Safeguarding Legislation

Unit 025: Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People1.1: Outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK Home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young peopleSafeguarding means taking steps to ensure children and young people feel safe and secure within the home and the setting, protecting them from abuse and neglect, ensuring that they stay safe and continue to positively develop physically, emotionally and mentally into adulthood. The table below is an outline of the main, current legislation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people:Policy Brief description/outcome The Children Act 1989 Moved emphasis on parental role from having rights over children to having a responsibility to their children. Recognises children have rights: To be listened to and discuss their concerns Protected from harm To have their rights explained to them Have their wishes and concerns considered in decision making about them Have these decisions explained to them Refuse a medical examination(UN Convention on Rights of the Child 1989) (Ratified by the UK 1991 but not formally adopted as UK Law. Has 54 articles including: Rights to be heard, safe, protected Rights to have a choice, Parents/guardians have a right to support with their parental responsibilities) Protection of Children Act 1999 (Progress Report 2009) Formalises responsibilities and role of Local Authorities in child protection. This introduced the Criminal Records Bureau and required all childcare organisations not to employ people (either salaried or voluntary) who would come in regular contact with children or young people listed on the DoH and DoEd as unsuitable to work with them. Every Child Matters 2003A Framework recognising bringing together services (Multi-Agency Working) to support children and their families to: (S) Be safe (H) Be healthy (E) Enjoy and achieve (learn while playing) (E) Economic well-being (equal opportunity) (P) Making a positive contributionThe Children Act 2004 Passed to improve child protection and ensure better multi-agency working. Introduced a Children’s Commissioner to promote the well-being and safeguarding of children and young people and placed a duty on local authorities to appoint a Director of Children’s Services to be accountable for multi-agency working and the services provided. Changed legislation on physical punishment making it an offence to hit a child if it causes mental harm or leaves a lasting mark. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006Â  (Updated 2013)Introduced the term Safeguarding and provided statutory guidance on how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the well-being of children and young people. Introduced the EYFS which became statutory in 2008 (updated 2012) Every Local Authority had the remit to set up Local Safeguarding Boards for children at risk. All settings to have Safeguarding Policies an d Procedures.East Sussex County Council (ESCC) website – Czone portal has all the up-to-date information including the above Policies and Procedures and the Safeguarding Board. Vetting and Barring Scheme Children are protected by ensuring that people who are judged to be at risk of causing harm are not allowed to work with them. CRB became Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) 2013

Mud crab

I. Problem/QuestionThere is currently an increasing commercial viability of mud crabs especially in subtropical countries. However, due to seasonal factors affecting the spawning of these species, there a need to develop methods for â€Å"year-around larval production† (Zeng, 2007, p. 1478-1479) arises. There are no current techniques that would enable this process. Therefore, this study investigated on the feasibility of out-of-season mud crab spawning induction. It also determined whether in vitro incubation of eggs is possible.   An evaluation of the temperature effects on the rates of embryonic development of mud crabs was also conducted. This is in order to provide predicted dates of hatching for berried mud crab females (Zeng, 2007, p. 1478-1479). II. Experimental procedures/MethodThe researchers kept female individuals of S. paramamosain in 1000L tanks. These holding tanks contained seawater, filtered with sand, with constant salinity of 29-32 g/L but with uncontrolle d temperature between 10-30  °C.   In order to determine the â€Å"proximate maturation index (PMI)† (Zeng, 2007, p. 1479), crab ovarian development was regularly checked every fortnight using a calliper to measure the width of the strip of light in the carapace when shone with bright light from underneath (Zeng, 2007, p. 1479).The induction experiment was started with the random selection of mature subjects with

Connecting ISLLC Standards to Educational Practices Assignment

Connecting ISLLC Standards to Educational Practices - Assignment Example These parties might encompass parents, teachers or teaching staff, community members and, most importantly, students. Specially mentioning, the aforesaid attributes and standard alignments assist the school administrators or school leaders in acquiring a greater knowledge and better understanding of certain decisive aspects. These aspects may include promoting growth and development of the students, developing an effective curriculum design, determining evaluation approaches, measurement along with assessment strategies, developing school culture and recognizing the role played by technology in fostering students’ professional growth and learning (School Administration Publishing, LLC, 2013). 2. Compare How the Other Leadership Standard You Identified Aligns (Or Does Not Align) to the ISLLC Standard You Chose for One Attribute Apart from the above leadership standards, the other dissimilar sorts of leadership standards that can be recognized within the circumstance of school s ettings are relationship building, comprehending and managing changes, and possessing an explicit moral purpose. Moreover, the other leadership standards include knowledge creation and sharing, coherence building along, and ascertaining an effective alignment of structures (Ingvarson, Anderson, Gronn, & Jackson, 2006). After acquiring a brief idea about the aforesaid leadership standards, it can be affirmed from a broader outlook that these standards largely align to the ISLLC standard which has been chosen for one particular attribute, i.e., promoting the success of students through offering them utmost growth and development. The alignment would be made possible through providing significant knowledge to the students, enhancing their overall learning performances and, most vitally,... Moreover, the other leadership standards include knowledge creation and sharing, coherence building along, and ascertaining an effective alignment of structures (Ingvarson, Anderson, Gronn, & Jackson, 2006). After acquiring a brief idea about the aforesaid leadership standards, it can be affirmed from a broader outlook that these standards largely align to the ISLLC standard which has been chosen for one particular attribute, i.e., promoting the success of students through offering them utmost growth and development. The alignment would be made possible through providing significant knowledge to the students, enhancing their overall learning performances and, most vitally, developing their individual capabilities or skills. It is strongly believed that the above recognized leadership standards would align in a broader manner to one of the ISLLC standards concerning fostering the success of every individual student as these standards possess the capability of acquiring significant kno wledge and understanding of various vital aspects. Similarly, these vital aspects include determination of the operational procedures, issues and the principles linked with school safety, mitigation of any legal issue impacting school related operations, and execution of advanced technologies that assist in a smooth conduct of various management functions.

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Question - Essay Example 20th century, Keylor enlightens us on major problems faced by the European Powers in the decade that followed the war and the Europeanization of the world. According to Keylor, the 20th century was an era of illusions, especially where economic restoration and continental security were concerned. However, as realization emerged, the illusions that surrounded Keylor, takes into account the political, economic, social, diplomatic and military upheavals that took place in the struggle between these major world powers for supremacy. He points out that factors that went into play during the post war period, had created a deep impact in history which is felt even today. He examines both the World Wars and the Cold War and the rivalry and chaos that followed the struggle between the major powers for dominance and the detrimental factors that occurred in the post-war period. The European Powers faced major crisis in the post war decade especially where the economy was concerned. The heavy cost of the war posed a major threatening factor to them because they were not in a position to pay back the money that was borrowed for the war. The poor economy of the country further impacted upon trade, commerce and shipping, thus weakening their position still further. Europe’s economic dominance began to deteriorate alarmingly and the conflict served to alter trading relations around the world. institutions just crumbled and disappeared and while those that remained were weakened, indigenous nationalist movement made gradual progress. Transport and communication systems were in bad shape and needed to be restored in order to have a strong framework for connecting with each other. Another major challenge that posed a great problem for the European Powers was bringing stability to the nation and shifting itself from a war-time economy to a peaceful economy. In the wake of paying their debts, Europe who had once had lent money to the US by way of debt, now became the debtor

Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Movie - Essay Example However, it is clear that gender is the main theme since hitch shows gender roles that women and men fulfill in the society, which are highly stereotypical. Thus, watching this movie can help people relate to the characters featured in it; hence, impacting their lives. Therefore, this paper will show how the media, through the Hitch movie, enables people to connect with the characters in the movie; hence, impacting their lives in a significant way. At first, Hitch teaches men how to approach women by explaining the dos and don’ts of dating, and what women prefer in relationships. However, he later realizes that it is not possible to study women since they are all different; thus, there are no basic principles required in looking for women. Similarly, when searching for women, many men start by making a perfect plan on how to get a girl, and then later realize that they cannot make one since people are different. For this reason, I believe that the movie producers incorporated this scenario in order to connect with many people since this is a common situation among many people in the society; thus, making an impact in their lives. Also, the movie shows the common gender norms such as the stereotype that men are over confident, as well as initiators in relationships. Hitch teaches men how to approach women because he believes that men should initiate relationships and act confident when approaching women, as well. For instance, while, in a club with his friend, Hitch noticed that his friend kept on staring at a certain gal in the club. He then said to his friend â€Å"I’m going to get those women over here† (Guinones, 2010). This portrays confidence in Hitch’s character by choosing to make the first move to get the women. Also, it shows that men should be brave enough to initiate a connection with women. Thus, it is easy for men watching the movie relate to Hitch’s character, and may be inspired to act the same way. In summary, according

Violence In American Popular Culture Research Paper - 1

Violence In American Popular Culture - Research Paper Example Like many federal acts, PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) is more incumbent upon the shareholders to enforce than it is for government watch groups to enforce. In this way, the ultimate responsibility falls upon the leadership of the individual prison as a means of ensuring the prison rape is reported, minimized, and sought to be eliminated. As a function of performing this study, the authors noted that one of the shortcomings that prior research had failed to address was the role that prison wardens played in the reduction of incidence of prison rape; as such the need for the study itself to be undertaken was necessitated (Moster et al 67)). Unfortunately, the study found that there was little difference between the incidence and reporting levels of prison rape both pre and post PREA. This lack of change with regards to the level of prison rape that was measured and reported upon was surmised by the researchers to be fundamentally linked to the funding levels that prisons received. As a function of the limited sources of funding, prisons and prison wardens by extension have traditionally sought out other more important issues to be tackled. However, the issue of prison rape, as the authors argue, is perhaps the most important issue besides rehabilitation that any given prison or prison system can or should deal with. Due to the fact that prison rape is not only psychologically traumatic but the fact that it spreads diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, and a litany of others, the health and institution integrity of the system as a whole is put in jeopardy by such an oversight (Moster et al 69) With regards to the key information that has been studied thus far this semester with relation to the above topic, it is the belief of this author that the relationship that the ultimate shareholder, the prison warden, bears with relation to this issue is the one that most closely

Individual Marketing Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual Marketing Analysis Paper - Essay Example Furthermore, marketing analysis plays a great role in providing reliable, precise, appropriate and current information to the management. Increase in competition and the hike in production costs because of poor decision-making calls for market analysis to provide sound information to evade poor returns. It helps marketing managers to connect various marketing variables with the environment and customers (Kotler, 2008). Failure to have relevant information, consumer’s responses cannot be predicted in a reliable and accurate manner. Marketing research involves various forms like advertising analysis, which entails tracing the effectiveness of advertisements for any medium. This can be assessed by examining the ability of the medium to communicate the message, create a brilliant image for the brand and induce the consumer to buy the product or service. Demand analysis is also a core part in market analysis. It involves determination of the approximate level of demand of a certain product or service. This entails research on the prospective clientele who are enthusiastic and able to purchase the given product at a particular time. Notably, distribution analysis is a key area in marketing analysis at it provides sound information on the distributors and retailers attitudes towards the product or service on offer (Kotler, 2008). ... Product position involves changing the way target consumers view products or services offered relative to the identity of competing products in the market. Effective product positioning is depended upon identification of the product uniqueness, its distinguishing functions and fairness in its price (Kotler, 2008). Product positioning involves various processes, which include, identification of other competitors in the market offering same products, getting knowledge on how competitors position their businesses. This comparison of business positioning enables competitors to know the vital and the most viable areas for differentiation. Additionally, developing positioning statement messages to be used for effective communication is fundamental in any positioning strategy. This study establishes that, in a rapidly changing market, it is advisable to reposition the whole company instead of only repositioning the product line. This does not only involve marketing challenge, but also judgi ng on how a market is adjusting and most critical how firm’s competitors will react. On the other hand, competitive positioning involves coming up with strengths and weaknesses of prevalent and able competitors in the market. This analysis provides room for identification of viable opportunities and threats to the business prosperity (Kotler, 2008). Principally, it is easier for a seller to generate new prospects and direct them to buy his/her products if the market clearly sees how his products are unique as compared to the ones offered by competitors in the market. The key element in positioning strategy involves value proposition. We have three vital types of value, namely Operational excellence, consumer closeness and product leadership. Consumer perception of

Get a grip, Minnesota, about our skeeters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Get a grip, Minnesota, about our skeeters - Essay Example She points out that, while West Nile and other mosquito-spread diseases are serious, the number of cases are nowhere near enough to warrant spending as much as is being spent by Minnesota. After all, flu cases kill far more a year yet we don't do much public-policy-wise except vaccinate. People die from bee stings or car chases far more often, but Minnesota hasn't spent time on bee control or better traffic safety. She doesn't make this argument, but there is also an obvious ecological concern. Pesticides don't just pollute water and threaten to poison people: They also kill all sorts of other animals. And killing a part of the ecosystem always has ramifications. Mosquitos pollinate grasses and act as predators and as prey: Killing them or, worse, poisoning them, can cause cascading effects that harms birds, frogs, etc. The fact that it's a local article means that it's important to bear in mind that Helgen is arguing specifically about Minnesota. Maybe Latin Americans should spend m oney on controlling mosquitoes; Helgen's arguments don't apply there. But her position does clearly apply to the situation of the Minnesota tax payer.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 40

Case study - Essay Example Secondly, the proposal focuses on demonstration of the scale, as well as scope of the new group and the influence of the new management accounting practices. The demonstration could benefit the company in the attainment of its set goals and targets by end of the fiscal period. Management accounting refers to the act of combining accounting, finance, and management with the intention of exploiting competitive advantage techniques, which are essential to driving the organization towards the achievement of success. From this approach, management accounting relates to the process of developing management reports, as well as accounts with the ability and potentiality to offer accurate and timely financial and statistical information. The outcomes of management accounting are essential for the managers to make day-to-day, as well as short-term decisions. Management accounting tends to have the ability and ideal platforms for generation of monthly and weekly reports in accordance with the demands and expectations of the internal audiences. There are numerous research exercises, which have focused on the assessment of the concept of management accounting. For instance, Goretzki, Strauss, and Weber (2013, p. 41-63) focused on theorizing the influence of a new acto r of the firm can drive the institutionalization of the new role for management accountants. According to the findings of the study, it is possible to understand institutionalisation of a new role for management accountants. Their role is a product of purposive actions by diverse actors in support of specific institutional management within the organization pursuing competitive advantage in the market and industry of interest. In addition, Weißenberger and Angelkort (2011, pp. 160-180) focused on the assessment of integrating financial and management accounting. This is through evaluation of the influence of a consistent financial language in relation to

F-14 Plane SHip and Missile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

F-14 Plane SHip and Missile - Essay Example These planes are so huge that just one carrier has more air power than most other nations. Engineering advancements in aviation allowed the F-14 Tomcat to reach record speeds and have greater combat range, while using an extreme payload of missiles, than other U.S. aircraft. Installing a Phoenix AN-54 long range missile to the Tomcat’s onboard radar further utilized this highly adaptable platform. There was no greater employment of naval superiority than during the first Gulf War (1990-1991). From 1974 to the present, the combination of planes, ships, and long range missiles gave the U.S. the most powerful naval aviation industry in the world. Although naval aviation was developed by the U.S, it has taken a long time to become an integral part of the defensive strategies of U.S. In 1910, the U.S. Navy conducted a demonstration from a cruiser, the USS Birmingham (CL-2), and launched the Curtiss 1991 Model D aircraft from the deck. Though the ship was at anchor, â€Å"Eugene El y coaxes his Curtiss biplane from the ship†¦actually brushed the water before Ely gained altitude† (Reynolds 7). After this historic two minute flight, Ely would also go on to complete a carrier landing at sea two months after. This was an extreme test of man and machine. The landing was â€Å"made possible by ingenious arresting gear-ropes stretched between sandbags that slowed and stopped the plane† (Reynolds 7). ... The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was flown after 1942 and maintained combat superiority in the Pacific Theater of Operations. This U.S. Navy fighter bomber utilized America’s naval aviation advantage over the Japanese from mid-1943 until the end of the war. Flown by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, squadrons were â€Å"quickly trained to operate their F4U Corsairs from a flight deck and assigned to fast carriers† (Remolds 159). This numerical advantage was further exploited by the quality of trained pilots and their ability to alter their battle plans in theater. Thus, the division of labor by the carriers and the subsequent rotation of experienced pilots proved too much for the Japanese military. A television show, The Black Sheep Squadron, depicted this segment of the war in the Solomon Islands, which is located in the South Pacific. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, a character portrayed in the show, commanded the squadron, which was nicknamed â€Å"Boyingtonâ₠¬â„¢s Bastards.† Boyington received the Medal of Honor from President Roosevelt for his leadership along with an accredited â€Å"26 Japanese aircraft kills† (Geranios 2). This ingenuity, skill, and experience were evident throughout WWII, which ended with the use of the atomic bomb. During the Vietnam War conflict, the McDonald Douglas F-4 Phantom became the jet powered workhorse with its superior speed as a fighter-bomber. It was used by both the U.S. Navy and the newly formed U.S. Air Force. The F-4 was very successful and remained operational until the conclusion of the first Gulf War. This two seat fighter-bomber, with atop speed of 1,500 miles per hour, achieved numerous land speed records and provided a stable platform for new, emerging electronics.

Resolving international disputes Essay Example for Free

Resolving international disputes Essay Differences that you should be aware of Property Law Sources of law and method of judicial reasoning Property Law Civil Law You are either the absolute owner, or you are not. 3 components of absolute ownership usus (latin term) i.e. use Right of use fructus ie. enjoyment of revenues Right to enjoy revenues abusus ie disposal Right to dispose of that thing dismemberment This does not mean that the absolute owner cannot give away certain rights of the property, as long as the rights transfer back to the owner E. g. usifruct farmer has a large piece of land and son wants to get married and have family. Farmer is not willing to divide up the farm, but offers him a part of the farm where he lets him build a house and farm on it, but after 20/30/40 years the land goes back to the father Lease if you lease an apartment from the owner of a building, or a piece of land to farm on, etc you get the right to use it in consideration of rent. In this sense, the owner is giving away one right (the right to use the property) as long as at the end they get the right of use back. Common Law Theory no absolute ownership of land King gives a portion of the country to the Earls. In common law, there is a difference between ownership and possession. The Earls possess it, they are holding the land for him. The Earls will provide him every year with something in return (e.g. bushels of corn, men for war, etc). Earl gives a portion of that land to the Dukes, and asks that they hold it for them, in exchange for bushels, men etc. Dukes to the Lords, all the way to the peasant/farmer. When the farmer died, he was not able to give it to his children it would go to the lord, etc up the chain and that person would redelegate it. Known as the feudal system. Leasehold is when you hold it for a limited period of time. A freehold is where you hold the land forever, and you can sell the land, leave the land to your children. The only way it reverts back to the king is if someone dies without leaving any heirs, which means it goes up the chain of ownership. 2 types of ownership Real Beneficial Origin and Concept of Trust William the Conqueror said I am Law, but there were problems with this as the king could not see every subject. Eventually, he became busy with other things (wars, etc) therefore he set up a system of courts. They did not have to see everybody, unless they issue a writ. System of writs a court order telling someone that someone complained about you therefore you have to show up at court on x  day. You only had a writ for certain problems. Trespass (tort) When someone caused you or your property personal injury Habeas corpus (produce the body) When someone grabbed a relative of yours and wrongly imprisoned them. This came about because of the idea of Where there is a remedy (ie. a writ) there is a right, but if you did not have a writ to cover a specific problem, then you did not have access to the courts lead to a parallel system of justice called Equity lead to new legal concepts such as the TRUST Trust you are too rich and do not want to be taxed. Therefore, you give some wealth to the friend who is going to hold it for you until the children are of age and you have died. The problem arises when the friend does not give it back. They have no writ therefore cannot take it back through court. When the friend goes to court, they argue that the land was given on a condition of trust (the friend was trusted by the father to give the property back). In addition to the possibility of someone being the absolute owner, they can also be the owner subject of a trust. Trust difficult to define, Underhill gave one of the best definitions under 5 parts An 1 equitable obligation, 2 binding a person (trustee), 3 to deal with property over which he has control (trust property), 4 for the benefit of persons (beneficiaries), of whom he (the trustee) may be one, 5 any one of whom may enforce the obligation Equitable obligation obligation created under the law of equity which was established by the courts of equity Who has the obligation The trustee What is the obligation To deal with the trust property over which he has control For what purpose For the benefit of the beneficiaries What is the consequence if the trustee does not deal with the property The Trustee can be sued by any one of the beneficiaries How a trust works There are 2 ways to set up a trust The settler gives trust property to one or more trustees for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries (essentially a gift) Can be through a will or agreement (intervivos trust) involving the settler or the trustee By way of declaration of trust a person simply declares that he is hold ing certain property in trust E.g. someone wants to set up a business, but does not want it known that they are the shareholders. Therefore, someone else holds that position, but signs a contract that states that all income goes to them, and they will exercise the wishes of the settler. Examples of trusts wills, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), endowments You may set up a family trust for tax planning  purposes. You can spread your income across the beneficiaries of that trust. Shareholder agreements, where sometimes money is put into a trust. There are wide personal business and tax-planning purposes to trust. differences between civil law and common law ownership In Common Law, a property can have two owners. The real owner (whose name appears as the owner) or the beneficiary owner In civil Law, you are the owner, or you are not. Only one type of ownership. 2 Sources of law and method of judicial reasoning both systems have 3 sources Judicial Precedent ie. Court decisions Legislation Doctrine ie. scholarly writings articles or books that are written to explain the law, and very often to criticize it th e difference between the two systems is the weight and importance of each source Common Law JUDICIAL PRECEDENT (most important) Court Structure Supreme Court Court of Appeal Trial Court Each court is bound by its earlier decisions. Trial Court is bound by its earlier decisions unless overturned by the Court of Appeal, same thing for Court of Appeal with Supreme Court, etc (stare decisis stand by the past). The Supreme Court is also bound by its own precedents The Supreme Court has overturned its own precedents, such as the decision that people cannot be segregated but equal, as in the case with discrimination. Principal known as stare decisis stand by the past Abortion example of Row vs Wade (or something like that) How do you know when a judgement is a precedent To know that, you have to analyse the precedent Conditions for decision to be binding Decisions divided into two parts Ratio decidendi the reason for the decision for arriving at the decision (only this is the precedent) Obiter dictum other reasons that the judge has for coming to his/her conclusions It is often not clear which is the obiter dictum and which is the ratio decidendi. The facts have to be almost identical. What happens when they find a precedent they do not like They could try and find differences between the case then and now. What then happens is that if the judges can distinguish between it, they make judge-made law, which is an area of contestation and disagreement. Judges are not supposed to make the law. Legislation In the common law system, legislation is not as important as judicial precedent. If a court interprets a law in a manner in which the parliament doesnt like, parliament can pass a law countermanding that. Catch ( legislation is subject to judicial interpretation, and this means that the rules regarding stare decisis apply to interpretation. Therefore, when you  are looking in the common law system, and you are wondering what does this legislation mean, you look at any court judgements/precedents in order to understand its meaning and application. Additionally, from a business point of view, there is very little legislation on very important aspects of business law. (e.g. you find it on leases, contracts of sale, etc but other types of contracts such as agency, etc there is no legislation, and therefore strictly jurisprudence applies. Additionally, to a large extent there is no legislation regarding torts As a source of law, it can supersede jurisprudence, but does not feature as much. Doctrine Scolarly writings For historical reasons, doctrine is less important and less abundant than it is in the civil law system. They try to summarise the law and put it in a rational form. CIVIL LAW Judicial Precedent (Jurisprudence) Not as important as in common law because a) There is no concept of stare decisis (Courts are not formally bound by higher courts, they just carry more weight. Another level can just choose to overrule) (2) Legislation Originally, the first code of laws that was developed in the western world was developed by the Roman Empire. This was different for a huge number of places because it covered such a wide expanse. When Napoleon ruled, there were even differences within France itself He created a different set for France and the rest of the Empire, The Law of Paris, and codified it into one document, and in 1804 it became law. It dealt with things such as family law, property law, contract law, civil liability, etc A code does the following in regards to each area that it deals with, it sets out general broad principles then sets out certain principles within. They are so broad that it covers the subject matter. For example, in civil law under Quebec, civil liability is anyone that is capable, is liable for any damage he/she causes through a wrongful act to a third party. Once you have this principle you have rules of application (e.g. what is the liability of parents if their children does wrong) (3) Doctrine Doctrine is much more important than in the Common Law system. Before, in Common Law system, if you wanted to become a lawyer you didnt have to go to school, just work with lawyers and read books. Example Abraham Lincoln never went to school he studied on his own and ended up becoming a lawyer with the help of those he worked with. Ended up becoming one of the most renowned layers in the USA before h e went into politics. Difference between the two Civil law ( would read Justinian coda and make  annotations and commentaries and some would start publishing codes. When Napoleon made some laws, books came out analysing the books and laws. Judges read the laws and doctrines as a basis for their judgements (today there is more doctrine in the Civil Law system than common law) Common ( Lets see what the judgment says Civil ( lets see what the doctrine says LEGAL SYSTEMS SPREAD BY COLONIZATION AND CONQUEST Common Law Includes India, England, USA Why common law is different around the world English Common law applied to the Colonies, so far as it was adapted by its institutions and circumstances. This means that you apply the English Common Law as far as needed, then you apply a chain of precedents As colonies gained independence, they established a cut-off date after which British precedence would not apply to them Over time, jurisdictions formed their own supreme Courts under their own state of appeal. After a certain date, Canada said that their Supreme Court judgements were right, and people could not go to the British House of Lords for an over ruling, and this happened everywhere. Civil Law Formed out of Spain and all of her colonies, Germany, Italy, Portugal and its colony Brazil, and each country has its own civil code. The rules in France are not the same as the rules set out in Quebec, however the sources, the role, all of that is similar. Quebec Situation Was both a French and British colony. The French King was given a choice keep Quebec, or keep the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. He decided to keep the islands. In 1774, the Quebec Act was adopted by parliament. In 1774, the 13 colonies started to push for independence. They adopted the Quebec Act, which was intended to protect the religion, language and culture. It created a hybrid system of Common Law and Civil Law. It said that local Quebec Law (Civil Law) will govern property, contracts, family law, civil liability. Basically, in Quebec, what was used was old Roman law and the custom of Paris. Under the Quebec system, the court system became a British system. The result was that Common Law heavily influenced civil law. July 1866, the Civil Court of Law in Canada codified the Civil Law in Quebec (like Napoleon and France). Much of the Civil Code of Canada was taken by the Napoleonic Code. Unlike what you would call the traditional Civil Law System, stare decisis was used in Quebec. If you read a judgement from a Court of Quebec and one outside Quebec, you would question whether it is not a Common Law system. This is because they are a Civil Law system, but they reason  similarly to the Common Law system.

Management Fayol Organization

Management Fayol Organization PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT Henri Fayol was born in 1841 in Istanbul. He was one of Europes leading thinkers on management theories and was one of the most influential contributors to modern concepts of management. Fayol was a key figure in the ‘turn-of-the-century Classical School of management theory. He suggested that management is a universal human activity that applies to family as well as to the organization. His Frenchmen has been described as the father of modern operational management theory. His ideas have become the very foundation of modern management concepts. Henri Fayol was a French engineer and director of mines, was little known outside France until the late 40s when Constance Storrs published her translation of Fayols 1916 Administration Industrielle et Generale . Fayols career began as a mining engineer. He then moved into research geology and in 1888 joined, Comambault as Director. Comambault was in difficulty but Fayol turned the operation round. On retirement he published his work a comprehensive theory of administration described and classified administrative management roles and processes then became recognised and referenced by others in the growing discourse about management. He is frequently seen as a key, early contributor to a classical or administrative management school of thought (even though he himself would never have recognised such a school). Henri Fayol theorising about administration was built on personal observation and experience of what worked well in terms of organisation. His aspiration for an administrative science sought a consistent set of principles that all organizations must apply in order to run properly. F. W. Taylor published The Principles of Scientific Management in the USA in 1911, and Fayol in 1916 examined the nature of management and administration on the basis of his French mining organisation experiences.. With two exceptions, Henri Fayols theories of administration are going directly into the bureaucratic superstructure described by Weber. Henri Fayol focuses on the personal duties of management at a much more granular level than Weber did. While Weber laid out principles for an ideal bureaucratic organization Fayols work is more directed at the management layer Fayol was the famous theorist who proposed that there are five primary functions of manager. He believed that management had five principle roles which he saw as (1) Planning: To forecast and plan the future by drawing up plans of actions and how they will be implemented by identifying the strategies (2) Organizing: To build up the structure, material and who give the delegated authority to carry out the specific tasks (3) Commanding: Maintaining activity among the personnel and giving orders in the specific period of time telling the employees what exactly to do and how. (4) Co-ordinating: Binding together the whole of the team so that they can harmonize their activities and efforts to one unified goal or achievement. (5) Controlling: To see that everything occurs in conformity with policy and practise. Controlling is described in the sense that a manager must receive feedback on a process that is being carried out in an organization so that he can make the relevant adjustments if necessary. Most of these activities are very task oriented, rather than people oriented, very similar to Taylor and Scientific Management. While both have a task focus, their approaches are quite different. Fayol was particularly interested in authority and its implementation while Taylor concentrated on work organisation (e.g. efficiency). In many ways their views illustrating some of the differences between the USA and Europe. The views and attitudes towards organisations and management are not always led by American theorists. He advocated a consistent set of principles that all organisations need to run properly. Although many of todays management text including Daft (2005) have reduced the five functions to four, co-ordinating was congregated into the rest of the main functions. However all modern day management texts are based and organized around Fayols four functions. Henri Fayol also fused the 14 principles for organizational design and effective administration. The 14 principles of management were discussed in detail in his book published in 1917 Administration industrielle et gà ©nà ©rale. He compared the conclusions made by Peter, Kanter and Handy. Fayol developed fourteen principles of administration to go along with managements five primary roles. He laid down the following principles of organization which he later called the principles of management: Specialization of labour: A principle of work allocation and specialisation in order to concentrate activities to enable specialisation of skills and understandings, more work focus and efficiency. Specializing encourages continuous improvement in skills and the development of improvements in methods. Authority: The right to give orders and the power to exact obedience. If responsibilities are allocated, then the post holder needs the requisite authority to carry these out including the right to require others in the area of responsibility to undertake duties. Authority stems from: that ascribed from the delegation process (the job holder is assigned to act as the agent of the high authority to whom they report hierarchy) Allocation and permission to use the necessary resources needed (budgets, assets, and staff) to carry out the responsibilities. selection the person has the expertise to carry out the responsibilities and the personal qualities to win the support and confidence of others. Discipline: No slacking, bending of rules. The generalisation about discipline is that discipline is essential for the smooth running of a business and without it standards, consistency of action, adherence to rules and values no enterprise could prosper. in an essence obedience, application, energy, behavior and outward marks of respect observed in accordance with standing agreements between firms and its employees 1916 Unity of command: A concept that suggests there should be only one supervisor for each person in an organization. Each employee has one and only one boss. The idea is that an employee should receive instructions from just a single superior . This generalisation still holds even where we are involved with team and matrix structures which involve reporting to more than one boss or being accountable to several clients. The basic concern is that tensions and dilemmas arise where we report to two or more bosses. One boss may want X, the other Y and the subordinate is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Unity of direction: A single mind generates a single plan and all play their part in that plan. The unity of command idea of having one head (chief executive, cabinet consensus) with agree purposes and objectives and one plan for a group of activities) is clear. Subordination of individual interest to the general interest : When at work, only work things should be pursued or thought about. Fayols line was that one employees interests or those of one group should not prevail over the organisation as a whole. This would spark a lively debate about who decides that the interests of the organisation as a whole are. Ethical dilemmas and matters of corporate risk and the behaviour of individual chancers are involved here. Fayols work assumes a shared set of values by people in the organisation a unitarism where the reasons for organisational activities and decisions are in some way neutral and reasonable. 7. Remuneration of staff: Employees receive fair payment for services, not what the company can get away with. â€Å"The price of services rendered.† 1916 The general principle is that levels of compensation should be fair and as far as possible afford satisfaction both to the staff and the firm (in terms of its cost structures and desire for profitability/surplus). 8. Centralisation: Consolidation of management functions. Decisions are made from the top. Centralisation for HF is essential to the organisation and a natural consequence of organising. This issue does not go away even where flatter, devolved organisations occur. Decentralisation is frequently centralisaed-decentralisation !!! The modes of control over the actions and results of devolved organisations are still matters requiring considerable attention. 9. Scalar chain/line of authority: Formal chain of command running from top to bottom of the organization, like military. The scalar chain of command of reporting relationships from top executive to the ordinary shop operative or driver needs to be sensible, clear and understood. 10. Order: All materials and personnel have a prescribed place, and they must remain there. The level of generalisation becomes difficult with this principle. Basically an organisation should provide an orderly place for each individual member who needs to see how their role fits into the organisation and be confident, able to predict the organisations behaviour towards them. Thus policies, rules, instructions and actions should be understandable and understood. Orderliness implies steady evolutionary movement rather than wild, anxiety provoking, unpredictable movement. 11. Equity: Equality of treatment (but not necessarily identical treatment) . Equity, fairness and a sense of justice shouldpervade the organisation in principle and practice. 12. Stability of tenure or Personnel Tenure: Limited turnover of personnel. Lifetime employment for good workers. Time is needed for the employee to adapt to his/her work and perform it effectively. Stability of tenure promotes loyalty to the organisation, its purposes and values. 13. Initiative: Thinking out a plan and do what it takes to make it happen. At all levels of the organisational structure, zeal, enthusiasm and energy are enabled by people having the scope for personal initiative, in respect with Tom Peters. 14. Esprit de corps: Harmony, cohesion among personnel. Here Fayol emphasises the need for building and maintaining of harmony among the work force, team work and sound interpersonal relationships. Its a great source of strength in the organisation. Fayol stated that for promoting esprit de corps, the principle of unity of command should be observed and the dangers of divide and rule and the abuse of written communication should be avoided The final two principles, initiative and esprit de corps, show a difference between Fayols concept of an ideal organization and Webers. Weber predicted a completely impersonal organization with little human level interaction between its members. Fayol clearly believed personal effort and team dynamics were part of a ideal organization Out of the 14, the most important elements are specialization, unity of command, scalar chain, and, coordination by managers (an amalgam of authority and unity of direction). Advantages of Fayols theories and contributions Fayol was the first person to actually give a definition of management which is generally familiar today namely ‘forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to control. Fayol also gave much of the basic terminology and concepts, which would be elaborated upon by future researchers, such as division of labour, scalar chain, unity of command and centralization. Disadvantages Fayol was describing the structure of formal organizations. Absence of attention to issues such as individual versus general interest, remuneration and equity suggest that Fayol saw the employer as paternalistic and by definition working in the employees interest. Fayol does mention the issues relating to the sensitivity of a patients needs, such as initiative and ‘esprit de corps, he saw them as issues in the context of rational organisational structure and not in terms of adapting structures and changing peoples behaviour to achieve the best fit between the organisation and its customers. Many of these principles have been absorbed into modern day organisations, but they were not designed to cope with conditions of rapid change and issues of employee participation in the decision making process of organisations, such as are current today in the early 21st century. Successes Fayols five principle roles of management are still actively practiced today. The author has found Plan, Organize, Command, Co-ordinate and Control written on one than one managers whiteboard during his career. The concept of giving appropriate authority with responsibility is also widely commented on (if not well practiced.) Unfortunately his principles of unity of command and unity of direction are consistently violated in matrix management the structure of choice for many of todays companies. Conclusion Henri Fayol was important for two reasons: first, because he placed management centre stage; second, because he pondered the question of how best a company could be organised. He was also one of the earliest people to write and lecture on management issues, and indeed is sometimes referred to as the first management thinker. It is clear that modern organizations are strongly influenced by the theories of Taylor, Mayo, Weber and Fayol. Their precepts have become such a strong part of modern management that it is difficult to believe that these concepts were original and new at some point in history. The modern idea that these concepts are common sense is strong tribute to these founders. References Accessed on: 30 December 2007 www.healthknowledge.org.uk Accessed on: 30 December 2007 www.wikipeida.com Accessed on: 01 January 2007 www.onepine.com Accessed on: 02 January 2007 www.analytictech.com Accessed on: 02 January 2007 www.bola.biz Accessed on: 05 January 2007 www.learningmatters.com Accessed on: 06 January 2007 www.12manage.com Accessed on: 07 January 2007 www.answers.com Accessed on: 07 January 2007 www.intute.ac.uk The History of Management Thought by Daniel A. Wren Business: The Ultimate Resource by Daniel P. Goleman Project Management by David L. Cleland Fifty Key Figures in Management (Routledge Key Guides) by Morgen Witzel Daft, R. (2005). Management, (7th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. Fayol, H. (1949). General and industrial management. London. Pitman Publishing company. Fayol Fayol, H. (1987). General and industrial management: Henri Fayols classic revised by Irwin Gray. Belmont, CA: David S. Lake Publishers.

Distal Symmetrical Neuropathy (DPN)

Distal Symmetrical Neuropathy (DPN) Abstract The most common complication of diabetes, distal symmetrical neuropathy (DPN), decreases quality of life and causes disability. Therefore, it hasa significant impact on social and economic aspects. Unfortunately, the treatment of this condition remains challenging because, apart from improving glycaemic control, there are currently no pathogenetic drugs that meet the requirement set by US regulation. This is not necessarily due to a lack of therapeutic potential, but because the endpoints were not robust enough to detect the therapeutic benefit. This essay will address several acknowledged surrogate endpoints (SE) for DPN. Corneal confocal microscopy will also be reviewed as a potential SE for DPN. Introduction Neuropathy, a common long-term complication of diabetes, is associated with the progressive loss of nerve fibres affecting both the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.1 The most common type of diabetic neuropathy is DPN, of which manifestation may vary from painful sensations to foot insensitivity at risk of ulceration.2 In an attempt to treat DPN, clinicians use symptomatic drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and opioid-like agents that alleviate painful symptoms in the lower limbs.3 These drugs, however, do not affect the underlying cause of the disease, which is believed to be progressive loss of nerve fibres. Drugs that target putative pathogenesis of the disease, therefore, may become great alternatives. There are currently two main experimental drugs that belong to this group: namely, antioxidant ÃŽ ±-lipoic acid4 and aldose-reductase inhibitor epalrestat.5 However, although theyhave been approved in a limited number of countries, they fail to demonstrate sufficient efficacy to be approved by US regulation. This has raised a question about the reason behind this problem. Poorly designed trials, slow progression of the disease, relatively short duration of the trials, strong placebo effect, and endpoints selection are amongst the factors proposed behind this problem.6The latter factor is of particular interest because some of the current surrogate endpoints for DPN assessment may be subjective due to reliance on the patient’s response. Further discussion of SE for DPN will be reviewed below. Surrogate endpoints for DPN The endpoints used in clinical trialsare variable to evaluate the changes in patient condition after they have been given certain treatment. The ideal endpoints should be clinically meaningful and directly measure how the patients feel, function, and survive.7 However, it is difficult in some cases to apply them in clinical trials due to subjectivity or measurement difficulty. Moreover, the clinical trials have to be conducted overa very long periodto measure these ideal endpoints. To solve this problem, the researchers use the surrogate endpoints which define any laboratory measures, signs or symptomsthat are intended to be used as substitutes for clinically meaningful endpoints.7 Therefore, any changes in the surrogate endpoints induced by treatment are expected to reflect the changes in the clinically meaningful endpoints. In the case of DPN, several endpoints have been used to diagnose and evaluate progression or severity of the disease, including clinical assessment, electrophysiology, quantitative sensory testing (QST),8 sympathetic skin response (SSR),9 quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test (QSART),9, 10 autonomic testing, nerve/skin biopsy,11-13 and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM).14 Clinical assessment of DPN involves assessing the severity of the patients’ symptoms and neurological examination. Most components of this examination rely on patients’ responses and the physicians’ experiences; therefore it has poor reproducibility and marked variation in inter-observer agreement.Dyck15 tried to overcome this problem by developing composite scores that assess the symptoms and signs of DPN. The neuropathy symptom score (NSS) was developed to assess the symptoms, whereas the neuropathy disability score (NDS) was devised as a quantified neurological examination.15 Later, NDS was replaced by the neuropathy impairment score (NIS).16 However, these scores still have a certain degree of subjectivity, meaning the evaluation of disease severity may be biased. An electrophysiology study measures the electrical conduction along the nerve fibres to evaluate their function. As a surrogate endpoint, it has been criticised due to the need for special equipment and a trained examiner.17 Moreover, there is evidence that it only assesses the function of large fibres,18 yet the earliest fibres affected by diabetes aresmall unmyelinated fibres.12 QST, on the other hand, evaluates both large (A-beta) and small (A-delta and C) nerve fibres. It measures sensory response after the application of accurately calibrated sensory (mechanical and thermal) stimuli.8 However, it has been criticised because it is subjective (based on patient response) and thus cannot differentiate between fake or real response. Due to this reason, QST results are not recommended to be the sole criteria to diagnose DPN. The combination of composite score, electrophysiology, and QST offers a relatively robust tool to define neuropathic severity but fails to detect the earliest sta ge of nerve damage that happens in small unmyelinated fibres.19 The somatic nerve disturbances due to diabetes are usually accompanied by vasomotor or sudomotor changes that suggest autonomic involvement. QSART examines the sudomotor changes in neuropathic patients by measuring sweat volume produced by skin after chemical10 or electrical stimulation.20 QSART is considered as a robust endpoint for DPN because it is quite sensitive, objective, and reproducible.9, 20 It has been shown to be able to detect C-fibres involvement in DPN patients who have otherwise normal neurological examinations and nerve-conduction studies.10 However, it requires special equipment and needs a relatively long time to be carried out. These drawbacks limit the application of QSART in clinical trials, especially if a large number of subjects are required. Sural-nerve biopsies and skin biopsies directly assess the damage and repair of small nerve fibres and have been proposed to be surrogate endpoints in clinical trials.11, 12Both of these methods have been shown to be very sensitive in detecting regeneration or abnormality insmall nerve fibres. The quantification of intra-epidermal nerve-fibre density (IENFD) from a skin biopsy, for example, is shown to be more sensitive than QSART and QST in diagnosing DPN.13 Nevertheless, the invasive nature of these procedures may become a problem, especially for diabetic patients. To solve this problem, anon-invasive measurement needs to be developed. CCM offers a new approach to directly measure the severity of DPN through visualisation of the subbasal nerve plexus in Bowman’s layer of the cornea. The cornea is a highly innervated organ which contains dense A-delta and C-unmyelinated fibres. The question remains whether corneal innervation has a connection with neuropathy caused by diabetes. Recent evidence, however, shows that corneal sensation is impaired in both diabetic21 and galactose-fed rats.22Moreover, in diabetic patients the subclinical abnormalities of corneal innervations23 and corneal ulceration24 are commonly recognised. This is due to the progressive loss of corneal nerve fibres which in turn reduces the neurotrophic stimuli required to develop a healthy and thick corneal epithelium. In 2000, Rosenberg et al.25 found that corneal sensation and nerve-fibre number werereduced in patients with type I diabetes. Later, the degree of corneal-n erve-fibre loss was shown to correlate with the degree of DPN assessed by a combination of NDS, electrophysiology and QST.26 These suggest that diabetes may affect the corneal innervations and therefore it is possible to assess neuropathy through corneal-nerve-fibre evaluation. CCM assesses corneal nerve morphology by quantifying three different parameters: namely, corneal-nerve-fibre density (NFD), the total number of major fibres per square millimetre; nerve-branch density (NBD), the number of branches emanating from major nerve trunks per square millimetre; and nerve-fibre length (NFL), the total length of nerve fibres and branches per square millimetre.26Quattrini et al.14 provided further evidence that CCM parameters can be used to assess small-fibre damage in humans. Moreover, they found that CCM results correlated with IEFND, which was considered a robust tool to assess small-fibre damage. Later, a study in patients who underwent simultaneous kidney-and-pancreas transplantation showed that CCM was, in fact, more sensitive than IEFND to detect early nerve damage and regeneration.27 The role of CCM is not limited to evaluating the progression of disease;it can also be used to diagnose DPN and identify at-risk patients due to high sensitivity.28 These s uggest that CCM may be used as a tool to diagnose, identify at-risk patients, and evaluate nerve-fibre damage or repair. Recently, CCM has successfully detected corneal nerve damage which correlates with neuropathic measurements in several diseases other than diabetes, such as idiopathic small-fibre neuropathy,29 Fabry disease,30 and Charcott-Marie-Tooth type 1A disease.31The evidence so far shows that CCM may have the potential to be an ideal surrogate endpoint for DPN. It is sensitive, quantitative, highly reproducible, and noninvasive.32, 33However, more research is needed to establish a connection between CCM measurement and clinically meaningful endpoints which, in the case of DPN, are pain, disability, and the curtailment of quality of life. Conclusion Apart from the possibility that the tested drug may not yield the intended outcome, the failure to detect the effectiveness of experimental drugsmay, in case of DPN, be caused by improper selection of surrogate endpoints in clinical trials. There are currently several acknowledged surrogate endpoints for DPN, such as clinical assessment, electrophysiology, QST, QSART, SSR, monofilament test, nerve/skin biopsy, and autonomic testing.However, they have several drawbacks, such as being time consuming, subjective, and difficult to practice. Recently, CCM has emerged as a potential surrogate endpoint for DPN because it is non-invasive, highly reproducible, quantitative, and sensitive. However, more research is needed to establish its position as a game changer in neuropathy-outcome assessment.

A New Sense Of Life :: essays research papers

A New Sense of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Baldwin’s Discovery of What it Means to Be an American, it was said that to be an American was a truly free feeling. The fact is you could change yourself mid-life and still hold worth and prowess. The idea of being considered a great author, and also as being a great actor, holds different places here in America then in Europe, or even Canada. Most places would hold the profession of an author to have more of an elegance then an actor. The author holds more intellectual ground, then that of one who can act out a part and memorize lines. (Not so much as the idea of being a writer, then an actor, but how you present yourself.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If someone asks you, â€Å"Who are you?†, you might simply answer, â€Å"I am a carpenter.† or â€Å"I am a congressman.† Say you have a job that would not be as high on the social ladder as these. For example, use the profession of a garbage man. He gets paid as much as the carpenter, but in society, that profession isn’t looked upon like a carpenter, or a congressman. Along the same lines, a congressman, or even a carpenter, can turn around at the pinnacle of his career, and choose to be a garbage man, if that’s what his heart seeks. America has a view unlike any other nation, in which you can start over at any time. You can take control of your life by going back to school, learning what you want to, thus becoming something completely different at the age of 50.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike many eastern nations, where you are dedicated to that one job concept, (IE. If you’re an incredible trumpet player, you will be that for the rest of your life, and that’s that), in America you have the option to move about in the job market, to try out different professions, and feel your way through life. You can see evidence of that by the fact junior colleges are very popular among older people. In America, you are allowed to go to school for the rest of your life if you want to, and the school will work around your current employment schedule. The meaning of life in America is different than that of any other country. You can go where you want and be whomever you want. A New Sense Of Life :: essays research papers A New Sense of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Baldwin’s Discovery of What it Means to Be an American, it was said that to be an American was a truly free feeling. The fact is you could change yourself mid-life and still hold worth and prowess. The idea of being considered a great author, and also as being a great actor, holds different places here in America then in Europe, or even Canada. Most places would hold the profession of an author to have more of an elegance then an actor. The author holds more intellectual ground, then that of one who can act out a part and memorize lines. (Not so much as the idea of being a writer, then an actor, but how you present yourself.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If someone asks you, â€Å"Who are you?†, you might simply answer, â€Å"I am a carpenter.† or â€Å"I am a congressman.† Say you have a job that would not be as high on the social ladder as these. For example, use the profession of a garbage man. He gets paid as much as the carpenter, but in society, that profession isn’t looked upon like a carpenter, or a congressman. Along the same lines, a congressman, or even a carpenter, can turn around at the pinnacle of his career, and choose to be a garbage man, if that’s what his heart seeks. America has a view unlike any other nation, in which you can start over at any time. You can take control of your life by going back to school, learning what you want to, thus becoming something completely different at the age of 50.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike many eastern nations, where you are dedicated to that one job concept, (IE. If you’re an incredible trumpet player, you will be that for the rest of your life, and that’s that), in America you have the option to move about in the job market, to try out different professions, and feel your way through life. You can see evidence of that by the fact junior colleges are very popular among older people. In America, you are allowed to go to school for the rest of your life if you want to, and the school will work around your current employment schedule. The meaning of life in America is different than that of any other country. You can go where you want and be whomever you want.

America in the 1920s and 1930s :: American History

When many people study history and learn the mistakes from the past, it would be easier to able to understand the present. Nevertheless, it is not enough to simply study the events that have transpired. By changing the unfavorable events that led to despair and continuing the benefits to society, one can understand why they happen and better the future. In the United States in the early 1920s, a new stage appeared with different movements in the areas of politics, economics, society, culture, and foreign policy. By the events that led to the 1930s, new crazes had developed in many of these areas, while other areas remained in continuity. From the 1920s to the 1930, there were several factors that contributed to the changes in American society. The 1920s began shortly after in World War I when the United States and the Allies defeated the Germans in 1918. Many Americans were fed up with Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president from 1913 to 1921. The first election of the 1920s scoured Republican Warren G. Harding against Democrat James M. Cox. Cox supported Wilson and the League of Nations in the election. However, Harding won the election in a landslide, which was a sign of America ¡Ã‚ ¦s frustration with Wilson and his optimistic and liberal policies. The start of the new conservative era restored the power to the Republicans after the presidential election of the 1920. Harding made quite a few excellent appointments to his cabinet although he failed to demonstrate to have much intelligence. Charles Evans Hughes was appointed to be the Secretary of State, Andrew W. Mellon appointed as the Secretary of the Treasury and as leader of the Commerce Department, and Herbert Hoover bumped up the 1920s to a new level. On the other hand, Harding also appointed some of the worst positions for office. He appointed Albert B. Fall as the Secretary of the Interior. The Teapot Dome Scandal or the  ¡Ã‚ §Oil Reserves Scandal ¡Ã‚ ¨ [Simon, 3/8/00] surrounded the secret leasing of the federal oil reserves by Fall. He secretly granted the Mammoth Oil Company exclusive rights to the Teapot Dome reserves in Wyoming after President Harding transferred supervision of the naval oil reserve lands from the navy to him. While this scandal entered American politics as a symbol of governmental corruption, it had little long-term effect on the Republican Party. For the moment, Harding started the conservative trend of politics in the 1920s.

Marketing Madness :: essays research papers

Hi, y’all. I want you to know that this could get long, but please read it. And I hope it doesn’t sound like I am irritated, I just want you to see how I saw things. Plus, I get my thoughts out better written down than verbally. First of all, now that I have found my composure, I want to say thank you for saying something last night. I wish you had said something earlier. I really didn’t realize you didn’t feel I was contributing at all. I know Julia was doing more than she should, but I thought I was trying to do what I could. Please accept my apologies and know that my contribution or lack thereof wasn’t conscious or planned – things have just happened. You are right, I should have asked about the research proposal and offered to write up your notes, but I really thought y’all were writing the whole thing that Saturday. And I was planning on meeting with you until you postponed and didn’t want to do it Sunday, when I could do it. Then I got caught up in my midterm exam, paper and presentation so didn’t really think to find out about the proposal because I knew you had it under control. As for the focus group, I had asked for the notes as early as possible, but didn’t get them until late afternoon on Friday when I had said I wouldn’t be able to write anything on Saturday. So, Sunday was it. You gave me a bunch of notes so I tried to include everything I could, including my ideas, to be edited down later. I could have edited it down myself. I said it was a rough draft – I asked in my email for you to tell me what changes to make and to email me back about it but Julia went ahead and did it. I didn’t realize you wanted a finished project – I figured you would want some say so in it. Which, it was obvious you did since ideas I had added were removed. And, I did ask people to come to the focus group – they just didn’t come because they didn’t have that Saturday afternoon free. And they were probably people who go out a lot. Plus, I attended the focus group and took notes. All three of us couldn’t have been o n camera anyway.

Creative writing about my room Essay

The stairs creak as i tiptoe up them to the second floor of my house where my room awaits me. I make my way up to the doorway while tightly grasping the rail. I approach the wooden door and slowly turn the golden knob. Suddenly i am now inside a room with cool air and a fresh scent of cleanliness blowing through my nose. On my way to the crystal sliding glass door, i take notice of how the room is so neat and clean. The room is a sterilized doctors office where patients have not yet arrived. The fresh aroma of simmering potpourri and the fragrance of recent blown out candles spills out in every direction. The freshly sky blue painted walls are encompassed with pictures of friends and family members neatly placed in their proper spots in a collage with other pictures. Each picture is trying to stand out and be more noticed than the rest as if they were all running in a beauty pageant. The walls are all neatly dressed with their own unique outfit of posters and pictures. The pictures and cheerleading awards overwhelm the room with bright colors and pastels. With another step, i notice how all the furniture is aligned perfectly with the symmetry of the room like a life size geometry proof. The furniture is identical in color, each piece a fluorescent pink. The vanity and nightstand are clear of clutter with not even a thin film of dust in the smallest crevice. The fibers of recently vacuumed carpet stand at attention displaying how clean they are. The bright pink dresser glistens as the sunlight shines through the crystal clear window reflecting off its soft glossy finish. As i approach the clear glass door, it is shiny and smudge free just like a Windex commercial. Glancing out the window, i receive an immediate sense of relief and comfort. The sun is shining down on the white blanket of snow that lies upon the ground. The falling snow trickles down making it seem as if i were in a snow globe. I sway over to my perfectly made bed and gracefully sit down being careful not to wrinkle the fragile covers. Taking one more look around, i think about my room. It is like my shadow following me on a sunny day. My room reflects my personal interests and talents and really is a part of me!

Communication and Crisis Essay

My name is Rosa Singleton. I am the director of the Emergency Management Office in the area of Ohio. Today we have received official reports that the public water supplies for the city of Canton and other nearby cities have become contaminated with a life-threatening biological agent. It is the duty of my staff to implement contingency plans and address them within the organization, and with the public in a way that will not create panic amongst the citizens of Canton and the surrounding cities. The individuals or groups that will be communicating inside and outside the organization during this crisis situation When a crisis situation occurs, there has to be a quick response for collecting information concerning the situation. The individuals that will be communicating during this crisis on the inside of this organization are myself, the senior manager of the regional Emergency Management Office, the communications coordinator, and the command coordinator along with the help of outside agencies such as: The State Department of Health, the Red Cross agency, and the media spokesperson (Hicks, 2012). Potential advantages and challenges associated with communicating within the organization and with the public and private sectors during this crisis situation When an event like water contamination occurs, it gives an opportunity for emergency teams to work with diverse communities to effectively relay the importance of health communication, and it causes the citizens of those communities to be dependent upon the emergency teams to bring them to a safe place from the crisis. Sometimes a crisis can have good outcomes, and sometimes the outcomes are not as favorable. The advantages that we’re hoping for while communicating with the associations and the public are, that everyone involved receives the correct public health information messages, and that they knew before hand their needs, and have familiarized themselves with other vulnerable communities close to them at the time they realized the water was contaminated. We never hope for negative outcomes, so hopefully being aware of these situations will help in knowing the drawbacks of developing and relaying clear and effective messages in these types of crisis (Nsiah-Kumi, 2008). Differences in communication processes used in crisis situations, including what you learned from the situations in the scenario and how you might incorporate that knowledge to improve health care communication strategies A crisis team must monitor health status to identify community health problems-the detection of any harmful or unfavorable health events is important, and has to be done quickly to ensure a speedy response to biological attacks, with medications and vaccines provided. An engagement of diagnosis and investigation of health problems and hazards in the community-identifying and diagnosing potential bioterrorism agents is very important; it ensures that prevention and treatment measures can be quickly implemented. The crisis team will also inform, educate, and empower people about health issues-in a crisis, such as this bioterrorist event, this information needs to be shared as quickly as possible with law enforcement agencies and all other groups responsible for protecting the public. Mobilizing the community partnerships to identify and solve health problems will take place-the local public health agencies will have to get together with all other organizations, including those not really considered part of the public health system to provide epidemiologic investigation and medical treatment to those who need it, and help prevent the spread of disease. They also must develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts-the local public health agency preparedness plans should include careful, thought out reviews of local, state and federal policies that will help in its responses to any health emergency for the public. They will enforce laws and regulations to protect health and ensure safety-a very important part of preparedness planning involves making sure that the local, state, and federal laws and regulations involving public health emergencies are updated. Fraser and Fisher (2001) said that some of the laws are outdated because they haven’t been changed to show the same existence in public health practice. The residents will be linked to needed personal health services and be given the health care that is provided for them that is normally not provided any other time-so; it is the duty of the crisis team to make sure that all members of a community can have access to healthcare services if they need it. The crisis team will assure the public of a competent public health and personal health care workforce-in order for a crisis team to be effective in their response to a bioterrorism event, everyone involved in the local public health system must be competent personnel who have had training in emergency preparedness and response procedures. Effectiveness, accessibility, and quality will be evaluated of all personal and population-base health services-there are many local public health agencies that have, and are now taking tabletop simulations and field exercises to help keep their response capacity intact, and to help identify their needs for how they need to improve. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems are being done on a continuous basis-there are so many important ways that a team can respond to bioterrorism; it can be done through research on local public health preparedness activities (Fraser & Fisher, 2001). Appropriate technology, such as social media, affecting communication during the crisis situation and how these technologies may be used to enhance communication Getting a staff together to bring in useful information to plan for the release of the information to the news media is a great way to enhance communication to the public. The media will then get the information out to the public by ways of News releases, web sites, news conferences, newspapers and other social media (Hicks, 2012). The advantages of using these types of media are they quickly allows for the public to know what type of crisis has happened, and what kinds of precautions are being taken to ensure their safety. If there were to be any fatalities caused by the crisis event(s), these types of avenues also will give information on that. Some disadvantages can be unreliable technology of the citizens that will not allow for them to get access to the information that is being released by the media, such as no television, computer is not working properly, or they don’t received the local newspaper to be able to read it, etc. How technology might be used differently now than it was during the crisis situations described in the scenario Back in 1979, when a crisis occurred, it was released in the media, but the technology was not as great then as it is today. In 1979, there were no reliable social media besides the television or radio. If there was internet, it was not as reliable for getting information out to the public back then as it is today. There were no cell phones to quickly communicate back and forth when a person was on the go. In 2005, there was newer technology such as the internet, cell phones, and doplar radar systems to help with bad weather forecasts, which was needed in the case of Hurricane Katrina that left New Orleans in such shambles. Technology in 2005 was efficient, but has been upgrade to be even more efficient since then. We now have newer and more efficient technology today that can be used for â€Å" the ability to quickly gain awareness of the nature and scope of the crisis; the ability to quickly gather the information necessary to respond to the crisis; the ability to quickly deliver relevant information to all agency staff members; the ability to quickly deliver relevant information to the general public, the media, and other agencies—despite limited contact center resources; the ability to quickly ascertain whether recipients are finding information useful; and the ability to quickly respond to any ongoing changes in the crisis over time† (Customer Relationship Management and Crisis Management, 2012, p. 3, para. 5). Media opportunities during this management crisis Local environmental health agencies, Local news media, local Emergency Management Officials, Fire, Police, and EMS, Hospitals and Health Plans, Infectious disease physicians, Poison Control Centers along with other local agencies are some of the many media avenues that have been recruited to manage this crisis situation. Other media opportunities will involve the media at the state level as well, such as the State Public Health Department, State Emergency Management Officials, The American Red Cross, etc., and other volunteer groups. Federal media opportunities are also involved; they go as follows: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Emergency Preparedness, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency along with others (Fraser & Fisher, 2001). Crisis situations happen all the time, at any given time. No one knows when a crisis may occur. It is always a good idea to be prepared for a crisis just in case one happens. If anyone is affiliated with a company that does not have plans, or engage in any drill exercises for crisis situations, my staff and I are encouraging those companies to do so, and put some plans in effect right now. The employees will be glad those steps were taken for the sake of the public, as well as for the company. My staff and I, here in Ohio’s Emergency Management Office, will always make sure that the technology and plans that we have on hand will allow us to always be able to quickly respond to any crisis situation. Today, we had a life-threatening biological agent that contaminated the waters in Canton and surrounding cities. With the help of other public officials, the crisis team did a wonderful job of implementing a successful plan to aid the public at hand without panic, and was able to successfully assure their safety. References Fraser, M. R., & Fisher, V. S. (2001, January). Elements of effective bioterrorism preparedness: A planning primer for local public health agencies. National Association of County and City Health Officials. Retrieved from http://bioterrorism.slu.edu/bt/key_ref/NACCHO/effective.pdf Hicks, N. J. (2012). Health Industry Communication: New Media, New Methods, New Message. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. n.d., (2012, March). Customer Relationship Management and Crisis Management: Proven Emergency Response Strategies for the Public Sector. Oracle. Retrieved from http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/crm-and-crisis-management-wp-1560491.pdf Nsiah-Kumi, P. A. (2008). Communicating effectively with vulnerable populations during water contamination events. Journal Of Water & Health, 663-75. doi:10.2166/wh.2008.041

Part Four Chapter III

III Andrew had spent hours deciding which clothes he ought to wear for his first day's work at the Copper Kettle. His final choice was draped over the back of the chair in his bedroom. A particularly angry acne pustule had chosen to bring itself to a shiny tight peak on his left cheek, and Andrew had gone so far as to experiment with Ruth's foundation, which he had sneaked out of her dressing-table drawer. He was laying the kitchen table on Friday evening, his mind full of Gaia and the seven solid hours of close proximity to her that were within touching distance, when his father returned from work in a state that Andrew had never seen before. Simon seemed subdued, almost disorientated. ‘Where's your mother?' Ruth came bustling out of the walk-in pantry. ‘Hello Si-Pie! How – what's wrong?' ‘They've made me redundant.' Ruth clapped her hands to her face in horror, then dashed to her husband, threw her arms around his neck and drew him close. ‘Why?' she whispered. ‘That message,' said Simon. ‘On that fucking website. They pulled in Jim and Tommy too. It was take redundancy or we'll sack you. And it's a shitty deal. It's not even what they gave Brian Grant.' Andrew stood perfectly still, calcifying slowly into a monument of guilt. ‘Fuck,' said Simon, into Ruth's shoulder. ‘You'll get something else,' she whispered. ‘Not round here,' said Simon. He sat down on a kitchen chair, still in his coat, and stared across the room, apparently too stunned to speak. Ruth hovered around him, dismayed, affectionate and tearful. Andrew was glad to detect in Simon's catatonic gaze a whiff of his usual ham theatrics. It made him feel slightly less guilty. He continued to lay the table without saying a word. Dinner was a subdued affair. Paul, apprised of the family news, looked terrified, as though his father might accuse him of causing it all. Simon acted like a Christian martyr through the first course, wounded but dignified in the face of unwarranted persecution, but then – ‘I'll pay someone to punch the fucker's fat face through the back of his neck,' he burst out as he spooned apple crumble into himself; and the family knew that he meant Howard Mollison. ‘You know, there's been another message on that council website,' said Ruth breathlessly. ‘It's not only you who's had it, Si. Shir – somebody told me at work. The same person – The Ghost of Barry Fairbrother – has put up something horrible about Dr Jawanda. So Howard and Shirley got someone in to look at the site, and he realized that whoever's doing these messages has been using Barry Fairbrother's log-in details, so to be safe, they've taken them off the – the database or something – ‘ ‘And will any of this get me my fucking job back?' Ruth did not speak again for several minutes. Andrew was unnerved by what his mother had said. It was worrying that The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother was being investigated, and unnerving that somebody else had followed his lead. Who else would have thought of using Barry Fairbrother's log-in details but Fats? Yet why would Fats go for Dr Jawanda? Or was it just another way of getting at Sukhvinder? Andrew did not like it at all †¦ ‘What's the matter with you?' Simon barked across the table. ‘Nothing,' Andrew muttered, and then, backtracking, ‘it's a shock, isn't it †¦ your job †¦' ‘Oh, you're shocked, are you?' shouted Simon, and Paul dropped his spoon and dribbled ice cream down himself. ‘(Clean it up, Pauline, you little pansy!) Well, this is the real world, Pizza Face!' he shouted at Andrew. ‘Fuckers everywhere trying to do you down! So you,' he pointed across the table at his eldest son, ‘you get some dirt on Mollison, or don't bother coming home tomorrow!' ‘Si – ‘ Simon pushed his chair away from the table, threw down his own spoon, which bounced onto the floor with a clatter, and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him. Andrew waited for the inevitable, and was not disappointed. ‘It's a terrible shock for him,' a shaken Ruth whispered at her sons. ‘After all the years he's given that company †¦ he's worried how he's going to look after us all †¦' When the alarm rang at six thirty the next morning, Andrew slammed it off within seconds and virtually leapt out of bed. Feeling as though it was Christmas Day, he washed and dressed at speed, then spent forty minutes on his hair and face, dabbing minuscule amounts of foundation onto the most obvious of his spots. He half expected Simon to waylay him as he crept past his parents' room, but he met nobody, and after a hasty breakfast he wheeled Simon's racing bicycle out of the garage and sped off down the hill towards Pagford. It was a misty morning that promised sunshine later. The blinds were still down in the delicatessen, but the door tinkled and gave when he pushed it. ‘Not this way!' shouted Howard, waddling towards him. ‘You come in round the back! You can leave the bike by the bins, get it away from the front!' The rear of the delicatessen, reached by a narrow passageway, comprised a tiny dank patch of stone-paved yard, bordered by high walls, sheds with industrial-sized metal bins and a trapdoor that led down vertiginous steps to a cellar. ‘You can chain it up somewhere there, out of the way,' said Howard, who had appeared at the back door, wheezing and sweaty-faced. While Andrew fumbled with the padlock on the chain, Howard dabbed at his forehead with his apron. ‘Right, we'll start with the cellar,' he said, when Andrew had secured the bicycle. He pointed at the trapdoor. ‘Get down there and see the layout.' He bent over the hatch as Andrew climbed down the steps. Howard had not been able to climb down into his own cellar for years. Maureen usually tottered up and down the steps a couple of times a week; but now that it was fully stocked with goods for the cafe, younger legs were indispensible. ‘Have a good look around,' he shouted at the out-of-sight Andrew. ‘See where we've got the gateaux and all the baked goods? See the big bags of coffee beans and the boxes of teabags? And in the corner – the toilet rolls and the bin bags?' ‘Yeah,' Andrew's voice echoed up from the depths. ‘You can call me Mr Mollison,' said Howard, with a slightly tart edge to his wheezy voice. Down in the cellar, Andrew wondered whether he ought to start straight away. ‘OK †¦ Mr Mollison.' It sounded sarcastic. He hastened to make amends with a polite question. ‘What's in these big cupboards?' ‘Have a look,' said Howard impatiently. ‘That's what you're down there for. To know where you put everything and where you get it from.' Howard listened to the muffled sounds of Andrew opening the heavy doors, and hoped that the boy would not prove gormless or need a lot of direction. Howard's asthma was particularly bad today; the pollen count was unseasonably high, on top of all the extra work, and the excitement and petty frustrations of the opening. The way he was sweating, he might need to ring Shirley to bring him a new shirt before they unlocked the doors. ‘Here's the van!' Howard shouted, hearing a rumble at the other end of the passageway. ‘Get up here! You're to carry the stuff down to the cellar and put it away, all right? And bring a couple of gallons of milk through to me in the cafe. You got that?' ‘Yeah †¦ Mr Mollison,' said Andrew's voice from below. Howard walked slowly back inside to fetch the inhaler that he kept in his jacket, which was hanging up in the staff room behind the delicatessen counter. Several deep breaths later, he felt much better. Wiping his face on his apron again, he sat down on one of the creaking chairs to rest. Several times since he had been to see her about his skin rash, Howard had thought about what Dr Jawanda had said about his weight: that it was the source of all his health problems. Nonsense, obviously. Look at the Hubbards' boy: built like a beanpole, and shocking asthma. Howard had always been big, as far back as he could remember. In the very few photographs taken of him with his father, who had left the family when Howard was four or five, he was merely chubby. After his father had left, his mother had sat him at the head of the table, between herself and his grandmother, and been hurt if he did not take seconds. Steadily he had grown to fill the space between the two women, as heavy at twelve as the father who had left them. Howard had come to associate a hearty appetite with manliness. His bulk was one of his defining characteristics. It had been built with pleasure, by the women who loved him, and he thought it was absolutely characteristic of Bends-Your-Ear, that emasculating killjoy, that she wanted to strip him of it. But sometimes, in moments of weakness, when it became difficult to breathe or to move, Howard knew fear. It was all very well for Shirley to act as though he had never been in danger, but he remembered long nights in the hospital after his bypass, when he had not been able to sleep for worry that his heart might falter and stop. Whenever he caught sight of Vikram Jawanda, he remembered that those long dark fingers had actually touched his naked, beating heart; the bonhomie with which he brimmed at each encounter was a way of driving out that primitive, instinctive terror. They had told him at the hospital afterwards that he needed to lose some weight, but he had dropped two stone naturally while he was forced to live off their dreadful food, and Shirley had been intent on fattening him up again once he was out †¦ Howard sat for a moment more, enjoying the ease with which he breathed after using his inhaler. Today meant a great deal to him. Thirty-five years previously, he had introduced fine dining to Pagford with the elan of a sixteenth-century adventurer returning with delicacies from the other side of the world, and Pagford, after initial wariness, had soon begun to nose curiously and timidly into his polystyrene pots. He thought wistfully of his late mother, who had been so proud of him and his thriving business. He wished that she could have seen the cafe. Howard heaved himself back to his feet, took his deerstalker from its hook and placed it carefully on his head in an act of self-coronation. His new waitresses arrived together at half-past eight. He had a surprise for them. ‘Here you are,' he said, holding out the uniforms: black dresses with frilly white aprons, exactly as he had imagined. ‘Ought to fit. Maureen reckoned she knew your sizes. She's wearing one herself.' Gaia forced back a laugh as Maureen stalked into the delicatessen from the cafe, smiling at them. She was wearing Dr Scholl's sandals over her black stockings. Her dress finished two inches above her wrinkled knees. ‘You can change in the staff room, girls,' she said, indicating the place from which Howard had just emerged. Gaia was already pulling off her jeans beside the staff toilet when she saw Sukhvinder's expression. ‘Whassamatter, Sooks?' she asked. The new nickname gave Sukhvinder the courage to say what she might otherwise have been unable to voice. ‘I can't wear this,' she whispered. ‘Why?' asked Gaia. ‘You'll look OK.' But the black dress had short sleeves. ‘I can't.' ‘But wh – Jesus,' said Gaia. Sukhvinder had pulled back the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Her inner arms were covered in ugly criss-cross scars, and angry fresh-clotted cuts travelled up from her wrist to her inner arm. ‘Sooks,' said Gaia quietly. ‘What are you playing at, mate?' Sukhvinder shook her head, with her eyes full of tears. Gaia thought for a moment, then said, ‘I know – come here.' She was stripping off her long-sleeved T-shirt. The door suffered a big blow and the imperfectly closed bolt shot open: a sweating Andrew was halfway inside, carrying two weighty packs of toilet rolls, when Gaia's angry shout stopped him in his tracks. He tripped out backwards, into Maureen. ‘They're changing in there,' she said, in sour disapproval. ‘Mr Mollison told me to put these in the staff bathroom.' Holy shit, holy shit. She had been stripped to her bra and pants. He had seen nearly everything. ‘Sorry,' Andrew yelled at the closed door. His whole face was throbbing with the force of his blush. ‘Wanker,' muttered Gaia, on the other side. She was holding out her T-shirt to Sukhvinder. ‘Put it on underneath the dress.' ‘That'll look weird.' ‘Never mind. You can get a black one for next week, it'll look like you're wearing long sleeves. We'll tell him some story †¦' ‘She's got eczema,' Gaia announced, when she and Sukhvinder emerged from the staff room, fully dressed and aproned. ‘All up her arms. It's a bit scabby.' ‘Ah,' said Howard, glancing at Sukhvinder's white T-shirted arms and then back at Gaia, who looked every bit as gorgeous as he had hoped. ‘I'll get a black one for next week,' said Sukhvinder, unable to look Howard in the eye. ‘Fine,' he said, patting Gaia in the small of her back as he sent the pair of them through to the cafe. ‘Brace yourselves,' he called to his staff at large. ‘We're nearly there †¦ doors open, please, Maureen!' There was already a little knot of customers waiting on the pavement. A sign outside read: The Copper Kettle, Opening Today – First Coffee Free! Andrew did not see Gaia again for hours. Howard kept him busy heaving milk and fruit juices up and down the steep cellar steps, and swabbing the floor of the small kitchen area at the back. He was given a lunch break earlier than either of the waitresses. The next glimpse he got of her was when Howard summoned him to the counter of the cafe, and they passed within inches of each other as she walked in the other direction, towards the back room. ‘We're swamped, Mr Price!' said Howard, in high good humour. ‘Get yourself a clean apron and mop down some of these tables for me while Gaia has her lunch!' Miles and Samantha Mollison had sat down with their two daughters and Shirley at a table in the window. ‘It seems to be going awfully well, doesn't it?' Shirley said, looking around. ‘But what on earth is that Jawanda girl wearing under her dress?' ‘Bandages?' suggested Miles, squinting across the room. ‘Hi, Sukhvinder!' called Lexie, who knew her from primary school. ‘Don't shout, darling,' Shirley reproved her granddaughter, and Samantha bristled. Maureen emerged from behind the counter in her short black dress and frilly apron, and Shirley corpsed into her coffee. ‘Oh dear,' she said quietly, as Maureen walked towards them, beaming. It was true, Samantha thought, Maureen looked ridiculous, especially next to a pair of sixteen-year-olds in identical dresses, but she was not going to give Shirley the satisfaction of agreeing with her. She turned ostentatiously away, watching the boy mopping tables nearby. He was spare but reasonably broad-shouldered. She could see his muscles working under the loose T-shirt. Incredible to think that Miles' big fat backside could ever have been that small and tight – then the boy turned into the light and she saw his acne. ‘Not half bad, is it?' Maureen was croaking to Miles. ‘We've been full all day.' ‘All right, girls,' Miles addressed his family, ‘what'll we have to keep up Grandpa's profits?' Samantha listlessly ordered a bowl of soup, as Howard waddled through from the delicatessen; he had been striding in and out of the cafe every ten minutes all day, greeting customers and checking the flow of cash into the till. ‘Roaring success,' he told Miles, squeezing in at their table. ‘What d'you think of the place, Sammy? You haven't seen it before, have you? Like the mural? Like the china?' ‘Mm,' said Samantha. ‘Lovely.' ‘I was thinking about having my sixty-fifth here,' said Howard, absent-mindedly scratching at the itch Parminder's creams had not yet cured, ‘but it's not big enough. I think we'll stick with the church hall.' ‘When's that, Grandpa?' piped up Lexie. ‘Am I coming?' ‘Twenty-ninth, and what are you now – sixteen? Course you can come,' said Howard happily. ‘The twenty-ninth?' said Samantha. ‘Oh, but †¦' Shirley looked at her sharply. ‘Howard's been planning this for months. We've all been talking about it for ages.' ‘†¦ that's the night of Libby's concert,' said Samantha. ‘A school thing, is it?' asked Howard. ‘No,' said Libby, ‘Mum's got me tickets for my favourite group. It's in London.' ‘And I'm going with her,' said Samantha. ‘She can't go alone.' ‘Harriet's mum says she could – ‘ ‘I'm taking you, Libby, if you're going to London.' ‘The twenty-ninth?' said Miles, looking hard at Samantha. ‘The day after the election?' Samantha let loose the derisive laugh that she had spared Maureen. ‘It's the Parish Council, Miles. It's not as though you'll be giving press conferences.' ‘Well, we'll miss you, Sammy,' said Howard, as he hauled himself up with the aid of the back of her chair. ‘Best get on †¦ all right, Andrew, you're done here †¦ go and see if we need anything up from the cellar.' Andrew was forced to wait beside the counter while people passed to and from the bathroom. Maureen was loading up Sukhvinder with plates of sandwiches. ‘How's your mother?' she asked the girl abruptly, as though the thought had just occurred to her. ‘Fine,' said Sukhvinder, her colour rising. ‘Not too upset by that nasty business on the council website?' ‘No,' said Sukhvinder, her eyes watering. Andrew proceeded out into the dank yard, which, in the early afternoon, had become warm and sunny. He had hoped that Gaia might be there, taking a breath of fresh air, but she must have gone into the staff room in the deli. Disappointed, he lit up a cigarette. He had barely inhaled when Gaia emerged from the cafe, finishing her lunch with a can of fizzy drink. ‘Hi,' said Andrew, his mouth dry. ‘Hi,' she said. Then, after a moment or two: ‘Hey, why's that friend of yours such a shit to Sukhvinder? Is it personal or is he racist?' ‘He isn't racist,' said Andrew. He removed the cigarette from his mouth, trying to keep his hands from trembling, but could not think of anything else to say. The sunshine reflected off the bins warmed his sweaty back; close proximity to her in the tight black dress was almost overwhelming, especially now that he had glimpsed what lay beneath. He took another drag of the cigarette, not knowing when he had felt so bedazzled or so alive. ‘What's she ever done to him, though?' The curve of her hips to her tiny waist; the perfection of her wide, flecked eyes over the can of Sprite. Andrew felt like saying, Nothing, he's a bastard, I'll hit him if you let me touch you †¦ Sukhvinder emerged into the yard, blinking in the sunlight; she looked uncomfortable and hot in Gaia's top. ‘He wants you back in,' she said to Gaia. ‘He can wait,' said Gaia coolly. ‘I'm finishing this. I've only had forty minutes.' Andrew and Sukhvinder contemplated her as she sipped her drink, awed by her arrogance and her beauty. ‘Was that old bitch saying something to you just then, about your mum?' Gaia asked Sukhvinder. Sukhvinder nodded. ‘I think it might've been his mate,' she said, staring at Andrew again, and he found her emphasis on his positively erotic, even if she meant it to be derogatory, ‘who put that message about your mum on that website.' ‘Can't've been,' said Andrew, and his voice wobbled slightly. ‘Whoever did it went after my old man, too. Couple of weeks ago.' ‘What?' asked Gaia. ‘The same person posted something about your dad?' He nodded, relishing her interest. ‘Something about stealing, wasn't it?' asked Sukhvinder, with considerable daring. ‘Yeah,' said Andrew. ‘And he got the sack for it yesterday. So her mum,' he met Gaia's blinding gaze almost steadily, ‘isn't the only one who's suffered.' ‘Bloody hell,' said Gaia, upending the can and throwing it into a bin. ‘People round here are effing mental.'