Monday, September 30, 2019

Crowdfunding: Revolutionizing the Investment Essay

In April 2012, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act into legislation, (potentially) allowing small startup companies to gain investment from private individuals through crowdfunding. This case study explores the viability of crowdfunding as a means of investment, its advantages and disadvantages, its utilization thus far, and its potential success going forward. Features and benefits * MarketLine Case Studies describe topics such as innovative products, business models, and significant company acquisitions. * Fact-based and presented in an accessible style, they explain the rationale of commercial decisions and illustrate wider market and economic trends. Highlights In recent years, crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter have seen a dramatic increase in activity as the trend has gained momentum. As a result, the number of crowdfunding platforms is on the rise, and such enterprises are beginning to see their business models change in accordance with the future direction of this burgeoning new industry. Advantages of crowdfunding include the fact that it offers a much larger pool of investors from which startups and entrepreneurs are able to raise capital. Additionally, crowdfunding lessens the risk of bringing a new product to market, and enables startups to benefit from large-scale brand and product exposure. Crowdfunding ventures, such as the Pebble Watch, which launched on Kickstarter, have shown the potential rewards of a successful crowdfunding campaign, although this example also serves to exemplify the drawbacks of such a means of raising capital. Your key questions answered * What are the potential implications of the JOBS Act? * What are the advantages and disadvantages of crowdfunding initiatives? * How successful have crowdfunding initiatives been thus far? * What impact is crowdfunding likely to have on the traditional investment landscape

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Economic Policy and Practice

Economic Policies And Practices ECO2072 / Professor Gordon 4/5/2013 Assignment Due Date – 4/3/2013 Economic Policies And Practices Understanding the foundation for which our economy and society as a whole is built upon, the need for a controlled and managed monetary system to function effectively in order to facilitate trade and stabilize the flow within our economy is a must.To facilitate this need the federal government implements tools for analyzing the economy in order to regulate and control, and decisions are made based on the inputs and observations made to stabilize and enable the money to grow and retract as required within our economic system. Again, based on the aforementioned, the phrase â€Å"money makes the world go around† therefore can be attributed to the controlled systems, policies and/or a networks of our federal government for which are governed to enhance and manage both the levels of and effects of our financial monetary system.As we proceed, we w ill attempt to explain various government policy changes or unplanned events which can and may occur, and the resulting economic events or activity that will be impacted within our economy and the effects it has upon and within our economy. Implemented Budget Plan Resulting In Increases In Debt And No Plan For Problems As we look at our Federal Governments role in execution and control of our nation’s budget and the current budget deficit we can only pray that those in charge of the decisions utilize the tools available to them to manage and soften the blow to the economy as the deficit grows.Where in the case our government employs a budget plan over several fiscal years and results wherein our economy sustains significant increases in the nation’s debt and displays no signs of relief nor presents no plans to deal with the problems, several outcomes would be likely in the economy. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 32, P. 706 describes one effect being where government spending exceed s government revenue thus representing negative public saving, therefore reducing national savings, thus reducing the supply of loanable funds, Increasing interest rates, and crowds out investment.Amadeo, 2013 shares additional effects of this scenario wherein the deficit adds to a country’s debt each year and as the debt increases and the interest on the debt must be paid, it increases spending while adding no benefit to the economy. If the interest payments continue to rise, it can begin to create a drag on the economy’s growth. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 32, P. 706 states additional effects in that when budget deficits raise interest rates, both domestic as well as foreign behaviors cause U. S. net capital outflow to fall.Therefore, in an open economy, our government’s budget deficit raises the economy’s real interest rates, thus crowding out domestic investment, and causing the currency to appreciate, consequently pushing the trade balance toward deficit. Enac tment Of New Tariffs And Quotas On All Imports The economy uses a model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply as a means to analyze the economic fluctuations of supply and demand. This model depicts both the overall price levels in the economy and the overall quantity of goods and services produced in the economy.If in fact the Federal Government were to enact new tariffs and quotas on all imports, the economy would indeed experience effects from this activity. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 725-726 describes the model of aggregate demand and supply being what most economist use to explain short-run fluctuations in economic activity around the long-run trend. The aggregate demand curve displays the quantity of goods and services for which households, firms, the government, and customers abroad want to buy at each price level.The aggregate supply curve shows the quantity of goods and services that firms choose to produce and sell at each price level. The impact the economy would incur i n the case of tariffs enacted being taxes imposed on imported goods is the increase of the price of the goods in the domestic market, therefore domestic producers benefit due to they receive higher prices, the government benefits through the collection of tax revenues thus resulting in less goods produced and the consumer pays higher prices (Investopedia, 2013).In the case of quotas and their effect on the economy, we find that quotas are numerical limits which are imposed on imported goods and in such a case of enactment consumers are truly harmed by the quotas while domestic and foreign producers will benefit once again by receiving higher prices for goods and services (Investopedia, 2013). Loss Of Confidence In Leadership In Ability To Manage And Create Jobs The Federal government is the entity that steps in when our economy incurs unhealthy conditions within its business cycle.It is presumed that our government has tools to detect and analyze our economy to understand those even ts that have the potential to alter the economy’s equilibrium. With respect to the aforementioned, problems arise when the general public loses confidence in the leadership and their ability to manage the economy to include job creation. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 741 shares, that in the scenario of lack of confidence we find that consumers again alter their plans for the future cutting back on purchases and spending.The effect of this cutback impacts the aggregate demand curve as well as the aggregate supply curve thus impacting either the short-run equilibrium and/or the long-run equilibrium. The consequences result in falling incomes and rising unemployment due to reduction of output mirroring the shift in aggregate demand responding to lower sales and production. Amadeo, 2013 states; â€Å"consumers who drive 70% of the economy won’t spend if they don’t believe the future will be safe and secure.Therefore, the underlying role of the government is to create co nfidence, powering the economic growth needed to create jobs†. Decrease Taxes In Effort To Stimulate The Economy Another tool within our government and its fiscal policy to regulate and control economic growth is the taxation level. Some claim that, tax rate cuts can lead to increased economic growth, and wealth, while others claim that by reducing taxes correlates to the benefiting of the wealthy due to they pay the most taxes already.Our government possesses the powers to tax which in turn gives it greater control over its revenues. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 34, P. 773 shares, that when our government reduces personal income taxes, it increases the take-home pay of consumers. These households will save some of this additional income, and will also spend some of it on goods and services. Because reducing taxes increases consumer spending thus stimulating the economy, the tax cut shifts the aggregate-demand curve to the right. Conversely, a tax increase represses consumer spending and shifts the aggregate-demand curve to the left.The greater question lies in ‘what is the impact in our economy of a tax reduction for those making over $250,000’? Amadeo, 2013 shares that, the government considers those families that earn more than $250,000 yearly are wealthy and therefore should pay more taxes due to their ability to afford it. Amadeo, 2013 continues by stating that, economist say they do not spend these tax cuts, but save and invest them and therefore tax cuts for the wealth do not stimulate the economy. Investment Level’s Decrease Due To Lack Of Confidence In EconomyThe economy revolves around the ability of consumers to invest their moneys in goods and services or deposit ones excess money into interest bearing savings accounts wherein which the financial institutions would use the funds to make loans to consumers for the purpose of investing in personal interests. The ability to invest is crucial to the long-run of our economy’s succe ss and the functions of aggregate demand and supply and when these levels of investment decrease due to a lack of confidence in the economy several consequences begin to unfold in the economy. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 41 shares that, during such an event many people lose confidence in the future and alter their plans, therefore households cut back on their spending and refrain from major purchases, and businesses retract from the purchases of new equipment. AmosWeb, 2013 states; â€Å"the confidence that consumers have in the economy affects their willingness to undertake consumption expenditures†. Any change in the confidence of consumers wherein by changing consumption expenditures, will induce changes in the economy’s aggregate demand therefore causing a leftward shift of the demand curve. Interest Rates Kept Artificially Low By Fed’s For Several YearsThe economy revolves around the interest rates on the many investments of the consumers and plays a crucial p art in the spending on goods and services. The impact on the economy can be said to be two fold in the event that interest rates are kept artificially low by the Federal Reserve over a lengthy period of time. Mankiw, 2009, Ch. 33, P. 728 states that, interest rates affect spending on goods and services, therefore a lower interest rate makes borrowing less expensive and it encourages businesses to borrow to invest in operations and equipment as well as it encourages consumers to borrow to invest in self and home.This said, lower interest rates increase the quantity of goods and services in the economy. Conversely, Shilling, 2012 shares that artificially lower interest rates can have negative impacts on consumers in where those who are saving money are now receiving minimal to little return on their bank and money market accounts. Additionally, the day of the free checking accounts are fading away as well as banks and thrifts who deal with the lower interest earnings are increasing th e amounts of required balances on checking accounts that pay zero interest up to a set minimum.It is also noted that many savers are leaving the money markets funds for the protection of accounts covered by the Federal deposit insurance corp. which is displayed in the M2 velocity of money. Conclusion Based on the aforementioned and the understanding of the foundation for which our economy and society as a whole is built upon, the need for a controlled and managed economic system to function effectively in order to facilitate trade and stabilize the flow within our economy is a must.To facilitate this need, the federal government implements policies and practices within the economy in order to regulate and control, and base decisions on those inputs and observations in order to stabilize and enable the money to grow and retract as required within our economic system to maintain a balanced equilibrium. Again, based on the aforementioned, the phrase â€Å"money makes the world go arou nd† therefore can be attributed to the controlled systems, policies and/or networks of our federal government for which are governed to enhance and manage both the levels of and effects of our financial monetary system.Reference Amadeo, K. (2013). Budget deficit. U. S. Economy, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/od/glossary/g/Budget_Deficit. htm Amadeo, K. (2013). Job creation – statistics, ideas, and job creation by president. U. S. Economy, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/od/Employment/tp/Job-Creation. htm Amadeo, K. (2013). Should families making over $250,000 a year get tax cuts? President George Bush Tax cuts, Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/u/ua/usfederaltaxesandtax/Tax-Cuts-Should-The-Wealthy-Get-Tax-Cuts. htm AmosWeb. (2013). Consumer confidence, aggregate demand

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Topics to be Investigated Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topics to be Investigated - Research Paper Example An Evaluation of the Extent to Which Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors Influence the Process of Waste Disposal Waste disposal is a process that involves myriad activities and also brings on board different stakeholders that play different roles. Social, economic, and environmental factors are the likely critical aspects that influence waste disposal and management. While the activities, stakeholders, and influential factors are known, the extent to which these factors influence the process of waste disposal is fundamental to assess, evaluate and subsequently discover. The operational relationship between the activities, stakeholders, and influential factors in the process are uncertain or unknown, making necessary to discover this relationship. Research problem: Social, economic, and environmental factors influence waste disposal processes, but the magnitude and extent of this influence need to be researched. Paradigm Shifts in the Use of Alternative Green Energy Sources in Combating Climate Change Climate change has persistently become a global issue, with the trends in global warming and climate change, in general, showing an over the years increase. This has raised the need for the alternative use of green energy sources in order to try and reverse the contemporary trends in climate change. The paradigm shift from the use of pollutant energy sources to the use of green energy sources in combating climate change is a critical aspect of discovering. This follows the fact that the substitution of alternative sources of energy is personally uncertain.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Budgeting and financial systems in the public sector Article

Budgeting and financial systems in the public sector - Article Example In general, a public budget comprises of four setting. Firstly, a political factor allots the limited public resources to the social and economic needs. Secondly, it is a managerial and administrative factor as it strategises the various ways in which the public will be provided with their needs through setting appropriate programs and services, their costs, their evaluation and implementation methodologies (Bamishigbin, 2012). Thirdly, it is an economical factor as it determines the various ways the town shall engage in growth and development. Lastly, it is an accounting factor as it holds the town`s top executive accountable for the funds allocated to them by the government for expenditure (Blidesel, Popa, & Pop, n.d.). Every budget has two significant elements, capital and recurrent estimates. For the recurrent budget, it comprises of the recurrent revenues and expenditures (Bamishigbin, 2012). This is the segment of the city`s budget that is comprised of the budgeted cash for run ning the government operations and consumptions. Capital budget is the section of the city`s budget, which consists of capital receipt and expenditure. This is the capital translated into development programs and services to city dwellers (Blidesel, Popa, & Pop, n.d.). There are various forms of budget. For instance, line item budget is the traditional type of budget. Performance budgeting requires a performance as a measure of budget item. The programmed budget focuses on achievement of each program provided to the users (Bamishigbin, 2012). Zero budgeting determines the cost benefit; the value for money to be invested in a given activity before making decision. This paper discusses the problems associated with the old budgetary method employed in Jakarta City. It discusses the challenges the city leaders faces and it proposes solutions to the problems. With the adoption of the performance-based budget, the city can change the face of its budgeting process. The performance based bu dgeting will ensure the previous unclear funds allocation will show their allocation in budget. This is one way through which the city shifts from politicians’ dominance for the city`s benefit into an approachable, clear, and answerable public spending management mechanism. Problems at Jakarta City Budget The budgetary account of Jakarta City features constricted and comprehensive items of expenses. The budget items include items such as motor vehicles, clerical workers or realms of papers needed in the city`s agencies and they do not refer to the aim of spending (Bamishigbin, 2012). They use this as their basis from which the audit team will determine the city agencies’ compliance to the budget requirement. The city`s budgetary format is of the below form. Expenditure item salaries materials other expenses total Last year Current year Next year Problems Associated with this Budget The city`s board is unable to utilize 98 percent of the 2013 Jakarta city`s budget. The main reason behind this is difficulty in acquiring land for development, auctioning problem, government policies, and inadequate technology for facilitating electronic cataloguing to ensure timely service and good delivery. Consequently, the unused budget resulting from this is estimated will reach Rp 7.28 trillion, which is equivalent to 15 percent of 2014 proposed budget of Rp 50.1 trillions. The cited causes to increase in the budget include the new needs of infrastructure and innovation to the public service.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The United Nations Mission In Sierra Leone Essay

The United Nations Mission In Sierra Leone - Essay Example   At the beginning of 1995, the UN Secretary General appointed Mr. Berhanu Dinka, an Ethiopian national to help broker a peaceful settlement in Sierra Leone.   Dinka worked with the help of the Organization of African Union (OAU) and Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) to resolve this conflict and bring the country back to civilian rule. Mr. Dinka’s effort, together with ECOWAS and OAU, seemed to bear fruit as of February 1996, just a year after the war. Parliamentary and presidential elections were held, and the army ceded power to the winner, Alhaji Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. However, RUF refused to take part in the elections and declined to recognize Mr. Kabbah’s win. Their refusal to participate or accept the presidential and parliamentary election fuelled the war further.   In November 1996, Mr. Dinka, with the help of OAU and ECOWAS, assisted in the negotiation of the peace agreement between the government and RUF, commonly known as the Abidjan Ac cord.   However, the accord was not implemented immediately as it was derailed by another coup d’à ©tat 6 months later. At this time, the army also joined RUF and formed a ruling junta, forcing the president and his government to seek asylum in Guinea.   A new Special Envoy tried to persuade the military junta to cede power, but he failed. This forced the United Nations Council to impose sanctions on the rulers and allowed ECOWAS to implement the embargo using its military wing. 7 On October 23, 1997, a sub-committee of ECOWAS dealing with Sierra Leone met a delegation of the junta and held talks in Conakry, which led to the signing of a peace deal. This deal called for a ceasefire that was to be monitored by ECOMOG together with the UN military observers. On November 5, 1997, President Kabbah provided a communique accepting the new deal and said his government would work with ECOWAS, ECOMOG, UN, and the UNHCR to implement the new deal. However, although the junta said i t was committed to the agreement, it criticized some provisions of the agreement. This brought many questions than answers and as a result, the agreement was not implemented. 8 Due to continued conflict between the rebels and the government, the UN Security Council gave nod for the establishment UNAMSIL (United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone). The mandate of the mission was to help the government and the rebels to honor the Lome Peace Agreement. On February 7, 2000, the Security Council revised the mandate of UNAMSIL by adding more tasks. The military component was increased

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sociology of Cities and Urban Lives Research Paper

Sociology of Cities and Urban Lives - Research Paper Example . Cities provide their residents with conveniences, services, and opportunities not available elsewhere. The urban culture reflects in different aspect of the people living in the cities. In today’s sophisticated world, urban culture refers to the city’s sense of fashion, food habit and entertainment style. Let us look in detail about these three aspects. The cosmopolitan crowd has a touch of fashion in every aspect of their life. From the clothing to the music they listen they follow a unique trend. When it comes to outfit, the city dwellers wear clothing of high quality and of varied fashion. They tend to change their outfit very often, as the fashion abruptly changes every year. People give more importance to the way They dress and want to recognize themselves as style icons. Men and women are very much fashion conscious in cosmopolitan and metropolitan cities. â€Å"Fashion now occupies the centre ground in popular understanding of modern culture. It enjoys unprecedented coverage in the western media and defines the tenor of urban life like no other visual medium†(Breward 2008 : 9).They are very attentive on every element of decorating their body like shoes, glasses, watches, jewellery etc.Women adore cosmetics and spend generously on make up products. Fashion literally runs in the blood of urban life. â€Å"Nowadays what a person wears is more likely to be a reflection of their personal tastes and character, than wanting to imitate somebody else†(Machowska 2007). Food habit of urban people is vastly different from that of rural people. In the cities fast foods are of great demand, as people lead a very fast life. The streets of the big and small cities are adorned with various fast food outlets, which are the feasting ground for urban crowd. Since they find less time for cooking, they find these outlets as a blessing. â€Å"Convenience is a major concern in food purchases, particualry by members of urbanized

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Manchurian Candidate Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Manchurian Candidate - Movie Review Example Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw is shown in a movie about the Korean War as the gallant hero who fought for humankind and due to his strength and determination, a major step forward was made in the war. Raymond Shaw is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour upon the recommendation of the platoon’s commander, Captain Bennett Marco. He’s shown to be a really important person as generals are made to salute him and there’s a whole parade upon his arrival. When Marco and his fellow platoon members are asked to describe Raymond Shaw, they automatically use the following phrase to describe him: â€Å"Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.† But as Marco himself says it deep down they know that Shaw is a cold, sad, unsympathetic loner.After returning to the United States, the newly promoted now Major Marco starts suffering from a string of the same nightmare in which he sees a hypnotized Shaw, easily and without a single moment of hesitation murdering the two members of his platoon that had earlier not returned with. He does this in front of the Top Brass of the Communist regime during a demonstration of the Conditioning done by the Soviets to allow them to control Shaw at their will. Marco is very disturbed by these nightmares and he has trouble sleeping at night. He knows inside that there is something â€Å"Shady† about this whole incident. Marco wants to investigate this matter but due to the lack of substantial proof, he gets no help from the Army Intelligence but is transferred to the public relations department. Marco however, learns from another officer from the same platoon, Allen Melvin, that he has been having the same nightmares as well. Both Melvin and Marco separately identify the same people as the top brass they see in their dreams and thus get the support of the army to help Marco investigate.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Data Interpretation Practicum Statistics Project

Data Interpretation Practicum - Statistics Project Example A regression procedure would further help in predicting the injury rate based on working hours. However, discriminant analysis cannot be used. The average working hours in the three states is 2183.07 hour while the average injury rate in the three states is 2.4446. The true population mean for average working hours in the three states is bound between 45575.96 and 54345.61 while true injury rate mean for average working hours in the three states is bound between 10.26 and 20.09. From this output, the correlation coefficient between hours worked and injury rate is -0.636. This implies that as work hours increases, injury rate reduces (p-value ~ 0.000). The test is significant, hence we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the two variables are correlated. This value is consistent with the observation from a scatterplot of the two variables shown above. A possible explanation for the observation made is that only a few injuries are normally witnessed, hence, increasing the hours worked does not necessarily lead to an increase in the number of injuries. Since injury rate is obtained by dividing the number of hours worked by the number of injuries, the values reduces as hours worked increases. The value of the correlation coefficient does not imply that increasing the number of working hours results into less

Sunday, September 22, 2019

High School vs. College Essay Example for Free

High School vs. College Essay High school and college are similar in some ways and different in a lot of ways. They are similar in such ways that you still have to go to class, do class work, home work, take test, and study hard. They are different in such ways that we can have cell phones in class, walk out of class, wear anything to class, and the thing that sets it off is living on campus. I don’t know if my college experience will match up to my high school experience but, we shall see. I will compare and contrast high school and college. I use to drive to high school. For some reason South Carolina State University will not let freshman drive their first semester. I use to drive ten to fifteen minutes to get to school, now it’s about one hour and a half. So instead of doing that everything, I stay on campus and walk to class. I must admit that I didn’t think it would be difficult at first but, it is. I hate relying on someone else to take me to Wal-Mart. That’s one thing that’s different about the two subjects at hand. And the way they’re similar is that I didn’t drive as a freshman in high school. In high school, there was a lot of freedom. We got to change classes on our own, the classes were mixed up with students in different grades, and we didn’t have to walk in a single or double filed line. In college, you don’t even have to go to class. Although it would be wise, too. In high school if you miss a day in class, the teacher would call home. In college, they don’t call anybody, not unless their name is Mrs. Pinson. In high school, I lived with my mother. In college, I live with a roommate. Technically , I’m out on my own but, my mother is paying for my education and family is putting money in my pockets. I was always curious to know what it’d be like to get out on my own. I must say, I’m one step closer. Now that I’m in college, I wish we stayed in dorms in high school. If that would have went down in high school though, there probably wouldn’t be any need to go off to far away colleges. So to sum everything up, I can’t drive, there is a lot more freedom, and I don’t stay in my mother’s house any more. I drove, had freedom but not this much, and I stayed with my mother in high school. Some things that were similar are the work, tests, quizzes, and studying. Those are some things that I chose to compare and contrast on high school versus college.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Importance of Reading Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Reading Essay Reading is a necessity for some people and a hobby for others, but either way it is something that we start to take for granted as adults, forgetting that there was once a time when we couldnt read. The sad fact is that for many adults, this is still the case. They lose out on the joys and the benefits of being able to read, and quite often it stems from lack of commitment and time from the parents during childhood. In the Gulf countries alone there are approximetly 7. 5 million people who are illiterate (those aged 15 years or above who can not read or write). There are a great many reasons why reading with your child is so important. Of course, it is the sort of activity that will help you to bond with the child as well as help to form your childs imagination. But there are so many additional important factors ? ones that could help to shape the life of your child. Reading is the fundamental foundation required by children on which to base all learning. Without the ability to read effectively, every other subject taught at school is going to be difficult or impossible to grasp. Learning to read is no easy task for some children, and the most crucial years in terms of literacy development are from birth to the age of around eight. Taking the time to read with your pre-school child will help to really lay the foundations for success. Your child will start to recognise words, ask questions, and develop an interest as well as an eye for reading. Your child will start to make relevant connections between the words and their meanings. With your help, your child can enjoy the learning process, benefit from a firm foundation in literacy, and will be fully equipped to succeed when he or she starts school. Of course, you will need to change the methods you use to help with your childs reading as he or she grows older. As an infant, bright colours and noises are going to be attractive to your child. There are many interactive books available for infants to day, such as farm animal books with noises. Your infant will love helping you to press the button and then watching as you point out which animal the noise relates to. And pretty soon, your child will be doing it alone. Already, your child will have started associating sounds, words and pictures. As a toddler, your child will enjoy bedtime stories, and you can choose from a wide range of magical and colourful story books which will keep your toddler enthralled. You will find that you child develops an interest in pointing out pictures as you read, as well as wanting to try and read alone. If the story is one that you read regularly, you will be surprised at how the child will almost memorise that comes next, and may sometime jump in before you have a chance to finish the sentence. A couple of years on, and your child will be eager to start reading alone. You can encourage this by reading the first part of sentences in a book from which you have regularly read bedtime stories. You can then pass the book to your child to try and finish the sentence. A great deal of this may be done from memory, but the child will also be looking at the words, thus learning to associate the words with the story. Fun activities like picture games or stories with colouring in sections can also help to develop your childs interest at this age. Learning to read does not stem from learning the alphabet, which is a common misconception. A good reading foundation comes from interaction with a parent, who is able to make the art of reading and telling stories fun and magical for a child.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ethical Issues of Undercover Police

Ethical Issues of Undercover Police Abstract When an officer goes on an undercover assignment, it is more psychological for the officer than anything else. Undercover assignments can cause havoc on the officers marriage, family relationships and even on his self. When officers go deep undercover for long periods of time, it sometimes can cause them to go rogue and become on the other side of the law. There are certain rules and regulations that officers have to follow while undercover, this paper will discuss these rules and regulations of being undercover as well as reviewing all the ethical dilemmas the two undercover officers faced while on assignment. Also, how a new supervisor could prevent that type of behavior with future undercover officers will also be discussed in this paper. It is so essential for someone that goes on undercover, to not get lost while on assignment. The focus is essential; they cannot lose focus. It may be exciting for some but some; it could lead them on a road of continuous unethical decision makin g. Introduction On many occasions, undercover officers are forced to be away from their family and friends for long periods of time. It can reek havoc on that family relationship because some officer’s attitudes change as well as their absence from the home. If they have children, it makes it that much worse. It is necessary for officers who go undercover always to follow the rules and regulations to avoid falling on the other side of the law and going rogue. If the officer does not follow the rules and regulations exactly, it is easy for them to get caught up in illegal activities. Undercover officers face ethical dilemmas all the time; it is up to them to make the right decision over the wrong one. If the officer makes the wrong decision, it can not only put them and the rest of the team’s lives in danger, but it could also cost them their career and land them potentially behind bars with the same criminals they put behind those same bars. Rules and Regulations of Undercover Assignments There are not many rules that are known to the public for the simple reason of not allowing the public to weed out those who are undercover. However, there is a two-drink maximum rule in place where officers are only allowed to consume two alcoholic drinks per night while undercover. However, while permitting specific illegal behavior on behalf of the police who are undercover, the public will lose trust in the police for the simple fact the police were allowed to legally break the law when if the people of the community did the same thing, they would be arrested and charged with no questions asked. Having public trust and moral authority is essential for the police in a democratic society (Joh, 2009). It is allowing the officers to be free of following the basic rule of law principles that are set in place. Every state has their own set of undercover rules and regulations, and they may differ from state to state. However, for the state of Oregan, the covert operations are explained in detail of what is and is not allowed while conducting an undercover investigation (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures | 0600 Field Operations | The City of Portland, Oregon, 2018). Officers who work undercover could work the assignment alone or with two or more team members. The most crucial thing for an officer to remember is never to have any clothing or items that are visible to the naked eyes that would reveal theyre true identity. So this would include, their badge, uniform, holster, anything that would be recognized as a police uniform (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). In Portland, there are a few different rules that must be followed by the officers going undercover. A few of those rules include: The officer cannot consume any controlled substances. If a situation arises that the officer is being forced to use, they should refuse. However, if the suspect pushes more, the officer should take their self out of the situation and terminate the assignment. Another rule is for the officer always to be armed no matter where they are at (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). Also, officers should not drink alcohol when on assignment, however, if the situation arises that they must they should refrain from drinking in excess. Nevertheless, if alcohol was consumed then the officer should report it immediately and cannot participate in any police activity until the effects of the alcohol have worn off (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). The Ethical Dilemma’s Officers Face In the scenario, both officers made numerous unethical decisions that could have cost them both their career or even their life. When the officer’s get caught by their superiors of committing police misconduct, and they see no punishment for their actions, then it leaves the officer to continue their behavior and sometimes even escalate their behavior. For example, the more experienced officer, Tony, consumed many drinks, bought cigarettes and even played pool on the contingency funds. He also has purchased Marijuana with the same funds. Tony’s informant even gets paid fifty dollars from the funds needed for the investigation. However, when Tony sees’s the informant, he not only kisses her but also grabs her behind and makes an offensive statement to her. This is not necessary to keep his cover. He sounds like a jerk especially since he does not like to work as a team. He prefers to work alone. Even though Tony logged the expenses into the book does not mean all that he logged was accurate. When he paid the informant the fifty dollars, the receipt was not witnessed by Johnny until the next day. He was asked to witness the receipt of the transaction between Tony and his informant, but he lied because he was not there when the transaction occurred so he can not say for sure where that fifty dollars went. Over the past three years, Johnny has many accomplishments but also has had to face the consequences relating to a traffic accident while using an undercover car, being late as well as using inappropriate language and turning his reports in late. Noticeably, the more Johnny is around Tony, the more he is becoming just like him. He is disregarding his job, his family and other outside commitments. They both ditch work and go to the bar and drink until their shift ends. So now they are driving home intoxicated. Johnny has become just like Tony in regards to not being a team player. Tony has negatively influenced Johnny. Instead of showing him the right way to do things, he showed him the way he does things. However, by doing this, Johnny is now lying to his wife about his whereabouts as well as drinking excessively on the job which entails driving intoxicated. Coming in all hours of the night when he was not working or way after his shift ended. This is not the type of behavior of an o fficer, whether uniformed or undercover, should act. Johnny even using his unmarked car for pleasure without asking or notifying his superior. Preventing the Same Behavior in the Future When a new supervisor comes into the department, they should have an idea of how they want their unit ran. No matter how long any of the officers have been there, it is the supervisor’s job to make sure things are running efficiently as well as avoiding any misconduct from their officers (Dwyer, 2008). There is a set of code of ethics that is separate from the formalized rules and regulations. The supervisor should take the code of ethics and print them on a card for each officer. A small card they can carry around with them at all times, in their wallet or pocket. Every time they put they hand in their pocket; they will feel the card and glance at it. The problem with many departments, is some of the officer’s do not give the code of ethics a second thought (Dwyer, 2008). When these code of ethics have been violated by an officer, the consequence should be enforced and not pushed under the rug. The example should be made of these officers because then the newer officer s will get the idea that the supervisor nor the department is something to take lightly. By the police department being able to control their officers behavior as they see fit is essential when trying to accomplish the agency’s service goals and mission. Having the courts back the departments is also necessary. Rarely, officers who have made attempts to persuade the courts to make the departments relax the dictates has been deterred (Dwyer, 2008).   It is so important to have a department that has stability, and once the balance is shaken, the officer who is trying to go against it should be handled right then and there. There should not be a chance after chance because all that tell the officers is that its okay do not do it again, in which they do (Dwyer, 2008). Conclusion Every officer, whether in uniform or undercover, should have a code of ethics they follow. Most people are raised up with morals, and some carry those morals as they grow up, but some forget those morals after they leave home. Not only should a person have their own set of ethics to follow but also they should follow their department’s code of ethics. If more officers were reprimanded for violating any of the code of ethics set by their department, then maybe there would be less misconduct within the criminal justice system. There is no officer better than the other. Being on the police force means having a team of officers, not a solo officer who feels they can take on the world by their self. When the officers have that mentality, they sometimes end up on the other side of the law. References 0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures | 0600 Field Operations | The City of Portland, Oregon. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/529154 Dwyer, T. (2008). Codes of ethics and officer discipline. Retrieved from https://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1743985-Codes-of-ethics-and-officer-discipline/ Joh, E. (2009). Breaking the Law to Enforce it: Undercover Police Participation in Crime.  Stanford Law Review,  62.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Evils of Monarchy and Society in the Works of Mark Twain Essay

The Evils of Monarchy and Society in the Works of Mark Twain      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the latter part of his life, Mark Twain developed a deep-rooted hatred for society.   His aphorisms often reflect this contempt: "Every one is a moon and has a dark side which he shows to no one" (Salwen n.pag.).   This disdain for humanity eventually seated itself in complete disapproval for what he called the "damned human race."   Twain's criticism for society appeared in many of his works, growing stronger and stronger as time passed.   Hand in hand with his distaste for society went his hatred for the upper class.   In each of his works, Twain creates a theme of appearance versus reality and ultimately brings out his harsh criticism of monarchies.   Through such royal criticism, Twain comments on American civilization, attacks society's ideals, and assaults commonly held beliefs.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Prince and the Pauper has often been written off as just another children's book.   It is seen as Twain's first experience with historical fiction, which simply led into Twain's more famous work, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.   However, Twain starts to show his disapproval of monarchies in this book.   Edward, the Prince of England, and a common beggar boy, Tom Canty, switch clothes and identities, throwing each into a social situation with which he is not familiar.   Through the stories of each boy, Twain brings out two themes that reflect his views on monarchy and society.   Underlying the adventures of Tom Canty is Twain's mockery of the idea that clothes determine a man's place in society.   As Twain once said, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society" ("Clothes" n.pag.).   Tom Canty assumes the role of King of Engl... ...n.   Boston: Twayne, 1988. Lynn, Kenneth S.   "Afterword" to The Prince and the Pauper. "Mark Twain Quotations - Clothes."   [Online] Available: <http://www.tarleton.edu/~schmidt/Clothes.html> (May 22, 1999) "Mark Twain Quotations - Monarchy."   [Online] Available: <http://www.tarleton.edu/~schmidt/Monarchy.html> (May 22, 1999) Salomon, Roger. B.   Twain and the Image of History.   Yale University, 1961.   Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 48.   Detroit: Gale,   1993. Salwen, Peter.   "The Quotable Mark Twain."   [Online] Available:   <http://salwen.com/mtquotes.html> (May 4, 1999) Twain, Mark.   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   Tom Doherty, 1985. _____.   A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.   New York: Penguin. _____.   The Prince and the Pauper.   New York: Penguin, 1964.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Death Of A Salesman :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is such a contradicting situation. It is always a sad event, but in some perspectives it may or may not be a joyous event. Not to say that death should be celebrated, just to point out that life may have been a more dramatic experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my first novel in G.T. I read Death of a Salesman, a play written by Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was born in 1915, in New York City. His parents were well To do until the depression. He attended college where he won three drama prizes. Death of a Salesman was his their Broadway play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play Death of A Salesman was an extremely confusing play, it was a dialogue between a family of people. There were numerous flashbacks used to illustrate things that happened in the past. The overall purposeof the flashbacks was to describe the situation that Willy Loman, the main character, was dillusional. I feel that in this the characters of this book are well described. The author describes Willy was an average man with a somewhat normal life. His wife Linda is loving and like any woman she sticks by her man. Happy and Biff are Willy and Linda’s sons. The play takes place when Biff and Happy come to visit their parentsfor a couple of days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play is reality that most books and movies do not display. It shows an average american family struggling to get by. In the play it is apparent that the characters have strong dreams and aspirations. It is also obvious that they have not yet succeeded in accomplishing them. Quite a few events happen that prove, no matter how hard someone tries, in society things change and it is hard to reach full potential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors of the play puts more reality into the central theme of the play. People get old and begin to do odd things such as talk to people that are not there or people that only exists in their minds. Throughout the play Willy would have conversations with people that he believed were there, but they really were not. Willy strived to be the best and if he was not successful, then things were not good enough. He was ashamed that his money supply was not sufficentenough to support his family. The theme changed throughout the course of the book. I believe the point that he was trying to emphasize was to never give up and all the barriers in the way will be broken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This play has taught me the lesson that life is how one individual person decides to

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Twilight 14. MIND OVER MATTER

14. MIND OVER MATTER He could drive well, when he kept the speed reasonable, I had to admit. Like so many things, it seemed to be effortless to him. He barely looked at the road, yet the tires never deviated so much as a centimeter from the center of the lane. He drove one-handed, holding my hand on the seat. Sometimes he gazed into the setting sun, sometimes he glanced at me – my face, my hair blowing out the open window, our hands twined together. He had turned the radio to an oldies station, and he sang along with a song I'd never heard. He knew every line. â€Å"You like fifties music?† I asked. â€Å"Music in the fifties was good. Much better than the sixties, or the seventies, ugh!† He shuddered. â€Å"The eighties were bearable.† â€Å"Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?† I asked, tentative, not wanting to upset his buoyant humor. â€Å"Does it matter much?† His smile, to my relief, remained unclouded. â€Å"No, but I still wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grimaced. â€Å"There's nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night.† â€Å"I wonder if it will upset you,† he reflected to himself. He gazed into the sun; the minutes passed. â€Å"Try me,† I finally said. He sighed, and then looked into my eyes, seeming to forget the road completely for a time. Whatever he saw there must have encouraged him. He looked into the sun – the light of the setting orb glittered off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles – and spoke. â€Å"I was born in Chicago in 1901.† He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. My face was carefully unsurprised, patient for the rest. He smiled a tiny smile and continued. â€Å"Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza.† He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked down into my eyes again. â€Å"I don't remember it well – it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade.† He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. â€Å"I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget.† â€Å"Your parents?† â€Å"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone.† â€Å"How did he†¦ save you?† A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully. â€Å"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle has always been the most humane, the most compassionate of us†¦ I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history.† He paused. â€Å"For me, it was merely very, very painful.† I could tell from the set of his lips, he would say no more on this subject. I suppressed my curiosity, though it was far from idle. There were many things I needed to think through on this particular issue, things that were only beginning to occur to me. No doubt his quick mind had already comprehended every aspect that eluded me. His soft voice interrupted my thoughts. â€Å"He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating.† â€Å"So you must be dying, then, to become†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We never said the word, and I couldn't frame it now. â€Å"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice.† The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. â€Å"It is easier he says, though,† he continued, â€Å"if the blood is weak.† He looked at the now-dark road, and I could feel the subject closing again. â€Å"And Emmett and Rosalie?† â€Å"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him – he was careful with his thoughts around me.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting – we were in Appalachia at the time – and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself. I'm only beginning to guess how difficult that journey was for her.† He threw a pointed glance in my direction, and raised our hands, still folded together, to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. â€Å"But she made it,† I encouraged, looking away from the unbearable beauty of his eyes. â€Å"Yes,† he murmured. â€Å"She saw something in his face that made her strong enough. And they've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school.† He laughed. â€Å"I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again.† â€Å"Alice and Jasper?† â€Å"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another†¦ family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind.† â€Å"Really?† I interrupted, fascinated. â€Å"But you said you were the only one who could hear people's thoughts.† â€Å"That's true. She knows other things. She sees things – things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change.† His jaw set when he said that, and his eyes darted to my face and away so quickly that I wasn't sure if I only imagined it. â€Å"What kinds of things does she see?† â€Å"She saw Jasper and knew that he was looking for her before he knew it himself. She saw Carlisle and our family, and they came together to find us. She's most sensitive to non-humans. She always sees, for example, when another group of our kind is coming near. And any threat they may pose.† â€Å"Are there a lot of†¦ your kind?† I was surprised. How many of them could walk among us undetected? â€Å"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting you people† – a sly glance in my direction – â€Å"can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable. Those of us who live†¦ differently tend to band together.† â€Å"And the others?† â€Å"Nomads, for the most part. We've all lived that way at times. It gets tedious, like anything else. But we run across the others now and then, because most of us prefer the North.† â€Å"Why is that?† We were parked in front of my house now, and he'd turned off the truck. It was very quiet and dark; there was no moon. The porch light was off so I knew my father wasn't home yet. â€Å"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon?† he teased. â€Å"Do you think I could walk down the street in the sunlight without causing traffic accidents? There's a reason why we chose the Olympic Peninsula, one of the most sunless places in the world. It's nice to be able to go outside in the day. You wouldn't believe how tired you can get of nighttime in eighty-odd years.† â€Å"So that's where the legends came from?† â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?† â€Å"No, and that is a mystery. Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage.† There was so much to think through, so much I still wanted to ask. But, to my great embarrassment, my stomach growled. I'd been so intrigued, I hadn't even noticed I was hungry. I realized now that I was ravenous. â€Å"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from dinner.† â€Å"I'm fine, really.† â€Å"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget.† â€Å"I want to stay with you.† It was easier to say in the darkness, knowing as I spoke how my voice would betray me, my hopeless addiction to him. â€Å"Can't I come in?† he asked. â€Å"Would you like to?† I couldn't picture it, this godlike creature sitting in my father's shabby kitchen chair. â€Å"Yes, if it's all right.† I heard the door close quietly, and almost simultaneously he was outside my door, opening it for me. â€Å"Very human,† I complimented him. â€Å"It's definitely resurfacing.† He walked beside me in the night, so quietly I had to peek at him constantly to be sure he was still there. In the darkness he looked much more normal. Still pale, still dreamlike in his beauty, but no longer the fantastic sparkling creature of our sunlit afternoon. He reached the door ahead of me and opened it for me. I paused halfway through the frame. â€Å"The door was unlocked?† â€Å"No, I used the key from under the eave.† I stepped inside, flicked on the porch light, and turned to look at him with my eyebrows raised. I was sure I'd never used that key in front of him. â€Å"I was curious about you.† â€Å"You spied on me?† But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with the proper outrage. I was flattered. He was unrepentant. â€Å"What else is there to do at night?† I let it go for the moment and went down the hall to the kitchen. He was there before me, needing no guide. He sat in the very chair I'd tried to picture him in. His beauty lit up the kitchen. It was a moment before I could look away. I concentrated on getting my dinner, taking last night's lasagna from the fridge, placing a square on a plate, heating it in the microwave. It revolved, filling the kitchen with the smell of tomatoes and oregano. I didn't take my eyes from the plate of food as I spoke. â€Å"How often?† I asked casually. â€Å"Hmmm?† He sounded as if I had pulled him from some other train of thought. I still didn't turn around. â€Å"How often did you come here?† â€Å"I come here almost every night.† I whirled, stunned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You're interesting when you sleep.† He spoke matter-of-factly. â€Å"You talk.† â€Å"No!† I gasped, heat flooding my face all the way to my hairline. I gripped the kitchen counter for support. I knew I talked in my sleep, of course; my mother teased me about it. I hadn't thought it was something I needed to worry about here, though. His expression shifted instantly to chagrin. â€Å"Are you very angry with me?† â€Å"That depends!† I felt and sounded like I'd had the breath knocked out of me. He waited. â€Å"On?† he urged. â€Å"What you heard!† I wailed. Instantly, silently, he was at my side, taking my hands carefully in his. â€Å"Don't be upset!† he pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was embarrassed. I tried to look away. â€Å"You miss your mother,† he whispered. â€Å"You worry about her. And when it rains, the sound makes you restless. You used to talk about home a lot, but it's less often now. Once you said, ‘It's too green.'† He laughed softly, hoping, I could see, not to offend me further. â€Å"Anything else?† I demanded. He knew what I was getting at. â€Å"You did say my name,† he admitted. I sighed in defeat. â€Å"A lot?† â€Å"How much do you mean by ‘a lot,' exactly?† â€Å"Oh no!† I hung my head. He pulled me against his chest, softly, naturally. â€Å"Don't be self-conscious,† he whispered in my ear. â€Å"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it.† Then we both heard the sound of tires on the brick driveway, saw the headlights flash through the front windows, down the hall to us. I stiffened in his arms. â€Å"Should your father know I'm here?† he asked. â€Å"I'm not sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried to think it through quickly. â€Å"Another time then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I was alone. â€Å"Edward!† I hissed. I heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing else. My father's key turned in the door. â€Å"Bella?† he called. It had bothered me before; who else would it be? Suddenly he didn't seem so far off base. â€Å"In here.† I hoped he couldn't hear the hysterical edge to my voice. I grabbed my dinner from the microwave and sat at the table as he walked in. His footsteps sounded so noisy after my day with Edward. â€Å"Can you get me some of that? I'm bushed.† He stepped on the heels of his boots to take them off, holding the back of Edward's chair for support. I took my food with me, scarfing it down as I got his dinner. It burned my tongue. I filled two glasses with milk while his lasagna was heating, and gulped mine to put out the fire. As I set the glass down, I noticed the milk trembling and realized my hand was shaking. Charlie sat in the chair, and the contrast between him and its former occupant was comical. â€Å"Thanks,† he said as I placed his food on the table. â€Å"How was your day?† I asked. The words were rushed; I was dying to escape to my room. â€Å"Good. The fish were biting†¦ how about you? Did you get everything done that you wanted to?† â€Å"Not really – it was too nice out to stay indoors.† I took another big bite. â€Å"It was a nice day,† he agreed. What an understatement, I thought to myself. Finished with the last bite of lasagna, I lifted my glass and chugged the remains of my milk. Charlie surprised me by being observant. â€Å"In a hurry?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early.† â€Å"You look kinda keyed up,† he noted. Why, oh why, did this have to be his night to pay attention? â€Å"Do I?† was all I could manage in response. I quickly scrubbed my dishes clean in the sink, and placed them upside down on a dish towel to dry. â€Å"It's Saturday,† he mused. I didn't respond. â€Å"No plans tonight?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep.† â€Å"None of the boys in town your type, eh?† He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool. â€Å"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet.† I was careful not to over-emphasize the word boys in my quest to be truthful with Charlie. â€Å"I thought maybe that Mike Newton†¦ you said he was friendly.† â€Å"He's Just a friend, Dad.† â€Å"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking.† Every father's dream, that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in. â€Å"Sounds like a good idea to me,† I agreed as I headed up the stairs. â€Å"‘Night, honey,† he called after me. No doubt he would be listening carefully all evening, waiting for me to try to sneak out. â€Å"See you in the morning, Dad.† See you creeping into my room tonight at midnight to check on me. I worked to make my tread sound slow and tired as I walked up the stairs to my room. I shut the door loud enough for him to hear, and then sprinted on my tiptoes to the window. I threw it open and leaned out into the night. My eyes scanned the darkness, the impenetrable shadows of the trees. â€Å"Edward?† I whispered, feeling completely idiotic. The quiet, laughing response came from behind me. â€Å"Yes?† I whirled, one hand flying to my throat in surprise. He lay, smiling hugely, across my bed, his hands behind his head, his feet dangling off the end, the picture of ease. â€Å"Oh!† I breathed, sinking unsteadily to the floor. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He pressed his lips together, trying to hide his amusement. â€Å"Just give me a minute to restart my heart.† He sat up slowly, so as not to startle me again. Then he leaned forward and reached out with his long arms to pick me up, gripping the tops of my arms like I was a toddler. He sat me on the bed beside him. â€Å"Why don't you sit with me,† he suggested, putting a cold hand on mine. â€Å"How's the heart?† â€Å"You tell me – I'm sure you hear it better than I do.† I felt his quiet laughter shake the bed. We sat there for a moment in silence, both listening to my heartbeat slow. I thought about having Edward in my room, with my father in the house. â€Å"Can I have a minute to be human?† I asked. â€Å"Certainly.† He gestured with one hand that I should proceed. â€Å"Stay,† I said, trying to look severe. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† And he made a show of becoming a statue on the edge of my bed. I hopped up, grabbing my pajamas from off the floor, my bag of toiletries off the desk. I left the light off and slipped out, closing the door. I could hear the sound from the TV rising up the stairs. I banged the bathroom door loudly, so Charlie wouldn't come up to bother me. I meant to hurry. I brushed my teeth fiercely, trying to be thorough and speedy, removing all traces of lasagna. But the hot water of the shower couldn't be rushed. It unknotted the muscles in my back, calmed my pulse. The familiar smell of my shampoo made me feel like I might be the same person I had been this morning. I tried not to think of Edward, sitting in my room, waiting, because then I had to start all over with the calming process. Finally, I couldn't delay anymore. I shut off the water, toweling hastily, rushing again. I pulled on my holey t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Too late to regret not packing the Victoria's Secret silk pajamas my mother got me two birthdays ago, which still had the tags on them in a drawer somewhere back home. I rubbed the towel through my hair again, and then yanked the brush through it quickly. I threw the towel in the hamper, flung my brush and toothpaste into my bag. Then I dashed down the stairs so Charlie could see that I was in my pajamas, with wet hair. â€Å"‘Night, Dad.† â€Å"‘Night, Bella.† He did look startled by my appearance. Maybe that would keep him from checking on me tonight. I took the stairs two at a time, trying to be quiet, and flew into my room, closing the door tightly behind me. Edward hadn't moved a fraction of an inch, a carving of Adonis perched on my faded quilt. I smiled, and his lips twitched, the statue coming to life. His eyes appraised me, taking in the damp hair, the tattered shirt. He raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Nice.† I grimaced. â€Å"No, it looks good on you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I whispered. I went back to his side, sitting cross-legged beside him. I looked at the lines in the wooden floor. â€Å"What was all that for?† â€Å"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out.† â€Å"Oh.† He contemplated that. â€Å"Why?† As if he couldn't know Charlie's mind much more clearly than I could guess. â€Å"Apparently, I look a little overexcited.† He lifted my chin, examining my face. â€Å"You look very warm, actually.† He bent his face slowly to mine, laying his cool cheek against my skin. I held perfectly still. â€Å"Mmmmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he breathed. It was very difficult, while he was touching me, to frame a coherent question. It took me a minute of scattered concentration to begin. â€Å"It seems to be†¦ much easier for you, now, to be close to me.† â€Å"Does it seem that way to you?† he murmured, his nose gliding to the corner of my jaw. I felt his hand, lighter than a moth's wing, brushing my damp hair back, so that his lips could touch the hollow beneath my ear. â€Å"Much, much easier,† I said, trying to exhale. â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"So I was wondering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began again, but his fingers were slowly tracing my collarbone, and I lost my train of thought. â€Å"Yes?† he breathed. â€Å"Why is that,† my voice shook, embarrassing me, â€Å"do you think?† I felt the tremor of his breath on my neck as he laughed. â€Å"Mind over matter.† I pulled back; as I moved, he froze – and I could no longer hear the sound of his breathing. We stared cautiously at each other for a moment, and then, as his clenched jaw gradually relaxed, his expression became puzzled. â€Å"Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"No – the opposite. You're driving me crazy,† I explained. He considered that briefly, and when he spoke, he sounded pleased. â€Å"Really?† A triumphant smile slowly lit his face. â€Å"Would you like a round of applause?† I asked sarcastically. He grinned. â€Å"I'm just pleasantly surprised,† he clarified. â€Å"In the last hundred years or so,† his voice was teasing, â€Å"I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with†¦ in another way than my brothers and sisters. And then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it†¦ at being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're good at everything,† I pointed out. He shrugged, allowing that, and we both laughed in whispers. â€Å"But how can it be so easy now?† I pressed. â€Å"This afternoon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's not easy,† he sighed. â€Å"But this afternoon, I was still†¦ undecided. I am sorry about that, it was unforgivable for me to behave so.† â€Å"Not unforgivable,† I disagreed. â€Å"Thank you.† He smiled. â€Å"You see,† he continued, looking down now, â€Å"I wasn't sure if I was strong enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He picked up one of my hands and pressed it lightly to his face. â€Å"And while there was still that possibility that I might be†¦ overcome† – he breathed in the scent at my wrist – â€Å"I was†¦ susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I would†¦ that I ever could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd never seen him struggle so hard for words. It was so†¦ human. â€Å"So there's no possibility now?† â€Å"Mind over matter,† he repeated, smiling, his teeth bright even in the darkness. â€Å"Wow, that was easy,† I said. He threw back his head and laughed, quietly as a whisper, but still exuberantly. â€Å"Easy for you!† he amended, touching my nose with his fingertip. And then his face was abruptly serious. â€Å"I'm trying,† he whispered, his voice pained. â€Å"If it gets to be†¦ too much, I'm fairly sure I'll be able to leave.† I scowled. I didn't like the talk of leaving. â€Å"And it will be harder tomorrow,† he continued. â€Å"I've had the scent of you in my head all day, and I've grown amazingly desensitized. If I'm away from you for any length of time, I'll have to start over again. Not quite from scratch, though, I think.† â€Å"Don't go away, then,† I responded, unable to hide the longing in my voice. â€Å"That suits me,† he replied, his face relaxing into a gentle smile. â€Å"Bring on the shackles – I'm your prisoner.† But his long hands formed manacles around my wrists as he spoke. He laughed his quiet, musical laugh. He'd laughed more tonight than I'd ever heard in all the time I'd spent with him. â€Å"You seem more†¦ optimistic than usual,† I observed. â€Å"I haven't seen you like this before.† â€Å"Isn't it supposed to be like this?† He smiled. â€Å"The glory of first love, and all that. It's incredible, isn't it, the difference between reading about something, seeing it in the pictures, and experiencing it?† â€Å"Very different,† I agreed. â€Å"More forceful than I'd imagined.† â€Å"For example† – his words flowed swiftly now, I had to concentrate to catch it all – â€Å"the emotion of jealousy. I've read about it a hundred thousand times, seen actors portray it in a thousand different plays and movies. I believed I understood that one pretty clearly. But it shocked me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grimaced. â€Å"Do you remember the day that Mike asked you to the dance?† I nodded, though I remembered that day for a different reason. â€Å"The day you started talking to me again.† â€Å"I was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury, that I felt – I didn't recognize what it was at first. I was even more aggravated than usual that I couldn't know what you were thinking, why you refused him. Was it simply for your friend's sake? Was there someone else? I knew I had no right to care either way. I tried not to care. â€Å"And then the line started forming,† he chuckled. I scowled in the darkness. â€Å"I waited, unreasonably anxious to hear what you would say to them, to watch your expressions. I couldn't deny the relief I felt, watching the annoyance on your face. But I couldn't be sure. â€Å"That was the first night I came here. I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted. I knew that if I continued to ignore you as I should, or if I left for a few years, till you were gone, that someday you would say yes to Mike, or someone like him. It made me angry. â€Å"And then,† he whispered, â€Å"as you were sleeping, you said my name. You spoke so clearly, at first I thought you'd woken. But you rolled over restlessly and mumbled my name once more, and sighed. The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering. And I knew I couldn't ignore you any longer.† He was silent for a moment, probably listening to the suddenly uneven pounding of my heart. â€Å"But jealousy†¦ it's a strange thing. So much more powerful than I would have thought. And irrational! Just now, when Charlie asked you about that vile Mike Newton†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head angrily. â€Å"I should have known you'd be listening,† I groaned. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"That made you feel jealous, though, really?† â€Å"I'm new at this; you're resurrecting the human in me, and everything feels stronger because it's fresh.† â€Å"But honestly,† I teased, â€Å"for that to bother you, after I have to hear that Rosalie – Rosalie, the incarnation of pure beauty, Rosalie – was meant for you. Emmett or no Emmett, how can I compete with that?† â€Å"There's no competition.† His teeth gleamed. He drew my trapped hands around his back, holding me to his chest. I kept as still as I could, even breathing with caution. â€Å"I know there's no competition,† I mumbled into his cold skin. â€Å"That's the problem.† â€Å"Of course Rosalie is beautiful in her way, but even if she wasn't like a sister to me, even if Emmett didn't belong with her, she could never have one tenth, no, one hundredth of the attraction you hold for me.† He was serious now, thoughtful. â€Å"For almost ninety years I've walked among my kind, and yours†¦ all the time thinking I was complete in myself, not realizing what I was seeking. And not finding anything, because you weren't alive yet.† â€Å"It hardly seems fair,† I whispered, my face still resting on his chest, listening to his breath come and go. â€Å"I haven't had to wait at all. Why should I get off so easily?† â€Å"You're right,† he agreed with amusement. â€Å"I should make this harder for you, definitely.† He freed one of his hands, released my wrist, only to gather it carefully into his other hand. He stroked my wet hair softly, from the top of my head to my waist. â€Å"You only have to risk your life every second you spend with me, that's surely not much. You only have to turn your back on nature, on humanity†¦ what's that worth?† â€Å"Very little – I don't feel deprived of anything.† â€Å"Not yet.† And his voice was abruptly full of ancient grief. I tried to pull back, to look in his face, but his hand locked my wrists in an unbreakable hold. â€Å"What -† I started to ask, when his body became alert. I froze, but he suddenly released my hands, and disappeared. I narrowly avoided falling on my face. â€Å"Lie down!† he hissed. I couldn't tell where he spoke from in the darkness. I rolled under my quilt, balling up on my side, the way I usually slept. I heard the door crack open, as Charlie peeked in to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. I breathed evenly, exaggerating the movement. A long minute passed. I listened, not sure if I'd heard the door close. Then Edward's cool arm was around me, under the covers, his lips at my ear. â€Å"You are a terrible actress – I'd say that career path is out for you.† â€Å"Darn it,† I muttered. My heart was crashing in my chest. He hummed a melody I didn't recognize; it sounded like a lullaby. He paused. â€Å"Should I sing you to sleep?† â€Å"Right,† I laughed. â€Å"Like I could sleep with you here!† â€Å"You do it all the time,† he reminded me. â€Å"But I didn't know you were here,† I replied icily. â€Å"So if you don't want to sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he suggested, ignoring my tone. My breath caught. â€Å"If I don't want to sleep†¦ ?† He chuckled. â€Å"What do you want to do then?† I couldn't answer at first. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I finally said. â€Å"Tell me when you decide.† I could feel his cool breath on my neck, feel his nose sliding along my jaw, inhaling. â€Å"I thought you were desensitized.† â€Å"Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet,† he whispered. â€Å"You have a very floral smell, like lavender†¦ or freesia,† he noted. â€Å"It's mouthwatering.† â€Å"Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get somebody telling me how edible I smell.† He chuckled, and then sighed. â€Å"I've decided what I want to do,† I told him. â€Å"I want to hear more about you.† â€Å"Ask me anything.† I sifted through my questions for the most vital. â€Å"Why do you do it?† I said. â€Å"I still don't understand how you can work so hard to resist what you†¦ are. Please don't misunderstand, of course I'm glad that you do. I just don't see why you would bother in the first place.† He hesitated before answering. â€Å"That's a good question, and you are not the first one to ask it. The others – the majority of our kind who are quite content with our lot – they, too, wonder at how we live. But you see, just because we've been†¦ dealt a certain hand†¦ it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above – to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can.† I lay unmoving, locked in awed silence. â€Å"Did you fall asleep?† he whispered after a few minutes. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Is that all you were curious about?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Not quite.† â€Å"What else do you want to know?† â€Å"Why can you read minds – why only you? And Alice, seeing the future†¦ why does that happen?† I felt him shrug in the darkness. â€Å"We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory†¦ he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified – like our minds, and our senses. He thinks that I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me. And that Alice had some precognition, wherever she was.† â€Å"What did he bring into the next life, and the others?† â€Å"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her†¦ tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness.† he chuckled. â€Å"Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him – calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift.† I considered the impossibilities he described, trying to take it in. He waited patiently while I thought. â€Å"So where did it all start? I mean, Carlisle changed you, and then someone must have changed him, and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, where did you come from? Evolution? Creation? Couldn't we have evolved in the same way as other species, predator and prey? Or, if you don't believe that all this world could have just happened on its own, which is hard for me to accept myself, is it so hard to believe that the same force that created the delicate angelfish with the shark, the baby seal and the killer whale, could create both our kinds together?† â€Å"Let me get this straight – I'm the baby seal, right?† â€Å"Right.† He laughed, and something touched my hair – his lips? I wanted to turn toward him, to see if it was really his lips against my hair. But I had to be good; I didn't want to make this any harder for him than it already was. â€Å"Are you ready to sleep?† he asked, interrupting the short silence. â€Å"Or do you have any more questions?† â€Å"Only a million or two.† â€Å"We have tomorrow, and the next day, and the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he reminded me. I smiled, euphoric at the thought. â€Å"Are you sure you won't vanish in the morning?† I wanted this to be certain. â€Å"You are mythical, after all.† â€Å"I won't leave you.† His voice had the seal of a promise in it. â€Å"One more, then, tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I blushed. The darkness was no help – I'm sure he could feel the sudden warmth under my skin. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"No, forget it. I changed my mind.† â€Å"Bella, you can ask me anything.† I didn't answer, and he groaned. â€Å"I keep thinking it will get less frustrating, not hearing your thoughts. But it just gets worse and worse.† â€Å"I'm glad you can't read my thoughts. It's bad enough that you eavesdrop on my sleep-talking.† â€Å"Please?† His voice was so persuasive, so impossible to resist. I shook my head. â€Å"If you don't tell me, I'll just assume it's something much worse than it is,† he threatened darkly. â€Å"Please?† Again, that pleading voice. â€Å"Well,† I began, glad that he couldn't see my face. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You said that Rosalie and Emmett will get married soon†¦ Is that†¦ marriage†¦ the same as it is for humans?† He laughed in earnest now, understanding. â€Å"Is that what you're getting at?† I fidgeted, unable to answer. â€Å"Yes, I suppose it is much the same,† he said. â€Å"I told you, most of those human desires are there, just hidden behind more powerful desires.† â€Å"Oh,† was all I could say. â€Å"Was there a purpose behind your curiosity?† â€Å"Well, I did wonder†¦ about you and me†¦ someday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was instantly serious, I could tell by the sudden stillness of his body. I froze, too, reacting automatically. â€Å"I don't think that†¦ that†¦ would be possible for us.† â€Å"Because it would be too hard for you, if I were that†¦ close?† â€Å"That's certainly a problem. But that's not what I was thinking of. It's just that you are so soft, so fragile. I have to mind my actions every moment that we're together so that I don't hurt you. I could kill you quite easily, Bella, simply by accident.† His voice had become just a soft murmur. He moved his icy palm to rest it against my cheek. â€Å"If I was too hasty†¦ if for one second I wasn't paying enough attention, I could reach out, meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake. You don't realize how incredibly breakable you are. I can never, never afford to lose any kind of control when I'm with you.† He waited for me to respond, growing anxious when I didn't. â€Å"Are you scared?† he asked. I waited for a minute to answer, so the words would be true. â€Å"No. I'm fine.† He seemed to deliberate for a moment. â€Å"I'm curious now, though,† he said, his voice light again. â€Å"Have you ever†¦ ?† He trailed off suggestively. â€Å"Of course not.† I flushed. â€Å"I told you I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even close.† â€Å"I know. It's just that I know other people's thoughts. I know love and lust don't always keep the same company.† â€Å"They do for me. Now, anyway, that they exist for me at all,† I sighed. â€Å"That's nice. We have that one thing in common, at least.† He sounded satisfied. â€Å"Your human instincts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began. He waited. â€Å"Well, do you find me attractive, in that way, at all?† He laughed and lightly rumpled my nearly dry hair. â€Å"I may not be a human, but I am a man,† he assured me. I yawned involuntarily. â€Å"I've answered your questions, now you should sleep,† he insisted. â€Å"I'm not sure if I can.† â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"No!† I said too loudly. He laughed, and then began to hum that same, unfamiliar lullaby; the voice of an archangel, soft in my ear. More tired than I realized, exhausted from the long day of mental and emotional stress like I'd never felt before, I drifted to sleep in his cold arms.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Exercise 31 Hlt 362v

Name:_ Class: _GCU_HLT-362 V________________ Date: ___ ? EXERCISE 31 Questions to be Graded 1. What are the two groups whose results are reflected by the t ratios in Tables 2 and 3? Table 2 reflects the Health Promotion Program’s effects on cardiovascular risk factors and Table 3 is reflective of the program’s effects on health behavior. 2. Which t ratio in Table 2 represents the greatest relative or standardized difference between the pretest and 3 months outcomes? Is this t ratio statistically significant? Provide a rationale for your answer. 3.Which t ratio listed in Table 3 represents the smallest relative difference between the pretest and 3 months? Is this t ratio statistically significant? What does this result mean? The T-ratio is 0. 80. This value is not statistically significant since it is less than the tabulated value of 1. 96. This is indicative of the program having no effect on health behaviors. 4. What are the assumptions for conducting a t-test for depe ndent groups in a study? Which of these assumptions do you think were met by this study? Several assumptions for t-test for dependent/matched groups in a study are applied.First, it is assumed that the difference between the two groups of the dependent t-test is approximately or normally distributed. Second, the dependent variable is interval or ratio (continuous in nature). Third, any independent variable consists of one group or two â€Å"matched pair† groups. Finally, all subjects are assumed to have been surveyed the same and data collection was unbiased. The assumption that was met in this study is the normal distribution. 5. Compare the 3 months and 6 months t ratios for the variable Exercise from Table 3.What is your conclusion about the long-term effect of the health-promotion intervention on Exercise in this study? After comparing the t-ratios for the Exercise variable, I conclude that there is an effect on long term exercise and health behaviors. 6. What is the smal lest, significant t ratio listed in Table 2? Provide a rationale for your answer. The smallest t-ratio in Table 2 is 2. 04. It is statistically significant because it is > 1. 96. 7. Why are the larger t ratios more likely to be statistically significant? The larger t-ratios are statistically significant because they tend to be larger than the table value f 1. 96. 8. Did the health-promotion program have a statistically significant effect on Systolic blood pressure (BP) in this study? Provide a rationale for your answer. No. The program did not have a statistically significant effect on systolic BP. The t-test values are lower than 1. 96 on the t-distribution. 9. Examine the means and standard deviations for Systolic BP at pretest, 3 months (completion of the treatment), and 6 months. What do these results indicate? Are these results clinically important? Provide a rationale for your answer.The results for standard deviations for Systolic BP at pretest, 3 months (completion of the tr eatment), and 6 months indicate that they the programs did not affects it. This is clinically important because it supports that the data is normally distributed and there is not a high likelihood that data was widely dispersed. 10. Is this study design strong or weak? Provide a rationale for your answer. The study design is strong. This is because it has been carried out using the right procedures for research. The presented results show a stronger impact in the intervention.Also, the sample could easily be representative of the population in question. Bonus Question: Would you, as a health care provider, implement this intervention at your facility based on the Total Risk Score results? Provide a rationale for your answer. Yes, I would implement the intervention at my facility because it was clear, concise and showed that the program had long lasting positive effects while utilized. The fact that some of the data started decreasing (showing that intervention was helpful) at the 6 month follow up reinforces the good outcomes with such a program in place.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Consequences of 9/11

Running Head: Consequences of 9/11 Serious Consequences of September 11th Kristen Brobst The University Of Findlay Abstract This literature review examines five scholarly journal articles that thoroughly address how citizens across the nation were scarred forever, after the 2001 September 11th terrorist attack, which negatively impacted the entire United States. This community wide disaster was a life changing event which physically, mentally, and emotionally impacted thousands of people’s lives. Many disorders were developed from this tragic event, including post traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and depression.Imagine standing on the ground watching two of the highest towers in New York City, standing at one thousand three-hundred sixty-eight feet high, fall right before your eyes. Horrifying, right? The 2001 attack was a life changing event, which physically, mentally, and emotionally impacted citizens in dramatic ways. That Tuesday September ninth morning, around 8:45 AM, New York City was under attack. The attacks consisted of a series of coordinated suicide bombings by Al-Qaeda upon the United States. On that day, nineteen Islamist terrorists’ affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airlines.The hijackers intentionally flew two of the commercial airliners, American Airline Flight 11 and United Airline Flight 175, into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center Complex in New York City. It instantly killed everyone on board, hundreds of others working in the buildings, and trapping even more people in the higher floors of the towers. Within two hours, both twin towers collapsed, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The attack killed nearly three thousand people that day â€Å"(9/11 Attacks, para. #2)†. After the September 11th terrorist attack, Americans were scarred forever.The survivors, residents, and citizens of the community-wide disaster are suffering various health problems becau se of this traumatic experience. Analysis of five scholarly journal articles found through library databases, the authors reveal how the citizens’ lives were negatively impacted from the attack of terrorism. In a research article Alcohol use, Mental Health Status and Psychological Well-being 2 Years After the World Trade Center Attacks in New York City by Richard Adams, Joseph Boscarino, and Sandro Galea (2006), three surveys were conducted to guide their study.The authors’ hypothesized how these disorders developed from the attack impacted individuals. The surveys were sent out by telephone using random digit dialing where they could reach citizens that were affected. To be eligible to answer the survey questions, an adult was selected based on the person with the most recent birthday in the household, and they had to speak English or Spanish for the surveyors to understand their responses. The article states that â€Å"They conducted surveys in October of 2002, in O ctober 2003 another survey was sent out and the last survey sent out was in February of 2004,† (Adams et al, 2006, p. 06). The procedures and questions were all the same throughout each survey; nothing was different. Surveyors were interviewed and monitored throughout the survey to make sure the surveys were accurate. Within the survey, people were tested on various subjects. The conductors of this survey tested the association between alcohol use and the severity of post traumatic stress disorder symptoms due to the terrorist attack. â€Å"All together four thousand-forty nine people completed the surveys,† (Adams et al, p. 206). This amount of people completing this survey is very high.In the first survey, they asked respondents whether their symptoms had bothered them or not. If they said no, they got a zero, but if they said somewhat, or not at all, their results were recorded between zero and six. Furthermore, if they answered a little bit, or a lot, they scored be tween seven and ten. In follow up, if their score was between seven and ten, then it was considered a serious case in which they had to do something about it (Adams et al, p. 207). To complete the criteria of this survey, people had to meet certain symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.Many of the people did not meet the complete criteria of post traumatic stress disorder, so they had to broaden the survey. The symptoms that people needed to possess were re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance of thoughts or places related to the event, and arousal. The participants were then judged according to how many of these symptoms that they presented with. They qualified for full post traumatic stress disorder if they held two or more of these traits. The respondents were considered partial post traumatic stress disorder if they only met one or two of them.They said â€Å"Twenty percent of the respondents were classified for post traumatic stress disorder from the attack. Eight percent had partial post traumatic stress disorder and ten percent had high post traumatic stress disorder,† (Adams et al, p. 213). As you can see, many people obtained this disorder from this attack. More of the participants were classified as having higher amplitude of this disorder than having only partial. This terrorist attack affected many people, not only in gaining post traumatic stress disorder, but also in various other ways.The next survey studied alcoholism, which was gained from the terrorist attack. The surveyors questioned how many times had the participant drank six or more alcoholic beverages in one dining after the 2001 attack. The answers they could have chosen were: never, less than, or monthly. â€Å"Fifteen percent met the criteria for binge drinking. Five percent met the criteria for alcohol dependence and ten percent were reported as an increase of four or more days drinking per month,† (Adams et al, p. 213). Furthermore, people developed a probl em with drinking due to the attack. More people were seen binge drinking than any other kind.After the September 11th attack, studies have shown that there was an increase in the amount of alcohol people consumed compared to before the attack. The traumatic event that the citizens experienced led them to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Not only did alcohol increase after the attack, but psychological problems began to elevate. The final survey that was sent out studied psychological disorders, such as depression. When studying depression, a person had to present with five or more symptoms for at least two weeks in the last year. This meant they were diagnosed with a depressive disorder.Examples of these symptoms are: stress, emotional problems during the day, feeling depressed, always down, in a bad mood, and says negative things (Adams et al, p. 208). The studies showed that â€Å"Twelve percent of the respondents had major depression, and approximately nine percent were de scribed as unhealthy,† (Adams et al, p. 213). These people needed to seek help from a physician. This attack had a major impact of the mental health of the people affected. Adams et al are not the only people who studied these types of disorders that were developed after the 9/11 attack.Similarly in with Adams et al, in an article Disaster and Trauma James Bakalar (2002) studies post traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms in connection to 9/11. He gathered information from other studies on the topic from a survey that was sent out after the attack questioning â€Å"how many people had symptoms of depression, troubles falling asleep at night, and had trouble concentrating,† (Bakalar, 2002, p. 1). The study had shown that the number of prescribed sleeping medicine and antidepressants had arisen exceedingly since the September 11th attack because of paranoia.People were worried about what might happen next and if they were safe at night. They were having trouble s falling asleep at night due to over thinking of the horrifying tragedy. The damage that the attack left behind had initiated symptoms of depression on the people. Symptoms of depression are anxiety, nervousness, feeling down, and or sad. These were not the only emotions people were feeling. The community wide attack left several others feeling emotions of helplessness, scared and freighted. These are a common sign of post traumatic stress disorder.It often increases blood flow and produces an excessive amount of adrenaline making the heart pump more rapidly. Bakalar states how respondents should overcome post traumatic stress disorder with some tactics. Victims should join a support group in which others have the same disorder as well where they all talk about the problem. Bakalar goes on to say, â€Å"they give meaning to their experience by telling their stories and listening to other victims whose similar experiences promote understanding and sympathy,† (Bakalar, p. 4). This can help them to relate to one another, so they have a better understanding about what they are going through.It helps to talk about feelings that are held inside, and to retell the story over again to listeners that have similar stories. Talking with others that have the same problem or symptoms helps the respondents become more comfortable with themselves because they are not the only one with this problem. To help patients move beyond these feelings due to trauma from the disaster, they should continue normal everyday activities. The author addressed that â€Å"They should have confidence in the future to get on with their lives, and they should keep faith in everyday activities,† (Bakalar, p. 5).This will help the victims to break free from their past experiences and keeping busy will help distract the negative feelings in order to overcome the symptoms. This is just a few ways to overcome the psychological impact of the September 11th attack. Additionally with Adams et al and Bakalar, in the research article titled The Emotional Distress in a Community after the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center by Teddy Chen, Henry Chung, Chen Hongtu, Chen Jian-Ping, and Fang Lin (2003). They hypothesized how the short term psychological impacts of the September 11th attack affected the immediate neighborhood of the world trade center.The surveys they sent out were displayed in a waiting area for random citizens to fill out. They surveyed emotional responses of the survivors within the week that it happened and then again five months later to show more accurate statistics. The results showed that â€Å"Five hundred fifty-five community residents or eighty-eight percent of the citizens completed the survey,† (Chen et al, 2003, p. 159). The age group of the participants ranged from eight years old to eighty-six years old. The average age groups of the participants were around forty years old.He states that â€Å"Results of the first survey that was sent out a few weeks after the disaster showed eighty-eight percent of the respondents had one or more psychiatric symptoms. Over half the community residents had four or more symptoms that dealt with emotional distress. The survey that was sent out five months later showed only fifty-three of the respondents had one or more emotional distress symptom,† (Chen et al, p. 159). The 9/11 attack proved to be the reason that half the community has consistently had at least one symptom of emotional distress.As time went on the emotional distress seemed to dissipate. Although this problem seemed to dissolve, it had a serious impact on people. The study illustrated that the emotional distress had a more serious impact on the full-grown adults around the ages of forty through fifty-nine than it had on any of the other age groups. The symptoms they had were: anxiety, nervousness, low self esteem, sadness, and depression. â€Å"These symptoms demonstrated the tremendous psychologica l trauma caused by this disaster,† (Chen et al, p. 161).The trauma from the attack placed a burden on a person that was not apparent before. Several months after the attack had happened the community was still suffering from these symptoms. Studies conducted that â€Å"Less than four percent of the people received help from a mental health professional,† (Chen et al, p. 162). Many of the residents would not seek help in counseling because they thought that time would just heal them. In result, the study had shown that the terrorist attack impacted the immediate neighborhoods, which were the residents that live closer to the world trade center.These residents had higher levels of emotional distress within the first few weeks that the attack occurred. With the destruction in the city that the attack left behind, it is not astounding that these high results in emotional distress would appear because of this traumatic, unimaginable event. Each situation impacted the people in a negative way. In comparison, In the article When a terrorist Attacks: September 11 and the Impact on Older Adults in New York City Igal Jellinek and Judy Willig (2007) address the terrorist attack focusing mainly on how the elderly were impacted in a negative way in New York City.Jellinek and Willig specifically target how the attack personally impacted the older adults that were nearby Manhattan. These citizens were paying a vast amount of money to live there because of the scenic view. The beautiful scene of the Manhattan skyline lit up New York City, but in just seconds it was demolished from the attack. The view of that skyline was distorted that September 11th day, and the senior citizens would never see that stunning view again. Many of the older adults were worried about the problems that they would soon face.Jellinek and Willig conducted a survey that was sent out to clients, staff, and several different agencies to see who was worried about safety, who had lost loved o nes, and who had no one close to vent to. Results of the survey had shown that everyone was worried about their safety, and no one felt safe where they were. Since the attack hit so close to their homes, everyone was left worried about what was going to happen next. Everyone was upset and damaged from this disaster. The authors stated â€Å"The community all needed counseling or just someone to talk to† (Jellinek and Willig, 2007, p. 3). The attack impacted the elderly more direct and personally than anyone. The older adults lost loved ones, neighbors, and many close friends that they have known for years. All they had left were the memories. Not only did the attack affect them mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. When the attack hit, the elderly residents were in shock and devastated. Their daily routines were rudely interrupted by the attack. The older adults were unable to get care and the attention they were provided with on a daily basis. They could not rece ive supplies or help that was needed due to ecurity reasons; everything was on lock down. These restrictions prevented the older adults from meeting their personal needs. This was very hard for the older adults to cope with. For some of the older adults, the terrorist attack had refueled traumas from years back, making it hard for them to cope with what was going on. Not seeing those trade towers that stood there every day made the attack vividly come back to mind. The elderly could not physically see the trade towers standing, but they could visualize how they once stood in the city of New York.Viewing the scene of the skyline, noticing that the towers were gone, made the citizens realize how real the tragedy was. Supporting Jellinek, Willig, and the other three scholarly journal articles, in the article September 11th and the Mourning After: Media Narrating Grief, written by Adi Drori-Avraham (2006). He focuses on the impact of grieving and mourning of the citizens across the Unit ed States due to the tragedy. Drori-Avraham concentrates on the two different types of mourning that the New York City residents could be in or were about to experience.He states, â€Å"The good kind of mourning is a movement forward driven by a passion for meaning. † In other words, people need to let go of the loss and move on to a healthy future. The bad kind of mourning is called â€Å"melancholia, which is destructive grieving,† (Drori-Avraham, 2006, p. 289). This is the opposite of making one’s life meaningful again. Drori-Avraham mentions an exceptional example of unhealthy grieving. The unhealthy grieving is when New York City employees, tourists, and picture takers are capturing those last moments of the world trade center. These pictures are capturing the memories of what the United States has lost.The city residents that pass by the location of the falling twin towers are now walking by passing the devastating site everyday in order to return back to work. The residents are grieving at the site that was once miraculous. When tourists are there taking pictures and pointing out the memories of loved ones that have been lost, the residents are yet again reminded about that iniquitous day. As the community residents walk by day by day they are constantly reminded about the unexpected tragedy on September 11th. When thousands of people die many thousands are left in the state of mourning.This is a natural occurrence when lives are lost. It is a very upsetting time for everyone in the nation. Even normal grief can be prolonged for a long time when a community wide disaster takes place. Hurtful memories and photographs from the attack may still be present. Certain sounds or experiences may resemble the terrorist attack. This day with never be forgotten. The mass terrorist attack on the nation has impacted and changed many people’s lives because of the trauma they had perceived on that day. Post traumatic stress disorder is just one problem people developed from the attack.Another problem that was developed from the tragedy is depression. Several scientists also concluded that alcoholism is another trait that people acquired from the attack. Overall this attack has negatively impacted several people. I believe that in the future there should be more professional counselors willing to reach out and help others going through these disorders. References Adams, R. , Boscarino, J. , & Galea, S. 2006. Alcohol Use, Mental Health Status and Psychological Well-being 2 Years After the World Trade Center Attacks in New York City.American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse. 32(2), 203-224. Retrieved from http://metis. findlay. edu:2066/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20380132&site=ehost-live Bakalar, J 2002. Disaster and Trauma. Harvard Mental Health Letter. 18(7), 1-5. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=5762387&site=ehost-live Drori, A. 2006. September 11th and the Mourning After: Media Narrating Grief. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies. 20(3), 289-297. Doi: 10. 1080/10304310600814110 Hongtu C. , Chung, H. Chen, T. ,Lin, F. , & Jian-Ping, C. 2003. The Emotional Distress in a Community After the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center. Community Mental Health Journal. 39(2), 157-165. Retrieved from http://metis. findlay. edu:2066/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9450651&site=ehost-live Jellinek, I. & Willig, J. 2007. When a Terrorist Attacks: September 11 and the Impact on Older Adults in New York City. Generations. 31(4), 42-46. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31633966&site=ehost-live