Feminism In The Real world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Feminism In The Real world - Essay Example Many women today support the equality of genders while brushing aside the idea of feminism. Some do not consider themselves feminist, but their actions compared to the description offered by the dictionary indicate they support to feminist. Therefore, from the past feminism to modern era, it is evident that it exist in the real world.despite its existence, it is evident that the face of feminism is changing, but the principles remain static regardless of the time. The success of the 20th century cannot be compared with the current situation. The role of women and position has been changing as a result of several issues that were solved through liberation. From a humble and oppressed background beginning in the 1800s, women have been faced by serious challenges that could not be solved by the actions of their male counterpart. Despite women active participation in the struggle for the abolition of slavery, they were sidelined, and several rights denied (Lovenduski, 1986, p. 56).The first wave of liberation, which has been named feminism led to the allowance of women to vote. The success, however, was not achieved in all the other demands. The start of the industrial revolution led to discrimination based on sex, and despite the role accomplished by the women in the earlier slavery struggles, they were not allowed to assume offices. They were given positions that did not require decision making. The mistreating and discrimination based on sex r esulted in the creation of and start of second liberation. The second liberation started in the 1960s addressed issues relating to employment discrimination and other social injustices that were not addressed in the earlier revolution. The urge for second liberation was brought about by the discriminatory laws passed by their male counterpart that barred discrimination in the basis of race originality, religion, color and not sex. This law did not address the feminine problems thereby forcing women to start

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Analysis Essay Shirley Jackson is a master of suspense. She starts the story The Lottery off by describing what seems to be a normal summers day in an average village. This gives the reader a false sense of security which quickly turns into a sense of horror by the end of the story. Jackson uses the elements of a short story, atmosphere, plot and characters to create a sense of horror. One of the five elements of a short story that Jackson uses to create a sense of horror is atmosphere. Jackson describes the story as taking place on a clear, warm and sunny summer day but when one first reads about the children in the story, they are not playing and having fun and one would expect, instead they are quietly grouped together not doing much of anything. The fact that these children, more specifically the boys, are acting uneasy, and loafing around on beautiful summer day is one of the ways that Jackson uses atmosphere to create a sense of horror. Another one of the elements that Jackson uses to create a sense of horror is plot. When Tessie Hutchinson finds out that her husband and head of the family, Bill, has drawn the marked piece of paper she starts shouting out that â€Å"You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper her wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!† so everyone should have to draw again, it is starting to become clear that being the winner of this lottery is not a good thing. This is made even clearer when Tessie starts trying to have her in-laws added to the roster of the next group of contestants in order to better her chances of not being picked. Characters are the third and final element of a short story that Jackson uses to create a sense of horror. One of ways that Jackson use characters to create a sense of horror is through their names. An example of one of the characters she uses to do this is Mr. Graves. Grave can be used as an adjective or noun. The adjective means to cause alarm or to be serious. The noun refers to a burial place, typically a hole in the ground. Black is a color commonly associated with bad, mysterious and dark things, death being one of those things. When Mr.Graves makes his appearance he is bringing in the black box. The fact that a man called Mr. Graves is walking in with a black box, the author is letting the reader know that something bad is going to happen. This is one example of how Jackson uses the characters to create a sense of horror. Shirley Jackson tells a suspenseful story about a group of average people in an average village. She uses atmosphere, plot and characters, three of the five elements of a short story to create a horrific story which shows the reader how what we think to be normal customs and rituals can actually turn out to be horrific and barbaric if one takes a step back and judges them from a different perspective.

Alice Walkers Journey with Self-Esteem Essay -- essays research paper

Many writers choose to write memoirs about terrible incidents that changed their lives. Alice Malsenior Walker is one of those writers. She was born on February 8, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She considers her life to be very successful for several reasons. Walker graduated from high school as valedictorian. She was involved with the civil rights movement in Mississippi where she lived for seven years. During that time she also got married to a lawyer and had her daughter Rebecca. From an early age she was introverted and quite shy, most likely due to a terrible accident. She immediately retreated into solitude, reading poems and stories and then finally writing. â€Å"Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self†, by Alice Walker, is an essay that reflects on her ideas of beauty as a child, a teenager, and as an adult. Walker spent a great deal of time outside, due to the overcrowding in a small house with eight children (St. James). While playing outside at age eight, she was sh ot with a BB gun in the eye, causing her to lose not only her vision in her right eye, but her self esteem as well. She describes several events in her life that are significant in the formation of her identity. Alice Walker’s past reliance of being a physically cute girl, how confident she feels both before an after her surgery, and her constant feeling of being criticized are all factors that make her the woman that she is today. In order for Alice Walker to know the difference between the positive stares that she got when she was younger and the negative glances that she got when she was older, she had to experience that there was a difference between the two. Before the terrible BB gun accident, there was not a doubt in her mind that when people looked at her they saw an adorable little girl. She said, "It was great fun being cute." Afterwards, she believed that all they saw was "a glob of whitish tissue, a hideous cataract† (Walker 3). She compared the beautiful child that she was, to the ever-growing adult that she grew to become. She had a constant inner struggle between the person that she knew she was and the person that she appeared to be. â€Å"Now when I stare at people—a favorite pastime, up to now—they will stare back. Not at the ‘cute’ little girl, but at her scar† (Walker 3). Years later in her home, a woman arrived to take the photo for the back of Walker ’s book. The woman as... ...all that she could with her vision, while she still had it. Although many of us take our physical normalities for granted, Alice Walker choose to share her personal hardships and experiences to show how she has grown to become the writer that she is today. Her positive memories of being an adorable child have shaped her to realize what both ends of the spectrums are like, and what she will never be again. Low self-esteem soon followed, and as Walker grew, she also learned how to cope with the abysmal comments that she was destined to hear. However, as she grew into womanhood, her knowledge that she was still the same person thrived. Although being constantly judged, Alice Walker made light of the situation and realized that she loves the woman that she has become. Works Cited â€Å"St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: Alice Walker.† Gale Group: 5 pars. On-line. Internet. 25 Jan. 2004. Available http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g1epc/bio/2419201268/p1/arti cle.jhtml Walker, Alice. "Beauty When The Other Dancer is the Self." The Blair Reader Second Edition. Ed. Laurie Kirszner, and Stephen R. Mandell. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 1-7.

Fly-By-Night Case Essay

A). When looking at the balance sheet, the first noticeable signal among assets is the rapid increase in accounts receivable in years 12, 13, and 14. It means that there are more products sold in credit than in cash and direct useable funds. Another signal is the sudden increase in inventories in years 12, 13, and 14. The previous three years, inventories slightly decreased. Only from year 11 to year 12 inventories almost triples and keeps increasing significantly the next two years. It shows there is has been a change in the production system making is less efficient. The last signal among assets is the increase in property, plant, and equipment for the years 13 & 14. It is likely that the increase is a result from the less efficient production in year 12. By buying new equipment, they expected to be able to meet the production needs. Then, the first noticeable signal among liabilities and shareholders’ equity is the increase in current portion of long-term debt in years 13 & 14. The acquired extra debt is most likely a result from acquiring property, plant, and equipment. Another signal is the increase in accounts payable for year 13 & 14. It is a result from the extended terms of payments. In year 12, the company had 26 days to pay which increased to 48 days in year 13 and increased even further in year 14 to 84 days. The company keeps buying products but does not have the resources to pay for it and takes longer to pay vendors. Next, when looking at the income statement it is noticeable there is an increase in deprecation which is due to acquiring property, plant, and equipment. There is an increase in interest expense which is due to acquiring more debt. Then in year 14, it results in an operating loss since the expenses are higher than income (positive income tax). Lastly, when looking at the cash flows the most noticeable is the negative change in cash flow for operations. To be able to keep your liquidity high  or ability to pay current expenses, you need to generate cash through net cash flow from operations. Only due to the increase in net cash flow from acquiring property, plant, and equipment the total cash flow decreases. B). Yes, the company can avoid bankruptcy. Only FBN needs to make some strategy and implementation changes. The income statement shows that sales have increased significantly from year 12 to year 14. As the company’s transactions with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the Federal Reserve Bank are covering 60-70% of total revenues, the company has secured income up to years 16-17. The conclusion is that the main concerns of the company are liquidity, costs, and efficiency. The board of directors needs to improve cash levels to lower the liquidity risk. As exhibit 5 shows the current and quick ratio of FBN have decreased over the past years which is the main cause for the high liquidity risk. There a few ways to do this. One option would be to negotiate with customers over the terms of accounts receivable to generate cash faster. Another option would be to issue shares to increase the level of cash. Another issue is the increase of inventory. A high level of inventory increases costs for FBN such as holding costs. The company should have insight in the market conditions so it can produce the needed products efficiently. There needs to be some inventory available for emergency situations or unexpected orders, but the number should be as low as possible. Finally, the total expenses are higher than sales in year 14 which signals that the company either needs to improve efficiency or cut costs. Depreciation costs have increased significantly due to the increased sales and therefore the acquirement of plant, property, and equipment. The ROA has decreased to 0%. In order to get a positive profit margin, costs need to be cut. On the other side, effectiveness and efficiency of the assets need to be improved to generate net sales from the fixed-assets investments.

Junot Diaz Treflection Essay

From what I had previously read and heard from about Junot Diaz, I expected the typical speaker that usually stops by our campus: tall male, dressed in a suite, with a charming personality. Knowing he was a Hispanic author I felt like I would be exposed to nothing new during his readings or presence for that matter ( seeing as how being from Colombia and have had a lot of exposure to Hispanic authors). This immediately changed as a couple classmates and I got together to walk over to Sorenson Hall, and, as I we were walking to the auditorium, found multiple students heading to the same even but not because their curriculum required it but rather because they were so intrigued to hear him speak. Obviously, this triggered my own interest in what this author, that I originally found so predictable, had to say. From the moment he set foot on the stage to when he said goodbye, I was intrigued. Diaz evoked a casual atmosphere; through cursing and joking he made the crowd feel comfortable. What I found most interesting was how he explained the different views between him and his family and how looked negatively it seemed for him to become an artist. He also explained multiple aspects about the cultural differences, and talked about the concepts of â€Å"trading your culture† he explained how crazy it is to realize at our age that everyone’s dreams aren’t your dreams. I agreed with everything he had to say and I found the way he evoked his opinions, through casual conversation and a comical tone, to be very effective. What I found most interesting though, is how he compared writing to an art form which says the stuff people don’t want to hear. As he was talking about this topic, I couldn’t help but compare his style of writing to that of graffiti art. He holds a rebellious attitude towards society that makes his writing appealing. Attending this reading taught me much about the topic of learning by making mistakes. My whole life, I’ve been raised thinking that mistakes shouldn’t occur, and the fact that he mentioned that one should take time out to learn through failure and making mistakes caught my attention immediately. Attending Diaz’s reading has been one of the most interesting things I’ve experience while at Babson and I know that when I type the last sentence of this reflection I am buying logging on to amazon and buying his book.

Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Essays - Fiction, Literature

Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Essays - Fiction, Literature Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Shirley Jacksons The Lottery, raises many questions in the back of a readers mind towards the destructive yet blind rituals of mankind. The Lottery clearly expresses Jacksons feelings concerning mankinds evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. She shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of the short story with the use of symbols and setting. The setting of The Lottery supports the theme. Settings are constructed to help build the mood and foreshadow things to come. In the lottery though, the setting foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to come. The story begins with a description of a seemingly cheerful environment. Jackson creates a comfortable atmosphere by describing the activities of the residents of the town. She describes children breaking into boisterous play and their talk still of the classroom (310). Men and women are gathered in the center of the town talking about farming and taxes or into gossip. The date of the story is June twenty-seventh which Helen E. Nebeker states in American Literature, has symbolic overtones which alerts us to the season of the summer solstice with all its overtones of ancient ritual (102). Jacksons description of the setting supports the theme of the story by showing how mankind is capable of cruel acts regardless of their environment. Symbolism in the story also supports the theme of The Lottery. The very names of the characters in the story are laden with meaning. The names of Summers, Graves, Warner, Delacroix and Hutchinson hint at the true nature of the characters. Mrs. Delacroixs name means of the cross in Latin; therefore hinting at Tessies sacrificial killing. Even tough Mrs. Delacroix seems to be a friend to Mrs. Hutchinson it is she who is shown to pick up the largest rock and promotes other people to stone Tessie. Mr. Summers name symbolizes life but in reality it is he who is in charge of the lottery which instead of giving life to its winner it gives death. Graves is the man who carries in the black box and the three-legged stool. His name hints to what will happen to Tessie Hutchinson. It is also from Mr. Graves whom the citizens get the papers from, therefore it is almost like he is the one who has the most influence over whose grave it will be next. Old Man Warner, as his name indicates, warns the v illagers of the unknown danger of stopping the yearly ritual. The irony here is that even though the old are know for being wise, Old Man Warner seems to be a very ignorant and superstitious being who blindly follows tradition. The names of all the prominent characters in The Lottery support the idea that everybody hides their evil nature by way of hypocrisy. Tessie Hutchinsons character also provides considerable information on the theme of the story. Her name reminds one of the historical Anne Hutchinson not only because of the name but also because of the small town setting. Anne Hutchinson was a willing martyr who died for her religion and was exiled from her town. Tessie Hutchinson though may at first of the story appear to be a very good-natured and good human being by the way she comes in to the story. She comes in jokingly kidding with a friend of hers about how she almost forgot about the lottery but as soon as she remembered came running. Tessie seems to be a willing participant at the start but when her familys mane is drawn she shows her true nature. Instead of trying to protect her children she instead demands that her married daughter take part in the drawing just to improve her own chances of survival. Mrs. Hutchinson is a perfect example of how evil exists in everyone and when pushed it can take a mother to risk her own ch ilds safety. The symbolism found in the black box is a key point in understanding the importance of tradition in the theme of The Lottery. The introduction of the black box into the story changes the mood and atmosphere of the crowd of people. The reason

Sports Market Research Essays

Sports Market Research Essays Sports Market Research Essay Sports Market Research Essay Marketing is not just selling a product, it is lot more complicated then that. It is researching the market and finding what customers want, developing products that will satisfy the customers, getting the right price to attract customers, and selling your products in convenient place. Product, price, place, promotion are the 4Ps in marketing. They are all important. If your product doesnt satisfy your customers, you wont be able to sell your product because no one wants to buy a product that doesnt satisfy them.If your price is too expensive, people may not buy. If there is no promotion, it will be hard to get customers interest, so fewer products will be sold and so it will be hard to break-even. The business that I am setting up is a sport shop called Sportsmania that sells different brands of sportswears and different types of sport equipments. Also, it sells some famous football, basketball clubs uniform, and if you want, you can order to put a certain name.(It can be your favourite football or basketball player or your name. ) The business will be a partnership between me and my family. The total number of partners will be ten. I am allowed by law, twenty partners but ten is enough for my business. An advantage as setting my business as a partnership is that I will be able to have more capital than sole trader. But still I will have unlimited liability, which means if my business has financial difficulties, I need to sell my personal possessions, to cover the debts.Then I will try to make other partners as sleeping partners, which will make other partners limited liability so that they would not lose their personal possessions. However, the main idea that I am trying to turn other partners as sleeping partner is that I will be able to make my own decision, and also quick decision could be made, which eventually will make my business run faster.Promotion and different types of strategy will be needed to persuade people to buy my products and also getting peoples loyalty. Then my business will survive against other sport shops. As it opened right now, it will be hard to make a profit as Hong Kong is in economic downturn, which means that people have less money to spend. There are many sports stores in Hong Kong, so this constraint will affect my pricing. If I price too high, it will mean less people will come, as they can buy the same sports equipments in lower price, so I must me concerned about the pricing.In this project, I am going to consider a number of promotional methods, such as newspaper, magazines or maybe the Internet. These methods will have mass appeal, but it will be expensive, while promoting with coupons, billboards would not have that much mass appeal compared to the newspaper, but it is cheaper. Methodology I will obtain my results by giving my questionnaires to people by selecting them randomly. I will give my questionnaires to 25 people.As my shop is a shop, selling sports equipment, my target market will more likely to be teenagers, so I will try to give my questionnaires to teenagers. I will give some to matured people, as they will buy sports equipment, too. In my questionnaire, it will ask what kind of sport you like most, to find out what type of sport, they are interested in. For instance, if 20 people out of 25 answered they like football, it will be better to advertising my shop by using football players, rather than basketball players, as people get more attracted to something that they like.It will ask what kind of media, they are watching or looking at, so that if I advertise my shop through that media, they will more likely to see my advertisement. I did not included television in my advertising method, as it will be too expensive, so I will not be able to afford it. I will try to get some desk research, which is secondary research that was used before. I will search through the internet, to find out, if there are any secondary researches that I can find which is relevant to my business.

Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis 6 Care Plans for Any Patient

Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis 6 Care Plans for Any Patient SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is an issue that affects millions of people around the world. If not properly treated, hypertension can lead to serious issues, including heart attack or stroke. That means it’s imperative to have an accurate nursing diagnosis for hypertension as well as an effective care plan. After explaining what hypertension is, what causes it, and what common symptoms are, this guide explains six key hypertension nursing diagnoses. For each diagnosis, the NANDA definition, potential evidence, and desired outcomes are explained, as well as steps to take for the nursing intervention. Nursing Diagnosis for Hypertension: What Is It? Normal blood pressure is when blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time. A patient is diagnosed with hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, when their blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg most of the time. There are several levels of hypertension: Normal Blood Pressure: Lower than 120/ 80 Prehypertension: 120-139/80-89 Stage 1 Hypertension: 140-159/90-99 Stage 2 Hypertension: 160+/100+ Hypertension can be dangerous because it can make the heart work harder to pump blood to the body, which can increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, and hardening of the arteries. What Causes Hypertension? The exact cause of hypertension is not often known. Primary (or essential) hypertension is when hypertension has no known cause, or there is no evidence to link it to a specific cause. Primary hypertension makes up about 90% of all hypertension cases. Secondary hypertension is high blood pressure that does have an identifiable cause. Potential causes of hypertension (primary or secondary) include: Being overweight or obese Smoking Genetics/family history of hypertension A diet high in salt Consuming more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks a day Stress Old age Lack of exercise Sleep apnea Kidney disease Thyroid disorders Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension Hypertension does not always cause symptoms; in fact, about a third of people who have hypertension don’t know they have it because of no or few symptoms. Below are some of the most common symptoms of hypertension: Headache Ringing or buzzing in the ears Fatigue Irregular heartbeat Confusion or dizziness Nosebleed Blurred vision Difficulty breathing Chest pain Blood in the urine Nursing Care Plans for Hypertension Once a patient is found to have high blood pressure, it’s important to follow the appropriate nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan for hypertension in order to reduce the effects of hypertension and keep the patient’s health and quality of life high. Below are six nursing care plans for hypertension. These six care plans cover the main issues associated with hypertension. Each one includes its own nursing diagnosis, NANDA definition, possible signs of evidence, desired outcome, and nursing interventions. Use the NANDA definition and potential evidence to determine the correct nursing care plan for hypertension. Some patients may require multiple care plans. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #1: Risk for Decreased Cardiac Output NANDA Definition: Inadequate blood pumped by the heart to meet metabolic demands of the body. Possibly Evidenced By: N/A. This intervention is used to in order to prevent decreased cardiac output from occurring. Desired Outcomes: Show stable cardiac rhythm and rate. Maintain blood pressure within an acceptable range. Participate in activities that lower blood pressure and cardiac load. Interventions: Check patient’s lab data (cardiac markers, blood cell count, electrolytes, ABGs, etc.) to determine contributing factors. Monitor and record blood pressure in both arms and thighs Measure blood pressure in both hands. Auscultation of breath sounds and heart rhythm. Observe patient’s skin color, temperature, and capillary refill time. Advise the patient on reducing sodium intake, if needed. Administer medication, if needed. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #2: Acute Pain (Typically Headache) NANDA Definition: Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the person says it does; an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage sudden or slow onset of any intensity from mild to severe with an anticipated or predictable end and a duration of. Possibly Evidenced By: Patient reports throbbing pain in head, most often upon awakening. Changes in appetite. Patient reports neck stiffness, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, and/or vomiting. Desired Outcomes: Patient states they are no longer suffering from a headache and appear comfortable and pain-free. Interventions: Determine the specifics of the pain, such as intensity, where it is located, and how long it has been going on. Note the patient’s attitude towards pain and any history of substance abuse. Encourage rest during severe pain episodes. Recommend methods of relief, such as neck and back rubs, applying cool cloths to the forehead, and avoiding bright lights. Limit how much the patient moves around. Provide medication, if needed. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #3: Activity Intolerance NANDA Definition: Insufficient physiological or psychological energy to endure or complete required or desired daily activities. Possibly Evidenced By: Patient reporting weakness or fatigue. Abnormal heart rate as a result of activity. Exertional discomfort or dyspnea. Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes reflecting ischemia; dysrhythmias. Desired Outcomes: Patient participates in necessary and/or desired activities. Uses identified techniques to enhance activity tolerance. Reports a measurable increase in his/her tolerance for activity. Demonstrates a decrease in noticeable signs of intolerance. Interventions: Note each of the factors that contribute to fatigue (age, health, illness, etc.). Evaluate the patient’s degree of activity intolerance and when it occurs. Monitor how the patient responds to activity (pulse, heart rate, chest pain, dizziness, excessive fatigue, etc.). Explain energy conserving techniques (shower chairs, sitting to brush teeth, etc.). Assess any emotional factors that may be contributing to activity intolerance (such as depression or anxiety). Encourage the patient to engage in self-care and progressive activity when possible. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #4: Ineffective Coping NANDA Definition: Inability to form a valid appraisal of the stressors, inadequate choices of practiced responses, and/or inability to use available resources. Possibly Evidenced By: Patient states he/she is unable to cope; patient asks for help. Worry, irritability, anxiety, and/or depression as a result of hypertension diagnosis. Destructive behavior such as overeating, lack of appetite; excessive smoking/drinking, and/or alcohol abuse Desired Outcomes: Patient can identify his/her ineffective coping techniques and their consequences. Verbalizes awareness of own coping abilities. Identifies potentially stressful situations and takes steps to avoid or modify them. Shows the use of effective coping skills. Interventions: Determine what specific areas the patient has difficulty coping with. Assess the effectiveness of the patient’s current coping skills and where improvements can be made. Help the patient identify specific stressors and how to cope with them. Work with the patient to develop a care plan, and encourage participation in the plan. Help the patient identify and begin planning for necessary lifestyle changes. Encourage the patient to evaluate his/her priorities and goals in life. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #5: Imbalanced Nutrition (More Than Body Requirements) NANDA Definition: Intake of nutrients that exceeds metabolic needs. Possibly Evidenced By: Patient’s weight is 10%–20% more than ideal his/her height and frame. Reported or observed dysfunctional eating patterns. Desired Outcomes: Patient understands the relationship between hypertension and obesity. Initiates/maintains an appropriate exercise program. Shows changes in eating patterns, such as food choice and/or quantity, to attain a healthier body weight. Interventions: Assess the patient’s understanding of the relationship between hypertension and obesity. Discuss the relationship between hypertension and obesity with the patient. Discuss the need for a decreased caloric intake, as well as a limited intake of salt, sugar, and fat. Determine the patient’s desire to lose weight. Help the patient establish a realistic exercise plan. Help the patient establish a realistic nutrition plan. Refer the patient to a nutritionist, if needed. Hypertension Nursing Diagnosis #6: Knowledge Deficit NANDA Definition: Absence or deficiency of cognitive information related to a specific topic. Possibly Evidenced By: Verbalization of the problem. Patient requires information or more information, or he/she doesn’t understand the information given. Patient inaccurately follows instructions. Patient appears agitated, hostile, or upset when the condition and ways for managing it are discussed. Desired Outcomes: Patient can express his/her knowledge of the management and treatment of hypertension. Patient correctly uses the drugs they are prescribed and understand their side effects. Interventions: Determine what information the patient currently understands. Assess readiness and blocks to learning. Include the patient’s partner, if possible. Describe the nature of hypertension, how it affects different parts of the body, and how it can be treated. Avoid using the term â€Å"normal BP†. Instead use the term â€Å"well-controlled† to describe patient’s BP within desired limits. Discuss with the patient changes he/she can make in order to manage hypertension. Discuss the importance of maintaining a stable weight. Discuss the need for low-calorie diet, low in sodium to order. Help the patient create a schedule for taking medications. Direct the patient to other resources that can be used to better understand and manage hypertension. Review: Diagnosing and Treating Hypertension Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, is an issue that can have serious and long-term health effects if it isn’t properly managed. Therefore, having an effective nursing care plan for hypertension is important. While it’s often difficult to pinpoint the cause of hypertension, high blood pressure may be caused by the weight, smoking, high sodium intake, and/or genetics, as well as other factors. Some symptoms of hypertension can include headache, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and/or chest pain, although some patients with hypertension don’t show any symptoms. There are six key nursing diagnoses for hypertension. Risk for decreased cardiac output Acute pain (typically headache) Activity intolerance Ineffective coping Imbalanced nutrition (more than body requirements) Knowledge deficit For each nursing diagnosis for hypertension, it’s important to know the NANDA definition, possible signs of evidence, desired outcome, and nursing interventions. What's Next? Thinking about exploring a career in healthcare administration? Read our complete guide to getting a healthcare administration degree, with explanations for what levels of qualification you need for different careers.

The main challenges and opportunities with expanding the sonic and Essay

The main challenges and opportunities with expanding the sonic and compositional potential of the piano - Essay Example Paddles, knobs, and notes may reduce its popularity and acceptability among pianists as well as from the audiences. It will help to increase the creativity of performers, composers and will satisfy the aesthetic senses of the audiences. The electronic implication in the piano and extra functionality is not easy to be fitted on the same keyboard. Their operations require extra switches and knobs that would pose an irritating hindrance in the instrument’s smooth play. Kim earlier attempt to produce new harmonics from the existing object on a piano became fail. However, the most important task for the project is to make a blend from a running piano with the sampler creating pleasantly coherent interfaces. It is also important to contain the economic aspect of the new piano in order to get acceptance from people. The electronic and computer interventions will surely increase the cost of the piano. Furthermore, it will be a real challenge to limit the size of the piano. Kim and Kate are also working to develop travel version of PNOSCAN for easy handling. The assemblage of the PNOSCAN in a piano is a laborious work of hours, and it is needed to be more simplified and easy. They want that the pianist should have access to the extended sounds produced from the super piano without any rearrangement in the keys of the piano. Also, three separate patches suggested by Kate are to be placed on the same keyboard that may hinder the free operation of the instrument and interact with the sounds in order to produce sound beyond its sonic abilities.

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces Assignment

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces - Assignment Example These are all sacred places with spiritual significance to their believers, although their exact functions and related rituals somewhat vary for each religion.The Ka’ba in Mecca, the Wailing Wall, and the Bodhi Tree are the holiest sites because of what they represent to the history of these religions. The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, is the holiest site for Judaism because it is the last remaining wall of the Second Temple. The First Temple refers to Solomon's Temple. This temple, however, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Jews rebuilt the Temple, which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE. For several centuries, the Jews went to the Wailing Wall to cry over the destruction of their Second Temple. The Ka’ba is the holiest place for Islam. It is the heart of their hajj, or spiritual pilgrimage, and is located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Muslims believe in the centrality of the Ka’ba as a sacred place of their faith – it is the space inside it, rather than Mecca itself, which is seen as consecrated (Morgan, 2010). Many Muslims think that Adam had built the original Ka’ba but it then was ruined by the Great Flood (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree is also the holiest place for Buddhists because it is the tree where Buddha attained enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). The original Bodhi tree and its progeny are treated as relics because they symbolize Buddha’s enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). Enlightenment, or being awakened, is also called the wisdom of emptiness. It means that individual existence is not possible since everything is interconnected (Harvey, 1990). The importance of enlightenment to Buddhism portrays the role of the Bodhi Tree in the attainment of this process. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree have mystical origins that the Wailing Wall does not possess. The Ka’ba contains the sacred black stone that Abraham and Ishmael placed there (Morgan, 2010). Pre-Islamic worship believes that the stones of the Ka’ba came from heaven (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree has miraculous qualities. It is believed to be cut before and to have grown again miraculously the next night (Harvey, 1990). The Wailing Wall does not have any mythical source because it is a man-made creation. Its importance lies in its historical and social functions. These sacred places are centers of prayer or spiritual meditation, although they also serve social purposes. The Wailing Wall enhances the attachment of the people to their Jewish history and identity. It signifies their â€Å"displaced sense of persecution and religious compensation† (Heyd, 1999, p.22). The Western Wall acts as a place of prayer and community activities. The Jews have commonly inserted prayers into the wall cracks because of the belief that they will come true. The custom of inserting written prayers into the wall is so extensive that some American-Jewish newspapers take advertisements of services of putting in s uch prayers for sick Jews. Moreover, Jewish families often gather near the wall to celebrate social events, such as their children’s bar mitzvah, which is a party for boys who turned thirteen. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree are distinct places of worship. Muslims and Buddhists go to these places as part of their pilgrimage. People go there to pray, to assert their faith, and to strengthen their religious communities. Like the Wailing Wall, these sacred sites reinforce the connection between believers and their relationship to their faith. Similar rituals are conducted around the Ka’

Food Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Food Supply Chain - Essay Example This study is about a detail analysis of each process of the food supply chain and has highlighted the possible hazards involved in the process and also provided possible solutions to assess the problems. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Operations 4 Key processes 6 Problem findings 8 Recommendation 8 Reference 10 Introduction The global food industry relies on the web of intercompany relationship. There is an interaction among the individuals and the institutions involved in the food industry. These are vendors, food packaging providers, co-manufacturers, re-packers, brokers and other suppliers. To become an efficient supplier of a food processing company, an individual or a business needs a substantial amount of investment due to develop the quality maintenance process of food ingredients. By the effective action plans, the prevention of production as well as distribution of contaminated foods can be done which is the key value of supply chain in food industry. To ensure safe production and the distribution of the food product, the companies in the food industry need to engage efficient suppliers who can provide quality ingredients, packaging materials through efficient distribution process and medium that compliment food companies’ key goals. ... Quality retention and hygienic factor of foods are maintained in each stage from sourcing of food ingredients to on time delivery to the individual customers (Maurer, 2003). Few important terms are very popular in the area of the food supply chain like â€Å"farm to fork† and sometimes â€Å"paddock to plate†. These terms are used to mention the length of supply chain process and the two end participants of supply chains are the producer of food ingredients and the final consumers. In-between them there are many people involved in this process. The growers of food ingredients i.e. basically the farmers are responsible for efficient cultivation and production of different crops which is influenced by few more things like the quality of seeds, climate, soil and fertilizers to boost the production level. These cultivated food products are consumed by food production companies as the ingredients for process food products and also directly consumed by individuals in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables. There are suppliers who take the cultivated crops from the growers and supply those to the manufacturers or the producers of processed foods. The quality of the ingredients depends on the storage and the distribution process of the suppliers. This process has not much effect on the quality of the processed food produced by the food production companies as they take shorted foods only from the suppliers (GMA, 2008, p.8). Some producers take damage ingredients from the suppliers in low price in order to reduce the cost of production of processed foods so that they can sale the final product in low prices and can compete in price even with the big companies who believe in the quality sources of ingredients and

CASE STUDY Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CASE STUDY - Research Paper Example Each dimension separately assesses and evaluates the financial performance and financial position of the company. And the purpose of this assessment is to decide whether the shares of this company should be purchased based on its current performance which is reflected by these ratios provided below. The company profitability is constantly deteriorating. The graph 01, which highlights the return on equity, demonstrates that the company has experienced a decrease of more than 1 per cent since 2012, highlighting that the financial and operational performance are not generating results for the company and it is becoming very challenging for the current management to increase return on equity. Similarly, return on assets has also fallen from 8.11 to 7.83 in 2014. In other words, the company management is not utilizing their assets in way to increase their productivity and their performance as well. At the same time, the figure 03, which displays return on sales, also highlights decreasing trend for sales over the mentioned period. This also validates that the company is not using its current and fixed assets in a way to increase their sales over these years instead the profitability ratios highlight that the company management is struggling to retain its financial position and perfo rmance instead of focusing on those strategies which increase the potential of the company to experience rise in the sales. Leverage ratios highlight that the company uses more debt for financing its business requirements. For example, debt to equity ratio demonstrates that the company has been substantially leveraged over these years. In the year of 2012, 2013, 2014, 1.55, 1.48, 1.51 debt to equity ratio has been respectively recorded by the company. As a result, it can be deduced that the real owners of Wal-Mart, who are shareholders, will not be given enough and attractive returns and

Reagan Revolution Through President Obama Essay

Reagan Revolution Through President Obama - Essay Example (Council of economic advisors, 2010, p.50) Even before he took office a change could be seen in the perspective of the whites regarding African-Americans. Research has shown that 22 percent of Americans view Obama as an exemplary figure when they think of African-Americans. If Obama administration continues to be successful then he can activate positive feelings in majority of people regarding the blacks (The Obama effect†¦., 2009). Overturning the Reagan Revolution Barack Obama in his inaugural speech pronounced that he would use old and traditional values to effect progressive changes. His approach towards politics would carry a sense of mature collective responsibility instead of the juvenile approach of individualism. He would uphold the democratic role of the US government and would continue to maintain the leadership position of the country in the global front. Obama has defended the traditional values like â€Å"honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism†. With this he has broken the established values of Reagan era. Obama has emphasized on the effectiveness of the government over its size thus overturning the Reagan revolution (Dionne, 2009). Impact With advocating the values â€Å"tolerance and curiosity† Obama has actually supported the concept of innovations by those who are determined to take risks. Obama as president believes in stressing on the security of the nation as he thinks that â€Å"power alone cannot protect†. He stressed on regulations on the market to keep it under control. His aim is to promote equality as according to him â€Å"the nation cannot prosper when it favours only the prosperous†. (Dionne, 2009) Impact of 1980s AIDS epidemic American life is largely a manifestation of religious... This report approves that the US war against Afghanistan was essentially illegal because it did not abide by the international law on war. According to the law when one nation makes armed attack on another nation, only then the attacked nation can use military aggression for defense. In this case Afghanistan did not attack since the 19 convicted men were not Afghans. Also permission from UN Security Council is needed to start a war and in this case the council did not permit the war. However there were some moral rationales behind the war. An international poll revealed that many people from all over the world took an unfavorable view on America especially on Bush. When people were asked who they think is a threat to world peace United States got more votes than al-Qaeda terrorist group. More people felt that America is more dangerous than countries like Iran and Syria. The poll also revealed negative views of people on America’s war on terrorism in the Middle East. This paper makes a conclusion that the continuous economic depression has created disparities within the American society thus threatening its position as superpower in the global arena. Although it has always been a land of unlimited opportunities but the success has become fragile. If there is no fast solution for overcoming the economic downfall, then the global economy is at stake. The growing disparity between the rich and the poor violates the core image of the United States.

CASE STUDY Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CASE STUDY - Research Paper Example Each dimension separately assesses and evaluates the financial performance and financial position of the company. And the purpose of this assessment is to decide whether the shares of this company should be purchased based on its current performance which is reflected by these ratios provided below. The company profitability is constantly deteriorating. The graph 01, which highlights the return on equity, demonstrates that the company has experienced a decrease of more than 1 per cent since 2012, highlighting that the financial and operational performance are not generating results for the company and it is becoming very challenging for the current management to increase return on equity. Similarly, return on assets has also fallen from 8.11 to 7.83 in 2014. In other words, the company management is not utilizing their assets in way to increase their productivity and their performance as well. At the same time, the figure 03, which displays return on sales, also highlights decreasing trend for sales over the mentioned period. This also validates that the company is not using its current and fixed assets in a way to increase their sales over these years instead the profitability ratios highlight that the company management is struggling to retain its financial position and perfo rmance instead of focusing on those strategies which increase the potential of the company to experience rise in the sales. Leverage ratios highlight that the company uses more debt for financing its business requirements. For example, debt to equity ratio demonstrates that the company has been substantially leveraged over these years. In the year of 2012, 2013, 2014, 1.55, 1.48, 1.51 debt to equity ratio has been respectively recorded by the company. As a result, it can be deduced that the real owners of Wal-Mart, who are shareholders, will not be given enough and attractive returns and

International student as an outsider Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International student as an outsider - Essay Example The intricacies entail living in a state of confusion since the international students are not aware of the actions to take or their identities. This is worsened when the international find that their proficiency in the English language is better compared to their mother tongues. Aidah is aware of how it feels to seek to honor and respect customs and traditions, while to the same time being considered and branded westernized by the family. Human beings, as you would expect, seek to achieve wholeness and this is extremely challenging when an individual is identified with two cultures that are completely different. Aidah is forced to balance and straddle her being part of more than one culture, and she empathizes with other international students around her how are in the country on foreign visas as the attempt to fit in the learning institutions. In some way, international student visas, demonstrate to the local students, particularly the ones who have to balance between different cul tures the same way Aidah does, ways of navigating and succeeding as an outsider, while at the same time being divided. In Aidah’s case, the positives of her double identity are a progressive aspect as she is able to communicate in her native language as well as English fluently. Aidah is able to dress in both the western attire and the traditional dressing worn by her community with ease and comfort and this is the reason, regardless of the confusion created by sharing cultures, she had remained appreciative of having two cultures.

Mia Hamm Research paper Essay Example for Free

Mia Hamm Research paper Essay At the beginning of the story Alice starts off being pressured into marring a man she doesn’t even love. Her sister tells her to go get married and live just happily ever after like her but her husband is cheating on her. I think Alice’s call was when she kept spotting the white rabbit in the bushes and began to follow him in the middle of getting purposed to. Also after she fell down the hole the rabbit was trying to explain to her who she is and how she’s supposed to be the champion for wonderland. Stage 2: Refusal of Call Alice starts to refuse when she begins telling them that she is not the right Alice their looking for. I didn’t think she would still be refusing even after they showed her the scroll of what happened. I kind of thought she was just saying no because she was afraid of what was ahead of her if she took on the challenge of becoming the champion. Throughout the beginning and middle of the movie she Lyric Perry 9/22/13 World Literature was trying to convince everyone that this was her dream and everything would be ok when she woke up. Stage 4: Crossing the first Threshold I thought during the whole story I think she crossed more than one threshold. The first one was when she fell down the hole and entered wonderland because the trees by the two holes were both twisted and looked very similar. Her coming out of the hole to Wonderland to me was like the crossing in a new unknown land. Another threshold was when she made it up in her mind that she was the hero and started believing in wonderland and the impossible. Stage 5: Belly of the Whale The belly of the whale is when a character is fully enclosed in the new world or adventure. I think she entered the belly of the whale when she began to accept the fact that it wasn’t a dream and wonderland is a real place. I think that Lyric Perry 9/22/13 World Literature the only way she was going to get out and go back to the real world was to complete her quest and slay the jabberwocky. Stage 6: Road of Trials Alice had lots of trials during her journey such as when the dog/polar bear thing started to chase her and cut her arm. At the tea party when the red queen’s knight, soldiers, and bloodhound came looking for Alice I felt it was a trial because if they were to have caught her she wouldn’t have been able to complete her goal. The road of trials is a very important stage because I think they help the character get ready for what they are about to embark on. Stage 11: The Ultimate Boon The ultimate boon to me was when she cut the head off of the jabberwocky. This was really important because the whole fate of wonderland was in her hands. I think the white queen was depending on her the most because she really wanted the crown and for the red queen to stop torturing Wonderland. Stage 15: Crossing the Return Threshold At the end of the story I saw two returning thresholds the first one when she climbed out of the hole and when she started standing up to everyone at the party back home. When she was climbing out of the hole she was crossing back over to the real world and her normal life. She started telling everyone the truth and saying what she really felt even things that sounded impossible. Stage 17: Freedom to Live I thought this happened for Alice at the very end of the movie because that’s when she really decided to live her own life and do what she wanted. Such as she told the man she wasn’t going to marry him she was going to find someone she loves. Alice starts talking to the man about his business and how he should move it china. Her falling down the hole to me was on purpose to get her to really follow her own bliss not everyone else’s.

The impact of family planning methods

The impact of family planning methods 1 Contents BACKGROUND LITERATURE ON THE TOPIC STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM OBJECTIVES SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design Population of the study Sampling Design Tools for data collection Nature of tools Sources of data Data analysis LIMITATION OF THE STUDY WORK PLAN LIKELY OUTCOME Reference INTRODUCTION The high fertility rate leading to the rapid growth of country’s population is a major hindrance towards the development of a nation. Keeping this in mind, India was the first country to launch a well-defined family planning (FP) programme in 1951 with the major objective to balance the population with resources available. India’s current demographic phase is characterized by high fertility and moderate mortality rates. As a result, the country’s population is growing rapidly with about 18 million people being added to it annually, to give a 2.1 per cent increase per annum. Despite a 40-year old Family Planning Programme, India’s 1991 census has shown a population increase of 160 million during the 1981- 91 decade. The gap between expressed favorable attitude towards the small family norm and knowledge and practice of family planning amongst Indian couples is intriguing. Family Planning basically, refers to the practices that help individuals or couples to avoid unwanted births, bring about wanted births, regulate the intervals between pregnancies, control the time at which births occurs in relation to the age of parents and determines the number of children in the family. Under the programme, various training programs have been conducted to train health care providers. Several health workers, both male and female became multipurpose workers responsible for providing a set of basic family planning, maternal and child health (MCH), and public health services. A community oriented service-network was developed to expand family planning and MCH services. In 1977 conscious shift was made in the policy to include voluntary family planning along with the other health care services under the umbrella of ‘Family Welfare’ and various centers have been set up in rural (primary health centers, community health centers etc.) as well as in urban areas (postpartum centers, urban family welfare centers, dispensaries and hospitals). Ser vices administered through the programme have been broadened to include immunization, pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care, and preventive and curative health care.   The range of contraceptive products delivered through the programme also widened. The various contraceptive methods are categorized as barrier, chemical, natural or surgical (Weeks 2002). Surgical method includes sterilization (vasectomy and tubectomy) which is a permanent and irreversible method of birth control. Induced abortion is the post–conception method of family planning and is performed if there is a need to terminate an unwanted pregnancy because of failed contraception. Despite of many temporary methods, the emphasis was put on sterilization of male or female. Although sterilization is a safe and most effective technique it cannot serve the needs of all couples in the different stages of the reproductive life-cycle. Thus, a large proportion of couples remained unserved because of non-availability of proper contraceptive technology. So, the new approach emphasized the target-free promotion of contraceptive use among eligible couples, providing the couples a choice of contraceptive methods and encouraged them towards adequate spacing of births (at least three years birth interval). The National Population Policy (2000) has set the task of addressing unmet need for contraception as its immediate objective. Attitudes towards fertility regulation, knowledge of birth-control methods, access to the means of fertility regulation and communication between husband and wife about desired family size are essential for effective family planning (Dabral and Malik 2004). Various factors governs the acceptance of contraception e.g., religion (NFHS 1998-99, 2002), number of sons in family (Bhasin and Nag 2002), and education of husband and wife (Bhasin and Nag 2002), etc. Besides, spousal communication also increases the likelihood of contraceptive use (Kamal 1999; Ghosh 2001). Sterilization is usually accepted when the couple is sure that they have completed their family size and gender preference (Bhasin and Nag 2002). Although the family welfare programme has made an important contribution towards improving the health of mothers and children, there are some major impediments. Even though a huge infrastructure has been established through out the country to deliver an integrated package of health and family welfare services, the quality and outreach services need improvement. According to Santhya (2003), the contraceptive prevalence rate in Meghalya is just 4.7 (2.8 for sterilization and 1.9 for other temporary methods), which is lowest in the whole India. This drew the attention towards the need to carry out a study in Meghalaya. So, the present study was conducted with an objective to study the extent of awareness of women with regard to family planning, i.e. birth control measures and awareness level regarding the Government schemes on family planning among the Khasi women of East Khasi Hills, Meghalya. BACKGROUND Family Planning is a program or practice to regulate the number and spacing of children in a family through the practice of contraception or other methods of birth control. Since the world and also India is facing with the problem of overpopulation. Government as well as non government agencies is taking major step to overcome this problem. In India the use of contraceptive methods increased from 13 per cent in 1971 to 56 per cent in 2005/06, and fertility declined from about 6 births per woman in the 1960s and 1970s to about 2.7 births in 2004. This decline of more than 3 births per woman represents about 85 per cent of the decline required to reach replacement fertility: 2.1 births per woman. As per the latest official data, the total number of family planning acceptors in India decreased by 5.1 % between 2011-12 and 2012-13. The data revealed that condom is the most preferred method of family planning while sterilizations the least adopted means. The number of couples adopting var ious methods for family planning, including spacing methods was found to be 30.2 million, with 13.9 million preferring condoms to any other means. The total Family Planning Acceptors in India have increased over the years but in recent years especially after 2007-08 the number of accepters has shown a gradual decreasing trend. The contraceptive prevalence rate for currently married women is the lowest at 24 percent in Meghalaya among all the states in India. The national average is 56 percent. The rise in contraceptive use and the pace of fertility decline, however, has not been uniform throughout the country. There are disparities in contraceptive use and fertility between the poor and the rich, and between the educated and the uneducated. While the country has also made tremendous progress in terms of economic growth, these disparities in contraceptive use and fertility have important implications for the future of the country. The purpose of this study is to review the current st atus of the family planning programme in East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, to assess the factors responsible for these inequalities. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Over population is widely regarded as a major social and economic global problem since it is directly connected with the economic growth of the country and therefore welfare of the person and her/his family. Over population is an enormous issue and is important indicator of lack of human welfare in developing countries like India. Over population refers to the condition where the population growth of a country has overcome the economic growth of a country .It is also an indicator of poverty especially in the rural as well as urban area (i.e., more mouth to feed in). This trend has grave consequences for countries like India and many other developing countries, where population growth has been quite high and where employment generation falls far short of the rate of the population growth. It also engenders the issue of inequality and social justice. Due to this reason the government through the department of Family Welfare is implementing the National Family Welfare Programme by encou raging the production and utilization of contraceptives all over the country. In the North East State of India including Meghalaya, women enjoy greater visibility and mobility than women of other communities in the country. This is often cited to portray a picture of equity between men and women in the region. Education has been the main catalyst in bringing about far-reaching changes in the status of women and to a great extent education of women in the region has been fairly non-discriminatory. Despite the fact still many people has a large and big family and are not aware of the various method of family planning or even if they are aware of it they are not access to it. This may be due to any social stigma or cultural factors, against their faith or maybe against their husband wish to practice it. The literature review shows that there is large difference between the knowledge and practice of family planning and that it differs from one society to the other. The decision taken is mainly of a male dominated whereby the husband or a man takes a decision and there is less communication between the spouses regarding this matter. But there was no study to compare and analyze the practice of family planning only among young adult who are in the most productive age of reproduction. Therefore the main aim is to study the various factors on the usage of family planning methods and the usage of different family planning methods by the targeted study population. OBJECTIVES To learn about the respondents’ knowledge about Family Planning method To study the perception of married young adults towards Family Planning To know about the utilization of family planning services among married young adults. To learn about the misconception that the respondent has about family planning. To know about the reasons for not practicing family planning among the respondents. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY With Meghalaya having recorded one of the highest decadal growth and fertility rates in the country as per the latest census, the state government has emphasized on the urgent need to reduce the population in the state to ensure sustainable economic growth and development.The government is making efforts to stabilize the population of the country at a level consistent with the national  economy, said the Health Minister of the Government of Meghalaya. As per details from Census 2011, Meghalaya has a population of 29.67 Lakhs, an increase from figure of 23.19 Lakhs in 2001 census. Total population of Meghalaya as per 2011 census is 2,966,889 of which male and female are 1,491,832 and 1,475,057 respectively. In 2001, total population was 2,318,822 in which males were 1,176,087 while females were 1,142,735.The total population growth in this decade was 27.95 percent while in previous decade it was 29.94 percent. The population of Meghalaya forms 0.25 percent of India in 2011. In 2001, the figure was 0.23 percent. In spite of the low density and population of Meghalaya, it is worth noticing that, the state has a rapid population growth rate, and has the third fastest growing population in India, according to the Meghalaya Census 2011. Therefore, based on this idea, the purpose of this study is to know about the life situation of married young adults their knowledge, attitude and practice also their access and utilization of various methods of family planning. Furthermore, such type of research has never been conducted before in this particular area. Therefore, it is thought to be useful to conduct this study in this area where like everywhere else, over population seemed to be a major problem that affect both the mother and the infant. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design The design to be adopted in this particular research is a mixture of explanatory, descriptive and research as the researcher will describe as accurately as possible the characteristics of married young adults and perception towards family planning and also to explain the causes and effect relationship between various factors that leads to the non utilization of family planning. Population of the study Any married young couples who come to Ganesh Das Hospital for maternal care at the period of data collection. Sampling Design The research will be carried out through a purposive random sampling as the sample will be selected based on judgement as to who can provide the best information to achieve the objective of the study. Tools for data collection Data collection will be conducted through structured interview method. This method will provide uniform information, which assures the comparability of data. Structured interviewing requires fewer interviewing skills than does unstructured interviewing Nature of tools Structured interview will be the tools used for data collection to ensure that all respondents are asked exactly the same set of questions in the same sequence and it is better for quantitative analysis. Sources of data Sources of data will be primary as well as secondary data as the researcher can obtain data through interview and also use census data to obtain information on the utilization of family planning in Meghalaya. Data analysis Data will be analyzed using Statistical test as per the requirement.This process will include editing, coding, classification and tabulation of collected data. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Some sample may not respond to the researcher due to some ethical issues. Over population due to high birth rate may not likely seen as a problem to everyone. Since family planning is a wide concept, the researcher may not be able to cover all its respective area. WORK PLAN LIKELY OUTCOME This study is expected to describe the family planning knowledge, to identify the attitude towards family planning, highlight the factors and causes that hinder married young adult to practice family planning and to know about the rate of family planning utilization. Moreover, the study will also tell the strategies adopted by the married young adult in handling family size. Finally, the study would serve as a reference for the other like-minded individuals who would like to conduct a similar study in the future or who are interested in this field. .

Gangs Essay -- Gang Essays

When was the last time you were able to turn on the news and not hear about some sort of violent act? Crime is a growing concern amongst most cities, and street gangs are behind a lot of the trouble. Street gangs have plagued the streets for centuries and there is no stopping the urge to commit such hideous crimes. Gangs grow from recruiting young kids but what makes a kid decide to join a crime filled lifestyle. The gang life contains many negative aspects including the most notorious reason for violence, drugs. Getting high seems appealing to many students but with the excitement of getting high comes the responsibility of buying and selling the drugs. The biggest reason for a gang to start would be drugs. Marijuana might seem like a harmless drug but it can be the most dangerous drug to start doing. When someone smokes marijuana it attracts them to use other drugs and these addictions need gang support. Addictions attract young kids to this lifestyle to keep themselves supplied with drugs. With the drug lifestyle comes the violent aspect of it. Violence is important to gangs because it draws fear in the eyes of those who try to stand up to them. Violence is the worst aspect of gang life because it keeps getting worse as gangs keep growing larger. Violent acts are the biggest reason society has a negative outlook on gang life. But young gang members don’t start out using violent acts to get attention but by simple crimes like shoplifting. Even though shoplifting is a crime that puts people in jail, it seems like an easy way for attention for young kids. Shoplifting is also a very addicting activity because it’s a rush for the people that do it. Shoplifting can start out with something small like a keychain but then it keeps getting worse as one keeps stealing bigger things like money and electronics. When a young kid gets involved with gang activity their personality changes in a bad way. Now that the young gang member is part of some kind of illegal crimes their personality changes because they feel unstoppable. These young kids feel invincible, almost as if nobody can stand in their way, which can be a big problem to the people who stand in their way. These kids act as though they have no fear so this leads to more crime, which further leads to jail time. So why would young kids want to join a life of crime? The answers are numerous. Some kids a... ...f supplied and to make your profit. The next step up from being a drug dealer is to perform acts of violence to keep your gang feared. These are the kids who nobody dare mess with because rumors and stories spread quickly which makes them seem more popular. When the gang kids hear about them they instantly try to recruit them bribing them with drugs and money. These kids then have to be ready to fight the gang’s battles if anything ever gets bad. Then there are the ones who are on the top of the gang life ladder who gives out all the orders, which the others will follow. These are the kids that normally don’t deal drugs or use violence to scare people but are very smart. I consider them to be the most dangerous because they are the ones who control all the other gang members and use their powerful minds to bring fear to those who try to defy them. Gangs will forever be in the media and as long as crime still plagues the streets gangs will be recruiting young kids for there evil deeds. Family and friends need to stop ignoring the younger generation because their lives aren’t as simple as everyone thinks. Growing up isn’t easy and to find comfort in this lifestyle is very easy.

Twilight 11. COMPLICATIONS

11. COMPLICATIONS Everyone watched us as we walked together to our lab table. I noticed that he no longer angled the chair to sit as far from me as the desk would allow. Instead, he sat quite close beside me, our arms almost touching. Mr. Banner backed into the room then – what superb timing the man had – pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that held a heavy-looking, outdated TV and VCR. A movie day – the lift in the class atmosphere was almost tangible. Mr. Banner shoved the tape into the reluctant VCR and walked to the wall to turn off the lights. And then, as the room went black, I was suddenly hyperaware that Edward was sitting less than an inch from me. I was stunned by the unexpected electricity that flowed through me, amazed that it was possible to be more aware of him than I already was. A crazy impulse to reach over and touch him, to stroke his perfect face just once in the darkness, nearly overwhelmed me. I crossed my arms tightly across my chest, my hands balling into fists. I was losing my mind. The opening credits began, lighting the room by a token amount. My eyes, of their own accord, flickered to him. I smiled sheepishly as I realized his posture was identical to mine, fists clenched under his arms, right down to the eyes, peering sideways at me. He grinned back, his eyes somehow managing to smolder, even in the dark. I looked away before I could start hyperventilating. It was absolutely ridiculous that I should feel dizzy. The hour seemed very long. I couldn't concentrate on the movie – I didn't even know what subject it was on. I tried unsuccessfully to relax, but the electric current that seemed to be originating from somewhere in his body never slackened. Occasionally I would permit myself a quick glance in his direction, but he never seemed to relax, either. The overpowering craving to touch him also refused to fade, and I crushed my fists safely against my ribs until my fingers were aching with the effort. I breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Banner flicked the lights back on at the end of class, and stretched my arms out in front of me, flexing my stiff fingers. Edward chuckled beside me. â€Å"Well, that was interesting,† he murmured. His voice was dark and his eyes were cautious. â€Å"Umm,† was all I was able to respond. â€Å"Shall we?† he asked, rising fluidly. I almost groaned. Time for Gym. I stood with care, worried my balance might have been affected by the strange new intensity between us. He walked me to my next class in silence and paused at the door; I turned to say goodbye. His face startled me – his expression was torn, almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that the ache to touch him flared as strong as before. My goodbye stuck in my throat. He raised his hand, hesitant, conflict raging in his eyes, and then swiftly brushed the length of my cheekbone with his fingertips. His skin was as icy as ever, but the trail his fingers left on my skin was alarmingly warm – like I'd been burned, but didn't feel the pain of it yet. He turned without a word and strode quickly away from me. I walked into the gym, lightheaded and wobbly. I drifted to the locker room, changing in a trancelike state, only vaguely aware that there were other people surrounding me. Reality didn't fully set in until I was handed a racket. It wasn't heavy, yet it felt very unsafe in my hand. I could see a few of the other kids in class eyeing me furtively. Coach Clapp ordered us to pair up into teams. Mercifully, some vestiges of Mike's chivalry still survived; he came to stand beside me. â€Å"Do you want to be a team?† â€Å"Thanks, Mike – you don't have to do this, you know.† I grimaced apologetically. â€Å"Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way.† He grinned. Sometimes it was so easy to like Mike. It didn't go smoothly. I somehow managed to hit myself in the head with my racket and clip Mike's shoulder on the same swing. I spent the rest of the hour in the back corner of the court, the racket held safely behind my back. Despite being handicapped by me, Mike was pretty good; he won three games out of four singlehandedly. He gave me an unearned high five when the coach finally blew the whistle ending class. â€Å"So,† he said as we walked off the court. â€Å"So what?† â€Å"You and Cullen, huh?† he asked, his tone rebellious. My previous feeling of affection disappeared. â€Å"That's none of your business, Mike,† I warned, internally cursing Jessica straight to the fiery pits of Hades. â€Å"I don't like it,† he muttered anyway. â€Å"You don't have to,† I snapped. â€Å"He looks at you like†¦ like you're something to eat,† he continued, ignoring me. I choked back the hysteria that threatened to explode, but a small giggle managed to get out despite my efforts. He glowered at me. I waved and fled to the locker room. I dressed quickly, something stronger than butterflies battering recklessly against the walls of my stomach, my argument with Mike already a distant memory. I was wondering if Edward would be waiting, or if I should meet him at his car. What if his family was there? I felt a wave of real terror. Did they know that I knew? Was I supposed to know that they knew that I knew, or not? By the time I walked out of the gym, I had just about decided to walk straight home without even looking toward the parking lot. But my worries were unnecessary. Edward was waiting, leaning casually against the side of the gym, his breathtaking face untroubled now. As I walked to his side, I felt a peculiar sense of release. â€Å"Hi,† I breathed, smiling hugely. â€Å"Hello.† His answering smile was brilliant. â€Å"How was Gym?† My face fell a tiny bit. â€Å"Fine,† I lied. â€Å"Really?† He was unconvinced. His eyes shifted their focus slightly, looking over my shoulder and narrowing. I glanced behind me to see Mike's back as he walked away. â€Å"What?† I demanded. His eyes slid back to mine, still tight. â€Å"Newton's getting on my nerves.† â€Å"You weren't listening again?† I was horror-struck. All traces of my sudden good humor vanished. â€Å"How's your head?† he asked innocently. â€Å"You're unbelievable!† I turned, stomping away in the general direction of the parking lot, though I hadn't ruled out walking at this point. He kept up with me easily. â€Å"You were the one who mentioned how I'd never seen you in Gym – it made me curious.† He didn't sound repentant, so I ignored him. We walked in silence – a furious, embarrassed silence on my part – to his car. But I had to stop a few steps away – a crowd of people, all boys, were surrounding it. Then I realized they weren't surrounding the Volvo, they were actually circled around Rosalie's red convertible, unmistakable lust in their eyes. None of them even looked up as Edward slid between them to open his door. I climbed quickly in the passenger side, also unnoticed. â€Å"Ostentatious,† he muttered. â€Å"What kind of car is that?† I asked. â€Å"An M3.† â€Å"I don't speak Car and Driver.† â€Å"It's a BMW.† He rolled his eyes, not looking at me, trying to back out without running over the car enthusiasts. I nodded – I'd heard of that one. â€Å"Are you still angry?† he asked as he carefully maneuvered his way out. â€Å"Definitely.† He sighed. â€Å"Will you forgive me if I apologize?† â€Å"Maybe†¦ if you mean it. And if you promise not to do it again,† I insisted. His eyes were suddenly shrewd. â€Å"How about if I mean it, and I agree to let you drive Saturday?† he countered my conditions. I considered, and decided it was probably the best offer I would get. â€Å"Deal,† I agreed. â€Å"Then I'm very sorry I upset you.† His eyes burned with sincerity for a protracted moment – playing havoc with the rhythm of my heart – and then turned playful. â€Å"And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning.† â€Å"Um, it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway.† His smile was condescending now. â€Å"I wasn't intending to bring a car.† â€Å"How -â€Å" He cut me off. â€Å"Don't worry about it. I'll be there, no car.† I let it go. I had a more pressing question. â€Å"Is it later yet?† I asked significantly. He frowned. â€Å"I supposed it is later.† I kept my expression polite as I waited. He stopped the car. I looked up, surprised – of course we were already at Charlie's house, parked behind the truck. It was easier to ride with him if I only looked when it was over. When I looked back at him, he was staring at me, measuring with his eyes. â€Å"And you still want to know why you can't see me hunt?† He seemed solemn, but I thought I saw a trace of humor deep in his eyes. â€Å"Well,† I clarified, â€Å"I was mostly wondering about your reaction.† â€Å"Did I frighten you?† Yes, there was definitely humor there. â€Å"No,† I lied. He didn't buy it. â€Å"I apologize for scaring you,† he persisted with a slight smile, but then all evidence of teasing disappeared. â€Å"It was just the very thought of you being there†¦ while we hunted.† His jaw tightened. â€Å"That would be bad?† He spoke from between clenched teeth. â€Å"Extremely.† â€Å"Because†¦ ?† He took a deep breath and stared through the windshield at the thick, rolling clouds that seemed to press down, almost within reach. â€Å"When we hunt,† he spoke slowly, unwillingly, â€Å"we give ourselves over to our senses†¦ govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head, still gazing morosely at the heavy clouds. I kept my expression firmly under control, expecting the swift flash of his eyes to judge my reaction that soon followed. My face gave nothing away. But our eyes held, and the silence deepened – and changed. Flickers of the electricity I'd felt this afternoon began to charge the atmosphere as he gazed unrelentingly into my eyes. It wasn't until my head started to swim that I realized I wasn't breathing. When I drew in a jagged breath, breaking the stillness, he closed his eyes. â€Å"Bella, I think you should go inside now.† His low voice was rough, his eyes on the clouds again. I opened the door, and the arctic draft that burst into the car helped clear my head. Afraid I might stumble in my woozy state, I stepped carefully out of the car and shut the door behind me without looking back. The whir of the automatic window unrolling made me turn. â€Å"Oh, Bella?† he called after me, his voice more even. He leaned toward the open window with a faint smile on his lips. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Tomorrow it's my turn.† â€Å"Your turn to what?† He smiled wider, flashing his gleaming teeth. â€Å"Ask the questions.† And then he was gone, the car speeding down the street and disappearing around the corner before I could even collect my thoughts. I smiled as I walked to the house. It was clear he was planning to see me tomorrow, if nothing else. That night Edward starred in my dreams, as usual. However, the climate of my unconsciousness had changed. It thrilled with the same electricity that had charged the afternoon, and I tossed and turned restlessly, waking often. It was only in the early hours of the morning that I finally sank into an exhausted, dreamless sleep. When I woke I was still tired, but edgy as well. I pulled on my brown turtleneck and the inescapable jeans, sighing as I daydreamed of spaghetti straps and shorts. Breakfast was the usual, quiet event I expected. Charlie fried eggs for himself; I had my bowl of cereal. I wondered if he had forgotten about this Saturday. He answered my unspoken question as he stood up to take his plate to the sink. â€Å"About this Saturday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began, walking across the kitchen and turning on the faucet. I cringed. â€Å"Yes, Dad?† â€Å"Are you still set on going to Seattle?† he asked. â€Å"That was the plan.† I grimaced, wishing he hadn't brought it up so I wouldn't have to compose careful half-truths. He squeezed some dish soap onto his plate and swirled it around with the brush. â€Å"And you're sure you can't make it back in time for the dance?† â€Å"I'm not going to the dance, Dad.† I glared. â€Å"Didn't anyone ask you?† he asked, trying to hide his concern by focusing on rinsing the plate. I sidestepped the minefield. â€Å"It's a girl's choice.† â€Å"Oh.† He frowned as he dried his plate. I sympathized with him. It must be a hard thing, to be a father; living in fear that your daughter would meet a boy she liked, but also having to worry if she didn't. How ghastly it would be, I thought, shuddering, if Charlie had even the slightest inkling of exactly what I did like. Charlie left then, with a goodbye wave, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth and gather my books. When I heard the cruiser pull away, I could only wait a few seconds before I had to peek out of my window. The silver car was already there, waiting in Charlie's spot on the driveway. I bounded down the stairs and out the front door, wondering how long this bizarre routine would continue. I never wanted it to end. He waited in the car, not appearing to watch as I shut the door behind me without bothering to lock the dead-bolt. I walked to the car, pausing shyly before opening the door and stepping in. He was smiling, relaxed – and, as usual, perfect and beautiful to an excruciating degree. â€Å"Good morning.† His voice was silky. â€Å"How are you today?† His eyes roamed over my face, as if his question was something more than simple courtesy. â€Å"Good, thank you.† I was always good – much more than good – when I was near him. His gaze lingered on the circles under my eyes. â€Å"You look tired.† â€Å"I couldn't sleep,† I confessed, automatically swinging my hair around my shoulder to provide some measure of cover. â€Å"Neither could I,† he teased as he started the engine. I was becoming used to the quiet purr. I was sure the roar of my truck would scare me, whenever I got to drive it again. I laughed. â€Å"I guess that's right. I suppose I slept just a little bit more than you did.† â€Å"I'd wager you did.† â€Å"So what did you do last night?† I asked. He chuckled. â€Å"Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions.† â€Å"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?† My forehead creased. I couldn't imagine anything about me that could be in any way interesting to him. â€Å"What's your favorite color?† he asked, his face grave. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"It changes from day to day.† â€Å"What's your favorite color today?† He was still solemn. â€Å"Probably brown.† I tended to dress according to my mood. He snorted, dropping his serious expression. â€Å"Brown?† he asked skeptically. â€Å"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown – tree trunks, rocks, dirt – is all covered up with squashy green stuff here,† I complained. He seemed fascinated by my little rant. He considered for a moment, staring into my eyes. â€Å"You're right,† he decided, serious again. â€Å"Brown is warm.† He reached over, swiftly, but somehow still hesitantly, to sweep my hair back behind my shoulder. We were at the school by now. He turned back to me as he pulled into a parking space. â€Å"What music is in your CD player right now?† he asked, his face as somber as if he'd asked for a murder confession. I realized I'd never removed the CD Phil had given me. When I said the name of the band, he smiled crookedly, a peculiar expression in his eyes. He flipped open a compartment under his car's CD player, pulled out one of thirty or so CDs that were jammed into the small space, and handed it to me, â€Å"Debussy to this?† He raised an eyebrow. It was the same CD. I examined the familiar cover art, keeping my eyes down. It continued like that for the rest of the day. While he walked me to English, when he met me after Spanish, all through the lunch hour, he questioned me relentlessly about every insignificant detail of my existence. Movies I'd liked and hated, the few places I'd been and the many places I wanted to go, and books – endlessly books. I couldn't remember the last time I'd talked so much. More often than not, I felt self-conscious, certain I must be boring him. But the absolute absorption of his face, and his never-ending stream of questions, compelled me to continue. Mostly his questions were easy, only a very few triggering my easy blushes. But when I did flush, it brought on a whole new round of questions. Such as the time he asked my favorite gemstone, and I blurted out topaz before thinking. He'd been flinging questions at me with such speed that I felt like I was taking one of those psychiatric tests where you answer with the first word that comes to mind. I was sure he would have continued down whatever mental list he was following, except for the blush. My face reddened because, until very recently, my favorite gemstone was garnet. It was impossible, while staring back into his topaz eyes, not to remember the reason for the switch. And, naturally, he wouldn't rest until I'd admitted why I was embarrassed. â€Å"Tell me,† he finally commanded after persuasion failed – failed only because I kept my eyes safely away from his face. â€Å"It's the color of your eyes today,† I sighed, surrendering, staring down at my hands as I fiddled with a piece of my hair. â€Å"I suppose if you asked me in two weeks I'd say onyx.† I'd given more information than necessary in my unwilling honesty, and I worried it would provoke the strange anger that flared whenever I slipped and revealed too clearly how obsessed I was. But his pause was very short. â€Å"What kinds of flowers do you prefer?† he fired off. I sighed in relief, and continued with the psychoanalysis. Biology was a complication again. Edward had continued with his quizzing up until Mr. Banner entered the room, dragging the audiovisual frame again. As the teacher approached the light switch, I noticed Edward slide his chair slightly farther away from mine. It didn't help. As soon as the room was dark, there was the same electric spark, the same restless craving to stretch my hand across the short space and touch his cold skin, as yesterday. I leaned forward on the table, resting my chin on my folded arms, my hidden fingers gripping the table's edge as I fought to ignore the irrational longing that unsettled me. I didn't look at him, afraid that if he was looking at me, it would only make self-control that much harder. I sincerely tried to watch the movie, but at the end of the hour I had no idea what I'd just seen. I sighed in relief again when Mr. Banner turned the lights on, finally glancing at Edward; he was looking at me, his eyes ambivalent. He rose in silence and then stood still, waiting for me. We walked toward the gym in silence, like yesterday. And, also like yesterday, he touched my face wordlessly – this time with the back of his cool hand, stroking once from my temple to my jaw – before he turned and walked away. Gym passed quickly as I watched Mike's one-man badminton show. He didn't speak to me today, either in response to my vacant expression or because he was still angry about our squabble yesterday. Somewhere, in a corner of my mind, I felt bad about that. But I couldn't concentrate on him. I hurried to change afterward, ill at ease, knowing the faster I moved, the sooner I would be with Edward. The pressure made me more clumsy than usual, but eventually I made it out the door, feeling the same release when I saw him standing there, a wide smile automatically spreading across my face. He smiled in reaction before launching into more cross-examination. His questions were different now, though, not as easily answered. He wanted to know what I missed about home, insisting on descriptions of anything he wasn't familiar with. We sat in front of Charlie's house for hours, as the sky darkened and rain plummeted around us in a sudden deluge. I tried to describe impossible things like the scent of creosote – bitter, slightly resinous, but still pleasant – the high, keening sound of the cicadas in July, the feathery barrenness of the trees, the very size of the sky, extending white-blue from horizon to horizon, barely interrupted by the low mountains covered with purple volcanic rock. The hardest thing to explain was why it was so beautiful to me – to justify a beauty that didn't depend on the sparse, spiny vegetation that often looked half dead, a beauty that had more to do with the exposed shape of the land, with the shallow bowls of valleys between the craggy hills, and the way they held on to the sun. I found myself using my hands as I tried to describe it to him. His quiet, probing questions kept me talking freely, forgetting, in the dim light of the storm, to be embarrassed for monopolizing the conversation. Finally, when I had finished detailing my cluttered room at home, he paused instead of responding with another question. â€Å"Are you finished?† I asked in relief. â€Å"Not even close – but your father will be home soon.† â€Å"Charlie!† I suddenly recalled his existence, and sighed. I looked out at the rain-darkened sky, but it gave nothing away. â€Å"How late is it?† I wondered out loud as I glanced at the clock. I was surprised by the time – Charlie would be driving home now. â€Å"It's twilight,† Edward murmured, looking at the western horizon, obscured as it was with clouds. His voice was thoughtful, as if his mind were somewhere far away. I stared at him as he gazed unseeingly out the windshield. I was still staring when his eyes suddenly shifted back to mine. â€Å"It's the safest time of day for us,† he said, answering the unspoken question in my eyes. â€Å"The easiest time. But also the saddest, in a way†¦ the end of another day, the return of the night. Darkness is so predictable, don't you think?† He smiled wistfully. â€Å"I like the night. Without the dark, we'd never see the stars.† I frowned. â€Å"Not that you see them here much.† He laughed, and the mood abruptly lightened. â€Å"Charlie will be here in a few minutes. So, unless you want to tell him that you'll be with me Saturday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Thanks, but no thanks.† I gathered my books, realizing I was stiff from sitting still so long. â€Å"So is it my turn tomorrow, then?† â€Å"Certainly not!† His face was teasingly outraged. â€Å"I told you I wasn't done, didn't I?† â€Å"What more is there?† â€Å"You'll find out tomorrow.† He reached across to open my door for me, and his sudden proximity sent my heart into frenzied palpitations. But his hand froze on the handle. â€Å"Not good,† he muttered. â€Å"What is it?† I was surprised to see that his jaw was clenched, his eyes disturbed. He glanced at me for a brief second. â€Å"Another complication,† he said glumly. He flung the door open in one swift movement, and then moved, almost cringed, swiftly away from me. The flash of headlights through the rain caught my attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing us. â€Å"Charlie's around the corner,† he warned, staring through the downpour at the other vehicle. I hopped out at once, despite my confusion and curiosity. The rain was louder as it glanced off my jacket. I tried to make out the shapes in the front seat of the other car, but it was too dark. I could see Edward illuminated in the glare of the new car's headlights; he was still staring ahead, his gaze locked on something or someone I couldn't see. His expression was a strange mix of frustration and defiance. Then he revved the engine, and the tires squealed against the wet pavement. The Volvo was out of sight in seconds. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† called a familiar, husky voice from the driver's side of the little black car. â€Å"Jacob?† I asked, squinting through the rain. Just then, Charlie's cruiser swung around the corner, his lights shining on the occupants of the car in front of me. Jacob was already climbing out, his wide grin visible even through the darkness. In the passenger seat was a much older man, a heavyset man with a memorable face – a face that overflowed, the cheeks resting against his shoulders, with creases running through the russet skin like an old leather jacket. And the surprisingly familiar eyes, black eyes that seemed at the same time both too young and too ancient for the broad face they were set in. Jacob's father, Billy Black. I knew him immediately, though in the more than five years since I'd seen him last I'd managed to forget his name when Charlie had spoken of him my first day here. He was staring at me, scrutinizing my face, so I smiled tentatively at him. His eyes were wide, as if in shock or fear, his nostrils flared. My smile faded. Another complication, Edward had said. Billy still stared at me with intense, anxious eyes. I groaned internally. Had Billy recognized Edward so easily? Could he really believe the impossible legends his son had scoffed at? The answer was clear in Billy's eyes. Yes. Yes, he could.