Case Analysis Crisis Counseling - 2024 Words

To be honest, I have had no formal training in counseling. In fact, because of an unproductive experience in a psychology class in college, I have not been looking forward to attending class. I was content with just using common sense, and personal experiences to assist parishioners in coping with specific situations affecting their lives. I knew God had prepared me for my job as pastor, but when I read Webb’s book, â€Å"Crisis Counseling in the Congregation†, I realized that this book would prove useful in facilitating me in becoming a better counselor. When I was assigned to Rivers Chapel as a pastor, I used strategies I had learned, in the classroom, and on my previous jobs in counseling, which were common sense and life experiences. But now, after reading â€Å"Crisis Counseling in the Congregation†, I can perceive where common sense and personal experience would have been more productive if I had had a better understanding of the techniques Webb introd uced in his basis toolbox. After reading Webb’s book, I know I can be a better counselor for my parishioners, their families, and my own family. Webb’s three categories of the tools in his â€Å"The Basic Toolbox† were knowledge, skills and attitudes. As I read this chapter, I could reflect on my common sense and life experiences connecting with these three categories. My actions in this section mirrored those techniques used in my first counseling session. The first counseling session I conducted as a pastor was with a coupleShow MoreRelatedNeeds Assessment Paper1214 Words   |  5 PagesFour Feathers Counseling LLC. Four Feathers Counseling was established on November 2, 2008 by Teresita Tirona LPC and Bruce Hatch MFT. Four Feathers Counseling is currently responsible for providing therapeutic needs for provider agencies such as Colorado Division of Youth Corrections, Colorado Department of Human Services (El Paso, Teller, Pueblo, Arapaho, Denver and Douglas Counties) and some insurance agencies such as Tri Care, Medicaid and Value Options. Four Feathers Counseling also receivesRead MoreChristian: Crisis T rauma Essays1238 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Ashley Meadows Essay Question: Response Liberty University – CRIS 605 Crisis counseling is an aspect of crisis resolution in which emphasis is placed on the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral consequences within a particular crisis. Psychotherapy is a tool that uses a helping process in order to change a person’s feelings as well as patterns of thought and behaviors. This can take place over short, brief periods or long term if determined is necessaryRead MoreClient and Counselor Safety for Mental Health Counselors Essays925 Words   |  4 Pagesdiagnosis. It is also favorable to say that mental health counselors wear many hats when working with their clients who can experience different crisis on a day to day basis. When mental health counselors work with various clients during their career, they need to practice confidentiality and privacy when conducting one-on-one, group, or any type of counseling services. Like any medical patient, mental health clinicians need to treat their clients with dignity and respect. It is extremely importantRead MoreLegal And Ethical Practices Of Adolescent Counseling1252 Words   |  6 PagesLegal and Ethical Practices in Adolescent Counseling As a 15-yearold â€Å"at risk† adolescent, Manual recently reported feeling extreme depression and admitted that he no longer cared about living. In order to provide useful counseling support to Manuel, J. McWhirter, B. McWhirter, E. McWhirter, and R. McWhirter (2013) provide a list of legal and ethical considerations that serve as a guidelines during interventions. These suggestions include counselors’ documenting the incident and any interventionRead MoreBridgestone1363 Words   |  6 Pagesincrease profit are: Decrease employee salary expenses Decrease discretionary fixed costs Increase and maintain the level of service volume Reduce variable costs Increase service rates Setup off-campus programs 4. A useful component of CVP analysis is the margin of safety for service revenue that can be calculated as a dollar amount or as a percentage. What is Bridgestone’s projected margin of safety for next year? Interpret your answer in terms of what it means to Dr. Russell. Margin of safetyRead MoreSyllabus Essay1480 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategically maneuver their firms through uncertainty to better prospects in the market place. You will be encouraged to integrate insights learned in your business curriculum in understanding the firm as an entity. You will, through the readings, analysis, group activities and discussions in class develop your ability to think strategically. Learning Assurance Process: The learning assurance process is an SBA initiative to continuously assess and improve the quality of the SBA’s undergraduate andRead MoreFamily Group Conferencing As A Method Of Intervention Essay1355 Words   |  6 Pagesof their child and also discuss the best way of supporting their family. The people closely work together in order to help find the victims the best decision for their problem. This consists of four stages, which are 1. Referral – where the case of the family is presented to the concerned officials. The officials then assign a member of an agency or a social worker. 2. Preparation – The worker then meets with the family members and understands their problems and situations and thenRead MoreIntervention Studies on Forgiveness Journal Article 1 Essay example1190 Words   |  5 PagesLiberty University Summary In the journal article titled â€Å"Intervention Studies on Forgiveness† by Thomas W. Baskin and Robert D. Enright is a meta-analysis study on interventions that are conducted to determine if the interventions that are being utilized are effective when it comes to forgiveness. In the early case studies it was â€Å"suggested that forgiveness might be helpful for people who have experienced deep emotional pain† (Baskin Enright, 2004, p. 79). A forgiveness interventionRead MoreNursing Care for the Terminal Breast Cancer Patient Community1470 Words   |  6 Pagesuniqueness of the patient and his experience maybe for the first time. She allays their sorrow by sharing it while providing the details of care. B. Strategies for the Quality of Life of Mr. and Mrs. Smith One is active grief and bereavement counseling for the couple (Manghrani Kapadia, 2006). Another is strengthening of hospice and palliative care. And a third is helping Mrs. Smith fulfill her last wishes. The first strategy prepares the couple for Mrs. Smiths death so that they may learnRead MoreAnalysis of Business Specialties1082 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Business Specialties Team Achieve identified three different potential types of consulting firms in our first meeting. We have since decided on the strategic model of consultancy. The new strategic consultancy firm will be named Achieve after the team. As a strategic firm Achieve will have the benefit of founding members with varied professional backgrounds. The drawback to the strategic format without a specialty niche is the need for continual refocus of team efforts to ensure

Characteristics of Managers and Leaders - 1362 Words

Curtin University Bentley Management – 100 Individual Essay Semester 1 2012 Student Name: Dhanshree Rajegaonkar Student ID: 16159493 Email: dhanshree.rajegaonkar@gmail.com Every organisation need a good business structure, and the make the organisation successful they need a combination of experienced and skilled people; Managers and Leaders are some of the key people to make an organization successful. Some managers are leaders and some leaders are managers but essentially the characteristics of a manager and leader are very different (Benson 2003). There are managers and leaders in every profession, they both need to build their experience and gain the knowledge and skills to help them effectively carry out the responsibility.†¦show more content†¦M.-L. Bartol 2011). * Managers just administer things and are tactical (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011) which allows them to select appropriate tactics for achieving business aims and goals (Answers - what is tactical management? n.d.). Leaders are strategic and transform people (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011) and their mindsets to best achieve business strategies. * Managers do things right (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011), they administer, maintain and ask how and when, whilst leaders do the right things, they innovate, develop and ask what and why (Bennis 2009). * Managers are focused on efficiency (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011), they emphasize on making committed effort towards utilising limited resources in the best way possible (Constantine n.d.). Leaders are focused more on effectiveness; they connect well with others and are open to diversification (Castle n.d.). * Managers create policies so they can have a uniform and consistent outcome, whilst leaders establish principles (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011). * Managers focus of answers and solutions without regard what the actual problem is but leaders actually focus on problem identification and implementing strategies to eliminate the problems (T. M.-L. Bartol 2011). As mentioned above we can see that managers and leaders are two very different roles; managers are authoritarians, they have subordinates whilst leaders are not and they usually do not have subordinates. A manager is a person who is vestedShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of A Leader And Manager899 Words   |  4 Pagesa tremendous leader and manager, he did not micromanage, he put players and peers first, and made you excited to come to work. This coach is very similar to Ben Morelli. The second coach I worked for micromanaged people, constantly barked out orders, and put himself in front of others. He was very similar to Phil Jones. All companies want that perfect mix between a good manager and leader. However, that is often hard to find. When it comes down to it, a manager who is a good leader will be more effectiveRead MoreCharacteristics of Managers and Leaders1568 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Characteristics of Managers and Leaders: The concepts of leadership and management are viewed differently by different people though managers and leaders are important in management. Some people view these terms as synonyms and use them interchangeably in sentences and phrases while others consider them to be extreme opposites. Actually, people who consider the terms as quite different argue that its nearly impossible to be a good leader and a good manager at the same time. Nonetheless, thereRead MoreCharacteristics Of A Leader Or Manager919 Words   |  4 PagesBecoming a leader or a manager is the utmost ambition for many people in the business and management sector nowadays. At times, it can be quite challenging therefore there are many essential qualities that a leader or manager need. Management is the attainment of organisational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organising, leading and controlling the organisational resources (Daft and Marcic, 8th Edition). Leadership on the other hand is the ability to inspire confidenceRead MoreExecute an Analysis of Managers or Leaders in Your Organisation on the Basis of the Leadership Grid as Was Propounded by Jane Morton and Robert Black. the Characteristics-Traits Used to Classify the Managers – Leaders Should Be Established.3109 Words   |  13 PagesDATE 5/09/12 Execute an analysis of managers or leaders in your organisation on the basis of the leadership grid as was propounded by Jane Morton and Robert Black. The characteristics-traits used to classify the managers – leaders should be established. 1. Introduction It is important to understanding how organisations are managed, how activities of people are directed towards achievement of objectives and goals of the organisation. Managers and leaders are different but have complementary activitiesRead MoreLeadership Styles And Financial Performance Of Hospitality Management901 Words   |  4 PagesLEADERSHIP IN HOSPITALITY MANGAEMENT In a hotel business there is a certain type of focus that each manager needs to have in order for them to properly achieve the goal of running the business. The success of a hospitality manager is on the dependence of how they lead and manager their personnel. In the article of the â€Å"Leadership Style and Financial Performance Riddle in the Lodging Industry: What is the Best Fit?† It focuses on the leadership styles and financial performance of the hospitalityRead MoreKnowledge And Shows Emotional Intelligence Through Humility Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesthrough humility. A successful manager must be able to balance practical knowledge with emotional intelligence. Professionalism - the expert knowledge, skills, and specific behavior that guide a worker (Batool, Khattak, Saleem, 2016) - must be paired with a clear understanding of behavioral knowledge. This assists the leader in rallying their employees to execute a shared vision. Within this framework, a characteristic that can enhance the effectiveness of a manager is humility. A contemporary viewRead MoreThe Roles Of A Leader1081 Words   |  5 Pagesothers are doing. But as much as overseeing can sound too non-hands on activity, leadership has serious involvement and happens to be a very serious role. Our manager of a branch of Toyota shops In Saudi Arabia defines his leadership roles as simply making sure the Toyota cars get sold to the car market. This is basically the role of a manager, to effect the main purpose of any company as set by the owners. However, when the role is being put into act ion it becomes a very wide field that breaks downRead MoreDifference Between Men And Women1445 Words   |  6 PagesA preeminent manager should posess admirable management abilities. Gardner (1995, cited in Werhane and Painter-Morland, 2011:1) states leaders as, ‘individuals who significantly influence the thoughts, behaviors, and/or feelings of others’. Even though male managers still account for the larger proportion, there is growing number of women taking the place of men in leadership nowadays. There was only 1 female CEO in the Fortune 500 companies in 1996, the number were raised to 12 in 2010 and raisedRead MoreLeadership And Management : Leadership835 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership Verses Management The world is made up of leaders and managers. There are leaders and managers in every aspect of life. In many instances leadership and management are referred to as being the same. This paper will evaluate the differences between leadership and management. In today s organizations, leaders and managers are needed in order to operate successfully. Even though managers and leaders are different, they both have many similarities that will be discussed in this paperRead MoreEthical And Moral Behavior And Christian World View1278 Words   |  6 Pagesrelates to my expectation of what a manager in a leadership position should posses and why. Growing up in a African-American Baptist church and ultimately landing in a diverse Christian Church has shaped my life and viewpoint when it comes to values and beliefs. There are 5 characteristics that I believe a Manager should possess: Authenticity, transparency, empowering, trustworthy and competence. These five characteristics help to buil d rapport and trust in a manager, which are good qualities to possess

Church Reform Essay Example For Students

Church Reform Essay The Reformation of European religion in the 16th century cannot be generally attributed to the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance. Although the peasants saw bishops and abbots as part of a wealthy and oppressive ruling class and rebelled against the Roman Catholic Church for reasons primarily pertaining to the lavish adornments used by those aforementioned, their power was not great enough, nor did their reasons carry enough clout to start a reformation movement throughout Europe: that job was accomplished by those already having some, however small, social or religious power, such as the monk Martin Luther, the accomplished priest and lawyer Jean Cauvin, and King Henry VIII of England. The Lutheran and Calvinist Reformations were very similar in principle, although the Lutheran Reformation was less widespread. Luther and Calvin held that not mere abuses of the Roman Catholic Church needed correcting, but that the Catholic Church itself was wrong in principle. Luthers cause fo r reformation of 16th century European religion came from his unnatural paranoia that he was damned. He had problems convincing himself that his spirit was pure and that he would go to heaven; internal distress raged within him about the awful omnipotence of God, his own insignificant existence in comparison, and his apprehensiveness of the devil. His personal problems would not yield to the existing manners of assuring oneself that he/she was headed for heaven such as sacraments, alms, prayer attendance at Mass, and assorted good works. Luther solved the problem, however, by believing that good works were the consequence and external evidence of an inner grace, but in no way the cause of this grace. He felt that if one had faith in themselves, the religion, and God, then good works would manifest themselves because of it. This was Luthers doctrine of justification by faith. Luther was then involved in various events that provided for the spreading of Lutheranism, albeit sometimes i ndirectly. The agitation that Lutheranism was creating throughout Europe had revolutionary side effects where the reforming religious spirit was mistaken for that of a social and economic one, especially in Germany in the 1520s. A league of imperial knights, adopting Lutheranism, attacked their neighbors, the church-states of the Rhineland, hoping by annexations to enlarge their own meager territories. In 1524, the peasants of a large part of Germany revolted due to thoughts stirred up by preachers that took Luthers ideas a little too far: anyone could see for himself what was right. The peasants aims dealt not with religion, however. They demanded a regulation of rents and security of common village rights and complained of exorbitant exactions and oppressive rule by their manorial overlords. Luther, in seeing his original intentions fractured for other uses, redefined his position more conservatively. Nonetheless, Lutheranism spread throughout the Scandinavian and Baltic regions a s well as Germany. Lutheranism was closely associated with established states, inhibiting its widespread acceptance. The most widely accepted form of Protestantism was Calvinism, to be discussed shortly hereafter. It is apparent, however, that the Lutheran Reformation was clearly not because of the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance, but more because of the personal conviction of a apprehensive monk. At the age of 24, John Calvin, a Frenchman born Jean Cauvin, experienced a sudden conversion; a fresh insight into the meaning of Christianity. He joined forces with the religious revolutionaries of whom the best known was then Luther. His book, Institutes of the Christian Religion, appealed to human reason itself. If dissatisfied with the Roman church, people of all countries could find an idea that would most appropriately fit their beliefs or the situation they were in. In general, Calvin was in agreement with Luthers criticisms of the Roman church and Luthers fundamental religious ideas, such as justification by faith and not by works. However, the two differed in the area of Catholic Mass. Although both of them rejected transubstantiation, Luther maintained that God was somehow actually present in the bread and wine used in the service while Calvin regarded it as an act of symbolic nature. Calvin also took exception to two other areas that Luther did not touch on: the idea of pr edestination and Calvinisms attitude toward society and state. Calvin felt that God, being Almighty, knew and willed in advance all things that happened, including the way in which every life would turn out. He knew and willed, from all eternity, that some were saved and some were damned. Calvin, being a severe critic of human nature, felt that an elite few were saved. One could believe in his own mind that he was among the saved, Gods chosen few, if throughout all trials and temptations he persisted in a saintly life. Thus, the idea of predestination became a challenge to unrelenting effort, a sense of burning conviction, a conviction of being on the side of that Almighty Power which must in the end be everlastingly triumphant. Only the most resolute people were attracted to Calvinism. Calvinists, like Jesuits, were militant, uncompromising, perfectionist. Calvinists also believed that true Christians, the elect or saved, should Christianize the state. They would not be recognized as subordinate to the state. Calvinists hoped to remake society into a religious community. In rejecting the institution of bishops, Calvinists felt that the church should be governed by presbyteries and devout laymen, breaking up the monopoly of priestly power and promoting secularization. At the same time, however, they were trying to Christianize all of society (see Forward). The wide adoption of Calvinism came mainly from groups who found Calvins Institutes to be a method of organization. Because of Calvinisms instrumental role in the development of democracy and the Institutess ability to appeal to a large audience, Calvinism spread throughout Europe, although in places like Germany where Lutheranism had already taken root it was scorned by those who had already reformed (another paradox between the similar religions, see Forward). Another instrumental religion during the Reformation had formed due to religious differences with the Catholic church. .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .postImageUrl , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:hover , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:visited , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:active { border:0!important; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:active , .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328 .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9cdb74854005d4d28d263af6ebe86328:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The computer industry is flourishing because of the advent of new, powerful processors EssayThroughout both of these major reformations, England remained virtually unchanged, most likely due to its rather remote location in relation to the rest of Europe. Englands religious orientation changed, however, because of a reason completely unrelated to those of personal conviction or in revolt to the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance. In fact, Henry VIII prided himself on his Roman Catholic orthodoxy. In response to some whisperings about the stir being made by Luther in the 1520s, Henry wrote a Defense of the Seven Sacraments in refutation, for which the pope gave him t he title of Defender of the Faith. The reason for the change of religion in England was for the simple fact of a lack of a male heir to the throne. Henry felt that an heir was essential, especially when one recalled the anarchy from which the Tudor dynasty had extricated England. Because his existing wife, Catherine of Aragon was old and unable to have a child, Henry asked the pope to annul his marriage to her so that he may marry someone else and have a son. The pope, however, would not annul the marriage due to the fact that Catherine was the aunt of Emperor Charles V, whom the pope was in no position to offend. Henry had no patience for the pope to balk at such a request when demands for other annuls had been made in the past. He drove matters forward, putting in a new archbishop of Canterbury, broke off connections with the Roman church, named himself Protector and Only Supreme Head of the Church and Clergy of England, and married Anne Boleyn. Thus, in one fell swoop, the situat ion had been alleviated. Henrys original intent was to maintain the Catholic practices while taking control of the religious situation of his country. However, in 1536, he forcibly suppressed a predominantly Catholic rebellion. The practice of continuing Catholic doctrines under a different leader would not last long in England, as many people in England began to favor one or another of the ideas of Continental Reformers. Upon 10-year old Edwards, Henrys son, succession to the throne, Protestantism became the religion in England. However, Edward died a short time later and was succeeded by his older half-sister, Mary, a devout Roman Catholic. She tried to re-institute the Roman church in England and made it more unpopular in the process. Upon her death, Elizabeth, Anne Boleyns daughter, took the throne and England became Protestant once more. Englands Reformation was associated the least with the Italian Renaissance, making it a perfect example of the non-factor that the secular spi rit of the Renaissance was. The 16th Century Reformations represented a significant wave of change for all of Europe subsequent to the Italian and Northern Renaissances. However, the various Reformations of 16th century Europe by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII of England had little or nothing to do with the worldly and decided non-religious attitude of the Italian Renaissance.

Reflective Account of a Literature Search Essay Example

Reflective Account of a Literature Search Essay Based on Gibbs reflective cycle The second part of my assignment was to conduct a literature search, and describe how I went about it. Week 3 of my first module Study Skills And Lifelong Learning, comprised of a session on literature searching. We were shown the university database Discovery, and Heather our course leader proceeded to explain, step by step how we can access this, on campus or from any location off campus. Discovery is a facility that allows you to search for books and journals from numerous Learning Information Services (LIS). Because the first part of my assignment was to write an essay on reflection, I used key words relevant to this topic. First of all I typed in the word reflection, but that gave me 19,065 hits. Heather advised us to be more specialised in our search, by using words that would narrow it down. I then decided to put in reflective practise in nursing, this made a huge difference and after narrowing it down even more, I ended up with 12 hits relevant to what I wanted. I felt it took me a lot longer than everyone else to get used to the system, and because the class was quite noisy, at times i was unable to hear what Heather was saying. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Account of a Literature Search specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Account of a Literature Search specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Account of a Literature Search specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I did ask another student to explain certain things to me, but I felt I was distracting them from their own studies. By the end of the session I felt no clearer about doing a literature search on my own. Even though I had narrowed my search down to 12 hits, this had happened with help from another student, and I didn’t feel confident enough to know how to go about it on my own. I felt confused and overwhelmed, but I was too embarrassed to stay behind and ask for more help. Fortunately we had all been given a hand-out as well, to enable us to keep practising in our own time. When I got home I looked through the booklet, and found after reading it several times it began to sink in, I got straight back on the computer and accessed the search engine immediately. After numerous attempts, I found it was beginning to make sense, the stress and tension I felt earlier that day was beginning to subside. I decided I needed more help with literature searching, as it is an important study skill, and one that I will need to improve, and be competent at, for the next two years and beyond. I found the telephone number, for the library services department at the hospital where I work. I phoned them straight away and spoke to the head librarian. He advised me to undertake, two 1hour sessions on accessing databases I booked myself on the course for the following week. I felt I had done something constructive, and that made me feel more positive. I had asked for help instead of burrowing my head in the sand, which is how I usually react when things become more challenging. As a mature student, studying hasn’t come easy to me, as I’m sure it hasn’t to most of the other mature students. I didn’t realise prior to starting the foundation degree, how much studying it actually involved. I feel overwhelmed most of the time, learning new study skills like literature searching, referencing, academic writing and numerous others, are not things I’ve ever had to contend with before. I realise I need all these skills and many more, to succeed on this course. The only way I am going to improve, is by accessing all the help that is available, and there is a lot of help, on the university campus alone. By nature I am not a confident, outgoing person, and I feel this negative trait hinders me a lot of the time. When I think back to the session on literature searching, I could have made things a lot easier for myself. I should have sat at the front, or nearer the front, so I could have heard what Heather was saying. If I’d asked questions when I was unsure of something, I wouldn’t have fallen behind, but instead I kept quiet, and didn’t interact with the class, as I should have done. I try to keep myself motivated, by surrounding myself with books relevant to helping me improve my computer skills. Unfortunately I then find myself reading for hours on end, but taking in very little. When I did the Guide To Learning Styles (VARK) questionnaire on line, the results indicated I was a kinaesthetic learner. This means I learn better from practise or simulation, therefore watching a demonstration, or a video, would be of more benefit to me, than reading a book over and over again. This is especially true in this instance, knowing my computer skills were weak; I should have enrolled on a relevant course, prior to commencing the foundation degree. This would have given me, grounding in the basic skills required, and allowed me to improve them gradually over time. Instead I have become wary and even fearful, of information technology, to such a degree I find myself running away from it. As I reflect back on this module, my biggest barrier to future learning is myself. In order to improve and succeed at becoming an assistant practitioner, I must face my fears and embrace them. I will ask for help, as and when I need it. I will utilise the resources on web CT, and use anything that can help me achieve these goals, every learning opportunity that will benefit me. I will look into addressing my confidence issues, and what courses are available to improve these. I must learn not to be intimidated by other students, if I need to ask for help. I know that as my confidence grows, my knowledge and education will advance. Although I am not competent when using the computer, I will endeavour to improve this. As for literature searching, I’m sure once I’ve been shown by the librarian several times how to do it, I will find the whole process less daunting. All these study skills and others that I have been shown in this module, will I’m sure, become second nature to me as I progress through university. In summing up that day on literature searching, things didn’t go well from the beginning. I was already apprehensive to begin with, just the idea of sitting at a computer, in a room full of other students, made me feel anxious and uncomfortable. I should have sat near the front, and interacted more in the class, by asking questions. Looking back I’ve learnt a lot, mostly about myself. I need to develop and improve my IT skills , this is my major stumbling block, and in order to learn and develop, I must use the computer effectively. I now see the internet as my most valuable asset, and therefore I feel less stressed about my future learning needs.

Definition of Room Temperature

Definition of Room Temperature To the average person, room temperature is the thermometer reading of the room. In science and industry, the temperature is defined. However, not everyone uses the same value: Room Temperature Definition Room temperature is a range of temperatures that denote comfortable habitation for humans. Over this temperature range, a person isnt either hot or cold when wearing ordinary clothing. The definition of the temperature range is somewhat different for science and engineering compared with climate control. For climate control, the range is also different depending on whether its summer or winter.In science, 300 K can also be used as room temperature for easy calculations when using absolute temperature. Other common values are 298 K (25 °C or  77  Ã‚ °F) and 293 K (20 °C or  68  Ã‚ °F). For climate control, a typical room temperature range is anywhere from  15  Ã‚ °C (59  Ã‚ °F) and 25  Ã‚ °C (77  Ã‚ °F). People tend to accept a slightly higher room temperature in the summer and lower value in the winter, based on the clothing they would wear outdoors. Room Temperature Versus Ambient Temperature Ambient temperature refers to the temperature of the surroundings. This may or may not be a comfortable room temperature.

Important Cover Letter Trends in 2017 That Will Help Your Job Search

Important Cover Letter Trends in 2017 That Will Help Your Job Search One must never underestimate the importance of a good cover letter. Once you’ve got your resume in shape, this should be your main focus in job searching. A good cover letter can get you through a door that your resume couldn’t. So sit down, and start writing to impress. You probably already know the basics:Keep your letter to one page. Remember, you only have about 10 seconds to get HR’s attention.Give them a sense of who you are, first and foremost, both as a person and a candidate.Encourage readers to consult your resume- so they’ll see that the skills listed in the job post match yours. And remember not to focus too much on your duties, but on selling yourself as a candidate.Write a brand new letter for every single application.Get your reader’s attention in the first two sentences. Include as many keywords as you can cram in reasonably and convincingly; this lets them know that you are hip to the lingo of the job and of the industry.Use the ter minology when you can. Repeat the exact job description language wherever possible.In addition to the usual tricks, there are several trends every year in what’s in or out in the world of cover letters. Here are some things to keep in mind for 2017:1. Body copy is the new cover letter.If you’re submitting through an online site, remember that if your resume gets auto-screened and dumped, your cover letter will get dumped right along with it. Do everything you can to send your job materials to a hiring manager directly via email. That way you can use your cover letter as the body text of your email, and ensure it will be read.2. Include contact info.Sometimes it is possible to get hired without a resume. If this is the case, remember to always include your contact information in a footer- in your email or your cover letter itself. That way a hiring manager can always get in touch with you.3. Be specific.Keep in mind exactly who you are addressing your letter to and addr ess it to them by name. Also be very clear on the position you are applying for, and make sure your letter reflects this specificity. One candidate. One letter. One job.4. Check it twice.Tolerance for spelling and grammar mistakes is on the wane. Make spell check and a good grammarian friend your ally. If you want your letter read, write it well. And keep it clean and mistake free.5. Don’t just regurgitate your resume.Make it new and fresh and really sell your candidacy to this particular decision-maker for this particular job.6. Focus outward.Too much personalization can be a bad thing. Remember to go through and edit for too many â€Å"I† statements. Put the focus a little bit more on them, not on you. It’ll be obvious who is writing the letter; you don’t need to hammer that one home. They know who you are and that you want them to hire you. Concentrate instead on how you are ideally suited to helping the company meet their needs and goals. Show how you r skills and experience are valuable to them. Put their needs first.7. Be clear.Err on the side of clarity. Don’t try to get too cute or fancy. Follow all the rules above and make sure you’re still clearly and effectively communicating the requisite information, and you should be in good shape for a successful job search in the new year.

The gender communication connection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The gender communication connection - Essay Example Even though men and women can fell in love as they enter into a relationship, there will always be a difference between the two sexes which could result to relationship and miscommunication problems. As a way of expressing love with the opposite sex and/or the individual reactions when people undergo emotional, physical, and mental stress, Men and women in general are using different conversation style. Because of the differences in the use of communication techniques, a person can unintentionally send a wrong signal to their counterparts. To enable the readers to fully understand the differences between the two sexes, Gray (1992) decided to use metaphor as a way to simplify the identification of conflicts that may occur between a man and a woman. After having analyzed and identified the major differences between both gender such that men prefers to hide in a cave while women talk when both sexes undergo major life problems aside from the diferent communication styles used by men and women among others which are presented in chapters 1 – 8 (pp. 1 – 143), the author provided the readers with some recommended solutions on how to enable men understand women more and vice versa on chapters 9 – 13 (pp. 165 – 307). I strongly agree that there is a huge difference between the way men and women communicate with one another or how they perceive things in general. However, the use of metaphor concept such as describing ‘men from Mars and women from Venus’ can mislead some of the readers in terms of its being able to capture the real essence of the topic. For example: With regards to the issue of giving comfort, men and women cannot be literally classified as someone from Mars and Venus since both men and women can be comforted when a person listens to him/her talk, showing sympathy when necessary, and/or when receiving some advice from other people given that

Managing Activities to Achieve Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Managing Activities to Achieve Results - Essay Example Tesco’s website states that the vision of the company is â€Å"for Tesco to be most highly valued by the customers we serve, the communities in which we operate, our loyal and committed staff and our shareholders; to be a growth company; a modern and innovative company and winning locally, applying our skills globally† (Tesco Plc, 2011b). This can be broken down into four key aspects each of which has implications for the structure and culture of the business.-  To be the most highly valued business: to be highly valued as a business, Tesco needs to continue its focus on satisfying customers. This involves all levels of management. Specifically, the company needs to ensure that the customers are happy with the service they receive at the individual level, through interactions with frontline (level one) staff. In addition, value within the company image must be maintained, with business advertising and actions reflecting their desire to help the customer. This can be s een in the focus of the company culture on satisfying customers, and in the manner in which all levels of the business interact and communicate with one another. -  To remain a growth company: the organisational structure of Tesco allows for significant communication across different areas of the business. Because of this, the company is able to quickly adapt to any important events such as sudden demand for a particular item or a national or global crisis.The company visualizes itself to be serving and retaining its loyal customers.... Tesco Plc’s company culture is to consider that their customers are above all else and aim to give customers a positive experience to ensure that they continue to shop at the company . To achieve this all the levels of management within the organisation interact and communicate efficiently with one another with a strong focus on customer service and customer satisfaction. 1b) Tesco’s website states that the vision of the company is â€Å"for Tesco to be most highly valued by the customers we serve, the communities in which we operate, our loyal and committed staff and our shareholders; to be a growth company; a modern and innovative company and winning locally, applying our skills globally† . This can be broken down into four key aspects each of which has implications for the structure and culture of the business. To be the most highly valued business: to be highly valued as a business, Tesco needs to continue its focus on satisfying customers. This involves all levels of management. Specifically, the company needs to ensure that the customers are happy with the service they receive at the individual level, through interactions with frontline (level one) staff. In addition, value within the company image must be maintained, with business advertising and actions reflecting their desire to help the customer. This can be seen in the focus of the company culture on satisfying customers, and in the manner in which all levels of the business interact and communicate with one another. To remain a growth company: the organisational structure of Tesco allows for significant communication across different areas of the business. Because of this, the company is able to quickly adapt to any important events such as sudden demand for a particular item or

Reviews on Financial Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Reviews on Financial Risk Management Essay The definition and types of financial risk III. Risk management and the theoretical foundation IV. The process of financial risk management V. The challenges faced by the modern financial risk management theories ?Abstract? Financial risks are exposures of uncertainties for those participants in financial market. Financial risks can be divided into four categories: market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and operational risk. Risk management has become more and more crucial for a market participant to survive in the highly competitive market. As the development of the global financial market, there are many phenomena that cannot be explained by traditional financial risk management theories. These phenomena have accelerated the development of behavioral finance and economic physics. The financial management theories have already improved a lot over the past decades, but still facing some challenges. Therefore, this report will review some important issues in the financial risk management; introduce some theoretical foundation of financial risk management, and discuss the challenges faced by the modern financial risk management. I. Introduction Financial risk is one of the basic characteristics of financial system and financial activities. And financial risk management has become an important component of the economic and financial system since the occurrence of financial in human society. Over the past few decades, economic globalization spread across the world with the falling down of the Bretton Woods system. Under above background, the financial markets have become even more unstable due to some significant changes. Many events happened during the decades, including the â€Å"Black Monday† of the year 1987, the stock crisis in Japan in 1990, the European monetary crisis in 1992, the financial storm of Asia in 1997, the bankruptcy of Long-Term Capital Management in 1998, and the most recent global financial crisis triggered in the year 2008. All these changes brought enormous destruction of the smooth development of the world economy and the financial market. At the same time, they also helped people realized the necessity and urgency of the financial risk management. Why did the crisis happened and how to avoid the risk as much as possible? These questions have been endowed more significant meaning for the further development of the economy. Therefore, this report will review some important issues in the financial risk management; introduce some theoretical foundation of financial risk management, and discuss the challenges faced by the modern financial risk management. II. The Definition and Types of Financial Risk The word â€Å"risk† itself is neutral, which means we cannot define risk a good thing or bad. Risk is one of the internal features of human behavior, and it comes from the uncertainty of the future results. Therefore, briefly speaking, risk can be defined as the exposure to uncertainty. In the definition of risk, there are two extremely important factors: first is uncertainty. Uncertainty can be considered as the distribution of the possibility of one or more results. To study risk, we need to have a precise description about the possibility of the risk. However, from the point view of a risk manager, the possible result in the future and the characteristic of the possibility distribution are usually unknown, so subjective factors are frequently needed when making decisions. The second factor is the exposure to uncertainty. Different human activities were influenced at different level to the same uncertainty. For example, the future weather is uncertain to everyone, but the influence it has over agriculture can be far deeper than that over finance industry or other industry. Based on the above description about risk, we could have a clearer definition of financial risk. Financial risk is the exposure to uncertainty of the participants in the financial market activities. The participants mainly refer to financial institutions and non-financial institutions, usually not including ndividual investors. Financial risk arises through countless transactions of a financial nature, including sales and purchases, investments and loans, and various other business activities. It can arise as a result of legal transactions, new projects, mergers and acquisitions, debt financing, the energy component of costs, or through the activities of management, stockholders, competitors, foreign governments, or weather. (Karen A. Horcher). Financial risk can be divided into the following types according to the different sources of risk. A. Market risk. Market risk  is the  risk  that the value of a portfolio, either an investment portfolio or a trading portfolio. It will decrease due to the change in value of the market risk factors. The four standard market risk factors are stock prices, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and commodity prices. The influence of these market factors have over the financial participants can be both direct and indirect, like through competitors, suppliers or customers. B. Credit risk. Credit risk  is an investors risk of loss arising from a borrower who does not make payments as promised. Such an event is called a  default. Almost all the financial transactions have credit risk. Recent years, with the development of the internet financial market, the problem of internet finance credit risk also became prominent. C. Liquidity risk. Liquidity risk  is the risk that a given security or asset cannot be traded quickly enough in the market to prevent a loss. Liquidity risk arises from situations in which a party interested in trading an  asset  cannot do it because nobody in the  market  wants to trade that asset. Liquidity risk becomes particularly important to parties who are about to hold or currently hold an asset, since it affects their ability to trade. D. Operational risk. Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems, or from external events. Nowadays, the study and management of operational risk is getting more attention. The organizations are trying to perfect their internal control to minimize the possibility of risk. At the same time, the mature theory of other subjects, such as operational research methods, are also introduced to the management of operational risk. Overall, financial risk management is a process to deal with the uncertainty resulting from financial markets. It involves assessing the financial risks facing an organization and developing management strategies consistent with internal priorities and policies. Addressing financial risks proactively may provide an organization with a competitive advantage. It also ensures that management, operational staff, stockholders, and the board of directors are in agreement on key issues. III. Risk Management and the Theoretical Foundation Financial market participant’s attitude towards risk can be basically divided into the following categories. A. Avoid risk. It is irrational for some companies to think that they can avoid the financial risks though their careful management because of the following reasons. First of all, risk is the internal feature of human activities. Even though it doesn’t have direct influence, it could generate indirect influence though the competitors, suppliers or customers. Moreover, sometimes it might be a better choice for the manager of the company to accept risk. For example, when the profit margin of the company is higher than the market profit margin, the manager can increase the value of the company by using financial leverage principle. Obviously, it will be harder to increase the value of a company if the manager is always using the risk avoidance strategy. B. Ignore risk. Some participants tend to ignore the existence of risks in their financial activities, thus they will not take any measures to manage the risk. According to a research of Loderer and Pichler, almost all the Swedish multinational companies ignored the exchange rate risk that they are facing. C. Diversify risk. Many companies and institutions choose to diversify risk by putting eggs into different baskets, which means reaching the purpose of lower risk by holding assets of different type and low correlation. And the cost is relatively low. However, as to small corporations or individuals, diversifying risk is somehow unrealistic. Meanwhile, modern asset portfolio theory also tells us that diversifying risk could only lower the unsystematic risk, but not systematic risk. D. Manage risk. Presently, most people have realized that financial risk cannot be eliminated, but it could get managed though the financial theory and tools. For instance, participants can break down the risk they are exposed to by using financial engineering methods. After keeping some necessary risk, diversify the rest risk to others by using derivatives. But why do we need financial risk management? In other words, what is the theoretical foundation of the existence of financial risk management? The early financial theory argues that financial risk management is not necessary. The Nobel Prize winner Miller ;amp; Modigliani pointed out that in a perfect market, financial measures like hedging cannot influence the firm’s value. Here the perfect market refers to a market without tax or bankruptcy cost, and the market participants own the complete information. Therefore, the managers do not need to worry about financial risk management. The similar theory also says that even though there will be slight moves in the short run, in the long run, the economy will move relatively stable. So the risk management that is used to prevent the loss in short term is just a waste of time and resource. Namely, there is no financial risk in the long run, so the financial risk management in the short run will just offset the firm’s profits, and therefore reduce the firm’s value. However, in reality, financial risk management has already roused more and more attention. The need for risk management theory and measures soar to unprecedented heights for both the regulator and participants of the financial market. Those who think risk management is necessary argue that the need for risk management is mainly based on the imperfection of the market and the risk aversion manager. Since the real economy and the financial market are not perfect, the manager can increase a firm’s value by managing risk. The imperfection of the financial market is shown in the following aspects. First, there are various types of tax existing in the real market. And these taxes will influence the earning flow of the firm, and also the firm’s value. So the Modigliani ;amp; Miller theory does not work for the real economy. Secondly, there is transaction cost in the real market. And the smaller the transaction is, the higher the cost. Last but not least, the financial market participants cannot obtain the complete information. Therefore, firms can benefit from risk management. First, the firm can get stable cash flow, and thus avoid the external financing cost caused by the cash flow shortage, decrease the fluctuation range of the stock and keep a good credit record of the company. Secondly, a stable cash flow can guarantee that a company can invest successfully when the opportunity occurs. And it gets some competitive advantage compared to those who don’t have stable cash flow. Thirdly, since a firm possesses more resource and knowledge than an individual, which means it could have more complete information and manage financial risks more efficiently. If the manager of a firm is risk aversion, he can improve the manager’s utility through financial risk management. Many researches show that the financial risk management activities have close relation to the manager’s aversion to risk. For example, Tufano studied the risk management strategy of American gold industry, and found that the risk management of firms in that industry has close relation to the contract that the managers signed about reward and punishment contracts. The managers and employees are full of enthusiasm about risk management is because that they put great amount of invisible capital in the firm. The invisible capital includes human capital and specific skills. So the financial risk management of the firms became some natural reaction to protect their devoted assets. In conclusion, although controversy is still going on about the financial risk management, there is no doubt that the theory and tools of financial risk management is adopted and used by market participants, and continue to be enriched and innovated. IV. The Process of Financial Risk Management The process of financial risk management comprises strategies that enable an organization to manage the risks associated with financial markets. Risk management is a dynamic process that should evolve with an organization and its business. It involves and impacts many parts of an organization including treasury, sales, marketing, tax, commodity, and corporate finance. Company’s financial risk management can be divided into three major steps, namely identification or confirmation risk, measure risk and manage risk. Let’s illustrate it using the market risk as an example. First, confirm the market risk factors that have a significant influence to the company, and then measure the risk factors. At present, the frequently used measure of market risk approach can be divided into the relative measure and absolute measure. A. The relative measure method It mainly measures the sensitivity relationship between the market factors fluctuations and financial asset price changes, such as the duration and convexity. B. The absolute measure methods It includes variance or standard deviation and the absolute deviation indicator, mini max and value at risk (VaR). VaR originated in the 1980s’, which is defined the maximum loss that may occur within a certain confidence level. In mathematics, VaR is expressed as an investment vehicle or a combination of profit and loss distribution of ? -quantile, which stated as follows: Pr ( ? p ;lt;= VaR ) = ? , where, ? p said that the investment loss in the holding period within the confidence level (1 –? ). For example, if the VaR of a company is 100 million U. S. ollars in 95% confidence level of 10 days, which means in the next 10 days, the risk of loss that occurred more than 1 million U. S. dollars may of only 5%. Through this quantitative measure, company can clear its risks and thus have the ability to carry out the next step targeted quantitative risk management activities. (Guanghui Tian) The last step is management risk. Once the company identified the major risks and have a quantitative grasp of these risks through risk-measurement methods, those companies can use various tools to manage the risk quantitatively. There are different types of risk for different companies, even the same company at different stages of development. So it requires specific conditions for the optimization of different risk management strategies. In general, when the company considers its risk exposure more than it could bear, the following two methods can be used to manage the risk. The first way is changing the company’s operating mode, to make the risk back to a sustainable level. This method is also known as â€Å"Operation Hedge†. Companies can adjust the supply channels of raw materials, set up production plants in the sales directly or adjust the volume of inflow and outflow of foreign exchange and other methods to achieve above purpose. The second way is adjust the company’s risk exposure through financial markets. Companies can take advantage of the financial markets. Companies can take advantage of the financial markets wide range of products and tools to hedge its risk, which means to offset the risk that the company may face through holding a contrary position. Now various financial derivative instruments provide a sufficient and diverse selection of products. Derivative products are financial instruments whose value is attached to some other underlying assets. These basic subject matters may be interest rates, exchange rates, bonds, stocks, stock index and commodity prices, but also can be a credit, the weather and even a snowfall in some ski showplace. Common derivatives include forward contracts, swaps, futures and options and so on. V. The Challenges Faced by the Modern Financial Risk Management Theory Over the recent years, as the focus of risk management hifts from a control function to one of global financial optimization, the concern shifts from modeling the behavior of engineered contracts in selected markets to modeling the evolution of the entire economy. This change of focus calls for a vastly improved ability to model the time evolution of economic quantities. (Sergio Focardi). While those who do risk management are interested in predicting if assets will go up or down, the over-riding interest is in the relationship in movement to different assets. Though linear methods such as variance-covariance help to understand the co-movements of markets, a different set of tools is necessary to better manage risk. (Jose Scheinkman). Paradigms such as learning, nonlinear dynamics and statistical mechanics will affect how risk – from market and credit risk to operational risk – is managed. While the first attempts to use some of these tools were focused on predicting market movements, it is now clear that these methodologies might positively influence many other aspects of economics. For instance, they could be useful in understanding phenomena such as price formation, the emergence of bankruptcy chains, or patterns of boom-and-bust cycles. Lars Hansen, Homer J. Livingston professor of economics at the University of Chicago, remarks that these new paradigms will bring to asset pricing and risk management at enhanced understanding once the implicit underlying fundamentals are better understood. He says â€Å"What needed is a formal specification of the market structure, the microeconomic uncertainty, and the investor preferences that is consistent with the posited nonlinear models. Commenting on the need to bring together the pricing of financial assets and the real economy, he notes that an understanding of what’s behind pricing leads to a better understanding of how assets behave. â€Å"For risk management decisions that entail long-run commitments,† he observes, â€Å"it is particularly important to understand, beyond a purely statistical model, what is governing the underlying movements in security prices. † Blake LeBaron, professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Medison, observes that there is now more interest in macro moves than in individual markets. But traditional macroeconomics typically provides only point forecasts of macro aggregates. In the risk management context, a simple point forecast is not sufficient; a complete validated probabilistic framework is needed to perform operations such as hedging or optimization. One is after an entire statistical decision-making process. The big issue is the distinction between forecasts and decisions. (Blake LeBaron) Arriving at an entire statistical decision-making process implies reaching a better scientific explanation of economic reality. New theories are attempting to do so through models that reflect empirical data more accurate than traditional models. These models will improve our ability to forecast economic and financial phenomena. The endeavor is not without its challenges. Our ability to model the evolution of the economy is limited. Prof. Scheinkman notes that unlike in a physical system where better data and more computing power can lead to better predictions, in social systems when a new level of understanding is gained, agents start to use new methods. Prof. Scheinkman says â€Å"Less ambitious goals have to be set. Gaining an understanding of the broad features of how the structure of an economic system evolves or of relationships between parts of the system might be all that can be achieved. Prof. Scheinkman remarks that we might have to concentrate on finding those patterns of economic behavior that are not destroyed, at least not in the short-run, by the agent learning process. VI. Conclusion The theory foundation of modern financial risk management is the Efficient Markets Hypothesis, which notes that financial market is a linear balanced system. In this system, investors are rational, and they make their investment decision with rational expectations. This hypothesis shows that the changing of the future price of financial assets has no relation with the history information, and the return on assets should obey normal distribution. However, the study of economic physics shows that financial market is a very complicated nonlinear system. At the same time, behavioral finance tells us that investors are not all rational when making decisions. They usually cannot completely understand the situation they are facing unlike hypothesized. And most times they will have cognitive bias, when they use experience or intuition as the basis of making decisions. It will lead to irrational phenomena like overreaction and under reaction when reflected on investment behaviors. Therefore, it will be meaningful to study how to improve the existing financial risk management tools, especially how to introduce the nonlinear science and behavior study into the measurement of financial risk.

Hugo Chávez Essay -- Biography Chavez President Venezuela Essays

Hugo Chà ¡vez El Comandante! El Comandante! If you scream that in the streets of Venezuela, there is only one person you could possibly be referring to – Hugo Chà ¡vez. The current president of the South American country, Venezuela, has been in power for the past four years. His time in office has been criticized by most and glorified by some. He has had the backing of other countries such as Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Libya and Iraq. On the other hand, the United States has had a continuous growth of confusion for Chà ¡vez’s actions. The leader’s intentions have been surrounded by a circle of uncertainty. Chà ¡vez’s life as president or even before those days has been far from interesting. Hugo Chà ¡vez has been a leader, a commander and a revolutionist. Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as was born in Sabaneta de Barinas, a small town in the lightly populated savannah. His young life was simple. He grew up selling bananas and sowing corn. He enjoyed the academics and had a thirst for knowledge. Chà ¡vez excelled in baseball, the country’s national pastime. Josà © Là ³pez, Chà ¡vez’s baseball coach, described the youngster as, â€Å"A tough little kid, mischievous, a real talker and dreamer, but as tenacious as hell† (Rother). As he grew up he had a growing curiosity towards the military and those with power. He was assigned to many regions where he performed different duties. He also had the opportunity to meet numerous people. A former classmate and friend of Chà ¡vez, Jesà ºs Hernà ¡ndez recalled, â€Å"We were a group of four or five captains who used to jog together in the afternoons, and one day in 1983 Chà ¡vez suggested we swear an oath to fight against corruption and for the welfare of our country†¦from that moment on, we began to study the pr... .... Is this the president we have been waiting for Works Cited Buxton, Julian. Failure of Political Reform in Venezuela. Aldershot, New Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, 2001. Ellner, Steve, and Daniel Hellinger, eds. Venezuelan Politics in the Chà ¡vez Era. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2003. Rother, Larry. â€Å"Chà ¡vez Shaping Country to His Vision.† The New York Times. On-line. Internet. 28 July 2000. Available WWW: http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas Schemo, Diana Jean. â€Å"Renegade Officer Favored in Venezuelan Election.† The New York Times. On-line. Internet. 6 December 1998. Available WWW: http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas â€Å"Venezuela’s Chà ¡vez plans to rule until 2013.† CNN Presents. CNN. 14 July 2002. Wilson, Scott. â€Å"Political Deadlock Bolsters Chà ¡vez.† The Washington Post 20 January 2003: A15.

Breaking Unhealthy Habits through Continuous Realization, Planning, and Actualization Essay

The unhealthy habits of a person may differ from another in terms of its nature, quantity, and occurrence. In fact, it is common and quite predictable for an individual to develop at least one unhealthy habit (Van Dusen, 2008). Unhealthy habits may include common examples such as cigarette smoking, frequent and excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, and overeating unhealthy food variants. As one can see from the examples, unhealthy habits are usually common practices of numerous individuals; thus, they are generally overlooked. However, there is a reason as to why such habits are termed as unhealthy. The reason for the term is that one’s personal health and welfare are compromised through the practice of such habits. Hence, keeping unhealthy habits are a considerable risk to an individual. Therefore, there is a need for individuals to take action and finally break unhealthy habits. The process of breaking unhealthy habits can be divided into three major segments which are realization, planning, and actualization. In terms of realization, an individual must assess the unhealthy habits that he or she currently practices and must understand the possible repercussions by continuing such negative practices. In fact, it has been determined that the problem as to why people rarely break free from unhealthy habits is that they do not realize the dangers associated with their actions (Van Dusen, 2008). If an individual will completely be able to understand the negative effects of his or her unhealthy habits, then questions regarding the reason why such habits should be or should not be continued will arise. For example, a male smoker may think that cigarette smoking is good since it helps in keeping the alertness of a person; on the other hand, he may also think about the detrimental effects that smoking has on the body such as increased risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. When the individual finally realizes that the negative aspects generally outweigh the positive ones, then the next segment of breaking unhealthy habits can be initiated. Planning pertains to the possible actions that one can make in order to move away from continuously doing an unhealthy habit. Using the male smoker again as an example, he may plan to eliminate all the cigarettes that he currently has and remove all related objects or signs as well. In addition, the smoker may also opt to consult experts in cases of nicotine addiction in order to gain further knowledge and potential solutions to his problem. The expert may provide medical solutions to such a problem by offering specific sets of drugs to help the body adjust to the condition of being nicotine free. In this sense, an individual with an unhealthy habit may plan to conduct actions that will prevent further occurrence of the habit itself by eliminating the root causes and associated objects or consulting with consulting experts or medical professionals when applicable. Hence, planning to break an unhealthy habit may be conducted personally or with the help of others. The last segment of the process pertains to actualization. This is quite self-explanatory since planning will be of no use if not followed. Therefore, a person that has assessed and planned what he or she must do in order to break an unhealthy habit must not only start out his or her plan but stick to it as well. Given this, an individual that initiates ways in order to remove the unhealthy habit but ends up quitting halfway will obviously be not successful in eliminating the unhealthy habit. Thus, one can only determine that a person has broken free of unhealthy habits if the person does not return to doing it for a long period of time. In this sense, breaking an unhealthy habit is not defined by being free of such unhealthy actions in the short period after the actualization of the plans. Keeping clean of unhealthy habits requires continuous conviction and belief that returning to the practice of unhealthy habits will only bring forth negative consequences. Therefore, breaking unhealthy habits and maintaining a state free of such habits is not easy, but through a continuous sense and understanding of the three segments discussed, it is highly probable that the individual will be successful in his or her pursuit.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 20

â€Å"My apologies for the abrupt transport,† Carter continued. â€Å"Jerome started freaking out that I'd left you alone for so long.† â€Å"I've never ‘freaked out' in my life – er, existence, er whatever,† mused Jerome, strolling into the room. Studying him, I could believe his words. Dressed immaculately as ever, he held a martini in one hand and looked utterly at ease amid the disarray. â€Å"Nice place,† I told him, still aghast at the damage done to such beauty. â€Å"Fixer-upper?† The demon's eyes flashed with amusement at my joke. â€Å"I do so love having you around, Georgie.† He sipped his drink. â€Å"Yes, it is a little rough around the edges right now, but no worries. It'll clean up. Besides, I have other domiciles.† Jerome had always been very tight-lipped about where he lived, and I suspected it was only Carter's intervention that allowed us to even remain here right now. The demon would have never invited us. Walking over to a large bay window, I beheld a magnificent view of Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline glittering beyond it. Based on the angle of my view, I would have wagered money we were in Medina, one of the more elite Eastside suburbs. Only the best for Jerome. â€Å"So what happened?† I finally asked when it became apparent no one else intended to broach the subject. â€Å"Was this a nephilim attack, or did you just throw a party that got out of hand? Because honestly, if it's the last one, I'm going to be really pissed we weren't invited.† â€Å"No such fears,† Carter told me, smiling. â€Å"Our friend the nephilim did a little redecorating, kindly flashing us when it was over. That's why I abandoned you at Erik's. I would have given you some warning, but when I felt it over here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked meaningfully at Jerome. The demon scoffed in response. â€Å"You what? Thought I was in danger? You know that's not possible.† Carter made a nondescript noise of disagreement. â€Å"Yeah? What do you call that?† He inclined his head toward the spray-painted symbol. â€Å"Graffiti,† responded Jerome disinterestedly. â€Å"It means nothing.† I walked away from the breathtaking window and its pricey view, looking the symbol up and down. I'd never seen anything like it, and I was familiar with a lot of characters and markings from all types of places and times. â€Å"It must mean something,† I countered. â€Å"Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. Otherwise, he could have just written ‘you suck' or something like that.† â€Å"Maybe that's in one of the other rooms,† suggested Cody. â€Å"A punch line worthy of Georgie. You're learning more than dancing.† Ignoring the demon's attempt to change the subject, I turned to Carter for answers. â€Å"What is it? You must know what it means.† The angel studied me speculatively a moment, and I realized I'd never appealed to him before for serious help. Until our recent roommate stint, most of our interactions had been downright antagonistic. â€Å"It's a warning,† he said slowly, not looking at his demonic counterpart. â€Å"A warning of impending disaster. The real phase of a battle about to begin.† Jerome's finely suppressed control snapped. He slammed the glass down on an off-kilter table, face flushing. â€Å"Christ, Carter! Are you insane?† â€Å"It doesn't matter, and you know it. Everything's going to come out anyway.† â€Å"No,† hissed the demon icily, â€Å"not everything.† â€Å"Then you tell them.† Carter made a grandiose gesture toward the symbol. â€Å"You explain and make sure I don't say too much.† Jerome glared at him, and they locked eyes in their usual way. I'd seen it happen countless times, but upon reflection, I felt pretty sure I'd never actually seen them at such odds with each other before. â€Å"It might have meant those things at one time,† Jerome admitted at last, exhaling in an effort to calm himself. â€Å"But not anymore. As I said, it's meaningless now. An archaic scrawl. A charm which, without anyone to believe in it anymore, holds no power.† â€Å"Then why use it at all?† I wondered aloud. â€Å"More of the nephilim's bizarre sense of humor?† â€Å"Something like that. It's to remind me who we're dealing with – as if there was any possible way I could forget.† Picking up his sloshed martini, Jerome finished it in one gulp. Sighing, suddenly looking tired, he glanced at Carter. â€Å"You can tell them about the other ones if you want.† The angel's face registered mild surprise at the concession. He looked back up at the marred wall. â€Å"This symbol is the second in a set of three. The first is the declaration of battle – a way to sort of psyche out your enemy with what's to come. It looks just like this but with no diagonal. The last symbol marks victory. It has two diagonals and is displayed after the enemy is defeated.† I followed his gaze. â€Å"So, wait†¦ if this is the second, does that mean you've seen the first already?† Jerome walked out of the room and returned a moment later, handing me a piece of paper. â€Å"You're not the only one who gets love notes, Georgie.† I opened it up. The paper was the same kind used for my notes. Displayed on it, in heavy black ink, was a copy of the symbol on Jerome's wall without the diagonal. The first symbol, the declaration, according to Carter. â€Å"When did you get this?† â€Å"Just before Duane died.† I thought back through the weeks. â€Å"That's why you didn't push me too hard when he died. You already had a good idea who was responsible.† The demon shrugged by way of answer. â€Å"Wait a minute then,† exclaimed Cody, coming to look over my shoulder at the note. â€Å"If this is the first warning†¦ are you saying that everything that's happened – Duane, Hugh, Lucinda, Georgina – has been part of the ‘psyching out'?† The vampire grew incredulous when neither of the higher immortals responded. â€Å"What more can there be? What is this ‘real phase'? I mean, he's already attacked or killed, what, four immortals?† â€Å"Four lesser immortals,† I supplied, suddenly catching on. I looked back and forth between Jerome and Carter. â€Å"Right?† The angel gave me a tight-lipped smile. â€Å"Right. You guys have been the practice round before the big hit.† He gave Jerome another pointed look. â€Å"Stop it,† the demon snapped back. â€Å"I'm not a target here.† â€Å"Aren't you? No one spray-painted this on my wall.† â€Å"No one knows where you live.† â€Å"You're not exactly in the yellow pages yourself. You're the mark here.† â€Å"It's a moot point. It can't touch me.† â€Å"You don't know that – â€Å" â€Å"I do know that, and you know it too. There is absolutely no way it can be stronger than me.† â€Å"We need backup after all. Call Nanette – â€Å" â€Å"Oh yes,† laughed Jerome harshly. â€Å"No one would notice if I pulled her from Portland. Do you have any idea what a red flag that would throw up? People would start noticing, start asking questions – â€Å" â€Å"So what if they do? It's no big deal – â€Å" â€Å"Easy for you to say. What would you know about – â€Å" â€Å"Please. I know enough to know that you're being overly paranoid about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The two went back and forth at each other, Jerome adamantly denying there was any problem, Carter maintaining that they needed to take appropriate precautions. As noted earlier, I had never seen the two of them in such open disagreement. I didn't like it, especially as their voices began to rise in volume. I didn't want to be around if they came to blows or displays of power, having already seen too much of their strength in the last few weeks. Slowly, I backed up out of the living room toward a nearby hallway. Cody, catching my mood, followed. â€Å"I hate it when Mom and Dad fight,† I commented as we retreated away from the divine bickering, seeking a safer locale. Looking in doorways, I saw a bathroom, a bedroom, and a guest room. Somehow I didn't imagine the demon hosted too many overnight guests. â€Å"This looks promising,† observed Cody as we turned in to an entertainment room. More leather seating surrounded a massive, absurdly thin plasma screen hanging on the wall. Sleek, beautiful speakers stood in strategic spots around us, and a substantial glass case displayed hundreds of DVDs. This room, like the others, had been sacked. Sighing, I threw myself on to one of the ripped chairs while Cody checked out the sound system. â€Å"What do you think of all this?† I asked him. â€Å"The new developments, I mean, not the entertainment setup.† â€Å"What's to think? It seems straightforward to me. This nephilim character warms up with lesser immortals and now decides to take on the higher ones. Sick and twisted, but well, that's the way it is. On the bright side, maybe we're out of danger now – no offense to Jerome or Carter.† â€Å"I don't know.† I tipped my head back, thinking. â€Å"Something still isn't right to me. There's something we're missing. Listen to them in there. Why is Jerome being such an idiot about all of this? Why won't he listen to Carter?† The young vampire glanced up from his perusal of the movies and gave me a sly smile. â€Å"I never thought I'd see the day when you advocated for Carter. You must have gotten really chummy this last week.† â€Å"Don't get any romantic delusions,† I warned him. â€Å"God knows I have enough of that on my plate already. It's just that, I don't know. Carter's not as bad as I used to think.† â€Å"He's an angel. He's not bad at all.† â€Å"You know what I mean, and you've got to admit, he has a point. Jerome should be taking appropriate measures. This thing trashed his place and left warnings – even if they're obsolete charms or whatever. Why is Jerome so convinced he's safe?† â€Å"Because he thinks he's stronger than it is.† â€Å"How would he know though? Neither of them have gotten a good feel for it – even Carter didn't the night he saved me.† â€Å"Jerome doesn't seem like the type to dismiss things without a reason. If he says he's stronger, then I'd – holy shit. Check this out.† His serious spiel melted into laughter. Getting up, I walked over and knelt beside him. â€Å"What?† He pointed to the bottom row of DVDs. I read the titles. High Fidelity. Better Off Dead. Say Anything. Grosse Pointe Blank. All John Cusack movies. â€Å"I knew it,† I breathed, thinking of the demon's coincidental resemblance to the actor. â€Å"I knew he was a fan. He's always denied it.† † Wait'll we tell Peter and Hugh,† crowed Cody. He pulled Better Off Dead off the shelf. â€Å"This one's his best.† I pulled out Being John Malkovich, my tense mood momentarily relaxed. â€Å"No way. This one is.† â€Å"That one's too weird.† I glanced up at the plasma screen, a huge gash slashing across its surface. â€Å"Normally I'd suggest we have a showdown to settle the point, but somehow I don't think there'll be any viewings for a while here.† Cody followed my gaze and grimaced at the massacre. â€Å"What a waste. This nephilim's a real bastard.† â€Å"No doubt,† I agreed, standing up. â€Å"It's no wonder – â€Å" I froze. Everything froze. A real bastard. â€Å"Georgina?† asked Cody curiously. â€Å"You all right?† I closed my eyes, reeling. â€Å"Oh my God.† A real bastard. I thought then about the entire trail of nephilim events, how from the very beginning Jerome had been warning us away. Ostensibly, his actions had been to keep us safe, but there had been no reason not to explain nephilim to us, no real danger to us in understanding the nature of our adversary. Yet Jerome had stayed tight-lipped about it, growing irrationally angry when any of us got too close. When Cody had first posited the â€Å"rogue angel† theory, I had written the secrecy off to embarrassment from the other side. Yet, it wasn't their side that had something to hide. It was ours. Click, click. Once started, the dominoes in my head tumbled forward in a rush. I thought about Harrington's book: the corrupted angels taught â€Å"charms and enchantments† to their wives while their offspring ran wild†¦ Charms. Like the obsolete one on Jerome's wall. It's to remind me who we're dealing with – as if there was any possible way I could forget, he had explained offhandedly. Carter had told me demons generally get into hunting down nephilim. Nanette had wanted to come and help with this one, but Jerome wouldn't let her, thus minimizing those involved. Carter he had kept on hand for the kill, however. Wouldn't Jerome want to do it himself? I had wondered, but the angel had evaded answering. Still the dominoes fell. Nephilim inherit a lot more than half their parent's power, though they can never exceed it. Jerome's words to us last week, again spoken casually, just after my attack. Only minutes ago, I had wondered at his confidence at being stronger than the nephilim, questioning how he could be so certain. But of course he could be. Divine genetics had already dictated the parameters. â€Å"Georgina? Where are you going?† Cody exclaimed as I strode out of the room, back toward the still-roaring argument down the hallway. â€Å"Look,† Carter was saying, â€Å"it won't hurt anything to just – â€Å" â€Å"It's yours,† I cried to Jerome, attempting to stare him down – difficult, since he was taller than me. â€Å"The nephilim is yours.† â€Å"My problem?† â€Å"No! You know what I mean. Your child. Your son†¦ or daughter†¦ or whatever.† Silence descended, and Jerome stared at me with those piercing black eyes, boring right into my soul. I expected at any moment to be blasted across the room. Instead, all he asked was, â€Å"So?† Startled at his mild response, I swallowed. â€Å"So†¦ so†¦ why didn't you just tell us? From the beginning? Why such secrecy?† â€Å"As you can perhaps imagine, this is not a topic I enjoy bringing up. And contrary to popular belief, I do feel entitled to some privacy.† â€Å"Yes, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Now that it was out, I didn't know what to say or think or do. â€Å"What will happen? What are you going to do?† â€Å"The same thing I've been planning on doing. We will find this creature and destroy it.† â€Å"But it†¦ he or she†¦ is yours†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I, who had so jealously and longingly watched Paige's growing pregnancy and Seth's bevy of nieces, could not even begin to fathom calmly announcing the murder of one's offspring. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† the demon said simply. â€Å"It's a liability, a danger to the rest of us. My connection to it is irrelevant.† â€Å"You†¦ you keep saying ‘it.' Are you so detached that you can't even†¦ you know, call it by name or gender? What is it anyway? A son or a daughter?† He hesitated a moment, and I detected a faint trace of unease in that cool mask. â€Å"I don't know.† I stared. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I wasn't there when it was born. When I found out she†¦ my wife†¦ was pregnant, I left. I knew what would happen. I was neither the first – nor the last – to take a mortal wife. Plenty of nephilim had been born and destroyed by that point. We all knew what they were capable of. The right thing to do when it was born would have been to destroy it right then.† He paused, once more perfectly expressionless. â€Å"I couldn't do it. I left, so I wouldn't have to deal with it, so I wouldn't have to make that choice. It was a coward's way out.† â€Å"Did you†¦ ever see her again? Your wife?† â€Å"No.† Speechless, I wondered what she must have been like. I barely understood Jerome now as a demon, let alone before he fell. He hardly ever showed any sort of emotion or affection for anyone; I couldn't imagine what kind of a woman would have so overcome him that he would turn his back on all he held sacred. And yet, despite that love, he had still left, never to see her again. She would have been dead for millennia by now. He had left to save their child, only to once again be faced with holding its life in his hands. The whole thing was heartbreaking, and I wanted to do something – hug the demon, maybe – but I knew he wouldn't thank me for my sympathy. He was already too embarrassed at us finding out about all of this. â€Å"So you've never seen it? How do you know for sure this one is yours?† â€Å"The signature. When I feel it, I feel half of my own aura and half of†¦ hers. No other creature could have that combination.† â€Å"And you've felt that every time?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Wow. Yet you know nothing else about it.† â€Å"Correct. As I said, I was gone long before it was born.† â€Å"Then†¦ then it would make sense that you really are a target,† I told him, gesturing to the wall. â€Å"Even independent of all this. The nephilim has especial reason to be pissed off at you.† â€Å"Thanks for the unconditional support.† â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant†¦ the nephilim already have good cause to be angry. Everybody hates them and tries to kill them. And this one†¦ well, people spend thousands of dollars on therapy to get over bad experiences with their fathers. Imagine what kind of neuroses would develop after several thousand years.† â€Å"Are you suggesting a family counseling session, Georgie ?† â€Å"No†¦ no, of course not. Although†¦ I don't know. Have you tried talking to it? Reasoning with it?† I remembered Erik's comment about nephilim just wanting to be left alone. â€Å"Maybe you could work something out.† â€Å"All right, this conversation is growing more absurd, if that's possible.† Jerome turned to Carter. â€Å"You want to take them home now?† â€Å"I'm staying with you,† the angel stated flatly. â€Å"Oh, for Christ's sake, I thought we settled this – â€Å" â€Å"He's right,† I piped up. â€Å"The warning phase is over. I'm safe now.† â€Å"We don't know – â€Å" â€Å"And besides, this wasn't so much about my safety anyway as having Carter keep me from finding out the truth about your family problems. It's too late now, and I'm tired of having a shadow. You keep him, and we'll all sleep easy, even if it is overkill.† â€Å"Eloquently put,† chuckled Carter. Jerome still protested, and we bickered a bit more about it, but in the end, the decision rested in Carter's hands. Jerome had no power to order him around; indeed, if Carter wanted to follow the demon indefinitely, there was nothing Jerome could do, not really. They weren't going to wage any epic battles with each other, no matter how annoyed they currently seemed. Carter did agree to teleport us back, though I suspected it was more of a kind gesture to make sure Cody and I could never find Jerome's place again. After he'd taken the vampire home, Carter transported me to my living room, hesitating before he disappeared again. â€Å"It is better this way, I think,† he told me. â€Å"Me staying with Jerome. I know the nephilim can't be stronger than him†¦ but there's still something weird going on. I'm not convinced you're out of danger either, but whatever's going on with you is something entirely different.† He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. There are a lot of hard calls here; I wish Jerome would let us get a little outside help. Not too much, of course. Just something. Anything.† â€Å"Don't worry,† I assured him. â€Å"I'll manage. You can't be everywhere at once.† â€Å"Isn't that the truth. I'll have to ask this nephilim how it does it when this is over.† â€Å"You can't question the dead.† â€Å"No,† he agreed grimly. â€Å"You can't.† He turned as if to depart. â€Å"It's weird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly. â€Å"The whole idea of Jerome loving someone. And falling because of it.† He gave me one of those canny, creepy smiles. â€Å"Love doesn't make angels fall, Georgina. If anything, love can have quite the opposite effect.† â€Å"So, what? If Jerome fell in love again, he could turn back into an angel?† â€Å"No, no. It's not quite that simple.† Seeing my baffled look, he chuckled and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. â€Å"Watch out for yourself, Daughter of Lilith. Call if you need help.† â€Å"I will,† I assured him as he blinked out, not that ever actually getting a hold of higher immortals was easy. Jerome could sense if I was hurt, but he was a lot harder to call for a casual chat. I went to bed shortly thereafter, fatigued by everything that had happened, too tired to worry about nephilim attacking me in my sleep. I worked the closing shift tomorrow, and it was my last day before another two days off. I needed the break. I woke up later the next morning, still alive. While walking into the bookstore, I ran into Seth, armed with his laptop, ready for another day of writing. Recalling the dance lesson with him put my nephilim concerns temporarily at bay. â€Å"Got my book?† I asked as he held the door open for me. â€Å"Nope. Got my shirt?† â€Å"Nope. I like the one you're wearing, though.† His themed T-shirt today displayed the logo for the musical Les Miserables. â€Å"My all-time favorite song comes from that.† â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Which one?† â€Å"‘I Dreamed a Dream.'† â€Å"That's a really depressing song. No wonder you don't want to date.† â€Å"So what's your favorite then?† I had asked Roman my stock question, but not Seth. † ‘Ultraviolet' by U2. You know it?† We approached the espresso counter. Bruce was there, and he started making my mocha before I even ordered. â€Å"I know some of their other stuff, but not that one. What's it about?† â€Å"Love, of course. Like all good songs. The pain of love juxtaposed with its redemptive power. A bit more optimistic than yours.† I remembered Carter's comment from last night. Love doesn't make angels fall. Seth and I sat down to talk, conversation now flowing smoothly between us. Hard to believe there had ever been any awkwardness, I thought. He was so comfortable. Finally, knowing I had to work sometime, I dragged myself away to check on the rest of the staff and then retreat to my office. I only intended to check my e-mail, however; I felt sociable today and wanted to work the floor. Tossing my purse on the desk, I started to sit in my chair when I saw a too-familiar white envelope with my name on it. My breath caught. So much for being off the nephilim's radar. Trembling, I lifted the envelope up, opening it with clumsy fingers. Miss me? I imagine you've been kept pretty busy with your immortal friends, making sure everyone is safe and accounted for. I imagine you've been just as busy with your oh-so-fascinating personal life, barely sparing a thought for me. Cruel, considering all I've done for you. I wonder, though, do you worry just as much about the mortals in your life as you do the immortals? Admittedly, mortal deaths are so much less meaningful. After all, what's fifty less years compared to the centuries of an immortal? Mortals hardly seem worth the fuss, yet you put on a good face of caring for them. But do you really? Or are they just a diversion for the long stretch of your own centuries? What about your boyfriend? Is he another toy, another hobby to pass the time? Does he really mean anything to you? Let's find out. Convince me he does today. You have until the end of your shift to ascertain his safety. You know the rules – keep him in safe places, keep others around him, etc., etc. I'll be with you, watching. Convince me you really care, and I'll spare him. Make me believe. Fail – or involve any of your immortal contacts – and no amount of â€Å"safekeeping† will do him any good. I dropped the note, hands cold. What kind of fucked-up game was this? It made no sense. The nephilim told me in one breath to keep someone safe, yet implied in the next that it didn't matter, that there was no safety. It was stupid, another stirring of the waters, shaking up the status quo just to watch what I'd do. Looking around uneasily, I wondered: Was the nephilim here now? Was Jerome's disgruntled offspring lurking invisibly beside me, smirking at my distress? What should I do? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, just who the hell was my boyfriend anyway?

Free Essays on Roman Senate, Consuls, And Dictators

Upon hearing the phrase â€Å"Roman Republic†, most people think of a rich, powerful, vast nation with a dictator as the only form of government. Most people are wrong. The government of Rome had three well-known parts. Those parts were the senate, the consuls, and, in certain times, the dictators. In Rome, the rich patricians filled these occupations, until later when the Plebs were allowed to join. Because of the huge state of the Rome’s empire, the three main government jobs, the senate, consuls, and dictator, were extremely large and important. The senate was the largest part of the Roman government. It was made up of 300 magistrates. An important job of the senate was watching finances. The senate would congregate in a building called the Curia, in the Roman forum. At first birth was what determined who was a senator. â€Å"†¦a cross between the British and Canadian senates in that individual members could (eventually) be appointed† (Saywell and Ricker 1) After the fourth century B.C., plebeians, the lower class, were allowed in the senate. It was possible for a senator to be kicked out if he betrayed Rome. After the fall of the empire, the senate lasted, but not for long. After 450 A.D., the senate was only there for show. The title of consul didn’t come around until 366 B.C. The two chairmen of the senate were the consuls. They were elected by members of the senate. The consuls were commanders of the Roman army. Usually, the consuls were around forty-three. Because the consuls wanted games to be remembered, they had artists write down information about the games. The consuls were rarely seen in public but they were well-known. The consuls led the senate, were involved in foreign affairs, and could be overshadowed by dictators. Imperium duplex is the power divided between two. Annuum is the law that the consuls can only be in office for a year. Both of these things applied to the consuls. When a consul would die, there wo... Free Essays on Roman Senate, Consuls, And Dictators Free Essays on Roman Senate, Consuls, And Dictators Upon hearing the phrase â€Å"Roman Republic†, most people think of a rich, powerful, vast nation with a dictator as the only form of government. Most people are wrong. The government of Rome had three well-known parts. Those parts were the senate, the consuls, and, in certain times, the dictators. In Rome, the rich patricians filled these occupations, until later when the Plebs were allowed to join. Because of the huge state of the Rome’s empire, the three main government jobs, the senate, consuls, and dictator, were extremely large and important. The senate was the largest part of the Roman government. It was made up of 300 magistrates. An important job of the senate was watching finances. The senate would congregate in a building called the Curia, in the Roman forum. At first birth was what determined who was a senator. â€Å"†¦a cross between the British and Canadian senates in that individual members could (eventually) be appointed† (Saywell and Ricker 1) After the fourth century B.C., plebeians, the lower class, were allowed in the senate. It was possible for a senator to be kicked out if he betrayed Rome. After the fall of the empire, the senate lasted, but not for long. After 450 A.D., the senate was only there for show. The title of consul didn’t come around until 366 B.C. The two chairmen of the senate were the consuls. They were elected by members of the senate. The consuls were commanders of the Roman army. Usually, the consuls were around forty-three. Because the consuls wanted games to be remembered, they had artists write down information about the games. The consuls were rarely seen in public but they were well-known. The consuls led the senate, were involved in foreign affairs, and could be overshadowed by dictators. Imperium duplex is the power divided between two. Annuum is the law that the consuls can only be in office for a year. Both of these things applied to the consuls. When a consul would die, there wo...