Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The View From The Airplane Window

As often as possible, I try to get a window seat when I’m traveling. Certainly anything beats the dreaded middle seat, and crawling over other people when you need to stretch your legs can be a pain, but that window seat has the best thing on board—a window. A recent article by Peter Ferry on World Hum, â€Å"Out the Airplane Window,† describes some of the most stunning moments he’s had as an observer through the window of a commercial aircraft. When I think back on some of the flights I’ve taken, it’s not the movies on that teeny little screen that are memorable.It’s the views of the world below me that stay in my mind, like the time we passed over the Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize. I’d always imagined it much larger, but that didn’t diminish the beauty of the perfect deep blue circle surrounded by gem-toned Caribbean water just below my window. Once, I got an aerial tour of Yosemite National Park on the way h ome to San Francisco. As a California native, I’d visited Yosemite countless times, but the priceless view from above was something I’d never seen—other than on TV.We may never be able to visit all the places we see out the airplane window, but just seeing them as we pass over is far better than seeing them on screen. And it adds to the travel experience in counting not just the destination, but also the journey as important. I’ll always remember gazing out from a small propeller plane as I left the Peruvian Amazon behind me on my way to Cuzco. The bark-colored water lay in lazy loops among the lush emerald forest like a monstrous serpent. Ahead, the Andes formed a snow-capped wall.I don’t think there will ever be a movie that will make me feel like I did at that moment. Traveling on an airplane never fails to amaze me. Well, that is if I manage to get a seat by the window. Why? I get to see all sorts of landscapes as the plane lifts off, cruises a bove the rest of the world for hours, and I always believe there’s always something beautiful out at the window, waiting to be discovered. It could be the enchanting sunset, the vast mountains and terrains, or the buzzing city scene with its intricate transport network woven into society. ï » ¿The View From The Airplane Window As often as possible, I try to get a window seat when I’m traveling. Certainly anything beats the dreaded middle seat, and crawling over other people when you need to stretch your legs can be a pain, but that window seat has the best thing on board—a window. A recent article by Peter Ferry on World Hum, â€Å"Out the Airplane Window,† describes some of the most stunning moments he’s had as an observer through the window of a commercial aircraft. When I think back on some of the flights I’ve taken, it’s not the movies on that teeny little screen that are memorable.It’s the views of the world below me that stay in my mind, like the time we passed over the Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize. I’d always imagined it much larger, but that didn’t diminish the beauty of the perfect deep blue circle surrounded by gem-toned Caribbean water just below my window. Once, I got an aerial tour of Yosemite National Park on the way h ome to San Francisco. As a California native, I’d visited Yosemite countless times, but the priceless view from above was something I’d never seen—other than on TV.We may never be able to visit all the places we see out the airplane window, but just seeing them as we pass over is far better than seeing them on screen. And it adds to the travel experience in counting not just the destination, but also the journey as important. I’ll always remember gazing out from a small propeller plane as I left the Peruvian Amazon behind me on my way to Cuzco. The bark-colored water lay in lazy loops among the lush emerald forest like a monstrous serpent. Ahead, the Andes formed a snow-capped wall.I don’t think there will ever be a movie that will make me feel like I did at that moment. Traveling on an airplane never fails to amaze me. Well, that is if I manage to get a seat by the window. Why? I get to see all sorts of landscapes as the plane lifts off, cruises a bove the rest of the world for hours, and I always believe there’s always something beautiful out at the window, waiting to be discovered. It could be the enchanting sunset, the vast mountains and terrains, or the buzzing city scene with its intricate transport network woven into society.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Testing the Principle of Proxemics

I went to a Tim Horton set beside a woman. I set in a casual distance of 2. 5 to 3 feet next to her without talking. She looked at me and smile. Without talking I started observing her. She had a quick and careful glance at me, a suspicious look. She seemed scared and not normal. By looking at her face, I felt that probably she takes drugs. Without saying anything, she just walked out. The way she walked out, it seemed like she got scared of me for some reason. Next day I went to the same place and set facing a man who was alone.Without talking to that man I started reading the newspaper (just to show him that I am reading newspaper, actually I was observing him). He looked at me multiple times and was smiling. Seemed like he wanted to start a conversation. The goal of interview is to gather information which typically designed to allow the interviewer to learn about the interviewee in a non-threatening way. On the other side an interrogation is a more aggressive interview, in the se nse that the same ultimate goal is present as with an interview, but the means of reaching that goal take on a slightly different feel.The role of proxemics in meeting these goals are very significant. Increasing the amount of eye contact, the feeling of comfort and the amount of verbal response by the interviewee have been goals of investigators in designing interview situations. There is less eye contact at closer distances and less eye contact when the interview is conducted in a large room. In one study, when the interview was performed at distances between the interviewer and interviewee of 2 feet, 4'/z feet, and 9 feet, the greatest amount of talking by the interviewee occurred at 9 feet.Rapport always affects the quality of the interviewing process. It is a productive interpersonal climate. By building report both parties in an interview get along with each other which makes the interview more successful. An interviewee is more likely to cooperate with someone with whom they feel comfortable and to bring this comfort rapport is an essential thing. Rapport-building establishes harmony in the interview, leads to free discussion and creates willingness in the mind of the interviewee.Some forms of non-verbal communications for developing rapport are given bellow: 1. Smile 2. Eye contract. 3. Good Posture. 4. Tone of Voice Good eye contact and confidence are the personal qualities of the interviewer that enable him or her to conduct successful interrogations. Also an interviewer should be able to listen what the interviewee is saying, and know how to engage them in an active conversation with encouragement, energy, and interest.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Capital Structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capital Structure - Assignment Example Perhaps the value of the firm does depend on how its assets, cash flows and growth opportunities are sliced up and offered to investors as debt and equity claims. There are surely investors who would be willing to pay extra for particular types or mixes of corporate securities. For example, investors cannot easily borrow with limited liability, but corporations provide limited liability and can borrow on their stockholders' behalf. There has been constant innovation in the design of securities and in new financing schemes. Innovation proves that financing can matter. If new securities or financing tactics never added value, then there would be no incentive to innovate (Myers 2001). Modigliani and Miller's (1958) theory is exceptionally difficult to test directly, but financial innovation provides convincing circumstantial evidence. The costs of designing and creating new securities and financing schemes are low, and the costs of imitation are trivial. (Fortunately, securities and financing tactics cannot be patented.) Thus temporary departures from Modigliani and Miller's predicted equilibrium create opportunities for financial innovation, but successful innovations quickly become "commodities," that is, standard, low-margin financial products. The rapid response of supply to an innovative financial product restores the Modigliani and Miller equilibrium. ... The Miller theory will be referred again in later parts of this paper. Corporate Taxation In 1977, Merton Miller revisited the issue of the impact of corporate taxation on the irrelevance propositions in a classic paper titled "Debt and Taxes" that shows perhaps better than any of his other papers how he could use arbitrage arguments to change how finance academics and practitioners understood how the world works (Miller 1977). In that paper, he pointed out that the tax advantage of corporate debt might be mostly if not completely illusory. Because interest on corporate debt is taxed as income for the holder of corporate debt, the interest paid on corporate debt must be high enough so that the after-tax income from holding corporate bonds is attractive relative to the income from equity which, when it accrues as capital gains, is taxed at a lower effective rate (Myers 2001). As a result, corporations get to deduct from their taxes interest payments but, because personal taxes on interest income are higher than on capital gains, the before-tax cost of capital on debt must be higher than on equity if investors are to hold debt (Stulz 2000). Interest is a tax-deductible expense. A taxpaying firm that pays an extra pound of interest receives a partially offsetting "interest tax shield" in the form of lower taxes paid. Financing with debt instead of equity increases the total after-tax dollar return to debt and equity investors, and should increase firm value (Myers 2001). Application of Taxation This present value of interest tax shields could be a very big number. Suppose debt is fixed and permanent, as Modigliani and Miller (1963) assumed, and that corporate income is taxed at the current 35 percent statutory rate.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Featured Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Featured - Article Example In the Bahrain Grand prix history, the 2011 event has been considered as a dark event because the race was delayed due to protests in Bahrain. The situation was aggravated to an extent that even driver such as Mark Webber and Damon Hill protested (Galloway, 2014). In this article, the author argues that the Bahrain formula one grand prix switch to a night occasion for 2014 has been confirmed with the race organizers. Further, the article asserts that the race will be shown live on the sky sport formula one channel, which would occur under floodlights at six pm Bahrain local time. The 2014 race that will be held under floodlights is the second formula one competition to be held at night after the race in Singapore. The organizers decided the race to occur at night as a commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Bahrain Grand Prix that started in 2004. Having chosen to celebrate the 10th anniversary in the Grand Prix, the organizers converted the April competition race into the Calendar’s second nighttime race. In addition, the race organizers installed a lighting system around the 6 km field that was tracked during the global endurance championship race that took place in the same venue in November 2013 (Galloway, 2014). It is clear from the article that the session start times for the other coming races or competitions for the formula one season have been confirmed with Bahrain given the chance to organize and stage qualifying and the final races under floodlights from six pm Bahrain local time that is four pm BST. Unlike the previous races, the Friday races will start at two pm local time while the second practice starting at six pm. The third practice will take place at three pm on Saturday. Because it is the second country to host formula one race under floodlights, Bahrain joins Singapore, a place where formula one staged its first competition under the floodlights. All the Grand Prix events in Bahrain will be aired live on Sky sports television.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Report on current strategic marketing plan for Sonic Drive Ins Assignment

Report on current strategic marketing plan for Sonic Drive Ins - Assignment Example The company also aims at increasing its revenues and market share as it becomes the preferred destination for fast drive in restaurant. Sonics drive in style of service as well as the unique menu and orders delivered by Carhop makes it highly differentiated and preferred in the quick service restaurant industry. Moreover, the unique signature menu items made when one orders like six inch premium beef hot dogs, foot long quarter pounds Coney’s and chicken sandwiches makes it competitive (SONICÃÆ'‚ ® Drive-In, n.d.). The company also derives its strength from the fresh made onion rings, tater totes and over a million drink choices. The variety of foods and drinks offered gives customers a wide range to choose from. Sonics customers also enjoy the drive-thru services and patio dining at most of their locations. The company’s also brags of continued increase in the financial performance amidst expansion plans adopted in 2013. In 2013, the company noted an increase of 2.3% in sales of system-wide same store, a 60$ basis point improvement in drive-in level margins and a 20% rise in the earning per share on an adjusted basis (SONICÃÆ'‚ ® Drive-In, n.d.). Good financial performance has made the company remain competitive in the industry. Finally, the company boasts of their innovative products, friendly service and their ability to engage with the customers through effective advertising and better media effectiveness which increased sales. Other areas that makes the company competitive is the focus made on healthier options with the introduction of freshly brewed diet green tea and premium chicken sandwich and egg burritos (Panczel, 2010). The company has a marketing function charged with the role of creating awareness of the company’s products. Currently the department runs a â€Å"Two guys† creative campaign geared at reaching the greatest number of customers through advertising. The company has a central

Friday, July 26, 2019

Theories & Methods Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Theories & Methods - Thesis Example (Waltz, 1979) The criteria for good or sound theory are evident enough: it should be conceptually clear and rigorous, historically aware, able to yield substantive analysis and research agenda, and, where appropriate, able to engage with ethical issues. Theory is a necessary part of all human understanding, from the numbers of mathematics or divisions into colours we use in everyday life to the abstractions of Hegel, or of the sociologist Talcott Parsons. International Relations as a field emerged after the First World War with the aim of studying the reasons for the history's first major conflict and means of avoiding it in future. It borrowed theories and ideas from other disciplines such as political science, economics, and to some extent sociology and anthropology but according to Halliday it sought most inspiration from international law when Woodrow Wilson's liberalism attempted to bind state actors into a legal relationship backed by the League of Nations and the incumbent study named "International Relations" was introduced in the academia (Aberystwyth, Oxford and London School of Economics) in Britain and contemporaneously in the American universities. When International Relations took shape as a subject in the later 1... from international law when Woodrow Wilson's liberalism attempted to bind state actors into a legal relationship backed by the League of Nations and the incumbent study named "International Relations" was introduced in the academia (Aberystwyth, Oxford and London School of Economics) in Britain and contemporaneously in the American universities. When International Relations took shape as a subject in the later 1920s and early 1930s and began to influence policy makers, it was more or less, based on "idealism" with a normative approach, that is, researchers and writers of that era laid down norms for states to behave with each other. But a similar thought was expressed as early as 1795 by Kant, for instance, in his tract, Perpetual Peace, he "prescribed" an international authority to assert an international rule of law and so ensure peace between nations. IR was based on the presumption that states were naturally benign and did not wish to enter a conflict unless forced upon. Kant (1795) again: "We ordinarily assume that no one may act inimically toward another except when he has been actively injured by the other. This is quite correct if both are under civil law, for, by entering into such a state, they afford each other the requisite security through the sovereign which has power over both." Idealist school of thought in international relations which harkens back to the eighteenth century Kantianism essentially holds that a state should make its foreign policy reflect its internal political philosophy. But soon "realist" school of thought contested idealism as a non-workable theory and advocated that instead of setting norms for the states' behaviour or international rule of law, states should be left alone and relations between them should be dictated by the

How can we ethically increase organ donation Essay

How can we ethically increase organ donation - Essay Example Moreover, legal principles are discussed as the crucial principles of organ donation development in UK and USA. On the examples of legal regulations adapted in UK and USA organ donation it is clearly seen that organ transplantation is currently developed in such a way that organ donation is propagated in the society as a moral obligation of all citizens. Many people die every year in a queue for a transplant. Both dead and alive people can donate their organs. Some countries have regulations and laws, which allows organ transplantation from a dead relative without agreement of his relatives. Voluntarily donation of organs leaves much to be desired. Is there a lack of monetary reward or encouragement? Are ethical issues violated in organ donation? It is necessary to draw reveal a curtain from this modern problem, because thousands of lives are at stake1. Sally Satel in her article claims that organ donors should get a worthy monetary compensation. Mere altruism is not sufficient facto r to increase organ donation. In her article Sally Satel discusses an experience of kidney transplantation. A donor sacrificed his kidney for the favor of a recipient and got no monetary compensation. A mere altruism was a basis of such an outstanding gesture of a donor’s generosity. ... UK allows covering expenses connected with organ donation. Organ transplantation is more available in other countries and those who need organs often travel abroad to the countries where it is legal or possible to buy organs in the illegal market. Of course, organ donation covers ethical and legal issues. Ethical consideration of the problem is of high relevance currently. In accordance with Professor Strathern â€Å"We need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done†4. Currently, in order to shift accents of immoral oppressing of â€Å"people who are able to donate their organs, people are encouraged to donate their organs in the name of their beloved salvation or the whole society†.5. In the Organ Donation Taskforce report of January 2008, in order to encourage people to donate, it is relev ant to solve different issues in order to provide all clinics with necessary conditions to conduct operations of organ transplantation. Concerns about non-heartbeating donation require strict legal principles. Legal principles of organ donation of patients are discussed in the Department of Health considerations. In the UK, NHBD plays a role of legal regulations occurring in case a patient dies. Moreover, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) regulates doctors’ actions to decide in the best interests of a dying person if his brain is badly injured. In accordance with UK courts, â€Å"best interests are wider than simply treating a person’s medical condition and include a person’s social, emotional, cultural and religious interests†6. Consequently, best interests of a person are discussed with

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Group Dynamics Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Dynamics - Outline Example This reduces the rate of conflict within the organization. As an illustration from the HS engineering sample the major conflicts that arise due to the change taking place within the organization include; loss in manufacturing industries, there is an expectation of 30% reduction in the financial status of the company. The different group dynamics established had their own needs that lead to the closure of some of them due to poor management. Group dynamics are concerned with how groups work within an organization. Groups, as organization develops due to the activities performed by the group members within an organization, group sentiments, and individual interaction within the group. It is in this case that, when individuals share a common activity they tend to work hard so as to achieve the common goal (Frey, 2000). As illustrated in HS engineering firm several group dynamics are established by the management who work with the aim of achieving a common goal. The following factors can be put into consideration so as to manage conflicts within the group dynamics that result from the introduction of change within the system. The managers can conduct frequent monitoring of the groups, the can dynamics group rotation among group dynamics. Greenberg (2000) holds the opinion that, the managers can develop a system that can be used to motivate workers to improve their working conditions that can result to positive outputs. Organizational politics can be controlled by the managers establishing a work flow between rhythms in work related activities and this does not entail work related activities. The managers are encouraged to assess the group from time to time to determine if there is any political influence within it. The managers are to provide support to each group with the visualized company objective that makes the group active throughout the system. For

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Survey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Survey - Research Paper Example Achieving the desired goals entails hard work and dedication. Improving the body shape is a critical part of in determining ones self image, and hence having the goal in mind is always key to help one push through the program. A fitness program has one main aim which is to stimulate ones metabolism resulting in a reduction of body fats. Gathering the right information involves knowing all the facts about increasing the rate of metabolism. Consuming the right quantities of food in the diet plays a critical role. Proteins play an important role in supporting and building the muscles which are very active tissues in metabolism process. Consuming sufficient proteins every day is therefore key in the success of the program. Another important component in diet is carbohydrates, which act as the source of energy calories. The ideal diet combination involving all the food components would include protein the size of a palm, complex carbohydrates, the size of a fist and a portion of vegetables the size of a fist. Adopting a regular exercise program is key in attaining fitness. Weight training is an important aspect in the exercise program as it helps in building muscles that assist in burning fats and calories, increases the rate of metabolism, helps create better shape and improves body strength and endurance. Regular work outs should also include cardiovascular exercises that lead to increased energy levels and improved cardiovascular

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Market and Transport Revolution in the United States Essay

Market and Transport Revolution in the United States - Essay Example A group of Americans statesmen came up with a vision of implementing a national economic policy that enhanced the growth of the economy referred to as the â€Å"American system.† This paper aims at responding to the changes in the transport and market revolution in the United States of America; with direct relation to their contribution in the growth of the country. Considering â€Å"market revolution,† the expansion of the market place occurred in the nineteenth century giving way to infrastructural growth that promoted business growth in the United States. Construction of new roads and canals to join distant communities together for the first time came into effect. Resultant transport development, â€Å"inspired by the success of the Erie Canal where the States poured millions of dollars into the transportation networks† spurred the national growth economically (Cobbs-Hoffman and Gjerde, 232). This opened up the interior areas to the other parts and led to move ment of goods promoting development in the areas. The market revolution attributed with new roads and canal development can be said to have opened up business with other distant markets enhancing more earnings that were used in the economic development of the rural areas. â€Å"The invention of steam power saw the transport means improve a notch higher as steam boats and railroads were introduced† (Cobbs-Hoffman and Gjerde, 231). ... ar that, with the harnessing of steam power, improved transportation modes were realized and resulted to greater development in the transport industry; thus, promoting the business sector. Improved business relates directly to economic growth of a region and this saw the consequential advancement of the United States of America. â€Å"Technology advancement and improved business practice progressed well with the market and transport growth consolidating the market and building the economy progressively† (Cobbs-Hoffman and Gjerde, 248). Market development meant increased business activities which benefited a lot from the improvement of transport channels and effective market. This not only increased new market ventures, but also opened up far and new market places; thus, increasing output consumption leading to growth in the relevant sectors of economy. â€Å"Infrastructure development is of much essence in comparison to labor practices and business activities† (Cobbs-Ho ffman and Gjerde, 248). This portrays high level of attachment the changes that occurred in the transport industry ensued and made crucial impact in the business and employment sectors. With business thrive; the economy of any state is geared towards considerable and substantial growth. The changes experienced in transport laid a foundation for market revolution that brought about a permanent change in the daily activities of the American people. For example, with improved transport, â€Å"farmers could get their produce to the market at shorter times; workers got to work early or using considerably shorter periods† (Cobbs-Hoffman and Gjerde, 231). This in turn, contributed to a large extent, â€Å"in the changing of the economic landscape of the United States† (Cobbs-Hoffman and Gjerde, 232). With increased

Monday, July 22, 2019

Role of Women Essay Example for Free

Role of Women Essay In this essay I will investigate what the role status was of women in Britain in the late 1940’s 50’s. I will examine the lives of women in Britain before World War II, during the war, instantly after and in the period of 1950’s to analyse if the roles and status of women altered during these periods in what manner and why. Overall I would conclude by evaluating if womens independence increased or whether it remained limited by the period 1950’s. Before the World War II the roles of women in Britain was to be Housewifes and mothers they had to take care of the family and the house, this was tradition and they had to follow it if any women who wouldn’t do this was seen as extraordinary.During this period there was a lot prejudice and discrimination towards women however in the same society men were seen as the more powerful gender. The men worked and brought the money the women didn’t so their status was seen as low there job was to looking after the future of the nation the children. During the war there were critical changes in the roles and status of women, the government need the women to keep the country running and also helping the war effort by taking jobs in artillery factories, ammunition production, wardens etc. The women were working in jobs which were once seen as only for men due to their physical strength however in this period women demonstrated that they could take such jobs on. Although women started to work and had new roles they did however fulfil their prior roles as Housewifes mothers taking on more than one role which they didn’t have an opportunity to do before the war. The status of women throughout this period increased due to them the country was still running and they were helping the war effort dearly, however they weren’t still seen as equal to men in status and were considered as second to men. The women were just substitutes for work until the men would return from war. In this period some women weren’t shown equality due to not receiving equal pay as men, when women school teachers asked for equal pay as men teachers, Churchill dismissed their demands with one word, â€Å"impertinence.† These women weren’t successful however some women at a Rolls Royce factory went on strike for a week for equal pay and eventually got it, this shows some women at this period were victorious in getting equal pay but not all women got equal pay. Instantly after the war men were demobilized and sent back home from the war this impacted women extremely since the independence they had during the war would no longer exist. The women were instructed to go back home and fulfil their previous roles which they had before the war and the men would return to the jobs. Many women however better suited some jobs than men but weren’t kept after the war only because they were women they were told that their priories should be at home. This can be seen when a deputy newspaper editor was told she was dismissed, â€Å"Oh it’s nothing wrong with your work, but we have to safeguard the succession and the successor had to be a man.† The status of women during this period was shown as higher since the women had a very important duty which was to look after the nation by bringing up the children. In the period of 1950’s some women wanted to carry on working work but were allowed part time jobs which could be easily dismissed, many women were told that they should look after the homes working wasn’t there roles such women who wanted to work were seen as unusual by the society of Britain. In the advertisement published by the government which said â€Å"Your after-the-ware dream is coming true. Now yours will be the responsibility of looking after the nation’s health† clarifies the point. The Beveridge report recommended a welfare state for the nation which was introduced by the government this benefited women economically, politically and socially this meant women no longer needed to depend on the men. The welfare state launched the National heath services which promised to provide health care for everybody this was the first time women were covered in health, furthermore it paid family allowance directly to the women this gave women more independence and money of there own which they could use on their desire. The affluence increased in the 1950’s due to the welfare state, this changed the lives of the women since they could purchase labour saving appliances which gave them more time and independence from the home they no longer needed to spend a whole exhausting day washing the cloths. To conclude, I belive that women gained more independence in the period of the 1950`s exceeding from just being house wife’s and mothers. The Beverigde report and the welfare sate transformed womens life giving them importance and care, furthermore the increased affluence also provided women with labour saving appliances and increase in independence. Although these changes had been made they did not completely change womens independence it was still limited in various ways one of the ways was women were only allowed part time jobs. The roles of women in theses period was to be housewife’s and mothers though economical, social and political changes brought increase in independence however, it can also be seen as not equal to men and limited.

Behaviour through a lifespan perspective

Behaviour through a lifespan perspective What are the advantages and disadvantages of viewing behaviour through a lifespan perspective for social work practice? This assignment will look at the advantages and disadvantages a social worker viewing behaviour through a lifespan perspective may encounter. It will look at developmental theories that relate to the chosen service user group, and how, as a social worker, this knowledge would increase understanding of the service user and how this in turn may affect the role of a social worker in practice. The service users age group being explored in this assignment will be older adults aged from 65+. Lifespan development starts from conception and finishes with the death of each individual. During each individuals lifespan there are constant changes and developments taking place, the majority of stages and life changes each individual passes through are due to their common psychological and biological heritage as humans and are shared by all people. Culture and social class, and the individuals environment are all factors that help shape the course of development (Niven. N.1989). There are five main theoretical approaches for lifespan development; these are biological, cognitive, humanist, behaviourist and the psychodynamic approach. Ageing in late life is shaped by the accumulation of life events and the proximity of death; a misperception about ageing is that disability and poor health in later adult life are inevitable (Davies, M, 2002). During each individuals lifespan, they will experience a series of crises and life transitions. Throughout the lifespan there are certain periods or stages where each individual will face a transition from one state to another. These periods have been referred to as life crises by some psychologists, each crisis needing to be resolved in order to progress to the next stage. Each individual proceeds through the stages of development, and the way in which they deal with each crisis in each stage of development shapes their personality (Niven, N, 1989). Other approaches agree that there are certain stages in development that have significance for each individual, but they state that there are also other events that can also shape development these being experienced by some indiv iduals but not all. Retirement is just one of a number of changes that need to be adjusted to in late adulthood, among the others are declining health and physical strength along with physical and sensory impairment which can result in increased dependency on others in late adulthood (Beckett.C.2002). Several physical and cognitive changes also take place in old age (Bee Mitchell, 1984) cited in (Sugarman. L. 1990. Pg 53). The bodily changes that are associated with ageing are summarized in five words- slower, weaker, lesser, fewer and smaller. As ageing occurs experience gained throughout the lifespan helps the individual and they learn to compensate for the many gradual declines that accompany old age. (Corse 1975) cited in (Sugarman. L. 1990. Pg 53) concludes that experience, intelligence, and education can help maintain normal perceptual and sensory functioning. Many changes in appearance take place in old age. Outward appearances begin to show ageing, older peoples skin begins to lose elasticity, which causes lines and wrinkles to appear, hair loss and grey hair may be one of the first signs of ageing, and hearing and eye sight now begin to deteriorate (Windmill.V.1987). Internally the kidneys, lungs, heart and intestinal tract all begin to function less and there may be deterioration of muscles which can literally cause old people to shrink. The reduction of calcium in the bones makes the old person more prone to fractures and brittleness of the bones is also a problem in the older population. Arthritis is one of the more serious health problems affecting older people and for most people these changes may be gradual (Windmill.V.1987). A social worker needs the basic insight of childhood studies, as without them it would be difficult to assess adults on adulthood theories alone. Freud is credited with beginning the psychoanalytic approach. The central assumption of this approach is that behaviour is governed by the unconscious as well as the conscious processes; some are present at birth while others develop over time. (Beckett.C.2002) The second assumption of the psychoanalytic theory is that our personalities have a structure that develops over time. Freud proposed three parts of the personality- the id, the ego, and the superego. Freuds key assumptions were that adults personalities depend on childhood experiences; he assumed children go through five psychosexual stages. The first being the oral stage, the second the anal stage, and the remaining stages being the phallic stage, the latency period and the genital stage. (Beckett.C.2002). When looking at human lifespan development, Erik Eriksons theories can be of use to a social worker. Erikson was a student of Freud; however he had some very different ideas. He thought development was psychosocial and due partly to maturation and partly due to society. Erikson also thought that personality development continued across the lifespan, unlike Freud, who suggest personality development finished in adolescence. Erikson (1980) cited in (Niven, N, 1989, pg 155) proposed eight stages of development which he called developmental crises, these being viewed more as a period of difficulty or dilemma. They are times when individuals face a turning point or transition in their lives often involving a degree of stress associated with having to resolve each dilemma. Not only do these transitions of change affect the individuals behaviour they also affect their family and friends. Eriksons stages are phrased in terms of an opposition between two characteristics and each individual mu st successfully negotiate the task or stage in order to be able to move on to the next one. Erikssons eighth stage (late adulthood) is integrity vs despair; this suggests if the individual has managed to negotiate the previous stages, then the individual will have developed a sense of integrity. This refers to the acceptance of the limitations of life, with the sense of being a part of a larger whole which includes previous generations. It enables the individual to approach death without fear, if one looks back on ones life and sees it as unsatisfactory, despair occurs and a feeling of what if prevails. Erikson suggests that at each transition individuals may need to revisit unresolved issues from previous stages. The main strength of Eriksons theory is that it offers a framework for explaining changes in childhood and adulthood. His work has been criticised in that it represents a set of assumptions instead of precise descriptions of relationships and causes. A disadvantage here is the lack of empirical evidence- this is also another criticism of Eriksons work. The advantages for a social worker using Eriksons theory is that it provides markers for those events in a service users life that may be proving difficult and in using this approach, social workers can highlight the problems that are likely to affect people during specific stages of their life. (Niven. N. 1989). An area of life course development most associated with older adults relates to end of life issues. In the later stages of adulthood the end of life is expected. Death is the end of biological and physical functioning of the body. Factors to be taken in to account for social workers working with service users who have suffered a loss, are gender and cultural differences, as these can affect a social workers understanding of what may count as a loss and what in turn can be done about it (Currer. C 2007). Each individuals reaction to grief and emotional trauma is as unique as a fingerprint. When thinking about bereavement and loss it is useful to look at attachment theory, Bowlbys (1946) cited in (Davies, M, 2002), major work was Attachment and Loss; sadly it is the case for many individuals in later adulthood that there is a price to pay for the benefits of forming attachments. According to Bowlbys attachment theory adults, who as children had secure attachments with their carers, are able to form satisfactory relationships in adult life and this will help them to cope with the pain of bereavement in later life. Bowlbys aim of this originally was to explain the consequences for personality development and how severe disruption of attachments between infant and mother could have negative effects on development. (Butterworth. H. Harris. M. 2002). Adults who did not have secure attachments as children can be identified, according to Howe (1995) cited in (Davies, M, 2002), who suggests that avoidant individuals are the ones who show self reliance. They may display delayed reactions to grief, they attempt to be emotionally self reliant and are wary of forming relationships. This means the loss of someone who is close to them usually triggers defence mechanisms- they may not cry or appear to be upset but are vulnerable to future losses. Exaggerated reactions to grief can be accounted for when the individual has not adjusted or come to terms with earlier loss of an im portant attachment relationship. On the other hand ambivalently attached individuals may experience self-blame and guilt when their partner dies. Where there has been an insecure attachment in childhood (an attachment that does not meet the childs needs- the need for safety and security etc) Bowlby (1998) cited in (Beckett. C. 2006) suggests the anxious child will try to protect themselves against anxious situations. The child uses a variety of psychological manoeuvres and this results in what Bowlby called a faulty working model of themselves and of other relationships. To maintain this model the child will use defensive exclusion to avoid feelings that may threaten the childs already precarious stability. Attachment theory is backed up by empirical evidence. This is beneficial as it can help social workers identify causes from an individuals past and this helps to provide explanations for present behaviours and their ability to deal with change (Beckett. C.2006). Each individuals reaction to grief and emotional trauma are as unique as a fingerprint. When looking at loss it is important to remember that older people may lose friends, abilities, connections and many other things that are important to them. The significance of grief and loss in old age is dismissed by the ageist stereotype that older people will be used to loss because they are at an age where they have experienced lots of it. However the reality is that loss can be cumulative at this age and this results in negative experiences for those whose loss or grief is not recognized or addressed (Thompson.N. et al. 2008). It is important that social workers take a holistic approach to understanding life course development in older adults, as life course is central to any understanding of ageing. A social worker should be aware that an individuals life experiences and life course developments are affected by several factors- these include economic and social aspects, historical, cultural, psychological, and cognitive and physiological influences. (Crawford, K, Walker, J, 2007). All transitions expected or unexpected, sudden and unplanned, present opportunities and challenges for the individuals development and growth. Each individual will have different experiences of transitions even when the life event is common to many in society, each person will respond and adapt to that change in a unique way. (Crawford, K, Walker, J, 2007). There are disadvantages for social workers when viewing individuals through a lifespan perspective as most of the theories being used are Euro centric (European studies) and cannot be applied to all cultures. As a social worker care must be taken when using any of the behavioural approaches as they raise the issues concerning the use of power and oppression. The social worker should not focus too much on narrow behavioural issues at the expense of the larger picture (Beckett.C.2006). It is in a social workers interest not to oppress or discriminate service users but to treat them with unconditional positive regard, not forgetting to treat each service user as an individual with their own opinions and values. The theories used do have limitations as not all individuals or cultures fit the suggested norms and each person develops at a different rate. As a social worker knowing about the different viewpoints from theorists and their suggested viewpoints may enable a better understanding of what problems a service user may be experiencing. When working with service users from any age range, it is important that the social worker does not influence these transitions with their own life experiences. References Beckett.C.(2006).Essential Theory for Social Work Practice. Sage Publications Ltd. London. Beckett.C. (2002). Human Growth Development. Sage Publications Ltd. London. Bee.H. Boyd. H. (2003) 3rd Ed. Lifespan development. Pearson Education Inc. Boston. USA Butterworth. G. and Harris. M. (2002). Developmental Psychology. A Students Handbook. Psychology Press Ltd. Hove. East Sussex. Crawford. K. Walker. J. (2007) 2nd Ed, Social Work and Human Development. Learning Matters Ltd. Exeter. Currer. C. (2007). Loss and Social Work. Learning Matters Ltd. Exeter. Davies. M. (2002) 2nd Ed. The Blackwell Companion to Social Work. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.Oxford. Niven. N. (1989) Health Psychology. An Introduction for Nurses other Health Care Professionals. Churchill Livingstone. Sugarman. L. (1990). Lifespan development. Concepts, Theories and Interventions. Routledge. London. Thompson.N. Thompson. S. (2008) The Social work Companion. Palgrave Macmillan. Basingstoke. Windmill.V. (1987). Human Growth Development. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. Kent.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Child Labor In Pakistan

Child Labor In Pakistan The factor of engaging a child below 15, to some work rather than sending them to school is called child labor. Child labor all over the world has increased speedily in the recent years. There is no exact information regarding child labor. In most developing countries of world, mostly children are working on the places that are auto mobile workshops, weaving industries, domestic servants, restaurants and in many industries in Pakistan. In other forms of work, it has seen that children are begging which they have to make for their masters. Lack of awareness and illiteracy are the main causes between parents who avoid sending their children to school. Mostly child labors are from alliterate families. Mainly three forms of child labor are Non-exploitative child labor mean any work done by a children which is hazardous, harmful for their health, or harmful for their mental, physical or social development and stop to get education. Some hazard conditions are working in mines, working with dangerous machinery and working with chemicals. Hired child labor mean children which are preferred by employers because they are cheaper as compare to adult. In many works child labor are more active like they have more speed to do work and their eyesight is sharper than any adult person. Bound child labor is performing in which owner give high interest loans to labors in exchange for long term work or when a person children or any family member takes a debt against any work. Labor may also be categorized according to the nature of job. Domestic servants, the child worker who are working in carpet industry, the children who work on shops, canteens, general store as salesman, the children who are working in the workshop using light machines like tools, tailoring or embroidery and children who are working in heavy workshops tough labor that is light labor. Children are working in different sectors of countries in different ways, types and in professions some of them are agriculture sector, cotton industry, flower industry , domestic labor, brick kilns, fireworks, cigarette rolling, construction, mining, forestry, manufacturing, retail and service industry, stone quarries, sugarcane, toys, slavery, child soldiers, jewelry making, news, sweatshops, restaurants, fishing, factories, carpets weavers, farm works, and trafficking. Child labor in Pakistan is the employment of children for work in Pakistan, leading to mental, physical, moral and social harm to children. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated in the 1990s that 11 million children were working in the country, half of those under the age of ten. In 1996, the median age for a child entering the work force was seven, down from eight years old 2 years prior. It was estimated that one quarter of the countrys work force was made up of child laborers (Wikipedia) Child Labor by Numbers are 218 million children worldwide are child laborers, 73 million working children are less than 10 years old, 126 million are estimated to work in the worst forms of child labor, one in every 12 of the worlds five to 17 years olds, 8.4 million children are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labor, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities, 2.5 million children work in the developed economies, 22,000 children die every year in work-related accidents, 127 million working children are in the Asia Pacific region. Nearly one third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa work (Child Labour Public Education Project) Child labor is a significant phenomenon, large in scope, and with very important social and economic implications. It takes a variety of forms, from children working on family farms or in family businesses to children engaged in sweatshop labor, prostitution, armed conflict, or other illicit activity. It also has serious implications on human capital accumulation and in perpetuating poverty and therefore is closely linked to progress against the MDGs, especially the goal of achieving universal primary education. Given the connections between child labor and schooling, the efforts of the Education for All partnership will not be fully successful without addressing child labor. (Gordon Betcherman, 2004) Child labor was employed to varying extents through most of history. Before 1940, numerous children aged 5-14 worked in Europe, the United States and various colonies of European powers. These children worked in agriculture, home-based assembly operations, factories, and mining and in services such as newsies. Some worked night shifts lasting 12 hours. With the rise of household income, availability of schools and passage of child labor laws, the incidence rates of child labor fell.(encyclopedia) One-third of the working children are literate, which shows that mere completion of primary education is not an effective deterrent to child labor. School enrolment indicates that economically active children who are not enrolled in school (34.2 per cent) are higher than economically active children combined with school (13.2 per cent). This shows that enrolment is negatively correlated with the involvement of children in economic activity. Education attainment is low because of limited opportunities resulting from inaccessibility of schools; inability of parents to afford schooling costs; irrelevance of school curriculum to real needs, and restrictions on girls mobility in certain parts of the country. (ILO, 2009) Child is not born for work rather to study, but wall of encumbrance either in financial term, economic term or in social term made him compelled for labor work. Understanding real economics of child labor can have better policy to tackle this issue. Asia has a large number of child domestic workers. These include children working as child minders, maids, cooks, cleaners, gardeners and general house-helps. The lack of information is major cause of not having thorough analysis of incidence and nature of child domestic workers in many Asian countries. However, there is not a significant reduction in child labor participation, especially in Asia. (htt12) Child labor has been acknowledged as a serious and challenging issue in the civilized societies around the globe. Its continued existence remains a source of concern for all segments of human society. Different socio-economic factors can be held responsible for the prevailing poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, lack of family planning, dissatisfaction about education system, absence of social security mechanism and many others. Now it is the responsibility of the government to provide children with their rights and to protect them from all sorts of exploitation, because the future of mankind and civilization lies in children. Their protection from physical and social hazards is a pre-requisite for proper development of children to ensure future progress and prosperity of mankind. (Khan) Objective of the Study The aim of this study is to determine the factors responsible for child labor in Pakistan and to find out the problems which affect the children to do work in early age in which all children are going to schools and play. Another aim if research is to know that what are the factors due to which a child in enforced to be a child labor in Pakistan. The objective of the study is to find out variables and factor due to which child labor occur or what are the causes behind child labor, why children do work in small age and the forms of the child labor in the country. The main three variables behind child labor are poverty, inflation and unemployment in the country which are somewhere cause of child labor. The primary object of this study is to estimate the effect of poverty, literacy, inflation and unemployment on the occurrence of child labor. So HYPOTHESIS The study would be based on following hypothesis; these hypothesis have been develop after reviewing the relevant literature To analyze the effect of poverty on child labor H1: Effect of poverty on child labor is significant H1o: Effect of poverty on child labor is in-significant To analyze the effect of Literacy on child labor H2: Effect of inflation on child labor is significant H2o: Effect of literacy on child labor is in-significant To analyze the effect of inflation on child labor H2: Effect of inflation on child labor is significant H2o: Effect of inflation on child labor is in-significant To analyze the effect of Unemployment on child labor H3: Effect of Unemployment on child labor is significant H3o: Effect of Unemployment on child labor is in-significant Chapter # 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Child is a person 14 years and below. Child labor is a permanent employment of children under the age of legal minimum. Worldwide total numbers of child labor (5-14 ages) are 250 million and almost half of them 120 million are working full-time. According to The ILO and the ETI Base Code state that a child is any person younger than 15 years of age, unless local minimum age law stipulates a higher age for work or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age shall apply. If however, local minimum age law is set at 14 years. (Ethical Trade Insentive, 2012) According to the United Nations, a child is any person under the age of 18. Specific labor laws may consider people under the age of 16 children for legal purposes, and in some countries the cut off may be even lower, around 12 or 14. Statistics on this type of labor usually focus on children between the ages of five and 14, because many nations in which child labor are a problem have laws which allow people to work full time after the age of 14.(wise greek) Child labor was employed to varying extents through most of history. Before 1940, numerous children aged 5-14 worked in Europe, the United States and various colonies of European powers. These children worked in agriculture, home-based assembly operations, factories, and mining and in services such as newsier. Some worked night shifts lasting 12 hours. With the rise of household income, availability of schools and passage of child labour laws, the incidence rates of child labor fell.(encyclopedia) The worst forms of child labor. In all over the world there are an expected 218 million child laborers, which a in between the ages 5 to 17. A number of 126 million of these children work in hazardous conditions such as: Working in mines, working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture, working with dangerous machinery, Forced and bonded labor, Armed conflict, Sexual exploitation and child pornography, illegal activities. Gender differences in child work activities: Activity Gender differences House cleaning Only girls Collecting  ¬Ã‚ re wood/ dry cow dung to sell Both boys and girls but more commonly girls Cleaning Both boys and girls Cooking food Only girls Child care Both boys and girls but mostly girls Mini-bus conductors, household maids, Mini-bus conductors are commonly boys, housemaids Loading goods on pack animals for market but commonly boys construction child labour commonly boys Waiters, kitchen hands in restaurants Both girls and boys engage in work in cuisine, cleaning dishes in restaurants Apprentices in garages/ workshops Only boys work as apprentices in garages Working as a porter Boys do more brokering, working as porters Causes of Child Labor: Poverty Children work for a variety of reasons. The major reason is poverty. Poverty is the lack of food, shelter, money and clothing that occurs when people cannot satisfy their basic needs. Poverty can be understood only lack of money or most of them in terms of barriers in everyday life. At certain levels of poverty in developing countries, child labor could play a useful role in the economic survival, which increases national economic development. The unequal attention of poverty between children compared to adults demands reason and attention. Child labor causes poverty because when a child is employed he takes a place of an adult job, so there is decrease in adult income in the industry. And when the child is without education and they do work so there is no possibility of escaping from poverty. Poverty in the country is the main cause of child labor which forces the parents to send their children to work. Poor Families which face the poverty force their children to work for extra income for their households. Poor families like to have more children and when the income of an individual one in not enough then they force their little children to go for work anywhere they have. A large number of members represent a financial need for families suffering from poverty; parents are forced to send their children to work to earn extra income. Lack of education Between the poorer parts of society is also most important cause for children to start working before time. Necessary education is not free in all countries and in many countries it is not available for all children, especially in rural areas. So if there are schools in some areas there is poor education or where education is expensive parents observe no value in education field then due to this situation parents send their children to work rather than schools. Children are mostly encouraged to work by their parents. Uneducated and unaware people never think about child labor and they are also unaware of the dangerous physical and mental pain of children. When parents agree to their children to go work, it affects their chances to go school. Schooling problems also contribute to child labor. Many times children search for employment just because there is no access to schools. Even as the parents cannot afford for their children to be educated nor do they understand the importance of primary education in children lives. Or Due to insufficient educational facilities many families think that school wont help their children survive. Gender inequity Means gender differences which refer to inequality between persons due to gender. The encouragement of gender equality means give equal opportunities to boys and girls, and men and women. Social thoughts towards girls and women are most important cause of child labor effect on child to do work because women are not allowed to go outside from home for any work. The encouragement of equality between girls, boys, men and women. Child labor is work which subjects children to use and abuse. Lack of unemployment Lack of unemployment of adults and when the adults are not in position to do work like disable adults or ill adults or death member of the family. Demand for child labor Demand for child labor is increasing day by day for cheap labor which is also a cause of child labor. Market demand of child labor cause strong demand by many companies because they want to win large market share. So children are considered as a cheap source of labor which provides an opportunity to increase earnings. And Demand for cheap labor by contractors means that children are often offered in the workplace of their parents. With limited margins of this type, such as contractors and farmers make game owners know that children can be exploited and forced to work for less than minimum wage. Escape from home This may also factor or cause of child labor. When a child escapes from home he may have many reasons like Bad temper of the parents, because generally the insufficient salary of fathers provides lack of basic human needs to their families which create a frustration and anger in the members of family after that it turn to the attitude of fathers or head of family in harsh or strict due to which a child prefer to leave from the home in search of his own comforts, it might be physical or mantel. And when a child leaves the home he faces different problems of necessities so that why he have to do any work to survive. Company of other children plays an important role in child grooming because the company of friend makes a child manner able and social. It is psychological fact that surroundings affect individuals behaviors and attitudes and the habits of child is also depend on the company of family and friends. Usually negative activities between the children create negative impact on child personality. Due to this sometime the passion of negative activities level become high and serious for a children future. In these situations the strictness from home and school enforce children to escape. Behaviors of the teachers at schools also plays very important role in child life. Because teachers are the builders of nation. But in our society the way of teaching is quite harsh and the methods of teaching are also useless. Mostly children are punished physically for their minor mistakes which create unfriendly atmosphere then due to these type of behavior of teachers impact bad impression on children and force child to runaway. And after those majority children get negative feedback from home as well so they escape. Attractions beyond the home also cause of child labor because it is the human nature that a person mostly tends toward those things which they dont have. And these types of want are found in children. In some cases due to some reasons parents are unable to provide the needs of their children so this also lead to child to escape for necessities. Political Crises Political crises and political issues Sometimes have caused violence, rallies, strikes, civil wars, terrorism and armed conflicts due to which there is a political and economic instability in the country so adults are unable to do work or jobs or in some other situations children have to do work for their needs. Overpopulation Large family sizes and over population are main factors which cause child labor. The basic cause of child labor is high population growth-rate, particularly in Third World countries. According to Wikipedia.org, Pakistan has increased its ranking from 7 to 6th in the list of most populous countries of the world. The figures are based on a July 1, 2007 estimate by the UN Department of Economics and Social Affairs, Population Division. Industrial revolution Revolution in industries plays role for child labor. Sometimes multinationals prefer to use child labor in developing countries due to industrial revolution and these which encourages multinationals to use child workers which cause a negative impact on children. Due to all these reasons child labor recruited for less pay, they take extra work from them and there is no problem of union in industry as well. This situation is also difficult for adults to find jobs and send their children for work. Impact on Child Labor: Immature and inexperienced child laborers might be totally unaware of the short and long term risks involved in their work. Children who work frequently face serious health problems due to continuous work in hazardous conditions. The employers also dont care at all about child labor that are unhealthy and carry on working for long time with a tiny or no break. Child laborers are mostly without a basic education, regular social interaction, and emotional support from their family. Lifetime physical and emotional hurt to the child. Their mental health also crushes. Mostly children face mental trauma when they reach to maturity. Children that cannot find work to feed big families choice to begging on the streets and in many cases child labor also killed or become victim of prostitution. And in many cases children turn in to thieves only because they need rapid money on which their families are depended. It also has a negative impact on the benefit of the country. Because these children do not get any education, and increasing literacy, and slow down the countrys economic growth in general, reflecting the weakness of human development. Girls who work as home servants away from their homes, sometimes in different Middle Eastern countries, are common victims of mental, physical and sexual abuses which cause shocking consequences on their physical condition. Some circumstances which are faced by the child are dangerous workplaces, full time work in early age, loss of education and future opportunities, too much working hours subjection to verbal, physical, psychological and sexual abuse, limited or no pay, no way to get education, powerless to run away from poverty cycle they do work in streets in bad conditions. Illegal Activities Now a days children have strong involvement in illegal activities like the production and trafficking of drugs. Trafficking is illegal activity of buying and selling of drugs in which a lot of children are involved. Mostly children may do these activities because they belief that this will give them money and status. Children who do this work take great risk of abuse and are addicted of drugs in early age. And then these children also doing other crimes like robbery, theft, mugging, hijacking, and the children may also do this for their gangs or for their family. These all activities by children are also done due to poverty. And also affect their mental and physical growth. Hypothetical Model and Variables under Consideration Literacy Inflation Unemployment Poverty Child Labor LITERATURE REVIEW (Dessy, 2003), Shows the Harmful forms of child labor have an economic role: by maintaining wages for child labor high enough, they allow human capital accumulation in poor countries. Unless appropriate mechanisms are designed to mitigate the decline in child labor wages caused by reduced employment options for children, a ban on harmful forms of child labor will likely prove undesirable. Poverty alleviation techniques would eliminate that segment of the worst forms of child labor. A food-for-education program, however, might help boost support for a ban on harmful forms of child labor. Because it relaxes the liquidity constraint of the poor, this food-for-education program may induce more time spent at school, which may be sufficient to offset the negative effects of the sudden increase in the supply of child laborers We perform our analysis within a simple model of parental investment in childrens education. (Ebudhia) Wrote Child labor is the worst from of child exploitation. It is widespread all over the world. About seventy-three million children belonging to the age group of ten to fourteen years are engaged in child labor all over the globe. Illiteracy of the parents, large families, need of additional income and poverty are the chief causes of the exploitation of child labor. Parents are indirectly responsible for this. Childhood is the foundation of ones career. At this stage, children should be sent to schools, not to work. Child labor lowers the wage rates of adult laborers. Employers exploit children due to their docile nature and their willingness to do monotonous jobs. They face health problems. Several programmed have been undertaken both at the national and international level to check and stop this practice. The people should also help the government in its efforts to tackle this problem. (Sanjeeta) Wrote that, Child labor is, no doubt, an evil that should be done away with at the earliest. The prevalence of child labor reflects very badly on society that is not able to stop this evil. But in a society where many households may have to suffer the pangs of hunger if the children are withdrawn from work, beggars cant be choosers. These families have to send their children to work, even if the future of these innocents is ruined, as that is the only choice open for them to survive in this world. Therefore, unless the socio-economic status of the poor families is improved, India has to live with child labor. (Sparc, 2012) Said that, Negligence on part of the government and parents, corporal punishment, poverty and poor law and order situation, especially in Fata, are the major factors behind child labor. After 18th constitutional amendment, child labor has become the legislative and administrative domain of the provincial governments, Children are being abused verbally, physical and sexually in factories, homes and streets, while many of them suffer from fatal ailments, he said, adding that 85 per cent of child labor in the country worked in automobile sector. Working children were being used by militants in suicide attacks across the country. He complained that Child Protection Units in district levels were ineffective, and urged the government to conduct proper surveys to know facts and figures about child labor for necessary action by NGOs. According to (ILO, 2002), Despite the increasing commitment by governments and their partners to tackle child labor worldwide, it remains a problem on a massive scale, said Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO. While there has been significant progress towards the effective abolition of child labor, the international community still faces a major uphill struggle against this stubbornly pervasive form of work that takes a tragic toll on millions of children around the world. It also says a lack of law enforcement, and the desire on the part of some employers for a cheap and flexible workforce worsens the situation. The effective abolition of child labor is one of the most urgent challenges of our time and should be a universal goal. (FASIH, 1998) The study has attempted to classify the supply side of determinants of child labor in Pakistan. The scholars have used the sample of 14,094 children from Punjab (Pakistan) in the age group of 5-14 years obtained from the child labor survey 1996. The study examines the supply side determinants of child labor by using the multinomial logit model. The study concluded that The possibility of going to school increases at a decreasing rate The children who join school with work remain in school for a longer period The possibility of becoming full time child worker increase with age The possibility of females children mostly in the labor force shows that females are 4.7 percent less likely to attend school Children who have taken some technical or professional training are more likely to become child laborers and start work at an early age Mothers literacy plays a positive role in schooling decision for female children. The girls who have literate mothers are 18 percent more likely to get to school moreover female children of literate mothers are 14 percent less likely to become child laborer The period in life cycle of the head of the family of expected to have a important effect in the case of schooling work choice. The older the head of family, the more likely it is that the child attend school Siblings of less than 4 years have negative effect on schooling and part time work and siblings in between the age group of 5-9 years has negative effect on part tome work. According to (Tesfay, 2003), Drawing upon the historical experience of advanced industrial countries, both legal restrictions and economic factors played a role in reducing child labour, although legislation appears to have been less significant. The process of industrialization may have initially increased the demand for and the scope of childrens work, however the long run economic impact of the industrial revolution resulted in its eventual elimination. Thus an increase in the aggregate number of child workers is expected to be transitory. The declining importance of children in industry combined with increasing female wage rates and the rising price of child rearing inputs, all contribute to the rising cost of child quantity and the decline in child demand. Moreover, a decline in the economic value of children in the home and in agriculture will increase the cost of children, in turn, reducing the demand for them. These factors also reduce the cost of quality and increase the dem and for these commodities relative to quantity. Thus, it is the long-run economic forces of technological change, rising income, the higher price of raising children and the corresponding declining relative cost of child quality that explain the changing economic role of children over time. According to (Rena, 2006), Education and child labor is the second Millennium Goal to achieve universal primary education before 2015. This is an objective based on the UNESCO Declaration on Education for All and is defined as ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. The duration of primary education will vary from country to country with an absolute minimum of 5 years from the age of 7 to the age of 12. The definition of child labor foresees however that the education or vocational training should continue to at least the age of 14 or 15. In countries where primary education only includes 5 years, one will see a high number of economically active children in the age group of 12 to 14, many of whom will be child laborers. As stated earlier, education is seen a right for all children and as a way for individuals and societies to develop. Given economic development, the return to education is proven to be very high for individuals. However, many dev eloping countries will not be able to meet this objective in the short time frame. Hence child labor will remain a serious challenge to the MDG. Child labor also affects school performance as children miss important lessons and fall behind academically. This creates a burden not only on the individual child but also on the entire education system. According to (Khan), That child is the demand of employers. Alongside factors which push children into earning money are others which pull children into the world of work. Cheap and well-trained with reasonably low wages paid to children are often a reason why employers prefer them to adult workers. Some children work unpaid, particularly as domestic workers, in conditions that would be denounced as slavery if they involved adults. Employers find children more obedient and easier to control. Unlike older workers, they are unlikely to initiate protests or form trade unions. Poor infrastructure is another factor that shows the practical difficulty of establishing a childs actual age in countries where the infrastructure may not be in place for e.g. systematic birth registration. This can disadvantage children in many ways. The role of education is also factor that children who receive little or no school education miss out on the knowledge that can create options for them later in life . Without it, they make less contribution as adults and are more exposed to exploitation and abuse. Not attending school is consequently both a cause and effect of child labor. According to (Udry, 2003), Lessons for policies that can move children from work to school is also a cause of child labor. He wrote that Child labor should be understood as the consequence of people coping with extreme circumstances. It is a result of current poverty and a cause of continued poverty for the children who sacrifice their education in order to work. It is a particularly insidious problem because its primary costs are long-delayed and realized by the child, while the benefits a

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Examining the Effectiveness of Starch Blockers On the Digestion of Carbohydrates :: Dieting Health Nutrition Papers

Examining the Effectiveness of Starch Blockers On the Digestion of Carbohydrates 1. Introduction Starch Blockers are all the rage in the weight loss industry. Archangel Health Store proudly announces Dr. Marshall’s Phase 'oLean it's Product of the Month (http://aomega.com/ahs/nl010298.htm) One patron claims that she lost 14 pounds in her first week of using starch blockers. Another declares, "Honey, from now on, you'll be seeing less of me." (http://quiles.home.mindspring.com/aahs/sntest.htm) If these claims are accurate, then why is America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) working to eliminate starch blockers from the market? Why are medical test results showing that starch blockers are not only ineffective against weight loss, but are harmful to the people who ingest them? 2. Claims Manufacturers of Phase ‘oLean claim that taking their starch blockers will block most of those â€Å"empty calories† from that dinner of spaghetti and bread. This happens when the alpha-amylase inhibitor in the product stops the digestion of carbohydrates, causing the starch to pass through the digestive tract without being absorbed. Advertising emphasizes that people can heap on the potatoes and pasta and still lose weight. All the consumer has to do is take one pill 15-20 minutes before each meal. An additional pill may be taken if the meal consists of heavy starches. Weight loss can be expected to occur almost immediately after beginning use of Phase 'oLean. Consumers may take the starch blockers until they reach their desired weight, and then use them again if they need help maintaining that weight. (http://www.aomega.com/ahs/p1200b.htm) 3. How It Supposedly Works The Phase 'oLean formula is a kidney bean protein extract that is supposed to inhibit the action of alpha-amylase, which is the enzyme that they say digests starches in the bowel. Manufacturers claim that any carbohydrate that is ingested in the presence of this extract will simply pass through the system undigested and be lost as feces. Phase 'oLean supposedly absorbs only starch calories and leaves the nutrients from food to be digested normally. (http://aomega.com/ahs/p1200a.htm). Marketers claim that carbohydrates are not essential to the human diet because after they are eaten, they break up into starches and sugars, which are then used either as a quick source of energy or are stored as fat. Calories from carbohydrates should make up 40%- 60% of the average person's daily food intake.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Origins Of Communism :: Communism Essays

Throughout the history of the modern world, man has sought out the perfect government. An invincible system of order. And in our search for this ideal system, the idea of holding property in common has been a reoccurring thought. From early Christian communities to modern Marxist states, socialism and more specifically, communism has had an important role in the development of this ideal system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Great French Revolution of 1789-1794, the roots of modern-day communism can be clearly seen. In 1795, Gracchus Babeuf wrote the â€Å"Plebeians’ Manifesto† which stated, for full social and economical equality:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"...to establish a common administration; to suppress individual property; to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  attach each man to the employment or occupation with which he is acquainted; to oblige him to place the fruits of his labor in kind into a common store; and to establish a simple administration for food supplies, which will take note of all individuals and all provisions, and will have the latter divided according to the most scrupulous equality.† - â€Å"Plebeians’ Manifesto†1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of this and other acts considered to be threatening to the Directory, Babeuf was executed in May of 1797. Babeuf was not forgotten though, others followed in his footsteps. Another 19th century French reformer, Charles Fourier, shared many of Babeuf’s ideas, but where Babeuf favored immediate political change, Fourier was for longer-term social reform. The Comte de Saint-Simon, another political thinker of that time, was similar to Fourier in many respects, although he valued a mixed society of capitalist thinkers and socialist workers which he believed would triumph in future French communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile in England, Robert Owen, a Welsh industrialist, was developing his own brand of Socialism. Unlike many philosophers of his time, Owen based his ideas on experience rather than speculation. He managed a factory and realized that labor was the essential â€Å"factor of production†. He looked to the workers rather than government for solutions to economic problems. He proposed â€Å"cooperative societies†, or self-contained communities of producers and consumers which he hoped would prove his theories. But his socialist experiment never took place because adequate funding was denied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the mid-1830’s, the term â€Å"Communism† was introduced to the world of French politics. First used to describe Saint-Simon and Fourier’s egalitarian slant on socialist ideas, Louis Blanc built on the ideals of Fourier to establish an important point of modern-day communism. He stated the principle, â€Å"...from each according to his capacities, to each according to his needs†, where as the old principle stated, â€Å".

the time is now :: essays research papers

If... he has committed murder, he must die. In this case, there is no substitute that will satisfy the legal requirements of legal justice.There is no sameness of kind between death and remaining alive even under the most miserable conditions, and consequently there is no equality between crime and the retribution unless the criminal is judicially condemned and put to death." Immanuel Kant. About 2000 men, women, and teenagers currently wait on America's "Death Row." Their time grows shorter as federal and state courts increasingly ratify death penalty laws, allowing executions to proceed at an accelerated rate. It's unlikely that any of these executions will make the front page, having become more and more a matter of routine in the last decade. Indeed, recent public opinion polls show a wide margin of support for the death penalty. But human rights advocates continue to decry the immorality of state-sanctioned killing in the U.S., the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter violent crime. While it is difficult to produce direct evidence to support this claim since, by definition, those who are

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Seven

I MIGHT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED to find Marcus, but I certainly wasn't going to argue against a gun. I raised my hands in the air and slowly stood up, keeping my back to the newcomer. Just as carefully, I stepped away from Marcus and set the vial on the floor. Fumes still wafted out of it, but the reaction would burn itself out soon. Then I dared a peek behind me. When I saw the girl who stood there, I could barely believe my eyes. â€Å"Are you okay?† she asked Marcus. He was unsteadily getting to his feet. â€Å"I left as soon as you called.† â€Å"You!† I couldn't quite manage anything more articulate. The girl standing before me was close to my age, with long, tangled blond hair. She still had the gun on me, but a small smile appeared on her face. â€Å"Nice to see you again.† The feeling wasn't mutual. I'd last seen this girl when I faced down the Warriors in their arena. She'd been toting a gun there as well and had had a perpetual snarl on her face. She'd pushed me around and threatened me, making no secret of how heretical she thought my defense of Sonya was. Although she seemed much calmer now than she had with those fanatics, I still couldn't dismiss what she was – or what the implications were. I turned to Marcus in disbelief. He was cradling the wrist I'd nailed with my elbow. â€Å"You . . . you're one of them! One of the Warriors of Light!† I don't think I'd ever been so let down in my life. I'd had so many hopes pinned on Marcus. He'd become larger than life in my mind, some rebel savior who was going to tell me all the secrets of the world and free me from being another cog in the machine of the Alchemists. But it was all a lie. Clarence had mentioned Marcus had convinced the Warriors to leave him alone. I'd assumed it was because Marcus had some incredible leverage he could use against the Warriors, but apparently, the key to his influence was that he was one of them. He looked up from his wrist. â€Å"What? Those nuts? Hell, no.† I almost pointed at the girl but decided it would be best not to make any sudden moves. I settled for a nod in her direction and noticed all the locks on the door had been undone. I'd been so caught up in the struggle with Marcus that I hadn't heard them. â€Å"Really? Then how come one of them just saved you?† â€Å"I'm not really one of them.† She spoke almost casually, but the gun contradicted her tone. â€Å"I mean, I guess I kind of am. . . .† â€Å"Sabrina's a spy,† explained Marcus. He looked much more at ease too, now that I wasn't assaulting him. â€Å"A lovely one. She's been undercover with them for over a year. She's also the one who told me about you.† Once again, it was hard knowing how to respond to that. I also wasn't sure if I bought this spy story. â€Å"What exactly did you tell him?† He shot me a movie star smile. His teeth were so white that I wondered if he had veneers. It seemed out of character for a rogue who lived on the run, but nothing about this day was really turning out like I'd expected. â€Å"She told me about this Alchemist girl who defended a Moroi and then helped lead a dhampir raiding party.† Lead? Hardly. No one – notably Stanton – had felt the need to enlighten me about that raid until I was in the middle of it. I didn't want to tip my hand too early though. â€Å"The Alchemists sanctioned that raid,† I said. â€Å"I saw the way you spoke,† said Sabrina. Her eyes flicked between Marcus and me, fierce for me and admiring for him. â€Å"It was inspiring. And we watched you for a while, you know. You spent an awful lot of time with the Moroi and dhampirs in Palm Springs.† â€Å"It's my job,† I said. She hadn't really seemed inspired at the time. Mostly she'd looked disappointed at not having a chance to use the gun on me. Marcus's smile turned knowing. â€Å"From what I heard, you and those Moroi almost looked like friends. And then, here you are, looking for me. You're definitely the dissident we'd hoped for.† No, this was not turning out at all like I'd planned. In fact, it was pretty much the opposite of what I'd planned. I'd been so proud of my ability to track down Marcus, little knowing that he'd been watching me already. I didn't like that. It made me feel vulnerable, even if they were saying some of things I'd hoped to hear. Needing to feel like I was in control, I tried to play it cool and tough. â€Å"Maybe there are other Alchemists about to show up,† I said. â€Å"They would've been here already† he said, calling my bluff. â€Å"They wouldn't have sent you alone . . . though I did panic when I first saw you. I didn't realize who you were and thought there were others right behind you.† He paused, and that cocky attitude turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry about, um, punching you. If it makes you feel better, you did something pretty serious to my wrist.† Sabrina's face filled with concern. â€Å"Oh, Marcus. Do you need to see a doctor?† He tested the movement of his wrist and then shook his head. â€Å"You know we can't. Never know who might be watching at a hospital. Those places are too easy to monitor.† â€Å"You really are hiding from the Alchemists,† I said in amazement. His nodded, almost looking proud. â€Å"You doubted? I figured you'd know that.† â€Å"I suspected, but I didn't hear it from them. They deny you exist.† He seemed to find that funny. In fact, he seemed to find everything funny, which I found slightly irritating. â€Å"Yup. That's what I've heard from the others.† â€Å"What others?† â€Å"Others like you.† Those blue eyes held me for a moment, like they could see all my secrets. â€Å"Other Alchemists wanting to break free of the fold.† I knew my own eyes were wide. â€Å"There . . . there are others?† Marcus settled on the floor, leaning against the wall and still cradling his wrist. â€Å"Let's get comfortable. Sabrina, put the gun away. I don't think Sydney's going to give us any trouble.† Sabrina didn't look so sure of that, but after several moments, she complied. She joined him on the floor, positioning herself protectively next to him. â€Å"I'd rather stand,† I told them. No way would I willingly sit on that filth. After rolling around with Marcus, I wanted to go bathe myself in hand sanitizer. He shrugged. â€Å"Suit yourself. You want some answers? You give me some first. Why'd you come looking for me off the Alchemist clock?† I didn't like being interrogated, but what was the point of being here if I wasn't going to engage in a dialogue? â€Å"Clarence told me about you,† I said at last. â€Å"He showed me your picture, and I saw how you'd tattooed over the lily. I didn't even know that was possible.† The tattoo never faded. â€Å"Clarence Donahue?† Marcus looked genuinely pleased. â€Å"He's a good guy. I suppose you'd be friends with him if you're in Palm Springs, huh?† I started to say we weren't friends but then reconsidered. What else were we? â€Å"Getting this isn't easy,† added Marcus, tapping the blue tattoo. â€Å"You'll have to do a lot of work if you want to do it.† I stepped backward. â€Å"Whoa, I never said that's what I wanted. And why in the world would I do it anyway?† â€Å"Because it'll free you,† he said simply. â€Å"It prevents you from discussing vampire affairs, right? You don't think that's all it does, do you? Think. What stops it from exerting other control?† I pretty much had to just give up on any expectations for this conversation because every topic was crazier than the last. â€Å"I've never heard of anything like that. I've never felt anything like that. Aside from it protecting vampire information, I'm in control.† He nodded. â€Å"Probably. The initial tattoo usually only has the talking compulsion in it. They only start adding other components with re-inks if they've got a reason to worry about you. People can sometimes fight through those and if they do . . . well, then it's off to re-education.† His words sent a chill through me, and I rested a hand on my cheek as I flashbacked to the meeting I'd had when I was given the Palm Springs assignment. â€Å"I was re-inked recently . . . but it was routine.† Routine. Normal. Nothing like what he was suggesting. â€Å"Maybe.† He tilted his head and gave me another piercing look. â€Å"You do anything bad before that, love?† Like helping a dhampir fugitive? â€Å"Depends on your definition of bad.† Both of them laughed. Marcus's laugh was loud and rollicking and actually pretty infectious – but the situation was far too dire for me to join in. â€Å"They may have reinforced your group loyalty then,† he said, still chuckling. â€Å"But it either wasn't very strong or else you fought through it – otherwise you wouldn't be here.† He glanced over at Sabrina. â€Å"What do you think?† Sabrina studied me with a critical eye. I still had a hard time believing her role in all of this. â€Å"I think she'd be a good addition. And since she's still in, she could help us with that . . . other matter.† â€Å"I think so too,† he said. I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't like being discussed as though I weren't there. â€Å"A good addition to what?† â€Å"Our group.† To Sabrina, he said, â€Å"We really need a name for it, you know.† She snorted, and he returned his attention to me. â€Å"We're a mix. Some are former Warriors or double agents like Sabrina. Some are ex-Alchemists.† â€Å"And what do you do?† I gestured around us. â€Å"This doesn't exactly look like a high-tech base of operation for some covert team.† â€Å"Look at you. Pretty and funny,† he said, looking delighted. â€Å"We do what you do – or what you want to do. We like the Moroi. We want to help them – on our own terms. The Alchemists theoretically want to help them too, but we all know that's based on a core of fear and dislike – not to mention a strict control of its members. So, we work in secret, seeing as the Alchemists aren't fans of those who break from the fold. They really aren't fans of me, which is why I end up in places like this.† â€Å"We keep an eye on the Warriors too,† said Sabrina. She scowled. â€Å"I hate being around those nuts, having to play along with them. They claim they only want to destroy the Strigoi – but, well, the things I've heard them say against the Moroi too . . .† I thought back to one of my more disturbing memories of the Warrior arena. I'd heard one of them make a mysterious comment about how someday, they'd deal with the Moroi too. â€Å"But what do you guys actually do?† Talking about rebellions and covert operations was one thing, but actually effecting change was another. I'd visited my sister Carly at her college and seen a number of student groups who wanted to change the world. Most of them sat around drinking coffee, talking a lot and doing little. Marcus and Sabrina exchanged glances. â€Å"I can't quite get into our operations,† he said. â€Å"Not until I know you're on board with breaking your tattoo.† Breaking your tattoo. There was something sinister – not to mention permanent – about those words, and I suddenly wondered what I was doing here. Who were these people, really? Why was I even humoring them? Then another, almost terrifying thought hit me: Am I doubting them because of the tattoo's control? Is it making me skeptical around anyone who questions the Alchemists? Is Marcus telling the truth? â€Å"I don't really understand that either,† I told them. â€Å"What it means to ‘break' the tattoo. Do you just mean putting ink over it?† Marcus stood up. â€Å"All in good time. Right now, we've got to get out of here. Even if you were discreet, I assume you used Alchemist resources to find me?† I hesitated. Even if these guys were legitimate and had good intentions toward the Moroi, I certainly wasn't going to reveal my involvement with magic. â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"I'm sure you're good, but we can't take the chance. This place has been compromised.† He cast a wistful glance around the studio. Honestly, I thought he should be grateful I'd given him a reason to leave. Sabrina rose as well, her face hardening. â€Å"I'll make sure the secondary location is ready.† â€Å"You're an angel, as always,† he told her. â€Å"Hey, how did you know I was coming?† I asked. â€Å"You had time to hide and call her.† What I really wanted to know was how he'd seen me through the invisibility spell. I'd felt the magic fill me. I was certain I'd cast the spell correctly, but he'd discovered me. The spell wouldn't work if someone knew to look for you, so maybe he'd happened to glance out the window when I was scaling the fire escape? Worst timing ever. â€Å"Tony warned me.† Marcus flashed me another of those dazzling grins. I think he was trying to make me smile back. â€Å"Good kid.† Tony? Then I knew. The boy in the parking lot. He'd pretended to help me and then sold me out. He must have spoken to Marcus while I climbed the fire escape. Maybe Marcus only answered to some secret knock. At least I had the comfort of knowing I'd cast the spell correctly. It simply hadn't worked because Marcus had advance warning that some girl was coming after him. He began packing up his meager belongings into a backpack. â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye is a great book, by the way.† He winked. â€Å"Maybe someday we'll have a literary discussion.† I wasn't interested in that. Watching him, I saw that he kept favoring his uninjured wrist. I couldn't believe I'd caused damage like that and felt a little guilty, despite everything that had happened. â€Å"You should get that taken care of,† I said. Sabrina nodded in agreement. He sighed. â€Å"I can't. At least, not through conventional means. The Alchemists have eyes everywhere.† Conventional means. â€Å"I, uh, might be able to help you get it healed through unconventional means,† I said. â€Å"You know some off-the-grid doctor?† asked Sabrina hopefully. â€Å"No. But I know a Moroi spirit user.† Marcus froze, and I kind of liked that I'd thrown him off guard. â€Å"Seriously? We've heard of them but never met one. That woman they had – Sonya? She was one, right? She was gone before we could find out more.† Talking about Adrian made me nervous, but Sabrina probably already knew he existed if they'd been watching me. â€Å"Yeah, she was one, and there's another in Palm Springs. I could take you to him and let him heal you.† Excitement lit Marcus's features. Sabrina looked at him in horror. â€Å"You can't just go off with her.† Was that concern or jealousy in her voice? â€Å"Why not?† he asked. â€Å"She's taking a leap of faith with us. We can't do any less. Besides, I'm dying to meet a spirit user. The safe house isn't that far from Palm Springs. You make sure everything's in order and then come pick me up later.† Sabrina didn't like that, not at all. Maybe I didn't understand the dynamics of their group yet, but it was obvious she regarded him as a leader and was insanely protective. In fact, I suspected her feelings for him were more than professional. They went back and forth on whether he'd be safe or not, and I listened without a word. All the while, I wondered if I'd be safe heading off with some unknown guy. Clarence trusted him, I reminded myself. And he's pretty paranoid. Besides, with Marcus's wrist out of commission, I could probably take him. He finally convinced Sabrina to let him go but not before she snarled, â€Å"If anything happens to him, I'm coming after you.† Apparently her hard-core character in the arena hadn't been entirely faked. We parted ways from her, and before long, Marcus and I were on the road to Palm Springs. I tried to get more information out of him, but he wouldn't bite. Instead, he kept complimenting me and saying things that were only one step away from pickup lines. Judging from the way he'd bantered with Sabrina too, I didn't think there was anything particularly special about me. I thought he was just used to women fawning all over him. He was cute, I'd give him that, but it took a lot more than that to win me over. It was sunset when we pulled up to Adrian's apartment, and I belatedly wondered if I should've given him some advance warning. Too late now. We walked up to the door, and I knocked three times. â€Å"It's open,† a voice called from within. I stepped inside, and Marcus followed. Adrian was working on an abstract painting of what looked like a crystalline building from some fantasy world. â€Å"Unexpected treat,† he said. His eyes fell on Marcus and widened. â€Å"I'll be damned. You found him.† â€Å"Thanks to you,† I said. Adrian glanced over at me. A smile started to form – and then instantly dried up. â€Å"What happened to your face?† â€Å"Oh.† I lightly touched the swollen spot. It still smarted but wasn't as painful as it had been earlier. I spoke my next words without thinking. â€Å"Marcus hit me.† I'd never seen Adrian move so fast. Marcus had no chance to react, probably because he was exhausted from our earlier encounter. Adrian shoved Marcus up against a wall and – to my complete and utter astonishment – punched Marcus. Adrian had once joked that he never dirtied his hands, so this was something I never could have prepared myself for. In fact, if Adrian was going to attack someone, I would've expected something magical and spirit-driven. Yet . . . as I watched him, I could see that anything as thoughtful as magic was far from Adrian's mind. He had kicked into primal mode. See a threat. Go after it. It was yet another surprising – yet fascinating – side of the enigma that was Adrian Ivashkov. Marcus quickly got his bearings and responded in kind. He pushed Adrian back, wincing a little. Even with his injury he was still strong. â€Å"What the hell? Who are you?† â€Å"The guy that's going to kick your ass for hurting her,† said Adrian. He tried another punch, but Marcus dodged and managed to land a hit that knocked Adrian back into one of his easels. When Marcus swung again, Adrian eluded him with a maneuver that was straight out of Wolfe's class. I would've applauded him if I wasn't so appalled by the situation. I knew some girls thought it was sexy to have men fight over them. Not me. â€Å"You guys, stop!† I cried. â€Å"No one's going to throw you around and get away with it,† said Adrian. â€Å"What happened with us has nothing to do with you,† retorted Marcus. â€Å"Everything about her has to do with me.† The two circled around each other, waiting for the other to pounce. â€Å"Adrian,† I exclaimed. â€Å"It was an accident.† â€Å"Doesn't look like an accident,† he replied, never taking his eyes off Marcus. â€Å"You should listen to her,† growled Marcus. The easygoing guy I'd met earlier was gone, but I guess being attacked would do that to you. â€Å"It might save you from getting your pretty face wrecked. How much styling did you have to do to get your hair like that?† â€Å"At least I brush my hair,† said Adrian. Marcus lunged forward – but not directly at Adrian. He grabbed a painting off an easel and used it as a weapon. Adrian again managed a dodge, but the painting didn't fare so well. The canvas tore, and Marcus tossed it aside, ready for the next advance. Adrian spared the canvas a brief glance. â€Å"Now you've really pissed me off.† â€Å"Enough!† Something told me they weren't going to listen to reason. This required direct intervention. I stalked across the room and pushed myself between them. â€Å"Sydney, get out of the way,† ordered Adrian. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Marcus. â€Å"For once he's got something worthwhile to say.† â€Å"No!† I held out my hands to separate them. â€Å"Both of you back off – now!† My voice rang through the apartment, and I refused to budge. â€Å"Back. Off,† I repeated. â€Å"Sydney. . . .† Adrian's voice was a little more uncertain than when he'd told me to get out of the way. I looked back and forth between them, giving each guy a healthy glare. â€Å"Adrian, it really was an accident. Marcus, this is the guy who's going to help you, so show some respect.† This, more than anything, seemed to derail them. â€Å"Wait,† said Adrian. â€Å"Did you say ‘help'?† Marcus was equally flabbergasted. â€Å"This asshole is the spirit user?† â€Å"You're both acting like idiots,† I scolded. The next time I had nothing to do, I'd have to get a book on testosterone-driven behavior. This was out of my league. â€Å"Adrian, can we talk somewhere in private? Like the bedroom?† Adrian agreed, but not before giving Marcus one last menacing look. I told Marcus to stay where he was and hoped he wouldn't take off or call in someone else with a gun. Adrian followed me to his bedroom and shut the door behind us. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"under normal circumstances, you inviting me to the bedroom would be the highlight of my day.† I crossed my arms and sat on the bed. I did so out of simple fatigue, but a moment later, I was struck by what I was doing. This is where Adrian sleeps. I'm touching the covers he's wrapped in every night. What does he wear? Does he wear anything? I jumped up. â€Å"It really was an accident,† I told him. â€Å"Marcus thought I was there to abduct him.† Adrian, having no such hang-ups with the bed, sat down. He winced, probably from the blow to the stomach. â€Å"If someone like you showed up to abduct me, I'd let you.† Even when he was in pain, it never stopped with him. â€Å"I'm serious. It was just instinct, and he apologized over and over in the car once he realized who I was.† That got his attention. â€Å"He knew you?† I gave him a recap of my day in Santa Barbara. He listened avidly, nodding along, his expression shifting back and forth between intrigue and surprise. â€Å"I didn't realize when I brought him back here that you'd inflict more damage,† I said, once I'd finished the story. â€Å"I was defending your honor.† Adrian gave me that devil-may-care smile that always managed to both infuriate and captivate me. â€Å"Pretty manly, huh?† â€Å"Very,† I said dryly. I didn't like violence, but him doing something so out of character for me actually was kind of incredible. Not that I'd ever tell him that. â€Å"You did Wolfe proud. Do you think you can manage not to have any more ‘manly' displays while he's here? Please?† Adrian shook his head, still smiling. â€Å"I've said over and over, I'd do anything for you. I just keep hoping it'll be something like, ‘Adrian, let's go hot tubbing' or Adrian, take me out for fondue.'† â€Å"Well, sometimes we have to – did you say fondue?† Sometimes it was impossible to follow Adrian's train of thought. â€Å"Why in the world would I ever say that?† He shrugged. â€Å"I like fondue.† I didn't even know what to say about that. This whole day was getting more and more exhausting. â€Å"I'm sorry I'm not asking for something as glamorous as melted cheese. But for now, I need to find out about Marcus and his group – and the tattoo.† Adrian recognized the situation's severity. He stood up and gently touched the lily on my cheek. â€Å"I don't trust him. He could be using you. But then . . . I don't like the idea of this controlling you either.† â€Å"That makes two of us,† I admitted, losing some of my earlier toughness. He traced the line of my cheek for a few breathless moments and then dropped his hand. â€Å"It might be worth helping him to get some answers.† â€Å"Will you promise not to get in any more fights? Please?† â€Å"I promise,† he said. â€Å"So long as he doesn't start one.† â€Å"I'll have him promise too.† I just hoped their â€Å"manly† natures wouldn't get the better of them. As I ruminated on this, something I'd nearly forgotten about tumbled to the forefront of my mind. â€Å"Oh . . . Adrian, I've got one more favor to ask you. A big one.† â€Å"Fondue?† he asked hopefully. â€Å"No. It's about Ms. Terwilliger's sister. . . .† I told him what I'd learned. The amusement in his face faded and turned to disbelief. â€Å"You just mention this now?† he exclaimed when I finished. â€Å"That some soul-sucking witch might be after you?† â€Å"She doesn't know I exist.† I felt surprisingly defensive. â€Å"And I'm the only one who can help, at least according to Ms. Terwilliger. She thinks I'm some super-investigator.† â€Å"Well, you do have that Sherlock Holmes thing going for you,† he said. His joking didn't last; he was too upset. â€Å"But you still should've told me! You could've called.† â€Å"I was kind of busy with Marcus.† â€Å"Then your priorities are off. This is a lot more important than his band of Merry Men. If we need to take out some evil sorceress before she gets to you, then of course I'll help.† He hesitated. â€Å"With one condition.† I eyed him warily. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"Let me heal you too.† I jerked backward, almost more shocked than if he'd suggested hitting me again. â€Å"No! Absolutely not! I don't need it. I'm in better shape than him.† â€Å"You want to go back to Amberwood with that on your face? You're not going to be able to hide that, Sage. And if Castile sees it, he really will come after Marcus.† Adrian crossed his arms defiantly. â€Å"That's my price.† He was bluffing, and I knew it. Maybe it was egotistical, but I knew he wasn't going to let me go into a dangerous situation without him. He did, however, have a point. I still hadn't seen the mark Marcus had left, but I didn't want to explain it back at school. And yes, there was a good chance Eddie would want to hunt down my assailant. Being beat up by an avenging dhampir might make working with Marcus difficult. Yet . . . how could I agree? At least the magic I used was on my terms. And although my tattoo had trace amounts of vampire magic, I took comfort in knowing it was tied to the â€Å"normal† four elements, the ones we understood. Spirit was still an unknown entity, with abilities that continually surprised us. How could I subject myself to rogue vampire magic? Guessing my inner turmoil, Adrian's face softened. â€Å"I do this all the time. It's an easy spell. No surprises.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said reluctantly. â€Å"But each time you use spirit, you're more likely to go crazy.† â€Å"Already crazy about you, Sage.† At least this was familiar territory. â€Å"You said you wouldn't bring that up.† He simply regarded me without comment. Finally, I threw my arms up. â€Å"Fine,† I said, with more boldness than I felt. â€Å"Just get it over with.† Adrian didn't waste any time. Stepping forward, he reached out and rested his hand on my cheek once more. My breath caught and my heart rate went up. It would be so, so easy for him to pull me to him and kiss me again. A tingling warmth spread over my skin, and for a moment, I thought it was just my normal reaction to him. No, I realized. It was the magic. His eyes locked onto mine, and for the space of a heartbeat, we were suspended in time. Then he removed his hand and stepped away. â€Å"Done,† he said. â€Å"Was that so bad?† No, it hadn't been bad at all. The throbbing pain was gone. All that was left was the constant inner voice nagging me that what had just happened was wrong. That same voice tried to tell me that Adrian had left a taint behind . . . but that was hard to believe from him. I released the breath I'd been holding. â€Å"Thank you,† I said. â€Å"You didn't have to do that.† He gave me one of those small smiles. â€Å"Oh, believe me, I did.† A moment of awkward silence hung between us. I cleared my throat. â€Å"Well. We should get back out to Marcus. Maybe we'll have time for dinner before Sabrina shows up, and you guys can patch things over.† â€Å"I doubt even a moonlight stroll would fix things between us.† His words reminded me of something else I'd meant to bring up when he got back to town, something that had taken a very low priority. â€Å"Your coat – you never took it back after the wedding. It's in my car.† He waved dismissively â€Å"Keep it. I've got others.† â€Å"What am I going to do with a wool coat?† I asked. â€Å"Especially here in Palm Springs?† â€Å"Sleep with it,† he suggested. â€Å"Think of me.† I put my hands on my hips and tried to stare him down, which wasn't easy since he was so tall. That, and because his words suddenly returned me to the disorienting feeling I'd had sitting on his bed. â€Å"You said you weren't going to bring up any romantic stuff around me.† â€Å"Was that romantic?† he asked. â€Å"I was just making the suggestion, since the coat's so heavy and warm. I figured you'd think of me since it was such a nice gesture. And yet, once again, you're the one who finds romantic subtext in everything I say.† â€Å"I do not. You know that's not what I meant.† He shook his head in mock sympathy. â€Å"I tell you, Sage. Sometimes I think I'm the one who needs to take out the restraining order on you.† â€Å"Adrian!† But he was already out the door, knowing laughter echoing behind him.