Article Summary and Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Article Summary and Critique - Essay Example In other words, this article exemplifies social attitude toward students with autism focusing on teachers’ attitudes to these students. The structure of the article proves its specific research design: introduction-method-results-discussion. Topic of this study is pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards children with autism in the USA. A high relevance of this topic can be proven by the fact that modern society has shifted accents from autism –mental disorder, preventing people with this disease from full social activities to autism–as mental disorder, not preventing people with this disease from full social activities. Children with autism were chosen as the audience for discussion not in vain. A current tendency of growing number of children with autism expanding worldwide proves a necessity to initiate researches directed on prevention of this disease occurrence and the ways of its overcoming. The researches of previous years were directed on better understanding of nature of autism. This article expands the scope of autism’ discussion and is focused on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards children with autism. Positive attitudes’ of pre-service teachers to children with autism indicate a necessity to support and develop their positive attitude further on. Literature review, which is a theoretical background of the paper, comprises 46 sources. There are articles from scholar journals and online sources. Years’ range of works is from 70s till 2009. Literary sources are specific and correspond with the topic of the given article. A presentation of different points of view of different authors justifies an unprejudiced theoretical background of the article. Moreover, the fact that works presented comprise four decades supports a valid theoretical background of the article. A section ‘Introduction’ of the article has subsections correlated with literary

Working in teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working in teams - Essay Example As we progressed, there were a series of in-group conflicts especially due to conflict of ideas as some members wanted their ideas to get priority than others. With time, such conflicts were resolved and the members grew closer leading to achievement of great cohesion. ï » ¿Trust was also an important component in our team development as proposed by Bass and Ryterband (1979) since it allowed our team members to slowly learn to accept the group norms, virtues and values thereby enhancing conformity. This move was essential in assisting us to have a common voice as a team and also in minimizing resistance and conflicts while ensuring effective coordination that allowed for successful presentation delivery (Bass & Ryterband 1979). Team Tasks were assigned based on Meredith Belbin’s Team Roles Theory in terms of the behavioural strengths and weaknesses (Henry & Stevens 1999). The content of the presentation was divided among members in small chunks in order to merge it after individual contribution. Members were delegated individual tasks by the leader based on observation of their behaviour to identify who is better in what area. This enabled us to compensate for each other’s weaknesses while improving our strengths. As such, we were able to ensure that each member made a contribution to the final output. Participating in the group taught me a lot of skills and gave me experiences I didn’t have before. I learnt the importance of interpersonal skills, trust, communication skills, empathy, listening skills among others. According to Brooks (1993), teams have emerged to be essential pillars of most organizations and, therefore, relevant skills are required since even the most brilliant person can miss out for lack of such skills. Furthermore, working in teams enabled us to establish a sense of belonging due to formation of

Forced Labour Prison Camps Cultural Studies Essay

Forced Labour Prison Camps Cultural Studies Essay China has a long history and has been through many political changes to this day. This work emphasizes the Chinese human right problems, labour rights in the country and cases of companies that are good and bad examples of business ethics. Furthermore there is an emphasis on how Chinas economy is faced against the human rights issue and CSR corporate social responsibility of the companies studied. Human rights in China hit the international sense when confronted with the people that are forced to work in prison camps. The denial of these rights to the people makes them live below the level of acceptance for economic reason of other cause, e.g. (supply chain of multinationals). And they continue doing it and selling the goods produced internationally. As regards the Labour Rights, China is a recent player that had in 1995 created the first comprehensive Labour Law. On the other hand, Independent worker unions are not allowed making the government with full empowerment control by the m easures of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). As to balance between good and bad examples we have pointed out HEG Electronics Samsungs Chinese Supplier (as a bad example) and KPMG China William E. Connor Associates Ltd. (as good example). The first company, the bad example, seems to use child labour, excessive overtime, lack of safity educantion, lack of labour protection and so on. That creates a big gap between official labour law and the actual fact. The second examples are two companies, based in Hong Kong, that are doing a good job in maintaining a clear evironment of work to employees and taking care of business, social and public sectors. INTRODUCTION : China has a 5,000-year history of civilization. We decided to have a brief review of some key dates that have marked Chinas history, which will allow us to get a better understanding of what is happening today in China. Our first focus will be on the period from 1966 to 1976, known under the name of Cultural Revolution. (Szczepanski, n.d.) Under the lead of Mao Zedong, the young people of China rose up against what they called the Four Olds : old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas. Mao Zedong, used this wave of communist movement to bring the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in charge of the country. The revolution generated a big chaos for the Chinese people and the country as a whole. The economy was collapsing, objects associated with Chinas pre-revolutionary past were liable to be destroyed, religion was banned, etc. Most importantly, for the entire decade of the Cultural Revolution, schools in China did not operate; this left an entire generation with no formal education.pointed out by Szczepanski (n.d.) The sufferings for the chinese population was enormous. At the end of the 1970s, the CPC had learned painful lessons from the cultural revolution and decided to shift the focus from national work to socialist modernization, as well as adopted the policies of reform and opening-up. The second focus of Chinas recent past will be on the Democracy movement in 1989.( BACKGROUND TO THE 1989 DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT, n.d.) During the spring of 1989, a peaceful protest movement had been carried out by students and civilians in Chinas major cities over a period of two months. More than a million people demanded a democratic reform and a halt to Chinas escalating corruption problem. The troops of the govermnent opened fire on unarmed students and civilians who resisted the suppression. It is said that more than 2000 people died and around 500 were imprisoned, but the official numbers of dead, imprisoned or disappeared people is unknown because the Chinese government refuses to carry out a investigation or accounting of the events of June 1989. Today, China has a major political and economic importance in the contemporary world. Its phenomenal economic progress has made China one of the most important players in world economy. Its growing economic power has strengthened its political authority in Asia and the world. China is still widely perceived as a country which does not, or only scantily respects human rights. This poor reputation does not just refer to Communist China in general and the Cultural Revolution, but has been carved into our brain since the violent crackdown of the 1989 democracy movement. Whether we are outspoken critics of China as one of the worst human rights offenders or feel it is better to praise China for its progress than to nag on the shortcomings, it is clear that the issue is of major importance and that the future of China and human rights are interdependent. Tiananmen Square 1989 China Laogai forced labour prison camps As we have seen in our introduction, China is still in their first steps of becoming a democracy in western standards. Its recent history is marked by communism, where human rights were not always respected. One example to illustrate this are the forced labour prison camps known as Laogai. We will see how these camps are directly or indirectly linked to western corporations and how products made by people in those prison camps under very poor working conditions end up in our hands. First of all, lets have a closer look what a Laogai camp exactly is: The term Laogai means reform through labour, which is the Chinese system of labour prison factories, detention centers, and re-education camps designed by Mao Zedong in the early 1950s. It has been adapted across China to punish and reform criminals by enforcing them working as free labour. However ¼Ã…’instead of looking at the contribution to the Chinese economy made by those prision labour force ¼Ã…’the Laogai system hightlights the deprivation of individuals of basic human rights. It can be easily found inside the Laogai system that prisoners are frequently exposed into cirrcustances such as cruel,degrading treatment and oftentimes tortured. These human rights abuses ¼Ã…’ to a large degree, violate both Chinese and international human rights norms. (Pejan, n.d.) While, The Laogai system has also been criticized of creating an incentive to incarcerate increasing numbers of potentially innocent individuals. (THE LAOGAI: EXERCISING DICTATORSHIP OVER DISSENT,n.d.) It has been noticed by LAOGAI RESEARCH FOUNDATION(2011, p.5) that Chinas Laogai system is mainly drived by production for both domestic and international consumption. The involements of Laogai camps in production process are highly varied. For instance, Laogai prisoners may take care of the whole production process of one certain item or just simply assemble part of it. The thing is those products made under laogai system are not accepted by U.S. law. Which means it is illegal to import products produced in Laogai camps to the USA market. However, it seems this law is not widely respected by big multinational corporations. As Corsi (2006) argued in his article that most of U.S companies ¼Ã‹â€ including Wal-Mart ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °are willing to sell Chinese made goods by taking advantage of the chinese slave labor. Moreover, even worse in Europe, there is no regulation exist that forbids the importation of such goods, claimed European Parliament(2010). More recently, the broadcaster Al Jazeera pointed out the Laogai camps by launching a documentary called Slavery: A 21st Century Evil.(2012) Shortly after this, the international broadcaster Al Jazeera was forced to close its offices in China.( Al Jazeera English forced out of China,2012) http://www.taichichuan.co.uk/information/articles/images/heterodox001.jpg Labour Rights: In China, as we saw with the example of the Laogai prisons, basic human rights can be closely related to the labour rights. We will now have a closer look on the evolution of labour rights in China and how they are (or not) respected by international corporations. Chinas socialist legal system was first set up in 1949. During he period from 1949 to the mid-1950s, China promulgated the Common Program of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, in the character of an interim constitution and some other laws, which had a significant influence on consolidating the new-born political power, maintaining social order and reviving the national economy. The concept of a labour law is very recent in China. Its first comprehensive labour law went into effect on January 1. 1995, and represents the regimes most recent efforts to grapple with problems brought on by the transition to a socialist market economy. The PRC Labour Law extends a number of specific benefits to workers. These include  « guarantees  » respecting equal opportunity in employment, job selection, compensation, rest, leave, safety and health care but also vocational training, social security, welfare, and the right to submit disputes to arbitration. The Peoples Republic of China has seen many changes in the structure of its economy and in the treatment of workers employed by economic enterprises. While the Labour Law of the PRC represents a major step toward articulating legal norms on the protection of workers rights, it still reflects the imperatives of Chinese government policies of economic growth and the Chinese Communist Partys concerns with political control. Thus provisions on contract labour and the role of trade unions appear to serve the interests of the Party/state to a greater extent than they do the interests of Chinese workers. The new law also faces significant impediments to full implementation. Nonetheless, in the context of the transition to a socialist market economy the new labour code does represent significant progress in the ongoing challenge of managing labour relations in China. In 2008, the government introduced a Labor Contract Law that rolled back some of the laissez-faire approaches to the workforce that the government introduced in the 1990s. This new law abolished the system of at-will employment for most full-time employees and required employers to provide employees with written contracts. Since 2008, the government has also revisited its policy of tight control over the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). While all unions must still be approved by and affiliated with ACFTU, it appears that the government is allowing the ACFTU greater authority to advocate for the rights of workers than it did just a few years ago. That said, the government continues to imprison workers who advocate for the formation of independent trade unions. In China, 2010 was a year of significance in the development of labour-related legislation. It saw the 60th anniversary of New Chinas first Trade Union Law and the 15th anniversary of the countrys first Labour Law. It was also a year that witnessed a significant increase of labour disputes in the country, including the scandal of workers suicides in Foxconn (Apples contract manufacturer for many products) and the strikes in Honda China. It was against this background that an international conference Chinese Trade Union and Labour Law: Past, Present and Future was organised in August in Beijing to critically review and assess these laws and their implementation as well as other relevant issues concerning labour in China and to identify the prospects for Chinese workers in future.( Zhao,Zhao and Fan, 2011) It has been well illustrated in World Report 2012: China (2012), China 2011 presented a lack of representative work union which creates a problem for the workers that cannot ask for the betterment of wages and general conditions. The government prohibits independent labour unions which makes out of All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) the only legal representative of workers in China. Systemic discrimination on migrants is continued to be imposed by the hukou (house hold registration), said a government survey on migrant workers in January. The system unfairly limits the access to housing, medical services, and education. In august 2011 the government ordered closure of 24 illegal private schools that catered to migrant children. Most found alternate schools other had their children was sent to hukou-linked schools in rural areas because the parents could not afford school in Beijing. 1) HEG Electronics Samsungs Chinese Supplier Employs Underage Workers With the example of HEG Electronics we will try to illustrate that the labour rights in China are in some cases not respected which leads to poor working conditions for their employees. China Labour Watch, a non-profit organisation based in New York. As stated on their official website, they have been aimed at assessing and re-evaluating labour conditions in hundreds of manufacturing factories most of whose partners are transnational companies. In August 2012, it published a report called Samsungs Supplier Factory Exploiting Child Labor(2012) which points out the following working conditions in HEG Electronics: Child Labour Abuse Hiring Discrimination Excessive Overtime Labour Contracts, Wage Rates, Reward and Punishment System Appalling Cafeteria and Dormitory Conditions Lack of Safety Education and Labour Protection The problems also haven been addressed by European Parliament (Infringement of normal labour standards in some Chinese factories, 2012), especially the abuse of underage labour. As indicated by members  of  China  Labor  Watch, the student labour accounts for 80% of total labour force in HEG factories and most of them work under the same harsh working conditions as adults but with even less wage paid. (China  Labor  Watch, 2012,p.3) Furthermore, an interesting website called stop samsung no more deaths! describes the correlation between Samsung and his subsidiary HEG Electronics: Samsung provides fixed assets and other equipment to the Chinese contractor, the survey said. More than 50 Samsung employees are posted to HEG production facilities.(stopsamsung,2012) On the HEG Electronics website you can find the following statement: Heg always adhere to the people-oriented concept, so that development for staff development rely on employees, corporate efforts to the fruits of development to benefit the general staff. Employees are our most valuable resources and wealth, and the healthy growth of the employees is the success of our cause and an important foundation for enterprises to obtain sustainable development and protection. We always adhere to the people-oriented, advocating equality and non-discriminatory employment policies to respect and protect the legitimate rights and interests of employees and cherish the staff of life, health and safety; respect for labour, respect knowledge, respect talent, respect for creation, major decisions and important production operating activities focus on the mobilization of all the staffs enthusiasm and creativity, and focus on improving the quality of staff. Enterprise development innovations to benefit the general staff efforts to achieve the organic unity of the enterprise value and the value of employees. Enriching the cultural life of the employees, the company is active in a variety of cultural and recreational activities such as basketball, soccer, table tennis, and staff in his spare time to relax, keep fit, cultivate character, enhanced teamwork for employees to create a good the casual environment conditions. If you put into contrast HEG Electronics declaration on their website where they describe their employees as their most valuable resource and wealth and the report from the organisation China Labour Watch which points out that the company is exploiting child labour, you can deduce that there is a big gap between what is the official labour law and what some companies are doing on an everyday basis. 1) KPMG China Caring Company Award KPMG China has been presented with the Caring Company Award by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service for tenth consecutive years (from 2002 2012). The award recognises private companies in Hong Kong which demonstrate good corporate citizenship. It is complimented by the Outstanding Partnership Project Award in 2006 and 2008, which honours KPMGs partnership with the Society of Community Organization (SoCO) for supporting the children in need and Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK) for mentoring the entrepreneurial youth on starting up and running their businesses respectively. The mission of the Caring Company Scheme is to build a caring community by encouraging corporate citizenships and strategic partnerships among the business, public and social service sectors in Hong Kong. Awards are presented each year to recognise organisations with outstanding involvement in corporate social responsibility programmes. 2) William E. Connor Associates Ltd. One of Worlds Most Ethical Companies Behind some of the biggest household names in luxury fashion and home accessories is a name the average consumer may not know, William E. Connor Associates Ltd. (www.weconnor.com). The Hong Kong based global sourcing company, representing elite worldwide brands, announced today that it has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, the leading U.S. business ethics think-tank, as one of 2012 Worlds Most Ethical Companies. Connor is the first Asia based company in the sourcing industry to receive the award. Meeting demanding scrutiny, Connor secured a hard-earned spot on the list by employing and maintaining upright business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the companys success; benefit the communities in which the company operates; and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry. Connors business model is unique among its global competitors the company does not hold an equity interest in any factory, nor receive any financial benefit from factories. Connors earnings are generated only from client commissions. Connor has the highest standards in the industry, ensuring their clients and ultimately, consumers receive apparel, decorative items and furniture, manufactured under responsible, fair working conditions. Conclusion: China is a country that is economically very relevant in the present times, but it potentially could easily become the first world power in a certain period of time. The question is: is China ready? On our opinion, it has a long way to go, specially on the ethics field. On one hand, it is undeniable that there has been some change over the years, implementing new legislation to protect workers and to regulate the business environment, but on the other, China still has a lot of dark episodes where human rights are not respected at all, and in order to progress, this has to change. To make this possible, a good initiative would be eliminating the Laogai prisons. They were created many years ago, and the fact that they still exist is a sign of the poor mentality that remains in certain areas of the country. To push this forward, western countries should also put political pressure on China, making them see that human rights must be respected above all things. Another good improvement would be the implementation of a renovated corporate social responsability. Although there has been some efforts, companies in China are far behind in this matter compared to other parts of the world. The end does not justify the means, and child labour or overexplotation are not acceptable in a country with so much economic weight. With a new CSR, the ethical awarness of the companies will be higher, and as a consecuence, the reputation of many enterprises will change. China has a lot of work to do, but future could be very bright if the rights approaches are taken. The good examples that we have found in our research show the path to follow, and hopefully with the years they can become a model of how an ethical country should be.

My five Selves :: essays research papers

My five selves are physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual. My physical self is quite healthy because I fulfill the requirements of the FITT principle. The letters of FITT represent frequency, intensity, time and type. My intellectual self is interesting because I am mainly right-brained which means that I tend to use my creativity more than my mathematical skills. I am also a visual learned which is connected to me being right-brained. My social self consist of friends, family, and my surroundings. I spend most of my time at home with my family. Whenever I am with my friends, I observe their behaviours and listen to their opinions. I am more of an independent type of person. Being with different people has influenced me into appreciating different cultures and beliefs. I have learned things that have now been incorporated into my own set of beliefs and values. I greatly value freedom of thought, friends and family. My emotional self deals with feelings and my ability to handle the demands of life. The spiritual self is all about my beliefs, values, religion and my life philosophies. By satisfying the needs of all five selves, the result can be holistic wellness which is the ability to feel good about myself and others.Physical fitness is having ample energy and the ability to perform daily activities without being exhausted. My energy usually depends on the amount of sleep and food I get. If I have too much or too little sleep, I don't look forward to the day and am not enthusiastic about doing things. If I do not have a complete breakfast, it affects my energy level. When I have a good breakfast, and enough sleep, I can go through a whole day with enough energy and alertness to do many things. I have relatively good flexibility because I stretch a lot which increases the range of movement around my joints. I have muscular endurance which means that I am able to do repetitions over a length of time. Althought I have muscular endurance, I do not have muscular strength. I do not find that I am able to lift extremely heavy objects. I have adequate agility because I can move with speed and can change direction fairly quickly. My ability to balance myself changes very often. Sometimes I can balance in awkward positions, and other times I cannot. My five Selves :: essays research papers My five selves are physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual. My physical self is quite healthy because I fulfill the requirements of the FITT principle. The letters of FITT represent frequency, intensity, time and type. My intellectual self is interesting because I am mainly right-brained which means that I tend to use my creativity more than my mathematical skills. I am also a visual learned which is connected to me being right-brained. My social self consist of friends, family, and my surroundings. I spend most of my time at home with my family. Whenever I am with my friends, I observe their behaviours and listen to their opinions. I am more of an independent type of person. Being with different people has influenced me into appreciating different cultures and beliefs. I have learned things that have now been incorporated into my own set of beliefs and values. I greatly value freedom of thought, friends and family. My emotional self deals with feelings and my ability to handle the demands of life. The spiritual self is all about my beliefs, values, religion and my life philosophies. By satisfying the needs of all five selves, the result can be holistic wellness which is the ability to feel good about myself and others.Physical fitness is having ample energy and the ability to perform daily activities without being exhausted. My energy usually depends on the amount of sleep and food I get. If I have too much or too little sleep, I don't look forward to the day and am not enthusiastic about doing things. If I do not have a complete breakfast, it affects my energy level. When I have a good breakfast, and enough sleep, I can go through a whole day with enough energy and alertness to do many things. I have relatively good flexibility because I stretch a lot which increases the range of movement around my joints. I have muscular endurance which means that I am able to do repetitions over a length of time. Althought I have muscular endurance, I do not have muscular strength. I do not find that I am able to lift extremely heavy objects. I have adequate agility because I can move with speed and can change direction fairly quickly. My ability to balance myself changes very often. Sometimes I can balance in awkward positions, and other times I cannot.

Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why Essay

There is no particular way to communicate according the Deborah Tannen as communication is not just saying what you mean but how one communicates the meaning. Situation varies from one person to another. Language communicates ideas but a more powerful form of communication is social behavior . Language use is a learnt social behavior that allows us to negotiate relationships and it is influenced by cultural experience . How we talk and express ourselves may be interpreted differently in other cultures and members of the opposite gender . Deborah Tannen a linguist from Georgetown University did a research on the influence of linguistic style on conversations and human relationships and found that how we learn to speak as children affects our judgment of competence and confidence plus whether we get heard in a discussion later on in adulthood . She found that man and woman communicate differently and just like cross cultural communication, misunderstanding can occur. Women according to her research were often over looked when it came to opportunities for promotion because of their lack of self confidence as seen by their male bosses. But women, as Tannen proves have grown up in a different environment to their male colleagues and have learnt to communicate differently to men . This has sometimes been interpreted as being less competent and less confident . An understanding of these differences could lead to better and fairer working environment for both men and women . As children, girls and boys play differently. Girls are more likely to learn how to develop a sympathetic relationship with others and focus on common goals rather than differences. Girls tend to balances their needs with those of others to avoid seeming over confident or bossy . Boys are more likely to learn how to develop their status in society by playing in large groups of boys whose leadership roles are defined . They are likely to use language to communicate their needs and highlight their abilities rather than down grade them in an attempt to move up the leadership hierarchy . This social behavior is carried on into adulthood and into the wo rkplace resulting in both genders having different communication skills and expressing what they mean. â€Å"Men tend to be sensitive to the power dynamics of interaction, speaking in ways that position themselves as one up and resisting being put in a one-down position by others. Women tend to react more strongly to the rapport dynamic, speaking in ways that save face for others and buffering statements that could be seen as putting others in a one-down position.†. This means that women are more likely to down grade their ability and not want to seem as boastful whereas men are more likely to speak highly of their abilities by blowing their own horn . Humans have developed a conversation ritual that demands a certain type of response. Again, Men and women have quite diverse conversational rituals. Women tend to apologies more frequently to express concern and are likely to soften criticism to help the other person save face by being indirect in her feedback. They also ritually exchange compliment by taking the one-down position and expect the other person to understand the exchange ritual and pull them up again with compliments . Men on the other hand, avoid apologies because it puts them in a one-down position. They grew up looking for ways to put others down by criticizing and pushing themselves on top . So for a woman to engage in a compliment exchange with a man by taking the one down position, would find that he will not likely pull her up but rather pull her down further and provide an advice or criticism . This significant characteristic style can put women at a disadvantage in a workplace situation and be judged as lacking in confidence. It is therefore vital for people in management positions to understand the diverse communicative style of both men and women in order to take full advantage of talented staff. There is no one right way to communicate as communication depends on the situation, the culture and linguistic style of the people.

Discuss the training requirements for Higher Level Teaching Assistants Essay

Higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) have an increased level of responsibility. They usually undertake more complex tasks and tend to work more independently than other classroom-based staff. Under the direction of a teacher, they often plan, prepare and deliver learning activities to individual pupils, groups and (in the short term) whole classes. They also assess, record and report on pupils’ progress. They act as a special assistant for a specific subject (f.e. literacy, ICT, sign language), group (young children, teenagers, special needs, gifted and talented) or department and help develop support materials. In order to do this effectively, the HLTA must understand the aims, content, teaching strategies and intended outcomes. They likewise need to have a solid knowledge of the curriculum to make sure they teach to a high standard as well as a diverse portfolio of learning strategies and styles to enable each pupil to fulfil their potential. HLTAs should always have hig h expectations of all their pupils and respect them whatever their background (be it cultural, social, religious, linguistic or ethnic). It is expected that they support the inclusion of all pupils in the learning activities in which they are involved. HLTAs should also be able to work collaboratively with their colleagues and to liaise sensitively with parents and carers, acknowledging their role in pupils’ learning. HLTAs should be aware of the legal framework underpinning teaching and learning and although not required to have a detailed knowledge of it, HLTAs should be aware of their statutory responsibilities and where to gain information, support and assistance when and if they need it.  They should be familiar with their school policies and procedures, f.e. equal opportunities policy or procedures for health and safety. They should know the legal definition of Special Educational Needs and be familiar with the guidance about meeting SEN given in the SEN Code of Practice. HLTA are also required to achieve a nationally recognised qualification at level 2 or above in English / literacy and maths / numeracy to demonstrate that they are confident in these subjects and in teaching them to others. It is also required that HLTAs have a sound knowledge of ICT to advance their pupils’ learning and to be able to use ICT tools for their own as well as the pupils’ benefit. The term ICT i s wide-ranging and includes internet, interactive whiteboards, cameras, printers, scanners, video and DVD. HLTAs should be familiar with age-related expectations of students, including being able to discuss development stages form birth to teenager including speech and language stages. To become an HLTA, the candidate must demonstrate that he / she has the skills, knowledge and experience to take on the role and that he / she is familiar and understands all 33 nationally agreed professional standards. Furthermore, he / she should also have previous experience of working with children of a relevant age. Last but not least, each candidate needs to have a recent enhanced DBS check done to comply with the UK legal requirements.

study of ralph waldo emerson essays

study of ralph waldo emerson essays A Close Study of Ralph Waldo Emerson Thesis: Throughout his life, Emerson was influenced by many intelligent people which enabled him to go far beyond his dreams. A Close Study of Ralph Waldo Emerson The American lecturer, essayist, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson {1803-1882} is generally considered as a seminal figure in American literature. Emerson was born on May 25,1803 in Boston, Mass. He was the fourth child of an old and respected, though not wealthy, New England family. His father, William, was a minister at the First Church in Boston, the sixth generation of Emerson's to serve as ministers (Perkins 124). At home William and his wife, Ruth Haskins Emerson, provided a stable though cautious and strict home life for their eight children, of whom three died at infancy. The family's financial situation was irritated by the father's declining health after 1808, ending in his death three years later (Merriam 298). During those years Emerson's relation to his father seems to have been troubled, though perhaps not more so than might have been expected from any boy in his situation. The central figure of these years was Emerson's paternal aunt, Mary Moody Emerson, who after the father's death, moved in with the family to help Ruth raise the children and run the boardinghouse that increased their scanty income (Myerson 332). His aunt was an influence upon his young life, as was the firm background of the ministry in his family. Throughout his life, Emerson was influenced by many intelligent people which enabled him to go far beyond his dreams. Emerson's schooling was traditional for someone of his social standing. In 1812 he began to prepare for college at the Boston Public Latin School. Five years later, at fourteen, he entered Harvard, the youngest member of his class. He twice won second place in an essay competition and was named class poet-after classmates refused the honor. He graduated in the middle of his class, thirte...

David Shorter

David Shorter Table of ContentsProblem Identification 2Issues and Analysis 2Potential Departure of Bob Chen - Immediate Issue 3Organizational Structure 3Staffing 4Control Systems 5Management Style 5Cultural Awareness 5Communication Gap 6Alternatives 6Fire Bob Chen 6Transfer Mike McLeod to Another Group (within James-Williams) 7Relocate Bob Chen to Hong Kong (Set up an office in Hong Kong) 7Transfer Bob Chen to "The Tower" 7Decision 8Recommendations 10To Resolve the Conflict 10To Improve Organizational Structure 10To Improve Management Style 11To Improve Control Systems 11To Improve Staffing 11Strategic Implementation Plan 12Immediate Actions 12Continuing Actions 13Appendix #1: Synopsis of Case 15Introduction of Key Figures 15Appendix #2: Assumptions 17Appendix #3: Decision Matrix - Immediate Issue 18PROBLEM IDENTIFICATIONDavid Shorter, the practice director of the New Enterprise Group (NEG) at James-Williams, returned from a three-week partnership development program/ vacation, to find his office in a state of chaos and internal conflict.English: Full view of Kowloon and Hong KongAt the heart of the conflict was Bob Chen, a valuable up and coming employee at NEG, who was threatening to resign from the company rather than work on a project under the direction of Mike McLeod. Not surprisingly, Bob's actions have upset some partners and the original problem between Mike and Bob has become a conflict that is affecting the entire firm.Mr. Shorter is responsible for finding a course of action that resolves the immediate conflict and rectifies the underlying problems, while allowing all parties to keep their egos intact. A synopsis of case facts, as understood by Halifax Consulting Group, can be found in Appendix #1.ISSUES AND ANALYSISBased on the problem identification statement, immediate and basic issues can be identified. The immediate issue is finding a...

A Career as an Animator

Animation is a series of paintings of objects, such as dolls and models, computer graphics, or pictures. These are different, bringing a variety of entertainment to the audience. Animation brings excitement and mystery and attracts viewers interested. It adds color to the eyes and soul in the form of 'magic' living in the eyes of those living in these ordinary, ordinary living things among things that are not real but in their imagination. The creators of these wonderful arts and works are animators. By choosing a computer animation program at the MediaTech Institute in Dallas, Texas you can learn everything you need to start a career as a computer animator. For most computer animators, the Holy Grail of animation professionals is making feature films, and your guidance at MediaTech Academy will lay the foundation for those dreams. In the computer animation project of MediaTech Institute in Dallas, Texas, you can have practical experience in developing and creating animation projects and find half of the process of creating computer animation projects including animation movies, without animation-containing content can do. The basic steps involved in the process are as follows: In the early 21st century, I met animation as a career choice. I decided to become an animator, and I did not know anything about animation. This is exactly the same as what happened with my parents' marriage arrangements - in both cases it is a blind day and there are surprises on the way! Let's talk the whole story. I went to residential school and the system made all the choices. Even if it is not a doctor, like Cliche, it seems that we all want to be an engineer. We do not want to be an evolutionary biologist or an adventurous underwater photographer. The majority of my extraordinary friends became an ordinary engineer in the walls of the crowd pretending to be another brick. There must be a potential genius among us; we just encourage us to find our own call. When I refused the proj ect, I was very lost. My dream of becoming an engineer got even worse, everyone Choosing a career for many people is not easy. I am enthusiastic working from animals to small animals to large animals. Handling animals is what I dream of. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of studies on animals that make my career search more complicated. After a few hours of search, I really chose the career of two careers, veterinarians and animal rescue which I attracted my attention. - Itching and scratching are not only Simpsons cartoon characters, but they are the main symptoms of most types of Mange. Symptoms of this symptom such as mottled hair loss, decreased eating habits, animal sleepiness and unsteady behavior are easily detected, but on the other hand it is far more difficult to diagnose. In order to receive appropriate treatment, the animal must receive medical care from licensed and certified veterinarian immediately.

Health Care Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Care Ethics - Essay Example Relativism has taken root in the current world society in the sense that an individual is free to commit a wrong deed and easily get away with it. This is as long as he or she can justify his/her actions (Hinderer, chap. 4). A typical example of this scenario is social tolerance towards acts that were strongly condemned in the past. Incidences of social tolerance include homosexuality, the lenient judicial system, pornography, adultery and even fornication. Ethical relativism on the other hand refutes the existence of moral absolutes. It dictates neither morally wrong nor morally right deeds do exist. This theory finds it easier to link the right and wrong deeds to social norms. According to Hinderer (Chapter 4), relativism does not qualify as a basis of professional practice and as an ethical theory. Ethical relativism undermines the influence of morality as a unifying factor in the society. Ethical relativism does not hold the account of an absolute right or wrong. A right or a wro ng can only be established by use of logic, observation, preferences, emotions, experiences and relevant rules. Most cultures if not all perceive vices such as cheating, lying, murder and stealing as evils of the society thus wrong. Whenever an individual goes against such laws then he or she is punished. Moral absolutes such as the Ten Commandments (Christianity) have no changed since (Hinderer, chap. 4). It is interesting to note that none of them depends on social norms yet they are still true. This is to say that laid down rules and doctrines of the various religions find fault in ethical relativism. This theory has also been faulted because considers the right, wrong and the truth as relative. It does not make sense to conclude that certain things are right on the basis of a school of thought by a group of people. A typical example of this scenario was the slave trade where by as much as it was acceptable in the past, the world today does not entertain it. In general, relativis m does not provide for absolute ethics. Ethical relativism on the other hand undermines the existence of God according to the various religious systems in the world (Wear, Bono and McEvoy, 10). It should also be understood that this theory is faulted simply because ethical standards and norms keep changing with time. Relativism becomes false on the basis of an individual’s affiliation to a particular religious system. Personally, it is false since it does not recognize absolute ethical values. On the contrary it is true that many people accept this theory simply because it is not as strict as long as an individual or a group of people can justify a deed, then it is right. This theory offers a comfort zone that is relatively free of condemnation thus an ever increasing following. According to Hinderer (chap. 5), speciesism can be defined as a discriminative gesture by human beings against other species. It can also be defined as the act of putting human beings under privileges and advantages as opposed to animals. As a result, different species have different rights and values. Peter Singer’s arguments, with respect to whether our treatment of animals is speciesist or not, is valid. The fact that animals too share similar moral status with human means that they should be treated right without discrimination. Cruelty spans from factory farming all the way to laboratory tests carried out using animals.

The Gender War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Gender War - Essay Example This essay "The Gender War" outlines the battle of the sexes, feminist movement and why the gender war is wrong. Arguably, women have become aggressive and they have progressively taken the role of men in the society. However, as women attempt to rise in the society they have inevitably taken into the foray of men. This is because women think that being feminine is a sign of weakness. The assumption is that what men have rightfully belongs to women. Suffice to say, more and more women have become financially independent and they no longer have to depend on women for their upkeep. As women make foray into the domain of men, the effect is that men no longer have no-where to go. Men no longer have the desire to become self sufficient and possibly raise families in the future. This is due to the fact that women have become independent and they no longer think of men as the sole providers. Fundamentally, all genders are equal and thus there is no ground to discriminate people based on their gender. In most societies, traditional cultures form the basis of gender stereotyping. When children are born, they are raised in a manner that fits the prescribed gender roles. Some societies believe that the men are more important than women and this is reflected in the way that children are raised. Male children are encouraged to participate in masculine games and activities. On the other hand, the female children are taught to play submissive roles that border on motherhood and house- keeping duties. Thus, over time women have felt that men have been given undue advantage in life based on their gender. As the author of War on Me points out, women â€Å"women are angry†. Due to the anger, feminist movements have made it their business to tackle the perceived inequality by asserting their new found freedom in the society. Although it is evident that all genders are equal, it is necessary for the genders to celebrate the inherent differences that make life balanced. It is right for women to seek equal treatment in all respects but they should also appreciate their femininity. The dynamic relationship that portrays women as good and men as bad has created what can be termed as the battle of the sexes. On the receiving end of this battle are men who feel that they do not have

HR250 Individual Written Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HR250 Individual Written Assignment - Essay Example Chalon had a track record of motivating personnel and he was reported to have a very firm focus from his previous work experience in Europe. The employees complained about the leadership of Oliver Chalon as a person and the manner in which he interacted with the employees. It could be also that Chalon was also stereotypical about the Americans, it is said that the French view Americans as arrogant and dominating. This made him to be forceful and fierce in implementing his strategies. The difficulties that Chalon is facing can be due to the root of intercultural differences that exist between American and French value systems. Some of the differences exist in the intercultural management scenario. In regard to context French are regarded as high context while the Americans are viewed as low context; high context is characterized by the fact that a place must be left for adoption and interpretation and that everything is in the relationship. The low context is characterized by situations whereby everything must be clear and everything is in contract. This can be the reason as to why Chalon was facing difficulties as the employees were working in the terms that are expressed in their contract as this is in American culture. Context thus makes Americans to view French as disorganized, insincere and not disciplined. Another factor that is under the intercultural management is time. The French are regarded as polychromic while Americans are monochromic. Polychromic is described by schedule independence while monochromic is described by the fact that precision is essential. This can be reflected by the problem that Chalon is facing as the employees who are the Americans and he was French will view him as not focused and dispersed. The root of Chalon’s problem could also be due to the existence of the stereotypes that exist between the French and the American. The

Human Growth and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Human Growth and development - Essay Example Researchers have examined and proved a positive link between play and cognitive development in a child (Ginsburg, 182). All work makes Jack a dull boy, play leads to learning, growth and development in a child. Playing helps a child by developing mutual relationships and bonds. A child bonds well with his parents, peer group and teachers during play. It develop leadership traits- Children mimic, create scenes, stand up to be a leader and this is how they learn. The child grows in social skills. He moulds into a social person when he plays with other children. His intra-personal skills grow. It showcases talents and interests. During unstructured free time, children tend to do what they are passionate about- be it singing, dancing, playing instruments, clay modelling, painting, swimming and so on. It helps build academic skills. Gross motor and fine motor skill development takes place during the process of playing along with development of language skills. Mathematical concepts are un derstood as children play. Whatever is learnt during play is retained for a long time to come. Play is the best method to stimulate learning. It increases attention span. Playing outdoors just 30 minutes a day increases a child’s ability to focus and pay attention.

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making Essay - 1

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making - Essay Example The context will enumerate the advantages that can be experienced by an organization by selecting an appropriate leadership style. At the same time, the context of the essay will explain some inherent problems associated with one single type of leadership. At the end the researcher will state that authentic leadership approach is the best method to govern a concern in the current dynamic world. The entire context of the essay will include several empirical examples for making the analysis more robust. The essay will focus on the importance of choosing appropriate leadership style for successful organizational performance. It will critically analyze for and against the statement concerned. The analysis will be done with the help of theoretical and empirical analysis tools. The state of business complexity has significantly increased in the current era. At this juncture, business firms actively seek productive ways by which they would be able to achieve competitive edges in business (Casson and Wadeson, 2012). Efficiency of factor resources is crucially required for long-term growth of a company. However, growth and productivity of all resources can be stimulated by a leader or an entrepreneur. Many researchers observe leadership as an important causal factor affecting performance of an organization. However, there exist very few studies that show the exact ways that allow leadership to affect performance, culture and climate of a business organization. There are various researches conducted on leadership relating to human services in organizations, but little investigation has been conducted on appropriate practice of leadership in the similar context. It is believed by some researchers that an organization is able to effectively prepare growth plans in business only after determining an appropriate leadership style. This is because through leadership, management system of

An argumentative literary analysis on one or more works by a Research Paper

An argumentative literary analysis on one or more works by a particular author or comparative analysis of several works on a sim - Research Paper Example After ‘existing’ in that confused, constricted and compulsion state, individuals including the characters in fictions could undergo self-realization. In those scenarios, self-realization will be like the opening of the ‘inner eye’ of the individual, which will take them on a positive and best path. It can also be considered as a moment, when a big ‘confusion mass’ or guilt that may be occupying and constricting an individual’s mind has ‘evaporated’ for good. The confusion in the mind of Oedipus in Oedipus Rex, compulsion for Nora Elmer in A Doll’s House and constriction in the mind of Laura in The Glass Menagerie all get evaporated, when these fictional characters undergo self-realization. So, this paper will analyse how these three characters get entangled in a mess, and after a struggling phase, undergo self-realization, thereby enlightening them with mixed results. 2. Oedipus Rex and Self-Realization Oedipus Rex is about the life and the tragic death of Oedipus who after becoming the King of Thebes, dies a tragic death after undergoing self-realization. Oedipus was born to King Laius of Thebes and Queen Jocasta, but was cared by foster parents, Polybus and Merope, as King Laius feared that the prophecy of being killed by his own son could come true. The prophecy in a way gets actualized when Oedipus due to uncontrollable circumstances kills King Laius without knowing that King Lauis was his biological father, setting the stage for future confusions and self-realizations. The other prophecy of Oedipus marrying his mother also came true, when he married Queen Jocasto on the account of him becoming the king of Thebes, after solving the Sphinx riddle. When he comes to know about these crimes, or immoral acts, he goes into a state of confusion as well as depression, but also at the same time self-realization. That is, he was sure that he can find Laius killers and thereby prevent the onslaught of p lague, but this confidence turned into weakness when he comes to know the profound truth that he is the killer of Lauis. So, when the ‘recognition’ happens, the self-realization also occurs, with Oedipus transforming from a strong king to a weak blind man. He laments, â€Å"I, Oedipus, damned in his birth, in his marriage damned, Damned in the blood he shed with his own hand† (Sophocles 123).The affect this event had on Oedipus as discussed above also bordered on tragedy. On coming to know about the truth and after undergoing self-realization of his crimes and conduct, Oedipus as form of self-justice blinds himself with the golden brooches found on his mother’s dress. He blinds himself, as he did not want to see the miseries that his actions have brought upon him. â€Å"The alternative of suicide is directly before him. He takes up her golden pins...blinds himself. It is Sophocles point that Oedipus sees two possibilities and chooses the harder and more p ainful course† (Smith 92). Talking about the pace of the â€Å"recognition†, in the case of Oedipus, it happened suddenly. That is, although he wanted to know the real killers of Lauis for a long time, he comes to know about the truth from messengers and Servants, and when he hears the death of Jocasto immediately, he undergoes self-realization, leading to death. â€Å"Salvation becomes annihilation; the tragedy does not take place in the hero's downfall, but rather in the fact that man meets his demise along the very path he took up to escape his demise.†

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making Essay - 1

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making - Essay Example The context will enumerate the advantages that can be experienced by an organization by selecting an appropriate leadership style. At the same time, the context of the essay will explain some inherent problems associated with one single type of leadership. At the end the researcher will state that authentic leadership approach is the best method to govern a concern in the current dynamic world. The entire context of the essay will include several empirical examples for making the analysis more robust. The essay will focus on the importance of choosing appropriate leadership style for successful organizational performance. It will critically analyze for and against the statement concerned. The analysis will be done with the help of theoretical and empirical analysis tools. The state of business complexity has significantly increased in the current era. At this juncture, business firms actively seek productive ways by which they would be able to achieve competitive edges in business (Casson and Wadeson, 2012). Efficiency of factor resources is crucially required for long-term growth of a company. However, growth and productivity of all resources can be stimulated by a leader or an entrepreneur. Many researchers observe leadership as an important causal factor affecting performance of an organization. However, there exist very few studies that show the exact ways that allow leadership to affect performance, culture and climate of a business organization. There are various researches conducted on leadership relating to human services in organizations, but little investigation has been conducted on appropriate practice of leadership in the similar context. It is believed by some researchers that an organization is able to effectively prepare growth plans in business only after determining an appropriate leadership style. This is because through leadership, management system of

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay Example for Free

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay One of the most basic principles of American philosophy is the belief that all people are equal. Equal, where every individual is treated fairly and with respect and that all people have equal opportunities in life. Education plays a key role in the future of every individual. For this reason, the American education system was established. The American education system bases its principles on the philosophies and beliefs of all Americans. The USA consists of many regions and states. It is therefore understandable that in every region, a different culture is practiced. However, as in everything in this world, there are good sides and bad sides to the system. Numerous issues have risen throughout the development of American education. The most popular issues would be those related to gender and nationality. The stereotyping of males and females has been the topic of most gender related issues regarding a student’s ability in attaining good education. This issue so far has not yet reached a conclusion. On the other hand, nationality issues are as complex as gender issues. Foreign students contribute a large sum to the nation’s budget every year. Loss of foreign enrollees therefore would mean lower budgets. Therefore, the number of foreign enrollees per year must be increased if not maintained so as to support the ever financial burdens of the country. Some universities have already taken steps to promote the enrollment of foreign students in the country. Another issue is the availability of good American education to people of all statures in life. To answer the problem, American education has developed policies and other beneficial programs for people with different statures to be able to have access to a good education. Education is important for every individual. It should therefore be taken with sufficient planning as it has great effects to one’s own future. References: Kotok, A. (2007). Foreign Students Return to U. S. Colleges †¦ That’s the Good News. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. publicdiplomacy. org/73. htm Sadker, D. Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. american. edu/sadker/stillknocking. htm

Company Act 2013 Analysis

Company Act 2013 Analysis Introduction The awaited new company Act 2013 has replaced the 1956 Act with prime objective to counter the present day challenges and in line with rapid developments, integrations, globalisation of financial markets and growing economy of the world by Lok sabha on 18 Dec 12 and in Rajya sabha on 08 Aug 13, has been received Hon’ble president assent on 29 Aug 13. The new act emphasized changes and improvised governance structure business-friendly corporate regulations, modification of e-management, enforcement, share holder protection, enhanced accountability, improved institutional structure, enhanced disclosure norms, efficient merger acquision, introduce the role of whistle blowers, one Person Company, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) changes. The Companies Act, 2013 not only simplifies the mergers, acquisitions and restructuring process but also modifying the previous constraint, regulatory body like National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)and facilitates an effective impact on w orld business environment. This paper is analysis of the Company Act 2013 regarding modification and new initiative taken in the field of MA framework and trying to prove that the new MA structure is in line with global context and in improving the efficiency and smoothness of doing business in India. Objectives The prime objective of this paper is to establish a healthy comparison between Companies Act, 2013 and Company Act 1956 regarding MA process. To evaluate the new initiative taken and its impact. To find out the possible measures or necessary step to overcome the existing lapses. Scope Scope of the study is limited to study the new regulation and mostly focusing on the new development of as per Company Act, 2013. Limitation The new Company Act, 2013 has become fully implemented from 01 Apr 2014. So the actual output and the consequences the corporate sector faced cannot be measured in this sort time horizon. Further the paper is based on the secondary data so the realistic situation may be different. Research Methodology This paper is an exploratory type research and based on the secondary data information from the following sources, Research journal available online, Article published in magazine news paper, various websites blogs, media reports and personal interaction interview of professional on media. Literature review Maximum references is taken from the ‘Company Act, 2013: Rules, Circulars Notifications’ published by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India, which emphasise the all aspect of company rule regulation. Reports of various agencies like PWC, India’s report on ‘ Company Act,2013, Key highlights and analysis’, Nov 2013,Deloitte’s ‘Company Act, 2013, Fresh thinking for a new start’, Oct 2013, Assocham’s, ‘Mergers and acquisitions in the era of Company Act, 2013’ Feb 2014, Ernst Young LLP’s report on ‘India Inc Company Act 2013 an overview’, Sep 2013 and KPMG India’s analysis on ‘Company Act 2013, New Rules of the game’, Oct 2013, which were emphasise on the business friendly corporate regulation, improved CG norms, enhance accountability, raise levels of transparency and protect interest of investors. Development of Company Act The expedition of Companies Act, 2013 as follows: 2008  On 23rd October 2008, Companies Bill, 2008 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to replace existing Companies Act 1956. It is based on the recommendation of J.J. Irani committee 2012 The Companies Bill, 2012 was introduced and got its assent in the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2012. 2013 Companies Bill, 2012 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 8th August, 2013. After having received the assent of the President of India on 29 August 2013, it has now become the much awaited Companies Act, 2013. The Act comprises of 29 chapters, 470 clauses 7 schedules. The key high lights of Company Act, 2013 are the extent of subordinated legislation. Which contain 300 references in the Act to rules which may be prescribed to implement and operational. New Initiative and changes: 1. Simplifying procedures for restructuring [section 230-232] To provide for a simpler and faster process of mergers and acquisitions, the new Company Act provides following initiative like: (a) Fast track merger[section 233]: In 2013 Act contains provisions that merger process between 2 or more ‘small companies’ and between a holding company and require approval of ROC, OL, members holding at least 90% of total number of shares and majority of creditors representing 9/10th in value. This will taking less in the High Court (NCLT under 2013 Act) process and will facilitate easy completion of the process. (b)Multilayer investment subsidiaries [section 186]: In 2013 Act One of the measures adopted to prevent money laundering and to ensure transparency is to restrict one’s ability to set up multiple investment companies. (c) Registered Valuers [section 247]: For valuation to be made in respect of any property, stocks, shares, debentures, securities, goodwill or other assets or of net-worth or liabilities under 2013 Act, will be done by a person registered with the Government as a valuer. Registered valuer shall be appointed by the audit committee. (d) Minority buy-out [section 236]: The New Act has introduced new 6 provisions relating to minority buy-back which will provide greater flexibility to the promoters/ acquirer in realigning the control and management. The key provisions like purchasing capacity of share holder having more than 90% holding, act under the SEBI Regulations, price determined by a registered and provision of delisting guideline etc. 2. Outbound merger: 2013 Act introduced provision for an Indian company to be merged with a foreign company and vice versa which will require prior approval of RBI under FEMA rule. 3. New types of companies permitted: One person company (OPC) whose paid-up share capital does not exceed INR 0.5 crore or whose turn over does not exceed INR 2 crore would be a private company. These companies enjoy more choices and flexibility. 4. Objection by minority: Objection to the compromise or arrangement can be made only by persons holding not less than 10% of the shareholding or having outstanding debt of not less than 5% of total outstanding debt as per the latest audited balance sheet which will save the companies from being dragged in long drawn court (NCLT under 2013 Act) process by minority holders who is holding even single share. Threshold will ensure that merger / demerger etc. process moves smoothly and swiftly in accordance with the law. 5. Postal Ballot Voting by Postal ballot through post / electronic mode is made applicable to all companies. 6. Buy-back of securities To provide to shareholder in a joint venture an exit in a tax efficient manner or to reward shareholders Buy-back of security has often been used. Under 1956 Act, it is possible to carry out more than 1 buy-back in a financial year as long as conditions were complied with. 2013 Act has restricted the ability of a company to do multiple buy-backs of securities. 7. Other changes: Approval threshold i.e. Compromise or arrangement would require approval by a majority representing 3/4th in value of the creditors and members. The scheme of compromise and arrangement need to be compliant with the Accounting Standards and Auditor’s Certificate to that effect needs to be filed with NCLT in accounting treatment. Valuation report to be given to shareholders / creditors along with notice convening meeting for a compromise or arrangement. The notice for compromise or arrangement need to be given to CG, Income tax, RBI, SEBI, Stock exchanges, ROC, OL, CCI, if necessary, and other sectoral regulators / authorities, to enable them to make representations. Participation and resolution for compromise or arrangement need to be passed through Postal ballot. Treasury stock: Holding of shares in its own name or in the name of trust whether through subsidiary or associate companies by the transferee company as a result of the compromise or arrangement will not be allowed and any such shares shall be cancelled / extinguished. Takeover Offer may be included as a part of compromise and arrangement in the manner as may be prescribed in rules issued by SEBI. Merger of listed into unlisted company: In case of compromise / arrangement between a listed transferor company and an unlisted transferee company, NCLT may provide that the transferee Dispensation of meeting of creditors: Meeting of creditors can be dispensed only if 90% of the creditors in value agree to the scheme by way of affidavit. Combining authorized capital on amalgamation Minority shareholders Exit route: After passing resolutions at board meeting and not by circular resolution, the proposal of amalgamation, merger or reconstruction can be considered and approved by Board of directors only by The scheme of compromise or arrangement shall clearly indicate only one appointed date from which date the scheme shall be effective not at a date subsequent to the appointed date Capital reduction will require approval of NCLT. Comparison analysis: 1. For outbound cross-border deals The Companies Act, 1956 does not permit. The Companies Act, 2013 allows, subject to RBI approval, both inbound and outbound cross border mergers and amalgamations between Indian and foreign companies. 2. The Companies Act, 2013 states that an application need for the Tribunal to make compromise or arrangement involving CDR, with matters like (a) A report by the auditors of the company about fund requirements after the CDR will conform to a liquidity test (b) A valuation report in respect of the shares and the property and all assets, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, of the company by a registered valuer. The Companies Act, 1956 does not contain any specific provision regarding a high court approval of a CDR scheme 3. Under the Companies Act, 2013, the Tribunal will not sanction a scheme of capital reduction, merger, acquisition or other arrangement unless the accounting treatment prescribed in the scheme is in compliance with notified AS and a certificate to that affect by the company’s auditor has been filed with the Tribunal. Currently, SEBI has done this job. 4. The Companies Act, 1956 does not prohibit companies from creating treasury shares under the scheme. The Companies Act, 2013 prohibits such practices. 5. The Companies Act, 2013 clarifies that the merger of a listed company into an unlisted company will not automatically result in the listing of the transferee company. There are no such provisions under the Companies Act, 1956. 6. Under the existing Companies Act, 1956 any shareholder, creditor or other interested person can raise objection. However, under the Companies Act, 2013, only persons holding not less than 10% of the shareholding or having outstanding debt not less than 5% of the total outstanding debt, can raise objections to the scheme. 7. The Companies Act, 2013 empowers the Tribunal to dispense meeting of creditors if 90% or more of such creditors or class of creditors (in value terms) agree to scheme through affidavit. Though the Companies Act, 1956 does not provide such action. 8. Under the Companies Act, 1956 the terms â€Å"undertaking† and â€Å"substantially the whole of undertaking† are not explicitly defined. Under the Companies Act, 2013 provide the specific definitions of above. 9. The Companies Act, 2013 prohibits a company from making investments through more than two layers of investment companies subject to certain exceptions. There is no such restriction under the Companies Act, 1956. 10. The Companies Act, 2013 includes specific provisions requiring the company to send a notice of the scheme inviting objections/suggestions from inter alia the Income tax authorities, RBI, Competition Commission of India and such other sectoral regulators or authorities likely to be affected by the scheme. Currently, the Companies Act, 1956 does not require such notification to regulators/authorities. 11. The Companies Act, 1956 does not have specific entrenchment provisions (akin to veto rights). However, the Companies Act, 2013 stipulates that the articles of the company can include entrenchment clauses. 12. The Companies Act, 2013 also includes specific provision stating that contracts or arrangement between two or more persons as regards share transfer be enforceable as contracts. There are no such specific provisions under the existing Companies Act, 1956. 13. Under the Companies Act, 1956 preference shares are mandatorily redeemable within a period of 20 years. However, the Companies Act, 2013 will permit companies with infrastructure projects to issue preference shares, which are redeemable beyond 20 years, 14. The Companies Act, 2013 introduces the well-recognized internationally concept of class action suits in India Steps for improvement To improve and to make efficient the MA regulation, there needs to be address the interests of wider stakeholders including financial institutions, minority stake holders, employees, customers, vendors, regulators and the society at large. Effective system having following points Effective, diversified and independent board that is able to challenge management on its strategic choices Clearly defined roles for board and management Constructive board meetings Robust monitoring of business performance Management assurance like management controls, internal and external audit Openness and transparency in dealings with stakeholders A constant effort to improve accountability and drive better performance by focusing on the most substantive issues The ability of the board and management to work together in defining the optimum business model for success The ability to identify, access and manage emerging risks Conclusion With rapidly changed global environment, there is a requirement for adopting and sustaining good Governance practices for value creations and building corporations of the future which contains the measures practices regarding merger acquisition fast track process, protection of shareholders interest etc. The Companies Act, 2013, adds robust and progressive new provisions with investor-friendly regulation and also retains the old provisions. The 2013 Act features some new provisions in the area of mergers and acquisitions, apart from the existing provisions by simplifying and rationalising the procedures involved and ensuring higher accountability for the company. It is definitely take some time for implementation from which we can derive further more relevant information and result of company act. There are some part of this act which is still need to be relooked but overall while compare with other globally accepted company law like Japanese model, European model and American Anglo -Saxon model. Whereas no model/rule/regulation are perfect and better but the initiative taken for improvement must be considered as the first step towards growth and flourishing keeping the view of current changing scenario.

Significant People During the Industrial Revolution Essay -- History E

Significant People During the Industrial Revolution As the Industrial Revolution was occurring, numerous changes were occurring. Workers were not receiving fair treatment. They were working long hours and getting paid very little money. The working class felt that they were not receiving equal treatment and equal pay for what they were offering to society. Yet some individuals, such as the owners of companies, were profiting from this movement. But the inequalities that existed caused Marx, along with Engels, to write the Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx was a man who â€Å"urged workers to vindicate the simple laws of morals and justice, which ought to govern the relations of private individuals, as the rules paramount of the intercourse of nations†.[i] After Marx wrote the document, other people were moved by this call for a change with revolution and decided to act upon their feelings that supported the document’s concepts. Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist who responded to the concept of revolution. She was in prison at the time when she wrote a pamphlet on the Russian Revolution. She believed that the revolution needed to defend itself in order to survive. Luxemburg stresses her argument and acts responsibly toward the evils of society: â€Å"Her fundamental belief was twofold: that ‘the only effective means in the hands of the proletarian revolution’ were ‘the kindling of revolutionary idealism, which can be maintained over any length of time only through the intensively active life of the masses themselves under conditions of unlimited political freedom’; and that under such conditions-above all ‘general elections†¦unrestricted freedom of press and assembly †¦a free struggle of opinion’-the ‘active participation of the ma... ...kes, Steven, Marxism and Morality, 106. [v] â€Å"Vladimir Lenin-April 25 1891†, Lenin Archives, < http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/photo/1921/011.htm> [vi] DeGeorge, Richard T. Soviet Ethics and Morality. (Ann Arbor Paperbacks:The University of Michigan Press, 1969), 21. [vii] DeGeorge, Richard T, Soviet Ethics and Morality, 24. [viii] Lukes, Steven, Marxism and Morality, 23. [ix] â€Å"Joseph Stalin Reference Archive†, Biography, [x] DeGeorge, Richard T, Soviet Ethics and Morality, 5. [xi] â€Å"Age of Industry†, The Development of Western Civilization, < http://history.evansville.net/industry.html> [xii] Felix Silverio. The Luddites, 28 September 1999,

Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution :: Volunteering Community Sevice Essays

Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution Non-profit organizations that use the help of volunteers are being faced with new challenges in recruiting and retaining the new generation of volunteers. Certainly as the years pass, the interest of the volunteers’ changes in how they wish, or in what ways they can donate of themselves. When the American Red Cross was in its beginnings from before the turn of the century to the 1920’s, its primary focus was disaster relief. By the time of World War II (Dulles), dozens of new services provided by volunteers had been added to the original responsibilities. Today as in the past, our society approaches a new age and a new generation whose interest in volunteerism must be exploited by volunteer organizations if they wish to survive this change and continue to provide service to people in need. This paper explores the possible reasons for this change at it analyzes the idea that the new baby boomer generation of retired (or nearly so) volunteers and the Generation X an d Y volunteers (who are now of working age) want to help in a different way by using of their specialized skills. The new volunteers want to volunteer on their own time—perhaps even at their home on the computer. Many would be volunteers have not joined because they have not been told their specialized skill could be greatly used on projects to help people in need. Organizations are just realizing the untapped potential in many of its volunteers. They are realizing that â€Å"volunteer† does not mean â€Å"amateur.† In fact, according to the Volunteer 2000 Study by the American Red Cross, management expert Peter F. Drucker recently observed that more and more organizations are selecting, training, and managing volunteers as â€Å"unpaid staff† rather than as â€Å"well meaning amateurs.† Consider the electrician who spends some weekends working without pay at a project to rehabilitate housing for the homeless. Or the computer literacy teacher that trains paid staff how to build a web page. These volunteers are professionals volunteering in their professional expertise—they are not amateurs. These volunteers add value and strength to the organization to complete its mission. Taking into account that changes may not be good for all volunteer organizations, new opportunities are available for people to help in the information age as never before. Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution :: Volunteering Community Sevice Essays Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution Non-profit organizations that use the help of volunteers are being faced with new challenges in recruiting and retaining the new generation of volunteers. Certainly as the years pass, the interest of the volunteers’ changes in how they wish, or in what ways they can donate of themselves. When the American Red Cross was in its beginnings from before the turn of the century to the 1920’s, its primary focus was disaster relief. By the time of World War II (Dulles), dozens of new services provided by volunteers had been added to the original responsibilities. Today as in the past, our society approaches a new age and a new generation whose interest in volunteerism must be exploited by volunteer organizations if they wish to survive this change and continue to provide service to people in need. This paper explores the possible reasons for this change at it analyzes the idea that the new baby boomer generation of retired (or nearly so) volunteers and the Generation X an d Y volunteers (who are now of working age) want to help in a different way by using of their specialized skills. The new volunteers want to volunteer on their own time—perhaps even at their home on the computer. Many would be volunteers have not joined because they have not been told their specialized skill could be greatly used on projects to help people in need. Organizations are just realizing the untapped potential in many of its volunteers. They are realizing that â€Å"volunteer† does not mean â€Å"amateur.† In fact, according to the Volunteer 2000 Study by the American Red Cross, management expert Peter F. Drucker recently observed that more and more organizations are selecting, training, and managing volunteers as â€Å"unpaid staff† rather than as â€Å"well meaning amateurs.† Consider the electrician who spends some weekends working without pay at a project to rehabilitate housing for the homeless. Or the computer literacy teacher that trains paid staff how to build a web page. These volunteers are professionals volunteering in their professional expertise—they are not amateurs. These volunteers add value and strength to the organization to complete its mission. Taking into account that changes may not be good for all volunteer organizations, new opportunities are available for people to help in the information age as never before.

The Most Advantageous Feature of A.I.

The most advantageous feature   and machine learning is that it's applications are virtually limitless. It is a highly complex process, but can be tailored to just about any situation that you can imagine. It has the potential to streamline almost any automated process, from production to being the first line of customer interaction. We are already starting to see rudimentary forms of this software in things like chat bots on corporate websites that help direct customer traffic. This technology is still in its infancy and many companies and software developers are still figuring out what its potential applications could be. It is a process that many people are eager to invest in early on in hopes that one day it will become more intelligent and efficient. In the end however, the only limit to this technology is the human imagination. [build on from here, larab] humans bring something to the table in the association between human and computer and technology in these days. Here are some main advantages/benefits of this partnership between humans and computers and technology. Efficiency, objectivity, and scalability. It is fascinating to allow slow and well-defined tasks such as certain types of management work and straightforward calculations to a particular Artificial Intelligence algorithm. Not only does it decrease the costs of these processes greatly, but it also frees up employee's time to focus on more elaborate, creative and inner problem solving with humans. AI customer service in business is really good example of this. This helps works to focus on human related work more. The human brain is more focused on our recognition of truth. On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence is by definition objective. It doesn't design an opinion before having analyzed a acceptable amount of data. In opposed to a human being, an algorithm does not make any assumption on what the expected conclusion of an analysis should be. Therefore, AI ( artificial intelligence) is much better satisfactory for tasks requiring impartiality. Humans are able to inspect things better if they delete the unimportant details.after all, sometimes details are really important to really appreciate a certain situation. One of the advantages of an AI algorithm is that it can take the smallest details into account and translate this to the bigger picture.

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Five

His eyes widened in shock, lips parting. Even though I knew this wasn't a silver stake, it might as well have been. To run it through his heart, I had had to act as decisively as I would have if delivering a killing blow. I'd had to finally accept my Dimitri's death. This one was a Strigoi. There was no future with him. I would not join him. That still didn't make some part of me want to stop and lie down beside him, though, or at the very least see what happened next. After that initial surprise, his features and breathing had gone still, giving the illusion of death. That's all it was, however-an illusion. I'd seen it before. I probably had five minutes at most before he healed up and shook this off. I had no time to mourn for what was and what might have been. I had to act now. No hesitation. I ran my hands over him, searching his clothes for anything that might be of use. I found a set of keys and some cash. I pocketed the keys and started to leave the cash but realized I might actually need it on the off chance I escaped this place. My own money had been taken when I arrived. I also swept up some of the jewelry on the table. Finding buyers for that kind of thing in big Russian cities wasn't too difficult. If I made it to said city. I stood up off the bed and gave Dimitri one last pained look. A few of the tears I'd hidden from him earlier now ran down my face. That was all I could allow myself. If I had a later, I'd mourn then. Before leaving, my gaze lingered on the stake. I wanted to take it with me; it was my only weapon. Pulling it out would mean he'd wake up in about a minute. I needed the extra time. With a sigh, I turned my back on him, hoping I'd find a weapon elsewhere. I sprinted over to the suite's door and punched in the code again. It unlocked, and I stepped into the corridor. Before going to the next door, I examined the one I'd just stepped through. To get into the suite, there was another keypad. Entry also required a code. Backing up a little, I struck and kicked the keypad as hard as I could. I did it twice more, until the tiny red light on it went out. I didn't know if that would affect the lock on the inside of the suite, but in the movies, damaging electronic locks always seemed to work. Turning my attention to the next lock, I tried to remember the numbers Inna had told me. They weren't etched as strongly in my head as the first. I punched in seven numbers. The little light stayed red. â€Å"Damn.† It was possible she'd lied about this set, but somehow, I suspected my memory was the culprit here. I tried again, knowing the clock was ticking on how long I had until Dimitri came after me. The red light flashed again. What were those numbers? I tried to visualize them in my head and finally decided I wasn't entirely sure about the last two. I reversed their order the next time I put in the code. The light flashed green, and the door unlocked. Of course, there was a security system of a different sort outside. A Strigoi. And not just any Strigoi: It was Marlen. The one I'd tortured in the alley. The one who hated me because I'd disgraced him in front of Galina. He was clearly on guard duty and looked as though he'd expected a boring night. Me coming out the door was a shock. That gave me, oh, about a millisecond of surprise. My first thought was to just run at him with as much brute strength as I could. I knew he would do the same to me. In fact†¦ that was exactly what he'd do. I stayed where I was, standing so that I could keep the door propped open. He came at me to stop my escape, and I stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Now, I was neither skilled enough nor was he inept enough to simply get lured in. He stopped in the doorway, trying to get hold of me. This gave me the difficult task of trying to both fend him off and drag him into the corridor behind the door. I stepped back into the doorway, hoping he'd follow. All the while, I had to keep the door open. It was all complicated, and I would have no time to punch in the code again. We fought in the confined space. The biggest thing I had going for me was that Marlen appeared to be a young Strigoi, which made sense. Galina would want to keep around henchmen she could control. Of course, Strigoi strength and speed compensated for a lack of experience. The fact that he had been a Moroi once also meant he probably had very little training. That also was a bonus for me. Dimitri was a badass Strigoi because he'd trained as a fighter before being turned. This guy had not. So, Marlen got a couple punches in on me, one coming dangerously close to my eye. The other caught me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me for half a second. But most of the time, I was able to dodge him pretty well. This seemed to infuriate him. Getting beat up by a teenage girl didn't really score you cool points when you were a Strigoi. At one point, I even faked him out in one direction and came at him with a surprise kick -easier to do than I'd expected in that damned dress-that knocked him back a few steps. I just barely managed to keep my hand in the door when I did it, but that was all I needed. His stumble gave me a few seconds to slip out the door and into the main hall. Unfortunately, when I tried to close it, he was already trying to come through. With my hands, I tried to pull the door shut while kicking him back inside. We struggled this way for a while, and thanks to whatever luck I had left, I got the door closed enough so that only his arm was sticking through. Bracing myself, I pulled the door toward me in one huge, forceful movement. It slammed into Marlen's wrist. I half expected to see his hand detach and pop into the hall, but he'd jerked it back. Even Strigoi had certain instincts to avoid pain. Gasping-my physical strength still wasn't all it could be-I backed up. If he knew the code, this had been for nothing. A moment later, the door's handle shook but didn't open. I heard a scream of rage, and then his fists beat on the door. Score one for me. No, score one for luck. If he'd known the code, I would have been Thud. Marlen was still beating on the door, and I saw the tiniest dent appear on the metallic surface. â€Å"Oh, crap,† I said. I didn't stick around to see how many hits it'd take him to break it down. I also realized that even if I'd disabled the first lock, Dimitri would just be able to break that one down too. Dimitri†¦ No. I absolutely couldn't think of him now. As I ran down the hall, heading toward the stairs Dimitri and I traveled before, an unexpected memory suddenly popped into my head. When Dimitri had last threatened Nathan, he'd mentioned getting my stake out of a vault. What vault was that exactly? Was it here on the premises? If so, I certainly didn't have time to look. When weighing the option to search a four-story house full of vampires or run off into the countryside before they found you†¦ well, the choice was clear. And it was in the midst of that thought process that I ran into a human at the top of the stairs. He was older than Inna and carrying a stack of linens that he dropped when we collided. With almost no pause, I grabbed hold of him and swung him against the wall. I had no weapon to threaten him with and wondered how I'd assert my will now. Yet as soon as I had him pinned, he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and began whimpering in Russian. There'd be no attacks on me here. Of course, now I had the problem of communicating what I needed. Marlen was still beating on the door, and Dimitri would be up in a couple of minutes. I glared at the human, hoping I looked terrifying. From his expression, I did. I attempted the caveman talk I had with Inna†¦ only this time the message was a little harder. â€Å"Stick,† I said in Russian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. â€Å"Stick. Where?† He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked, in perfect English, â€Å"Why are you talking like that?† â€Å"Oh for God's sake,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Where is the vault?† â€Å"Vault?† â€Å"A place they keep weapons?† He continued staring. â€Å"I'm looking for a silver stake.† â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"That.† Uneasily, he cast his eyes in the direction of the pounding. I pushed him harder against the wall. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest, but I tried to hide it. I wanted this guy to think I was invincible. â€Å"Ignore him. Take me to the vault. Now!† With a frightened yelp, he nodded eagerly and beckoned me down the stairs. We descended to the second floor and made a sharp turn. The halls here were as twisty as the hedge maze Dimitri had shown me, all decorated in that gold and chandelier style, and I wondered if I'd even be able to get out of the house. Attempting this detour was a risk, but I wasn't sure if I could get outside without being followed. If I was, there'd be a confrontation. I'd need to defend myself. The human led me down another hall and yet another. Finally, we reached a door that looked like any other. He stopped and peered at me expectantly. â€Å"Open it,† I said. He shook his head. â€Å"I don't have the key.† â€Å"Well, I certainly don't-wait.† I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys I'd lifted from Dimitri. There were five keys on the ring. I tried them one at a time, and on the third one, I got a hit. The door opened. Meanwhile, my guide was casting hasty glances behind him and looked ready to bolt. â€Å"Don't even think about it,† I warned. He blanched and stayed put. The room before us wasn't very big, and while its plush white carpet and silver framed paintings made it look elegant, the room was†¦ well, basically, it looked like a junkyard. Boxes and weird objects-a lot of personal items like watches and rings in particular-lay around in no order. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Magic,† he said, still obviously scared out of his mind. â€Å"Magic items kept here to fade or be destroyed.† Magic†¦ ah. These were items charmed by Moroi magic. Charms always had some kind of effect on Strigoi-usually unpleasant-with stakes being the worst, since they used all four physical elements. It made sense that Strigoi would want to isolate harmful objects and get rid of â€Å"My stake!† I ran forward and picked it up, nearly dropping it because my hands were so sweaty. The stake was lying on top of a box with a length of cloth and some weird stones. Studying it, I realized it wasn't actually my stake-not that it made a difference for killing Strigoi. This stake was almost identical, save for a small geometric pattern running around its base. It was something guardians did from time to time if they felt particularly attached to their stake: have a design or initials etched into it. Holding this stake, I felt a momentary pang of sadness. This had belonged to someone who'd wielded it proudly once, someone who was now most likely dead. God only knew how many other dozens of stakes were in here, seized from other unfortunate prisoners, but I had no time to search or mourn those who had died. â€Å"Okay, now I want you to take me to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. Even with a stake, it'd be a lot better for me if I didn't face any more Strigoi. I had to assume there'd still be a guard at the front door. â€Å"†¦ Some room on this floor with a window that actually opens. And is far from the stairs.† The guy thought for a moment and then gave a quick nod. â€Å"This way.† I followed him through another maze of twisting corridors. â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"Oleg.† â€Å"You know,† I said. â€Å"I'm getting out of here†¦ if you want†¦ if you want, I could take you with me.† Having someone else-a human, particularly -would definitely slow me down. Yet, my conscience wouldn't let me leave anyone behind in this place. He gave me an incredulous glance. â€Å"Why would I want to do that?† Sydney had definitely been right about humans making great sacrifices for immortality. Oleg and Inna were living proof. We rounded a corner and came face-to-face with an elaborate set of French doors. Through the etched glass, I could see book-lined shelves, stretching all the way up the walls. A library-a huge one that extended on and on, out of my sight. Better yet, I saw a large bay window opposite me, framed in heavy satin curtains the color of blood. â€Å"Perfect,† I said, pushing open the doors. That was when the nausea hit me. We weren't alone in the room. Galina sprang up from a chair near the fireplace on the far side of the room. A book dropped from her lap. I had no time to dwell on the oddity of a Strigoi having a fireside read, because she was coming right toward me. I almost might have thought Oleg had set me up, but he was cowering in a corner, his face mirroring the shock I felt. Despite the library's enormous size, she reached me in seconds. I dodged her initial attack-or tried to, at least. She was fast. Aside from Dimitri, the other Strigoi in this house were clearly the B-team, and I had forgotten just how badass a truly skilled Strigoi was. She caught me by my arm and swung me toward her, mouth open and fangs going straight for my neck. I had the stake in my hand and tried awkwardly to at least scratch her with it, but she was holding me too tightly. At last, I managed to duck a little and move my throat out of her range, but all this did was give her the opportunity to grab hold of my hair. She jerked me upright, and I screamed in pain. How she managed to hold onto my hair without ripping it right out was remarkable. Still gripping it, she shoved me into a wall. When I'd first fought with Dimitri upon my arrival, he'd been rough but hadn't wanted to kill me. Galina did. She'd taken it on faith from Dimitri that I'd be an asset, but it was obvious now that I was a real pain in the ass. Her amnesty had ended, and she was intent on killing me. I at least had the comfort of knowing she probably wouldn't turn me into a Strigoi. I'd be lunch. A shout suddenly drew my attention to the door. Dimitri stood there, face blazing with anger. Whatever illusions I'd harbored about him being his former self disappeared. That fury radiated around him, his eyes narrowed and fangs showing. The pale skin and red eyes contrasted sharply against each other. He was like a demon sent straight from hell to destroy me. He strode toward us, and the immediate thought in my head was: Well, at least this'll end things that much faster. Except†¦ it wasn't me he attacked. It was Galina. I'm not sure which of us was more surprised, but in that moment, I was totally forgotten. The Strigoi raced toward each other, and I froze, stunned at the terrible beauty of their fight. There was almost a gracefulness to the way they moved, the way they struck out and skillfully dodged each other. I stared a bit longer and then mentally slapped myself into action. This was my chance to get out of here. I couldn't get distracted. I turned to the bay window, searching frantically for a means to open it. There was none. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† Maybe Oleg had set me up after all. Or maybe there was just some mechanism that wasn't apparent to me. Regardless, I felt pretty confident there was one way to get it open. I ran to the side of the room where Galina had sat and grabbed an ornate wooden chair. It was obvious this window wasn't made of the hard-core glass that had been in my room. This stuff was similar to the library's French doors, delicate and engraved with fanciful designs, even though darkly tinted. It couldn't require that much force to break. After all that fruitless beating in my room, I took a kind of smug satisfaction in slamming the chair into it with as much force as possible. The impact made a huge hole in one side of the window, glass spraying everywhere. A few shards hit my face, but it was nothing to concern me now. Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on. There were grunts and muffled cries as they fought, as well as the occasional sound of some piece of broken furniture. I yearned to turn around and see what was going on, but I couldn't. I took the chair and swung again, breaking the other half of the window. There was now a huge hole, perfect for me to get out of. â€Å"Rose!† Dimitri's voice triggered some instinctive response in me. I glanced back and saw him still grappling with Galina. They were both exhausted, but it was clear he was getting the worst of it. But in their fighting, he kept trying to restrain her in a way that exposed her chest to me. His eyes met mine. Back when he'd been a dhampir, we'd rarely needed words to convey our thoughts. This was one of those times. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to stake her. I knew I shouldn't. I needed to hop out that window right now. I needed to let them keep fighting, even though it seemed obvious Galina was about to win. And yet†¦ despite my misgivings, some force drew me across the room, stake poised and ready. Maybe it was because I would never fully lose my pull to Dimitri, no matter what kind of monster he'd become. Maybe it was an unconscious sense of duty, since I knew he'd just saved my life. Or maybe it was because I knew one Strigoi was going to die tonight, and she was the more dangerous. But she wasn't easy to get hold of. She was fast and strong, and he was having a hard time with her. She kept wriggling around, trying to renew her attack. All she'd need to do was incapacitate him as I had; then it'd just require decapitation or burning to finish him off. I had no doubt she could arrange either. He managed to turn her slightly, giving me the best view of her chest I'd had. I moved forward-and then Dimitri slammed into me. I was addled for a moment, wondering why he'd attack me after saving me, until I realized he'd been pushed-by Nathan. Nathan had just entered the library, along with Marlen. It distracted Dimitri but not me. I still had the opening he'd given me on Galina, and I plunged my stake into her chest. It didn't go in as deeply as I would have liked, and she still managed to fight me, bucking hard. I grimaced and pushed forward, knowing the silver had to be affecting her. A moment later, I saw the pain twist her face. She faltered, and I pushed my advantage, shoving the stake in all the way. It took several seconds, but she eventually stopped moving, her body crumpling to the ground. If the other Strigoi noticed her death, they didn't pay attention. Nathan and Marlen were fixated on Dimitri. Another Strigoi-a female I didn't recognize-soon joined the face-off. I jerked my stake out of Galina and slowly began backing toward the window, hoping I wouldn't attract too much attention. My heart went out to Dimitri. He was outnumbered. I could possibly lend my strength and help him fight†¦ Of course, my strength was fading. I was still suffering from days of vampire bites and blood loss. I'd fought two Strigoi tonight and killed a powerful one. That had been my good deed, removing her from the world. The next best thing I could do would be to leave and let these Strigoi finish off Dimitri. The surviving ones would be leaderless and less of a threat. Dimitri would be free of this evil state, his soul finally able to move on to better places. And I would live (hopefully), having helped the world by killing more Strigoi. I bumped against the windowsill and looked out. Nighttime-not good. The sheer side of the manor was not ideal for climbing, either. It could be done, but it would be time consuming. I didn't have any more time. Directly below the window was a thickly leafed bush of some sort. I couldn't see it clearly and only hoped it wasn't a rosebush or something equally sharp. A second floor drop wouldn't kill me, though. Probably wouldn't even hurt-much. I climbed over the ledge, briefly meeting Dimitri's gaze as the other Strigoi moved in on him. The words came to me again: Don't hesitate. Dimitri's important lesson. But it hadn't been his first one. His first had been about what to do if I was outnumbered and out of options: Run. Time for me to run. I leapt out the window.