Substance use and mental health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Substance use and mental health - Essay Example The list of substances that are abused is broad and the method and route of administration also vary. The problem with abusing substances however is not present only in young population but is more diffusely distributed in all ages and social groups. Most common substance abuse found in the same statistical analysis in the general population ranging between age of 16 and 74, that was reported by the participants themselves was cannabis (in 24 %), amphetamines were tried or used by 7 % of the cohort group, 5% ever in their life used magic mushrooms, about 4 % of the cohort population ever in their life used or are still using ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, tranquilizers were used by 3% of the population, other volatile substances and gases were used in 1% of the population and other substances like crack, heroin, steroids were also present in about 1%. There are also other substances that were used but are not listed in this text. Also we must have in mind that this study was based on the sel f-report of the participants so there is a possibility for even larger prevalence of these substances if we consider the population that didn’t report abuse of substances. ... iew Schedule CIS-R, where score above 12 is considered a sign of high probability for neurotic disorder in one person and in participants with score above 18 is considered that psychiatric treatment is necessary (Lewis et al, 1992). They also tested for disorders in the personality of the participants using the SCID-II (Semi-structured interview for making DSM-IV Axis II: Personality Disorder diagnoses). It is a set of questions that are completed by the participants in order to assess the personality disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental  Disorders,  Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). They also used Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry manual to asses for psychosis or more severe psychiatric disorder in the participants. Based on these examinations it was found that abuse of substances was more common in participants who tested positive in some of the screening tests that were used. It was found that 12 % of the people who scored 12 or above on the CIS-R scale (some type of neurosis) had abused substances in the last month before the survey compared to 5% of the other population. Among the specific neuroses it was found that participants with suspicion for obsessive-compulsive disorder had the higher incidence of substance abuse in the previous month (15%). Most significantly it was found that 32% of the participants that were suspected for presence of anti-social personality disorder was found that were abusing some substance in the previous month before the survey. In the group of participants that were diagnosed with psychosis or other major psychiatric disorder no significance in incidence of abusing substances was found. Based on this study we can conclude that neurosis, antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive

Mehta Automobiles Essay Example for Free

Mehta Automobiles Essay In 1980, Mr. Sanat Mehta joined Standard Automobiles of Ahmedabad as a mechanic. In appreciation of his excellent work, he was soon promoted to the post of chief mechanic. Mr. Mehta’s professional ability, his pleasing manners and sense of responsibility endeared him to the customers of Standard Automobiles to such an extent that some of them persuaded him to commence his own automobile repair workshop. One of them persuaded him to commence his own automobile repair workshop. One customer, Mr. Nitin Shah offered to rent a part of his godown situated in a busy street of Ahmedabad city. Another customer, Mr. Mohan Kapoor, the local manager of a large bank mentioned that a loan of up to Rs. 100,000 could be made available to him under the scheme for financing small business. After some discussion with members of his family, Mr. Mehta decided to commence an automobile service and repairs workshop under the name of Mehta Automobiles. For this purpose, he invested Rs. 50,000 from his past savings and accepted Mr. Shah’s and Mr. Kapoor’s offers. A part of the amount was deposited in the bank in the name of Mehta Automobiles. The enterprise had a good start, thanks to the patronage of some old customers of Standard Automobiles. Mr. Mehta publicized his operations by displaying cinema slides in selected local cinemas and soon his workshop became well known in that area. In the beginning, Mr. Mehta did all the work of the mechanic, helped by two assistants recruited at the time of the commencement of the business. Soon he added a spare parts selling section to his business as this was quite a profitable associated activity. In this, he was helped by his son Mr. Rajendra Mehta who also assisted him in collection of cash from debtors. During his service at Standard Automobiles, Mr. Mehta had come to know very well some wholesalers of service materials, such as tools, stores and spare parts. This helped him in buying such material on credit. However, most of the other purchases particularly spare parts and practically all his sales were on cash basis. Because of the relatively small extent of credit transactions, Mr. Mehta had not thought of maintaining formal accounting records, as he had felt that increases in cash balance would adequately indicate the profit earned by him. All cash received was deposited in the bank account, and expenses and payments were recorded in a notebook. Mr. Mehta occasionally experienced some difficulty in recording transactions which did not result in direct sales. For instance, when his personal car was overhauled, involving considerable use of his mechanics’ time as well as spare parts costing about Rs. 15000 he was not sure how it should be recorded. He finally decided that since the garage was owned by him no adjustments need be made for this transaction. Rapid expansion of his business compelled Mr. Mehta to hire four new assistants and two mechanics. He also recruited a part-time salesman for spare parts selling. Mr. Mehta continued to attend personally to purchases, collections and other administrative aspects of business. A small section of the workshop premises was set apart for office purposes. The office was simply furnished with a table, three chairs, a filing cabinet and also a telephone. Spare parts, stores, tools etc. , and other supplies which were formerly stored in a small room at his residence, were now stored in steel racks in a section of the workshop. Mr. Mehta soon came across and advertisement that appeared in the local newspaper. A well-known automobile company of Bombay was looking for a good automobiles service shop owner, who would be willing take up the sole selling agency of their cars and spare parts in Gujarat. Mr. Mehta applied for this agency as he was advised by his friends in business circles that such an agency would be a profitable proposition. However, he was puzzled by two conditions which were imposed in awarding this agency. According to the first condition, the agent had to obtain a certificate from his bank to the effect that a minimum balance of Rs. 500,000 was maintained in the business account. Secondly, the agent was required to send to the principal, periodic statements showing the current financial position of the business and the business results in the immediate past period. Mr. Mehta was duly assigned the sole selling agency for the Gujarat on the basis of excellent reports received by the principal from local businessmen. For fulfilling the first condition, Mr. Mehta saw Mr. Kapoor, the Bank agent. After discussions with Mr. Mehta, the Bank agent agreed to grant Mr. Mehta a further loan of Rs. 500,000. He asked Mr. Mehta, to submit a statement showing the current position of his business so that he could process the loan application. Mr. Mehta mentioned that so far he had not maintained any regular accounts. The maintenance of such records required specialized knowledge which he did not possess and he felt hiring an accountant would increase his costs which he could not afford in his competitive business situation. Mr. Kapoor said that systematic accounting records would be a necessity, if Mr. Mehta wanted to expand his business and fulfill the operational requirements like bank borrowing, credit purchases as well as legal requirements to payment of tax. The same evening Mr. Mehta saw Mr. Ashok Lal, a friend who was the Chief Accountant of a local textile mill. He expressed to Mr. Lal his desire to start keeping systematic accounting records and requested him to prepare for him a statement showing the assets and liabilities of his business. He also supplied to Mr. Lal the necessary information to enable him to prepare the required statement. Mr. Lal also explained to Mr. Mehta how a â€Å"Profit and Loss Analysis† could be prepared so that Mr. Mehta could be more accurately measure the results of his business performance. He prepared a list of various statements that Mr. Mehta should arrange to obtain periodically from his subordinates for maintaining his accounting records. Questions for consideration 1. Mr. Mehta mentioned that. i) he could not have systematic accounting records because he did not possess specialized accounting skill; and ii) keeping such records would mean increase in costs, which he could not afford. How would you respond to these comments? 2. What information would Mr. Lal require for preparing the financial statement? 3. What items would you expect to find in the statements of financial position and profit and loss analysis relating to Mr. Mehta’s business? 4. What records would Mr. Mehta require to maintain for controlling his business activities?

Ernest Hemingway :: essays research papers

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born at eight o'clock in the morning on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. In the nearly sixty two years of his life that followed he forged a literary reputation unsurpassed in the twentieth century and created a mythological hero in himself that captivated (and at times confounded) not only serious literary critics but the average man as well...in a word, he was a star. Born in the family home at 439 North Oak Park Avenue, a house built by his widowed grandfather Ernest Hall, Hemingway was the second of Dr. Clarence and Grace Hall Hemingway's six children; he had four sisters and one brother. He was named after his maternal grandfather Ernest Hall and his great uncle Miller Hall. Oak Park was a mainly Protestant, upper middle-class suburb of Chicago that Hemingway would later refer to as a town of "wide lawns and narrow minds." Only ten miles from the big city, Oak Park was really much farther away philosophically. It was basically a conservative town that tried to isolate itself from Chicago's liberal seediness. Hemingway was raised with the conservative Midwestern values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness and self determination; if one adhered to these parameters, he was taught, he would be ensured of success in whatever field he chose. As a boy he was taught by his father to hunt and fish along the shores and in the forests surrounding Lake Michigan. The Hemingways had a summer house called Windemere on Walloon Lake in northern Michigan, and the family would spend the summer months there trying to stay cool. Hemingway would either fish the different streams that ran into the lake, or would take the row boat out to do some fishing there. He would also go squirrel hunting in the woods near the summer house, discovering early in life the serenity to be found while alone in the forest or wading a stream. It was something he could always go back to throughout his life, wherever he was. Nature would be the touchstone of Hemingway's life and work, and though he often found himself living in major cities like Chicago, Toronto and Paris early in his career, once he became successful he chose somewhat isolated places to live like Key West, or San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, or Ketchum, Idaho. All were convenient locales for hu nting and fishing.

“Mirror” by Sylvia Plath Essay

The poem â€Å"Mirror† by Sylvia Plath is told from the point of view of a mirror hanging up on a wall. This mirror has, over time, been privy to the tears of a woman over who she sees in it, desperate grasps at moonlit lies, and the endless speculations of a pink with speckles wall. â€Å"Mirror† is a poem that probes into the corners of human nature, beauty, life, and death, reflecting back their truths to readers as good mirrors do. In this poem, readers can see the truth about themselves reflected among the words as though the poem itself is a mirror, too. Just as the poem reflects truths to readers, so the mirror in it reflects truths to the woman it sees every day. It is objective about everything it observes in the woman, for it can have no biases simply owing to the nature of its stature. The description the mirror gives of itself in the first few lines is that â€Å"I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions./Whatever I see I swallow immediately/Just as i t is, unmisted by love or dislike./I am not cruel, only truthful-/The eye of the little god, four cornered.† It is giving, true to its nature, a frank description of itself—nonjudgmental and unprejudiced of its admirers. Mirrors never have and never will pass any judgment on their gazers. They leave that for the gazers themselves to do, and they always do just that, as is human nature. The mirror prides itself on that same clear-cut honesty of the faces it regurgitates back for judgment. It is almost arrogant about it, refusing to falter in its own perfection for a moment, even as â€Å"she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon† which cast false shadows upon her face. It continues to reflect the woman honestly, even though she cannot see it, so that when she learns of the lies and turns back, there she is in all her self-perceived imperfection. Not one person, the woman of the poem included, has ever been judged by a mirror, but rather through it. It is because of it that the woman can see her outer self, so also because of it, she sometimes forgets her inner self. She forgets the pink behind the speckles on the wall of her face, seeing only that the speckles are marring the beauty of it. The mirror, however, does not see the destruction the woman sees, for she is the only one of the two who has the desire to judge. She was the only true master of herself, but she ended up caving in under her preconceived notions of society’s view of her. She became a slave to the mirror and her interpretations its truths. One of these truths is age. No one has yet achieved immortality, and so death is still a formidable foe. Mirrors  reflect the coming of this rival in the rivulets and creases found in a face of age, and many people obsess over this manifesting. In the poem, according to the mirror, â€Å"I am important to her. She comes and goes./Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness./In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.† The woman in the poem â€Å"h as drowned a young girl† in her obsessions, aging her into â€Å"an old woman . . . like a terrible fish.† With each day, the manifestation becomes more pronounced because â€Å"Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.† She wasted away in front of that mirror so that now, death â€Å"Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.† She hates the mirror’s honesty on the matter, but cannot turn away. She is unable to resist knowing that death is creeping ever closer every day. She lives her life, it seems, around that knowledge, convinced that she should not be as she is. She is, as the poem says, â€Å"Searching . . . for what she really is.† She is unaware that all around her, death is marking others down for capture with the lines of age. All she knows is that she has gone from â€Å"pink, with speckles† into a world of darkness that she disapproves of seeing in the mirror. She does not seem to under stand that in fact, no one will be left unaffected. â€Å"The eye of the little god† will seek out everyone from all four corners of the globe. In the end, her obsession kills her, the â€Å"terrible fish† having finally made it to the surface. The woman in the poem lives and dies within it, mirroring any and all readers’ lives in that. The poem offers up a universal reflection of a person for readers to judge themselves. After all, it is a mirror and that is what mirrors do.

Hijab in the Muslim World

Being raised in a society where people generally tend to think Muslim female are forced to wear the Hijab â€Å"headscarf. † I was five or six years old when I started wearing the Hijab it wasn’t my parents who forced me to wear it was my choice. My mother also said if you don’t know the reasons you wearing the Hijab then don’t wear it at all. However, women who wear the Hijab face major discrimition in regard of employment opportunities. But in other part of the world as shabina state â€Å"Hijab hits runway. Even though Hijab is popular in the Muslim world I also learned that France and other European countries were trying to ban the Hijab. Also note that France has a lot of Muslim immigrants. These countries have no right to ban the Hijab because they did not conduct studies on this topic. According to the Quran it states by saying â€Å"O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outer garments (jilbabs) close around themselves. (59:33) one cannot judge religion or culture well enough to make a favorable judgment. Judging isn’t something everyone can ignore. For Muslim women, wearing the Hijab is a sign of reverence, modesty and submission. However, many non-Muslims view the head scarf and modest clothing with confusion, even taking offense at what seems to be restrictive, anti-feminist clothing. Since girls and women of all ages wear the Hijab, questions are being asked in the schoolyard or office about this. n the western society, most women have this idealogy that women should look beautiful to attract men. most western women would have hard time understanding the reason behind why muslim women wear the hijad. Th e reason behind wearing the Hijab is to keep the men from staring. When Prophet Muhammad was spreading the word about Islam, women just covered their heads with a scarf that still showed their chest, neck and ears. However, Allah later directed that women should cover all parts of the body except for the hands and face. Prominent Muslim scholars distilled these teachings into an easy-to-follow method that uses the scarf, or khimar, to conceal immodest parts. However, two-third of Muslim women know they will be refused for work the reason being they are wearing the Hijab. there is study conduct by Ghumman shows women who wear the Hijab tend to have low exception when it comes to a receiving job offers than a Muslim female without the Hijab. even if they are given the job the interaction with the clients are minimum. It won’t be that hard for muslim women to compete in this year olympic. the international weighlifter federation (IWF) changed the rule to allow muslim women who are covered and wearing islamic dress to compete. These muslim women from the United Arabs of Kingdom wil be making history in the london olympics. allowing these women to participate in the competetion, it would allow other muslim covered women to not feel alienase walking around the airpot or the mall. Hijab style has changed dramactily as time went by. In the modern world, many Muslim women try to find different styles to wear the Hijab. For example if one lives in western society they tend to adopt the culture that surrounds them. â€Å"Over time, women began personalizing how the covered–shortening and tightening their coats, donning smaller scarves. The market responded by producing more fashionable clothing choices–scarves with sequins, tassels, and bold patterns; fashion shows demonstrating the latest in Islam†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (Hijab hits runway By shabina Khatri ) To add to that there are 7 different kind of headscarf. The Hijab comes from a myriad of styles and colors. This type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through. The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. The al-amira is a two-piece veil. As I had already wrote, being raised in a culture different than yours you tend to change your view of point. If a person lives in turkey they think wearing the hijab is more suitable than woman who lives in France will feel discriminated. I also conduct a survey on six people on their view of the Hijab. Some of the question I asked were there age, gender, if they knew what the Hijab was, if it was a religious or cultural practice, if they thought this was a religious obligation, if they thought Muslim girls were forced to wear. Four under the age of 18. One was 18 and one person was over forty. They all knew what Hijab was, three thought it was cultural practice, the other three said it was a religious practice 5 people said Hijab was an obligation. The last question two preferred not to answer it out of the four who answered said yes we as Muslim girls are forced to wear. The other two said no.

Image And Reality Essays - Kennedy Family, Free Essays, Term Papers

Image And Reality Essays - Kennedy Family, Free Essays, Term Papers Image And Reality Valery Potakh Mr. Anderson US History 1A, P.7 24 November 1998 Image and Reality In the years since the thousand days many questions have been raised and are still being studied about John F. Kennedy. A Life of John F. Kennedy: A Question of Character is a book written by Thomas C. Reeves, in which Reeves discusses these issues. JFK was a great man, and yet there are still some things that one must take into consideration. His morality was always somewhat of an uncertainty; be that as it may, these questions are still not openly discussed. People were always taken aback by his personality, good looks, and youth. After his death, it was quite difficult for most people to accept some of the newly discovered negative information about him. The man meant so much to some people that it was impossible to say something less than perfect. But all the same, facts can not be denied. While one may think that each is responsible for his or her actions, that is not always the case. Much of Jacks character develops and originates from his family. He applied these beliefs to his life as well as his presidency. His great grandfather Joseph Kennedys indifference toward people, and the will to do anything to get what he wants, helped to shape much of the character in the entire Kennedy line. Inferior treatment of women also originated from this source. The lacking of a sufficient background as well as a good role model helped shape much of Kennedys negative characteristics. This was reflected in most of his decisions, as a result. So therefore, diversity between Kennedys presidential appearance, and his private life of scandals, was unmistakable. His indifference to the values of proper judgement, unselfishness, and sincerity to his wife and work was also reflected in his ability to make thought out decisions. Though interesting enough, his greatest talent was the ability to manipulate himself well enough that it appeared as though he contained the qualities of an effective leader. In spite of some obvious differences between his acting and the reality, John F. Kennedy was probably one of the most liked presidents. During and after his era people felt inspired to go out and make a difference. JFK had a look to him that made him likable to others. One may even say he was a people person. He had the ability to enrapture people with his capriciousness and elegant personality. Therefore much of the books written about Kennedy felt that his unblemished reputation was important to keep. Maybe this is because the authors were often close friends of Kennedy. As a result not all of the books told the complete truth about some of the fundamentals before and during JFKs presidency. While on the other hand, other authors, who were close to JFK, did disclose a lot of information, which is how most of the crimination today, is known. The congressional investigation in 1975, generated some alarming questions concerning Jacks character (Reeves xii). Consequently, a greater gap could be seen between the image presented to the public and that of the factual. Despite his superlative leadership and his portrayal as a great and morally sound-man, John F. Kennedy was really a man with lack of ethical values and integrity. A lot can be said about a mans character from the way he runs his household. If one takes this stand, than not much can be said about John F. Kennedy. Jacks marriage was his father Joes idea originally. The elder Kennedy believed that it would be undoubtedly good for JFKs career. At one point the Ambassador says, a wife and a family [are] political necessities (111). Jacks consistent unfaithfulness to his wife was completely immoral. The night before his senatorial election, Jack and his inner circle of friends were out watching a pornographic movie (166). During Jacks presidential campaigns he continued his infidelity. Just before a debate with Nixon, jack inquired if there were any girls waiting for him. Ninety minutes before airtime, Kennedy was in a hotel room with a call girl (202). JFK was also involved with a woman named Inga Arvad. She was suspected of being a German spy at the time, and was being watched by

Procurement and acquisitions

Procurement and acquisitions Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is an act which enables uniformity in commercial code, in relation to particular commercial transactions or concerning personal property as well as contracts and documents relating to them. They include commercial papers, sales, credit letters, and deposits in banks, collections, and transfers in bulk, lading bills, and other title documents. Consequently, UCC eliminates regulations in agency acquisition unnecessarily repeated and paraphrases or restates FAR.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Procurement and acquisitions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It limits these regulations to the necessary guidelines required to implement policies in FAR and the procedures within the agency in question. Model Procurement Code (MPC) involves the statutory formations and guidance in policy for controlling and managing supplies procurement, construction and services, and enhances public satisfaction ( Jordan, 2009). Supply chain management includes optimization and the oversight in acquiring various inputs that necessitates purchasing and conversion of raw materials into finished products. Ideally, such initiatives play a vital role in enhancing the optimization of various outputs in enhancing planning. FAR enhances planning of acquisitions as one has to list down all potential considerations, buying rules, material handling rules as well as transportation of official supplies and equipment rules have to be followed strictly. The Purchasing and Supply Management Department and the Legal Department have adopted the use of lawyers where the legal experts advise on some complex aspects. The common legislation undertaken includes interpreting complex legislation, providing guidance as well as advising on precedence and drafting of terms and conditions regarding contracts. They have also to ensure that each state follows its purchasing law rules. Such an example is the state of Missis sippi which has rules for purchase figure starting from purchases not exceeding $3500.00 (Jordan, 2009). The Federal Acquisition Regulations requires that the Federal agencies should influence the acquisitions of the various agencies in fostering markets in order to enhance sustainable materials, technologies, services, and products. Federal agencies are normally required to enhance implementation of high-performance through sustainable construction, repair, renovation, maintenance, and management. In addition, the organization should consider deconstruction practices that will ensure reliability and efficient distribution of resources. Contractors in the organization will ensure that the agency’s goals are, ultimately, achieved. Each inventory shall contain a complete and accurate record of all controlled substances on hand on the date the inventory is taken, and shall be maintained in written, typewritten, or printed form at the registered location. An inventory taken by us e of an oral recording device must be promptly transcribed.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) incorporates effective planning strategies that enhances planning and distribution of resources. This will ensure effective utilization of resources in the manufacturing company. It looks at operational planning in terms of units as well as financial planning. In addition, it is capable of answering the questions of â€Å"what-if† during the process of simulation, and ensures that the extension that regards closed-loop MRP can be utilized effectively. Purchasing and procurement also denotes a function of, as well as, the responsibility in procuring supplies, materials and services (Johnstone, 2006). Cost-based pricing only looks at the product cost. This can lead to a decline in sales especially where consumers ar e not concerned about the price but focus on other aspects such as product design or quality. Market-based pricing always leads to miscalculations especially for firms which have not stayed in that particular market for a long time. The basis of consumer’s value-pricing may be different from the firm’s basis. For example, the firm could be basing its judgment on quality while consumers look at quality. On the other hand, Life cycle pricing is based on the stage of life cycle of the product. Most consumers are ignorant of this stage and may deem themselves overcharged at some point. Segmented pricing segregates the market or products and prices products differently. This is a limitation when consumers get information from other consumers (Johnstone, 2006). Customer-driven pricing is a situation where the market forces of demand from customers determines equilibrium prices in the market. In contrary, competition-driven pricing is where entities raise or reduce their pric es based on their competitor’s price. This has often led to price games between competing firms. However, both of these have an effect on the buying organization’s willingness and ability to purchase a good or service. For example, consumers could put their level at a price below the purchase price, leading to that product becoming a cash-cow and its purchase abandoned. Large companies issue mandates that force compliance and do not offer smaller partners the active role of improving. Supply chain managers exist to solve this problem. As a supply chain manager, one is compelled to keep a constant relationship between suppliers and company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Procurement and acquisitions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These professionals are not supposed to reveal confidential information to suppliers. An instance is payment delay information in the cash conversion cycle which could lead to bad firm-supplier relationship in future if revealed. Such is an example of the gate-keeping role of supply and management professionals. Supply chain professionals influence the firm’s decision on purchases and thus indirectly influence the firm as decision-makers on product and supplier selection as well as price acceptance. References Johnstone, N. (2006). The Environmental Performance of Public Procurement: Issues of Policy Coherence, London: OECD Publishing Jordan, D. (2009). Free Course Book for Course 3: Statutory Law and Intelligence 2011, London: Routledge

14 Weirdest College Christmas Trees

14 Weirdest College Christmas Trees It’s not that college students don’t love Christmas or take it seriously. That’s not the case at all. The issue is that due to financial restraints some people are forced to get creative. Like a Marine, they must adapt and overcome, and use whatever they have at their disposal. What you end up with are these 14 weirdest college Christmas trees. 1. An Elaborately Decorated Traffic Cone Hey, it’s kind of the same shape as a tree, right? They’re handy and sitting in the road, or perhaps half buried in dirt in the front lawn. Why not just grab some tape, a string of lights and maybe a roll of dental floss and voila, Christmas Cone Tree. 2. The Almighty Beer Bottle Christmas Tree Many have tried, but few succeed. In reality, pulling off an impressive beer bottle tree is hard to do. How many college kids does it take? No one knows yet. Search around the net though and you’ll discover the beer-tree creation is a science (should be a degree option). 3. A Majestically Stacked Pizza Box Tree There’s at least 30 of them all stacked neatly in the corner behind the thing (otherwise known as the love seat sofa), so why not put them to good use? It all comes down to stacking, super glue and then all the many adornments laying around the house. 4. The Keg Tree You’ll need about 20 kegs to pull off a monster keg tree. Stacking them is simple and then decoration is cake walk. Lights galore, and to finish it off perhaps a single light within a Jgermeister bottle (festive green of course)? 5. Walk Outside Grab a Twig When all else fails simply walk outside, grab the nearest branch with foliage still clinging to it (Pine is ideal) and then stick it a bottle, tac it to a wall, or whatever it takes. That right there is a classic dorm room tree, worth of center window placement. 6. The Textbook Tree What else are they good for? Plus, they’re heavy and won’t be missed, unlike the pizza boxes. You can use them to hold lights in place but getting ornaments to hang from them is a bit tricky. 7. Traffic Cone + Branch Tree Combining a traffic cone with a branch is another epic strategy for the â€Å"staying on-campus this year† Christmas student. Like putting peanut butter and bananas together, it just works. 8. Blowup Dino-Tree They’re green with spots and come with plenty of things to hang thing from. Plus, the plastic is thick enough to where you can tape all kinds of festive things (popcorn strings anyone?) on them. Who doesnt love a quality blowup Dino-tree? 9. Air freshener from a Stick Tree Grab one of those timeless, and fresh scented, air fresheners that already come in the shape of a Christmas tree and dangle it from a stick. In college you have to be open minded. Where you might see an air freshener hanging on a string from a stick, the roomies consider it the equivalent to Time Square’s Christmas tree. Lighting it is a problem though. 10. The Disappearing Dorm Hall Tree It’s there one minute and then quite suddenly it disappears. What’s with that? Doesn’t it defeat the purpose? In case you’re wondering, we’re attempting to get you to infer that the tree was stolen. It happens every year, but every year the dorms have to have their own trees. 11. Any Tree Made in The Lab If the tree was concocted or conjured up in a lab on or off campus, then it definitely belongs in this list. If the person creating the tree is wearing protective eye goggles or even a torch mask, then chances are it could end up being more of a hazard than anything else. 12. Toaster + Branch If there’s never any toast around anyway, why not put it to good use. Hey, it plugs in and they can hold not one but two small Christmas Tree twigs without a problem. 13. Thumb Tacs + Short Light String This is for the more artistic Christmas lovers out there. You buy a string of Christmas lights and then use thumb tacs to put it on the wall in the shape of a tree. If the wall paper is green, or festive, then that right there is an epic tree. 14. Christmas Tree Ladder Like the traffic cone, ladders come pre-molded for use as Christmas trees. Throw a green blanket around it, tape some lights into it, maybe even some tinsel and you’re golden! These are some of our favorites, but we know there’s so many more fabulous trees. The lengths that some of us will go to celebrate the Christmas spirit never ceases to amaze. If you still dont know how to celebrate Christmas, here youll find amazing Christmas party ideas. How about it, what kinds of weird Christmas trees have you seen or created?

French Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

French Language - Essay Example Although Standard French has in fact undergone centuries of human intervention and language planning, popular opinion, however, contends that Standard French should consist solely of the rulings by the Acadmie franaise in France, or in standardization from terminological work by the Office qubcois de la langue franaise in Quebec. There is further perceived or actual linguistic hegemony in favor of France by virtue of tradition, former imperialism, and a demographic majority. Such notions hinge on linguistic prestige rather than on a linguistic norm. Also, despite the existence of many regional varieties of French in the Francophone world, Standard French is normally chosen as a model for learners of French as a foreign or second language. The standard pronunciation of Metropolitan French is, out of concerns for comprehension or social stigma, sometimes favored over other standard national pronunciations when teaching French to non-native speakers in Francophone nations other than Fra nce. Though the French complain about the incursion of English into their language, they don't fight it nearly as much as French-speaking Canadians do. Whereas stop signs in France say stop, their Qubcois counterparts say arrt. Le week-end in France is known as la fin de semaine in Qubec. And of course, the word chosen to replace "email" in France was the Qubcois term courriel. Thus Canadians feel that their French is actually better than that spoken in France and should be the standard. Therefore, French-Canadians have started a petition to have their French become the standard by which all other variations are measured. Jean Charest, Premier of Qubec, had this to say: Au Qubec, on parle franais. Notre langue n'est pas un petit dialecte franco-canadien et elle n'est pas remplie de franglais comme le franais hexagonal. Nous insistons dsormais que notre franais, c'est la norme. (In Qubec, we speak French. Our language is not some "French-Canadian" dialect, and it's not full of franglais like the French in France. We insist that from now on our French is the standard.) (french.about.com/od/francophonie/a/4_1_05a.htm - 24k - Cached) French (Franais) is a Romance language spoken in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (principally Quebec), northern New England (especially the state of Vermont), the state of Louisiana and in many other countries and regions formerly or currently governed by France. It is an official language of more than 25 countries. French is spoken as a mother language by 72,000,000 people and as a second language by some other 52,000,000. It is one of the five official languages of the United Nations. Origin and History French dialects developped from the Vulgar Latin which was brought to Northern Gaul with the Roman conquest in the 1st century B.C. (see Rome). The history of French language is divided into 6 main periods:

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne Essay

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne - Essay Example Symbolism, most of which is spiritual, is used throughout the story to show the downfall of the once-holy community, including Goodman Brown. Faith is a symbol unto herself, from her name to the pink ribbons that she wore in her hair. As Goodman Brown sets out to meet with the devil, he talks himself into giving up such a horrid life for the sake of Faith. Whenever he thinks about the evil deed at hand, he allows his mind to turn back to Faith. This can be taken in two ways - Faith, as in his wife, and faith, as in his religious beliefs. Faith, his wife, is a personification of Goodman Brown’s spiritual faith. He does not want to live a life of evil, but one of good, religious faith. As such, Faith symbolizes Brown’s desire to live a religiously fulfilling life while also, while also wanting to remain good for the sake of his wife. Faith’s ribbons symbolizes Faith and her purity. The ribbons are pink, a color often associated with purity and innocence. As she say s goodbye to her husband as he leaves, Brown takes notice of the pink ribbons in her cap. At this moment in the story, Faith is pure and innocent. However, as Brown is wandering through the forest towards the evil gathering, he thinks he hears her voice, calls out to her, and then notices one of her pink ribbons falling from the sky. Since the ribbons symbolize purity, then as Faith loses her ribbons, she also loses her purity.

Rbv2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rbv2 - Research Paper Example John Lewis too experienced negative sales and at one point in the year 2009 it was below the average of the British Retail Consortium. During this time, John Lewis experienced a serious fundamental difficulty in the UK market. Even though the company had a massive rational affinity, its emotional affinity as well popularity was dwindling. The result was that the retail shop underwent a period of relatively low share of the wallet of its target customer. For the past few years, John Lewis has developed and implemented an assortment of resources aimed at giving it a competitive advantage over other retail shops in the industry. (Barney, 1991) in the Resource Based Review (RBV) argues that companies and organisations should put more investment on the capabilities and resources that they deem, able to propel them towards achieving a sustainable and realistic competitive advantage hence boosting their performance. Resources can be defined as stocks of available factors owned by a firm (Amit et al, 1993). On the other hand, ‘capabilities’ is defined as the ease of an organization to coordinate different tasks while using the available resources to attain a set objective (Helfat et al, 2003). John Lewis developed a more sophisticated e-commerce website that has advanced functionalities and services than those of its competitors. The company management ensures the online store is frequently updated with product information as it may appeal to potential customers. Additionally, John Lewis embarked on a serious online campaign and social network marketing. For instance in Dec 2009 basically the Christmas period, the company introduced more sectional and emotional ads that generated huge leads to back to the online store as well as physical store visits. Its ad campaign named ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ has made the company to outperform in the UK

Recruitment and retention plan for entry level officers Research Paper

Recruitment and retention plan for entry level officers - Research Paper Example Recruitment means evaluating the psychological profile, mental ability and physical conditioning of a candidate. Once an applicant is selected, they undergo training and further evaluation to assure the capacity to perform up to rigorous standards of duty. Important to the process is a retention element. Keeping good employees saves the effort to find new ones. In conclusion, the recruitment process must be vigorous and detailed in order to attract, train and keep the best candidates for these vital and potentially dangerous positions of public trust. Recruitment Plan: Police Department Service The police service is looked upon as the source of a highly important helpful activity- the protection of life and liberty. Thus, a successful recruitment plan must overcome any recruit’s perceived career limitations with the following incentives: a purposeful job, a stimulating set of responsibilities, a collegial working environment, reasonable pay and benefits, opportunities for care er advancement, and job security. (Bailey, 1995, p. 513) The key to a successful recruitment plan is to attract the most qualified candidates.

Eating my favorite fruit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eating my favorite fruit - Essay Example Mango comes in a mixture of varied colours ranging from yellowish orange, to those that are yellowish green with a tinge of red at the top. It is really amazing to know that there are more than four hundred varieties of mangoes in the world. The surprising thing is that each and every variety of mangoes tends to have a shape, colour, size and flavour of its own that makes this fruit really unique. Seeing the varied varieties of mangoes displayed in the market place is really a feast for the eyes. While buying a mango one must look to it that the fruit has a fine leathery surface that is intact and unbroken. One must never buy the mangoes that have a broken or tampered skin. One must also touch and feel the fruit to assure that it is neither too hard, nor too soft and pulpy. If a mango is too hard it means that it is yet not ready to be eaten. On the contrary, too soft a mango means that it is not fresh. A sweet fruity smell coming from a mango is suggestive of the fact that the fruit is ripe and fresh, and fit to be consumed. It also takes tact to prepare a mango for eating. One must slice the fruit from its round end, exposing the soft yellowish flesh that is full of juice. Once this is done one can scoop out the yellowish flesh with a spoon from a slice and eat the sweet, aromatic and juicy pulp. And take care not to make loud, slurping noises while eating the fruit. The interesting thing about mangoes is that one can also prepare a variety of cuisines from them. Like any other fruit, mangoes could be added to cakes, tarts, puddings, custards and ice creams to lend a rich and savoury flavour to them. One could also prepare delicious and nourishing mango shake, by blending mangoes with milk and sugar. In my opinion mangoes must be eaten when they are fresh, as the fruit is bound to lose its taste and aroma if kept for a few days. I make it a point to buy only the fresh mangoes, having just the right texture, firmness and aroma. I am

How will the Professional MBA program prepare you for your chosen Scholarship Essay

How will the Professional MBA program prepare you for your chosen career path - Scholarship Essay Example roduce me to a broad spectrum of opportunities such as pursuing of an entrepreneurial route, progress for my business, handling new and challenging responsibilities and utilizing others such as marketing where my desire lies. This would ensure I achieve a wide array of knowledge base, insights and boost my poise to operate successfully in all environments. Most business executives in the corporate world with MBA degrees are embellished with high levels of responsibility and seniority within their job description. Coupled with my degree in criminal justice, the MBA degree will guarantee flexibility and fluidity in changing of career paths in order to exploit new opportunities hitherto underutilized. It will also to appreciate the complexities involved in business, bolster the practice of law and initiate conversance with the laws governing commerce. This diversity will put me up to date with the goings on in the world of business hence better decision making when it comes to issues of

Eating my favorite fruit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eating my favorite fruit - Essay Example Mango comes in a mixture of varied colours ranging from yellowish orange, to those that are yellowish green with a tinge of red at the top. It is really amazing to know that there are more than four hundred varieties of mangoes in the world. The surprising thing is that each and every variety of mangoes tends to have a shape, colour, size and flavour of its own that makes this fruit really unique. Seeing the varied varieties of mangoes displayed in the market place is really a feast for the eyes. While buying a mango one must look to it that the fruit has a fine leathery surface that is intact and unbroken. One must never buy the mangoes that have a broken or tampered skin. One must also touch and feel the fruit to assure that it is neither too hard, nor too soft and pulpy. If a mango is too hard it means that it is yet not ready to be eaten. On the contrary, too soft a mango means that it is not fresh. A sweet fruity smell coming from a mango is suggestive of the fact that the fruit is ripe and fresh, and fit to be consumed. It also takes tact to prepare a mango for eating. One must slice the fruit from its round end, exposing the soft yellowish flesh that is full of juice. Once this is done one can scoop out the yellowish flesh with a spoon from a slice and eat the sweet, aromatic and juicy pulp. And take care not to make loud, slurping noises while eating the fruit. The interesting thing about mangoes is that one can also prepare a variety of cuisines from them. Like any other fruit, mangoes could be added to cakes, tarts, puddings, custards and ice creams to lend a rich and savoury flavour to them. One could also prepare delicious and nourishing mango shake, by blending mangoes with milk and sugar. In my opinion mangoes must be eaten when they are fresh, as the fruit is bound to lose its taste and aroma if kept for a few days. I make it a point to buy only the fresh mangoes, having just the right texture, firmness and aroma. I am

Blue Shield 65 Plus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Blue Shield 65 Plus - Assignment Example This study declares that similar to other Medicare companies, Blue Shield 65 Plus caters to people ages 65 and above who are considered as senior citizens, and people below 65 years old with specific disabilities. Moreover, the aim of the communication of Blue Shield 65 Plus is to give out information to the market. It aims to persuade the consumers, and prospective market to enroll in its Medicare plans. According to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in order to realize the purpose of a Medicare company’s communication, which includes Blue Shield 65 Plus, it must include in its advertisements the extra benefits and the savings the customers may get while enrolled in the plan. The approach of the ads must be simple and properly articulated for easy understanding. Also, the coverage of the plan on prescription drugs of the plan is also essential. Moreover, it is also advantageous that the advertisements include the customers’ freedom to choose and change his or her doctor and that there is no need to refer to a specialist. Lastly, the communication must include that Blue Shield 65 Plus is a brand that can be trusted in terms of the services that it provides. Moreover, it is important to bear in mind that the advertisement messages must be properly formulated for it to serve its optimum purpose. The message must be looked at in a manner of how it is conveyed, the structure, and its content. It is highly recommended that Blue Shield 65 Plus must continue advertising in television due to the fact that most of the seniors perceive television as their number one source of information.  

Employment responsibilities Essay Example for Free

Employment responsibilities Essay Understand employment responsibilities and rights in health, social care or children and young people’s settings. Outcome 1 know the statutory responsibilities and rights of employees and employers within own area of work 1 Health safety, minimum wage, working hours, equality 2 – Health Safety at Work Act 1974: An act put in place to look after the health, safety and welfare of people at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of people at work. Equality Act 2010: This act legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace. Employment Rights Act 1996: This act explains what rights employees have in a place of work. For example, time off work, guaranteed wages, dismissal and redundancy. 3 – To protect employees against circumstances they may face in their working lives. Every person who works for an employer is protected from discrimination in the workplace, has the right to receive the national minimum wage, and to work no more than 48 hours per week unless they wish to. These employee rights apply regardless of whether the employee or worker is temporary, fixed-term or permanent, or how long they have worked for the employer. These laws provide rules and regulations that must be followed. 4 – Sources and types of information and advice available can be, speaking directly to managers, reading policies and procedures, looking on the internet (direct.gov.uk) , going to a citizen advice bureau or joining a union. Outcome 2 – understand agreed ways of working that protect own relationship with employer 1 – My contract of employment at Crown House covers the following : job title, probationary period, place of work, pay, deductions, hours of work,  overtime, time recording, short time working and lay off, annual holidays, public holidays, sick pay, alcohol and drug testing, pension, notice and garden leave. 2 – My payslip includes the following information: company name, department, payment method, payment period, payments, hours, rate, amount, deductions (PAYE tax, National Insurance, Pension), totals, week/month, date, department number, tax code, employee number, employee name and net total. 3 – If you have a grievance relating to your employment, you should in the first instance raise this with the manager. If the grievance cannot be settled informally, you must set out the grievance and the basis for it in writing and submit it to the Area Manager. 4- Personal information that must be kept up to date with own employer can include : change of name, marital status, change of address, any medical conditions that may affect work, any medication prescribed that may affect work and any altercations with the police must be admitted. 5 – Agreed ways of working includes policies and procedures, which may cover areas such as: Data protection – how confidential files relating to staff or service users are stored in cupboards where access is only given if needed. Conflict management – if there is any conflict between staff members this should be bought to the attention of the manager and he/she should try to resolve this professionally. Anti-discriminatory practise staff and service users will not be discriminated regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnic background or disability. Health and safety – staff should wear appropriate clothing, for example flat shoes and covered up. It is staffs responsibility to report any health and  safety issues they may come across, whether it be broken equipment or maintenance needed within the building. Equality and diversity – staff and service users must be treated equally but not all the same. Opportunities should not be missed just because somebody may need extra support to do something. For example, if a sensory room is upstairs and somebody cannot manage the stairs for whatever reason, help should be given (lift, stair lift) so that person can access the room. Outcome 3 – Understand how own role fits within the wider context of the sector 1 – My job description is to provide centred focused care to service users. To provide opportunities for service users to increase their knowledge and experience, to encourage them to maintain present skills and learn new ones, and to enable them to gain more control over their lives. To manage and minimise behaviours as best as possible. To ensure the four key principles of the ‘Valuing People’ document are adhered to at all times ‘Rights’ ‘Independence’ ‘Choice’ and ‘Inclusion’. General and administration duties. ** Important: this is not exhaustive and is subject to review in line with the changing needs of the unit and/or the needs of the service users. 2 Positive Negative Accessing community and participating in activities of enjoyment People may be at risk to themselves and others (staff, members of public) Gives the company a good name Service users not motivated, become lazy Improves service users development and remain stimulated Behaviours may be displayed often Keep service users safe Gives the company a bad reputation 3 – Other people in which staff need to communicate with will include, but  are not limited to, the following: Residential homes – to find out how the service user has been at home (behaviours, illness), let them of know of any lunch requirements (picnics, cooked lunch), ensure money is sent in for planned activities, make sure the service user is dressed appropriately for planned activities. Speech and Language Therapists – to assess, monitor and review a service users eating and swallowing if any problems have been noticed and reported, to offer help with communication aids and techniques. Mental health team – attend regular appointments with service users to see how they are, is medication working? Any new problems/obsessions? How mood has been? (agitated, confused, depressed) Any behaviour triggers? 4 – CQC are regulators for all health and social care services in Enlgand. A regulator is an organisation that checks services meet the government’s standards or rules about care. They also look after the rights of people who need extra support to stay safe. This includes people who are kept in care under a law called the Mental Health Act. The government’s standards cover all areas of care. These rules are about things like: respecting people and treating them in the way we all expect to be treated. making sure people receive the food and drink they need. giving people care in clean, safe buildings. managing services and having the right staff. CQC put care services on their register if they meet the standards, or act quickly if they do not. They continue to use different information to find out as much as they can about services. Information from the public about their experiences of care is very important to CQC. They also work with local groups and people who use services to find out what’s working well and what’s working badly in health and social care services in their area. Inspectors check services all over England to make sure they meet the rules for safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care. Care services, and other organisations like the NHS, also give CQC information about certain things that happen. For example, they will check a service if more people are dying there than usual. They act quickly to stop unsafe services or bad ways of working. They say what needs to change and go back to check things are better. CQC can also fine people or companies, give  services a public warning, stop the service caring for any new people, stop a service caring for people while they find out what is happening and even shut services down. Outcome 4 – Understand career pathways available within own related sectors 1 – To be a care home manager you would need the following qualifications * at least two years’ senior management or supervisory experience in a relevant care setting within the past five years * a qualification appropriate to the care you will be providing, such as NVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care, a degree in social work or nursing (with live registration) * a management qualification, such as NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management for Care Services (which replaces the Registered Managers Award (RMA)) or equivalent like a Diploma in Management Studies, or a Management NVQ Level 4 . To be a nurse you would need the following qualifications – around 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) of Grade C and above including English Literature or Language, Mathematics and a science subject. to take a nursing degree courses you will normally need at least 2 A-Level s or equivalent. all nurse training is done by universities. They offer nursing diplomas or degrees which take three years to complete. The diplomas however are being phased out and most universities are moving to degree only in September 2011 – all universities must move to degree only by September 2013 to work as a nurse in the United Kingdom you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The title Registered Nurse is only given to you when you have that registration. To be a social worker you would need the following qualifications – a three-year undergraduate degree or a two-year postgraduate degree in social work that is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Many university courses are full-time, although some work-based routes with part-time study may also be available. You will typically need the following qualifications in order to study for an undergraduate degree in social work: five GCSEs (A-C) including English and maths  at least two A levels, or an equivalent qualification such as a BTEC National  Diploma or NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care. You should check entry requirements, as colleges and universities may accept alternatives like an Access to Higher Education or substantial relevant work experience (paid or voluntary). If you already have a degree, you could do a two-year postgraduate Masters degree in social work. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ When you apply for social work training, you should ideally already have some paid or voluntary experience in a social work or care setting. You will also need to pass background checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Previous convictions or cautions may not automatically prevent you from this type of work. 2 – In order to become a Deputy Manager of a day service such as Crown House, I would speak to my current manager and find out all the information I needed to know. I could also get in contact with the companies head office and if need be any training providers. 3 – The next steps in my career pathway are as follows Any refresher training to update my knowledge and remind me what I learnt last time, this will include NAPPI training. Attend first aid course and SOVA course annually Complete NVQ level 3 by December 2015 Mental health training by June 2016 Outcome 5 – Understand how issues of public concern may affect the image and delivery of services in the sector 1 – The following are cases where the public have raised concerns regarding issues within the care sector: Winterbourne View Baby P Ash Court Fiona Chisholm Orme House 2 – Abuse took place at Winterbourne View, a hospital for patients with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours in Gloucestershire. A Panorama investigation broadcast on television in 2011, exposed the physical and psychological abuse suffered by people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour at the hospital. Local social services and the English national regulator (Care Quality Commission) had received various warnings but the mistreatment continued. One senior nurse reported his concerns to the management at Winterbourne View and to CQC, but his complaint was not taken up. The footage showed staff repeatedly assaulting and harshly restraining patients under chairs. Staff gave patients cold punishment showers, left one outside in near zero temperatures, and poured mouthwash into anothers eyes. They pulled patients hair and forced medication into patients mouths. Victims were shown screaming and shaking, and one patient was seen trying to jump out of a second floor window to escape the torment, and was then mocked by staff members. One patient was repeatedly poked in the eyes. A clinical psychologist who reviewed the footage described the abuse as torture. On 21 June 2011, 86 people and organisations wrote to the Prime Minister, David Cameron about the revelations, We are aware of the various actions currently being taken within and outside government – such as the DH review and CQC internal inquiry. We hope to make submissions to those both individually and collectively. However, on their own these will not be enough and a clear programme is needed to achieve change. The prime minister responded saying he was â€Å"appalled† at the â€Å"catalogue of abuses† Panorama uncovered. In June 2011 the Association of Supported Living issued a press statement, which was followed up in writing to every member of parliament in the United Kingdom, calling for community based supported living services to replace institutional services for people with learning disabilities. The Daily Mail said Without the investigation by the BBCs Panorama, given huge coverage in the Mail, the abuse of patients at Winterbourne View might be continuing to this day. As it is, the secure hospital and two other care  homes have been shut down, 11 guilty staff have been brought to justice – and a devastating report now exposes the serial failings of the local NHS, police and health watchdogs. For the past year, the Leveson Inquiry has focused relentlessly on the failings of the media. Never let it be forgotten how much this country owes, in the fight against cruelty and corruption, to its free Press. The Daily Telegraph said, It is impossible to read the details of what went on at Winterbourne View, a care home for the severely disabled in Gloucestershire, without feeling repelled. In the wake of an exposà © from the BBCs Panorama, 11 members of staff were convicted of almost 40 charges of neglect and ill treatment of those in their care. The national regulator, the CQC did a nationwide check on facilities owned by the same company, Castlebeck Care – as a result three more institutions have been closed. The CQC reported a systemic failure to protect people or to investigate allegations of abuse and said that Castlebeck Care had misled the health watchdog. The CQC also inspected 132 similar institutions and a Serious Case Review was commissioned. The head of the Care Quality Commission resigned ahead of a critical government report, a report in which Winterbourne View was cited. Mencap published a report warning that similar abuse could be going on elsewhere and calling for the closure of all large institutions far from peoples families. Eleven people pleaded guilty to criminal offences of neglect or abuse as a result of evidence from Undercover Care and six of them were jailed. Immediately after the eleventh person pleaded guilty, the Serious Case Review was published, revealing hundreds of previous incidents at the hospital and missed warnings. 3 The public seems to have lost faith in such regulators and companies as this has been reocurring for a number of years. The media have issued a lot of publicity stating how care companies, social services and regulators have let the victims down by simply not taking these cases seriously enough and ensuring the well-being and standards are being met. The public may feel  reluctant to use the care services to look after their family members. These issues also give the care sector a bad reputation. 4 – Recent changes in service delivery which have affected own area of work includes staff being supervised and appraised on a regular basis, changes to medication being administered, NAPPI training to prevent forceful restraining, ensuring incident/accident forms are completed correctly and signed by witnesses if needed and up to date training, policies and procedures.

African Minkisi and American Culture Essay -- essays research papers

African Minkisi and American Culture I. Introduction African Minkisi have been used for hundreds of years in West Central Africa, This area where they are traditionally from was once known as the kingdom of Kongo, when Europeans started settling and trading with the BaKongo people. Kongo was a well-known state throughout much of the world by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The BaKongo, however, had probably long used minkisi before ethnographers and anthropologists ever recorded them. Minkisi are complex items that are used to heal and to harm people, and there is no equivalent term for nkisi in any European language. A seventeenth century Dutch geographer first wrote of the nkisi, and said that, â€Å"These Ethiopians [that is, the BaKongo] call moquisie [minkisi] everything in which resides, in their opinion, a secret and incomprehensible virtue to do them good or ill, and to reveal event of past and future† (Williams, 13). The term illness, in this context, is quite different than what we refer to illness. Illne ss, to the BaKongo, meant anything from sickness, to loss of property, and the inability to succeed in things like school and work. . â€Å"The perpetual struggle with the unseen forces that cause illness and misfortunes was (and is) called â€Å"war† in Kongo† (MacGaffey, 98). A war is ended when one side of the struggle proves that they have better magic. The objects themselves are extremely complex, and most of them require hours of, â€Å"painstaking labor to construct† (MacGaffey, 33). â€Å"All minkisi, whether in the form of wooden figures, snail shells, raffia bags, or clay pots, are containers for â€Å"medicines† that empowers them† (MacGaffey, 43). â€Å"The usual containers included the shells of large snails, antelope horns, cloth bags, gourds, and clay pots. Although minkisi in museums are usually wooden figurines and statues, containers of this kind may well have been the minority† (MacGaffey, 63). Without medicines, the minki si are nothing, they are not alive, nor can they perform their functions. â€Å"To BaKongo, all exceptional powers result from some sort of communication with the dead† (MacGaffey, 59). Chiefs, witches, diviners/prophets, and magicians could all do this, especially through and with the help of the minkisi. There are rules and ways of doing things with them, to them, that exemplify so many aspects of Kongo cultu... ...t, with a mirror-stoppered cow horn of clairvoyance (vititi mensu), musical instruments used in sacred ritual, and elaborate beaded artwork. A red flag with protective signs hangs on the wall behind the nkisi to protect the altar, its owner and his family from harm. The basic Kongo cosmogram is a cross within a circle, dikenga, that is a symbolic chart of the voyage of the soul. As a miniature of the sun, the soul is thought to have four moments -- birth, efflorescence, fading and the return in the dawn of a coming day. Triangles, diamonds, spirals, or crisscrosses denote this cyclical movement. The soul, which is thought by the Bakongo to reside in the forehead, is often represented in diamond form and can be seen on many African masks. The exhibition includes such masks -- 19th century Punu, Teke (Tsaaye), and Chokwe masks, and a 20th century Vili mask ringed with feathers. In addition, a fully feathered Mardi gras "Wild Man" costume from New Orleans, reminiscent of Kongo feather masks and headdresses worn by healers, is a living example of the creolized Kongo traditions found in the United States. http://www.art3st.com/various_pages/faceofthegods.html

Adversity :: Free Essay Writer

" A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities." -Charles DeGaulle This quote couldn't more true , even at the age of seventeen my life has been riddled with adversity. Everything from major health related problems from birth to my father being injured at work and finally my cousin dying from cancer , all have made me realize truly the strength that I possess to carry on. I have overcome and am continuing to overcome many health related issues all of which stem from birth. At birth my esophagus did not attach to my stomach and in order to correct this problem I had to undergo a major operation. This operation resulted in me needing a blood transfusion. Unfortunately in 1983 blood donors were not screened for diseases. I was one of many who contracted both hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B was just jaundice and showed it self soon after the operation. Fortunately Hepatitis C is dormant for now , although it is thought around the age of thirty the true disease takes hold. There is always that daunting reality that eventually I will need a new liver. Another result of my stay in the hospital is my droopy eye caused by an incorrectly inserted IV. In this age of physical beauty and especially being a teenager it has been especially hard for me to not feel that I am inferior to everyone else. As a result of lack of funds my eye will have to wait to be correcte d. My father who has been out of work for three years because of a back injury that has left him in a tremendous amount of pain constantly. This has resulted in not only a financial strain on our family but also a burden of ache that tugs at me. I love my father dearly and it pains me to see him suffering. My parents are divorced and have been for some time, my father lives in California and before his injury I would visit at least two times a year for extended periods of time . Now that he is out of a job for all practical purposes my time with him has been cut to only a summer visit. This has also proved to be quite a emotional hardship , but as with everything else I have forced myself to accept it and to move on.

Soldier analysis

The soldier on the left images looked like he was cheering or almost getting hostile because he is wielding a sword and a gun. Although the soldier that is holding the gun up in the air doesn't have a trigger on the gun, so he may not be a hostile. The figure on the right felt more like a calm soldier ready for an order because he has his rifle down. In class we also analyze the thought bubble above the soldier's head.The left soldier above his head as a complicated and more random line. There is anger or frustration but he may also see things clearly unlike the soldier on the right. The soldier that is more come has more of an organize structure as it will only follow by order unlike the line from the right. An image that I analyze is an ad camping of the issue of banning guns in America. This image has a two side off story. There are two children and they are both set in a gym as a school setting.Two of the children are holding objects but one f the children is holding something th at has been banned in America. The child on the left is holding a dodge ball and the child on the right is holding an assault rifle. The ad message says â€Å"One child is holding something that's been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one. † And a message on the bottom that gave the answer, â€Å"We ban the game dodge ball because it's viewed as being too violent. Why not assault weapons? The ad is giving a statement that a children's activity is being anted because it can hurt other children from playing dodge ball and while a gun can kill a person, if a dodge has been ban in America then guns should be banned because it is also too violent. You can also see children looking worry or innocent, and it could mean that anyone with an innocent face could start a shooting spree. The ad campaign is probably a direct message for adults, not everyone young generation has played dodge ball, but older adults have in their childhood but never worrying about their own cla ssmates shooting someone.

Single Mom and Going Back to School

Single Mom and Going Back To School I am in my mid-thirties and going back to school. I would have to say that my children are the primary reason behind this decision. I am their role model and teacher and I intend to be the best one possible. I want to show my children the endless possibilities of hard honest work. I want to send them to college and live comfortably. Throughout my personal experience, I have learned that anything is possible even while I am balancing a family, multi jobs and school. Once I left high school in 1992, I attended the Sawyer School for Business.With class to finish, I found out that I was pregnant and having problems. Because of my pregnancy problems, I had to leave school. I didn’t graduate because I was not able to complete that one class. After, that I had no motivation to go back to school; a decision I always regretted. A few years later, I got married and had a beautiful baby girl named Dominique. Now, she is eighteen and graduated high scho ol. I got divorced and went from working at a factory making curtains to being a security guard at the Convention center in Providence.At this time of my life, I thought to myself, â€Å"I could afford to go back and my kids need me†. Then, I met my boyfriend and two and a half years later, I was pregnant with my second daughter Selena; and she is now twelve and in the sixth grade in middle school. After having Selena, I went from driving a school bus to being a police dispatcher for the Bristol Police Department. After working there for two years, I thought to myself, â€Å"I can’t work the third shift and working as a police dispatcher was a very stressful job†.So, I applied at the main office for the school department to become a secretary, although they were only hiring a sub-secretary. I immediately took the job; I wasn’t even considering school. Then, a few months passed and I was pregnant again with a beautiful baby boy named Dennis. Dennis is now six years old and in kindergarten. When he was born, I really did not have a job in mind, so I decided to start my own business by cleaning houses. This was the perfect job for me at the time because having a newborn, a six year old, and a twelve year old was a lot of work.It was very convenient for me to start house cleaning because I chose my hours. I was working two to three hours a day and was still available for my kids. At this point of my life that I still couldn’t go back to school. One day, I decided to apply for a job on the third shift because I needed the extra money and it would be convenient for my kids and I. Working at Atria in Portsmouth required me to tend to elderly people. The most important thing to me is caring for the residence.I enjoyed working there so much and it made me think that I could go back to school to become a CNA, or even become a nurse. During the summer of 2012, I thought, â€Å"What am I doing with my life? † I was cleaning houses and taking care of the elderly. I suddenly realized that my girls were older and my son was in kindergarten; it’s the perfect opportunity for me to accomplish my dream. So, I figured out my schedule so I would have plenty of time for work, school and my two youngest children.Finally, I thought to myself that I can go to school, get a degree, and maybe take my kids on vacation. Advice from one single mom to another single mom anything is possible if you have the heart and mind set. First, you need to decide what you want to do for a career. Second, find out where you can get help financially. Third, find a safe place for your children. Therefore, I know it makes me feel good that I am showing my kids that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it.

Relative ethics Essay

Relative ethics is where decisions are made with the circumstances in mind. For instance the culture and traditions of the place, the individuals, and society. Examples of relative ethics is utilitarianism and situation ethics. Relative ethics can be seen to be a fair approach to decision making because it is tolerant of different values, it is more realistic that nothing is right or wrong, it is more open to atheists, and is considers emotions as important. However it is more complex and makes decisions harder, it can be used as an excuse to act in an immoral way, it implies that we should not have laws and it does not protect worldwide human rights. Relative ethics is tolerant of different cultures. For example just because in one place it is considered wrong for women to have an education in one country e.g. Islamic countries, it doesn’t mean that in the UK women should not have an education. The UK is not morally superior and should not try to implement its own morals on any other country. This may seem fair in one way but it actually means that any act can be acceptable and doesn’t protect our human rights, sexism is wrong and women should never be discriminated against no matter their religion. Some laws need to be absolute. Someone in a different country may claim that for example kidnap and torture are part of their culture, but we know this is wrong. Relative ethics can be seen as fair because in it there are no absolute objective rights or wrongs. The right thing to do depends on the situation. For example, if a woman stole food out of greed then it would be wrong. However if she stole food to feed her starving children then this is right. It is fairer than absolute ethics because an absolutist would say that the woman shouldn’t steal even if he children are dying of starvation. Obviously, this is wrong and so the relativist view if a fairer approach to decision making The idea that there are no objective rights or wrongs can make relative decision making a slow process. In Utilitarianism, the consequences of each option have to be predicted and consequences. When each individual situation has to be considered, it can cause complications and ensuring every person gets a good result is difficult. Some may argue that the time it takes to make a decision about the morality of an act is causes those involved more suffering and is unjust. In conclusion I think that relative ethics is the best approach to making fair ethical decisions. However, I believe that some actions are wrong no matter the culture or time or individual. For example, discrimination is always wrong and torture of innocents and kidnapping is wrong. Despite this, relative ethics is tolerant of all cultures and does not believe that in any situations that one persons or country’s morals are superior to anothers.

Women And Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women And Slavery - Essay Example Slaves were owned by their masters, having no rights of their own. They were subject to brutal punishments often for false or whimsical reasons, depending upon the desire or mood of the master who owned them. Men were beaten and often killed by their masters for unavoidable human error. Deliberate offenses were punished by cruel torture, such as being left in the hot sun while restrained by a stock, after being beaten and horsewhipped on a bare back. â€Å"Patrollers† were men assigned to riding on horseback through areas to check for slaves off the plantations; runaways were punished. Both men and women runaways were branded on their cheeks with an R, signifying runaway. Male slaves who attempted to run away were beaten and had their tendons slashed on one leg so they couldn’t walk very well, much less run. Women were often beaten and raped by their masters to satisfy their base natures or to provide some form of entertainment; children were born of these events, were owned, like livestock. The slaves were frequently traded and sold in the open market at designated marketplaces. They were chained together and displayed in a public place. Each potential buyer would examine the slave they were interested in as livestock; the body, attitude, and minimal history of each slave was considered. Slaves social and work history were recorded along with their trade records; for example, it would list the name of the slave, the amount of pervious purchase, any significant social history, such as violence or mental instability, with the current asking price; often these histories were inaccurate. It was rare that families were allowed to remain together; each person being sold piecemeal, although, young children were usually left with their mothers until they were old enough to be useful as servants or laborers. Neighbors and other plantation owners developed a network for trading slaves. They often borrowed each other’s slaves during times of harvest or disaster. Towards the end of the slavery period, slaves, in preparation for transition, would obtain permission to rent themselves out to neighboring plantation owners in order to make money to buy their freedom. The Slave Codes born from the Negro Act of 1740 controlled every detailed aspect of slave life. The children usually wore no clothing until adolescence; then clothing of the poorest quality was distributed once a year by the master, occasionally winter clothing was issued at Christmas. The elderly or physically disabled slaves received nothing extra, neither warm clothing nor shoes. Slaves weren’t allowed to learn to read or write, neither could they assemble together, nor practice folk traditions, customs, or their religion. Plantation slaves often had more of a sense of community, because they usually worked together. They were often managed by a â€Å"driver† who was of their own community; making him responsible for the performance of every slave on the plantation. It often led to disputes among them, as he also had to be the one to deliver the required punishments. On the plantations, slaves lived in cabins they built for themselves; it was often just a lean to shack of one room, urban slaves lived in the attics or back rooms of the master’s home. Slaves lined up weekly, usually on Saturdays, at a central location on the plantation, usually near the area where butchering was done to receive their weekly rations of food; their diets were poor, usually very high in meat fat and starch. They received flour, molasses, peas and beans, lard, cornmeal, and a poor cut of scrap meat. (From this is comes the tradition some companies still have

Research one of the European Union's agencies ( Europol ). Critically Essay

Research one of the European Union's agencies ( Europol ). Critically assess their role and effectiveness - Essay Example Four years later, the EU Member States expanded Europol’s mandate by ratifying the Europol Convention; a treaty that became fully operational in July 1999. The agency, from its seat of power in The Hague, deploys its assets including about 800 officers to combat crime in the whole of Europe (Deflem, 2009). The scope of Europol contradicts the fact that it is in constant cooperation with several law enforcement organisations working within the EU member states. As of 2013, Europol has jurisdiction in all states within the European Union. Nuthall and Paun (2013) have noted that for the agency to effectively curb organised crime across national territories, Europol liaises with several countries and police agencies within EU and neighbouring countries (Emanuel, 1999; Resodihardjo, Eijk and Carroll, 2012). Notably, when there is need to liaise with non-EU members Europol’s Europol External Strategy established the parameters within which the agency should work in its effort to fight organized crime that might compromise the safety of EU citizens (Berdal, & Serrano, 2002). Europol has undergone major transformations over the years to become an EU agency with more powers to gather criminal intelligence and act upon them (Ladenburger, 2008). Today Europol has the full backing of the European Parliament that addresses its budget. History of Europol Europol can be traced to 1975’s TREVI, an internal organization that was responsible for ensuring a better liaison amongst European Commission members on security issues (House of Lords European Union Committee, 2008). In 1993, however, the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty replaced it (Mounier, 2009). Prior to its establishment, Germany had made proposals to the EC, pressing for the establishment of an international police agency. In 1991, the state formally proposed the establishment of a European Police Office in Luxembourg before member states of the EU (Deflem, 2009). And by the end the year, the In tergovernmental Conference was convinced that by establishing Europol under the Maastricht Treaty, the whole of EU region would be more secure. The result was the formation of a rather weak Europol, whose primary purpose was to facilitate the sharing of intelligence amongst police agencies under the European Union (Nuthall, & Paun, 2013; Santiago, 2000). Delays in enacting the Maastricht Treaty prompted TREVI officials to form the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) Agreement in mid-1993 (Mounier, 2009). The EDU, being unconstitutional led to the setting up of a lean team of law enforcers led by Jurgen Storbeck. The team immediately embarked on policing campaigns from temporary structures in a Strasbourg neighbourhood, while lasting solutions were being sought. After the enactment of the Maastricht Treaty, EU member states began to deliberate upon legitimising a Europol Convention. Meanwhile, the mandate of Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) was expanded between 1995 and 1996 to encompass several traffi cking crimes (Gregory, 1998). Back then, police officers could only share information bilaterally, as the establishment of a joint database for the entire EU membership was not possible without the prior passage of the Europol Convention (Andreescut and Keeling, 2012; Byrne, 2013). Eventually, the Europol Convention became functional in late 1998 after its ratification by more than half of the 28 member states. Nonetheless, certain legal issues such as the protection of primary data and

Virtual Classroom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Virtual Classroom - Research Paper Example In modern classrooms, learning has become extremely sophisticated due to implementation of technology in learning. Ideally, almost every aspect of learning has been virtualized. Libraries have been made electronic and traditional libraries only used rarely for rigorous research only. Teacher-student communication has shifted from physical to virtual. Many learning institutions have embraced virtual learning through online modules. The library thesis will consist of the selected topic, review of the literature, a hypothesis will be developed, the variable will be defined, participants will be discussed, measurement instruments will be selected, and data will be collected and analyzed. The results will be interpreted. At the end of this research paper, recommendations regarding virtual classrooms will be provided. Virtual Classroom for Middle School There has been a lot of controversy on whether or not to adopt the system of virtual teaching in K-12 industry. Many factors have contribu ted to this unrelenting debate. In a bid to provide solutions to unequal access to education facilities, many proposals kept coming along. In America, public schools mainly get funds from property tax. This factor makes schools in many developing and prominent neighborhoods benefit. The result is that schools in the rich neighborhood tend to perform better than the poor ones (Jarventaus, 2007). The poor and at-risk students are already struggling with other issues of life and therefore, being at the same level with others may be a mere dream. Certainly, education is the engine of mobility and therefore, embracing new technologies in learning seems to be the way forward in realizing mobility in the modern society. However, due to differences in societal issues affecting education, virtual learning comes in handy albeit with some challenges. In order to standardize learning, should virtual classrooms be adopted? Virtual classroom has both advantages and disadvantages if adopted in an institution. Traditional classroom methods will be compared to the virtual classroom method in hope of shedding more light into the debate on applicability of virtual classrooms especially at lower levels of learning. The question remains if the education system is going towards the right direction with the current technological advancement. Whereas it is possible for students at higher levels of learning to handle the challenges of virtual learning, implementation of virtual learning for grade schools remains a controversy. Therefore, a rigorous approach towards demystifying the controversy needs to be taken, at least to bring clarity into this controversial issue. What are the consequences of embracing virtual classroom technology in lower levels of learning? The controversy here lies on applicability of virtual classroom for students at lower levels of learning. The context of study in this case is in middle school level particularly students between sixth to eighth grade. Lookin g down the history, many can see a situation where learning had to take place in a teacher-student scenario. Learning changed tremendously when technology came up with many ingenious ways to communicate, access information, and disseminate knowledge to students (Cavanaugh, 2009). Seemingly, virtual classroom brought a lot of enthusiasm, as one method that would be time saving and less costly (Jarventaus, 2007

Juvenile Delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile Delinquency - Essay Example Those who will walk in the company of wise will continually be wiser unlike those who seek the counsel of fools. It records that those who seek the latter counsels subsequently suffers from unnecessary harm and afflictions. However, the counsel of just friends only brings happiness, success and blessings to a young man’s life. The book instructs stern warnings against youths who befriend individuals with unjust lifestyles. It advices that youth should not seek heed of the enticements of sinners who persuasively desires to recruit them to immoral and unaccepted actions. Young men are advised to relate wisely with charming women. They should avoid of wicked women who may lead them to a regrettable life. Such women should not entice or control them. Parents should at all times appeal and remind their sons of the instructions of the book of proverbs. They should faithfully teach their children the just ways of God even to be faithful to it. That their sons will not ignore these proverbs counsels in their youths lifestyle. As their children approach their youth’s life, they become independent in their decisions. It’s therefore the Wright counsel that will help them make acceptable decisions and escape the wrath of sin. Parents should therefore instill these instructions to their teenagers at all times even if they tend to rebel. The father should strive to ensure that his son does not give into the control of erroneous mentality of a youthful age. He urges his son to follow the ways of God at all times and avoid the misery of falling in the hands of adulterous women and crime. The path of the son has to be straight as this will deliver him from perversity of evil and walking in darkness. A father should at all times speak of the future life to his son. He must not tell his son of the days of his youth but rather the coming days of his son’s youth. The son will be in a better position and the upright mind to decide correctly

Personality disorders Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personality disorders - Literature review Example s suffering from personality disorder risk obtaining therapeutic nihilism, distancing themselves from their patients, showing absolute rejection to their patients and they might consider their patients as unworthy of their services and resources. The research practitioner further indicates that the relationship between the professional health practitioners and their respective patients has lead to the ultimate decision of suicide. The health workers who are involved in the care and health administration of the people suffering from personality disorder tend to suffer from deaths that are unnatural particularly if they usually offend and intimidate their patients. The result of ill-treatment and intimidation from the social health workers towards their patient’s causes a break of trust and communication between the two parties and this can lead to uncontrollable despise (Smith & Sharp 1994). This research proposal is aimed at analyzing the differences that exists between the people suffering from personality disorder and the relevant medical practitioners that cater for these patients. From different analysis, it is quite evident that these medical practitioners require adequate encouragement in conjunction with positive empowerment for a proper outcome. This research proposal is also aimed at analyzing the different factors that are supposed to govern, promote and increase the positive attitudes of the social workers in ensuring that proper and sufficient care is given to the people suffering from personality disorder (Rutter, Giller & Hagell 1998). The backbone of this research is to illustrate and analyze the relationship that exists or has been inexistence between the people suffering from personality disorder and their medical advisors and on how the improvement between the two can be attained and achieved (Smith & Sharp 1994). The literature review that is illustrated and analyzed below indicates the occurrence, treatment and relationship status of the

Stolen Generation Facts Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Stolen Generation Facts Term Paper Essay â€Å"Indigenous children have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† obtained from the Bringing Them Home Report Who are the Stolen Generations The term ‘stolen generations† is in reference to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed, as children, from their families and communities by government, welfare and affiliated church organisations. These children were systematically placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. Although it can be argued that the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the very first days of European occupation in Australia, the forced removal policies and legislation began in the mid 1800s and continued until the 1970s. There is current discourse in Aboriginal communities supporting the notion that the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities continues to exist today in the form of complexities associated with current government policies and legislation and the over representation of Aboriginal children in out of home care. How and why do we know the forcible removal of Aboriginal children occurred in NSW? New South Wales, along with other Australian state and territory governments have acknowledged past practices and policies of forced removal of Indigenous children on the basis of race. The Bringing Them Home Report, commissioned by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and presented to the Australian government in 1997 came out of the HREOC National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. This report was central to documenting evidence relating to the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in NSW and Australia wide. This report contains extensive evidence of past practices and policies which resulted in the removal of children. It also details the conditions into which many of the children were placed and discusses the negative impact this has had on individuals, their families and the broader Indigenous community. The Bringing Them Home Report (1997, p. 651) extensively suggested 53 detailed recommendations to the Council of Australian Governments. For further information on the Bringing Them Home Report and the recommendations that were put forward to the Australian government, please go to http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_Justice/bth_report/report/index.html Link-Up NSW a Koori organisation founded in 1980 was established to assist the Stolen Generations in finding their way home as well as support families of people who were separated from their children. This removal occurred as the result of official laws and policies aimed at assimilating the Indigenous population into the wider community. What is a Koori? â€Å"There are many terms in use around Australia for the word â€Å"Aborigine†. In most areas of NSW the term â€Å"Koori† is used. There are several other words which are used around Australia such as – â€Å"Goori† (northern NSW/QLD), â€Å"Murri† (northern NSW/QLD), â€Å"Nunga† (SA) and â€Å"Nyoongah† (WA). There are many areas/regions that have retained their cultural language and have different terms to describe themselves† Link Up NSW. Timeline of government legislation The below synopsis can be identified as proof of an extensive history of legislative frameworks provided for the removal of Aboriginal children from their families, clans and communities, through an english common law regime in NSW. Under the guise of protection, Aboriginal people were subject to near total control. This systematic approach to the forcible removal of Aboriginal children in NSW can be identified by many government Acts including: 1810s – Governor Macquarie: Proclamation 4 May 1816, Aborigines declared subject to the protection of British law, but any crimes may render them outlawed and lead to loss of privileges 1849 – Act to provide for the Care and Education of Infants who may be convicted of Felony or Misdemeanour – whereby a child under the age of 19 is convicted, court may assign care and custody of the child to such persons as make application where the court is satisfied it is for the benefit of the child. 1881 – State Children Relief Act State Children’s Relief Board established. ‘Boarding out’ officers may remove children from charitable institutions and arrange for them to be boarded out in licensed homes. 1908 Establishment of Bomaderry United Aborigines Mission Home Consequently, the Aborigines Protection Board set-up in 1909 contributed to the United Aborigines Mission home at Bomaderry on the NSW south coast where younger children and babies were placed. 1909 – Aborigines Protection Act – Established the Aborigines Protection Board (APB) for the Protection of Aborigines. The duration of this Act was for 60 years until its replacement in 1969. A key provision of this Act was to provide for the custody, maintenance and education of the children of ‘Aborigines’. 1911 – Establishement of Cootamundra Girls Home Cootamundra was the first of the homes for Aboriginal children set up by the APB. The main aim of the Board was to rescue Aboriginal children from their families and assimilate them into the white community. Girls were the main target of the Board, especially so-called half-caste or mixed blood girls. The girls were trained as domestic servants and sent out to work for middle class white families. 1915 – Aboriginal Protection Amending Act – Removed the requirement that an Aboriginal child had to be found to be neglected before the Board could remove him/her. The discourse associated with the presumption of ‘neglect’, a requirement initially implemented by the Act was disempowering for Aboriginal mothers, fathers and families as there was no recourse for Aboriginal people who challenged the notion of ‘neglect’ that was often decided at the whim of a government inspectors own beliefs and values – these officials held the sole power in determining neglect. This practice was further exacerbated by views of assimilation of Aboriginal people into mainstream white society to ease the pillow of Aboriginal people as a dying race. 1918 – Establishment of Kinchela Boys Home The Board established Kinchela Training Institution in northern NSW for boys. The APB opened the Kinchela Boys Home with the official purpose of providing training for Aboriginal boys between the ages of five and fifteen. These boys were taken from their families by the State from all over New South Wales. 1940 Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act– Aborigines Protection Board replaced by the Aborigines Welfare Board (AWB). This Board took responsibility for Aboriginal ‘wards’ removed under the Child Welfare Act 1939. This Board had the power to establish ‘homes for the reception, maintenance, education and training’ of wards. This included the administration of the major institutions already established in NSW including Kinchela, Cootamundra, and the Bomaderry Children’s Home. The Board administered ‘apprenticeships’ and young Aboriginal children were ‘indentured’ to work (farm hands/domestics). Wages of the children were to be paid to the board and kept in a trust account for use by the Board for the ward’s benefit until the ward turned 21. 1943 Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act –The Board is the authority in relation to children admitted to its control with power over removal and transfer of wards, apprenticing wards and approving custody of wards. 1969 Repealed by the Aborigines Act – Aborigines Welfare Board abolished. Aboriginal children under the care of the AWB to become wards of the state. Aboriginal childrens institutions deemed to be depots under the Child Welfare Act 1939 and subsequent child welfare legislation. The apology Why was it important to apologise to the Stolen Generations? Recommendation 5a (2) from the Bringing Them Home Report suggests that all Australian parliaments â€Å"negotiate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission a form of words for official apologies to Indigenous individuals, families and communities and extend those apologies with wide and culturally appropriate publicity†. â€Å"This issue is a ‘blank spot’ in the history of Australia. The damage and trauma these policies caused are felt everyday by Aboriginal people. They internalise their grief, guilt and confusion, inflicting further pain on themselves and others around them. It is about time the Australian Government openly accepted responsibility for their actions† (Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter in Buti A, Bringng Them Home the ALSA Way). In essence, formal government apologies provided a way for Australian governments to recognise the damning effects of removal policies of the past. The lifelong profoundly disabling consequences of those taken, meant that they lost all connection to family, traditional land, culture and language. On 14 November 1996, the Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, became the first head of an Australian government to respond to the call from the Governor General, Sir William Deane, for all Parliaments to reaffirm their commitment to reconciliation. The Premier’s resolution was passed unanimously. The NSW Premier was also the first state leader to offer a formal apology to the Aboriginal people for the Stolen Generations. On 13th February 2008, in a historic speech, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formally apology to the Stolen Generations in his first official parliamentary sitting which was the commencement of the 42nd parliament of the commonwealth. Receving a formal apology by the Prime Minsiter of Australia has allowed the start of the healing process In a response to the National apology to the Stolen Generations, Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, HREOC stated â€Å"Through one direct act, Parliament has acknowledged the existence and the impacts of the past policies and practices of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families. And by doing so, has paid respect to the Stolen Generations for their suffering and loss. For their resilience. And ultimately, for their dignity†.