavy oil accumulation (biggest known in the world) †¢ Key Strategy: Opening Venezuelan oil sector to foreign oil companies †¢ How: Profit sharing agreements, operating service agreements, strategic joint-venture associations †¢ Ownership: PDVSA or subsidiaries contribute10 years), fixed interest rates, fewer more flexible covenants, larger amounts. – Cons: fund must be raised in a lump sum.Excess funds create a drag on earnings (negative carry) †¢ Rule 144A market (private placement market): – Pros: Like public bonds + speed, underwritten within six months – Cons: only qualified investors can invest in them Conditions needed: hot markets and investment grade rating What kind of debt to choose? †¢ The sponsors should use 144A (private bonds) to fund the deal because of the important advantages and the significant d isadvantages which can arise by using the other debt kinds. Rule 144A has big advantage of time – Markets seem to be going in the right direction (Hot markets) – What else is needed?†¦ (on the next slide: Investment grade) Investment Grade Rating †¢ Agencies look at 3 main factors: sponsors’ creditworthiness, project’s economics and Venezuela’s sovereign risk. †¢ Problem: Venezuela’s rating: S&P â€Å"B† Moody’s â€Å"Ba2† †¢ Petrozuata is strictly connected with country’s risks because it is controlled by PDVSA which is Venezuela’s state oil company and operates in Venezuela †¢ If Venezuela defaults on its debt Petrozuata will default too unless†¦ Conoco Inc. is a subsidiary of DuPont which operates worldwide and has investment grade rating †¢ Investing in Petrozuata is indirectly investing in DuPont †¢ If you invest in Petrozuata your real investment is also in Vene zuela and DuPont †¢ Petrozuata project has a very good structure and business projections †¢ Same comparables with other oil companies operating in other countries and having investment rate grading †¢ Ras Laffan example of oil company having higher rating than the country in which it operates(Qatar) In order to obtain investment grading it is very important to have DuPont in the deal †¢ If rating agencies consider the fact that Petrozuata will repay its debt although Maraven defaults on its part of debt because DuPont wants to mantain its good reputation it might obtain an investment grading †¢ If Venezuela is strictly linked to Petrozuata and has a â€Å"B† then Petrozuata should have at least a â€Å"B† rating plus a considerable bonus because the risk is diversified into DuPont †¢ Project’s base case DSCR would probably have to exceed 1. 0X †¢ Break-even point low enough so the project can cover all operating and financing costs if oil prices fall substantially Is it a good deal? †¢ We would invest in project bonds as they will likely yield a higher return compared to the 21% cost of equity. Factors that need to be considered: †¢ Hierarchy of payments is good (referred to â€Å"Cash Waterfall†) †¢ Balance Sheet and Income statement suggest PDVSA and DuPont are supposed to be solid companies †¢ Oil prices are not that volatile; fluctuating but arresting around a price between $20 and $25 per barrel (suggested nominal break-even price in 2008 $8. 3 per barrel) †¢ Lower operating costs with respect to competitors (cash operating cost around $3. 19 against industry median at $8. 55) †¢ More than enough heavy crude oil reserves to sustain the planned production according DeGolyer & MacNoughton (U. S. based oil consulting firm) †¢ Project’s design in accordance with good industry practice; complying with Venezuelan and International environmental laws as stat ed by Stone & Webster Overseas Consultants, a U. S. ngineering and consulting firm What should Conoco take into account? †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ True problem is not very favorable business environment Theoretically, if all contracts are respected and hierarchy of payments holds, the only entities bearing risks are PDVSA and DuPont with their capital investment Banks and whoever invests in project bonds according to the hierarchy of payments should be a safe investor Uncertainty in government’s future actions could be very harmful.Remember that in January 1976 the Venezuelan government nationalized the domestic oil industry and the compensation package was only 20% of market value!!! (according to foreign oil companies). Lending to Petrozuata is indirectly investing in Venezuela’s business environment and doing business with the government as PDVSA is 100% government owned, which has a non-investment grading by rating agencies †¢ What should Conoco do? Take carefully in consideration what has been mentioned †¢ Make an in depth analysis on Venezuela’s macroeconomic issues †¢ Try to revise the â€Å"Off take agreement† to be sure of having the right to buy the 104,000 BPCD at the pre-fixed price †¢ If benefits exceed these further costs then consider equity investment †¢ Otherwise the best move would be to take some other entity in the deal to diversify risks even more †¢ Personally, we would be very cautious with investing equity capital as Conoco.

Attention to Detail Essay

Paying attention to detail is a key part in today’s society not only in the Marine Corps or the military but in civilian life as well. No matter what career or MOS you are in you need to concentrate and focus on attention to detail. Without it one could miss a crucial part or step in the process and mess something up. It could be as small as a document that you can redo or as big as not getting a bolt right on a plane and destroy millions of dollars of equipment and get someone killed. There is a reason we are constantly told to pay attention and don’t get complicit. In the military attention to detail is key and very important and should be a part of everything you do. An example of attention of detail would be to bring canteens and jerry cans to refill canteens but without checking to make sure there is water in them they are useless. Another would be safety rules on the range. You may know them but if you don’t pay attention you could forget to put your weapon back on safe after firing. Also if you forget to tighten a bolt to the right torque it could cause something to go wrong and destroy millions of dollars of equipment and get someone injured in the process or even killed. In civilian life it is important to pay attention to detail for many reasons. If you work in an office or work with documents all day need to make sure each one is accurate and a filled out correctly. Making sure to use capitation where it is needed and using the right forms and formats. It should take time to fill forms out and make sure they are correct reading them over multiple times. If something is messed up with the forms it could cause issues later when the documents are needed. No matter what you do in life attention to detail is key and should be implemented in everything you do. It could mean everything from as small as a form or as big as a plane. You are told to do something a specific way pay attention to every detail and don’t mess anything up.

Administrative law in Public Policy

The manholes are public utilities that are owned by municipals, regional authorities, or even companies which are hired to maintain them.   They are mainly used as access points to underground utility vaults for sewers, electricity, telephone storm drains and gas (Buckley, 2004). A fall into a manhole caused by negligence is cause enough to sue.   In this case if you can prove beyond reasonable doubt that if the authority in charge of that particular network of manhole into which you fell did not properly maintain or inspect the manholes, then, you may stand a chance of winning the case.   The ‘person’ to be sued in this case would be the authority responsible for the particular public utility, for which that particular manhole is used for (Buckley, 2004). To win, you would have to offer sufficient evidence to prove that the Authority in question had actual or constructive notice of the condition of the manhole as required by the utilities service facilities exception to governmental immunity act which provides that, â€Å"A dangerous condition of the facilities of steam, sewer water way, except that the claimant to recover must establish that the dangerous condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury which was incurred and the local agency had actual notice under the circumstance of the dangerous condition at a sufficient time prior to the event to have taken measures to protect against the dangerous condition†, as per sec. 8542 (b) (5) (Buckley, 2004).   Failure to prove this would result in a compulsory no suit. Reference Buckley, W. Okent, C. (2004). Torts and Personal Injury Law (The west Legal studies series) New York: Clifton Park: Delmar Learning.

Twelve Angry Men Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Twelve Angry Men Analysis Paper - Essay Example At the start of their deliberations, all the jurors pass a guilty verdict against the defendant except one juror. This forces the juror to examine the evidence and after tireless arguments, they emerge with a not guilty verdict. Analysis Due process is one of the major principles of American jurisprudence, which is enshrined in the fifth amendment of the constitution. Due process requires that no person be detained to respond for a capital, or an infamous offense, except on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury. Before a person is convicted on a criminal offence, due process requires that the Jury come to a unanimous decision. Lack of a unanimous guilty verdict in the first vote in Twelve Angry men, ensures that the jury re-examines the evidence until not all of them vote guilty as their verdict. This is to ensure that the correct verdict has been reached which is a sign of agreement by all the jurors, solidarity, and unity and to prove that the decision lacks any doubt. A unan imous decision will also ensure that the accused does not face another trial (Siegel, Schmalleger and Worrall 39). Due process also requires that the prosecution prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to ensure that the jury returns a conviction of guilty. In case the Prosecution fails to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, then the defendant will always be acquitted. Proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt also ensures that the prosecution has given enough evidence to show that evidence establishes a particular point to a moral certainty and that it is beyond dispute that any reasonable alternative is possible (Siegel, Schmalleger and Worrall 44). The prosecution could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt in Twelve Angry Men hence the jury’s decision to come back with a not guilty verdict. Due process of law requires a presumption of innocence by the government on a criminal in case of lack of any contrary evidence. Presumption of innocence is applied in due process to ensure that the government proves the case of the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. The defendant in this case is presumed innocent before the hearing and when due process takes effect, he is found not guilty because the prosecution’s case could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt. A defendant in any criminal case has a right to a jury of his peers. This ensures that the defendant gets a fair verdict, which will be morally held and cannot be contested (Siegel, Schmalleger and Worrall 56). One of the jurors who voted the defendant guilty at first is juror 3. He has preconceived notions about the case and quite antagonistic to juror 8 who votes not guilty. He is a temperamental man who loses his temper whenever anyone opposes his ideas. He has a bad relationship with his son and this makes him to judge the defendant guilty for his crime due to his problems at home. He argues that based on the evidence provided, the case was simple and straightforward thus his conviction that the defendant is guilty. He however changes his mind and is the last person to vote not guilty after coming to terms with his problem. Juror 10, Ed Begley is one of the jurors who show prejudice in terms of his judgment. He votes guilty at the start because he believes that the defendant comes from the ghetto and people from the ghetto kill

Human genetic enhancement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human genetic enhancement - Essay Example The introduced genes may support the normal genes and enhance certain traits and this also provides solution to many human genetic or phenotypic disorders such as short height etc. However, the implementation of the technology on humans have raised a number of ethical concerns since it alters nature’s selection and destroys the original identity of the person who is being bio-enhanced even though the same technology maybe beneficial is used knowledgably and hence the U.S policy makers must keep a number of things in mind before adjusting the limit to which genetic enhancement maybe allowed. The President of America has ordered the removal of all limitations on the research involving stem cell technologies since the field is deemed promising and the research of â€Å"human embryonic cells and human non-embryonic cells has the potential to lead to better understanding and treatment of many disabling disease and conditions† (The President,2009, 10667). This has enable rese arch endeavor in the field of enhancement however, this is deemed â€Å"interfering† and â€Å"unethical†. In the framework of human rights, each individual has the right to his or her own genetic identity and hence enjoy the uniqueness bestowed through the genetic makeup. The molecular tools that helps to manipulate this genetic makeup destroys this uniqueness and the original identity of the person which automatically leads to violation of the basic human rights. One of the most important features of genetic enhancement at the embryonic level is that it would enable a baby to have 3 and even 4 genetic parents at one time and therefore gives rise an ethical dilemma since this will interfere with the identity of the child. Researchers who are associated with the development of the technology claim that human genetic enhancement is a primary tool for preventing or diagnosing genetic disease in babies. Rob Stein informs us that geneticists and researchers have found out how to manipulate the DNA in the human egg and this is being hailed as an immensely advanced achievement since it will help prevent hereditary genetic disorders in the babies (All things Considered,2012). The researchers develop healthy embryos by substituting the mutated or defective DNA in the baby with normal DNA taken from healthy gene. Mitchell in his article says that a line must be drawn between genetic therapy and enhancement. The scientists involved in genetic enhancement technology have diminished the line between using genetic manipulation for treating genetic problems and disorders and substituting or supplementing normal genes with selected better genes to create a superior human (Mitchell,2010). Biological enhancement is not in conformity with the true motive of medical treatments. Medical treatments are aimed towards providing good health to patients and keeping them as â€Å"natural† as possible i.e. the internal and the external balance of each individual mus t be kept optimum and a complete state of homeostasis must be maintained. Mitchell writes â€Å"Whether we call it healing, wellness, or shalom, the goals of medicine are restorative and preventive† (Mitchell,2010) and human genetic advancements must not be thereby deemed as a method for clinical prevention of diseases. It cannot be denied that man has always wanted his children to be better. It is often a

Whistle Blowing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Whistle Blowing - Assignment Example Through whistle blowing, employees are able to act on matters that are out of the set code of conduct. According to Johnson (2003), whistle blowing helps in building a safe working place, protects the name, and earnings of the organization. At times, an employee may desist from reporting potentially harmful practices in the organization as it often raises differences in the organization. It is important to note that whistle blowing may lead to division among various parties in an organization (Johnson, 2003). The other people who are affected by whistle blowing tend to dehumanize the whistle blower in various ways. In the long run the whistleblower may desist from the act (Johnson, 2003). Ethics hotlines are a crucial tool in enhancing reporting of the irregularities in an organization (Corey, Marianne & Callanan, 2011). It is, therefore, important for an organization to have ethics hotlines. To begin with, ethics hotlines help avoid the conflicts that arise from whistle blowing (Corey, Marianne & Callanan, 2011). Additionally, hotlines help the employees access some immediate help in case there is an urgent need. Corey, Marianne & Callanan (2011) outline that, hotlines are imperative in ensuring that the employees develop a trustworthy culture in the organization they work. This can be indicated to be a merit in strengthening organizational governance. However, ethical hotlines have numerous disadvantages such as cost. There is often mistrust of the independence of the hotlines. Employees may fear to make calls since the person that is operating the hotline may be the target or may recognize the person that is being reported. Lastly, the hotlines often raise securit y concerns (Corey,

Evidence for Practice Innovation. Evidence-Based Nursing Essay

Evidence for Practice Innovation. Evidence-Based Nursing - Essay Example Due to the fact that evidence in nursing practice is a recent idea, it has not been embraced by many nurses. In fact only about 15% of the nurses in practice work within the requirements of evidence based practice. This small percentage is quite devastating since this concept has been well explained and its significance documented . This figure also shows the negative attitude that is present among the nurses towards the concept in question. Due to this negative attitude they have not embraced the concept thus derailing its success. It is also human that people become resistant to changes that occur in their field of work, especially if the change is as demanding as in the case of carrying out researches as in this case of evidence based practice. Many decisions that are made in bid to improve the quality of health care services offered always leaves out EBPN showing some bias towards the idea. This calls for the nurse leaders to take the initiative to find a way through which they can facilitate the diffusion of the concept of evidence among the nurses. These leaders will have to innovate an easier way to facilitate the nursing workforce to adopt this excellent concept of evidence based nursing practice. This thus forms the platform for the discussion of this topic on evidence based practice innovation amongst the nursing workforce. In this essay the issues to be discussed include the following. First, is the reason as to why the subject was chosen for discussion, second is to formulate a focus question. The essay also requires the writer to plan and carry out a structured search in order to find relevant evidence that will answer the focused question. Synthesis, appraisal and evaluation of differing types of evidence will be discussed and so will be the relevance of this topic to practice development.   Ã‚   Rationale for the choice of the subject Evidence for practice innovation being the topic of the discussion was chosen for various reasons. To begin with, there is a great necessity to innovate the concept of evidence for practice so as to make it easy for the nursing workforce to embrace the idea of evidence in practice. This is because the idea of evidence is very beneficial in the nursing profession and it will ensure that the services offered by the nursing workforce are scientific. Being one of the people in favor for the evidence based nurse practice; the writer is obliged to facilitate its innovation so as to eradicate the negative attitude many nurses have towards it3. Many nurses that are in practice face a huge challenge in translating research evidence into their practice. For this reason many of them recent the idea of using EBPN in their practice. If this idea was innovated making the interpretation process easy, many of these nurses would embrace the idea with lots of ease. Innovation would also be a wise move to ensure that there is adequate time for clinical attention to the patient. Time has always been a challenge for the nurses due to the increasing demand in health care services. Another

Position arguments on immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Position arguments on immigration - Essay Example Given the socio-cultural implications of this phenomenon, a critical assessment of the positive consequences of the immigration phenomenon must be done in relation to the host country and home country of the immigrants must be carefully done. As such, this paper aims to focus on the advantages of immigration by: firstly, elucidating the nature of immigration from a socio-cultural standpoint, and secondly, going through the specific advantages of immigration. From a more general perspective, immigration can help improve the economic status of the original country through the money being sent by migrants to their families. In this regard, disparity in wealth between developed and developing countries could be resolved. In addition to this, immigration can also enrich the host country’s cultural orientations through the influx of new ideologies and perspectives, thus, strengthening its social capital. The arrival of people with different socio-cultural backgrounds can indeed help people from the host country to analyze certain societal issues in a much wider perspective. This paper, therefore, wishes to zero in on these aforementioned benefits in order to bolster its thesis that promoting immigration is tantamount to recognizing the need to develop a more unified and open-minded global community. As highlighted in an online article entitled Immigration, one of the biggest benefits of immigration is tied with wealth distribution (Shah 1). For one, with the migrants’ perspective of getting any job that could allow them to earn a living, human capital of the host country is said to be reinforced. In fact, the migrants’ willingness to take on whatever job is available helps the host country fill up the areas that badly need workforce. In this regard, undermanned job functions are usually filled in by these migrants, thereby increasing the productivity of the industries involved. From a managerial

HCM427-0801A-01 Human Resource Management in Health Care - Phase 3 Essay

HCM427-0801A-01 Human Resource Management in Health Care - Phase 3 Discussion Board - Essay Example secretary, we have been told that she is no longer interested with her job since she strongly feels that all of her improvement suggestions are not taken seriously by the doctors. Based on the medical secretary’s explanation, it is very clear that she is a leader in her own way because of her desire to develop improvement suggestions for the betterment of the health care organization. In line with this matter, self-management serves as an effective intrinsic motivation on her part. (Graham & Unruh, 1990) It means that simple one-on-one rewards such as a sincere acknoweldgement for her effort and determination to develop improvement suggestions is all she is asking for. Basically, there are two types of rewards that could improve the job performance and satisfaction of the employees. These are the company rewards which are offered by the organization management and the one-on-one rewards which are being extended by the employees’ bosses. Traditional reward system such as compensation and promotions are slowly becoming ineffective in terms of motivating the generation X and Y employees. (Craig, March-April 1989) Material rewards such as cash incentives could also result in demotivating the employees. (Anthony, Dearden, & Bedford, 1989; Cecil Hill, Spring 1989) Basically, the main reason why ‘pay-for-performance’ concept fails to work is because in exchange with the money, the pride and job satisfaction of employees suffer. Eventhough extrinsic rewards such as increase in pay or bonus given to employees could still be effective in some cases, a more recent study shows that intrinsic rewards / motivation such as congratulating the employees for a job well done either verbally, written on a personal note, through public recognition, or implementing a celebration for success in work performance is more effective in motivating employees to increase their work performance. (Graham & Unruh, 1990) The best way to retain and regain the job satisfaction of

Weekly current event 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly current event 2 - Essay Example his collections, we see humour, the impertinence, the tendency to explode myths, and the manipulation of pop iconography all that we knew to be part of the label’s founder Franco Moschino spirit and designs, commented Raffaello Napoleon, Chief executive officer of Pitti Immagine. There is also uniqueness in his work. He has ultra-sensor focused in the current times in the way he combines fabrics and materials, the best types because his designs are luxurious. The Womenswear presentations from Thomas Tait have been named as one of the events not to miss during the London Fashion Week. It brings out the unexpected use of volumes and the devotion to design. This gave him an offer to express his creativity in Florence. Thomas Tait addresses various issues in the globe with his collections. He says that a fashion designer should always keep things off-balance, Offer buyers what they need and most importantly one should offer things inside and out which is crucial for the fashion public and media. Many fashion designers may lack the viewpoint and vision that may not be good for the fashion business. Fashion should bring out the originality and should also be full of

National Geographic Essay Example for Free

National Geographic Essay The first website is the National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com), which is very diverse in terms of the topics it features and discusses on their site. It talks about the environment, humanity, history, entertainment, and travel. Due to the variety of topics, the website caters to everyone and anyone who seek reliable information. Five topics were researched including the brain, heart, skin, digestive system, and lungs. The search was very easy because the website has its search option where users can type what they are looking for and the website will generate the nearest results that it can find. Other topics can also be accessed with ease because the website features hyperlinks on the left side and on top, which are very easy to find. For the topics that were researched, images and graphics were available for users to understand the topic better. It also has a â€Å"Daily News† section, which features the latest news about the environment, space, and people. The website does not contain any grammatical errors and information are organized in such a way that they fall in the proper category. It also posts contact information so that users can contact the company if they want to research more or if they want to verify what they have learned. Considering that National Geographic is a known company with its own television channel, it is not hard for users to trust the content of its website. The website is very easy to navigate and it presents everything in such a way that users would not question the contents. For those who would use the website to research on educational topics, they would certainly find useful and accurate information because the National Geographic is known to conduct researches, documentaries, and studies. The company consults professionals and specialists to make sure that everything they post are correct and accurate. Wellness. com is a community for people who want to learn more about wellness and improve their lifestyles. It is also a place where people who have knowledge about wellness and healthy living can share what they know to those who want to obtain information. According to the website, it aims to create a place where people can obtain wellness information that can be trusted and used by everyone. In terms of evaluating the website for its accuracy and reliability, it can be said that the website can probably do better. Much of the information posted can be questioned because the authors are the members of the community and everyone just shares information with each other through the site’s forums. The members can post blogs about different topics, mostly about simple things like lying to get treatment for menopause, self-criticism, and breast cancer. The website has its search option that would return results from the site’s blogs and forums. Due to the importance of obtaining health-related information only from professionals, the website lists providers by category. Users are also given the option to search a provider by name. Information on health is categorized and listed alphabetically so that users do not have a hard time finding specific topics. It also offers wellness information for pets so that users who have pets have a place to gather information. Multimedia content is not available in this website and there are not much images featured. However, to compensate for its cons, the website has its contact page where people can contact the organization if they have any inquiries or recommendations. Overall, it is not a great place to obtain accurate information but it is a good place to find people who share the same experiences and thoughts. If a person wants to find a community to belong to in terms of wellness and health, then Wellness. com is the right place to go.

Teenage Wasteland Essay Example for Free

Teenage Wasteland Essay Many mothers make mistakes with their first child. They may not give them enough attention, or they may give them too much attention. In the two short stories â€Å"I stand Here Ironing† by Tillie Olsen and â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† by Anne Tyler, both of the mothers reflect back on the struggle they had raising their first child. They talk about how they handled situations and what they would change if they could do it over. Both â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† and â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† depict a mother struggling with guilt, thereby showing the difficulties involved in raising children. Lastly, both stories depict mothers struggling with guilt over past decisions made concerning their first child. In â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† the mother regrets that she didn’t have the knowledge then, that she does now. She shows this when she says â€Å"My wisdom came too late† (Olsen 813). The mother feels that she did better raising her other children, and only made mistakes concerning her first child. When she looks at her daughter’s life she finds herself wishing she could have done more for her. Just like in â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† by Olsen, â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† by Tyler also depicts a mother struggling with guilt over decisions she made while raising her son. The author shows the mothers helplessness by saying â€Å"Had she really done all she could have? † (Tyler 1170). The mother felt helpless in the problems with her son, and feels guilty for not trying to do more. She also wonders if she had really done all that she could have to help her son or if she pushed him too much. Both mothers struggled with guilt and the consequences of their decisions concerning their first child. There are many difficulties that arise while raising children; these short stories are about two mothers that both struggled with the guilt of their decisions involving their first child. The majority of new mothers make mistakes with their children that they later regret. It’s all part of learning the best way to do things and finding the way through unfamiliar territory.

Tourism In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Tourism In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is known to the world as the center of Islam and one of the very few countries in the world to have maintained Islamic law the sharia. According to the U.S department of state (2010) Saudi Arabia remained as an absolute monarchy until 1992, at which time the Saud royal family introduced the countrys first constitution based on the sharia. With an area of about 865,000 square miles, Saudi Arabia is roughly one-third the size of the continental United States, and the same size as all of Western Europe. Saudi Arabias oil region and main source of wealth lies along the Persian Gulf. This oil-derived wealth allowed the country to provide free health care and education while not collecting any taxes from its people. At the time of World War II Saudi Arabia had one-third of all known oil reserves, but falling demand and rising production outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) endangered the country with domestic unrest and undermining its influence in the Gulf area. However, they swiftly recovered with a blossoming economy. Standard of living is calculated by ranks, such as real income per person and poverty ranks. Measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. The best statistic for measuring standard of living is the same one the UN uses to measure the level of development of a nation. The human development index (HDI) which is used as an alternative to measuring GDP in order to determine the countrys well-being. The HDI provides a measure of the average three aspects of human development, living a long and healthy life, education and having a decent standard of living. According to the latest U.N human development report (2007) Saudi Arabias HDI value is .843. This denotes that Saudi Arabia ranks high on the human development index. Other aspects taken into consideration when measuring the kingdoms HDI are life expectancy rates, under 5 mortality rates, and literacy rate. According to the latest U.N human development report (2007) Saudi Arabias life expectancy rate is 72.7 years old. The under 5 mortality rate in Saudi Arabia is 21.27 deaths per 1,000 according to the World Bank (2008). In terms of literacy rate only 85% of Saudi Arabians are literate. The Saudi government is working on improving the literacy rate in Saudi Arabia. According to the latest U.N human development report (2009) Saudi Arabias GDP rank minus HDI rank is at -19 a negative number indicates that the HDI rank is lower than the GDP per capita (PPP US$) and that poverty is low in that country. Gender inequality occurs on a daily bases in Saudi Arabia. According to Abdella (2010) the kingdom allows men to twice the inheritance that women are allowed. Women are required to have a guardian escort them for many of lifes daily tasks. Without the presence of a guardian, a woman cannot study, access health services, marry, travel abroad, have a business or even access an ambulance in an emergency. Saudi women do not have the right to drive. It is illegal for a woman to be in the company of a man who is not in her immediate family. Young women are still not allowed to study certain subjects, such as geology however it is indicated that women can travel abroad alone for studies .On the subject of polygamy, men are permitted by law to have up to four wives. Women do not have equal access to the courts or an equal opportunity to obtain justice. Abdella (2010) acknowledged that the government ought to evaluate laws and policies and revise basic Laws in order to ensure gender equality and exclude the discrimination of women. In Saudi Arabia population growth is outpacing the economic growth and availability of services and infrastructure in the country. The CIA world fact book (2010) proved that by contrast to the U.S, Saudi Arabia experiences a high population growth rate of 1.85%. Saudi Arabias growth rate is lower than average developing countries, which is typically around 2.5%; but higher than the U.S 1% population growth rate. Due to its population Growth Issues Saudi Arabia is facing difficulties in providing jobs, water, food and energy to its indigenous young population and there is a widening gap between the ability of the economy to create jobs and the population growth rate. A major difference between economic growth and human development is that economic growth focuses on the enlargement of income, while Human development focuses on enlarging all human options. According to United Nations human Development Program (2010) education, health, clean environment and material well being do not necessarily depend on income. Thus, the options available for improving peoples lives are inclined to the quality of economic growth in its wider sense, and the impact is by no means confined to quantitative aspects of such growth. The end goal of investment in human capital, in terms of health, education, nutrition and training, is to boost production and generate additional income. Investments in physical infrastructure are a crucial attribute of Saudi Arabias current economic development drive. According to Hayward (2009) the kingdom seeks to reduce its reliance on the oil industry. Saudi Arabia announced a huge economic stimulus budget for 2009, allocating more money for education and an increase in public spending by 15.8 per cent. The Saudi Government plans to spend a tremendous amount of money on infrastructure projects in the next five years as the kingdom seeks to benefit from lower construction costs amid the global financial crunch. The construction division will be motivated by the launch of six economic cities to be completed by 2020. According to Hayward (2009) these six new industrialized cities will diversify Saudi Arabias economy and are expected to amplify GDP. Projects currently underway in the Kingdom include two huge railway initiatives, which will boost trade and tourism networks. Work continues to expand in Saudi Arabias port network as the country contests with other Gulf States to offer a gateway to Middle East markets. With the expanding population growth issues the pressure is being put forth on the countrys utilities. The Saudi agricultural sector is the second largest industry in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has achieved immense agricultural development, conquering the difficulties of scarce rain, meager subterranean water, limited local manpower and widely dispersed cultivatable lands. According to the CIA world fact book (2010) many individuals migrate to Saudi Arabia for employment. In 2009 only 6.75% of the population was employed in agriculture and 21.40% employed in the services. Agriculture has grown at an average annual rate of 8.7 percent since 1970 and accounts for more than 9.4 percent of Saudi Arabias GDP. According to The Saudi network (2010) in order to maintain agriculture, the Saudi Government has built more than 200 dams to preserve rainwater, with storage capacity of 689 million cubic meters. In order to finance this development, the Saudi Agricultural Bank was established in 1964. It is a specialized agricultural bank; it extends long-term, interest-free loans to farmers and agricultural companies. According to The Saudi network (2010) the Saudi Government has also supplied seeds and saplings at nominal prices. It has afforded veterinary and agricultural guidance and plant protection services. Other measures include the purchase of strategic agricultural crops, such as wheat and barley at high prices, through the General Organization for Grain Silos and Flour Mills. Public discussion about environmental issues has increased significantly throughout Saudi Arabia, Following a series of floods in the Kingdom. According to the Saudi network (2010) the most important environmental issue facing Jeddah is sewage. The estimates on the area of the city that is currently connected to the sewer pipes vary from 8-14%, with around 80% of houses using septic tanks. In recent years, the waste from the citys septic tanks has been discarded in the Briman Sewage Lake, better known as Musk Lake centre. However, environmental and health anxiety following last years floods, coupled with a royal decree ordering the emptying of the lake, have prompted city officials to find alternate solutions. The use of percolating pits septic tanks without a concrete bottom that allow sewage to drain into the ground led to soil and underground water contamination as well as a rise in the water table. The lack of a proper sewer system has created an ecological calamity. Global warm ing has also affected Saudi Arabia more than any other country recently. The temperature in Saudi Arabia has never allowed it to snow in Saudi Arabia. However, due to global warming it recently snowed in Saudi Arabia. Due to political conflict resulting from the wiki leaks incident the Saudi government is hesitant towards implementing environmental policies. No country in the world will be spared from the effects of the financial crisis and resulting in a global recession. According to Bourland (2008) For Saudi Arabia, it has completely shifted the focus of economic policy from controlling inflation to restoring confidence in the financial sector. We see the following key implications for the Saudi economy. Oil prices will be significantly lower than previously anticipated and reduced production will exacerbate the impact on oil revenues. Finance for local and foreign companies doing business in the Kingdom will be less easily available and more expensive. According to Bourland (2008) economic growth will slow as problems accessing suitably priced financing and lower oil revenues delay project implementation and impair confidence. Lower oil revenues will mean the end to the huge budget and current account surpluses of recent years. Sharply lower commodity prices and a strengthening of the riyal will cause inflation to fall back rapidly o ver the next 12 months. Due to corruption in Saudi Arabia, the Public choice theory would help improve Saudi Arabia. The Public choice theory is most effective when government agents are self interested and will not do things in the public interest and in situations where the government is corrupt. Public choice theory encourages minimized Government and maximized market in development strategies. Government policies in Saudi Arabia encourage gender, social, and educational inequality. Corruption is perceived as significant. According to the index of economic freedom (2010) Saudi Arabia ranks 80th out of 179 countries in transparency. Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index for 2008. The absence of transparency in government accounts and decision-making encourages a perception of corruption on the part of some members of the royal family and in the executive branch. Government procurement is an area of concern. Bribes, often disguised as commissions, are allegedly commonplace. Corruption is currently preventing Saudi Arabia from reaching its full economic potential. The less fortunate population of Saudi Arabia relies on paying off officials to get things done. Those without money are always left behind. Even wealthy citizens are affected by corruption due to the fact that they are unable to invest and expand their wealth. Crime rates are very low in Saudi Arabia due to their extreme punishments set by sharia laws. Consequently, crime does not have a significant impact on Saudi Arabias economic development. The main problem pertaining to crime in Saudi Arabia is its transnational trafficking Issues. According to the result of the Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) Saudi Arabia has become a destination country for workers from South and Southeast Asia who are allegedly subjected to involuntary servitude physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement, and withholding of passports as a restriction on their movement. Domestic workers are predominantly vulnerable because they are restricted to the house in which they work, without being able to seek help. According to the result of the Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) Saudi Arabia is also a destination country for N igerian, Yemeni, Pakistani, Afghan, Somali, Malian, and Sudanese children trafficked for forced begging and involuntary servitude as street vendors; some Nigerian women were reportedly trafficked into Saudi Arabia for commercial sexual exploitation Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. The national government consists of a Council of Ministers, headed by the King, who holds the post of the Prime Minister. Its absolute monocracy regime has helped increase corruption within Saudi Arabia. The kingdom would be a very poor country without its oil revenues. There is a definite need for economic diversification for economic diversification is Saudi Arabia. Inequality and corruption are also major economic setbacks for Saudi Arabia. Gender inequality and human right violations occur on a daily bases in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, the government uses whatever interpretation of the Quran that is convenient for them in order to justify their greed and human Right Violations.

The Significance of Women in Chaucers The Cantebury Tales Essay

The Significance of Women in Chaucer's The Cantebury Tales      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Cantebury Tales, many stories are told leading to a wide range of topics.   One particular and significant topic Chaucer touches on many times is the role of women.   In stories such as The Millers Tale, The Knight's Tale, and the Wife of Bath's Tale the women of each story are portrayed extremely different.   Alisoun, Emelye, and the wife of Bath, each exemplify three dissimilar ways in which women love.   The way Chaucer describes each of these characters is dependent on the out come of each particular story.   Chaucer is careful with his word choice and figurative language with each woman, enabling the reader to get a very visual and sometimes humorous picture.    Since the Miller's Tale is a parody of the Knight's Tale there is great wit when it comes to the role that Alisoun plays. Emelye on the other hand, is constructed in a more serious and respectful way. Emelye of the Knight's Tale has two men madly in love with her- Arcite and Palamon.   These two men are imprisoned for life and can only imagine the idea of loving and having Emelye as a wife.   Palamon upon seeing Emelye cries, "Into myn herte, that wol my bane ./ The fairnese of that lady that I see / Yond in the gardyn romen to and fro / Is cause of al my criying and my wo. / I noot where she be woman or goddesse. . . (1097-1101). His statement of love is so profound that Palamon is not even sure if Emelye is a woman or a goddess, but is sure of her "fairness" and beauty. Arcite also loves Emelye and ridicules Palamon's thoughts about Emelye being a goddess, he states,   "Though woost nat yet now / Wheiter she be a womman or goddesse"(1156-1157).   When Arcite falls in... ...e and foolish people can act while in love; this is something that many stories try to teach their readers.   Finally, somehow, Chaucer may have been reaching out to women with The Wife of Bath's Tale, although some believe she is used as an anti-feminist tool, perhaps Chaucer's point was to have that woman teach other women the positives of being in control.   No matter what message these women bring, Chaucer clearly appreciates their importance not only to his readers, but also to his tales. Works Cited Brown, Peter.   Chaucer at Work:   The Making of the Cantebury Tales. New York: Longman Group, 1994. Cooper, Helen.   The Structure of The Cantebury Tales. Athens: The University Of Georgia Press, 1984. Pursell, Willene van Loenen.   Love and Marriage in Three English Authors: Chaucer, Milton, and Eliot.   Stanford: Leland Stanford Junior University, 1963.

The Glass Ceiling Essay -- essays research papers

In order for organizations to function members within the organization, the organization needs to work together to achieve specific goals and solve problems. Organizations will usually work in teams and each team has leaders that get the other team members on the ball to do perform different tasks. Organizations are structured in a hierarchy way. There is the top level management with the CEOs and presidents and other head people. Then there is the middle-level management that includes department heads and managers. Finally there are the employees of the organization working hard to hopefully move up in the corporation to these higher levels. When employees move up the corporate ladder there are certain rewards they get like a higher salary and maybe more benefits such as more flextime. From the very beginning the world has been dominated by men and even more so in the workplace. Men were always the leaders and heads of everything all the way down to the family. The woman was the nu rturer and she was only there to provide the man with a family and to care for the family. Her place was never in the workplace. That was strictly for men. It wasn’t until World War I where women started to enter the workforce in larger numbers and this was primarily because all the men were being sent over to fight in the war and their wives took their spots on the factory floors so that corporations could still function. There is the ever famous Rosie the Riveter poster during World War II that had the famous motto for women â€Å"We can do it.† This got women out of the house and onto the factory floors where their husbands had been working until the war broke out. Of course once the war was over and men came back the women were in a since forced back into the house. But ever since then women began to enter the workforce more and more ever year. Women were starting to realize that they can do the work just as good as men could or even better. Today women account for 45% of the paid labor force (Williams, 6). That number will continue to grow over the next couple of years until eventually women equal or even go above men in the labor force. Although women are playing a big part in the labor market today, they are still unable to advance high up the corporate ladder like men can. There are a very few exceptions to this, but the majority of women in organizations can only usually get ... ...ough because organizations are realizing that the working world has changed. Women are no longer staying in the house to tend to the family. They are going out into the workplace just like the men and are competing for the best possible jobs that they can get. Works Sited Caplan, Jessica. China Staff. Hong Kong: Sep 2004. Vol 10, Iss 9. pg. 14. Connolly, John. Personnel Today. Sutton: Sep 28, 2004. pg. 17. Fitzgerald, Barbara. â€Å"New York Times.† (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aug 10, 2003. pg. 14NJ.1. Barbara F. Reskin, Heidi I. Hartmann, editors. â€Å"Women’s Work, Men’s Work.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Washington D.C. National Academy Press. 1986. Jacobs, Jerry, editor. â€Å"Gender Inequality at Work.† California. Sage Publications, Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1995.. Nichols, Nancy. Editor. â€Å"Reach For the Top.† Boston. Harvard Business School. 1994. Sekaran, Uma. Editor. â€Å"WOMANPOWER.† California. Sage Publications, Inc. 1992. Symonds, William. Business Week. New York: Oct 4, 2004, Iss. 3902, pg 98. Williams, Christine. â€Å"Still A Man’s World.† Los Angeles. University of California   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press. 1995.

Culture and Motivation :: Business, Employee Motivation

Culture and Motivation According to Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter (2011) â€Å"motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal† (p. 267). Organizations are always looking for new ways to motivate employees. In a global economy it is important to understand that cultural differences can impact how an organization can motivate its employees. Geert Hofstede (as cited in Sledge, Miles, & Coppage, 2008) believed there are five dimensions of culture. These five dimensions are power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, and Confucian dynamism (p. 1670). This paper will discuss each dimension of culture and how they could effect employee motivation. Power Distance According to Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) power distance is â€Å"the degree to which control and influence are distributed unequally in society† (p. 1670). In a country with a high power distance employees would not feel comfortable voicing their opinions or disagreeing with their managers. Empowering employees would not work well because employees would be scared to take actions on their own. Employees would feel more comfortable with structure and strict procedures. In countries with low power distance managers could benefit from empowering employees. Employees are free to voice their opinions and develop and express new ideas or plans. Empowerment would motivate employees more in a country with low power distance. Individualism versus Collectivism According to Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) individualism versus collectivism is â€Å"the concepts of ‘I and Me’ versus ‘We and Us’† (p. 1670). Some cultures rely heavily on groups and teams. Collective societies look at group accomplishments rather than individual accomplishments. Some countries such as China and Japan rely heavily on groups. Countries like the United States and Canada are more of an individualism society. People focus more on individual accomplishments. Teams have started to become popular in the United States, but are not as effective as in a collective society. In a country where individualism is strong individual recognition and rewards would be effective motivators. Uncertainty Avoidance Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) explain uncertainty avoidance as â€Å"the degree of risk aversion† (1670). In a country with high uncertainty avoidance there may be more policies and procedures in place. In a culture with low uncertainty avoidance companies could empower employees to develop new ideas. Culture and Motivation :: Business, Employee Motivation Culture and Motivation According to Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter (2011) â€Å"motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal† (p. 267). Organizations are always looking for new ways to motivate employees. In a global economy it is important to understand that cultural differences can impact how an organization can motivate its employees. Geert Hofstede (as cited in Sledge, Miles, & Coppage, 2008) believed there are five dimensions of culture. These five dimensions are power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, and Confucian dynamism (p. 1670). This paper will discuss each dimension of culture and how they could effect employee motivation. Power Distance According to Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) power distance is â€Å"the degree to which control and influence are distributed unequally in society† (p. 1670). In a country with a high power distance employees would not feel comfortable voicing their opinions or disagreeing with their managers. Empowering employees would not work well because employees would be scared to take actions on their own. Employees would feel more comfortable with structure and strict procedures. In countries with low power distance managers could benefit from empowering employees. Employees are free to voice their opinions and develop and express new ideas or plans. Empowerment would motivate employees more in a country with low power distance. Individualism versus Collectivism According to Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) individualism versus collectivism is â€Å"the concepts of ‘I and Me’ versus ‘We and Us’† (p. 1670). Some cultures rely heavily on groups and teams. Collective societies look at group accomplishments rather than individual accomplishments. Some countries such as China and Japan rely heavily on groups. Countries like the United States and Canada are more of an individualism society. People focus more on individual accomplishments. Teams have started to become popular in the United States, but are not as effective as in a collective society. In a country where individualism is strong individual recognition and rewards would be effective motivators. Uncertainty Avoidance Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) explain uncertainty avoidance as â€Å"the degree of risk aversion† (1670). In a country with high uncertainty avoidance there may be more policies and procedures in place. In a culture with low uncertainty avoidance companies could empower employees to develop new ideas.

Performing and Visual Arts

Performing and Visual Arts Mia Debrowski ARTS 100 August 27, 2012 Jordan Handler Performing and Visual Arts If there is one thing in this life that cannot be escaped, it is art. Art takes over our visual, audio senses as well as sensation of touch at times. Not only does art take over our senses but it does something very wonderful to our mental status. It raises awareness and stimulates our brains. Some art can touch us on a very deep emotional level. The very definition of art may vary from one person’s opinion to another.It has been said that for centuries the many have debated without resolution of defining the word â€Å"art† (Sporre, 2011). The definition of performing and visual art can be described as a creative form of communication through several different outlets. These may include plays, music, paintings, sculptures, dance and so much more. My personal experience with art has been such a positive influence in my life. Art has always been my escape. When I w as a teenager I was going through some hard family times.On my lunch break at school Iwould go into the music room and teach myself how to play the piano. Typically I get frustrated very easily when I do not know how to do something and I do not pick up on it right away. My fingers were not limber enough for piano, I knew how to read music but had no idea where these notes were located on the piano, I was clueless. For some reason sitting at that piano calmed me, I never once got frustrated. To this day music is still an outlet for me. More often then that it includes dancing to go with it.I love to dance for fun, dance away my stress. I adore watching true dancers perform more than anything. I often watch the Television show So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. There has been so many times that the performance has made me cry. There are several things that go into this amazing performance making me cry. The choreographer turn their story into a vision of dance in their head and pair it with the perfect song. A choreographer can have a great dance but without the perfect dancers then it will never come across right.The dancer has to have the raw emotion come through their performance as well. The wardrobe also helps create this character the dancer is trying to portrait. When all of these elements are paired together just right it creates a truly magical experience for me. I think humans cannot help ourselves in creating art. We are a very creative, intelligent and emotional species. I think that art is our way of expressing ourselves, telling our stories and reaching out to others. Art creates a common ground for people that they may not otherwise have.One of the first things infants do is coo at themselves almost in song. When an infant gets to a point where they can stand or walk first instinct is to bounce when they hear music. To be without art would to be without emotion and passion. It seems that it is almost encoded into our DNA to have creativity and ar tistic abilities, even if it is in just the mildest form. References D. J. Spoore, Perceiving the Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities. (pp. 1-235). Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall. Performing and Visual Arts The definition for visual and performing arts is: skill that requires public performance, as acting, singing, dancing. To discuss personal experiences with the visual and performing arts as a creator, performer and audience member will be addressed, followed by the values of studying visual and performing arts, the indication why visual and performing arts is created, and how it reflects to society. Some of the experiences I have on Visual and Performing arts are as a creator, performer and especially an audience member.I had been involved in music since the 5th grade. I loved being a part of a choir and the great benefits it had towards me even till this day. My most memorable moment was when I made the top 5 soprano list in the Phoenix Union High School. It has taught me a lot about team work, perseverance, and confidence. My experience with being an audience member for visual arts expands as each year comes. Lots of my experiences come from back in high school, only four years ago . With the help of my performing art teachers I was about to see many varieties of performances.They include Madame Butterfly, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rent, Traditional Mexican Folk Dance (La Rondalla) and Jazz Mad. As an audience member, I really enjoy what the visual and performing arts has in store for all of us. I support and encourage strongly the importance of art, music, dance, theater and all that the visual and performing arts has to offer. I think it’s an amazing way for one to express themselves as well as so many emotions and cultures. As someone who is studying to become a teacher, the value of studying the visual and performing arts is just as important as knowing your own career.So many values can be cherished from the visual and performing arts. For someone who is teaching it should have the feeling of accomplishment when you find your own student enjoying what they are producing. The value of finding comfort in what you taught is being translated in a positiv e energy. Sporre â€Å"When a person Studies the mechanics of internal combustion engines, the intended result is that he should be better able to understand, design, build, or repair such engines, and sometimes he should be better able to find employment because of his skills, and thus better life†¦Ã¢â‚¬â€œ For living is a vocation we have in common despite our differences. † (p. g. 3) Humans are known for being creative people. People create of participate in the visual and performing arts because it’s a ways for them to express themselves. Whether it’s just a hobby or a career; this is a way for people to examine and communicate with the world. Sporre â€Å"Humans are a creative species. Whether in science, politics, business, technology, or the arts, we depend on our creativity almost as much as anything else to meet the demands of daily life. † (p. g.5)Sporre â€Å"Recognizing the artistic principles and influences all around us makes our world more interesting and habitable. The arts are elements of life with which we can and must deal and to which we must respond every day. We live with the arts because their principles permeate our existence. Specifically, the aesthetic experience provides a way of knowing and communicating in and of itself, separate from other ways of knowing and communicating. The arts play important roles in making the world around us a more interesting and habitable place.â€Å"(p. g. 2)In conclusion, my experiences in visual and performing arts with regards to creator, performance and audience member are involved in today’s world. I strongly believe in the values that the visual and performing arts has to offer and the end reward that it gives to each individual that is a part of it whether if they are performing, creating or watching. Humans are creative people and their participation in visual arts is performed every day and is influenced by society. Performing and Visual Arts Performing and Visual Arts Mia Debrowski ARTS 100 August 27, 2012 Jordan Handler Performing and Visual Arts If there is one thing in this life that cannot be escaped, it is art. Art takes over our visual, audio senses as well as sensation of touch at times. Not only does art take over our senses but it does something very wonderful to our mental status. It raises awareness and stimulates our brains. Some art can touch us on a very deep emotional level. The very definition of art may vary from one person’s opinion to another.It has been said that for centuries the many have debated without resolution of defining the word â€Å"art† (Sporre, 2011). The definition of performing and visual art can be described as a creative form of communication through several different outlets. These may include plays, music, paintings, sculptures, dance and so much more. My personal experience with art has been such a positive influence in my life. Art has always been my escape. When I w as a teenager I was going through some hard family times.On my lunch break at school Iwould go into the music room and teach myself how to play the piano. Typically I get frustrated very easily when I do not know how to do something and I do not pick up on it right away. My fingers were not limber enough for piano, I knew how to read music but had no idea where these notes were located on the piano, I was clueless. For some reason sitting at that piano calmed me, I never once got frustrated. To this day music is still an outlet for me. More often then that it includes dancing to go with it.I love to dance for fun, dance away my stress. I adore watching true dancers perform more than anything. I often watch the Television show So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. There has been so many times that the performance has made me cry. There are several things that go into this amazing performance making me cry. The choreographer turn their story into a vision of dance in their head and pair it with the perfect song. A choreographer can have a great dance but without the perfect dancers then it will never come across right.The dancer has to have the raw emotion come through their performance as well. The wardrobe also helps create this character the dancer is trying to portrait. When all of these elements are paired together just right it creates a truly magical experience for me. I think humans cannot help ourselves in creating art. We are a very creative, intelligent and emotional species. I think that art is our way of expressing ourselves, telling our stories and reaching out to others. Art creates a common ground for people that they may not otherwise have.One of the first things infants do is coo at themselves almost in song. When an infant gets to a point where they can stand or walk first instinct is to bounce when they hear music. To be without art would to be without emotion and passion. It seems that it is almost encoded into our DNA to have creativity and ar tistic abilities, even if it is in just the mildest form. References D. J. Spoore, Perceiving the Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities. (pp. 1-235). Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall.

Pros and Cons of Zoos

One of the many pros to keeping animals in captivity is breeding programs to help endangered species â€Å"Many zoos have breeding programs in place to help eliminate genetic bottlenecks, especially when dealing with an endangered species.† (Vittana, 5/31/17) . It is also a way to engage young children in science and to learn more about nature. However they do have a few cons such as a shorter lifespan for instance, on average an orca lives a much shorter life in captivity vs. in the wild, â€Å"In captivity, the average lifespan of an orca is one-third the lifespan of a wild orca.† (Animal legal defense fund, 1/15/16). (Animals may also succumb to zoochosis which is the display of repetitive behavior because of being trapped unable to roam free. This causes stress for them wishing they were able to go where their hearts desire. On the other side of this argument the pros of animals in the wild way a lot higher. There are some but few exceptions to the rule that all animals need large natural spaces to thrive and be healthy. The economic pros of wild species are tremendous such as the economical benefits shift to outdoor recreational activities. Hunting and fishing are two major sources of economic revenues generating a cash flow in the wildlife industry. â€Å"The recreational pros to wild life is the ecotourism it attracts annually to generate larger revenue for the state funding.† (Bobula, 3/3/17). Most importantly animals in the wild are a part of the ecosystem and help out a lot, †Ã‚  animals are an integral part of the environment and without them we ourselves would struggle to exist, (8/22/14 Nitin Bhamvani ). Animals in the wild also help disperse seeds that grow into plants giving us oxygen. They also provide a good source of food for us if left alone and many clothing accessories that we need as well. Animals all have a special purpose in the wild. I believe the only major con of animals in the wild are those that are illegally imported. They cause threats to other wildlife and humans, they spread many diseases to us all â€Å"Zoonotic diseases — those that jump to humans — account for three quarters of all emerging infectious threats† (Alfano, 11/28/06). This is the cause only of the animals that are imported which leads to my statement that if animals are kept unbothered in nature they will cause no harm or visible threat to us all world wide. The overall census between animals in the wild and in captivity is that they intertwine and overlap, we need to manage wildlife which in its long term approach will benefit us people for many generations to come. So if you were to ask my opinion on if animals are better off in the wild or placed in captivity my answer would be left in the wild. The reason for this is very simple in the data, animals naturally will live longer healthier lives in the wild. This in turn will help our environment and will not interrupt the food chain. Animals should not be caged because it is cruel and against nature, in zoos they are treated very badly as seen from this article â€Å"Animal cruelty in zoos  continues to be extremely common. There are continuous cases of animals  abused by visitors  and zoo workers. Many of them are reported every week in the media, however, the large majority are kept secret and those responsible are never held accountable or punished.† (Netivist, 4/26/18). Animals also contract many diseases from other zoo animals and sicken. The animals in my opinion aren't treated fairly and the ethical reasons are questionable. To put us in their shoes it would be like jail, we get fed, we sleep, and use the play ground for a certain period of time. Then get locked into a cell overnight until someone is ready to let you out. The bottom line is that all living organisms including humans depend on other living things for survival, the main benefit wild species provide in the wild are economic, medical and scientific, aesthetic and recreational, and lastly ecological. We need to let our animals be free and only use them for research and not amusement. If we keep capturing our wildlife and messing with nature it will come back to haunt us all ecologically. There is a specific balance in nature that causes chain reactions, we need to keep everything in balance. (Vittana, 5/31/17)https://vittana.org/21-pros-and-cons-of-zoos(Animal legal defense fund, 1/15/16).http://aldf.org/resources/advocating-for-animals/captive-animals-and-the-law/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Palt6Xi2gIVAySGCh1YNQ2aEAAYASAAEgIgyvD_BwE (Bobula, 3/3/17)https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-of-animals-for-the-economy-environment-and-medicine (Alfano, 11/28/06)https://www.cbsnews.com/news/imported-animals-pose-major-health-threat/(Netivist, 4/26/18)https://netivist.org/debate/pros-and-cons-of-zoos (8/22/14 Nitin Bhamvani ) http://stingraybobs.weebly.com

Use Of Bone Marrow Transplants Health And Social Care Essay

The bone marrow is a sponge-like tissue found in the centre of certain castanetss that contains root cells that are the precursors of ruddy blood cells ( red blood cells ) that carry O to the tissues in the organic structure, white blood cells ( leucocytes ) that aid battle infections and to assistance in the immune system and thrombocytes which help with blood curdling. Each of these cells plays a important function in the organic structure by keeping normal physiological map. The bone marrow is a critical portion of the human organic structure. A bone marrow graft is when particular cells ( called root cells ) that are usually found in the bone marrow are taken out, filtered, and given back either to the same individual or to another individual. It involves pull outing bone marrow incorporating normal root cells or peripheral root cells from a healthy giver, and reassigning it to a receiver whose organic structure can non fabricate proper measures of normal blood cells. Infusion of haematopoietic root cells from oneself or another individual normally follows high dose chemotherapy and/or irradiation. The end of the graft is to reconstruct the receiver ‘s blood cells and immune system and hopefully bring around the implicit in disease In patients with leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, and some immune lack diseases, the root cells in the bone marrow have malfunction, bring forthing an inordinate figure of faulty or immature blood cells as in the instance of leukaemia or low blood cell counts in the instance of aplastic anaemia. The immature or faulty blood cells interfere with the production of normal blood cells, accumulate in the blood stream and may occupy other tissues so bone marrow graft enables the doctors to handle these diseases with aggressive chemotherapy and/or radiation by leting replacing of the morbid or damaged bone marrow after the chemotherapy/radiation intervention. While bone marrow grafts do non supply 100 per centum confidence that the disease will non repeat, a graft can increase the likeliness of a remedy or at least prolong the period of disease-free endurance for many patients. Bone marrow organ transplant is an effectual intervention for a assortment of haematological tumors, furnace lining lymphoma, and some solid tumours. An increasing figure of bone marrow grafts are performed every twelvemonth. The therapy has been used to rectify a assortment of marrow failure provinces, congenital mistakes of metamorphosis, immune lacks, haematological malignances, and even solid tumours. The first successful grafts were performed with root cells derived from the marrow of indistinguishable twins ( syngeneic organ transplant ) ; nevertheless, application of organ transplant therapy broadened with the usage of root cells obtained from either related or unrelated givers ( allogeneic organ transplant ) appropriately matched at the human leucocyte antigens ( HLA ) , or even with a patient ‘s ain root cells ( autologous organ transplant. Deciding on type of BMT depends on type and phase of disease, handiness of root cells, age, public presentation position and the c linical status of patient Bone marrow organ transplant is required in the sense that is to remedies many diseases and malignant neoplastic diseases. When a kid ‘s bone marrow has been damaged or destroyed due to a disease or intense interventions of radiation or chemotherapy for malignant neoplastic disease, a marrow graft may be needed to rectify the abnormalcy. It is besides required to replace morbid, non-functioning bone marrow with healthy working bone marrow ( for conditions such as leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, and reaping hook cell anaemia ) . It is besides indispensable to replace the bone marrow and reconstruct its normal map after high doses of chemotherapy or radiation are given to handle a malignance in a procedure called â€Å" deliverance † which is usually used for diseases such as lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and chest malignant neoplastic disease. The procedure is besides of import in the replacing of bone marrow with genetically healthy working bone marrow to forestall farther harm from a familial disease procedure. Literature reappraisal Bone marrow organ transplant ( BMT ) or haematopoietic root cell organ transplant ( HSCT ) is a medical process in the field of haematology and oncology that involves organ transplant of haematopoietic root cells ( HSC ) .It is most frequently performed for people with diseases of the blood or bone marrow, or certain types of malignant neoplastic disease. Transplant of either allogenic or autologous bone marrow has become an progressively applied and successful therapy for patients with haematological malignances and certain solid tumours. BMT is an illustration of a extremely proficient therapy that offers hope to patients with bone marrow failure or assorted malignances. Bone marrow organ transplant is much more dearly-won â€Å" up-front † but possibly non more dearly-won long-run than alternate therapies. Over the past 40 old ages, bone marrow organ transplant and haematopoietic root cell organ transplant have been used with increasing frequence to handle legion malignant and nonmalignant diseases. Post-World War II â€Å" Cold War † frights of atomic warfare stimulated involvement in the effects of radiation on the human organic structure. Early surveies with animate beings has shown that bone marrow was the organ most sensitive to the detrimental effects of radiation and for that ground the reinfusion of marrow cells was used to deliver lethally irradiated animate beings. In one survey done in 1950s, patients were given deadly doses of radiation to handle leukaemia and many had haematological recovery following this intervention, but finally all patients succumbed to get worse of their malignances or to infections. In the 1950s and 1960s, about 200 allogeneic marrow grafts were performed in worlds, with no long-run successes. However, during this clip, organ transplant utiliz ing indistinguishable twin givers has brought a just sum of success and provided a important foundation to go on clinical research in the field. Hematopoietic root cell organ transplant remains a hazardous process with many possible complications ; it has traditionally been reserved for patients with dangerous diseases. While on occasion used by experimentation in nonmalignant and nonhematologic indicants such as terrible disenabling auto-immune disease and cardiovascular, the hazard of fatal complications appears excessively high to derive wider credence. Although economic analyses appear comparatively simple, reading and usage can be debatable. Several economic analyses have identified complications that occur often and impact the reported cost-effectiveness of high-dose chemotherapy. Attempts to cut down the cost of bone marrow organ transplant have focused on new schemes to more efficaciously command these complications. The debut of new engineerings to rush engraftment, to better patient choice methods, and the shifting of attention to outpatient scenes all have resulted in important decreases in continuance of infirmary stay, treatment-related mortality, and costs. More surveies of long-run results are needed for graft and non graft intervention options to steer present and future applications of this intervention option. Expanded indicants for graft continue to be explored. Preliminary information suggest a possible function for graft in the intervention of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple induration, systemic induration, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In add-on, in utero graft holds promise for early rectification of familial disease, with some success already demonstrated with the immunodeficiency syndromes. The accent of current research is chiefly directed at diminishing toxicity and GVHD while increasing the pool of possible givers by developing techniques to traverse the traditional HLA histocompatability barriers more successfully. Grafts are performed with increasing grades of mismatch. With the promotions in techniques, indicants, and supportive therapy, the graft of haematopoietic root cells continues to be an forward field in the intervention of human disease. Once a disease procedure has been identified and graft is considered as a possible therapy, an appropriate giver must be identified. The best possible lucifer consequences in the least complications. For allogeneic grafts, HLA histocompatability typewriting is performed for immediate household members ab initio utilizing serologic typewriting. Fully matched household members provide the most compatible lucifers because they frequently portion minor HLA antigens non normally included in proving. Before undergoing BMT, patients should undergo a series of trials and processs for testing and readying based on the patient ‘s disease procedure and medical history. There is besides pre-transplant instruction where graft squad and the patient meet to discourse the consequences of the testing, intervention options and the intervention program. Transplant conditioning is the done with the chief purpose of destructing unnatural cells or malignant neoplastic disease cells throughout the pa tient ‘s organic structure utilizing conditioning regimen which consist of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. The crop processs for autologous or allogeneic BMT are similar and are depended on the undermentioned factors: The patient ‘s physical status, donor handiness and insurance blessing. The BMT process involves three stages. In the first stage, enduring 5 to 14 yearss, the bone marrow receiver is prepared for the transplant and immunosuppressive and cytotoxic chemotherapy are administered and irradiation is used to enable the receiver to accept the transplant, to forestall transplant rejection, and in instances of acute leukaemia to extinguish residuary leukaemia. In the 2nd stage, bone marrow is from the giver is intravenously administered to the transplant receiver. Donors and receivers of bone marrow grafts must hold HLA compatability. The 3rd stage involves a period of waiting for the bone marrow to ingraft and work usually in the receiver. During the clip required for engraftment, the transplant receiver is vulnerable to infection, hemorrhage, terrible weight loss, rejection of the transplant, and graft-versus-host disease ( GvHD ) . Some of the posttransplant intervention typically includes cyclosporin A and perchance other chemotherapies to either prevent or dainty transplant versus-host disease ( GVHD ) . The results of the therapy depend on many factors such as: Improvements in supportive attention, antibiotic regimens, and DNA-HLA is associated with favourable result. The patient ‘s province of wellness or stable disease or disease in remittal is associated with better results than those transplanted during a ulterior disease stage or with relapsed disease. Young age at clip of graft and besides CMV-negative position of receiver and giver enhance the likeliness of endurance. The sum of haematopoietic cell dose given at clip of graft may besides rush engraftment and better result though it has an increased hazard of GVHD. Bone marrow organ transplant is one of legion new medical engineerings that have raised complex legal and ethical issues. Laws refering to medical progresss have been passed in response to the demand to decide struggles in judicial sentiments instead than expectancy of those issues which impinge on single autonomies. Some of the legal and ethical issues are malpractice claims, proving prospective givers for AIDS, sale of bone marrow, informed consent for both giver and receiver, and inquiries that arise when the giver is a kid. Pre-counseling is done to the patient prior to any intercession since information helps the patients in the undermentioned ways: To build positive attitudes in relation to the disease, enables a better response to the state of affairs, facilitates patient ‘s effectual engagement in the determination devising procedure and future programs and besides plays a important or cardinal function in wellness. Furthermore, the patients have a legal right to be inf ormed about their disease. Decision: The bone marrow is a critical portion of the human organic structure. Bone marrow organ transplant is an effectual intervention for a assortment of haematological tumors, furnace lining lymphoma, and some solid tumours. The most of import cell needed for successful organ transplant is the haematopoietic root cell whose major beginnings are bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood. These can be obtained from assorted givers as either autologous or allogeneic. Deciding on type of BMT depends on type and phase of disease, handiness of root cells, age, public presentation position and the clinical status of patient. The procedure is besides of import in the replacing of bone marrow with genetically healthy working bone marrow to forestall farther harm from a familial disease process.. BMT is an illustration of a extremely proficient therapy that offers hope to patients with bone marrow failure or assorted malignances. Bone marrow organ transplant is much more dearly-won â€Å" up-f ront † but possibly non more dearly-won long-run than alternate therapies. Hematopoietic root cell organ transplant remains a hazardous process with many possible complications ; it has traditionally been reserved for patients with dangerous diseases. The accent of current research is chiefly directed at diminishing toxicity and GVHD while increasing the pool of possible givers by developing techniques to traverse the traditional HLA histocompatability barriers more successfully. With the promotions in techniques, indicants, and supportive therapy, the graft of haematopoietic root cells continues to be an forward field in the intervention of human disease. With the promotions in techniques, indicants, and supportive therapy, the graft of haematopoietic root cells continues to be an forward field in the intervention of human disease. Mentions Frick, E. , Motzke, C. , Fischer, N. , Busch, R. , & A ; Bumeder, I. ( 2005 ) . Is perceived societal support a forecaster of endurance for patients undergoing autologous peripheral blood root cell organ transplant? Psycho-Oncology, 14, 759-770. Holland, J. & A ; Alici, Y. ( 2010 ) . Management of hurt in malignant neoplastic disease patients. Journal of Supportive Oncology, 8 ( 1 ) , 4-12. Jacobsen, P. ( 2009 ) . Promoting evidence-based psychosocial attention for malignant neoplastic disease patients. Psychooncology, 18, 6-13. Jacobsen, P. & A ; Jim, H. ( 2008 ) . Psychosocial intercessions for anxiousness and depression in grownup malignant neoplastic disease patients: accomplishments and challenges. A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 58, 214-230.A NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncologya„? Distress Management ( Version 1.2010 ) . A © 2009 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. Available at: NCCN.org. Accessed [ Febuary 3, 2010 ] . Ranson, S. , Jacobsen, P. , & A ; Booth-Jones, M. ( 2006 ) . Validation of the hurt thermometer with bone marrow graft patients. Psycho-Oncology, 15, 604-612. Wells, K. , Booth-Jones, M. , & A ; Jacobsen, P. ( 2009 ) . Do get bying and societal support predict depression and anxiousness in patients undergoing hematopoitic root cell organ transplant? Jouranl of Psychosocial Oncology, 27, 297- 315. Williams, S. & A ; Dale, J. ( 2006 ) . The effectivity of intervention for depression/depressive symptoms in grownups with malignant neoplastic disease: a systematic reappraisal. British Journal of Cancer, 94, 372-390.A The usage of allogeneic haematopoietic cell organ transplant ( HCT ) has increased as new techniques have been developed for organ transplant in patients who antecedently would non hold been considered HCT campaigners. However, its efficaciousness continued to be limited by the development of frequent and terrible ague GVHD. The complex and intricate pathophysiology of acute GVHD is a effect of interactions between the giver and host innate and adaptative immune responses. Multiple inflammatory molecules and cell types are implicated in the development of GVHD that can be categorized as: ( 1 ) triggers that initiate GVHD by therapy-induced tissue harm and the antigen disparities between host and transplant tissue ; ( 2 ) detectors that detect the triggers, that is, procedure and present alloantigens ; ( 3 ) go-betweens such as T-cell subsets ( naif, memory, regulative, Th17 and natural slayer T cells ) and ( 4 ) the effecters and amplifiers that cause harm of the mark variety meats. These multiple inflammatory molecules and cell types that are implicated in the development of GVHD have been described with theoretical accounts that use bit-by-bit Cascadess. Herein, we provide a fresh position on the immunobiology of acute GVHD and briefly discuss some of the outstanding inquiries and restrictions of the theoretical account systems. Bone Marrow Transplantation ( 2010 ) 45, 1-11 ; doi:10.1038/bmt.2009.328 ; published online 30November 2009 Fifty old ages ago, Billingham1 identified three requirements for the development of GVHD: ( 1 ) the presence ofimmunocompetent cells in the giver inoculant, ( 2 ) the inability of the receiver to reject the giver cells and ( 3 ) a histocompatibility difference between the giver and receiver. Billingham RE. The biological science of graft-versus-host reactions. Harvey Lect 1966-67 ; 62: 21-78. Some future research waies 1. Impact of type of harm ( programmed cell death V mortification of different cellular subsets ) , specific DAMPs, unfertile redness and complement system. 2. Contribution of host intestine microbiome and the giver immune position. 3. Determine GVHD antigenic repertory, place immunodominant antigens. 4. Understand the function of both professional ( DCs, macrophages ) and semi-professional ( B cells ) giver and host APC subsets, the relevancy and mechanisms of cross-presentation. 5. The mechanisms and function of donor Th distinction, regulative, memory T cell, and NK cell subsets. 6. Functions of specific effecter tracts in doing distinguishable mark organ harm. 7. Determinants of mark organ specificity, the function of mechanisms of fix and neovascularization in the badness of harm. 8. Mechanisms and effect of immunosuppression induced straight by GVHD. 9. Development of an incorporate systems attack for understanding the biological science of GVHD. Biology of ague GVHD S Paczesny et Al 7 BonePatient Education /Curative patient instruction ( TPE )a continous procedure integrated in wellness attention aˆ? patient centred aˆ? adapted to the development of unwellness and patientA?s life-stile aˆ? portion of the long-run direction of unwellness aˆ? structured and organized aˆ? benefited by appropriate pedagogic means* aˆ? multiprofessional, interdisciplinary and intersectonial. *I. Rabbone, 2007 The function of the patient is cardinal in taking attention of himself in order to lend to his conditions and be responsible of his status, and to be a squad resource â€Å" without costs † ( Rabbone I. , 2009 ) . **J. Philips, 1998 Patients have a legal right to be informed about their disease butaˆÂ ¦they assume it is non ever respected ( Visser et al. , 2009 ) . Information is a demand of patients as it allows them: – to build positive attitudes in relation to the disease, – a better response to the state of affairs and – an effectual engagement in the decission doing procedure and hereafter programs aˆ? Information besides has a cardinal function in wellness instruction plans Patient need information about: – Disease – Treatment options – Treatments results – Symptoms – Side effects – Quality of life aˆ? Information should be delivered in an synergistic manner aˆ? Information/education is necessary in all stages of the graft S Setting. Pick a private location. P Perception. Find out how the patient positions the medical state of affairs. I Invitation. Ask whether the patient wants to cognize. K Knowledge. Warn before dropping intelligence. E Empathy. Respond to the patient ‘s emotions. S Strategy/Summary. Once they know, include patients in intervention determinations * W. Baile et Al. â€Å" Out of 5 patients, merely 1 to 2 follow the instructions given by physycians. The others follow a â€Å" ain version † of the therapy and hold their thoughts sing their disease. They will ne'er squeal them. They are incorrect, but who is guilty? † J. P. Assal ( 1999 ) Literature McPherson CJ, et Al. Effective methods of giving information in malignant neoplastic disease: a systematic literature reappraisal of randomized controlled tests. J Public wellness Medecine 2001 ; 23 ( 3 ) : 227-234 aˆ? Thomas R, et Al. Anxiety and depression: consequence on patients ‘ penchants for information following a diagnosing of malignant neoplastic disease. Annalss of Oncology 1998 ; 9: 141 aˆ? Lobb EA, et Al. When the safety cyberspace of intervention has been removed: Patients ‘ unmet demands at the completion of intervention for hematologic malignances. Patient Educ Couns ( 2009 ) ; Department of the Interior: 10.1016/j.pec. 2009.02.005 aˆ? Mank A, et Al. An synergistic Compact disc read-only memory to inform patients about Stem Cell Transplant. Patient Educ Couns 2008 ; 73: 121-126 aˆ? Downs S. Ethical issues in bone marrow organ transplant. Semin Oncol Nurs 1994 ; 10: 58-63 aˆ? Lee SJ, et Al. Discrepancies between patient and physician estimations for the success of root cell organ transplant. J Am Med Assoc 2001 ; 285: 1034-8 aˆ? Andrykowski MA, et Al. â€Å" Returning to normal † following bone marrow organ transplant: results, outlooks, and informed consent. Bone Marrow Transplant 1995 ; 15: 573-81 A elaborate appraisal of BMT receiver ‘s emotional, societal, and psychological wellbeing before BMT is necessary to supply optimum, holistic attention. Distress and depression should be recognized, monitored, documented and treated quickly during the BMT intervention. BMT patients need to be screened at their pre-transplant assignment, at appropriate intervals, and as clinically indicated during the BMT procedure. Distress and depression should be recognized, monitored, documented and treated quickly during the BMT procedure to guarantee positive patient results.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 18. Stories

I was worried that if I were to divulge the information that she would request that she would decide to never grace me with her presence again. I decided this was the best time to release some of our stories. She hadn't run away yet. I knew I would feel relieved once she knew the truth. â€Å"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though.† I began. I watched her face carefully for any sign of distress. She showed no emotion. I continued, â€Å"He was the only son of an Anglican pastor. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves†¦and vampires.† Her pulse began picking up at the last word; I continued without pausing, â€Å"When the pastor grew old, he placed his obedient son in charge of his raids. At first Carlisle was a disappointment; he was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But he was persistent, and more clever than his father. He actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of a city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. â€Å"The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course,† I laughed in a non humorous way at the thought of a human bringing harm to a vampire. I continued, â€Å"and waited where Carlisle had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged.† I knew I had arrived at the part of the story where I wasn't sure how to proceed. I went on, but kept my voice low, â€Å"He must have been ancient, and weak with hunger. Carlisle heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets, and Carlisle ?C he was twenty-three and very fast ?C was in the lead of the pursuit. The creature would have easily outrun them, but Carlisle thinks he was too hungry, so he turned and attacked. He fell on Carlisle first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself. He killed two men, and made off with a third, leaving Carlisle bleeding in the street.† I paused. The images that were in my mind were of the agony that he felt. The pain of the venom breaking through his veins and causing him to burn for days was forefront in my mind. I met Bella's eyes and she was eager for me to continue. â€Å"Carlisle knew what his father would do. The bodies would be burned ?C anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. Carlisle acted instinctively to save his own life. He crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. He hid in a cellar, buried himself with rotting potatoes for three days. It's a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered. It was over then, and he realized what he had become.† My eyes had never left Bella's. Most of the color had drained from her face during my story. She didn't know much of the transformation process and I am sure that she was learning some things that she hadn't known before. She was silent and I was worried I had gone too far, â€Å"How are you feeling?† I asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said automatically. She hadn't convinced me though. In a nervous gesture, she began biting at her lower lip. She looked like she wanted to say something; she was hesitating. Curiosity was burning in her eyes. She was regaining her color and I was becoming frustrated once again at the silence of her knowing mind. â€Å"I expect you have a few more questions for me.† I guessed. â€Å"A few.† Of course she did, she was always curious; always interested in things she shouldn't be interested in. â€Å"Come on, then,† I smiled, â€Å"I'll show you.† We turned around and I brought her back to Carlisle's office. I'm guessing you want to show her the pictures, Carlisle wondered, â€Å"Come in,† he invited. I slowly pushed the door open. Carlisle was sitting behind his desk in his leather chair. Perfect timing, Carlisle thought, â€Å"What can I do for you?† he asked. Carlisle rose from his seat. He was already aware of what I was up to, but I didn't want Bella to think we were having our normal silent conversations. â€Å"I wanted to show Bella some of our history. Well, your history, actually,† I explained to him. â€Å"We didn't mean to disturb you,† Bella apologized. Silly Bella, I thought. She sure is polite, isn't she? Carlisle smiled, â€Å"Not at all,† he looked at me, â€Å"Where are you going to start?† he asked. I had many stories in mind and I decided I would start out as simple as Carlisle's story could ever be, â€Å"The Waggoner.† I placed my hand on Bella's shoulder. An electric shock rose up my arm and through my body. I knew she felt it too because her heart starting pounding, her pulse racing. Does that always happen? To deny yourself what you crave most when her pulse rises is truly significant in your relationship. You two are truly meant to be together. Carlisle's thoughts continued more to himself. I turned Bella to face an oil painting that was on the wall behind her, ignoring Carlisle. I could tell that she was interested again. â€Å"London in the sixteen-fifties,† I explained. I knew questions must have been racing through her mind. Carlisle walked up behind Bella. His continuous flow of thoughts had stopped, â€Å"The London of my youth,† he added. Bella must not have realized he was behind her because she recoiled at the sound of his voice. I squeezed her hand. â€Å"Will you tell the story?† I wondered. I didn't want to get anything wrong, or put my foot in my mouth. I'm sorry. You will have to explain it to her because I must leave for work. Don't worry, you'll do fine. Carlisle thought. â€Å"I would,† he turned to Bella, â€Å"But I'm actually running a bit late. The hospital called this morning ?C Dr. Snow is taking a sick day. Besides,† his eyes met mine, â€Å"you know the stories as well as I do.† Carlisle had a wide smile across his face. Carlisle gave Bella a warm smile and ducked out of the room. I looked at Bella, nervous about this conversation. I was still waiting for the wailing and screaming. A sickening jolt surged through my stomach at the thought of her leaving. Her eyes were fixed on the painting. â€Å"What happened then?† she asked eagerly while removing her eyes from the painting and meeting my gaze, â€Å"When he realized what had happened to him?† My eyes moved from her face to another painting. She followed my gaze. â€Å"When he knew what he had become,† I said in a low voice, â€Å"he rebelled against it. He tried to destroy himself. But that's not easily done.† â€Å"How?† Bella asked with shock present on her face. I contained a sigh, â€Å"He jumped from great heights,† my voice stoic, â€Å"He tried to drown himself in the ocean†¦but he was young to the new life, and very strong. It is amazing that he was able to resist†¦feeding†¦while he was still so new. The instinct is more powerful then, it takes over everything. But he was so repelled by himself that he had the strength to try to kill himself with starvation,† I explained. I knew at any moment she would comprehend my words and descend the stairs and quickly exit the house. â€Å"Is that possible?† she asked darkly. â€Å"No, there are very few ways we can be killed.† I saw her open her mouth and I rushed to get the words about before she could ask me another question, â€Å"So he grew very hungry, and eventually weak. He strayed as far as he could from the human populace, recognizing that his willpower was weakening, too. For months he wandered by night, seeking the loneliest places, loathing himself â€Å"One night, a herd of deer passed his hiding place. He was so wild with thirst that he attacked without a thought. His strength returned and he realized there was an alternative to being the vile monster he feared. Had he not eaten venison in his former life? Over the next months his new philosophy was born. He could exist without being a demon. He found himself again. â€Å"He began to make better use of his time. He'd always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now he had unlimited time before him. He studied by night, planned by day. He swam to France and ?C† â€Å"He swam to France?† Bella shrieked incredulously. I had to compose my face because I was trying desperately not to laugh at her reaction, â€Å"People swim the Channel all the time, Bella,† I reminded her. She blinked foolishly, â€Å"That's true, I guess,† shock was evident in her eyes still, â€Å"It just sounded funny in that context. Go on.† â€Å"Swimming is easy for us ?C† â€Å"Everything is easy for you,† she interrupted, a little perturbed. I paused, waiting for her to ask another question. The look on her face was very comical. Her mouth hung open a little and her eyes were wide with surprise. She was quick to perceive my obvious reason for hesitating before I continued, â€Å"I won't interrupt again, I promise,† she said with a small smile. I laughed because I knew that she would interrupt again when she hears what I have to say next, â€Å"Because, technically, we don't need to breathe,† I began until Bella burst out, â€Å"You ?C â€Å" â€Å"No, no, you promised,† I laughed because I knew that when she heard this bit of information that her reaction would be exactly what it was now. Her face was screwed up in longing to finish her questioning. I brought my finger to her lip to silence her, â€Å"Do you want to hear the story or not?† She spoke with my finger pressed lightly against her warm lips, â€Å"You can't spring something like that on me, and then expect me not to say anything.† Her voice was mumbled, trying to speak past my silencing finger. I traced my finger down her jaw and stopped at her neck. My stomach did summer-salts when her pulse speed by my touch. I had momentarily forgotten about the story or where we were. It was just Bella and I, together. â€Å"You don't have to breathe?† her eyes were still wide with interested; her question bringing me to the present. â€Å"No,† I answered, instantly nervous that this proclamation would be the thing that scares her away, â€Å"it's not necessary. Just a habit.† I shrugged, showing her how little it really mattered. She dropped her voice, almost conspiratorially, â€Å"How long can you go†¦without breathing?† â€Å"Indefinitely, I suppose; I don't know. It gets a bit uncomfortable ?C being without a sense of smell.† I tried to explain very nonchalantly. â€Å"A bit uncomfortable,† she mirrored. I continued to look at her face. Each expression fluttered across with little time to settle. Her eyebrows pulled together and I wanted to take my thumb and smooth out the complexity lines. Trying to understand her thoughts was like trying to read sign language unknown to humans. A new speculation loomed in my mind. I removed my hand from her, letting the cold return. Something was eating at me from the inside. I was bringing her into this mythical world. Each new revelation bringing her closer to the doom I was prepared to fight. Bella's face grew very grave. She was watching my expressions now, â€Å"What is it?† she asked gently. She brought her hand to my face, trying to comfort me. I felt each pump of her blood. Her hand warmed my cheek to several degrees than my normal temperature. I sighed because I knew that I was inviting her to tempt fate and that I would allow it. â€Å"I keep waiting for it to happen.† I said quietly. â€Å"For what to happen?† she asked urgently. â€Å"I know that at some point, something I tell you or something you see is going to be too much. And then you'll run away from me, screaming as you go,† I pasted a smile across my face, trying to ease the tension building inside me, â€Å"I won't stop you. I want this to happen, because I want you to be safe. And yet, I want to be with you. The two desires are impossible to reconcile†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I kept my eyes fixed on her, waiting for her to agree with me and just leave. There was a long and painful silence before either of us spoke again. â€Å"I'm not running anywhere,† Bella promised with obvious triumph in her voice, like she was looking fate in the eye and taunting it. I remembered the story, and thought that if I continued maybe, just maybe, she would hear something that would scare her away, â€Å"We'll see,† I smiled. Her lips turned down at the corners, a frown forming on her face, â€Å"So, go on ?C Carlisle was swimming to France.† I caught my breath, delighting in the ever present yearning in my stomach. I moved my gaze from her face to another painting deciding to continue, â€Å"Carlisle swam to France,† I repeated, â€Å"and continued on through Europe, to the universities there. By night he studied music, science, medicine ?C and found his calling, his penance, in that, in saving human lives. I can't adequately describe the struggle; it took Carlisle two centuries of torturous effort to prefect his self-control. Now he is all but immune to the scent of human blood, and he is able to do the work he loves without agony. He finds a great deal of peace there, at the hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, my thoughts moving in a different direction. I willed myself to be like Carlisle. I wished to have his self control, to never have to second guess my senses. I inhaled; something I used to do to calm myself, but now it brought red hot flames ripping down my throat. I mentally shut out the yearning I had now. I remembered what my purpose was for this conversation. I brought my hand to the painting in front of us, tapping lightly on it. â€Å"He was studying in Italy when he discovered the others there. They were much more civilized and educated than the wraiths of the London sewers.† I said while lightly tracing the figures in the picture; the Volturi. I was so deep in thought, remembering things that Carlisle had seen when a startled laugh burst out of Bella's lips. I turned to see what the matter was; thinking that maybe she finally had lost it. Dawn crossed my face as I realized what she was looking at. It was Carlisle's face in the painting with the Volturi. â€Å"Solimena was greatly inspired by Carlisle's friends. He often painted them as gods,† I laughed at the impossibility that any vampire could ever be a god, â€Å"Aro, Marcus, Caius,† I explained as I pointed each one out to her, â€Å"Nighttime patrons of the arts.† Her eyes darted from the painting to me face, â€Å"What happened to them?† she questioned. Her hand reached up to touch the figures in the painting but her finger never touched. â€Å"They're still there,† I shrugged, â€Å"As they have been for who knows how many millennia. Carlisle stayed with them only for a short time, just a few decades. He greatly admired their civility, their refinement, but they persisted in trying to cure his aversion to ‘his natural food source,' as they called it. They tried to persuade him, and he tried to persuade them, to no avail. At that point, Carlisle decided to try the New World. He dreamed of finding others like himself. He was very lonely, you see. â€Å"He didn't find anyone for a long time. But, as monsters became the stuff of fairy tales, he found he could interact with unsuspecting humans as if he were one of them. He began practicing medicine. But the companionship he craved evaded him; he couldn't risk familiarity. â€Å"When the influenza epidemic hit, he was working nights in a hospital in Chicago. He'd been turning over an idea in his mind for several years, and he had almost decided to act ?C since he couldn't find a companion, he would create one. He wasn't absolutely sure how his own transformation had occurred, so he was hesitant. And he was loath to steal anyone's life the way his had been stolen. It was in that frame of mind that he found me. There was no hope for me; I was left in a ward with the dying. He had nursed my parents, and knew I was alone. He decided to try†¦Ã¢â‚¬  During my story telling, I had visualized everything that Carlisle and I had both witnessed during the few days before and after my transformation. The painful memory was something I rarely thought of these days. I looked out the window, banishing the unpopular imagines from my mind. My chest was swelling at the relief I felt for finally releasing the information that could doom me from ever seeing this delightful creature again. The feeling of happiness that was surging through my body at this moment in time was completely indescribable. I hadn't realized that I would feel like this, too; that knowing she wasn't running, that she was one hundred percent accepting. I returned my gaze to Bella. She looked humble and my lips turned up; an automatic response to her beauty. â€Å"And so we've come full circle,† I finished. â€Å"Have you always stayed with Carlisle, then?† she asked. She was constantly asking all the questions that gave everything away about me and nothing about her, â€Å"Almost always,† I replied. I slowly reached out and placed my hand on her waist, exaggerating the movement. I delicately moved her along with me, always remembering how fragile she was. â€Å"Almost?† Bella asked while we were walking down the hall. Crap, I thought. Why was this the one question, of all the questions, to ask? I knew I would give her the answer. The internal argument of her safety still loomed in my mind. She should stay away from me but I loved her and the thought of her leaving caused me physical pain. Pain was something I hadn't felt since before the transformation. Bella brought out all the human aspects of me, including the weakness of pain. I sighed, â€Å"Well, I had a typical bout of rebellious adolescence ?C about ten years after I was†¦born†¦created, whatever you want to call it. I wasn't sold on his life of abstinence, and I resented him for curbing my appetite. So I went off on my own for a time.† I explained. Now, this would be it, the thing that makes her scream in terror. I waited, but, instead of terror she was intrigued. â€Å"Really?† she asked her eyes wide with curiosity. She wasn't frightened? I admitted to killing humans and she was†¦curious. She is so peculiar. That was an understatement. She had lost her mind. We ascended the next set of stairs. I was leading her to my room. I turned and looked at her, â€Å"That doesn't repulse you?† I asked curtly. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I guess†¦it sounds reasonable,† she said firmly. A laugh escaped my lips as I thought of the absurdity of her answer. Horrified delight sliced through my veins. â€Å"From the time of my new birth,† I replied quietly, â€Å"I had the advantage of knowing what everyone around me was thinking, both human and non-human alike. That's why it took me ten years to defy Carlisle ?C I could read his perfect sincerity, understand exactly why he lived the way he did. â€Å"It took me only a few years to return to Carlisle and recommit to his vision. I thought I would be exempt from the†¦depression†¦that accompanies a conscience. Because I knew the thoughts of my prey, I could pass over the innocent and pursue only the evil. If I followed a murdered down a dark alley where he stalked a young girl ?C if I saved her, then surely I wasn't so terrible.† I watched as she shivered. I continued in my quest to be nothing but honest with her, â€Å"But as time went on, I began to see the monster in my eyes. I couldn't escape the debt of so much human life taken, no matter how justified. And I went back to Carlisle and Esme. They welcomed me back like the prodigal. It was more than I deserved.† I stopped in front of my bedroom door, â€Å"My room,† I told her while opening the door and leading her inside. I watched her as she took in everything. Her eyes flowed rapidly from one side of the room to the other. Her stare lingered on my CD's. â€Å"Good acoustics?† she asked. My good mood was vibrant now. The pain from not knowing today's outcome had subsided. I was radiant with glee. I chuckled and nodded at her question. I decided I would give her an example and turned the stereo on from a remote. When the jazz music began to play she whirled spectacularly in a circle, delight in her eyes at the sound. She stopped and moved over to my collection of music. Her eyes read through several labels, â€Å"How do you have these organized?† she asked in astonishment. I was barely paying attention to her words because I was in complete merriment of how the events unfolded today, â€Å"Ummm, by year, and then by personal preference within that frame,† I answered automatically. She turned around to face me. The whirl wind of her warm aroma hit me like a wrecking ball. I continued to breathe evenly, reveling in the pain. I couldn't shake my new found happiness that was ever present in my being. She wanted me; all of me. Her eyes met mine and she read my face, â€Å"What?† she asked. â€Å"I was prepared to feel†¦relieved. Having you know about everything, not needing to keep secrets from you. But I didn't expect to feel more than that. I like it. It makes me†¦happy.† I shrugged my shoulders, but the jubilance radiated out of me and a smile crept up my face. â€Å"I'm glad,† she replied with a smile. I continued to gaze at her. I tried to read her expressions but they were so swiftly changing since she entered this house. I willed myself once more to read her mind. I tried probing it with mine over and over to no avail. My forehead creased in concentration. â€Å"You are still waiting for the running and the screaming, aren't you?† she wondered. My lips turned up lightly and I nodded. â€Å"I hate to burst your bubble, but you're really not as scary as you think you are. I don't find you scary at all, actually,† she lied silkily. Disbelief was strong in my mind. I raised an eyebrow at this news. A sinister thought raced through my head and before I acted a wide smile spread across my face, â€Å"You really shouldn't have said that,† I laughed. I growled very un-menacingly, brought my lips above my teeth to show them off, and hunkered down. Her eyes grew wide with terror. â€Å"You wouldn't† she shrieked. I let my body recoil as I sprung.