Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 15

The night before the wedding, I stood staring out the window of my bedroom. A beautiful quarter-moon shown through the ornately paned glass. It felt like the entire nighttime world was teasing me, calling out: Come play. Come hunt. Come disappear into the darkness. My skin prickled whenever a hint of the night air breezed through, and my nostrils flared at the thousand and one scents it carried. I am not meant to stay captive inside at night†¦. I had thought I was miserable in the park hunting squirrels, but here I was trapped by my word, by my guilt, by these stupid walls, by a family of humans under a spell, by my brother. Mrs. Sutherland came in earlier that evening. She didn't say much, just patted my hand and pinched my cheek, telling me not to worry, the wedding would soon be over and then we all – we all – could get back to the normal happy business of being a family. Little did she know that after Damon was through with them, the Sutherlands would never be able to be normal or happy again. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I turned and tightened the nice silk smoking jacket Winfield had loaned me, wondering if Mrs. Sutherland had left something behind. But then the door cracked open and a pink, mischievous face poked through. â€Å"Bridget,† I half-groaned. I looked around me desperately, as if some sort of exit would suddenly appear that I could escape through. She giggled and suddenly shoved her way in, slamming the door behind her, leaning against it like she had just shut out an invading army. â€Å"Stefan,† Bridget said in what she probably thought was a sexy, dulcet tone. She was dressed in a chiffon robe with giant chenille cabbage roses. Underneath, instead of a simple nightgown, she wore a complicated corseted dress made of bright pink silk with a rose-red sash that left her shoulders and neck bare. â€Å"Bridget,† I said warningly, backing up. My head hit one of the beams of the four-poster bed. â€Å"I thought maybe we could start the honeymoon early,† she whispered, pushing herself into my arms. â€Å"Uh – † I stammered. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were heavy-lidded. Despite Damon's compulsions, she was also under the sway of her own emotions, stirred to amorous feelings for the man she was about to marry. She pushed me – with remarkably strong arms – down on to the bed and fell upon me, crushing me under wave after wave of silk. Her breasts heaved over the corset, and I could feel her warm skin through my robe. I had a perfect view of her bare white neck. Her heart pumped quickly, giving her skin a hot, rosy glow and filling my senses with her blood. I could smell it all over her, salty and warm and human. A shiver went through my body as her chest pressed against mine, and I could feel the pain begin along my jaw. Such a sweet pain – and it had been such a long time since I had had human blood†¦. It couldn't hurt, part of me said. She wouldn't mind me biting her, even without compulsion. It didn't have to be painful, and she might even enjoy it. Before I knew what I was doing I had pressed my lips to her shoulder, just to feel the skin, to take a little lick†¦ She felt me moving beneath her and misinterpreted it, kissing me harder and getting into a more comfortable position, entwining her legs in mine. â€Å"No!† I managed to get control of myself and shoved her off me. I didn't mean to do it so forcefully, but even in my weakened state I was still several times stronger than a human. She fell to the end of the bed, against one of the posts, looking shocked. And then she began to cry. â€Å"You†¦ don't want me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she wailed, fat droplets of tears rolling down her cheeks. â€Å"Bridget, no, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My fangs retracted and I was aching with the pain and my need for blood. â€Å"It's just†¦ we're getting married tomorrow, Bridget. Just one more day. If we wait until it's†¦ uh†¦ proper, it will be even more special. Just think, we'll have completed a†¦ beautiful day†¦ with you in your beautiful, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Cream brocade with Flemish lace on the sleeves and bodice and an ivory satin sash with a veil of matching ivory silk flowers,† she sniffled. â€Å"Right.† I touched her elbow delicately and tilted her chin up so she had to look at me. She wiped the tears off her face with a piece of her robe. â€Å"Let my first night with you be with that image of you in my mind, my blushing bride.† She nodded, sniffing again, giving me a faint smile. â€Å"All right.† Then she giggled again, back to her old self, and flounced off the bed and to the door. â€Å"Good night†¦ lover,† she cooed before exiting. As soon as she was gone I fell back on the bed, muffling a groan in my pillow. It did nothing to abate my frustration. I stood, pacing from the window to the door, wanting to leave, to escape, to hunt, to do something. But I had no choice, no option. I was trapped in this room, in this situation, in the terrible in-betweenness of being neither a human nor a monster. I ripped the pillow straight in two, feathers exploding around the room like a white powder keg. Damn you, Damon, I thought violently, for putting me in this position. And damn you, too, Katherine, for beginning all this.

First experience to a foreign country Essay

I have an aunt who has been living in the United States since she was eighteen years old and she used to invite me to stay with her many times. One day I decided to go. Staying with her and her family was one of the greatest experiences in my life. Besides learning a new language, I made new friends and I really got into the culture of a great and beautiful country. When I arrived there, I got very excited. First, I was excited because it was my first time in a foreign country, and second because I was going to live something really new in my life. On the other hand, learning English wasn’t an easy process because my aunt used to speak just Portuguese with me; I used to take English classes just twice a week and all the students were foreign too. My experience of learning English in a regular course was limited to this little experience and a short period taking English as a Second Language at the local College. Thus, from that period until de end of the time there, I learned the language with the people from the city and the new friends I had met. Besides the experience of studying a new language, making new friends was the best aspect of living abroad. I had a girlfriend who lived in a beautiful city by the Pacific Ocean and I used to spend every weekend with her. We used to go out often and in one of these times I met my first American boyfriend. He was handsome and very kind and we had a great time together. He took me to many interesting places and showed me the authentic American way of life by introducing me to his family, his friends and his culture. Moreover, going out constantly and talking to him helped me to improve the skills with the language and mainly to be familiar with the American people and their habits and customs. Another great experience I had was working as a babysitter. Once I read in the newspaper an advertisement looking for a foreign girl to take care of two children. At first I got really scared with the big responsibility of taking care of two children, but I decided to live this new adventure. The family’s house was in a very nice place by the ocean and the children were very cute and curious about my â€Å"weird accent†. In spite of the fact that this new experience wasn’t easy due to my lack of practice at that time,  everything went well and the whole situation was very meaningful to my life.

Federal Mandates Essay

Through out the 1930’s, Federalism began to grow along with an increased power towards federal grants and mandates due to the effects of the Depression. During the New Deal the Supreme Court ruled that national spending was not limited to just specific grants any more. The national government now had the power to grant, fund, and mandate money to any state under what conditions they choose. Currently Congress can imply considerable control over the states by placing federal money to particular federal mandates. Over the past 25 years Federalism has dramatically changed as a result of an increase in federal mandates. Starting with Jimmy Carter trying to return the government to Creative Federalism, he wanted to give federal aid to poor communities and to use public funds to promote private investment for certain problems while trying to create a partnership between state and national government. On the other hand, Ronald Reagan reigned against big government during his four-year term from 1981-1988. In the end he decreased national spending towards states, which made many American citizens very unhappy. President George Bush stepped into to office next with a plan to continue with Reagan’s downsizing of government. While trying to carry out this goal, Bush lowered welfare spending, increased education programs and environmental protection, while increases in the cost of Medicaid rose, leading to a national grant increase. Bill Clinton reversed the system when he signed the Executive Order 13803, which allows for federal intervention in policy matters with state and local government. Many agreed that this order seriously eroded federalism. Through out the past 25 years, the ideas of government  grants and mandates have varied almost from each president. With Clinton in office he increased under-funded federal mandates to states. These changes have caused Federalism t o change as well, with the age-old question still pondering in the minds of Americans, who actually has the most power, the states or national government? In 1990 a federal mandate was passed called the Americans with Disability Act The Federal Law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of a disability. It makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability in job application process, hiring, discharge of employee, job training, and other terms. Also all businesses must make accommodation for employees with a disability. In addition, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person who is perceived to have a disability, that is if the employer believes one is disabled, even though he is not, and still discriminates against him. The Federal Government issued this mandate in order to ensure that all American citizens have the same advantages. Although a citizen might be disabled, it does not mean that he or she is in capable of working. It is unfair to discriminate against a person with a disability when our country was founded on treating all citizens with equality and ensuring uniform rights for all. Enforcing this act would reduce the number of citizens needing welfare and decrease the unemployment rate. Many mandates affect both the state and local government budgets. Several mandates are associated with federal grant-in-aid programs, where money is paid to state and local governments for programs or activities the federal government wants to promote. While participation in these programs is â€Å"voluntary†, the offer of federal money often is too tempting for states to refuse. For example, the federal government pays about $250 million annually for Minnesota highways. However, the money comes with requirements, such as lane width and pavement thickness. Other mandates apply to both government and the private sector these include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Americans With Disabilities Act. These two mandates are costly and come with no financial assistance. Private sectors include small business; such as my father’s very own physical therapy clinics. In 1990 when the law was past, he had to make accommodations for disabled citizens. Although my father does treat many disable citizens already, he had to make further modification to his clinics such as; even larger bathrooms, special equipment, and wheelchair ramps to meet the federal mandate standards while funding the project by himself. If the government were to remove this federal mandate, the Americans with Disability Act, many consequences would follow. This act enables all  citizens a chance to earn a job. With this mandate the government is ensuring the same equal rights to all Americans. Also with the mandate doctors are not allowed to â€Å"say† if a patient is able to return to work or not after being disabled . The doctors are now only authorized to state the patient’s limitations, it is up to the employer to claim if the patient is unable to work. This one factor allows more citizens with disabilities to work. If the mandate were removed then fewer citizens would return to work, due to the fact that doctors would have to title all patients â€Å"disabled† if they had any sort of limitation. The increase of federal mandates does show that the national governments are taking control over the states governments, which defeats the idea of Federalism. When using a federal system of government, both the state and the national government are suppose to SHARE power. Federal mandates work against the definition of true Federalism. Mandates do not contribute to the sharing of powers. Federal mandates control states. The states do not have a chose to participate in the mandate or not. Therefore, federal mandates drive our country away from the ideas of Federalism.

Child and young person development Essay

1.1 Describe the expected pattern of children and young people’s development from birth to 19yrs Physical Development Communication & Intellectual development Social, Emotional & Behavioural development 0-3 New babies have little control over their bodies, their movement depends on a series of reflexes as they get older they start to develop more gross monitor skills such as crawling, sitting, running, rolling. In their second year, children should have a better ability to control their movement. In a child’s 3rd year they would start to develop fine motor skills such as painting, scribbling and colouring. The child enjoys looking at and turning pages of books. At this age a child, should be able to use a cup and be able to feed themselves. A child at this stage will be listening, taking in language and speech from their surroundings. If a child is not given the appropriate attention they will find it hard to speak/communicate with other children. Speech will begin to grow with the child enjoying songs and games and words will start to increase rapidly, with words being pronounced wrong but not without a lack of trying. For example ‘I broked it’ instead of ‘I b roke it’. Children will have firms bonds with their parents/carers/guardians/key workers. They will experience emotional issues such as playing up for their parents, due to wanting to be independent and do things for themselves. 3-7 At this age, children will be improving the skills they have learned so far, they will have more confidence and more control over their fine motor skills such as cutting, writing and drawing. As children grow they continue to pick up phrases and expressions from the people around them and their surroundings. Their confidence will continue to blossom as they will now be able to talk and communicate in more ways with others around them. Children  will still look for praise from the older people and adults around them. At this age children start to engage more with their friends; ie playing with a ball, dressing up, playing with lego. They will learn disappointment such as not being picked for teams, and know how they should behave within the groups. They will learn to cooperate openly with others and how to respond to responsibility. 7-12 Children would start to have hobbies and interests such as sports, dance, drama. Children will continue to develop and improve many of their skills. Girls will start to show signs of early puberty from age 10-11yrs. Puberty in boys will usually start later. Speech for a child at this stage will be a lot clearer and understood. They will be fine tuning their written and reading skills which will help them to think about ideas and learning tools which will increase their confidence. Their knowledge and understanding will be used a lot more efficiently. Children will have developed different groups of friends and feel settled within those groups. Many different skills will have been developed and hobbies will be of great interest. Fine motor skills will be fully developed with more of an interest in their hobbies. For example playing an instrument, sewing and crafts. 12-19 The boys will be starting to go through puberty and many of the girls would be completing their puberty, having regular periods. As a result of the different stages at this age in puberty, boys and girls will vary in height, with girls they are taller and are growing stronger than boys. A wider understanding of their surroundings and clearer ideas of their favourite activities and subjects at school will be expected at this stage. They will be thinking about future careers as they prepare to leave school. Young people between this age experience a lot of change and can become very self conscious of their bodily changes. Independence will have grown but will still look for guidance from others. Strength, height and confidence will also have grown. 1.2 Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another It is always important to remember that different aspects of development can affect another, for example if a child has a new sibling in their family they have to understand that their parent’s have to share their attention with both of the children not just one. The child may feel angry and alone which can lead to social, emotional and behavioural problems. If they feel they don’t get enough attention from their parents. This can then have an impact on their communication development, due to them playing up or misbehaving. If a child has an illness or disability which prevents them from walking this can affect their physical development as they don’t have full gross motor skill development, as well as affecting their social and intellectual development. They may spend a lot more time learning which will be a positive gain on their intellectual development, however they may wonder why they are not with their peers taking part in their daily activities, therefore their emotional, social and behavioural development will be affected as they may feel left out or different from the others. Outcome 2 2.1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development including: a) background b) health c)environment Children and young people come from a wide range of different backgrounds, all having an affect on development. For example a child/young person may be neglected and from a poorer family who don’t have the amenities to care properly for that child. The behaviour of a parent towards their child can affect how they deal with things emotionally and therefore can have an impact on a child’s development. If there are older siblings they my talk above the younger sibling or talk for them, having an affect on a child’s communication skills possibly making their speech slower. On a positive note an older sibling may help the younger sibling to develop their skills at a faster pace. For example if they read, write and just sit talking to their  older brother or sister it can help the, to develop much needed skills. If a child/young person suffers a bereavement of a family member or close friend, or has an illness or injury, these factors can also have an affect on a chi ld’s emotional and social development. My daughter Hope, was born with a complex heart and lung defect which led to her having major surgery at 4 months old, this has delayed her development in terms of speech, mobility and learning and she has missed school due to various hospital and clinic appointments. Hope has extra reading lessons as her eyesight has been affected by the health issues and therefore struggles to keep up to the same level as her peers. P.E lessons are sometimes a struggle as her physical ability is behind most of her classmates and she struggles to keep up. Hope’s hearing has also been affected as well as her growth, making it harder for her to complete normal day to day tasks with her friends. The environment a child learns in is an important aspect of their school life. If there are distraction such as a noisy road outside or some kind of issue in the classroom for example a disruptive child, this can affect a child’s development by taking their attention away from learning. A few day nurseries have found recently that bright, vibrant colours and pictures on walls, are more of a distraction to the children in their early years at nursery, and so no longer have anything on walls at all. They are now plain as to not draw attention from the children, distracting them from their day to day learning and play. 2.2 Describe with examples the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development If a child has any issues it is extremely important that these issues are dealt with as soon as possible, as if they go unnoticed this may lead to further problems. For example my daughter Hope, never showed any signs of having a problem with her eyesight, until a routine check at school discovered she was very short sighted in one eye. It wasn’t until this was found that recent behaviours slotted into place, like Hope wouldn’t look to be interested in class, she would sit and look like she was in a daze, this was due to the fact she couldn’t see properly not that she wasn’t  interested. In Hope’s preschool year, her teacher was concerned Hope wasn’t progressing as well as the other children in her group, due to her being very quiet and reserved and looking disinterested in what was going on. Hope was referred to a learning development team who found nothing wrong, but it was important that her teacher made me aware of these issues incase there was an underlying issue. No matter how many times an issue is raised it is important to do so until the issue has been resolved, so not to cause any further stress to the child or young person. Hope for weeks, wasn’t herself at home or in school, she would be very unsettled, wet the bed, very quiet and wouldn’t join in in her class. After constant revisiting of these problems it was finally found that the anxieties Hope was having was due to her health issues. If these issues were not picked up Hope would be a lot worse now, thankfully they were and are being resolved. Outcome 3 3.1 Identify the transitions experienced by most children and young people Nursery – preschool Preschool – primary school Primary school – high school Change of classes Change of timetable Change of teacher/key worker Puberty 3.2 Identify transitions that only some children and young people may experience Move in house—possibly a local move or out of the area Move in school – due to the above or other personal issues Bereavement of a close friend or family member Illness or injury Parental separation or divorce Change of carer/guardian/new parent New sibling 3.3 Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people’s behaviour and development Transitions can affect children in a number of way, during this time it is important that the child or young person has positive relationships around them to help them feel secure. Some transitions can be difficult to deal with and can affect a child or young person’s behaviour in many different ways. For example a child who has just moved house and school can become very clingy, withdrawn, anxious and uninterested in their new surroundings. This can affect their development as they may not join in as much as they should in class, plus could ply up to their new teachers and have behavioural issues. If this kind of behaviour isn’t picked up early on and the child or young person isn’t given the support they need, the transitional period can become a very traumatic experience. On a positive note, a change in school may be what the child needs to take off and thrive in a new setting. It may be seen as an exciting time and a chance for the child to excel in their new surroundings. Any change in a child or young persons life can lead to a number of behvioural and developmental issues. Parental separation or a change in partner can lead to a withdrawn behviour, acting up to gain the attention of their parent. They may become aggressive at the remaining parent and blame themselves for the problems. This behaviour may carry on in school and lead to the child being excluded from the class or school depending on the severity of the situation. If a child or young person experiences illness or an injury, dependent on the severity p, they may need to take a lot of time off school for appointments, treatments, etc. Where some children/young people may see it as a great thing being away from school, for others it can be a very worrying, anxious time. Emotionally they may be down about being here, there and everywhere on different appointments, so it is important that they have a good support network around them to give them some kind of stability during this time. There are a lot of negative affects children and young people can experience  from certain situations, however sometimes positives can be taken from them. For example, as traumatic as it may be for a child to move in with a new parent and new siblings they can be a positive influence in terms of speech and social skills for the young

International expantion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International expantion - Essay Example On the other hand, AIU should take into account national culture which affects all international and export marketing activity. Of concern to the manager are the influences of the religious, family, educational, and social systems of a society. Often these are manifested in the values, attitudes, and motivations of people and can affect business customs such as personal manners, colors, advertising, 'gift' giving and receiving, and pride and status. The UK is a country with old traditions which include both conscious and unconscious national values, ideas, attitudes and symbols that shape employees behavior. The UK consists of four main parts: Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The combination of language and religion creates a unique culture and traditions. At its deepest level, however, British culture comprises a set of basic assumptions that operate automatically to enable groups of people to solve the problems of daily life without thinking about them. The influence of Christianity and other religions in the UK had always extended for beyond the comparatively narrow of organized and private ownership. Religious organizations are actively involved in voluntary work and the provisions of social services. The UK is a leading industrial country which has a great influence on international economics and politics. The country has a service-based economy and a large private sector. In contrast to other European counties, the UK has not yet adopted the euro currency. "A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being" (The World Fact Book: the UK, 2006). The country has a population about 60,609,153 million who lives on 242,514 sq km. An average expectancy of life is 81 years for women and 76 years for men. GNI per capita is $33,630. GDP is $1.83 trillion. It is reported that GDP shows the lowest growth rates over the last 12 years. "GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2006, with growth unchanged from the last quarter of 2005. The level of GDP is now 2.2 per cent higher than the first quarter of 2005" (GDP Growth. The UK, 2006). 17% of population lives below poverty line. Demographics will help to analyze market potential, its perspectives, and segment the UK market. Demographic segmentation is based measurable characteristics of the population such as income, age distribution, gender, education, and occupation. A number of global demographic trends-fewer married couples, smaller family size, changing roles of women, higher incomes and living standards, for example-have contributed to the emergence of global market segments. In the UK, 17.5 % of the population are children from 0-14, 66.8% people from 15-64 year old and 15.8% - 65+. The majority of the population are white people - 54.85 million; people of Asian origin is about 2.38 million. Population growth rate is about 0.28%. In agriculture works about 1.1%, in industry - 26% and in service market - 72.9% (The World Fact Book: the UK, 2006). Cultural Concerns Need to Be Considered Great Britain is a country of old traditions and strong family values. Cultural preferences are quite apparent in food preparation and consumption patterns and habits. Taking into account the nature of the product AIU is going to market, these cultural preferences will play a core role in strategic planning. A solid understanding of food-related cultural preferen

Should gay marriage be legalized Research Paper

Should gay marriage be legalized - Research Paper Example Should gay marriage be legalized? The United States constitution guarantees all citizens equal rights regardless of gender, sex, religion, race or sexual orientation and therefore, denying people of same-sex the right to get married is a violation of the constitution. As stipulated in the constitution, everyone has a right to liberty, freedom and equality provided in the exercise of such rights one does not cause damage or harm to other people. The gay people in engaging in marriage are only exercising the right and their behavior does not cause harm to anybody. Despite the fundamental principles not only allowing but also requiring legalization of same-sex marriage, some people still insist that same-sex couples should not be accorded equal right to marry. They forget that gays are human beings just like other people such as the heterosexuals and as such should be treated equally. The democrats and republicans often advocate equal rights for gay and lesbians such as the right to proper housing, government benefits, employment and legal protections. However, when it comes to marriage they strongly oppose such an idea. The democrats even go ahead to support the inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibility. Opposing the right to marry is thus a contradiction to the party’s commitment to legal equality and non discrimination. It makes no sense to support good cause for the gay and their families but refuse to acknowledge their right to marry and to live happily.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Management - Essay Example Managerial communication is the element of an organization or business that helps the managers of those organizations to communicate with each other, that is if there is more than one manager, as well as with the other employees within the organization.â€Å"Managers must be efficient and effective communicators in a fast-paced highly competitive environment.† (Hynes, Geraldine E, P18).If information is not shared, then it is of no use to the organization and will bring no benefit. In order to share this information, there has to be proper communication techniques that will help the individual members of an organization stay up to date with the latest on goings, events and developments. Good communication helps ease the transfer of valuable information between members of one party to members of another, otherwise known as the sender and the receiver. Managers of an organization that are working towards a common goal, are required to smooth out the flow of information by using effective managerial techniques. Managerial communication is divided into two sub categories, namely; interpersonal communication and organizational communication. Interpersonal communication is the communication or the transfer of information that takes place between two or more individuals at a workplace, whereas organizational communication is one that occurs at all levels of an organization. ... Understanding of a manager’s message is based on the receiver’s perception and message interpretation† (Larry R Smeltzer, Donald J. Leonard, 1994, p27). Many of these issues are related to decision making that turn out to be controversial and not too favorable for some of the subordinates. A controversial decision will incur anxiety and resistance, especially decisions that speak about any sort of change or alteration to the structure of the organization. Changing an organization’s goals for example, will definitely create uncertainty in groups, leading eventually to anxiety and protest. Although lying or half truths are sometimes spread for the benefit of the organization, the process of doing so can destroy the trust that an employee has built with the employer. Due to this, the employee will begin to question the employer’s sincerity and most probably seek a new job where the employer is someone he/she can trust. The employee might even tend to sp read the notion of the employer being insincere and this could be disastrous for the organization, potentially losing valuable employees. Another issue that arises in the management of an organization is caused when the realities of power are not recognized. If a manager is found to be really high in the organization’s hierarchal structure, it is possible for problems that occur in the organization, to reach that manager a little too late and also softened in nature so as to cause minimal blow. Every employee who passes on the problem ensures to reduce the degree of that problem. If the manager is unable to properly recognize the integrity of the situation, the problem might not be dealt with in the right way and may lead to undesirable consequences. In the same way, messages and information