Why You Need Binge-Worthy Content

We increasingly live in an on-demand culture. Whether it’s the latest gadget or the biggest music hit, people generally aren’t willing to wait long, if at all, to get what they want. We’re even impatient when it comes to entertainment – who wants to wait for the next episode of a show when you can binge-watch the whole series? Some have called this craving for instant gratification the â€Å"Netflix effect† and it applies to content as well. If someone is looking for information on a topic, they want all it all right away. No one is going to go to the library or locate an expert when they can just whip out their phone. They then expect the content they find to be authoritative, comprehensive and tailored to their preferences. This is why your content needs to be binge-worthy – so that it meets the needs of what people are actually looking for and your content is successful in helping you meet your marketing goals. Embracing the Binge We want to find out everything we can about our interests, right now. That intense, immediate interest is what drives the binge experience and it’s important to take advantage of it. When you’ve captured a reader’s attention, you need to make sure your content is set up for a satisfying binge. Here’s how to do it: Make Your Content Available â€Å"On Demand† Attention spans are shorter than ever so you need to make sure there’s plenty of content available for a potential binge-reader to plow through or you risk losing them to greener online pastures. Instead of doling out your content little by little, consider an â€Å"on-demand† model that makes all your content available to your visitors. This model is the polar opposite of a drip-marketing approach, but can often suit readers better. Create an Easy Consumption Journey Diversify Your Content Formats When it comes to content consumption, people have different styles and preferences. While one reader may enjoy diving into a white paper or in-depth blog post, another reader might prefer the ‘bite-sized’ nature of an infographic or short video. Offering a wide variety of content formats boosts the chances that visitors will find the kind of content they’re looking for and stay engaged with it. Use Data to Plan Your Content Strategy House of Cards garnered tremendous ratings for Netflix and almost singlehandedly spurred the rise of binge-watching. However, Netflix relied on a lot more than luck when they decided to take on this series. The company did some serious data analysis on their existing subscribers and they noticed a few things. Many their subscribers streamed films directed by David Fincher and they also seemed to enjoy movies starring Kevin Spacey. Combine this information with the fact that the British version of House of Cards was already doing well and it’s not hard to see that the political drama was a solid bet. Your company can take a lesson from Netflix and do some number-crunching of its own. Take note of what content your readers gravitate towards and combine that with their known pain points. Using data and analytics to plan your content strategy will make you more likely to hit the mark with your audience. Creating binge-worthy content is a delicate balancing act – you need to provide a deep enough pool of content to satisfy the urge to consume it all in one sitting, but you also need to deliver enough fresh, new content to keep readers coming back for more. House of Cards star Kevin Spacey may have said it best in a talk he gave to TV executives: â€Å"If they want to binge, then we should let them binge.† By ensuring your content is organized and easily accessible to bingers, you’ll be able to do just that and realize more success from your content marketing.

Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Example

Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Example Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Why is the rubric of the verse form â€Å"The cool web† ? Give a ground for your reply. The verse form discusses an adult’s sensitivity to utilize lingual sleight to avoid the effects of utmost emotion. The rubric combines two words. â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web† . each of which evokes a strong feeling. to make a 3rd even more redolent image. There are many English looks which use the word â€Å"cool† to convey quashing emotion. This use is similar to utilizing â€Å"calm† : â€Å"cool down† . â€Å"don’t lose your cool† . â€Å"go and cool off† . â€Å"cool it! † and so on. Even the slang reading of â€Å"cool† in the sense of stylish or sophisticated conjures up the thought of a relaxed and insouciant attitude. In the context of the verse form. â€Å"cool† can be seen as synonymous with a deficiency of passion and an addition of self-denial. â€Å"Web† is used to convey the sense of being enveloped by a bed which inhibits freedom. Graves could hold used â€Å"net† or â€Å"mesh† . nevertheless those words lack the sinister intension of the most common usage of â€Å"web† : that of a â€Å"spider’s web† . In this sense. there is an air of exposure and threat ; the spider’s quarry has non chosen to be caught in the web. but is ensnared however. The combination of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web† creates an image of forced calm. The â€Å"cool web† is a lingual leukotomy which life imposes on world. What is the consequence of the repeat of ‘hot’ and ‘dreadful’ in the first stanza? The first stanza creates a threatening atmosphere. The adjectives used are intense: the twenty-four hours is non warm. it is hot ; the eventide is non dark. but black ; the soldiers are full of apprehension. non merely dismaying. ( Although now used in the same manner as terrorization. â€Å"dreadful† truly depict a greater degree of terror. ) This development of threat is further emphasised by the repeat of the â€Å"hot† and â€Å"dreadful† . The point is driven place to the reader. If Graves had used equivalent word – vesicating for â€Å"hot† and scaring for â€Å"dreadful† – in the 2nd cases of each. the significance would be basically unchanged. However. the sound and beat of the stanza would be significantly affected. The consequence is besides assisted by reiterating non merely â€Å"hot† . but the vowel rhyme and initial rhyme of the phrase â€Å"how hot† . The repeat and accent of â€Å"hot† in lines 1 and 2 besides provides contrast between the word â€Å"cool† in the rubric and â€Å"chill† in line 5. â€Å"Cool† and â€Å"coldly† are besides used in the organic structure of the verse form in contrast to â€Å"hot† . ( This accent through repeat is used a figure of times: in the 2nd stanza with â€Å"spell† ; in line 10 with â€Å"too much† and in the last stanza with â€Å"facing†. ) Who are ‘we’ in the 2nd stanza ( line 5 ) ? The usage of â€Å"but† at the beginning of line 5 contrasts â€Å"we† from the kids of the first stanza and presumptively Graves hence means grownups. Adults have a more sophisticated bid of linguistic communication with which to construe events. Children are direct in their attack to the universe and do non try to befog world for any ground. On run intoing an fleshy individual. a immature kid will cheerfully inquire them why they are so fat. An grownup would be improbable to initiate the topic at all. Children merely province what they think ; grownups use euphemisms and oblique vocabulary to guard off unwelcome emotions. Remark on the usage of: The adjectives ‘cruel’ to depict the rose’s aroma and ‘overhanging’ to depict the dark ( lines 6 and 7 ) . The reader is jolted as these adjectives are associated with unfamiliar topics. This is a signifier of highlighting to pull attending to the linguistic communication of the verse form. The usage of â€Å"cruel† to depict the aroma of a rose is particularly clashing. Almost without exclusion the rose is a symbol of love affair and love. non one of inhuman treatment. Graves seems to be connoting that anything that intrudes – even something pleasant – is obnoxious and to be â€Å"dulled† . By depicting the dark as â€Å"overhanging† Graves refers to the sense of bullying. of something unexpected looming over us. The poet so tells us that this should – and can be – be spelled off as unwanted. The verb ‘spell’ in the phrase ‘we enchantment away’ ( lines 7 and 8 ) Graves exploits a dual significance of â€Å"spell† to entwine the thoughts of linguistic communication and hocus-pocus. In the lingual context â€Å"spell† means to organize a word by set uping its component letters in the right order. ‘Spell† besides means to act upon person or something by agencies of charming powers. In this manner. the poet concentrates a figure of images into a individual word. An adult’s desire to belie world is a signifier of charming enchantment. but it requires the ability to spell words. ( Graves besides uses this technique in line 1 by depicting kids as â€Å"dumb† . This could intend that they are stupid and hence unable to pull strings and falsify the universe. It could besides intend that kids have no lingual module as in â€Å"deaf and dumb. † Of class. he means both. ) Explain how. in your sentiment. ‘the cool web’ may protect one against ‘too much joy or excessively much fear’ ( lines 5 to 11 ) . â€Å"The cool web† of linguistic communication is used to rationalize utmost emotions. Alternatively of responding instinctively to a state of affairs. we can submerge it in long-winded accounts. From dais to parliament. and from attorney to liar. we use linguistic communication to falsify world to accommodate ourselves. It is done linguistic communication that we can carry ourselves that the noise we hear in the dark is merely the cat and non a violent burglar. This is the footing for Graves’s mention to withdrawing from â€Å"too much fright. † Less obvious is the desire to protect ourselves from â€Å"too much joy† . a status that would look to be desirable. Possibly the poet believes that we are unable to get by adequately with either extreme of luck. There are a figure of superstitious notions in this respect such as labelling something as being â€Å"too good to be true† . It may be that Graves is proposing that we subconsciously know that we can’t prolong a province of delectation for long and that the hurting of the resulting letdown is non deserving the minute of joy. It reflects a low-risk paradigm where we would predate the highs to avoid the subsequent inevitable depressions. What indicants are at that place in stanza 4 to demo us what the speaker’s attitude is towards such protection? The phrases â€Å"self-possession† and â€Å"throwing off† show us that the talker believes that the protection which linguistic communication offers is an infliction and non a natural province of personal businesss. He notes that this implemented state of affairs controls us for our whole life until we die. While connoting that this protection is a load. Graves besides tells us that without it we would travel huffy. In other words. this protection is a necessary immorality. Why do mentions to the twenty-four hours. the rose. the dark and the soldiers recur throughout the verse form? These words occur in the first. 2nd and 4th ( last ) stanzas. The repeat in the 2nd stanza and the 4th stanza fulfil different intents. The mention in the 2nd stanza forms the footing for a contrast with the initial mention in the first stanza. In the first stanza these objects are described via a child’s simple mentality: hot and awful. In the 2nd stanza the same words are described via an adult’s more complex. language-distorted position. The last stanza has a different signifier than the first three ; it breaks a form of 4-line stanzas and. by making so. demands excess attending from the reader. In this last stanza the words â€Å"day† . â€Å"rose† . â€Å"night† and â€Å"drums† are listed merely without adjectives. This neatly reminds the reader of the beginning of the verse form and completes the comparing between kids and grownups. and their differing usage of linguistic communication. Briefly province the speaker’s decision about the function of linguistic communication in our lives ( lines 13 to 18 ) . The talker concludes that we need linguistic communication to protect ourselves from the world of life. Graves provinces that without the capacity for carrying ourselves that state of affairss are non what they appear. we would happen it impossible to get by and would travel huffy. The enunciation ( pick of words ) . construction. beat and tone of the first and last stanzas are markedly different. What do you believe the intent of these differences is? The first three stanzas have a comparatively simple rhyme strategy of A B C C. The consequence of lines 3 and 4 of each of these stanzas rhyming is that each stanza is concluded steadfastly. Three stanzas with the same construction creates a form and an outlook that the following stanza will be the same. The fact that it is non is a surprise and a type of highlighting. The last stanza has a rime of A B C D C D and this difference in construction alerts the reader and demands extra attending. This warning is welcome as the message in the last stanza is far more direct than antecedently where metaphor and allusion are used. The last line provinces unambiguously â€Å"we shall travel huffy no uncertainty. † It is in this last stanza that Graves delivers his opinion on our usage of linguistic communication.

Poverty Deduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty Deduction - Essay Example In spite of the fact that there is no social environment which does not feature poor people, the issue of poverty is often regarded as the one what must be solved by the government for the benefit of the entire society. This paper will analyze poverty reduction policies. It is quite obvious that governmental policies that were designed to raise the well being of the entire population were initiated since the dawn of the United States. While they may have a varying degree of success, it is obvious that the second half of the previous century is the time when the government decided to make it one of its highest priorities. For example, the scholars often refer to several pieces of legislation that were introduced by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 as War on Poverty (Lerner, 2012, p. 93). Indeed, this is a rather important point in the history of social welfare policy as it features such acts as Social Security Act, Food Stamp Act, The Economic Opportunity Act and Elementary and Secondary Education Act which shaped the development of war on poverty for many decades. To begin with, one might note that there is a special program is that widely known and is developed to help people escape poverty. It used to be known as Food Stamps Program, but the contemporary name of it is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. According to it, any household in the country that is eligible for this program is able to receive additional money in a form alternative to US banknotes that will be used to buy food. One of the major points lies in the fact that a household can include from one to an infinite number of people, so literally anyone is able to apply ("Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program", 2014). Of course, there is a logical restriction: the amount of money that the household make should be reasonably low. Another policy that should be taken into account is called Job Corps. As one can easily guess from the very name of it, this is a program that provides people with job

BMW Entrepreneurial Structure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BMW Entrepreneurial Structure - Case Study Example The BMW Company can attribute most of its success to the strategy and the culture of the company and its orientation towards investing in new innovations. The company is largely based in Germany where a more beauracratic corporate culture is more dominant, but the BMW Company adopts a rare and interesting philosophy for the corporate culture which revolves around entrepreneurship. The company is ready to invest in research and development projects which focus on management as well as physical innovations to support its products and its image in the market. "BMW's 106,000 employees have become a nimble network of true believers with few hierarchical barriers to hinder innovation. From the moment they set foot inside the company, workers are inculcated with a sense of place, history, and mission. Individuals from all strata of the corporation work elbow to elbow, creating informal networks where they can hatch even the most unorthodox ideas for making better Bimmers or boosting profits ." (Edmondson, 2006) Moreover the people at the BMW Company do not have all the answers to the questions, and neither do they claim to do so. Instead they are pound to mention that they work towards determining all the correct questions so that the best possible solutions can be accurately determined. In interview with Laura Mazur, the CEO of BMW Helmut Panke mentioned that "'the most important role of senior management, not just the chief executive, is to understand that the brand isn't just a label that you can put on and take off. A brand is something that has to be authentic and has to be tied into the corporate culture of an organisation,' he explained. Panke discussed the company's unremitting focus on its premium brand approach, and why nothing is allowed to dilute it. He was adamant that success derives from three points: a strong brand, products that live up to what the brand stands for, and a corporate culture that fits into both of them." (Mazur, 2003) 2. Describe the challenges that BMW face in their organisational environment. The challenges that are faced by the BMW Company in their organizational environment pertain to the establishment of the corporate culture in the different regions of operations for the company and training the new recruits and employees to develop as per the corporate culture of the company. BMW has taken significant pointers and strategies from Japanese automobile manufacturers when it comes to managing the company and establishing a kaizen and entrepreneurship based culture and business procedures at the company. The company has been successful in implementing the corporate culture highlighting innovation and entrepreneurship in Germany, but the operations of the company in the UK at oxford and in the US face discrepancies. The US automobile industry is more oriented towards bureaucracy as the beauracratic and classical theories of management derived from the industry as apparent form Henry Fayol and Ford. In such an environment operating with an entrepreneurial and innovation bas ed culture has been a problem for the BMW operations in the US as well as on the UK. Other challenges that the company

The Historical Context of International Communication Essay

The Historical Context of International Communication - Essay Example The developments in film, advertisement and radio ushered a new era in communication and mass culture. Radio as a propaganda tool was first utilized by former USSR and then all the nations of the world followed the suit. Communist and capitalist propaganda used radio all over the world to promote their point of views. Third world countries used communication tools for promoting health care, education and culture. Third World countries genuinely felt the disparity in communication technologies between developed and developing countries and demanded for more just treatment. The MacBride Commission is the result of such efforts by Third World. The commission called for impartial, balanced and responsible reporting. USA opposed the commission as it deemed it more pro Soviet Union. The opponents called the proposals as instrument against freedom of press and information. This opposition came to an end with Soviet disintegration. Opinion The chapter is a detailed look at the role of differ ent communication devices through out history and world. The writer presents different facts and figures from ancient time to colonial era in order to press the point that communication is vital aspect of any empire. The writer then discusses in detail the impact and role of telegraph from 19th Century onwards on different social and political aspects of the world. The writer then relates the development of journalism and radio with telegraph in 20th Century. At the end the writer gives a detailed look at the impact of radio during the Cold War. The chapter is according to the title and it gives a very detailed look at the historical development of international communication. The data regarding length of cables of telegraph and the spread in different areas of the world may confuse the reader but the information is very helpful in understanding the development. The writer has used simple language and starts from ancient time in order to present the main argument. The writer is able to give a cursory look at the ancient history and then focuses on colonial era in order to make argument clear. Overall the reader may find the data presented in the chapter a bit taxing but for scholarly purpose the chapter is very well documented. The logical sequence and development enable the involvement of the reader. The writer overlooks television and internet but still the effort is very good. Summary : The Technology and Society Science has brought many changes in the society. In order to investigate the issue of social changes and scientific discoveries there are two schools of thought. One group attributes all the changes in the society to the scientific inventions. For them scientific discoveries produce change in the society. The other group takes a less radical view by stating that changes in the society are going on the new scientific inventions just contribute in these changes. Both of these views take technology and society in isolation. Military and commercial nee ds forced improvement in communication. These social factors were to great extent satisfied by the development in the field of telegraphy, telephony and early stages of radio. The need of addressing masses in new political world gave power to press but this political urge was satisfied by television. This complex situation set the stage for broadcasting. The use of different broadcasting tools for social communication and political manipulation greatly influenced the rapid technological advancement in the field of communication. Political stimulus and economic benefits made television a popular medium for bringing change.

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay Evidence based practice (EBP) refers to integrating professional expertise with the best available external research, and incorporating the views of service users (Beresford, 1996). Evidence based practice has received its reputation by examining the reasons why interventions are necessary (Duffy, Fisher and Munroe, 2008). Within my placement EBP was important for refining my practice so the service user was provided with appropriate support for her individual needs. I used my EBP to carry out research to determine what evidence supported or rejected the use of a specific intervention; within this case I used a counseling approach. The principle of social work intervention is to provide good practice and should be based on a decision-making framework (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). This framework operates on four concepts:- The legislation that informs a decision; Social work ethics and NISCC codes of conduct; Information to ensure a well-informed decision; Knowledge drawn from research, theory, practice and other professionals. In addition to powers and duties of social workers, legislation embeds notions of partnership, respect, rights and anti-discriminatory practice, which are key elements in social work practice (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). My practice learning opportunity involved working with adults with a learning disability in a day care setting. The benefits of the day centre were to provide a service for local people to access support in living with, or caring for someone, with a learning disability. Northern Ireland statistics show that in 2008 there were 9,460 people with a learning disability in contact with Trusts (www.northernireland.gov.uk). From the 9,460 people with a learning disability there were 2,574 benefiting from care management, 42% (1,086) of whom were being supported in their own homes and 35% (898) being cared for in residential homes solely for the use of people with learning disabilities (www.northernireland.gov.uk). This evidence based case study is based on Miss A, a 35 year old woman, who has a learning disability and Spina Bifida resulting in her using a wheel chair for mobility. Within the past few years Miss As family life has changed dramatically. In previous years Miss A had lived in the community with her elderly parents, who cared for her. She is one of three children and has two older brothers. Miss As mother, after being diagnosed with Dementia, was admitted to a residential care home. Her father after having been moved to residential care himself passed away in November 2008 due to his physical health. Miss A now resides in a private nursing home and attends day care three days per week. In March 2008, there were 75 residential homes in Northern Ireland solely for people with a learning disability providing 898 places (www.northernireland.gov.uk). Miss A has been previously diagnosed with MRSA; it is currently located in her toe, having been previously present in her urine. Treatments from the residential care staff have the infection under control, however the infection still remains. The recent death of her father plays a significant role in Miss As life and continues to affect her socially and emotionally. Some of the stereotypical assumptions I had before meeting Miss A were that because she had a physical and learning disability that she would be hard to communicate with, that she would have limited understanding and limited verbal skills. I have challenged this opinion and realised that Miss A is a very competent individual with good communication skills, and can express her likes and dislikes proficiently. As for her physical disability this does not affect her cognitive or cerebral functions. I had also made the assumption that as Miss A had MRSA that it could easily be cross-contracted due to a lack of knowledge and education. After researching the issue and contacting infection control within the Trust I deducted that MRSA is a problem within clinical settings but can be easily controlled with proper preventative procedures. This can be identified as a risk, but should not be a reason to oppress or discriminate Miss A. After having initially met Miss A, liaised with her social worker, accessed her case file and Tuned In to her life issues, I met with Miss A to prepare for the initial assessment and gather information into how best to support her. My role with Miss A was to provide a reassessment since the changes in her circumstances and the death of her father. My role was to determine what support she may need, and to include her wishes and feelings. Assessment: History has shown that there has always been an importance to assessment in social work, but since the 1990s there has been specific importance to a new form assessment to include risk. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 stresses the importance of inter-agency collaboration and a multi-disciplinary assessment process (Trevithick, 2000). The purpose of an assessment may seem evident; that is, to assess the needs of individuals who may need help and/or support. In recent history however assessment seems to mean a relationship between need and available resources (Whittington, 2007, p23) leading to a question if this is ethical or effective practice? There are many purposes of an assessment, for example to assess risk, to assess need, to act as an advocate for someone and also to implement agency and government policy (Whittington, 2007, p25-26). Coulshed and Orme (2006) explain that assessment is an ongoing process where the purpose is to understand people in relation to their environment; it is a basis for planning what needs to be done to maintain, improve or bring about change with the service users participation. The initial preparation for the assessment with Miss A included visiting her social worker and studying her case file. This enabled me to gather information to dispel any preconceptions I had about meeting this service user. The social worker passed on her knowledge of Miss A, such as medical conditions, family circumstances and finances, and also any previous problems that had occurred. I felt it was important to work in partnership with Miss As social worker so I could keep her up to date with events, and also contact her if I required advice about Miss A. The purpose of Miss As individual assessment was to gather information by interacting and communicating with Miss A and others involved in her care, this was also to gain a holistic perspective to her needs. Her assessment was guided by legislation such as, the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1978, which places a duty on health and social services to investigate a level of need, and also the Health and Personal Soc ial Services (NI) Order 1972 which stipulates a responsibility to provide personal social services for the promotion of social welfare for the general public (http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com). As a model of assessment I used Smales (1993) Models of Professional Care which were useful in gathering important information about Miss A. I used the procedural and questioning model to gather information into how Miss A felt about certain issues in her life, such as the bereavement of her father, contact with her other family, and other issues she felt were working or not working. I used these methods of assessment as this followed Trust guidelines. I used The Model of Professional Care to gain a holistic understanding of information. I also included the Exchange model in the assessment as I considered Miss A to be the expert of her own life. I feel the use of the Procedural model was useful in certain aspects of the assessment as it worked in collaboration with the Trusts format of assessment and worked as a form of gathering information, but feel I could have used more of an Exchange model to communicate effectively with Miss A rather than just form filling. I feel Smales method of assessment provided me with tools to help Miss A identify factors that were important for her to maintain, but also issues she would like to change. By working in partnership with her I felt we would have an open and trusting working relationship. I also focused on Person Centred Planning (PCP) in regards to the assessment with Miss A. Person Centred Planning, which evolved from the White Paper; a government policy known as Valuing People, suggested four key principles; Rights, Independence, Choice and Inclusion as a proposal of changing services (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p9). This policy also helped inform guidelines for Northern Irelands Equal Lives Policy (2005). Person Centred Planning focused on finding out what is important to and what is important for (health and safety) Miss A. I found PCP a continual process of listening and learning, by focusing on whats important to Miss A now and in the future (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p27). By using person centred tools, such as a one page profile, I gained knowledge of what was important to Miss A including her family, her boyfriend and her independence, as well as knowing what was important to keep her safe and healthy. I used a person centred approac h to make others aware of Miss As great personality characteristics as well as the help and support she would like. I feel this was fundamental to demonstrate that Miss A is a person behind her disability. I found by using this approach was an essential skill in understanding Miss A and helped me to be anti oppressive and actively support her needs One particular piece of legislation which I found to be significant in the assessment of Miss A was the Human Rights Act (1998), which identifies Miss As right to family life. Since the death of her father and the institutionalisation of her mother due to her mental health, Miss A has been experiencing disintegration of her family and has lost the support connected to it. The Human Rights Act could have a great significance as Miss A needs emotional and physical support to visit her mother and has not been receiving it; therefore her right to family life is being impeded. The assessment identified that contact with her family and friends are imperative for this right to be upheld. Therefore as a result my role was to facilitate this right, and help to support Miss A in retaining family contact. The main objectives we (Miss A and I) identified within the assessment were; That Miss A had limited support to help discuss the death of her father. That Miss A was not receiving contact with her mother or other family and would like to. From the identification of objectives Miss A and I decided to work towards solutions by preparing a work plan. Planning: After the initial assessment was carried out with Miss A we proceeded to work towards formulating a care plan and targeting her objectives. A care plan provided clear information for everyone involved with Miss A and helped work in partnership with her and the Trust. For a person centred care plan the word ‘support is used in preference to ‘care because the verb implies that support is there to help people achieve their goals and ambitions† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). â€Å"A support plan is developed by the person with help where necessary, and it describes how the person intends to be supported in order to live their own life† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). I feel the use of a support plan with Miss A, rather than a care plan is an anti-oppressive method, as it incorporates Miss As feelings and opinions into how she wishes to be supported. I used the formulation of a support plan with Miss A to record the objectives she would like to meet and used these to formulate an intervention. It was clear from the assessment and one page profile that limited contact with her mother was an issue, and that the death of her father had a significant impact on her life. I then proceeded to investigate theory of loss and grief as I had never experienced a loss of Miss As magnitude before. I found the Kubler-Ross Model and the 5 responses to grief to be particularly informative. (Goldsworthy, 2005). This theory helped inform my knowledge and in turn helped me be empathetic to Miss A. I was able to identify that Miss A can experience the 5 stages of grief and that they are not necessarily in a specific order. I felt Miss A was at two stages of grief, some days she experiences anger at her father leaving, and other times she has deep feelings of depression of losing him. I was able to use Kubler-Rosss model to identify these stages in Miss A, and also to advise her that these feelings were part of the normal process of grief. The assessment also identified that Miss A had a lack of support in discussing her feelings of grief. Research suggests that people with learning disabilities experience many of the emotions of bereavement but are limited in the opportunities they have to resolve their feelings of grief (Cathcart, 1995; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996). There are many reasons for this and Murray et al explains that historically, professionals, parents or carers of individuals with learning disabilities believed that those in their care did not understand the concept of death and thus were unable to grieve for the loss of a loved one (McLoughlin, 1986; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996 cited in Murray et al. 2000). Kitching (1987) and Bradford (1984) highlight that the capacity to grieve is not dependent on a persons intellectual ability, but that a person with learning disability may experience grief in the same way as a child. Therefore research shows that people with a learning disability experience grief and loss but have a limited support network to discuss it with. I used this research to formulate a plan for the intervention with Miss A and we concluded that I could be support for discussing her grief. From the assessment and care plan with Miss A, and following discussions my practice teacher, I discussed that I would use counselling skills to help support Miss A with her feelings of grief. I felt Miss A needed her emotional needs met since the feelings of the death of her father were so dominant. Miss A and I also decided that I would facilitate visits to her mother for emotional and physical support, as her mother was in the latter stages of dementia and Miss A found it hard to communicate with her. Intervention: Rationale for Counselling Intervention: After having conducted an assessment and care plan with Miss A, and building a rapport over numerous meetings, it was decided that a counselling intervention would be the most appropriate form of support for grief. My practice teacher and I felt that if Miss A had the opportunity to discuss her feelings this would help her grieve more effectively and perhaps help her cope better. The two models of counselling that are prominent in social work are the work of Carl Rogers and Gerard Egan, who base their counselling approaches from psychodynamic work around inner thoughts and feelings. Both counselling theories â€Å"reflect the social work values of accepting the individual, using skills in listening to the information that is given, and work towards a joint understanding and decision making about ways forward† (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). I focused on researching counselling theory to help me understand how I could help Miss A through her grief. Trevithick explains that within social work, humanistic approaches to counselling have been particularly influential, specifically with the work of Egan (1990) and Rogers (1961), mainly because they promote personal freedom and are consistent with anti-discriminatory practice and anti-oppressive perspectives† (Trevithick, 2000). I found that the Rogers (1961) Person Centred counselling informed me that I cou ld show unconditional positive regard for Miss A and understand that she is the expert of her own grief. I also analysed Egans (1990) Skilled Helper Model and found it to be an effective theory for an approach to counselling. I found that the structure and framework of the model and the three stages were useful as a guide to follow. I found that although this method of counselling may not be as person centred as Rogers it could be more effective in helping Miss A understand her own grief as it followed a certain framework, could empower her and could be evaluated over time. This theory helped inform my practice by helping me realise that I do not need to be a qualified counsellor to support someone; I just need to be able to actively listen, to use empathy and be reassuring knowing that Miss As agenda is paramount. I consider this in itself to be a person centred way of counselling. I decided to follow a combination of Rogerian method and Egans approach to help support Miss A as an intervention. I decided I would use the structure of Egans model to help build a logical, consistent framework to the intervention, while using the core principles of the Rogerian approach to demonstrate my skills and values, such as working with respect, empathy, genuineness and good active listening (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). Counselling Procedure: Egans Skilled Helper Model form of counselling provides a structured and solution focus basis. It is a three stage model in which each stage consists of specific skills that the helper uses to support the service user move forward (Nelson, 2007). Egans model is described as a three-stage process: identification of the service users current issue(s); identification of the service users desired situation; and the formulation of an action plan to achieve this. This process is facilitated by the â€Å"skilled helper† using the skills outlines by Egan (Nelson, 2007). The goal of using Egans model with Miss A was to help her manage her grief and better understand the â€Å"norms† associated with it, such as anger or depression according to the Kubler-Ross Model. Egan (1998) claims his model is to help people become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives. To provide Miss A with the empowerment to help herself grieve. The use of Egans Skilled Helper Model was to explore how Miss A felt about her bereavement. I used it to ask open questions about how Miss A felt about her father. We explored her past and discussed her relationship with her father before his death. I also used this stage to focus on aspects of her father before he died and what she missed about him, this was to explore and gather information about what her relationship was like with her dad. I was able to use a range of skills to gather information about Miss As grief. Trevithick (2000) explains that social work skills are â€Å"the degree of knowledge, expertise, judgement and experience that is brought into play within any given situation, course of action or intervention† (Trevithick, 2000). Some of the skills I incorporated into Egans counselling were active listening, I used this skill with a range of non verbal cues to indicate to Miss A that I was interested in what she was saying. I concentrated on active listening as Miss A was portraying feelings and knowledge of the death of her father which was a sensitive subject and needed my full concentration. I portrayed active listening by nodding, giving eye contact and facing Miss A which were successful in helping build a rapport with Miss A, thus helping her open up. Another skill I feel I used well with Miss A was empathy. I feel I portrayed my feelings of empathy by responding appropriately to her answers and reassuring her that her thoughts and feelings around grief were normal. I found myself using Empathy a great deal with Miss A as I had never experienced bereavement before and she helped me understand how it felt. Its easy to imagine how someone feels, but when youre faced with helping them I felt I really neede d to place myself in â€Å"her shoes†. I also found I made good use of silences with Miss A, I used these to give her time to reflect on her thoughts and answers. I have found by doing this that the meetings were paced better, and showed that she was the expert of her own grief and I was just there to listen and to reassure her. I found that by using Rogerian person centred skills like genuineness, empathy, communication and active listening I was able to understand Miss A and show her that I was there to support with her agenda. Throughout the discussions of grief I feel Miss A was able to vent a lot of her feelings that she had since her fathers funeral. I feel I was able to support her understand those feelings and help her recognise that anger, depression, or denial are normal feelings that many people in her situation suffer. Throughout Egans Skilled Helper Model and each of the sessions with Miss A I found that she responded well to being able to discuss her feelings with someone. The Rogerian influence on the intervention enabled me to build trust, partnership and a good rapport with her facilitating an open working relationship and providing her with support. Some of the values I tried to incorporate into my counselling and indeed my relationship with Miss A were empowerment and self-advocacy, by letting her know that her agenda was central. I wanted to create a balance of power and to provide a supporting role rather than a dictator role, which I feel I achieved by being able to listen to her views and incorporating PCP. Social work has a distinctive value base with beliefs and principles playing an important role in practice (Thompson, 2005). Challenging my values has helped me to treat Miss A with unconditional positive regard, and with the respect and dignity she deserves. I have challenged my values anti-oppressively by researching MRSA and not making assumptions about the condition; I have challenged my stereotypical attitude around learning disability demonstrating that Miss A is first and foremost a person with feelings and issues before recognising she has a disability. Evaluation: On evaluation of the Egans Skilled Helper Model and my intervention with Miss A have shown that her agenda was central to the sessions, a balance of power was necessary to achieve the trust and respect of one another and that listening is paramount to providing effective counselling. I entered the sessions with Miss A being unaware of what to expect, I was troubled that I would not have enough knowledge about grief to help support her. After the initial session I soon realised that I didnt need to be a qualified counsellor to make a difference to her understanding of grief, I just needed to be able to explain her feelings to her and reassure her that they were normal and not as she phrased it â€Å"being mental†. I found that by working with Miss A using the Skilled Helper Model I was able to apply my skills of listening, communication and empathy to help her understand her feelings. I have never personally had a bereavement of Miss As scale before but feel as a direct result of working with Miss A I have learned that grief is a powerful emotion for anyone to experience and it can take a significant amount of time to recover from. The only regret I have of using the Skilled Helper Model was that I feel I did not have enough time to fully help support Miss A, I feel as I had a placement of only eighty-five days I did not have enough time to fully counsel her for the best outcome. I feel throughout the intervention process I tried to maintain person centred principles with Miss A by providing her with the opportunity to discuss what was important to her. Research shows that the use of Egans model is not person centred as it incorporates the counsellor to ask all the questions, and therefore have the control; but I feel by working in partnership with Miss A to discuss the death of her father was important for her emotional well being and empowered her to help resolve her grief. I also incorporated Rogers core skills of genuineness, respect and trust to achieve this Conclusion Through working with Miss A I have found the experience to be invaluable learning. I have discovered that there is a spectrum of ability with adults and their learning disability. I have found that each person is an individual, and that group care is not necessarily recognising of this. In regards to Miss A I have learned not to make assumptions or stereotypes before meeting the person, as this can lead to oppression and even discrimination. Miss A is an individual, with individual needs, and at this assessment and intervention her emotional needs were prominent. I feel I completed the aims I had intended to by supporting Miss a through her grief using Egans Skilled Helper Model. I incorporated Rogers core skills into this model to help facilitate person centred sessions, and create an understanding that she was the expert, and I was there to listen and support her. If I was to repeat the intervention I would use Egans model again as it provided me with a structured, logical framework to work with and provided me with the identification of the skills I needed to make the sessions successful and effectively counsel Miss A. I feel my future learning needs from working with Miss A are to use more formal language as I identified I talked to her informally using words such as â€Å"wee†. I feel I did this to appear more friendly rather than her social worker, but realise this is not a professional manner to work. Other learning needs I identified were to pace the sessions more appropriately and ensure that Miss A understands the conversation. I feel during the initial sessions with Miss A I spoke more to engage her in the discussion, and feel this was more of a nervous reaction to having to counsel Miss A. During later sessions I was able to take this skill into consideration and settle quicker into sessions to give Miss A the opportunity to discuss what she wished. Overall I feel my relationship with Miss A was good, I feel the assessment and intervention were successful, and I feel I worked in a person centred way incorporating knowledge, skills and values to inform my practice. I feel Miss A felt positively about our work together as her feedback from sessions indicated that she was satisfied with the support I provided. References: 1. Beresford, P. (1996) The Standards we Expect: What Service Users and Carers Want fromSocial Services Workers. London: National Institute of Social Work 2. Bradford, J. (1984) Life after a Death, Parents Voice 34: 6-7 3. Cathcart, F. (1995) Death and People with Learning Disabilities: Interventions to Support Clients and Carers; British Journal of Clinical Psychology 34: 165-75 4. Coulshed, V., and Orme, J. (2006) Social Work Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Fourth Edition 5. Duffy P, Fisher C, Munroe D (2008). Nursing knowledge, skill, and attitudes related to evidenced based practice: Before or After Organizational Supports. Medsurg Nursing 17 (1): 55-60 6. Egan, G (1990) The Skilled Helper: A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole 7. Elliot, D. (1995) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Handle Grief, Nursing Times 91 (43): 27-9. 8. Goldsworthy, K. (2005) Grief and loss theory in social work practice: All changes involve loss, just as all losses require change, Australian Social Work, 58:2, 167 — 178 9. Kitching, N. (1987) Helping People with Mental Handicaps Cope with Bereavement, Mental Handicap 15: 60-3. 10. McLoughlin, I . (1986) Bereavement in the Mentally Handicapped, British Journal of Hospital Medicine October: 256-60. 11. Murray, G., McKenzie, K., and Quigley, A. (2000) The Grieving Process in Individuals with a Learning Disability; An Examination of the Knowledge and Understanding of Health and Social Care: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities; 4; 77 12. Nelson, P. (2007) An Easy Introduction to the Egans Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach. Palgrave and Macmillan (Online at www.f-e-t-t.co.uk) (Accessed 2 March 2009) 13. Preston-Shoot, M., and Braye, S. (2009) Social work intervention (Online) Available at: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/elearning/law/law08/index.asp [Accessed 5 May 2009]. 14. Read, S. (1996) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Grieve, British Journal of Nursing 5 (2). 15. Smale, G and Tuson, G. (1993) Empowerment, Assessment, Care Management and the Skilled Worker. London. HMSO 16. Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparation for Practice. Second Edition. Palgrave Macmillan 17. Thompson, J., Kilbane, J., and Sanderson, H. (2008) Person Centred Practice for Professionals. Open University Press. 18. Trevithick, P (2000) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook. Open University Press. 19. Whittington, C. (2007) Assessment in social work: A guide for learning and teaching; London.Social Care Institute for Excellence 20. Williams, P (2006) Social Work with People with Learning Disabilities. Learning Matters Ltd Other: 21. http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-dhssps/news-dhssps-october-2008/news-dhssps-101008-community-statistics-for.htm (10/10/08) (Accessed on 8 May 2009) 22. http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com/policyandprocedure/statistics.htm (Accessed on 24 April 2009)

Succubus Revealed Chapter 2

It took me a moment to really comprehend that in thirty seconds, the conversation had gone from a deeply seriously mystery about my love life to bowling for demonic bragging rights. And yet, this wasn't a particularly unusual pattern in my world. â€Å"And by ‘we,' † added Jerome, â€Å"I mean you four.† He nodded toward Peter, Cody, Hugh, and me. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"Let me make sure I'm following this. You've signed us up for some sort of bowling league. One that you aren't even going to participate in. And this is somehow going to prove your employees' ‘evilness' to the world.† â€Å"Don't be silly. I can't participate. Bowling teams only have four people.† He didn't comment on the proving evilness part. â€Å"Well, hey, I'll totally yield my spot to you,† I said. â€Å"I'm not that great a bowler.† â€Å"You'd better become one.† Jerome's voice grew cold. â€Å"All of you had, if you know what's good for you. Nanette will be impossible to live with at the next company meeting if you lot lose.† â€Å"Gee, Jerome. I love bowling,† said Carter. â€Å"How come you never mentioned this to me before?† Jerome and Carter held gazes for several heavy seconds. â€Å"Because, unless you're ready to take a fall for the team, you can't really compete with us.† A funny smile fell over Carter's face. His gray eyes glinted. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"I don't really like your use of ‘us,' seeing as you've already written off any participation on your part,† I pointed out to Jerome, imitating his earlier snide tone. Peter sighed, looking rather woebegone. â€Å"Where on earth am I going to find tasteful bowling shoes?† â€Å"What's our team name going to be?† asked Cody. That immediately degenerated into a conversation of truly terrible suggestions, such as Soulless in Seattle and Split Decision. After almost an hour, I couldn't handle any more. â€Å"I think I'm going to go home,† I said, standing up. I had kind of wanted dessert but was afraid I'd be drafted for beach volleyball and cricket if I stayed much longer. â€Å"I brought the wine. You guys don't really need me anymore.† â€Å"When you get home, tell my wayward offspring that I need him to coach you guys,† said Jerome. â€Å"By ‘home,' I actually meant Seth's,† I said. â€Å"But if I see Roman, I'll let him know you've found a good use for his formidable cosmic powers.† Roman – Jerome's half-human son and my roommate – actually was a pretty good bowler, but I didn't want to encourage Jerome. â€Å"Wait!† Peter sprang up after me. â€Å"You have to draw for Secret Santas first.† â€Å"Oh, come on – â€Å" â€Å"No complaining,† he argued. He hurried to the kitchen and returned with a ceramic cookie jar shaped like a snowman. He thrust it toward me. â€Å"Draw. Whatever name you get is who you're buying for, so don't try to get out of it.† I drew a piece of paper and opened it up. Georgina. â€Å"I can't – â€Å" Peter held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"You drew the name. That's who you've got. No arguments.† His stern look stopped me from any more protests. â€Å"Well,† I pointed out pragmatically, â€Å"at least I have a few ideas.† To his credit, Peter sent me home with some chocolate fondue sauce and a Tupperware bowl filled with fruit and marshmallows. Hugh and Cody were running forward with the bowling team plan, trying to come up with a practice schedule. Jerome and Carter said little and instead kept watching each other in a speculative, knowing way that was typical of them. It was hard to read much on their faces, but for once, Jerome gave off the vibe of having the upper hand. I left Capitol Hill for Seattle's University District and Seth's condo. All the windows were dark when I pulled up, and I couldn't help a smile. It was almost eleven. Seth must have called it an early night, something I'd been urging him to do for a while. Thinking of that, my smile faded as quickly as it had come. A few months ago, Seth's sister-in-law, Andrea, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease had been pretty far advanced when caught, and although she'd almost immediately gone into treatment, the outcome still wasn't promising. Worse, the treatments had taken a huge physical toll on her, one that was testing the family's strength. Seth was frequently helping them out, especially when his brother Terry was working, since it was harder for Andrea to care for their five daughters now. Seth had been sacrificing both sleep and his writing career to look after them. I knew it was necessary. I loved Seth's family and had helped them out as well. But I still hated seeing Seth run himself down and knew that it hurt him to put his work on hold. He claimed his writing was the least of his problems right now and had time before deadlines were an issue, particularly since his next two books were queued for printing next year. I couldn't argue against that, but the sleep issue? Yeah, I was on him a lot about that and glad to see my words had gotten through tonight. I used my key to let myself in and slipped through the condo as silently as possible. I practically lived here lately and had no trouble finding my way around furniture in the darkness. When I reached his bedroom, I could just barely make out his form wrapped up in covers, softly outlined in the light of his alarm clock. I quietly took off my coat and then shape-shifted into a cotton babydoll nightgown. It was sexy but not blatantly so. I planned on sleeping with him tonight, for real. I slid into bed and pressed myself up against his back, lightly tossing an arm over him. He stirred slightly, and I couldn't resist pressing a kiss against his bare shoulder. The scent of cinnamon and musk washed over me as he snuggled closer. Despite sternly chastising myself that he needed to sleep, I lightly ran my fingers along his arm and sneaked in another kiss. â€Å"Mmm,† he murmured, rolling over toward me. â€Å"That feels nice.† A few things hit me at once. First, Seth didn't wear any sort of cologne or aftershave that smelled like cinnamon. Second, Seth's voice didn't sound like that. Third, and perhaps most important, Seth wasn't in bed with me. I didn't mean to scream as loudly as I did. It just kind of happened. I was out of the bed in a flash, groping for the light switch on the wall while the intruder attempted to get up. He ended up getting tangled in the covers and falling off the bed with a loud thump, just as I found the light. I promptly reached for a weapon, but seeing as this was Seth's bedroom, my options were limited. The heaviest, most dangerous object I could readily grab ahold of was Seth's dictionary, a leather-bound monstrosity that he kept on hand because he â€Å"didn't trust the Internet.† I stood poised and ready to literally throw the book at the intruder as he scrambled to his feet. As he did and I got a good look at him, I noticed something crazy. He looked . . . familiar. Not only that, but he kind of looked like Seth. â€Å"Who are you?† I demanded. â€Å"Who are you?† he exclaimed. He seemed more confused than anything else. I don't think he found the threat of a five foot four woman with a dictionary all that frightening. Before I could answer, a hand touched my arm. I yelped and threw the dictionary out of instinct. The guy dodged, letting the book crash harmlessly against the wall. I spun around to see who'd touched me and found myself looking into the eyes of a white-haired woman with gold cat-eye glasses. She was wearing flowered pajama bottoms and a pink sweatshirt with a crossword puzzle on it. She was also wielding a baseball bat, which was pretty astonishing – not just because it was more dangerous than a dictionary but also because I hadn't known Seth owned one. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked fiercely. She glanced over at the shirtless, dumbfounded guy. â€Å"Are you okay?† For half a second, I actually toyed with the idea that I had somehow let myself into someone else's condo. Like, maybe I was just one door over. This scene was so ridiculous that a mix-up seemed far more likely. It was only the obvious evidence – like my key and Seth's University of Chicago teddy bear watching this spectacle – that drove home the fact that I was indeed where I was supposed to be. Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening and closing rang through the condo. â€Å"Hello?† came a blessedly familiar voice. â€Å"Seth!† exclaimed all three of us in unison. Moments later, Seth appeared in the doorway. As usual, he looked adorable. His reddish brown hair was typically unkempt, and he was wearing a Dirty Dancing T-shirt that I'd never seen before. Despite my panic and confusion over this current situation, the concerned part of me still noted the little signs of fatigue on Seth's face, the dark circles and lines of weariness. He was thirty-six and usually looked younger than his age. Not today. â€Å"Seth,† said the bat-wielding woman. â€Å"This lady broke into your house.† He looked at each of us in turn before resting his gaze on her. â€Å"Mom,† he said quietly, â€Å"that's my girlfriend. Please don't bludgeon her.† â€Å"Since when do you have a girlfriend?† asked the guy. â€Å"Since when do you have a baseball bat?† I asked, recovering my composure. Seth cut me a wry look before gently trying to remove the bat from the woman's hands. She didn't let go. â€Å"Georgina, this is my mom, Margaret Mortensen. And that's my brother Ian. Guys, this is Georgina.† â€Å"Hi,† I said, feeling surprise of a different sort. I'd heard a lot about Seth's mother and younger brother but hadn't expected to meet them anytime soon. Seth's mother didn't like to fly, and Ian was . . . well, from the stories Seth and Terry told, Ian was just hard to track down in general. He was the wayward Mortensen brother. Margaret relinquished the bat and put on a polite but wary smile. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you.† â€Å"Ditto,† said Ian. I now understood why he looked familiar. Aside from the fact I'd probably seen a picture of him somewhere, he also shared some of Seth's and Terry's features. He was tall like Seth, but with Terry's thinner face. Ian's hair was all brown, with no coppery hint, but it had that same messy look that Seth's did. Except, on closer examination, I had the feeling Ian's had been purposely styled that way with the help of much time and product. Seth suddenly did a double take between Ian and me. He didn't even have to say anything for me to guess the question on his mind. Or questions, perhaps. My nightgown and Ian's shirtlessness undoubtedly raised a number of them. Ian's defense came swift and certain. â€Å"She got into bed with me.† â€Å"I thought he was you,† I said. Seth's mother made a strange noise in her throat. â€Å"You were supposed to be on the couch,† said Seth accusingly. Ian shrugged. â€Å"It's uncomfortable. And you weren't home yet, so I figured there was no harm done. How was I supposed to know some woman was going to come manhandle me in my sleep?† â€Å"I didn't manhandle you!† I cried. Seth rubbed his eyes, again reminding me how exhausted he was. â€Å"Look, what's done is done. Why don't we all just go to bed – where we're supposed to – and then get to know each other in the morning, okay?† Margaret eyed me. â€Å"She's going to sleep in here? With you?† â€Å"Yes, Mom,† he said patiently. â€Å"With me. Because I'm a grown man. And this is my home. And because in thirty-six years, this isn't the first woman to stay over with me.† His mother looked aghast, and I groped for a more comfortable topic. â€Å"Your shirt's great.† Now that she wasn't threatening to strike me, I could see that the crossword spelled out her five granddaughters' names. â€Å"I love the girls.† â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"Each one of them is a blessing, born within the holy confines of wedlock.† Before I could even fumble a response to that, Ian groaned. â€Å"Lord, Mom. Is that from that Web site I told you not to order from? You know their stuff's made in China. I know this woman who could have made you one out of sustainable organic fabric.† â€Å"Hemp is a drug, not a fabric,† she told him. â€Å"Good night, you guys,† said Seth, pointing his brother to the door. â€Å"We'll talk in the morning.† Margaret and Ian murmured their good nights, and she paused to kiss Seth on the cheek – which I actually thought was pretty cute. When they were gone and the door was closed, Seth sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. â€Å"So,† I said, coming to sit beside him. â€Å"Exactly how many women have stayed over in thirty-six years?† He looked up. â€Å"None who were caught by my mother in so little clothing.† I plucked at the skirt of the nightgown. â€Å"This? This is tame.† â€Å"I'm sorry about that,† he added, waving vaguely toward the door. â€Å"I should've called and warned you. They just drove into town tonight – unannounced, of course. Ian can't be expected to do what people expect. It would ruin his reputation. They showed up at Terry's, but there's no room for them there, so I sent them on ahead since they were so tired. I had no idea it would result in you trying to sleep with my brother.† â€Å"Seth!† â€Å"Kidding, kidding.† He picked up my hand and kissed the top of it. â€Å"How are you? How was your day?† â€Å"Well, I tried my best to keep Santa from getting drunk and then found out Jerome signed us up for a Hellish bowling league.† â€Å"I see,† said Seth. â€Å"So. The usual.† â€Å"Pretty much. What about you?† The small smile that had been tugging at his lips fell. â€Å"Aside from unexpected family? The usual too. Terry was out late with work stuff, so I was there all night with the girls while Andrea rested. Kendall has to build a papier-mache solar system, so that was fun for everyone.† He held up his hands and wiggled fingers coated in white powder. â€Å"And let me guess. No writing?† He shrugged. â€Å"It's not important.† â€Å"You should've called me. I could've watched them while you wrote.† â€Å"You were working and then . . . what, it was fondue night, right?† He stood up and stripped off his shirt and jeans, getting down to green flannel boxers. â€Å"How did you know that?† I asked. â€Å"I barely knew that.† â€Å"I was on Peter's e-mail list.† â€Å"Well, regardless, it doesn't matter. And that mall job is nothing. I could have been over here in a flash.† He stepped into his bathroom and returned a few moments later with a toothbrush in his mouth. â€Å"That job is nuffing. Haf any of your interfeews panned out?† â€Å"No,† I said, not adding that I hadn't gone on any other interviews. Everything paled compared to Emerald City. The conversation was put on pause while he finished brushing his teeth. â€Å"You should be doing something better,† he said, once he was done. â€Å"I'm fine where I'm at. I don't mind it. But you . . . you can't keep going on like this. You're not getting enough sleep or working.† â€Å"Don't worry about it,† he said. He turned off the light and crawled into bed. In the dimness, I saw him pat the spot beside him. â€Å"Come over here. It's just me, I promise.† I smiled and curled up beside him. â€Å"Ian didn't smell right, you know. I mean, he smelled good, but not like you.† â€Å"I'm sure he spends gratuitous amounts of money to smell good,† muttered Seth through a yawn. â€Å"What's he do for a living?† â€Å"Hard to say. He's always got new jobs. Or no job. Whatever money he's got goes toward carefully maintaining his hard-fought, effortless lifestyle. Have you seen his coat?† â€Å"No. The only clothing of his I've seen is his boxers.† â€Å"Ah. Well, it must be in the living room. It looks like it came from a thrift store but probably cost four figures.† He sighed. â€Å"Although, I shouldn't be too hard on him. I mean, yeah, he'll probably hit me up for money while he's here, but I can't knock him and Mom coming out to help. At the very least, they can help watch the kids now.† I wrapped my arms around Seth and breathed in his scent. It was the right one, and it was intoxicating. â€Å"And you can catch up on some writing.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said. â€Å"We'll see how it goes. I just hope I'm not babysitting Mom and Ian more than the girls.† â€Å"How bad of an impression did I make on her?† I asked. â€Å"Not that bad. I mean, no worse than any woman – scantily clad or otherwise – would've made who was spending the night with me.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"She's not so bad. Don't be fooled by her conservative Midwest grandma act. I think you guys will get along.† I wanted to ask if Maddie had met Margaret and, if so, how they'd gotten along. I bit my tongue on the question. It didn't matter. It was in the past, and Seth and I were the present. Sometimes, especially staying here as much as I did, I felt a little weird remembering that Maddie had lived with him too. There were still little touches here and there that bore the mark of her influence. For example, Margaret was most likely staying in Seth's office, which had a futon, courtesy of Maddie's ingenuity. She'd been the one to suggest he get it to help make the office double as a guestroom. Maddie had gone; the futon had stayed. I tried not to think about those things very often, though. In the big picture, they didn't matter. Seth and I had come through too much for me to get hung up on something like that. We'd overcome the problems in our relationship. I'd accepted his mortality and his decision to risk his life by being physical with me. True, I still rationed our sex life, but the fact that I allowed it at all was a big concession for me. Meanwhile, he accepted the terrible truth that I was often out sleeping with other men in order to sustain my existence. They were difficult things for us both, but they were worth it for us to be together. Everything we'd gone through was worth it. â€Å"I love you,† I told him. He placed a soft kiss on my lips and pulled me closer. â€Å"I love you too.† Then, in an echo of my thoughts, he added, â€Å"You make it all worthwhile. All this stuff I'm dealing with†¦. I can do it because you're in my life, Thetis.† Thetis. That was his longtime nickname for me, coming from the shape-shifting goddess in Greek mythology who'd been won by a steadfast mortal. He called me that all the time – and Letha, only once. I thought again about that night. The troubled feelings it stirred never seemed to go away, but I once again tried to force them aside. It was another of those little things that I was trying not to let bug me. It was nothing compared to the greatness of our love, and like my friends had said, Seth had probably overheard the name. I fell into a contented sleep, only to be awakened abruptly around dawn. My eyes flew open, and I sat upright. Seth shifted and rolled over but wasn't awakened by my sudden movement. I stared around the room, my heart racing. I'd been jolted out of sleep by an immortal presence, one I didn't know. It had felt demonic. There was nothing here now, visible or invisible, but I knew for a fact some servant of Hell had just been in the room. This wasn't the first time I'd had unwelcome visitors in my sleep, often ones with nefarious intentions. Of course, I'd felt this demon just now, and demons – being higher immortals, not a lesser human-turned-immortal like me – could mask their immortal signature. If he or she had wanted to sneak around or hurt me unannounced, it could have done so. Whoever this was hadn't cared about discovery. I slipped out of bed and continued studying the room, looking for some sign or reason for the demon's passage. I was certain there would be one. There. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of red – in my purse. There was a business envelope sitting on top of it. I hurried over and scooped up the envelope. It was warm to my touch, but as I quietly opened it, I began to feel cold. That feeling intensified as I pulled out a letter printed on official Hell stationery. No good could come of this. Sunset had filtered more than enough light into the room to read by. The letter was addressed to Letha (alias: Georgina Kincaid), from Hell's HR: This is the thirty-day notice for your trans fer. Your new assignment will begin on January 15. Please make travel arrangements to leave Seattle and report to your new location in a timely manner.

Healthcare Issues in America Essay

Some of the healthcare issues that share the limelight with politicians nowadays are the skyrocketing cost of drugs, health insurance system, the ever growing cost of hospitalization fees and the low coverage of insurance for malpractices for doctors. Debates and plans have been made so as to improve the quality of service to the people. But really, are these the real issues that an average American or a politician should give much emphasis on? There is a growing epidemic that is invading the country in silence†¦ And because it doesn’t make much noise as that of an aggrieved patient filing for a case against a physician, who by mistake, has distorted her nose in some way, that doesn’t mean this epidemic is not worth our time. For some reason these issues aren’t given much attention when in fact it threatens the very life of countless citizens therefore endangering the future of the country. Obesity, Alcohol Abuse, Mental Health, unhealthy foods†¦ These are real issues that could very well be the cause of more deaths and unhappy citizens of this country†¦Though these issues have been around for decades much of the efforts to address these problems are often not enough or simply useless. To further impress the gravity of the situation, it is therefore right to discuss these issues one by one. In the next few decades Scientists conclude that life expectancy for an average American could decline by as much as 5 years unless the government do something to decrease the rates of obesity (Dollemore 2005). With the rise of capitalism which gave way to consumerism, more and more goods make it to the hands of an average American. Life has also been fast phased which led to the success of over the counter dinners and lunches, ready to cook meals, watching television , playing video games, using computers and etc. The youth has been living a very sedentary lifestyle which lessens their interest in physical activities. Much worst is that there has been a sudden influx of quality computer games that has taken much of their time. They are also bombarded with fast foods, high fat, high sugar meals which are made available at every corner store. These factors lead to obesity that has taken the world aback with a staggering 20% increase in obesity rates among the youth. Diabetes is one of the complications that can sprout from Obesity. Cardiovascular diseases are also common to those who have diabetes. Emotional stress is also experienced by those who are obese are society tend to discriminate these people giving them less chances to enjoy life. The irony of it is that the government provides services to treat obesity rather than preventing it. It is a growing epidemic and unless we get to its roots, it will continue to rot away the future if countless American youth. According to surveys approximately 11 million current drinkers are in the ages of 12-20. Half of these drink excess to the point of losing total control to the outside environment. These drinkers are the American Youth who at a tender age finds solace in beer bottles. Alcohol abuse can lead to different kind of injuries such as alcohol related accidents, date rape, fire and etc. Automobile crashes, suicides, homicides, and unsafe sex leading to teenage pregnancies are one of the gruesome after effects of teenage drinking that are often overlooked by their fragile minds. Underage drinking is a widespread problem which can be attributed to the free access to liquor by minors. Substance abuse is very much widespread especially in impoverished areas in the country and this eventually lead to mental incapacity.   One need not look deeper to know that these issues are interconnected in someway. Teenage drinking and Obesity are discussed in detail to show that all the rest of the issues find its roots on the two events. The rest are just offshoots from these problems. Given the above issues, I guess it would be more appropriate for the government to give more attention to the cause of the problem rather than spending billions for rehabilitation facilities, diet programs and etc. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It is indeed pretty much logical to answer the question on why the youth is engaging in substance abuse rather than put them in rehabilitation centers.   The thing is, the government is spending large amount of money to improve healthcare services to the populace not taking into consideration that these ailments that they are treating could not have found its way to the average American citizen in the first place. Now if by the end of the century this epidemic is not yet cured, then worst comes to worst, this country should expect more sickly citizens needing healthcare services to address their plight for good health. This is where my thoughts go in full circle†¦ if the government spend as much time, money and effort in addressing the problem of healthcare improvements and that of actually improving the health of its citizens, then I guess there is better hope for the future Americans. Come to think of it, if the epidemic is not stopped, more and more citizens will need healthcare services from the government. As a consequence, no matter how we try to improve the healthcare services and insurance system it will never be enough. Laws of supply and demand holds true even in this situation. More sick people, more hospitals, more doctors, more healthcare services, more chances for politicians to exploit the scenario by adding â€Å"improved healthcare† in their platforms. This is a vicious cycle, and unless we recognize the need to focus on individual health rather than health care services, we will never be able to actually address the problem of healthcare in this country. References Dollemore, D. (2005). â€Å"Obesity Threatens to Cut U.S Life Expectancy.† Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2005/nia-16.htm.

Interesting College Courses Inspired by Films

Interesting College Courses Inspired by Films Interesting College Courses Inspired by Films At universities across America (and the globe), students are learning about philosophy, anthropology, and politics through the most popular books, movies, and television series of our time. From Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, professors everywhere are utilizing pop culture to teach students complex concepts and ideas that simultaneously encourage students to learn and explore a variety of subject matter through their favorite characters and film series. Hogwarts University For many college students, Harry Potter is the emblem of their childhood: nights spent reading under the covers well past their bedtimes, watching the movies on a rainy weekend afternoon, or visiting Harry Potter World on family vacations to Florida. Well now students can put all of their Harry Potter knowledge towards college course credit! At Oregon State University, freshmen can take an orientation class entitled â€Å"Finding your Patronus†, which teaches students about developmental phases faced by many college students and the real-life applications of the sociology of J.K. Rowling’s imagined wizardry world. Another Harry Potter course, entitled â€Å"The Science of Harry Potter†, is now offered at Frostburg State University in Maryland. Students on the course are able to analyze magical concepts using physics, biology, engineering, and chemistry. Is time travel actually possible? How does Bernie Bott get every flavor into his jelly beans? These questions and more will be answered if you register for this course! What Would Spock Do? Philosophy through Star Trek While Star Trek fans have long advocated that their beloved television show is much more than entertainment, university professors are now in agreement. Georgetown University in Washington, DC has started teaching a course that appeals to Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike: â€Å"Philosophy and Star Trek†. The course itself is an introduction to metaphysics and epistemology philosophy, and students examine these complex ideas through the adventures of the characters as they travel to lands ‘where no man has gone before’. In addition to watching episodes of the popular television series, students also read traditional philosophical texts. Another Star Trek-based course has popped up at Indiana University, entitled â€Å"Star Trek and Religion†. This course studies the show’s religious themes through both watching episodes of the television series and also reading spiritual and religious writings. So whichever course you choose, be prepared to check out both DVDs and books from the library! Worst Exam Ever? Learning to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse Zombies are incredibly popular in today’s culture. From award-winning television shows to themed walks, the undead are everywhere – and now they’re coming to a college classroom near you! Columbia College in Chicago and the University of Baltimore in Maryland both offer courses on zombies in the media and pop culture (entitled â€Å"Zombies in Popular Media† and â€Å"Media Genres: Zombies†, respectively) that focus on the history of zombies in literature, film, and television. Michigan State University now offers an online course entitled â€Å"Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse: Disasters, Catastrophes, and Human Behavior† that examines the logistics of survival and the real-life implications of zombie apocalypse scenarios on disaster preparedness and planning. Though conducted online, students also have to complete tasks in their survival groups – hopefully everyone makes it to the final exam!

A Guide to Nouns

A Guide to Nouns A Guide to Nouns A Guide to Nouns By Mark Nichol A noun was traditionally described as â€Å"a person, place, or thing,† but some definitions further specify what can constitute a thing, including an action, an idea, a quality, or a state of existence. This post discusses types of nouns and other issues related to nouns. Classes of Nouns Abstract and Concrete Nouns Abstract nouns are those that refer to concepts or ideas, such as justice or evolution. By contrast, concrete nouns represent physical entities that can be observed by one or more senses; examples include apple, dog, and house. Some nouns have both abstract and concrete meanings- for example, a pillar is a column that serves as a commemorative object or a structural support, but by extension, the word refers to a figurative concept related to the latter sense: a principle, for example, that is part of the identity of an organization. (In addition, a person may be referred to as a pillar of the community, but although person is concrete, the person does not literally provide structural support for an edifice.) Collective Nouns A collective noun is one that, despite the lack of plural inflection, refers to a group (as in the case of committee) or to an entity consisting of multiple members (for example, government or police). In American English, such terms take a singular verb form unless the emphasis is clearly on the constituents of the collective, as in â€Å"The staff were pleased to hear about the new workplace policy,† though many writers (and editors) are more comfortable with a revision that more explicitly focuses on the individuals, such as â€Å"Members of the staff were pleased to hear about the new workplace policy.† Compound Noun A compound noun is one that consists of two or more words. Compound nouns may be closed (warlord), hyphenated (mind-set), or open (â€Å"post office†). Generally, a compound of more than two words is hyphenated, as in jack-in-the box, but a proper name consisting of more than two words is almost always open (â€Å"Royal Canadian Mounted Police†). Countable and Mass Nouns Countable nouns are those that may take an indefinite article (a or an) or a plural form, or be combined with a numeral (such as three) or a counting quantifier (such as several). Countable nouns include car, finger, and event. Mass, or uncountable, nouns, are those that do not have these properties, such as blood, equipment, and information. Many nouns have senses as both countable and mass nouns. For example, rain is an uncountable phenomenon, but one can refer to a succession of rains. Proper Nouns A proper noun is one that denotes a unique entity, such as a specific person (John), place (Earth), or thing (iPhone). Writers frequently err in capitalizing generic descriptions thought to be specific. For example, a person might be described as â€Å"a Marketing Director†; though the person does in fact hold that job title, it is not unique to that person (although it is capitalized as part of the entity description â€Å"Marketing Director John Smith,† which is unique). Similarly, one might be said to have â€Å"earned a Master’s Degree†; although the diploma that documents conferring of the degree is unique, a degree demonstrating mastery of a particular academic discipline is distributed to numerous people, and thus the word is generic. In addition, words that, as part of a specific appellation, are capitalized are sometimes erroneously capitalized in isolation, as in â€Å"the Committee.† This style is common in content published by institutions and organizations (and sometimes codified in their house style guides) that refers in shorthand to a particular committee, and it is a tradition in legal text, but in most other contexts it is considered an error. Considerations About Nouns Nominalization and Conversion Avoid the jargonistic overuse of noun forms of verbs in place of the verbs themselves, itself known jargonistically as nominalization, to make sentences more concise, direct, and accessible. (For example, â€Å"effect a transposition† is easily replaced by transpose.) A related issue is conversion, by which a verb becomes a noun (as in the use of take in â€Å"We filmed the scene in one take† or â€Å"What’s your take on that?†). Many conversions are unobjectionable in isolation, but take care not to let them overwhelm your prose. Noun Plagues One obstacle to clarity, prevalent in business content, is the use of multiple nouns as adjectives describing a terminal noun, as in â€Å"The topic of the webinar is compliance risk management program governance.† Avoid such strings of nouns-cum-adjectives before a noun, which many people may read haltingly because even if they are familiar with the terms that constitute the phrase, they will not know until they reach the actual noun that they have come to the end of it. Revise the phrase to reflect a more relaxed syntax so that it can be read with relative lack of effort: â€Å"The topic of the webinar is governance of programs pertaining to compliance risk management.† Plural Forms English is maddeningly inconsistent, especially in forming plurals. For example, the plural of avocado is avocados (avocadoes is a variant), while tomato is rendered tomatoes in its plural form. (These words derive from the same language, Nahuatl, and as in the case of the name of the language, the ending sound of both native words is l, but they took different paths through Spanish.) Other problematic words include those ending in y and some words adopted from Greek and Latin; for example, plural endings for some Latin words (such as antenna and index) vary depending on sense. Another complicating category is compound nouns (such as fathers-in-law). When in doubt, consult a dictionary. (And, to be safe, when not in doubt, consult a dictionary.) Other types of nouns that may require writers to consult with a dictionary (or a style guide) so that plural forms are correctly rendered include plurals of proper nouns and for abbreviations, letters, and numerals. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsCapitalization Rules for the Names of GamesEspecially vs. Specially

Death rituals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death rituals - Essay Example I have seen that the death rituals have remained the same over the years. These have comprised the gathering of near and dear ones to make sure that the affected family feels that they are not alone in their tough times (Gilbert, 2011). The close family members and friends come up and meet the concerned family and tell them what they thought of the deceased individual. They showcase how good or strong the person was who had passed away. It implicates for empathy on their part that they understand the situation and are ready to be a part of the death rituals that the family is undertaking at the present. I believe these death rituals will almost be impossible to change as time moves ahead. This has been seen in the recent past when one of my dearest aunties had died. We exhibited the same death rituals that were present at the time of my niece’s passing away some 4 years back. The death rituals did not change at all, and this strengthened my belief that the same steps and processes were going to be followed whenever someone is going to pass away in the family. However, there would be minor amendments within the death rituals as and when required but on the whole the basic agenda would more or less be what I experienced at the time of my aunt’s death. She was close to us and we loved her dearly. I noticed that nearly all the women in the family wore white clothes to pay homage to aunt’s soul (Hazan, 2004). They sat together, spoke at length about her qualities and the manner under which she used to help people around her. This was quite an enlightening experience for me since I learned that the best way to pay respects was to talk about the deceased itself rather than the worldly events that people usually talk about. The death rituals in my family will always change as and when there is a need but the bottom line remains the same – there is immense respect for the person who has died so that his/her soul rests in peace. I am

Designing a Cover Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Designing a Cover Book - Essay Example Richardson and P. Parnell, with illustrations by H. Cole. It is a book based on the real life of Silo and Roy two Chinstrap penguins, both male, in Central Park Zoo, New York. Their life is followed in the book, which trails their six-year partnership during which they are given an egg to raise (Justin et al 15). While winning numerous awards, it has been mired in many culture wars and censorship debates on adoption, same-sex unions and animal homosexuality. It was announced to be the book most challenged from 2006-2010 by the ALA. The page cover is set against a sky blue backdrop, with a few patches being lighter than the dominant color. This is appealing to the target since this is a reflective and dreamy color. The lighter patches show enlightenment and possibility of further existence, and meaning, underneath the backdrop. At the bottom of the cover are bread remains, as in most zoos where animal lovers throw food at penguins, with the bread being concentrated to the center right , though traces are seen still strewn around the completely lower part of the cover. Standing amidst these breadcrumbs are two Chinstrap penguins of similar size and stature to show similar sex, aligned more to the left of the cover, facing the viewer. Behind them is a chain link fence. Their body covering dark in color, they both spot white miniature bow ties, holding wings and looking down at an egg peeking from under the penguin on the right. Between the peeing egg and the right margin of the cover is the title in purple in purple with gold margins. The penguin on the right points at the egg with his free wing, a look of bewilderment on his face, while the other penguin has his free wing holding his left cheek, a look of pure terror on his face. To the right of the cover, further in the background are two penguins, different in size and stature to show different sex. They are deep in conversation with the larger one apparently jabbing his hand at Roy and Silo. The female however has a look of pure contentment and relief, since two eggs overwhelmed her, and another egg can be seen under her feet. The sky above them is full of faceless doves (Richardson et al 8). The back blurb reads: Silo and Roy, plucked from their ideal and wonderful world, have been thrust into a world that cares not about them, but what they bring to this place they have made them call home. Catapulted into the middle of a world they had never even dreamt of, the zookeepers pounce on their apparent affinity for each other. With no prior experience, they find a new guest thrust on them, memories of their fun day’s just ashes in the wind. As they become the center of attention for a world pre-occupied with feelings, allergic to thought and reflection, every day brings them closer to the truth. Number 3! 2. And Tango Makes Three Book Cover for Retired Armed Forces Men and Women. The page cover will be set against a dark cloudy backdrop, with flashes of lightning and barely visible ra indrops. This should show the turmoil and mistrust at all the attention that must be going through Silo and Roy’s minds. The bottom of the cover shows soggy and splashy ground from all the rain, with both Roy and Silo’s feet barely visible in the mud. Silo and Roy are both of the same size and stature denoting similar sex. Both are pencil drawings in blue with a creamish-colored egg visible beneath one of them. They are both standing in the rain holding hands, smack in the