Suicide Person Essays - Abnormal Psychology, Psychiatric Diagnosis

Suicide Person So how can the physician determine when a patient should be diagnosed as depressed or suicidal? Brown (1996) suggested the best way to diagnose is to "screen out the vulnerable groups of children and adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and then refer them for treatment." Some of these "risk factors" include verbal signs of suicide within the last three months, prior attempts at suicide, indication of severe mood problems, or excessive alcohol and substance abuse. Many physicians tend to think of depression as an illness of adulthood. In fact, Brown (1996) stated that "it was only in the 1980's that mood disorders in children were included in the category of diagnosed psychiatric illnesses." In actuality, 7-14% of children will experience an episode of major depression before the age of 15. An average of 20-30% of adult bipolar patients report having their first episode before the age of 20. In a sampling of 100,000 adolescents, two to three thousand will have mood disorders out of which 8-10 will commit suicide (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the last decade. Brown (1996) added that an estimated 2,000 teenagers per year commit suicide in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after accidents and homicide. Blackman (1995) stated that it is not uncommon for young people to be preoccupied with issues of mortality and to contemplate the effect their death would have on close family and friends. Once it has been determined that the adolescent has the disease of depression, what can be done about it? Blackman (1995) has suggested two main avenues to treatment: "psychotherapy and medication." The majority of the cases of adolescent depression are mild and can be dealt with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and encouragement. Comorbidity is not unusual in teenagers, and possible pathology, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disability or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, should be searched for and treated, if present (Blackman, 1995). For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms, medication may be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. Brown (1996) added that regardless of the type of treatment chosen, "it is important for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple episodes of depression throughout their life span." Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignored by health professionals but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist. Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some who find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress. How can parents and friends help out these troubled teens? And what can these teens do about their constant and intense sad moods? With the help of teachers, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and other caring adults, the severity of a teen's depression can not only be accurately evaluated, but plans can be made to improve his or her well-being and ability to fully engage life.

Can video games make children violent essays

Can video games make children violent essays Computer games, is it a possible disaster for society? While many say that it is just a game others, like myself, think that a computer can be as destructive as loading a gun and giving it to a toddler. This is because teens across the globe are playing horribly realistic video games with sadistic themes of violence, sex and drugs, not only that but some children are mimicking the actions of the games in real life, a sort of twisted reality lived out at a school in Columbine America. Also the fact that the government is even thinking of bringing out an R rated category so that children can play more violent games than usual is just astounding. The American government has investigated into these Murder Simulators and has found that some games do encourage aggressive behavior, some are such good teaching tools of destruction that the Australian army is using them as training tools, these are now being sold to the public to ANYONE. Some computer games that are being sold at such family orientated shops such as Target, Myer and K-mart are so graphically realistic that one could almost mistake it for reality. If that isnt bad enough the problem is that they can only get more realistic, while the technology of PCs advances its graphics capabilities boom enabling it to be more realistic than ever before. The realistic surrounds of everyday life added with the soul purposes to kill everyone, deal elicit substances and to Pimp women on the streets is just too much for the average ten year old to handle without being affected in an unacceptable way. It proved too much to two young American students at the Columbine high school in the USA. Two Children who were teased by other students decided to massacre their fellow students in a way not unlike to the Doom or Quake video games of their time. Both students were known to play excessive amounts of computer games such as Doom and Quak...

Policies and Procedures Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policies and Procedures Summary - Essay Example The policy of operational issues is essential for the control of harmful wastes, which helps in the conservation of the environment and the community. The management policy establishes the criteria for making requisitions, payment methods and the departments concerned in the transactions (OBrien, 2009). The purchasing policy enables a company to have an organized system that determines the supplier requirements, objectives and product quality (OBrien, 2009). The other significant purchasing policy category is the supplier’s duty for substandard supplies, which spells out the procedures to be taken in case of wrong shipment or contents. The basic procedural areas of procurement comprise of the purchasing cycle, correct application of purchasing forms and the development of authorized agreements. The purchasing cycle procedure describes the details of the procurement that employees must observe when contacting suppliers (Monczka, 2009). Procurement involves documentation and this requires the use of the correct forms for every purchase made. The forms offer the correct description of supplies needed and the quantity. This should include the vital information that the suppliers need to know about the requisition and the prices tagged for each commodity. The other procedural area is the establishment of legal intentions between the supplier and the buyer (Monczka, 2009). The legality of the transaction eliminates breach of agreement and fraud that might arise during the shipment period. The payment mode is another procedural area that must be addressed when dealing with procurement. This is because it signals the term ination of a transaction and helps to establish a positive working between the parties. The e-supply chain (e-SCM) is an optimization of business practices and rate in every aspect of an organization. This is because it uses the internet and web-technology to manage the supply of commodities. The e-supply

Analysis of Criminological Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Analysis of Criminological Theory - Assignment Example For the purpose of researching and understanding victimology, scholars thus developed theories that attempt to explain victimization and its causes, a few of the most common and important ones being victim precipitation theory, lifestyle theory, deviant place theory and routine activities theory (Siegel, p73). Victim precipitation theory suggests that some individuals cause or instigate a particular confrontation, which may ultimately lead to their victimization through injury or death. Such precipitation on the victim’s part can be either active or passive, with the active one existing following the victim’s deliberate provocative actions, use of threats or fighting words or simply attacks first. In rape cases, for instance, courts have presented not-guilty rulings anchored in whether or not the victim’s actions were in any way appearing to consent to sexual relations, for example, how a woman was dressed. Passive precipitation, on the other hand, transpires when the victim possesses features that inadvertently threatens or motivates the attacker. The existence of such crimes can be due to personal conflicts like two persons competing for a job, a promotion, a love interest or any other rare or desirable entity. It may also exist if a victim is involved in a particul ar group that threatens or offends someone's reputation, status or economic well-being. Research reveals that economic power reduces victimization risk since passive precipitation often exists in relation to power (Siegel, p73). Next is the lifestyle theory. Siegel asserts that majority of criminologists hold that individuals whose lifestyle increases their exposure to criminals are more likely to happen to be crime victims. Behaviors like residing in cities, associating with younger men and going out late at night raise the likelihood of falling victim to crime.

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness - Essay Example Decreasing richness, low plateau, low plateau with mid elevational peak, and mid elevational peak were found to describe patterns of species richness with elevation. Each pattern defines the ecology of each classified group. However, very little analysis on microbe diversity is included in the patterns evaluation. This could have been affected by various methodologies used in the study scale and data sampling. While local scale covers one elevational gradient and regional scale covers fields from the whole region, the sample site should not focus on one portion of gradient truncation of the mountain. Collecting a large number of samples would make prediction of species richness more relevant. The hypotheses on elevation species richness are based on, space, climate, biotic processes, and evolutionary history. According to SAR description of space, increase in area leads to relative increase in the number of species. This shows that diversity and elevation area have a very close relationship. Climate wise, productivity is controlled by climatic conditions. The condition affects population by controlling individual numbers hence showing that species richness and diversity have a positive relationship too. The relationship between diversity and biotic processes such as habitat heterogeneity, complexity, and diversity in this case has been estimated. Therefore, the hypotheses predict that areas with low extinction and high speciation are diverse. In my opinion, the article and the topic are perfectly related since knowing about elevational patterns in species richness is essential in the study of diversity. The topic indicates elevation gradients clearly also discusses the effect of latitude as well. I particularly like the methodological discussion part because it compares different methods used. It also points out the benefits and the drawbacks for each.

Sensation Seeking And N100 Psychology Essay

Sensation Seeking And N100 Psychology Essay This research seeks to examine the relationship between event-related potentials, specifically the N100 component, and the personality construct of sensation seeking. Nine students enrolled in a university level introductory psychology course received credit for participating in this study. With the use of an electroencephalogram, voltage information in the brain was recorded while the participant listened to auditory stimuli including a target, standard, and random tone. After separating participants based on high and low sensation seeking scores and comparing that with an event-related potential developed from the EEG information it was shown that those high in sensation seeking had higher amplitude and a longer latency at N100 than low sensation seekers. This shows that one of the components of sensation seeking, boredom susceptibility, may have had an effect due to the repetitive presentation of stimuli which resulted in lower amplitude at the N100. Sensation seeking and N100 This study seeks to examine the relationship between levels of sensation seeking and event-related potentials (ERP), specifically the N100 component. Using ERPs to compare with personality constructs is effective because the stimulus can be time-locked to the brain activity that is being recorded and analyzed to see how the person is reacting whether on a conscious or unconscious level. Sensation seeking, as described by Marvin Zuckerman (2007), is a trait defined by the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks for the sake of such experience. Sensation seekers are attracted to high risk sports such as sky diving and mountain climbing, they experiment with a variety of drugs, and are sexually promiscuous in that they have a varied range of sexual partners. High sensation seekers will assess situations as low risk vs. low that will see a higher risk; even still highs will anticipate more positive arousal whereas lows anticipate fear and anxiety. Sensation seeking correlates with dominance and adventurousness, but not with neuroticism or anxiety. High sensation seekers tend to be associated with non-conformist groups and are attracted to abstract stimuli. There are four dimensions of sensation seeking that are used in Zuckermans sensation seeking scale that help determine if a person is a high or low sensation seeker. The first component is thrill and adventure seeking (TAS). If someone is high in TAS they will exert a need to be involved in activities that give them unusual sensations and experiences such as moderately risky sports. This is where activities like mountain climbing and sky diving come into play. The second aspect is experience seeking (ES) which describes the attraction to non-conformist groups. A person scoring high in experience seeking will seek out sensations and new experiences through the mind and the senses and through a nonconforming lifestyle. Activities include things like enjoying abstract art and traveling to new and different places. Disinhibition (DIS) reflects the involvement in wild parties, susceptibility to drugs, and promiscuity. Disinhibition alone can be normal, but when paired with aggression it can be a sign of psychopathy. The last subscale is boredom susceptibility (BS) defines the aversion sensation seekers have to monotonous tasks and people they find to be boring. For example, Zuckermans stimulus deprivation task found that high sensations seekers, when in a room for any length of time with no visual or auditory stimuli got restless and bored (Zuckerman, 2007). Zuckermans theory for the biological basis of sensation seeking started with his monoamine oxidase (MAO) theory. He hypothesized that high sensation seekers have low MAO compared with low sensation seekers having high levels of MAO. Monoamine oxidase is a neurotransmitter regulator. MAO regulates the level of monoamines which include norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. High levels of MAO result in reduced sensitivity to a stimulus and conversely low levels increase sensitivity. This is because if there are high levels of MAO there are lower levels of monoamines and vice versa. In summary, high sensation seekers have low levels of MAO which result in an increase of sensitivity to stimulus. The negative correlation between MAO levels and sensation seeking is also indicative of a relationship between sensation seeking and the levels of catecholamine. High levels of MAO are found in the limbic system. The limbic system is involved in pleasure and sensitivity to reward. Zuckerman wor ked under the assumption that this sensitivity in high sensation seekers produces alertness and interest in novel stimuli associated with strong orienting responses. He then merged his theory of MAO with another theory that connects the limbic system activity with levels of catecholamine and sensation seeking. It explains that dopamine controls the readiness to explore and approach novel stimuli in the environment and norepinephrine regulates the sensitivity to, or expectation of positive reinforcement (i.e.) norepinephrine and dopamine together are two components of the reward system. The nucleus accumbens (NA) is part of the limbic (reward) system and hypothesized to be the major center for sensation seeking. This may be because there are higher levels of dopamine found in the NA. Therefore, this theory relates the attributes of sensations seeking to low levels of MAO, resulting in high levels of catecholamine (dopamine and norepinephrine) in the limbic system (reward center), whi ch ultimately increases readiness to explore and approach novel stimuli in the environment and sensitivity to stimulus and positive reinforcement (Zuckerman, 1983). An event-related potential (ERP) is a wave form developed by averaging epochs from data collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG) that is a time-locked representation of the voltage activity in the brain reacting to the stimulus presented (Rugg Coles, 1995). ERPs allow analysis of stimulus on a neurological level. Like this study, it can be used with personality constructs or psychological disorders to study their effects on the reaction to stimulus in the environment. The amplitude of different components in the waveform are indicative of the strength of the reaction and the latency represents the time it takes for the reaction to occur. The EEG itself is useful, but almost impossible to use its data because its such a general collection of information. ERPs act as a funnel for important information that fine tunes the data collected with the EEG that result in data that can pin point neurological reaction whether conscious or unconscious. This is another reason ERPs are useful , they allow researchers to collect data that the participant may not even be aware of (Rugg Coles, 1995). N100 (N1) is a negative spike at approximately 100 ms after a stimulus has been presented. N1 amplitude seems to be associated with detection of a stimulus. The onset and offset of a stimulus will elicit a N1 where as the repetition of a stimulus will show a reduction in N1 amplitude. N1 does not explain any content information about the stimulus presented, it will only express when a stimulus is in the environment. Within the confines of this study using the oddball paradigm with auditory stimuli, the N1 could have been increased in amplitude by creating a larger time gap between the presentations of stimulus. Since the N1 is elicited at the onset of stimulus, by increasing the time between auditory tones the recognition of a new stimulus is larger. Another way to manipulate the amplitude of the N1 is to repeat the stimulus in random time intervals for silence length (Atienza et al., 2001). N1 amplitude can also be increased by increasing the intensity or frequency of the continuous stimuli (Naatanen, 1990). Sensation seekers have a stronger curiosity or willingness to investigate novel stimuli which means they will have stronger orienting response (OR). Orienting response occurs when presented with a moderately intense or novel stimulus. Although this study is focusing on standard stimuli it can still be considered novel. Novel, in this regard, does not mean the complexity of the stimuli; it means novel to the participants environment. Sensation seeking has been positively correlated with orienting response to a novel stimulus. According to Naatanen (1990), N1 has high amplitude at the onset and offset of stimulus. It seems to represent the participants initial response to the onset of auditory stimulus which can also described as an orienting response. Research conducted by Atienza et al. (2001), found that components of the N1 were involved in the initiation of an orienting response. Operating on the assumption that N1 is indicative of an orienting response and that high sensation see kers have stronger OR it is hypothesized that those high in sensation seeking will have a shorter latency and higher amplitude at N1 than low sensation seekers. Method Participants Nine undergraduate university students were given course credit to be involved in the study. The male and female participants were recruited from introductory psychology courses. They were required to complete five personality questionnaires. The Eysenck personality questionnaire-revised, agency and affiliation questionnaire, BISBAS, ten item personality inventory, and the sensation seeking scale were used to assess the participants personality traits. From the total sensation seeking score participants were split into two categories: scoring high on sensation seeking (4) and low on sensation seeking (5). Materials The sensation seeking scale is based upon the four subscales of the personality construct: thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility. The scores for these four subscales are added together to give the total sensation seeking score. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to record voltage activity in the brain while presenting the participant with auditory stimuli. It is hooked up to an amplifier that projects a variation in voltage over time. The electrodes were placed according to the 10/20 system. This system describes that electrodes are arranged based on their distance from the two main axis: anterior-posterior and the coronal (Rugg Coles, 1995). The electrodes Fz, Cz, Pz, linked mastoids, Fcz (ground), EOG, and Fp2 were used. The linked mastoids were used for references and the EOG and Fp2 were used together to get a bipolar recording. The auditory tones including: a standard high frequency tone, target low frequency tone, and a random sound were presented using an oddball paradigm. The participant was also equipped with headphones and a remote button. Procedure The participant was required to sit in an isolated room with headphones on and listen to a sequence of auditory tones including target stimuli, standard stimuli, and a rare sound. During the presentation of the auditory stimuli the participant was asked to respond to the target tone by pressing the remote button and to essentially ignore the other sounds. The EEG picks up frequencies that are not considered usable data for this study. With the computer program Neuroscan blinks and muscle reactions were removed from the data collected. The EEG is then separated into segments or epochs to represent each time the auditory tone was presented. The base line is manipulated so all recordings were at approximately 0 amplitude. The last step was to average all of the waveforms to produce a graph representing the event-related potential at each electrode. Results On average, low sensation seekers had higher amplitude at N100 and shorter latency than high sensation seekers. Those scoring high on sensation seeking had a longer latency and lower amplitude than low sensation seekers. Table 1: Average amplitude and latency at each electrode for high and low sensation seekers ERP.png Fig. 1: Event-related potential for high and low sensation seekers in reaction to standard stimuli at the Cz electrode Discussion It was thought that those who score high on sensation seeking would have higher amplitude and a shorter latency at the N100. The results contradicted what was hypothesized in that high sensation seekers actually had lower amplitude and a longer latency at N100. From the results, it is speculated that the repetition of stimuli played on one of the components of sensation seeking: boredom susceptibility. To recap, the N100 is indicative of the onset of stimuli in the environment and has no content information. In the perspective of the N100 component and neglecting the differences in the auditory tones presented, the high sensation seeker was presented with stimuli repetitively for an extended period of time. Zuckerman (2007) stated that people high in sensation seeking dislike monotonous tasks which would explain why they would have lower amplitude at N100 than low sensation seekers. When looking at the N100 alone, Nataanen (1990) explained that with repetition of a stimulus there is a decline in N1 amplitude. The presentation of auditory tones to participants was repetitive and would have resulted in lower N100 amplitude for both high and low sensation seekers. It was also shown, in research conducted by Budd et al.(1998), that stimulus presented too closely together will result in a smaller N1 because there is not enough time for neuronal recovery. There also may be a chance, because of the lack of statistical analysis, that there is actually no significant difference between the amplitude at the N1 for high and low sensation seekers. From the research done by Carol et al. (1982) on the correlation between sensation seeking and drug selection based on the optimal level of arousal theory, it can also be speculated that there would be no significant difference between high and lows at the N100. The optimal level of arousal theory would postulate that high sensation seekers, because their optimal level of arousal is higher than low sensation seekers, would choose stimulants over depressive drugs to heighten their level of arousal. It would also be expected that low sensation seekers would be more attracted to depressants because of its dampening effect on arousal levels. Their results showed that high and low sensation seekers both enjoyed the stimulants more. Looking at these results it may be concluded that it is more realistic that there is no significant difference between high and low sensation seekers at N1 (Carol et al., 1982). The sample size was quite small with a total of 9 participants. With a larger sample the results would be more applicable to the general population. The study used male and female participants, but there was no analysis of whether females or males scored higher on sensation seeking or what that meant in terms of the results. This made it so the results and the scores could not be compared on the basis of gender. The age range of participants was limited to 17-19. Also, all of the participants were from introductory psychology courses from the same university. In future research it would be interesting, using ERP, to compare gender and the scores on the sensation seeking scale and how that would affect the results. From previous research it was thought that levels of testosterone correlated to levels of sensation seeking. That higher testosterone, more prevalently in males, had a positive relationship with high levels of sensation seeking (Zuckerman, 2007). In reference to the results in this study and its possible origin from boredom susceptibility, new research could look at the different components of sensation seeking instead of the total score and how that would affect ERP studies. In the research from Zuckermans publications, it was found that the demographic factors that most affected levels of sensation seeking were gender and age, which supports the idea of future research being done with those two aspects (Zuckerman, 2007).

Profanity :: Swear Swearing

Profanity â€Å"Money doesn’t talk, it swears.† Many of the most brilliant minds throughout time have used profanity. Shakespeare’s best works were revised and edited in order to remove the numerous curse words or obscene phrases he included. The harmless use of profanity in an informal setting should not be penalized, by the assignment of an essay. Profanity continuously evolves, and has a very rich and interesting history. The system of assigning essays for the use of profanity is ineffective and counter productive. â€Å"When angry, count four; when very angry, swear.† The evolution of profanity began in the sixteenth century, and it evolves with each generation. Profanity is recognized in many Shakespearean works, and has evolved into the profane language used today. Some cuss or curse words have somehow maintained their original meanings throughout hundreds of years, while many others have completely changed meaning or simply fallen from popular vocabulary. William Shakespeare, though it is not widely taught, used a rather vulgar and dirty vocabulary in his writings. His works included subjects that some people wish they had not. "That includes a fair helping of sex, violence, crime, horror, politics, religion, anti-authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, jealousy, profanity, satire, and controversy of all kinds" (Macrone 6). In Shakespeare’s time, religious and moral curses were more offensive than biological curses. Most original, prior to being censored, Shakespearean works contain offensive profanity, mostly religious, which is probably one of many reasons that his works were and continue to be so popular. "Shakespeare pushed a lot of buttons in his day- which is one reason he was so phenomenally popular. Despite what they tell you, people like having their buttons pushed" (Macrone 6). His works contained many profane words or phrases and as a result, were censored to protect the innocent minds of the teenagers who are now required to read them, and also because they were blasphemous and offensive. Almost all of the profanity was removed, and that that was not had just reason for being there. Some of the Bard's censored oaths are; "God's blessing on your beard" Love's Labors Lost, II.i.203 This was a very rude curse because a man's facial hair was a point of pride for him. And "to play with someone's beard" was to insult him. "God's body" 1 Henry IV, II.i.26 Swearing by Christ's body (or any part thereof,) was off limits in civil discourse.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 16

Gillian stood as if her snow-powdered body had been turned to ice. Because it was the worst, the absolute worst that she could possibly have imagined. He killed a kid. â€Å"The little girl who disappeared a year ago,† she whispered. â€Å"On Hilkrest Road.† The one she'd thought of-completely irrationally-when she'd heard the crying. â€Å"I was doing a spell,† Gary said. â€Å"A strong one; I was a quick learner. It was a fire elemental spell-so I was out in the woods. In the snow, where nothing would burn. And then she showed up chasing her dog.† He was staring into the distance, his face dead white. Looking not haunting, but haunted. And Gillian knew he wasn't with her at that moment; he was far away, with Paula. â€Å"They broke the circle. It all happened so fast. The fire was everywhere-just one white flash, like lightning. And then it was gone.† He paused. â€Å"The dog got away. But not her.† Gillian shut her eyes, trying not to imagine it. â€Å"Oh, God.† And then, as something twisted inside her, â€Å"Oh, Gary †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I put her body in my car. I was going to take her to the hospital. But she was dead. And I wasconfused. So finally I stopped the car. And I buried her in the snow.† â€Å"Gary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I went home. Then I went to a party. That was the kind of guy I was, you see. A partyin' guy. Everything was about good times and me, me, me. That was even what being a witch was about.† For the first time there was emotion in his voice, and Gillian recognized it. Self-hatred. â€Å"And at the party, I got really, really drunk.† Oh. Suddenly Gillian understood. â€Å"You never told anybody.† â€Å"On the way back home I wrapped my car around a tree. And that was it.† He laughed, but it wasn't a laugh. â€Å"Suddenly I'm in Neverland. Can't talk to anybody, can't touch anybody, but sure can see everything. I watched the search for her, you know. They passed about a foot away from her body.† Gillian gulped and looked away. Something had twisted and broken inside her, some idea of justice that would never be put back together. But this was no time to think about that. It hadn't really been his fault†¦ but what did that matter? You played the hand you got dealt. And Gary had played his badly. He'd started out with everything-good looks, obvious brains, and witch power enough to choke a horse-and he'd blown it. Didn't matter. They had to go on from here. She looked up at him. â€Å"Gary, you have to tell me where she is.† Silence. â€Å"Gary, don't you see? That's your unfinished business. Her family doesn't know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian stopped and swallowed. When she went on, her voice wobbled. â€Å"Whether she's alive or dead. Don't you think they ought to know that?† A long pause. Then he said, like a stubborn child, â€Å"I don't want to go anywhere.† Like a frightened child, Gillian thought. But she didn't look away from him. â€Å"Gary, they deserve to know,† she said softly. â€Å"Once they're at peace-â€Å" He almost shouted, â€Å"What if there isn't any peace for me?† Not frightened, terrified. â€Å"What if there isn't anywhere for me to go? What if they won't take me?† Gillian shook her head. Her tears overflowed again. And she didn't have any answers for him. â€Å"I don't know. But it doesn't change what we've got to do. I'll stay with you, though, if you want. I'm your cousin, Gary.† Then, very quietly, she said, â€Å"Take me to her.† He stood for a long moment-the longest of Gillian's life. He was looking at something in the night sky that she couldn't see, and his eyes were utterly bleak. Then he looked at her and slowly nodded. â€Å"Here?† David bent and touched the snow. He looked up at Gillian. His dark eyes were young- a little scared. But his jaw was set. â€Å"Yes. Right there.† â€Å"It's a pretty strange place to do it.† â€Å"I know. But we don't have any choice.† David got to work with the shovel. Gillian pushed and mounded snow into walls. She tried to think only of how she'd done this in childhood, about how easy and interesting it had been then. She kept at it until David said, â€Å"I found her.† Gillian stepped back, brushing off her sleeves and mittens. It was a clear day, and the afternoon sun was brilliant in a cold blue sky. The small clearing was peaceful, almost a haven. Untouched except for a welt in the snow where a ground mouse had tunneled. Gillian took a couple of deep breaths, fists clenched, and then she turned to look. David hadn't uncovered much. A scrap of charred red wool muffler. He was kneeling beside the shallow trench he'd made. Gillian was crying again. She ignored it. She said, â€Å"It was the last day before Christmas vacation, so we took the day off from school. We were playing hooky in the woods. We decided to make a snow fort†¦.† â€Å"And then we found the body.† David got up and gently put a hand on her elbow. â€Å"It's a weird story, but it's better than the truth.† â€Å"And what can they suspect us of? We never even knew Paula Belizer. They'll know she was murdered because she was buried. But they won't know how she died. They'll think somebody tried to burn the body to get rid of it.† David put his arm around her waist, and she leaned into him. They stood that way for a few minutes, steadying each other. It was strange how natural that was, now. David had agreed to help her with all this without a moment's hesitation†¦ and Gillian hadn't been surprised. She'd expected it. He was her soulmate. They stood together. At last, he said quietly, â€Å"Ready?† â€Å"Yes.† As they left the clearing, David added even more quietly, â€Å"Is he here?† â€Å"No. I haven't seen him since he showed me the place. He just-disappeared. He won't talk to me either.† David held her tighter. Mr. Belizer came at dusk, after most of the police had left. It was almost too dark to see. David had been urging Gillian away for an hour. So had Gillian's parents. They were there, both of them, huddling close and touching her whenever they could. David's father and stepmother were on the other side of David. Yeah, Gillian thought. It's been a rough last few days on everybody. But here they all were: David, pale but calm; Gillian, shaky but standing; the parents, bewildered but trying to cope. Not comprehending how their kids could have found so much trouble in such a short time. At least nobody seemed to suspect them of having hurt Paula Belizer. And now, here was Paula's dad. Alone. Come to look at the last resting place of his daughter-even though the coroner had already taken his daughter away. The police let him go up to the clearing with a flashlight. Gillian tugged at David's hand. He resisted a second, then let her tow him. Gillian heard murmurs as they went. What are you doing, following that poor man. My God, that's- ghoulish. But none of the parents actually grabbed them to stop them. They ended up a little distance behind Mr. Belizer. Gillian moved to see his face. Now here was the thing. She didn't know about spirits. She wasn't sure what needed to be done to release Gary from the between-place. Did she need to talk to Paula's dad? Explain that she had the feeling whoever had done it was sorry, even if they could never tell him themselves? It might get her locked up. Showing too much interest in a crime, too much knowledge. But, strangely, that didn't scare her as much as she'd have thought. She was Gary's cousin, and his debts were hers somehow. And things had to be put right. As she stood hesitating, Mr. Belizer fell to his knees in the trampled snow. Oh, God. That hurt. If strong arms hadn't been holding Gillian up, she might have fallen, too. David held her and pressed his face into her hair. But Gillian kept looking at the kneeling man. He was crying. She'd never seen a man his age cry, and it hurt in a way that was scary. But there was something else in his face. Something like relief†¦ peace. Kneeling there, with his overcoat spread around him, Mr. Belizer said, â€Å"I know my daughter is in a better place. Whoever did this, I forgive them.† A shock like cold lightning went through Gillian, and then a spreading warmth. She was crying suddenly. Hard. Tears falling straight down from her eyes. But she was filled with a hope that seemed to lift her whole body. And then David drew in his breath sharply, and she realized he'd raised his head. He was staring at something above Mr. Belizer. Gary Fargeon was hovering there. like an Angel. He was crying. And saying something over and over. Gillian caught â€Å"-sorry, I'm so sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Forgiveness asked for and given. If not exactly in that order. That's it, Gillian thought. Her knees began to tremble. David whispered huskily, â€Å"Can you see that, too?† â€Å"Yes. Can you?† Nobody else seemed to see it. Mr. Belizer was getting up now. He was walking past them, away. David was still staring. â€Å"So that's what he looks like. No wonder you thought-â€Å" He didn't finish, but Gillian knew. Thought he was an angel. But†¦ why was Gary still here? Wasn't the forgiveness enough to release him? Or was there something else that needed to be done? Gary turned his head and looked at her. His cheeks were wet. â€Å"Come in a little farther,† he said. â€Å"I have to say something.† Gillian untangled from David, and then pulled at him. He came, jaw still sagging. They followed Gary past a thicket and into another clearing. As the trees and the darkness closed around them, they seemed suddenly far away from the police noise and bustle. Gillian guessed even as Gary sank down to face them. But she let him say it. â€Å"You have to forgive me, too.† â€Å"I forgive you,† Gillian said. â€Å"You have to be sure. I did some terrible things to you. I tried to warp you, damage your soul.† â€Å"I know,† Gillian said steadily. â€Å"But you did some good things, too. You helped me-grow up.† He'd helped her conquer her fears. Gain self-confidence. Discover her heritage. And find her soulmate. And he'd been close to her in a way that she would probably never be with anyone else ever again. â€Å"You know what?† Gillian was on the verge of tears again. â€Å"I'm going to miss you.† He stood facing her. He was shining just dimly. His eyes were dark and bruised looking, but his lips were smiling. And he was more beautiful than she had ever seen him. â€Å"Things are going to work out, you know,† he said softly. â€Å"For you. Your mom's going to get better.† Gillian nodded. â€Å"I think so, too.† â€Å"And I checked on Tanya and Kim. They're going to be all right. Tanya's still got all her fingers.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You should go see Melusine. You could help them a lot with Circle Daybreak. And they can help you deal with the Night World.† â€Å"Yes. All right.† â€Å"And you might want to talk to Daryl at school. She's got a secret that Kim was spreading rumors about last year. It's that-â€Å" â€Å"And-Gary!† Gillian held up her hand. â€Å"I don't want to know. Someday, if Daryl wants to tell me her secret, she can do it herself. But if not-okay. I have to deal on my own, now.† She'd already thought about school, all last night while she'd been lying alone in her room. Things were going to change, obviously. It was surprisingly easy to sort out which friends mattered. Amanda the Cheerleader and Steffi the Singer and J.Z. the Model were all right. No better and no worse than any of the less popular girls. She wouldn't mind if they still liked her. Daryl-who was not Daryl the Rich Girl anymore, but just Daryl-was better than all right. The sort that might turn out to be a real friend. And of course there was Amy. She owed Amy a lot. As for the others-Tanya and Kim and Cory and Bruce and Macon-Gillian didn't really want to know them. If she never went to another Popular Party, that was fine. â€Å"And I don't want to know if J.Z. really tried to kill herself, either,† she said now. Gary shut his mouth. Then his eyes actually seemed to twinkle. â€Å"You're going to do all right.† And then, for the first time, he looked at David. They stared at each other for a moment. Not hostile. Just looking. When Gary turned back to Gillian he said very quietly, â€Å"One last thing. I didn't change my mind about killing him because I couldn't go through with it. I did it because I didn't want you to hate me forever.† Oh. Gillian put out her hand. So did he. Their fingers were close together, blurring into each other†¦ but they couldn't touch. They never would. And then suddenly, Gary looked startled. He turned to look up and behind him. At the dark, starlit sky. Gillian couldn't see anything. But she could feel something. A sort of rushing. Something was coming. And Gary was lifted toward it like a leaf on the wind. His hand was still stretched toward her, but he was in the air. Weightless. Bobbing. And as Gillian watched, his startled expression melted into something like awe. And then joy. Joy and†¦ recognition. â€Å"I've got to go,† he said wonderingly. Gillian was staring at the sky. She still couldn't see anything. Not the tunnel, not the meadow. Did he mean he had to go to the between-place? And then she saw the light. It was the color of sunlight on snow. That brilliant, but not painful to look at. It seemed to shimmer with every color in the universe, but all together the colors made white. â€Å"Gary-â€Å" But something was happening. He was moving without moving. Rushing away in some direction she couldn't point to. Getting smaller. Fading. She was losing him. â€Å"Goodbye, Gary,† she whispered. And the light was going, too. But just before it went, it seemed to take on a shape. It looked something like huge white wings enfolding him. For the briefest instant, Gillian felt enfolded, too. By power and peace†¦ and love. And then the light was gone. Gary was gone. And everything was still. â€Å"Did you see that?† Gillian whispered through the ache in her throat. â€Å"I think so.† David was staring, his eyes big with awe and wonder. â€Å"Maybe†¦ some angels are real.† He was still staring upward. Then he drew in his breath. â€Å"Look! The stars-â€Å" But it wasn't stars, although it looked like star-dust. Crystalline points of light, frozen beauty sifting down. The air was full of it. â€Å"But there aren't any clouds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There are now,† David said. Even as he said it, the stars were covered. Gillian felt a cool touch on her cheek. Like a kiss. And it was ordinary snow, just an ordinary miracle. She and David stood hand in hand, watching it fall like a blessing in the night. [The End]

Free Essays on The Organization of the Future

The organization of the future The organization of the future will be completely refined from the organization of today. Future organizations will focus more on three key aspects. These aspects include diversity, people (Human Resources), and technology. We all know that in order to manage it requires people. Man power is the key resource to any organization past, present or future. In order to understand the human resource of man power, we must first analyze the concept of diversity, and why it is so important. Though my research paper I emphasize how people, technology, and globalization are they key to business success. The main concept that I will stress is that above aspects all work together in the world of business. Why is organizational diversity important? Historically, diversity in the workplace has been recognized as an employment equity issue. Now, however, diversity in the workplace is being recognized as a benefit that will contribute to an organization’s bottom line. Increased employee and customer satisfaction end up as increased productivity, all of which are measurable outcomes (Bennis, 1997). Diversity goes beyond employment equity to nurturing an environment that values the differences and maximizes the potential of all employees, one that stimulates employee creativity and innovativeness (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (U.S. MSPB), 1993). To create an organizational culture that supports workforce diversity involves several important elements. These elements include a needs analysis, administrative and management support and commitment, education and training, culture and management systems changes and continuous follow-up and evaluation. Management is, by definition, getting things done through people. If managers are to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their organization's competitive advantage, they must focus on how to properly manage personnel. Creating effective motivation ... Free Essays on The Organization of the Future Free Essays on The Organization of the Future The organization of the future The organization of the future will be completely refined from the organization of today. Future organizations will focus more on three key aspects. These aspects include diversity, people (Human Resources), and technology. We all know that in order to manage it requires people. Man power is the key resource to any organization past, present or future. In order to understand the human resource of man power, we must first analyze the concept of diversity, and why it is so important. Though my research paper I emphasize how people, technology, and globalization are they key to business success. The main concept that I will stress is that above aspects all work together in the world of business. Why is organizational diversity important? Historically, diversity in the workplace has been recognized as an employment equity issue. Now, however, diversity in the workplace is being recognized as a benefit that will contribute to an organization’s bottom line. Increased employee and customer satisfaction end up as increased productivity, all of which are measurable outcomes (Bennis, 1997). Diversity goes beyond employment equity to nurturing an environment that values the differences and maximizes the potential of all employees, one that stimulates employee creativity and innovativeness (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (U.S. MSPB), 1993). To create an organizational culture that supports workforce diversity involves several important elements. These elements include a needs analysis, administrative and management support and commitment, education and training, culture and management systems changes and continuous follow-up and evaluation. Management is, by definition, getting things done through people. If managers are to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their organization's competitive advantage, they must focus on how to properly manage personnel. Creating effective motivation ...

How To Do Frames On Web Sites Essays - HTML, Framing, HTML Element

How To Do Frames On Web Sites Essays - HTML, Framing, HTML Element How To Do Frames On Web Sites How To Do Frames On Web Sites Dividing a web page into frames is quite simple. Frames organize web pages by dividing them into rows or columns. The basic concept of frames is that each frame is a regular, complete html document. That means more than on one page is viewed in one single screen. This allows the viewers to stay one page other than having to keep on going to new pages. If a person wanted to divide a page into 2 side by side frames, he/she should put one complete html document in the left frame and another complete html document in the right frame. In order to make this happen, making an additional html document is needed. This third html document contains the tags that specify what goes where. That is actually its only function. The two tags used are the and the tags. A tag is a container tag, and a tag is not. For those who don't know what that means, a container tag has an opening and a closing . The tag specifies the html documents and whether the frame should have a border or a scrollbar for each html document. The tag does all the dividing. It specifies a few things regarding how to divide them up. (Note: If using web page providers such as angelfire and geocities, make sure the page that the frames code is going on is set for advanced html.) The most popular way frames are organized is by using two columns. One is simply being used for the menu of the web site, and the other being used as the main page to view a specific page within the web site. The examples used will include how to create frames showing the division of the page into two columns and also showing the division of the page into two rows. First of all, name the three html documents index.html, the page used for dividing it into frames; side1.html, the left column of the page used for the menu; and main.html, the page for viewing a specific page within the web site. Make sure the following html code is used in the index.html page: *FRAMESET cols=100,** src=side1.html* . The * simply means the space that is left over on the web page. The 100 means that the first frame is 100 pixels wide. That code should be used to divide a page into two columns. Be sure to adjust it to the size needed for the web site. Dividing a page into rows uses the same concept; however, the code is slightly different. Use the same three html documents: index.html, side1.html, and main.html. This code should be used in the index.html page: src=side1.html* . A person can also decide whether he/she wants the frame to have scrollbars or borders. It should be specified in the tag like this: src=side1.html scrolling=no border=false* src=main.html scrolling=yes border=false*. That code will make the left column not to have scrollbars whereas the main column will have scrollbars. It is possible to divide a page into more than two frames, but they must be specified in the tag, and more html documents will have to be made. For example, rows=65,*,65* will divide a page into three rows in which the first and last will be 65 pixels tall, while the middle will be what is left over. Sometimes when too many frames are used, it is confusing to the viewer. Using only a few frames will make viewing a web site easier and more organized. Viewing web pages in frames make visiting it easier and more enjoyable. Looking at nice layouts will keep the visitors coming back. After figuring out how to do frames, everyone will realize how easy it really is.

Personalized Medicine And Its Using For Predicting Disease Essay - 1

Personalized Medicine And Its Using For Predicting Disease - Essay Example With the rapid advancements in biotechnology and other disciplines of biology, I believe that within the next twenty-five years, personalized medicine would become an integral part of our world, making an enormous impact on the healthcare and medicine. In the model of personalized medicine, each individual is different and medication needs to be tailored according to his bodily requirements rather than using the same medicine for every individual for a particular disease (National Institute of Health). However, in order to make the personalized medicine a reality, the ‘doctor’ should have sufficient information about the patient, generally in the form of his genome. In 2001, when the Human Genome Project was completed, the cost of sequencing the entire genome exceeded 100 million dollars. However, with the advancements in biotechnology, the cost has drastically fallen to just ten thousand dollars (National Human Genome Research Institute). Even though this amount is still out of reach of a common man, the decrease in cost is quite dramatic. With the increased funding in the field of biology, it is expected that the cost would further reduce and eventually it would be within the reach of every person to have his genome sequenced. This would have far-reaching consequences and usher the humans into the new realm of personalized medicine. Hundreds of diseases could be prevented through earlier diagnosis as the data from the genome could indicate potential tendencies in an individual to develop a certain disease (Starr). The development described above would have a radical impact not only on the general well-being of the humans but it would also have far-reaching consequences on the lifestyle as well as the economy.

Religion and Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion and Ecology - Essay Example This book guides its reader through everyday life with an eco-friendly and animal -friendly outlook. It advises its readers on how to raise children in an environmentally sound way of life as well. The application of religion could potentially be applied to this type of lifestyle but the conflict arises in the arena of commitment to God. Particularly in Christianity, one’s devotion to God is of the utmost importance. This means that one should be concerned about one’s spiritual life and the promise of the eternal afterlife more so than the physical realm of this earth and its inhabitants and recourses. In the Old Testament, routine sacrificing of animals was imperative in keeping one’s God happy. This was a ritual that rid an individual of sin and evil deeds, before the eyes of God. Certainly, this made for a good disciple of God but was not an animal friendly approach to life by any means. One of the key aspects to environmentally friendly living, is respecting the creatures that live on this planet. That means humans as well as all animals. Through a religious perspective, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all of the animals. This is often interpreted by Christians to mean that humans should feel free to eat animals, wear their skin and sacrifice them as burnt offerings if need be. There is a more eco-friendly interpretation of this that states that having dominion over animals just means that humans are to watch out for and care for the animals of the earth. But, as the Bible goes from Old Testament to New Testament, readers of the Bible are told that Jesus was the ult imate sacrifice and that animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Most Christians though today, will freely eat meat and concern themselves with spirituality as opposed to the physical condition of the earth. The concept of Christianity is ultimately that one