Communism and Democratic Capitalism

1. From a Christian perspective, why did Marxist Communism fail? The government has too much power of constrains people. Trying to force people and form them to change is not right and does not work in the long run. To give any one party too much power is a bad idea. We are all human and prone to sin. The government needs to help the people and work for the people not rule them. 2. Which is a more Christian form of government, democratic capitalism or democratic socialism? That is a tricky question, and I believe the answer lies somewhere in between the two.The struggle is to regulate but not over regulate the people. People are greedy and in capitalist economy will not give to the poor. That’s were socialism looks better, but then the government is to power full and human nature can affect the government just as it can a civilian. I believe my vote goes for democratic capitalism with less government and a competitive market. 3. What functions does government have to undertake because of fallen human nature? The government has to protect society from itself so to speak.The government becomes responsible for creating laws to protect rights and property. They also become responsible for enforcing these laws and protecting people from others who may steal their things. The government also has to be responsible to take care of the environment since people fail to do it on their own. Another thing I see the government doing is taking care of people who can’t devise the means to take care of themselves. 4. Should Christians concern themselves with the regulatory activities of government? If so, what areas of regulation are most significant?Yes I do believe Christians should concern themselves with regulatory activities. The major one would be discrimination. There needs to be very strict laws guarding against regulation. All of god’s children are created equal and all should be treated fairly and given the basic tenants of life. Also everyone abl e should be able to work and have to opportunity to support themselves and contribute to society. Another regulation that needs to be of concern to Christians is over regulation. Over regulation can lead to many deceitful and bad things when abused by greedy individuals and government.

Stage Beauty

Stage Beauty â€Å"Stage Beauty† explores the boundaries between reality and performance. It’s the 1660s, and Edward ‘Ned’ Kynaston is England’s most celebrated leading lady. Women are forbidden to appear on stage and Ned profits, using his beauty and skill to make the great female roles his own. But King Charles II is tired of seeing the same old performers in the same old tragedies. Since no one will take him up on his suggestion to improve Othello with a couple of good jokes, he decides to lift the royal palate by allowing real women to tread the boards. In a slightly less progressive spirit, he rules that men may no longer play women’s parts. I find it hilarious, that such a prudish society who are against homosexuality and such things as women acting, will find it ok to have a bunch of men pretending to be women and having, well not physical love scenes, but professing romantic poetry to other men. The film, is really about two things at once: The craft of acting, and the bafflement of love. It must be said that Ned is not a very convincing woman onstage although he is pretty enough; he plays a woman as a man would play a woman, lacking the natural ease of a woman born to a role. Curiously, when Maria takes over his roles, she also copies his gestures, playing a woman as a woman might play a man playing a woman. Only gradually does she relax into herself. â€Å"I've always hated your Desdemona,† she confesses to Ned. â€Å"You never fight, you only die. † Ned is most comfortable playing a woman both onstage and off. But is he gay? The question doesn’t precisely occur in that form, since in those days gender lines were not rigidly enforced, and heterosexuals sometimes indulged their genitals in a U-turn. Certainly Ned has inspired the love of Maria his dresser, who envies his art while she lusts for his body. We see her backstage during one of Ned’s rehearsals, mouthing every line and mimicking every gesture; she could play Desdemona herself, and indeed she does one night, in an illicit secret theater, even borrowing Ned’s costumes. It is a cruel blow when he finds fame and employment taken from him in an instant, and awarded to Maria. Yet Maria still has feelings for Ned, and rescues him from a bawdy music hall to spirit him off to the country — where their lovemaking has the urgency of a first driving lesson. The movie lacks the effortless charm of many of the movies that I saw like O, and Shakespeare in Love and its canvas is somewhat less alive with background characters and details. But it has a poignancy that â€Å"Shakespeare† lacks, because it is about a real dilemma and two people who are trying to solve it. The London of the time is fragrantly evoked, as horses attend to their needs regardless of whose carriage they are drawing, and bathing seems a novelty. I wonder if the court of Charles II was quite as Monty Pythonesque as the movie has it, and if Nell Gwynn was quite such a bold wench, but the details involving life in the theater feel real, especially in scenes about the fragility of an actor's ego. Poor Ned. â€Å"She's a star,† the theater owner Thomas Betterton tells Ned about Maria. â€Å"She did what she did first; you did what you did last. â€Å"

Comparison of two Nursing Education System Essay

Comparison of two Nursing Education System - Essay Example After entering into China, the Western missionaries reportedly took many native Chinese nationals into the missionary hospitals and nursing schools for training. By 1923, about 32% of all nurses in China were those from missionaries. The influence of the Chinese nursing profession by America was also profound. In fact, many people believe that the American influence of the Chinese nursing profession is more or less the same as the influence it has had on the Chinese medical education. Miss Gage, a renowned registered nurse, is one such American whose influence on the nursing profession in China is exceedingly profound. After arriving in China in 1908, she embarked on establishing a nurse-training program as part of her mission in Changsha to help educate native Chinese people. Her nursing training program enabled many Chinese nationals to enroll in nursing (Xu, Xu, and Zhang, 2000). Unlike in China where nursing education was introduced in 1888, nursing education in Ireland was intro duced in the mid 20the century. This follows the introduction of a new model of nursing education as an alternative to the apprenticeship model. At the same time, unlike the Chinese nursing education system that was influenced mainly by the Western missionaries, the Irish nursing education was influenced mainly by the European Economic Community (EEC) following its entry as a member of the community in 1973. For instance, the EEC’s 1979 order for general nursing required mutual recognition of qualifications in all European member states. In addition, the 1989 EEC directive that required 4,600 hours of practical and theoretical training in all European member states had an enormous impact on the nursing education system in Ireland (O'dwyer, 2007). The Irish nurses, unlike the Chinese nurses, also played a pivotal role in reforming the nursing education in Ireland. This follows their clamor for reforms in which the Irish nurses took to the street in 1999. This compelled the Iri sh government to consider nursing education appropriate for the development of the country. This led to the establishment of nursing training schools in the country. (O'dwyer, 2007). Government and Nursing Organizations Influencing Nursing Education: Comparison of China and Ireland In china, nursing training was influenced by a number of organizations and government agency. Among the organizations that influenced nursing training in China include the Perking Union Medical College (PUMC), which was the first collegiate nursing programme in the country. It influenced nursing training by developing an elite education and service programme similar to those of the West. The State Planning Commission and Ministry of Education also influenced the nursing education system in China (Hong and Yatsushiro, 2001). The Irish nursing education, on the other hand, was influenced by government agencies such as Irish Nursing Board, which stimulated the establishment of a university to train nurses in Ireland. The Irish Matrons’ Association also played a pivotal role in influencing nursing training in Ireland. It did this by commissioning a report that highlighted the need for a nurse training institution in Ireland. The Commission of Nursing created by the Ministry of Health in 1997 also brought significant transformation in

Venetian Altarpieces 1460-1505 Literature review

Venetian Altarpieces 1460-1505 - Literature review Example The altarpieces were often funded by the affluent Venetians, therefore the altarpieces, like the chapels that house them, were often meant as a celebration of the affluence and rank of these families. Seidel (1994) states that such patronage could be a family’s way of regaining prominence after it has returned from exile, or could be a way to celebrate enormous prosperity for the family. Humfrey (1994) states that, for instance, Jacopo Bellini’s altarpiece Annunciation was commissioned by the widow of Gattamelata, Giacomo da Leonessa. De Leonessa was closely associated with Donatello and was a patron of Mantegna. As such, she was at the forefront of the Renaissance art in Northeastern Italy, and she wanted her altarpieces to be as up to date as these other pieces. This meant that Jacopo Bellini would have had specific terms for his commission to construct the Annunciation. Rubin (1994) states that the subject of the painting was not usually left to the artist, but, rather, was decided by the patrons before the artist even begun working. The subject was decided before the artist was even chosen. The patrons would usually decide what it was that they were trying to convey, and calculated their needs and budget for the work accordingly. The patrons then set out to find a master to carry out their designs. The wills, bequests, and donations for these altarpieces usually stipulated that the paintings be carried out by a famous or skilled master. The painter could, however, embellish the painting as he saw as being necessary – for instance, the painter, such as Perugino, would add angels, ornaments and extra heads. However, these artists were not invented, so much as they were ornamenting or filling in the blanks for the patrons. It was all very workmanlike, according to Muraro (1994), in that the artist or the artist’s house would sign a detai led contract that would dictate which patron saints would be depicted, the time that would be allotted for the painting to be completed, the day for delivery of the painting, the information about arbitration in cases of dispute, and the forms of payment.

Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that the patient is a recipient of care, including physical, spiritual, psychological, and socio-cultural components. The nurse–client relationship is a connection intended to improve the well- being of a customer, which may be an individual, a family, community, or a group. Peplau's hypothesis is of high importance to the medical attendant customer relationship, with one of its important perspectives being that both the medical caretaker and the customer turn out to be more educated and develop through the span of their relationship. He trusted that the relationship relied on upon the collaboration of the contemplations, emotions, and activities of every individual and that the patient will experience better well-being when all their particular needs are met in their relationship.According to the report findings the environment is all inner and outside conditions, circumstances, and impacts influencing the individual wellbeing.   Difficult circum stances led to ill health and diseases, for instance, cholera. The environment could be altered to improve conditions so that the natural laws would allow healing to occur. Florence Nightingale’s Legacy of caring Focuses on nursing and the patient environment relationship. She served as a medical caretaker amid the Crimean War, at that time she watches a relationship between the patients who kicked the bucket and their ecological conditions. As an aftereffect of her perceptions, the Environment Theory of nursing was conceived.  

Don Giovanni and Enlightenment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don Giovanni and Enlightenment - Term Paper Example The character of Don Giovanni gives voice to two contrasting attributes of enlightenment. On is the enlightenment notion of liberty. Don Giovanni in his acts shockingly refutes all the norms and values of society, state, decency and religion (Clive 30). In that sense, Don Giovanni stands to be an Enlightenment anti-hero who mocks at the norms set by the society and the church, to live a life of true liberty. Thus, no doubt, Don Giovanni may be said to be devilish in the sense that he brings the humanity to face the truths that hide deep down in the recesses of the dark side of human personality, and are ordinarily too difficult to be faced owing to the pressures and constraints put in place by the state, society and religion (Clive 30). Yet, at the same time while tending to be the true proponent of the idea of liberty that constituted the bedrock of Enlightenment, Don Giovanni is also a harbinger of disruption in all the spheres of life existing around him, be it moral, political or legal (Clive 44). While he aspires to live a liberated life, he puts to risk the liberty of others around him, which happened to be a side effect of Enlightenment. The sexual hunger of Don Giovanni makes him blatantly mock the vows of love and marriage, put at risk time honored bonds and relationships, and disturb the social distinctions that to some extent held the society together. No doubt, Don Giovanni qualifies to be a true Enlightenment hero who is committed to live a liberated life, thereby giving way to a creative disturbance that shakes the foundations of old norms, values and ethics on the altar of reason (Clive 45). One essential aspect of Don Giovanni’s personality that attracts the attention of audience is his commitment to live a socially and ethically liberated life while setting aside all fear, either human or heavenly (Steptoe 243). In the final part of Act 1, when the five characters those are Masetto, Zerlina, Elvira, Anna and Ottavio try to scare him to r epentance by hinting at the heavenly vengeance, his carefree reply is â€Å"My courage shall not fail me, though the powers of hell assail me (Mozart: CD)†. Not to mention the end of Act II, when Don Giovanni vows to never to be scared to repentance, even if it amounted to burning in the everlasting fires of hell. The thing to be noted is that in the plot of this opera, Don Giovanni is not left at a dead end, but the destiny allows him a chance to repent and go to heaven instead of hell. Yet, in the true spirit of Enlightenment, Don Giovanni chooses to live a life on his own terms, rather than bowing before the constraints of the society. Hence, Don Giovanni turns out to be a true Enlightenment rebel hero. In this opera, the music by Mozart also highlights Don Giovanni as a happy and confident person who is free of all superficial constraints and superstitions. The music depicts Giovanni as a person who is totally unapologetic about his love for women and bodily exploits (Moz art: CD). The music attributed by Mozart to Don Giovanni is fast paced, celebratory and energetic (Mozart: CD). It goes without saying that the music also has a tinge of sadness, perhaps because it tends to convey to the audience the distance between Don Giovanni and society and its traditions and the inevitable fate of those who decide to live life on their own terms (Mozart: CD). There is no denying the fact that it is the opening bars of the finale that most suits the

Biometrics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Biometrics - Research Paper Example Biometrics recognition is, therefore, the automatic recognition of users based on behavioral and physiological characteristics. Biometrics seeks to establish a users identity based on who she is rather what she possesses like an ID card or what she remembers like passwords. Biometrics gained popularity when body measurements were used by Alphonse Bertillon to identify criminals in the 19th century. It prompted law enforcer to take criminals fingerprints and store them in a database. The stored fingerprints could then be compared with fingerprints lifted from crime scenes. Biometrics are extensively used to identify criminals but has also gained use in employee clearance for sensitive jobs, determining fatherhood, forensics, identification of prisoners. Performance – refers to the achievable recognition speed and accuracy, the resources to be used in achieving the desired recognition accuracy and speed and the environmental and operational factors that affect the accuracy and speed. Different body parts are being used as a form of biometric recognition. Biometrics ranges from DNA matching, chemical biometric, visual biometric, eyes biometrics ( iris recognition, retina recognition ), finger geometry recognition, Hand geometry recognition, signature recognition and behavioral biometrics (typing recognition), vein recognition and gait. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) matching is the process used in the identification of persons by their DNA profiles. DNA profiles are hidden sets of numbers that reflect an individuals DNA composition, which can also be used as a persons identifier. DNA profiling is different from a full genome sequencing that is used in parental testing and criminal investigation. Even though 99.9% of human DNA sequences are similar in every person, unless they are identical (monozygotic) twins. DNA matching uses repetitive sequences that are highly variable, known as variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs), particularly

Strategic role of information system in contemporary business Essay

Strategic role of information system in contemporary business - Essay Example It goes ahead to consider some marketing strategies that companies can adopt to gain competitive advantage over the other competing organizations, and how they can use information systems to achieve this. A practical look is given to how Microsoft has managed to beat competitors using information systems Strategic role of information system in contemporary business Introduction The knowledge of information systems and its applications in business is of important consideration for managers in the current business world owing to the increased use of technology ((Kotsoukis & Mitra, 2003, p.3). The staff in the organization as well as the other available human resource should have the basic knowledge necessary for the incorporation of these technologies, which is now a necessity, into their operations. There are several uses of information system in business organizations. They are used in organizing the business processes and its operations. It is also used to assist the organization du ring complex decision-making processes using the necessary application software. Information systems can also be used by the companies as strategies to compete and beat their competitors in the market. This can be achieved using information technology to advertise or market the products of a company. However, it is also important to consider that in as much as the use of such systems are of importance in businesses, there are associated challenges that it poses to the management of the organization, which may impede their adoption. Information systems in business- conceptual framework The use of information system is increasing in business and other organizations. Regardless of the type of organization considered, there are always many sets of data to be managed or manipulated (Kotsoukis & Mitra, 2003, p.3). The use of information system in business ranges from simple applications like the calculation of wages to the more complex techniques like the use of application of software th at can be used to aid operations or decision-making process of the organization. Its extensive use will enable the business organization to survive in a market with many competing firms. Michael Porter had suggested that there are five forces that influence the operations in a given business industry (Strategic Management, n.d). These forces are the supplier’s power, barrier to entry, threat of substitutes, the power of the buyer, and the degree of rivalry among the competing firms. The management should consider the possibility of other firms getting into the business as well as the reputation of existing alternative products. Every company then needs to have a competitive advantage over the rival firms. Identifying the power and opportunities that a form has for investment, as well as the needs of the customers is fundamental in ensuring organizational success. The firms should identify the competitors and strategize their operations to beat them. The use of information sys tem can help an organization to obtain this competitive advantage. How an organization keeps the data that pertains to its operations as well as its employees will determine the success in managing the organization. A proper and efficient means of data storage and retrieval will facilitate the achievement of an organization’s objective. Mutilated sources of data call for approximation or estimation that can result into wrong course of action being taken by the management. It can also lead to losses in the event that financial data like pay roll is poorly retrieved. Organizations will thus

Commiuncation in business - case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Commiuncation in business - case study - Essay Example Also, workers belonging to different cultures may have different reasons for lack of motivation and may require different measures to be motivated. In fact, every individual has his/her own needs that need to be satisfied to motivate him/her. In this paper, one such project has been discussed as a case study, which suffers from a lack of motivation in the workers. This multi-billion project involves construction of a condominium. Star Construction Company (SCC) has been hired by Unique Lead Builders (ULB) to construct the condominium. In this paper, I have proposed a framework to SCC which it can apply in its organization to improve the workers’ motivation and hence productivity so as to finish the project within the deadline, and avoid imposition of liquidated damages. 2. Terms of Reference – state clearly: Who am I? I am a Business Consultant. I have formerly done Masters in Business Administration (MBA). I have my own firm that offers consultancy to the clients and/o r contractors for a fee. I have provided my services on a number of projects, and have done good business. My firm is quite popular in the market, and I am considered as one of the top business consultants in my region. Who is my client? My client is Star Construction Company (SCC). SCC is a Contractor that takes building contracts. Currently, SCC is busy constructing a condominium in the centre of the city. It is a multi-billion project, which requires SCC to retain a minimum of 2000 workers for the whole period of construction. Currently, SCC is lagging 5 months behind the schedule it was given by ULB in the start of the project. In order to identify the root cause of delay, SCC has conducted a self-audit of its performance. The biggest issue that the auditing team has come up with is lack of motivation in the workforce. Workforce’s reluctance to take interest in the work has declined its productivity, which has directly affected the schedule. The auditing team has suggeste d the General Manager (GM) of SCC to take measures to improve the workforce’s motivation so that their productivity may be enhanced and the project can be sped up. Why has SCC consulted me? In order to devise a strategy to improve the workers’ productivity, it is imperative that the issues workforce commonly encounters are identified. Unless the workers’ concerns are satisfied, they can not be made to work hard. SCC has, therefore, asked me to prepare a briefing paper which SCC may consult in order to solve its workforce related problems and increase their productivity. 3. Overview of the situation: SCC was given a work schedule by the client at the start of the project. The whole project schedule covers a period of 3 years. As of now, eight months have passed since the commencement date, and the productivity has been considerably lower than what was the demand of the original schedule. SCC lags behind the schedule to such an extent that the goal of no more than 3 months has been achieved in 8 months. The client has stipulated very strict rules against the delay. The liquidated damages will be charged at the rate of 1 per cent of the project’s cost per week of delay. Therefore, SCC can not afford to delay the project as a delay of only a month will consume 20 per cent of its profit. Accordingly, a delay of 5 months will leave

The Importance of Accountability Paper Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Accountability Paper Essay The profound style of experienced training provided for health care workers require an important set of distinguished guidelines of accountability and prepare administrators to handle diversified patients that could be highly affected by common human errors, misconduct or neglect. Health care industries are the primary financial asset throughout the nation, thus obtaining funds from private administrative sectors can be highly expensive compared to other organizations. With proper practice of health care laws and experienced health services provided, physicians can adjust unethical behavior in a positive way. This paper will discuss the importance of accountability in health care organizations and the employees as well as how it applies to ethical considerations in management. Also discussed is how a checks and balance process reflects on a successful organization. The paper will also address if accountability affects the organization’s working culture as well as how to remain a positive outlook or avoid blame in the working culture. Measuring Employee’s Accountability Health care organizations uphold high accountability guidelines from all aspects such as controlling, coordinating and creating special regulations in order to ensure the best healthcare for patients, success for healthcare providers, and efficiency within the healthcare system. Accountability is necessary within healthcare settings not only for patients, but also for the community as a whole. Reliance and trust weigh heavy for healthcare providers as it serves as a leader in community resources. As a vital source within the community, the hospital for example is held to the highest standards in accountability for the community. It is viewed as the center of medical ethics, quality, and ultimately essential to the public. Requiring employees to be accountable for his or her actions can be a major challenge (Lion, 2012). According to Lion, physicians often look the other way when  they need to enforce accountability to their staff and tend to think it will go away on its own (Lion, 2012). The group of managers will be the ones to specify what control screening will be done in between performance reviews to determine excellence of care and to make certain all aspects of the job are completed. It is also important to detect any irregularities that may be problematic within the organization. This actually means that authorized and disciplinary actions will be irrefutable based on internal standards as imposed by the organization. Additionally, the external sources include localized health care information picked by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that has experts to implement health care laws as well as making sure that organizations are abiding by these laws (Martin Frahm, 2010). They have assigned departments that are dedicated to complete the work for a specific time zone and they are the legitimate source to provide supervision in health care organizations. However, if any misconduct occurs then the legal department will take disciplinary actions and will have a legal battle with the Supreme Court. Ethical Considerations in Leadership and Management Ethics is a sensible perspective to various health care managers and leaders that aids to implement regulatory practices within an organization by improving the decision-making mechanisms. Ethics is most certainly an important terminology for all health care industries because it provides them with everyday determination and provides them with mutual accountability (DeCamp, 2013). Ethics also has an essential effect and role due to its influential subject matter. There are segments of ethics like clinical and management ethics that are based on the perception of accountability in health care industries because they regulate trustees that are critical building trust with patients. As a result, health care organization leaders have to implement a culture that would encourage and conserve the health related concerns of patients by way of motivation. Additionally, health leaders and managers should work together with the organization’s stakeholders such as local, state and government agencies as well as other physicians and payers (DeCamp, 2013). Managers and leaders should also make sure that the organization’s culture emulates the ethical quality that highlighted towards the needs of patients. The culture achieves  the benchmark the organization needs for practice and regulation measures needed to share the resources and expectations of the organization. Checks and Balances Process The checks and balance was created as a system to control the organization or an individual person as well as for the foundation of an amicable interconnection with everyone from each department within an organization. The checks and balance within a profitable organization authorizes the appropriate, competent employee to be in charge of overseeing governing and supportive concepts or developments. A fundamental perspective to consider in health care is that there will always be room for an employee to abuse his or her power in order to gain unauthorized access to company funds (Feigenbaum, 2015). This is why it is important for organizations to invest in proper security measures to ensure the assets of the company are safe from outside theft as well as internal misconduct (Feigenbaum, 2015. Accountability’s Affect on Working Culture and Avoiding Blame Accountability has an affect on the working culture because it operates like an external tool to help control and monitor the organization. Accountability has demonstrated that health care organizations have improved its level of effectiveness. It also helps to strongly monitor employees who blame others for mistakes rather than accept responsibility. This makes it easier for the organization to organize special activities or training for the improvement of services provided from the staff to the patient. In every health care organization patient safety is the primary concern and it is an aspect to consider when dealing with joined work efforts, human experiences and the value of accuracy. In order to manage a suitable working culture it is important to recognize how and why the breakdown occurred and what can be done to improve the complex issues of a health care organization. Every stakeholder involved along with the organization’s employees should put their issues aside and prosper to obtain the improvement of the organization as a common objective. It is also important for staff to explore new methods to achieve accountability at the highest level and to be open minded for new innovative ideas as well as sharing them with fellow employees. A poor quality accountability process will lead to the deterioration of the organization’s decision-making process and safety policies. Conclusion Accountability in any organization is important because it can make all the difference on the success or failure for a company. Every employee regardless of level or position should be held accountable for his or her actions or mistakes and be ready to face the consequences that come after. Above all, the best methods or actions need to be placed on ensuring patient safety and providing the best form of health services in the organization. Accountability is essential to an organization in order to avoid problems if they are handle responsibly and effectively. References DeCamp, M. (2013, February). Ethics in Accountable Care Organizations. AMA Journal Ethics: Illuminating the Art of Ethics, 15(2), 156-161. Retrieved from http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2013/02/pfor1-1302.html Feigenbaum, E. (2015). Chron: The Meaning of Checks and Balances. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/meaning-checks-balances-4095.html Lion, M. H. (2012, July). Physicians Money Digest: Establishing Staff Accountability. Retrieved from http://www.hcplive.com/physicians-money-digest/practice-management/Establishing-Staff-Accountability Martin, L., Frahm, K. (2010, March). The Nature of Accountability in Administrative Practice. Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, 37(1), 137-148. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=730f0180-5b7b-4797-8409-a9828c7e92b0%40sessionmgr4004vid=1hid=4106

The problems autistic children face in mainstream schools

The problems autistic children face in mainstream schools Autism is a disorder with the brain which affects the learning developmental process of a person. It is a nuerodevelopmental disorder condition that affects the functioning of the brain as stated by the American Psychiatric Association (in Mulligan, Steel, Macculloch Nicholas, 2010 p.114). This can affect a persons social interaction and communication ability to a point where they are deemed unsuited to work in a mainstream environment. Symptoms of Autism can be discovered from a very young age. Autism can be diagnosed according to an autistic spectrum which determines the severity of the persons condition. This includes a list of disorders ranging from mild to major. The Autistic Society categorises Autism into three different types of disability (Batten, Corbett, Rosenblatt, Withers Yuille, 2006). One type is a very limited range of thought and behaviour with very limited scope for imagination where the individual may carry out repetitive or ritual-like actions which become a way of life. This may include focusing on minor details rather than focusing on the main object. For example the individual might focus on a piece of clothing rather than focus on the person wearing it or focusing on a particular part of an object rather than the whole object. Another characteristic is limited verbal and non-verbal communication with very impaired two-way conversational skills. An autistic person may also fail to understand another persons emotions, gestures, or way of thinking and will treat these differences as alien compared to their own character. This may also lead to over-literalness when interpreting something. The final category is a difficulty with social relationships, with an expression of solitude and detachment from reality. I aim to try and find out if and why it is difficult for children, suffering from autism, to study within in a mainstream environment. I have wondered whether children with autism are able to enter mainstream education with their handicaps. One has to take into account the comfort zone of the child, how the child is able to cope socially with his surroundings and their ability to cope with peer pressure or bullying. The symptoms of autism are such that it has great effects on how children with autism learn. Each individual will have their own reaction to the learning they are exposed to. Therefore it is necessary that schools take time to accommodate those with disadvantages such as autism and manage each childs necessities. Even if schools and classes for children with autism have managed to devise a particular method of teaching specifically implemented to complement the childrens autism, it may not be as easy to achieve in classes where there is only one child with autism or in classes that also include children with a range of different disabilities (not just mental). Without mainstream education, does this mean that children with autism are doomed to never be able to attain a high-position job in the future? I shall start by analysing from the point of view from teachers about possible mainstream education from a research carried out by Helps, Newsom-Davis Callias (1999). They make a point in highlighting the increasing significance of the teachers role in helping children to learn. They mention that teachers work very closely with children and also work under ever-changing conditions; different children each year and the problems they individually or collectively pose. They highlight the importance of the teachers ability to enrich their social and communication skills. An early intervention into the education of a child who suffers from autism is best in order for their benefit. Most importantly, they highlight an integrated education in autism (Helps, Newsom-Davis Callias, 1999 p.288). Riddel and Brown (in Helps, Newsom-Davis Callias, 1999 p.288) states that there are increasing cases of children with autism undertaking education in a mainstream environment. It is not sufficient enough to rely on the skills of a good teacher alone, but some prior and extensive knowledge and preparation should be undertaken in order to deal with autism. Powell and Jordan (in Helps, Newsom-Davis Callias, 1999 p.288) also state that the normal intuitions of good teachers are likely to mislead when applied to autism. This implies that normal methods of teaching cannot be applied in the same way and have the same effect it would over normal children. They supplement the argument that specific knowledge of the range of disabilities is crucial in achieving the best out of education for those with autism (p.289). The research itself was conducted in order to find out what the teachers perceptions of autism were and what training they had received and how it was being applied in the appropriate setting. It turned out that 70% of mainstream teachers that had been researched had experiences of handling children with autism. Amazingly 5% of the 70% had any sort of specific training to deal with children with autism (p.290-291). The research came to the conclusion that the majority of the teaching staff did not have a strong understanding or knowledge of the basic theoretical understanding of autism. Many remained unaware of the bigger implications of the condition and many believed in outdated beliefs that were either inaccurate or very superficial. I believe that this inadequate understanding and lack of attention to children with autism makes it extremely challenging for these children to have any chance of an equal footing with normal children in the mainstream environment. Although it should be noted that the survey research sample was only a handful of schools and teaching institutions in England, this cannot possibly labelled as a research to represent the whole of England. The research itself was published in 1999 and with modernisation of technology and evolution in society; a change in these statistics is possible. But based on these results, those with autism face a challenge integrating themselves mainly due to lack of awareness on the teachers behalf and this problem must be rectified. These days there is a growing demand for special assistance for those with special needs in education. A BBC article about this issue highlighted the fact that a couple of decades ago, those in mainstream schools would consider a child with special needs as an alien subject as placing special needs children into mainstream education was not common in the past (BBC Website, 2006). However these days, integration of children with physical and learning difficulties into mainstream schools has started increasing with more awareness towards their difficulties. The BBC also goes onto mention that many special needs schools were gradually closed down in the 1980s, in order to promote integrated education amongst children with special needs or those without any. Yet the report also goes on to question whether integration is such a good idea for autistic children. According to opinions of parents with autistic children collected by the National Autistic Society, one third of the parents would favour their children being educated in mainstream education, one third would prefer their children to attend a special needs school where they could receive sole attention and the remaining third preferred a mix between the two situations. According to the National Autistic Society, within a research compiled by Barten, Corbett, Roseblatt, Wither Yullie, parents now want a range of provision including mainstream schools with more emphasis in resources and more schools which cater especially for special needs (Barten, Corbett, Roseblatt, Wither Yullie, 2006, p.3). The report discusses whether parents had a choice whether they sent their children to mainstream or special schools. Over half of the parents who were surveyed by the National Autistic Society stated that they were not given a choice. 33% of parents felt that they were given an opportunity to choose for their children to be in mainstream schools. 59% felt that that once they their children had reached secondary school, their options of choosing school became a lot narrower. They suggest that help for children diagnosed with levels of autism at a secondary school level is lacking. Race and ethnicity apparently plays a role in having a choice or not. Races bar white British families were less likely to have a choice in choosing schools which suggests unfair discrimination. Half of the parents in the survey felt that they were not satisfied with the schools their children were enrolled in. The majority of parents stated that they felt autism-specific special schools were the most beneficial for their children. 43% of parents whose children were in mainstream schools thought that an autism-specific special school would better support their child. The report highlights examples with quotes from various parents including Mainstream school dismissed any intention of educating my son when they discovered he had autism (Batten, Corbett, Rosenblatt, Withers Yuille, 2006, p.9). The article also defines the word inclusion not merely just the act of placing an autistic child within a mainstream environment but also it is about making appropriate provision to meet each childs needs and reasonable adjustments to enable each child to access the whole life of the school (Batten, Corbett, Rosenblatt, Withers Yuille, 2006, p.4). A child with autism is not necessarily a child without some kind of talent. A child with autism can suddenly excel in a discipline or have talent to make up for its disadvantages. A school must identify the individual needs that should lay a marker for identifying what type of school they should attend and the support they will need to receive in order to complete their education. The theory of inclusion according to Harmon Jones (2005 p187), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. when special education students are included in the regular classrooms, they have greater achievement, better self concepts, and more appropriate social skills than those special education students who are plac ed together in one classroom. Another example of the encouragement for mainstream education is highlighted with Rogers report (2004) where she highlights a school in Japan, the Boston Massachusetts Higashi School, which takes in only children with learning difficulties. They have come up with a curriculum with a teacher delivery that is based upon the common age rather than by developmental level (2004, p.49). This shows that mainstream methods have spread across the world. In a journal report by Philip Whitaker (2007), he conducts a research experiment using surveys for parents asking for their opinions on their satisfaction of their childrens education. The majority of the children and young people in the research were educated in mainstream schools and had not been to special needs schools to receive supplementary help. Less than half the parents who were given the questionnaire returned with responses. This was very similar to the response rate of parents whose children were catered for in special schools. The outcome showed that more than half of the participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the educational support their children receive (Whitaker, 2007, p.173-174). However the report also notes the possible problems that could distort the research findings. For example, the parents may not have the experience to judge whether the education and autistic resources are being beneficial towards their children. The parents who described themselves as dissatisfied appear to have concerns regarding many aspects of the provision made for their children as well as concerns relating to their childrens experiences and progress (p.174). The most common response was that of disagreement by parents. All but one of the rating items recorded only a very modest measure of agreement with the item referring to their relationship with the school in the results. Parents placed particular importance in gradual confidence in social skills, a clear understanding between teacher and child, and a broad capacity to enable to handle all types of children behaviour, a decent structure for children to be able to follow and to ensure that the child is happy within the study environment. Later in the report, it states that parents were worried overall about their childrens social experiences at school. Across all respondents, only half of all children and young people were said to have friends and only one in five of the parents felt that t heir children were accepted by their fellow peers (p.175). Issues during recess or break times seemed to be a particular issue for parents with 70% of them indicating this was a cause for concern. One in ten parents spontaneously mentioned bullying in their response to the open-ended questions and this was an issue that aroused understandably strong feelings. In this context it is perhaps not surprising that their childrens happiness was such a prominent issue for so many of the parents. Comparing these statistics with the idea of inclusion, it appears that a potential barrier that could prevent children from integrating themselves is an unfriendly environment. A developed understanding with the teachers was also considered important in order to maintain the best results from education. However Whitakers report placed more importance on the social aspect and surroundings unlike previous examples which placed importance on the increasing role of the teacher. Another report by Humphrey (2008) states that research indicates that students with an autistic handicap are more susceptible to bullying at school. Furthermore, students with autism are more than 20 times more likely to be excluded from school than those without special educational needs (Humphrey, 2008 p.24). Children with autism constantly have to fight stereotypes and unfair treatment simply because they are not normal. Humphreys report seems to ally itself with Whitakers point of view in that the social aspect is the most crucial in determining whether an autistic child settles or not. Singer (in Humphrey, 2008 p.32) argues the autistic spectrum is often associated in the public mind with images of rocking, emotionally cut-off, intellectually impaired children and RainMan-like savants. The relationships students with autism have with their peers could be both a barrier and an enabler to their successful inclusion in school. In a recent study according to the report, nearly all s tudents reported being bullied at different levels of severity and frequency. Humphreys research includes a dialogue during an interview with a student in which the student was reported to say: People in my class know about my autism at school thats why they likely pick on me. If incidents of name-calling and physical violence were one-off events, then they might not be considered unusual. Chan and Smith (in Humphrey, 2008) suggest that many students will experience either petty name-calling or physical violence or in worse case scenarios both at some point during their schooling. Subsequently bullying and aggression towards these students turned out with more frequency than anticipated. This can lead to the unfortunate scenario of social exclusion. This can lead to a serious problem when an autistic childs behaviour impacts upon another child, such as irritation from the childs constant talking and consequently disrupts the learning environment which creates more unnecessary pressu re for teachers and therefore the inclusion technique fails. It appears to be necessary to create a friendly atmosphere and somehow integrate these children together in a positive manner and avoid conflicts or ostracizing. I shall now try to expand on the idea of inclusion of autistic children together into mainstream schools. An inclusive education brings all children together without highlighting differences. Those with disabilities will be grouped with normal children and be educated together. A research undertaken (in Reed, Osborne Waddington, 2009) observed the performance rate of children with autism in mainstream settings and to determine their performances within the education system. The abstract reveals that there was actually no significance whether students were enrolled in mainstream or special needs schools (Reed et al. 2009 p.1), although special schools did emphasise the importance of social and emotional behaviours. Although they note the upcoming progress of the inclusion process of children of all abilities, they question whether the actual inclusion policy will end up being beneficial to the students on a whole (p.4-5). Harris and Handleman (in Reed et al. 2009 p.5) suggested that the social behaviour aspect may have more bearing in the investigation than the academic performances to achieve the most ideal inclusive settings. After concluding their research, the report discusses the potential difference between mainstream and special schools. It revealed that special schools made a stronger impression in aiming to improve social and behavioural aspects of the children. Although they hint that the results are not very strong indicators to advocate for a strong conclusion, they suggest that children are probably going to benefit more emotionally and socially by going to a special school (p.12). Judging by this mini conclusion, I believe that the social integration is the biggest issue into helping a child settle. This report appears to suggest that children are going to benefit less by going to a mainstream school as they appear to have less focus on trying to improve a child emotionally and socially. Yet the report also explores other possibilities such as the provisions children receive at school and the parents influence. Humphrey Lewis (2008) compiled a report on the actual experiences of students, who have autism, who attended mainstream secondary schools. They reveal that there is a significant impetus to have more students who require special needs attention integrated into mainstream schools. They give two reasons as to why this sudden increase in integration is the case. First, Farrell and Ainscow reveal (in Humphrey Lewis, 2008) that there is growing momentum for mainstream inclusion for children and adolescents with special needs (p.23-24). The second is provided by Connor (in Humphrey Lewis, 2008) who states that with the current increasing realisation that by grouping children who have autism together into one class may not be the most beneficial for the children. They analysed 20 students across 4 secondary schools in the North-West of England through interviews. Teachers, Assistants, Parents and classroom/break time observations were also used in the investigation. The listed objectives included: exploring the perspectives of some autistic students within a mainstream environment, to log everyday experiences of the students, to identify their immersion into a school culture to see if it is being beneficial or hindering to a student. A total of 20 students with Autism (age ranging from 11-17 years old) participated in the study. The student sample was taken from the four chosen mainstream secondary schools from the North-Western region of England. As standard procedures, consent needed to be granted by each schools management consultants including written consents from each students parents accepting the purpose of the research. Then to question the students, the team of researchers would be accompanied by a member of staff (a person whom the student will have most likely studied under or whom would recognise). During the research they introduced diaries for students to keep record of their experiences; this was seen as a useful way of getting information which wo uld have otherwise might have been extremely difficult to get hold of, a way to avoid potentially embarrassing or pressuring the students into forcing out their emotions. The diary method can gain access to personal and intimate thoughts that may not emerge in an interview context. However, if this method of using diaries were to become an actual part of the curriculum, I would suspect that some of the children would have no interest in using it independently and will rather rely on instruction to use it. Nevertheless, the diaries provide a less intrusive alternative to performing a series of interviews that would still produce rich and meaningful data as the individual is under no pressure and can fill out the diary in their own way and time (Humphrey Lewis, 2008 p.27). Ethical considerations were observed for the study. The results were separated into different analytical themes. The first topic to appear was the concept of what autism meant to the individual. The responses were negative and the individuals responded with responses such as Oh my God Im a freak, one particular response from a student after being told that he had Aspergers Syndrome (p.31). It is believed that the students formulated their own view of themselves and how they deal with Autism through the feedback they receive from others. One student recounts of his frustrations that staff at his school had been notified of his Aspergers syndrome which prompted an uncomfortable and embarrassed response: Id prefer they didnt know because everyone treats me differently and I dont like being treated differently (p.31). An interesting contrast to the previous response was seen in a subset of students for whom their Autism was simply a part of their own identity. They had grown to accept and even be proud of their differences. As one student commented, Sometimes I think I am normal, Im treating this autism very well. Im top of the class and doing very well and Ive got a good future ahead of me and Ive got a vocabulary, Ive got very good friends (p.32). The mention of friends shows how far this particular student has come to overcome differences and integrate himself into the mainstream environment and make a social connection. Another set of results concentrated on the particular traits of Autism and how it was reacted to within the classroom at school. One example shows a student gaining confidence due to his particular strong and precise interest in certain elements of sporting talents, with his classmates asking him questions on how he is able to maintain strong interest on such a topic. Unfortunately aside from curiosity, it also inevitably leads to incidents of bullying due to the social naivety of the autistic students, making them very vulnerable targets (p.33). An example shows how a student took a joke literally and frustrated the individual who started the joke who resorted to verbal bullying which in turn upset the student who had been the original victim of the bullying. A students relationship with his/her classmates proved to be a make-or-break factor in his/her attempt to integrate into the school community. Nearly all of the autistic children were victims of bullying and teasing which can h ave a drastic effect on the childrens moral and overall satisfaction of being at school. Samples of diary entries revealed that bullying occurred often. Inevitably those with special needs are most likely to be targeted by bullies simply because they are different. Depending on the individual, he or she may not possess the character or resilience to shrug off or confront the bullying. However there were instances where it would be counteracted by support from (and often enduring friendships with) fellow peers. There are examples of students who have expressed their feelings through crude drawings (p.36). Undoubtedly this type of situation will lower any students self-esteem and confidence, let alone students with special needs. The report goes onto talk about the levels of anxiety and stress in school. The school environment itself was a considerable source of anxiety. Students thrived off order and predictability which composed their everyday school life, implying any kind of chang e to a routine would throw off the students and potentially bring about a negative reaction. This also possibly shows that these children crave structure or something to follow, especially during the younger years. There were some who were able to deal with distractions but for others, it was not as easy to ignore and they felt upset and could not concentrate and therefore could not progress. Finally the theme of working in conjunction with the teachers also came up in the report. Students reacted differently once again to teachers assistance. Most welcomed that there was somebody looking out for them, reassured to know that they could turn to someone for help. However, students also felt pressure due to the lack of discretion from teachers. It was obvious for everyone to see that they were receiving extra support which only served to highlight further the differences between themselves and their peers. This made them more uncomfortable and resentful to the fact that this difference in ability was exposed. The presence of a teacher only helped to impede their attempts to integrate and make friends in the classroom. It seems apparent that a teachers understanding is important, as highlighted earlier in the essay. The teacher must also have confidence in dealing with children. A lack of understanding of individual students needs resulted in the teachers, in this report, dep ending on assistant staff members to prepare work for a student. The final key theme to emerge from the study was how the way in which students with autism attempt to understand and assimilate themselves successfully into the mainstream school environment, set against contexts in which they feel both very different from others but also the same, and experience both acceptance and rejection. In conclusion the argument that autism poses within an educational setting will be inevitably different for every child. Some children are capable of handling general education classes with assistance, while others would possibly benefit better from a self-contained classroom where they are not mixed with mainstream. Students were experiencing adaptations to common ways of working and interacting that seemed to lead to a more positive experience of schooling. It is important to acknowledge though that whilst useful, the childrens views and experiences themselves are a part (albeit a significant one) of a larger picture, and any full account of the inclusion process must also be explored deeper. It is a mistake to assume that because a student with an autistic disability is still academically able, he or she should be able to cope in mainstream school. On the contrary, as demonstrated in the current research, difficulties in social communication and interaction experienced by such stu dents are likely to increase their exposure and vulnerability to bullying and social isolation which can lead to depression and feelings of not belonging. These are one of the most obvious reasons why autistic children have to overcome so much. Having teachers that are aware and are able to integrate the children with autism has a huge bearing on whether the children are able to settle themselves amongst their peers. The parents must also be vigilant in order to choose the correct schools and to also detect when their child is unhappy and is not benefiting from the learning environment. Family influence counts a lot when it comes down to children. Regardless of the type of school they attend, those with Aspergers syndrome must be taught in an environment that understands and caters for autistic children. It requires schools to be responsive to the needs of individual children by teachers and also provide support to staff that should have ideally some sufficient background and traini ng in identifying the different aspects of autism and how to respond to given situations. Although many of these research articles claimed that their survey samples were too small to be considered a nationwide survey, the recurring themes help to certainly give an idea of the possible reasons of difficulty autistic children face when placed in a mainstream education. Word Count: 4482

Migration: Pros and Cons :: essays research papers

Migration has been an on going phenomena from past to present. Individuals, families, or groups of people may leave a country voluntarily or involuntarily because of events: harsh environmental or economic conditions (disease, crop failure, excess population), religious persecution, "ethnic cleansing," war, genocide. Or they may be enslaved and taken to a foreign country. Migrants may seek better jobs, freedom, or to preserve their very lives. There is a wide spread perception shared by big business and the government that a country needs immigrants, first to take certain low paid jobs which the existing population decline to take, second, and more importantly, to overcome skill shortages in the country. Immigrants are then, seen as playing an important part in enabling the Government to achieve sustainable economic development. The effect of immigration on unemployment is negligible and that migrants create at least as many jobs as they fill. Migrants may increase unemployment in certain areas, but this is compensated by their raising the overall level of demand, like housing and household-related goods, needs etc. This promotes both a higher level and a wider range of goods and services produced, stimulating the economy and job growth. Migrants also bring new skills and experience to the recipient country. They help to reduce labor shortages for skilled personnel, and also attract international traders through their fore ign knowledge and language skills. Skilled migrants also do not earn a cost to government in education or training, because most migrants come in their youth (20-39), means that they pay the taxes that will help sustain ageing population (mostly in MEDC’s). One main problem is that the movement of skilled personnel from LEDC (developing countries) to MEDC (developed countries), termed the â€Å"brain drain†, can have a harmful effect on the donor countries, this emigration deprives the donor country of the skilled manpower that they need. Emigrants can however, assist their country of origin in various other ways: a) bank deposits – external accounts maintain in the donor country which are financial investments in the donor country economy. Migration: Pros and Cons :: essays research papers Migration has been an on going phenomena from past to present. Individuals, families, or groups of people may leave a country voluntarily or involuntarily because of events: harsh environmental or economic conditions (disease, crop failure, excess population), religious persecution, "ethnic cleansing," war, genocide. Or they may be enslaved and taken to a foreign country. Migrants may seek better jobs, freedom, or to preserve their very lives. There is a wide spread perception shared by big business and the government that a country needs immigrants, first to take certain low paid jobs which the existing population decline to take, second, and more importantly, to overcome skill shortages in the country. Immigrants are then, seen as playing an important part in enabling the Government to achieve sustainable economic development. The effect of immigration on unemployment is negligible and that migrants create at least as many jobs as they fill. Migrants may increase unemployment in certain areas, but this is compensated by their raising the overall level of demand, like housing and household-related goods, needs etc. This promotes both a higher level and a wider range of goods and services produced, stimulating the economy and job growth. Migrants also bring new skills and experience to the recipient country. They help to reduce labor shortages for skilled personnel, and also attract international traders through their fore ign knowledge and language skills. Skilled migrants also do not earn a cost to government in education or training, because most migrants come in their youth (20-39), means that they pay the taxes that will help sustain ageing population (mostly in MEDC’s). One main problem is that the movement of skilled personnel from LEDC (developing countries) to MEDC (developed countries), termed the â€Å"brain drain†, can have a harmful effect on the donor countries, this emigration deprives the donor country of the skilled manpower that they need. Emigrants can however, assist their country of origin in various other ways: a) bank deposits – external accounts maintain in the donor country which are financial investments in the donor country economy.

Essay --

As the crowd begins their chants and anthems, the teams take their places upon the pitch. The ground is shaking underneath you and smoking flares are lighting up around the stadium. Welcome to the world of football. Soccer has become a way of life for many and an escape from reality. It is the game for any class and will steal your heart with the art that comes with it. Soccer isn’t just a sport, it is a religion many follow, but most importantly it brings masses around the world together. We call this, the Beautiful Game. If this claims to be the most popular sport around the world, why is soccer not considered a big sport and why has it never caught on in America? Finally, we have reached the age to play sports, but what sport would be the best? Many kids turn to baseball and football because these are America’s past time sport, but there is always a select few that choose soccer. Why, because their parents force them to play. Soccer, in a parents point of view, is seen as a safe exercise sport, you can make friends and most important, get outside. At such a young age, kids have never been the best at following directions, which leads to chaos on the field. Kids swarm around the ball wishing for the chance to kick the ball a couple of times. In all truth, â€Å"Kids don't grow up wanting to watch tag on TV, or be a professional tag player, and that's really how most kids who play it view soccer. It's fun, its outdoors and it involves running around, but that's about it† (Emen). Besides the fact of parents forcing soccer down the kids throat, they get the image that soccer will forever be a disorganized sport, which in all truth can be at some points. The main reason for this is because in America, we were never taught how to play s... ...y with rocks as the goals and a bundle of socks as the ball. Soccer will make your heart break when your team drops into relegation and make you be in ecstasy when your nation wins the World Cup. Soccer is a game where it would take time to learn and accept the game. There are many rules to understand and heartbreaks to endure. But if we looked at the game as a whole, we would understand that the game is truly like all others. It’s a game that binds people together and brings peace to parts of the world. For many it is a way of life, and people go to their church, temple or mosque every Saturday or Sunday and even during the week. If Americans gave this game a chance, it would possibly become the most popular game in every nation. But until then, Soccer will need to take time to catch on. Only then can the world most popular sport truly become the Beautiful Game.

Vittorio de Sicas The Bicycle Thief Essay -- Movies Film Bicycle Thie

Vittorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief Since the beginning of its existence as a country, Italy has faced enormous challenges in establishing itself as a unified political and social entity. The geographic, economic, and linguistic differences between its various regions and the artificial manner in which they were amalgamated created a legacy of internal divisions that continues to dominate the country's political climate to this day. Italy's numerous historical fiascoes, such as its disastrous involvement in the two World Wars and the rise of fascism, further escalated the domestic problems that had haunted it since the Risorgimento. At first, the anti-fascist Resistance movement, which dominated the end of World War II, seemed to bring Italy a ray of hope, promising a new era of freedom, reform, and democratic representation. However, this hope was quickly extinguished, as widespread poverty, government corruption, and deep divisions between regions and classes persisted and no true social reform was attained. These ha rsh conditions were depicted by a group of Italian film directors whose neorealist works have since been celebrated as masterpieces of world cinema. One of the most prominent of these is Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. This 1948 film discusses the prevalent themes dominating Italy's social and political history, within the context of the unsettlingly poor post-War urban proletariat. Among the most prominent motifs in Italian politics since the Risorgimento has been a tendency for quasi-action (inaction disguised as action), in the form of transformismo and attendismo. The first of these terms refers to the practice of "assuring the government of an adequate majority in parliament either by a prelimina... ...ial failure. This somber conclusion of the film seems to be an expression of hopelessness for Italy's future. By 1948, the country had gone through a series of tumultuous historical events, caused by the inadequacy of its political and economic system. The disillusionment of its citizens with the system and in fact with the very concept of their nation was taken to its limits by yet another failure to achieve true social change after World War II. The transformismo of the Christian Democrats and the attendismo of the Communists offered no hope for Italians, appearing as just another stage in the country's endless cycle of political and social failure. The Bicycle Thief is a portrait of Italy's collective consciousness, haunted by its disturbing past and disillusioned towards its future. Works Cited; URL:http://www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/Bonikowski.html Vittorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief Essay -- Movies Film Bicycle Thie Vittorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief Since the beginning of its existence as a country, Italy has faced enormous challenges in establishing itself as a unified political and social entity. The geographic, economic, and linguistic differences between its various regions and the artificial manner in which they were amalgamated created a legacy of internal divisions that continues to dominate the country's political climate to this day. Italy's numerous historical fiascoes, such as its disastrous involvement in the two World Wars and the rise of fascism, further escalated the domestic problems that had haunted it since the Risorgimento. At first, the anti-fascist Resistance movement, which dominated the end of World War II, seemed to bring Italy a ray of hope, promising a new era of freedom, reform, and democratic representation. However, this hope was quickly extinguished, as widespread poverty, government corruption, and deep divisions between regions and classes persisted and no true social reform was attained. These ha rsh conditions were depicted by a group of Italian film directors whose neorealist works have since been celebrated as masterpieces of world cinema. One of the most prominent of these is Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. This 1948 film discusses the prevalent themes dominating Italy's social and political history, within the context of the unsettlingly poor post-War urban proletariat. Among the most prominent motifs in Italian politics since the Risorgimento has been a tendency for quasi-action (inaction disguised as action), in the form of transformismo and attendismo. The first of these terms refers to the practice of "assuring the government of an adequate majority in parliament either by a prelimina... ...ial failure. This somber conclusion of the film seems to be an expression of hopelessness for Italy's future. By 1948, the country had gone through a series of tumultuous historical events, caused by the inadequacy of its political and economic system. The disillusionment of its citizens with the system and in fact with the very concept of their nation was taken to its limits by yet another failure to achieve true social change after World War II. The transformismo of the Christian Democrats and the attendismo of the Communists offered no hope for Italians, appearing as just another stage in the country's endless cycle of political and social failure. The Bicycle Thief is a portrait of Italy's collective consciousness, haunted by its disturbing past and disillusioned towards its future. Works Cited; URL:http://www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/Bonikowski.html

Have People Become Overly Dependent on Technology? Essay

Because we, as a society, are embracing technology without fully understanding the long-term ramifications of this decision. We’re constantly seeking out short-term gains and improvements without really taking into consideration the whole picture for future generations. Computers are great, don’t get me wrong. They are wonderful tools that help many simplify their life, get more information, and in the end, hopefully make better, more informed decisions. These better informed decisions hopefully lead to better lives (for people) or better revenues and increased profits (for companies). But computers are not always the right choice, even when they appear to provide a solution to an existing problem. As a tool, a computer is a useful aid. It has helped architects and engineers design and provide more reliable, interesting structures and buildings. It allows us to split atoms, and categorize human genomes. It can take guesswork out of business intelligence and product demand curves. It even allows us to exchange money in the form of bits and bytes instead of actual paper money changing hands. But as a foundation for an important enconomic pillar in our country, I suspect we’re pushing the envelope of sane thinking. There is no such thing as an unhackable computer system. There is no such thing as a 24/7/365 computer system (despite what some companies claim). And until there is, putting all of your eggs into a computerized future seems a bit short-sighted to me. Imagine a power outage. You know, the kind we had just a few years ago on our supposedly modern power grid. The kind that isn’t supposed to happen. The kind that brought an entire coast of our country grinding to a halt. That’s fine, you say, those things are freak occurrences, and happen once in awhile. Like the California blackouts of a few years ago. But as our thirst for power increases, and our infrastructure fails to keep pace with it (and it really is nowhere near to keeping pace with it — it is doubtful the U. S. has enough reserve electricity supplies without tapping into our neighbors from the north during peak usage periods). Now, instead of just going a few days without power, imagine an entire society devoid of electricity. Could it happen? For a few days, sure. But for a few weeks or even longer Who knows? The question in my mind isn’t if such a thing is possible, but simply when. Now, fifty years ago, architects and engineers could keep on working, since they used their drafting boards and graph paper to create the structures that hold us up. The NYSE could go on running using good old-fashioned paper and pencil, just like they did then. Citizens could use cash instead of charge or debit cards to pay for goods and services. The point is, fifty years ago, I think society could easily survive and overcome a lapse in electricity even for a long period of time. It was inconvenient, but the basics of daily life (and the basics of our economy! didn’t depend on electricity being reliable and abundant. All of that has changed. I suspect some new architects wouldn’t know how to design a 50-story building on paper (without aid of a CAD program), or a doctor who had to diagnose a patient without the reliance on ordering 10 or 15 lab tests. Or a politician who couldn’t rely on instant polling techniques. Or citizens who had to resort to reading their news, instead of watching in on TV. Or an important stock exchange not being able to function because generators were never meant to be used full-time, indefinitely. As a tool, I think computers are the cat’s meow. But as this something more they’ve become, this integrated component that so many people have become dependent upon, I am sometimes a little worried or concerned. We believe we live in a largely stable world, with virtually endless supplies of natural resources. And yet that belief isn’t grounded in reality — we live in a limited-resource world where, one day (perhaps in some of our’s future), some of those resources may very well run out or dwindle significantly. So it’s a simple equation: limited future natural resources means limited supplies of electricity, the stuff that powers our modern world. PS – Yes, I know, I know, let’s pin our hopes on solar or nuclear, because they’ve shown so much promise to date! Naturally, a lot can change during my lifetime, but we’ve all been waiting for a breakthrough in energy production for decades and none has come. Nuclear was the last big one with commercial realization, and that was developed more than 50 years ago! †¢Mankind has had tools since the beginning of recorded history and that is all technology. We are a creature that can solve problems by creating physical solutions and that is in part what makes us different than most animals, though not all. What is disconcerting is that we have so many dependencies on technology and large systems that we can not repair or re-create easily. †¢Yes, we are becoming too dependent on technology. Most of us can’t spell correctly. Why? Spell checking software. We have become lazy. Why? Transport facilities. Technology is not bad in itself, but we, the people of 21st century, are misusing it. We have became sedentary and as a result diseases which were unknown 200 years ago have now became commonplace. †¢No, we are not as a species too dependent upon technology as it stands today. As we have created the tools which led to technology, we have also learned why it is they will and are necessary – our memories fail us, so we need a record to correct us or to learn from or rewrite; what is upon a computer is not written in stone, it may be changed. This is a fluid way of thinking that was unknown to previous generations; a ever changing â€Å"evolution of thought†. It is above all a neutral tool to communicate with those of our own country in with others, we need this in a world with a population in ever increasing billions. †¢People will always be needed and wanted for face to face interaction, but where that is not possible; technology preserves those ties and allows us to reach out for further aide. Spelling and language are ever changing fields; it is not unknown for the people of one country to speak many languages and still be citizens born of that society – yet not have a common tongue among them. Accents, even the words and slang can and will change within less then a generation. Technology is allowing us to â€Å"keep up† with those changes, understand them, and also creating new ones; also we know of disasters soon after they happen, if not as they happen; saving lives of people just like us; who while they might not have our culture or language, are none the less human. While there are new diseases, ask yourself if they are truly â€Å"new† or something that past generations struggled to survive against and communicate to rid ourselves and others of; and failed, because they did not have the technology we are developing now to understand how a disease works and how to rid ourselves. Definitely – another reason for it is that people are using it to say bad things so that they don’t have to say it to the person’s face, like cyber-bullying for example. †¢Yes mostly, but still there are those who have very minor traces of technology dependency. Despite we can observe of the people in urban areas where technology is the â€Å"life blood† of very living entity, some corner of the country – the rural/remote areas, on the other hand, have no or very slight technology ran lives. They still live in a primitively where there are no computers, cellphones, etc. and where they work with bare hands and bare feet. Technology is now rising, making our lives lot more easy, but what about the â€Å"behind the world†? †¢Yes! The one day our school power went out we could barely do any work because our Smartboard went out with the power. I mean even right now we are on the computer looking for answers instead of figuring out ourselves. So what happens when we run out of coal and oil and all this stuff: no more technology! We will have to do without it. Some people will do perfectly well without it. Others will search until death to find another resource. Sadly the people who search until death will have just wasted their whole life on something impossible. Possibly if someone does it won’t last long. It’s only one resource. If someone plans that I hearby advise against it! Now get off the computer and do something without technology! †¢First thing – is it electrical technology you’re on about, or technology in general? We use general technology 24/7. We use products of that technology 24/7. We also use electrical tech 24/7. We have become dependant on it, yes. It has made us dumb, lazy, it has changed us a lot. But from a simple power cut, like with the thing above, that kind of thing should not happen. That is over-dependance even by modern standards, probably. We have integrated all kinds of technology into every second of lives. But it’s not bad. It’s just the way some use it that’s bad. Don’t know how to spell because of spell-checking? Too bad, mate, that’s your fault. Should learn to spell without it. I can spell without it. I can spell really well without it. Why can’t you? (Not to say YOU can’t spell†¦ but who knows? ) The main problem from it, though, is probably laziness. Why walk when you can hop in the car? Why play football, or rugby, or badminton outside when you can play Red Dead Redemption, or watch the Undead Nightmare story on Youtube? But I play outside. And get plenty of time to play PS3 and watch stuff on Youtube. And type stuff up on Wikianswers while I should be doing my maths (eek! ). Why set up that whole Geography paper from scratch when you can copy-paste from the net? I can. I get information from the net, but I do the paper myself. Why can’t you? It’s not the technology that’s bad, it’s the way it’s used. God knows how many times I’ve said that now. †¢People nowadays are fat and lazy. Boys do not know to swing an axe or harness a team of horses. Girls cannot carry two buckets of water or wash clothes without a washer. Women do not know how to spin thread or weave cloth and they can not sew a fine seam without a sewing machine. People have forgotten how to cut wheat with a sickle and corn-picking has become a lost skill. Books were a lot prettier before they started printing them. Doctors can’t tell what is wrong with you without X-rays, CT scans or lab work. If men with shovels were used to build roads instead of heavy equipment, there would be no shortage of jobs. †¢I would say, yes. I mean, people are always texting, on the computer, or watching TV to have real and personal conversations with people. Some people can’t even survive without their cell phones or their iPods/laptops, which is kind of sad if you ask me. However, technology has helped us understand life better, connect with people you haven’t talked to in years, find cures and vaccines for deadly diseases, and ultimately change the world. It’s how you use technology†¦ don’t overuse it and use it correctly. I think it is important that we have technology in our lives today or else there would be many more lives lost, and much information lost to us. As for the answer before mine†¦ not all of us are in the country with horses and hay! †¢Not all people are this dependent. Most people are fooled by thinking they need the newest and the best. Do you really think that you need a phone that can turn your lights of 100 miles away? Of course you don’t! Do you need one that lets you watch videos of people falling? NO! I would say 70% of the human race IS too dependent, but the 30% of us that isn’t is probably the smartest. I came across this Seymour Papert quote over the weekend, the best part of which is below. In context, Papert is speaking about effecting real change in the content of school mathematics, and he focuses particularly on the teaching of fractions: One theory [among educators about why we should teach fractions in school] was that manipulating fractions was actually closer to what people needed back before there were calculators. So a lot of school math was useful once upon a time, but we now have calculators and so we don’t need it. But people say that surely we don’t want to be dependent on the calculator. To which I say, Look at this thing, these eyeglasses, that make a dramatic difference to my life and the life of everybody who reads or looks at any tiny detail. Once upon a time we would have been crippled, severely handicapped. Now we’ve got these and we don’t need to go through all that suffering. So we are dependent on this little thing. Well, so what? There is nothing wrong with being dependent on a little thing that everybody can have lots of. It doesn’t even cost much. So, that is no argument. People float the â€Å"dependence on technology† counter-argument against the use of technology in the mathematics classroom pretty frequently. But as Papert notes, is it really all that bad if students became dependent on a technology that’s cheap and easy to come by? In fact, here in the US at least, aren’t most of us dependent on cheap and ubiquitous technologies — eyeglasses, running water, cars, kitchen appliances? (And some of those aren’t cheap! ) We don’t make students in culinary school learn how to cook over a campfire out of fear they’d become dependent on ovens. Why should we shy away from calculators? That threat of becoming dependent upon technology to do mathematics is only a real concern, for me at least, under one of two conditions. One is if the technology we use is expensive or otherwise hard to access for some learners. This can be a real problem. But math teachers can combat it by seeking technologies that are cheap or free and easy to access — think cheap, functional, sturdy devices like the TI-30X instead of monstrosities like the TI NSpire. (That’s an order of magnitude difference in the price there, in case you missed it. Or, as much as I loveMATLAB, it’s pricey — and if accessing it is an issue for students, think instead about open-source alternatives like Octave. The other condition is when our definition of â€Å"mathematics† becomes so restricted that it includes only those tasks that can be easily farmed out to technology. When you remove all the human elements from mathematics — m odeling, problem solving, pattern-finding, written expression, and so on — and reduce the subject to nothing more than rote mechanics, of course technology poses an existential threat to the discipline. And deservedly so! Any discipline that can be replaced by software probably ought to be. Far more of an threat to students’ long-term success is the dependency they can develop upon people, especially teachers. If a student has trouble manipulating fractions without a calculator but can read a problem thoughtfully, model a quantitative situation intelligently, and complete and validate her work independently, I eel pretty good about that student’s chances in the future. But if a student can ace all the test questions about fractions but can’t do anything with a real-world problem without external prodding and validation from a teacher or other authority (â€Å"Is this right? â€Å", â€Å"Am I on the right track? â€Å", and so on), that’s when there’s real trouble, and it’s got nothing to do with technology. Who’s talking about that kind of dependency in school mathematics these days?

The Return: Midnight Chapter 8

Damon nodded thoughtful y, glancing back and forth between the fighting stave and the pil owcase in his hand. Hadn't he suspected something like this for a long time? Subconsciously? After al , there had been that attack on the grandfather, which had failed to either kil him or to erase his memory completely. Damon's imagination could fil in the rest: her parents seeing no reason to blight their tiny daughter's life with this gruesome business – a whole new change of scenery – and then giving up the practice in the provincial, protected little town of Fel ‘s Church. If they had only known. Oh, doubtless they had made sure that Meredith had had self-defense and various martial arts training since she was a child, while swearing her to absolute secrecy – even from her best friends. Wel , now, Damon thought. The first of Shinichi's riddles was already solved. â€Å"One of you has a lifetime secret kept from everyone.† I always knew there was something about this girl†¦and this is it. I'd bet my life that she's a black belt. There had been a long silence. Now Damon broke it. Your ancestors were hunters too? he asked, as if she were telepathic. He waited a moment – stil silence. Okay – no telepathy. That was good. He nodded at the magnificent stave. â€Å"That was certainly made for a lord or lady.† Meredith wasn't stupid. She spoke without glancing away from his eyes. She was ready, at any instant, to go into kil ing mode. â€Å"We're just ordinary folk, trying to get a job done so innocent humans wil be safer.† â€Å"By kil ing the odd vampire or two.† â€Å"Wel , so far in recorded history saying ‘Naughty, naughty, Mama spank'has failed to convert a single vampire to vegetarianism.† Damon had to laugh. â€Å"Pity you weren't born early enough to convert Stefan. He could have been your grand triumph.† â€Å"You think that's funny. But we do have converts.† â€Å"Yes. People wil say anything while you're holding a pointed stick at them.† â€Å"People who feel that it's wrong to Influence other people into believing they're getting something for nothing.† â€Å"That's it! Meredith! Let me Influence you!† This time it was Meredith who laughed. â€Å"No, I'm serious! When I'm a vampire again, let me Influence you not to be so much afraid of a bite. I swear I won't take more than a teaspoon. But that would give me time to show you – â€Å" â€Å"A nice big house of candy that never existed? A relative who died ten years ago and who would have abhorred the thought of you taking my memory of her and using it as a lure? A dream of ending world hunger that doesn't put food into one mouth?† This girl, thought Damon, is dangerous. It's like a Counter-Influence that they've taught to their members. Wanting her to see that vampires, or ex-vampires, or Once and Future Vampires had some good qualities – like courage – he let go of the pil owcase and grasped the end of the fighting stave with both hands. Meredith raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Did I not just recently tel you that a number of those spikes you've just driven into your flesh are poisonous? Or were you not listening?† She had automatical y grabbed the stave as wel , above the dangerous zone. â€Å"You told me,†he said inscrutably – he hoped. â€Å"I particularly said ‘poisonous to humans as wel as to werewolves and other things' – recal it?† â€Å"You told me that, too. But I'd rather die than live as a human, so: Let the games begin.†And with that, Damon began to push the two-headed stave toward Meredith's heart. She immediately clamped down on the stave as wel , pushing it back toward him. But he had three advantages, as they both soon realized. He was slightly tal er and more strongly muscled even than lithe, athletic Meredith; he had a longer reach than hers; and he had taken up a much more aggressive position. Even though he could feel poisoned little spikes biting into his palms, he thrust forward and up until the kil ing point was once again near her heart. Meredith pushed back with an amazing amount of strength and then suddenly, somehow, they were even again. Damon glanced up to see how that had happened, and saw, to his shock, that she also had grasped the stave in the kil ing zone. Now her hands were dripping blood onto the floor just as his were. â€Å"Meredith!† â€Å"What? I take my job seriously.† Despite her gambit, he was stronger. Inch by inch, he forced his torn palms to hang on, his arms to exert pressure. And inch by inch she was forced backward, refusing to quit – until there was no more room to back up. And there they stood, the entire length of the stave between them, and the refrigerator flat against Meredith's back. Al Damon could think of was Elena. If he somehow survived this – and Meredith did not – then what would those malachite eyes say to him? How would he live with what they said? And then, with infuriating timing, like a chess player knocking over her own king, Meredith let go of the spear, conceding Damon's superior strength. After which, seeming to have no fear of turning her back on him, she took a jar ful of salve from a kitchen cupboard, scooped out a dol op of the contents, and motioned for Damon to hold out his hands. He frowned. He'd never heard of a poison that got into the blood that could be cured by external measures. â€Å"I didn't put real poison in the human needles,†she said calmly. â€Å"But your palms wil be torn and this is an excel ent remedy. It's ancient, passed down for generations.† â€Å"How kind of you to share,† – at his most sharply ironic. â€Å"And now what are we going to do? Start al over again?†he added as Meredith calmly began to rub salve into her own hands. â€Å"No. Hunter-slayers have a code, you know. You won the sphere. I assume you're planning to do what Sage seems to have done. Open the Gate to the Dark Dimension.† â€Å"Open the Gate to the Dark Dimensions,†he corrected. â€Å"Probably I should have mentioned – there's more than one. But al I want is to become a vampire again. And we can talk as we go, since I see we're both wearing our cat burglar costumes.† Meredith was dressed much as he was, in black jeans and a lightweight black sweater. With her long shining dark hair she looked unexpectedly beautiful. Damon, who had considered running her through with the stave, just as his obligation to vampire-kind, now found himself wavering. If she gave him no trouble on his way to the Gate, he would let her go, he decided. He was feeling magnanimous – for the first time he had faced down and conquered the fearsome Meredith, and besides, she had a code as he did. He felt a sort of kinship with her. With ironic gal antry, he waved her on before him, retaining possession of the pil owcase and the fighting stave himself. As Damon quietly shut the front door he saw that dawn was about to break. Perfect timing. The stave caught the first rays of light. â€Å"I have a question for you,†he said to Meredith's long, silky dark hair. â€Å"You said that you didn't find this gorgeous stave until after Klaus – that wicked Old One – was dead. But if you're from a hunter-slayer family you might have been more help in getting him dispatched. Like mentioning that only white ash could kil him.† â€Å"It was because my parents didn't actively pursue the family business – they didn't know. They were both from hunter families, of course – you have to be, to keep it out of the tabloids and – â€Å" † – police files – â€Å" â€Å"Do you want me to talk, or can you do your stand-up routine alone?† â€Å"Point taken† – hefting the extremely pointed stave. â€Å"I'l listen.† â€Å"But even though they chose not to be active, they knew that a vampire or werewolf might decide to pick on their daughter if they found out her identity. So during school, I took ‘harpsichord lessons'and ‘riding lessons'one day a week each – have done since I was three. I'm a Black Belt Shihan, and a Taekwondo Saseung. I might start Dragon Kung Fu – â€Å" â€Å"Point taken once more. But then how exactly did you find that gorgeous kil ing stick?† â€Å"After Klaus was dead, while Stefan was babysitting Elena, suddenly Grandpa started talking – just single words – but it made me go look in our attic. I found this.† â€Å"So you really don't know how to use it?† â€Å"I'd just started practicing when Shinichi turned up. But, no, I don't real y have a clue. I'm pretty good with a bo staff, though, so I just use it like that.† â€Å"You didn't use it like a bo staff on me.† â€Å"I was hoping to persuade you, not kil you. I couldn't think of how to explain to Elena that I'd broken al your bones.† Damon kept himself from laughing – barely. â€Å"So how did a couple of inactive hunter-slayers end up moving to a town on top of a few hundred crossing ley lines?† â€Å"I'm guessing they didn't know what a line of natural Power was. And Fel ‘s Church looked smal and peaceful – back then.† They found the Gateway just as Damon had seen it before, a neat rectangular piece sliced out of the earth, about five feet deep. â€Å"Now sit down there,†he adjured Meredith, putting her on the opposite corner from where he lay the stave. â€Å"Have you given a thought – even the briefest – as to what wil happen to Misao if you pour out all the liquid in there?† â€Å"Actual y, not one. Not one microsecond's worth,†Damon said cheerful y. â€Å"Why? Do you think she would for me?† Meredith sighed. â€Å"No. That's the problem with both of you.† â€Å"She's certainly your problem at the moment, although I may stop by sometime after the town's destroyed to have a little tte--tte with her brother about the concept of keeping an oath.† â€Å"After you've gotten strong enough to beat him.† â€Å"Well, why don't you do something? It's your town they've devastated, after al ,†Damon said. â€Å"Children attacking themselves and each other, and now adults attacking children – â€Å" â€Å"They're either scared to death or possessed by those malach the foxes are stil spreading everywhere – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, and so fear and paranoia keep spreading too. Fel ‘s Church may be little by the standards of other genocides they've caused, but it's an important place because it's sitting on top – â€Å" â€Å"Of al those ley lines ful of magical power – yes, yes, I know. But don't you care at al ? About us? Their future plans for us? Doesn't any of it matter to you?†Meredith demanded. Damon thought of the stil , smal figure in the first-floor bedroom and felt a sick qualm. â€Å"I told you already,†he snapped. â€Å"I'm coming back for a talk with Shinichi.† After which, careful y, he began to pour liquid from the uncorked star bal at one corner of the rectangle. Now that he was actual y at the Gate, he realized he had no idea what he should do. The proper procedure might be to jump in and pour out the star bal ‘s entire liquid in the middle. But four corners seemed to dictate four different places to pour, and he was sticking to that. He expected Meredith to try to foul things up somehow. Make a run for the house. Make some noise, at least. Attack him from behind now that he had dropped the stave. But apparently her code of honor forbade this. Strange girl, he thought. But I'l leave her the stave, since it real y belongs to her family, and, anyway, it's going to get me kil ed the instant I land in the Dark Dimension. A slave carrying a weapon – especial y a weapon like that – won't have a chance. Judiciously, he poured out almost al of the liquid left into the final corner and stepped back to see what would happen. SSSS-bah! White! Blazing white light. That was al his eyes or his mind could take in at first. And then, with a rush of triumph he thought: I've done it! The Gateway is open! â€Å"The center of the upper Dark Dimension, please,†he said politely to the blazing hole. â€Å"A secluded al ey would probably be the best, if you don't mind.†And then he jumped into the hole. Except that he didn't. Just as he was starting to bend his knees, something hit him from the right. â€Å"Meredith! I thought – â€Å" But it wasn't Meredith. It was Bonnie. â€Å"You tricked me! You can't go in there!†She was sobbing and screaming. â€Å"Yes, I can! Now let go of me – before it disappears!†He tried to pry her off, while his mind whirled uselessly. He'd left this girl – what? – an hour or so ago, so deeply asleep that she had looked dead. Just how much could that little body take? â€Å"No! They'l kil you! And Elena wil kil me! But I'l get kil ed first because I'l stil be here!† Awake, and actual y capable of putting together puzzles. â€Å"Human, I told you to let go,†he snarled. He bared his teeth at her, which only caused her to bury her head in his jacket and cling on koala-bear style, wrapping both her legs around one of his. A couple of real y hard slaps should dislodge her, he thought. He lifted his hand.