Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers

Nowadays, education is at the top of people’s concern. Most of schools consider the interaction between students and teachers as an important role in the teaching process. Therefore, it leads to a policy that students can evaluate their teachers. In my opinion, I support that idea for several reasons.First of all, students are the very people who receive knowledge and lessons from their professors directly thus their evaluations must be exact and appropriate. In fact, it is very difficult to ask people to evaluate something that they never experience by themselves. As an example, customers are always the accurate measuring device of products’ quality because customers often try to find the best product among a lot of ones in the market to use. Similarly, students will express true opinions about their teachers and those opinions are very helpful for schools to know their teachers better. In this way, schools can have right methods to improve their staff.Furthermore, eva luations from students will make teachers perform their tasks better. As teachers know that their students always consider their teaching methods and their profession in every lecture or discussion, they will be stimulated to do well at the class. Besides, students’view will help teachers to find out their most effective teaching way and thus, their skills and experience can be boosted to a higher level.Finally, asking studentd to evaluate their teachers is also a way of showing concern to students. By that way, the schools indicate that they really appriciate their students’opinions and feeling. Hence, students may feel more comfortable and free. Also, when evaluating teachers, students have to pay attention to their lessons and they may realize their attitude of studying as well.To sum up, I strongly believe that schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. That idea will help both of students and teachers to do better in their tasks. Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers Nowadays, education is at the top of people’s concern. Most of schools consider the interaction between students and teachers as an important role in the teaching process. Therefore, it leads to a policy that students can evaluate their teachers. In my opinion, I support that idea for several reasons.First of all, students are the very people who receive knowledge and lessons from their professors directly thus their evaluations must be exact and appropriate. In fact, it is very difficult to ask people to evaluate something that they never experience by themselves. As an example, customers are always the accurate measuring device of products’ quality because customers often try to find the best product among a lot of ones in the market to use. Similarly, students will express true opinions about their teachers and those opinions are very helpful for schools to know their teachers better. In this way, schools can have right methods to improve their staff.Furthermore, eva luations from students will make teachers perform their tasks better. As teachers know that their students always consider their teaching methods and their profession in every lecture or discussion, they will be stimulated to do well at the class. Besides, students’view will help teachers to find out their most effective teaching way and thus, their skills and experience can be boosted to a higher level.Finally, asking studentd to evaluate their teachers is also a way of showing concern to students. By that way, the schools indicate that they really appriciate their students’opinions and feeling. Hence, students may feel more comfortable and free. Also, when evaluating teachers, students have to pay attention to their lessons and they may realize their attitude of studying as well.To sum up, I strongly believe that schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. That idea will help both of students and teachers to do better in their tasks.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 27~28

Chapter 27 Bridging the Boredom Half past midnight. He stood at the top of the southwest tower of the Oakland Bay Bridge, some fifty stories above the gunmetal-cold bay, thinking, Jump or dive? He wore a black silk suit and he paused for a moment, regretting that the suit would be ruined. He liked the feel and flow of silk on his skin. Oh well. Two miles away Jody was walking up Market Street wishing that she could just get drunk and pass out. I wonder, she thought, if I found someone who was really drunk and drank his blood? No, this damn system of mine would probably identify alcohol as a poison and fight the effects. So many questions. If only I'd remembered to ask them. She stopped at a phone booth and called Tommy at the store. â€Å"Marina Safeway.† â€Å"Tommy, it's me.† â€Å"Are you still mad?† â€Å"Not mad enough, I guess. I just wanted to tell you to stay in the store until after daylight. Don't go outside for any reason. And stay around the other guys if you can.† â€Å"Why? What's the matter?† â€Å"Just do as I say, Tommy.† â€Å"I cleaned up the loft. Mostly, anyway.† â€Å"We'll talk about it tomorrow night. Stay at home until I wake up, okay?† â€Å"Are you still going to be pissed?† â€Å"Probably. I'll see you then. Good-bye.† She hung up. How could he be so smart sometimes and so ignorant other times? Maybe the vampire was right, a human could never understand her. She suddenly felt very lonely. She ducked into an all-night diner and ordered a cup of coffee as rent on a booth. She still could enjoy the smell of coffee, even if she couldn't keep it down. She opened the paper she had bought from the bum with her cosmetics bag and began to read through the personals. â€Å"Men Seeking Women,† â€Å"Women Seeking Men,† â€Å"Men Seeking Men,† â€Å"Women Seeking Women,† â€Å"Men Seeking Small Fuzzy Animals†; there was a wide selection of categories. She scanned over the more mundane entries until her eye settled on one under â€Å"Support Groups.† â€Å"Are You a Vampire? You don't have to face your problem alone. Blood Drinkers Anonymous can help. Mon.-Fri. Midnight. Rm. 212 Asian Cultural Center, Non-Smoking.† It was Friday. It was midnight. She was only ten minutes from the Asian Cultural Center. Could it be this simple? The first thing she noticed when she walked into room 212 of the Asian Cultural Center is that all of the people sitting in a circle in molded plastic chairs, all twenty of them, were giving off heat signatures. They were all human. She was backing out of the door when a pear-shaped woman in a leotard and black cape intercepted her and took her hand. â€Å"Welcome,† said the woman. She sported a set of rather wicked-looking fangs that caused her to lisp. â€Å"I'm Tabitha. We're just getting ready to start. Come on in. There's coffee and cookies.† She led Jody to an orange plastic chair and urged her to sit down. â€Å"It's hard the first time, but everyone here has been where you are.† â€Å"Not bloody likely,† Jody said, wiping a speck of Tabitha's spittle from her cheek. Tabitha pointed to a plastic medallion that hung from her neck by a heavy silver chain. â€Å"See this chip? I've been clean and bloodless for six months. If I can do it, so can you. One night at a time.† Tabitha squeezed her arm, then threw her cape over her shoulder, turned dramatically, and stalked across the room to the cookie table, her cape billowing behind her. Jody looked at the other occupants of the room. All were talking, most were sneaking looks at her between sips of coffee. The men were all tall and thin with protruding Adam's apples and bad skin. Their dress ranged from business suits to jeans and flannel. They might have been a chess club out for the evening if not for the capes. To a man, they wore capes. Four of seven had fangs. Two sets of four were made of glow-in-the-dark plastic. Jody focused on two of them whispering in the corner. â€Å"I told you, this is a babe-fest. Did you see the redhead?† He sneaked a look. His partner said, â€Å"I think I saw her at Compulsive Cleaners last week.† â€Å"Compulsive Cleaners, I was going to try that. How are the odds?† â€Å"Lots of gay guys, but a few babes. Mostly they smell like Pine Sol, but it's hot if you like latex gloves.† â€Å"Cool, I'll check it out. I think I'm going to quit going to Adult Children of Alcoholics, everybody's looking to blame, no one's looking to get laid.† Jody thought, I don't know if I want to hear quiet desperation this clearly. She changed her focus to the women in the room. A six-foot-two brunette woman in a black choir robe and Kabuki-like makeup was complaining to a washed-out blonde wearing a tattered wedding dress. â€Å"They want to be tied up, I tie them up. They want to be spanked, I spank them. They want to be called names, I call them names. But try and drink a little of their blood, and they scream like babies. What about my needs?† â€Å"I know,† said the blonde. â€Å"I asked Robert to sleep in the coffin one time and he left.† â€Å"You have a coffin? I want a coffin.† Christ, Jody thought, I've got to get out of here. Tabitha clapped her hands. â€Å"Let's get the meeting started!† Those who were standing found seats. Several men tried to shove their way into the seats next to Jody. A skinny geek with peanut-butter breath leaned in to her and said, â€Å"I was on ‘Oprah' on Halloween. ‘Men who drink blood and the women who find them disgusting. If you want, you can come by my place and watch the tape after the meeting.† â€Å"I'm out of here,† Jody said. She jumped up and headed for the door. Behind her she heard Tabitha saying, â€Å"Hi, I'm Tabitha and I'm a bloodsucking fiend.† â€Å"Hi, Tabitha,† the group said in chorus. Outside Jody looked up and down the street wondering which way to go, what to do. She paused by a phone booth, realizing that there was no one she could call. Tears welled in her eyes. Why even bother to hope? The only person who had the slightest idea how she felt was the vampire who had made her. And he had made it clear that he wasn't interested in helping her – the evil fucker. I should set him up with my mother, she thought, then the two of them can look down on humanity together. The thought made her smile. Then the phone rang. She looked at it for a second, looked around for someone else who would answer it, but except for a guy standing by his car a couple of blocks away, the street was empty. She picked up the phone. â€Å"Hello.† A man's voice said, â€Å"I thought you would show up here eventually.† â€Å"Who is this?† Jody asked. The man sounded young, his voice was unfamiliar. â€Å"I can't tell you that yet.† â€Å"Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Bye.† â€Å"Wait, wait, wait, don't hang up.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"You're the one, aren't you? You're real. I mean, you are a real vampire.† Jody held the phone away, stared at the receiver as if it were an alien object. â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"I don't want to tell you my name. I don't want you to be able to find me. Let's just say that I'm a friend.† â€Å"That's how most of my friends are,† Jody said. â€Å"They don't tell me their names or how to find them. It keeps my social calendar pretty clear.† Who was this guy? Who could possibly know that she was here, right now? â€Å"Okay, I guess I owe you something. I'm a med student at†¦ at a local college. I did some research on one of the bodies†¦ one of the bodies of the people you killed.† â€Å"I didn't kill anyone. I don't know what you're talking about. If I am who you think I am, how did you know I'd be here? I didn't even know I would be here until an hour ago.† â€Å"I've been waiting, watching every night for a couple of weeks. I had a theory that you wouldn't have any noticeable body heat, and you don't.† â€Å"What are you talking about? No one notices anybody's body heat.† â€Å"Look up the street. By the white Toyota. It's running, by the way. If you make a move to come toward me, I'm gone.† Jody looked more closely at the person up the street standing by a white car. The car was running. The man was holding a cell phone and looking at her through some very large binoculars. â€Å"I see you,† she said. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I'm looking at you through infrared glasses. You're not giving off any body heat, so I know you're the one. My theory was right.† â€Å"Are you a cop?† â€Å"No, I told you, I'm a medical student. I don't want to turn you in. In fact, I think I might be able to help you, if you're interested in being helped.† â€Å"Talk,† Jody said. She held her hand over the phone and focused on the guy by the car. She could hear him talking into the cell phone. â€Å"They gave one of the cadavers to our department after the coroner was done with it. It was a male, about sixty years old, the third victim, I think. I noticed that there was a clean spot on his neck, as if it had been washed. The coroner hadn't put that in his report. I took a tissue sample and put it under a microscope. The tissue in that area was living. Regenerating. I cultured it and it started to die, until I added something on a hunch.† â€Å"What?† Jody asked. She didn't know what to think. This man knew she was a vampire, and strangely, she felt an urge to attack. Some protective instinct wanted her to hurt him. Kill him. She fought to stay calm. â€Å"Hemoglobin. I added some human hemoglobin and the tissue started to regenerate again. I ran it through the sequencer. It's not human DNA. It's close, but not human. It doesn't produce heat, doesn't seem to burn fuel the same way that mammalian cells do. The coroner said that he was the one that had drained the blood from the body, but he'd never done that before. And I knew that the guy had been murdered. I made a guess. I saw the ad in the Weekly for a vampire support group, so I've been watching.† Jody said, â€Å"Suppose I believe what you're saying. Suppose I believe that you believe this bullshit, how could you help me? Supposing I wanted to be helped?† â€Å"My major is gene therapy. There's a chance I could reverse the process.† â€Å"This isn't science. I'm not saying that you're right about your theory. There are a lot of things that you don't know, that can't be explained by science. If you don't know that by now, you will. What you're talking about is magic.† â€Å"Magic is just science that we don't know yet. Do you want me to help or not?† â€Å"Why would you want to do that? As far as you know, I kill people.† â€Å"So does cancer, but I still work on it. Do you have any idea what kind of competition there is for jobs in my field? It's an all-or-nothing field. I could end up getting my PhD and giving saccharine enemas to rats for five bucks an hour. What I learn from you would put my resume at the top of the stack.† Jody didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to drop the phone and go after him. Another part wanted to accept his help. She said, â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"Nothing yet. How can I get hold of you?† â€Å"I can't tell you that. I'll call you. What's your number?† â€Å"I can't tell you that.† Jody sighed. â€Å"Look, Mr. Scientific Genius, figure out something. And by the way, I really didn't kill those people.† â€Å"Then why are you even listening to me?† â€Å"I guess this conversation is over. Get in your car and get comfortable with asking rats to bend over. Good-bye.† â€Å"Wait, we could meet somewhere. Tomorrow. Someplace public.† â€Å"No, it has to be at night. Someplace private. You could have cops everywhere.† She watched him as she talked. He had put the binoculars down and she could see that he was Asian. â€Å"You're the killer here. Would you meet you someplace private and dark?† â€Å"All right. Tomorrow night. Seven o'clock, at Enrico's on Broadway. That public enough for you?† â€Å"Sure. Can I bring a blood-sample kit? Would you let me?† â€Å"Would you let me?† she asked. He didn't answer. â€Å"Just kidding,† she said. â€Å"Look, I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to get hurt either. When you leave here, drive like hell and take an indirect route home.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I really didn't kill those people, but I know who did, and he's been following me. If he's seen you, you're in danger.† The line was quiet for a minute, just the ghost voices of a cellular connection. Jody watched the Asian guy watching her. Finally he cleared his throat. â€Å"How many of you are there?† â€Å"I don't know,† she said. â€Å"I know that all of the victims don't change. It couldn't work. The geometric progression would have the entire human race turned to vampires in a month.† He sounded more confident now that he had brought the conversation back to science. â€Å"I'll tell you what I know tomorrow. But don't expect much. I don't know much. Or I'll tell you now if you want to talk face to face, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this with you on a cell phone.† â€Å"Yeah, you're right. Not now, though. Not here. You understand, don't you?† Jody nodded, exaggerating the gesture so he could see. â€Å"The longer you stand there, the better chance you have of being seen by†¦ by the other one. Tomorrow night, then. Seven o'clock.† â€Å"Will you be wearing that dress?† Jody smiled. â€Å"Do you like it? It's new.† â€Å"It's great. I didn't think you would be a woman.† â€Å"Thanks. Go now.† She watched him climb into the Toyota, the cell phone still in hand. â€Å"Promise not to try and track me down?† â€Å"I know where you'll be tomorrow night, remember?† â€Å"Oh yeah. By the way, my name's Steve.† â€Å"Hi, Steve. I'm Jody.† â€Å"‘Bye,† he said. He disconnected. Jody hung up the phone and watched him drive away. She thought, Great, another one to worry about. It hadn't occurred to her that her condition might be reversible. But then, the med student didn't know about how the body had turned to dust. Science indeed. Jump or dive, he thought. The silk suit whipped about his legs in the chill wind. The tower's aircraft warning light flashed red across his face and he could see heat swirling off it, dissolving over the bay. His name was Elijah Ben Sapir. He stood five feet ten inches tall and he had been a vampire for eight hundred years. In human life he had been an alchemist and had spent his time mixing noxious chemicals and chanting arcane incantations trying to turn lead into gold and tap the secret of eternal life. He hadn't been a particularly good alchemist. He had never been able to pull off the gold transformation, although by a bizarre miscalculation of chemistry he did manage to invent Teflon some eight hundred years before DuPont would find a use for it. (It should be noted, though, that archaeologists recently uncovered a Viking rune stone in Greenland that mentions a Jew who entered the palace of Constantine the Magnificent in 1224 selling a line of nonstick hot pokers for the Emperor's torture chamber and was promptly given the bum's rush to the city gates. The accuracy of the story has been questioned, however, as it begins, â€Å"I never believed that your letters were true until Gunn er and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and goes on to recount the sexual exploits of two Vikings and a harem of brown-skinned Byzantine babes.) Ben Sapir's search for eternal life had been somewhat more successful. Granted, it came with the side effects of drinking human blood and staying out of sunlight, but he had gotten used to that. It was the loneliness that he couldn't abide. Perhaps, after all these years, it would end. He was afraid to hope. It had been a hundred years since a fledgling had lasted this long. She had been a Yanomamo woman in the Amazon Basin and she had hunted the jungle for three months before she returned to her village and turned her sister. The sisters declared themselves gods and demanded sacrifices from the village. He found them by the river feeding on an old woman, and he took no pleasure in killing them. Perhaps the redhead, perhaps she would be the one. Dive, he decided. He leaped away from the tower, jackknifed into a dive, and plunged fifty stories to the black water. The challenge was to avoid changing to mist before hitting the water. That was too easy. The impact of the water ripped the clothes off his back; the stitching of his shoes exploded with the pressure. He surfaced, naked except for one sock that had strangely survived the impact, and began the long swim back to his yacht thinking, I shouldn't have saved her from the sunlight. I must be desperate for entertainment. Chapter 28 Is That a Blackjack in Your Pocket? Tommy booted the Emperor out of the store at dawn. It had been a long night trying to keep the crazed ruler away from the Animals while throwing stock and trying to figure out the logistics of his meeting with Mara, all while under the influence of Dr. Drew's polio weed, which seemed to affect the part of the brain that motivates one to sit in the corner and drool while staring at one's hands. When the shift ended, he declined the Animal's invitation for beers and Frisbee in the parking lot, swiped a baguette from the bread-delivery man, and caught the bus home, intent on going straight to bed. He knew his plan was foiled when Frank, the biker/sculptor, met him outside their building holding a familiar-looking bronze turtle. â€Å"Flood, check it out.† Frank held up the turtle. â€Å"It worked!† â€Å"What worked?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Thick electroplating process. Come on in, I'll show you.† Frank turned and led Tommy through the roll-up door into the foundry. The foundry took up the entire bottom floor of the building, here was a huge furnace making a muffled rumbling sound. There were several large pits filled with sand, and plaster-of-Paris molds lay in them in various states of completion. In the back, near the only windows, stood wax figures of naked women, Indians, Buddhas, and birds, waiting to be cut up and placed in plaster of Paris. Frank said, â€Å"We've been doing a lot of statues for people's gardens. Buddhas are big with the koi-pond types. That's what we needed the turtles for. Monk already sold one of them to a woman in Pacific Heights for five hundred bucks. Sight unseen.† â€Å"My turtles?† Tommy said. He looked more closely at the bronze turtle Frank was holding. â€Å"Zelda!† â€Å"Can you believe it?† Frank said. â€Å"We did them both in less than eight hours. Lost-wax process would have taken days. I'll show you.† He led Tommy to the other side of the shop where a short, portly man in leather and denim was working beside a tall Plexi-glas tank filled with a translucent green liquid. Frank said, â€Å"Monk, this is our neighbor, Tom Flood. Flood, this is my partner Monk.† Monk grunted, not looking up from a compressor that he seemed to be having trouble with. Tommy could see how he had gotten his name. He had a large bowl-shaped bald spot with a fringe of hair around it: the Benedictine version of Easy Rider, Friar Tuck on wheels. â€Å"This,† said Frank, gesturing toward the ten-foot tank, â€Å"as far as we know, is the biggest electroplating tank on the West Coast.† Tommy didn't know quite how to react. He was still stunned by seeing the bronze likeness of Zelda. â€Å"That's just spiffy,† he said finally. â€Å"Yeah, dude. We can do anything we can find. No molds, no wax carvings. You just dunk and go. That's how we did your turtles.† Tommy was beginning to get it. â€Å"You mean that that is not a sculpture? You covered my turtles with brass?† â€Å"That's it. That liquid is supersaturated with dissolved metal. We sprayed the turtles with a thin metal-based paint that would conduct current. Then we attached a wire to them and dipped them in the tank. The current draws the metal out of the water and it fuses to the paint on the turtle. Leave it a long time and the coating gets thick enough to have structural integrity. Voila, a bronze garden turtle. I don't think anybody's ever done it before. We owe you, man.† Monk grunted in gratitude. Tommy didn't know whether to be angry or depressed. â€Å"You should have told me you were going to kill them.† â€Å"I thought you knew, man. Sorry. You can have this one, if you want.† Frank presented the bronzed Zelda. Tommy shook his head and looked away. â€Å"I don't think I could look at her.† He turned and walked away. Frank said, â€Å"C'mon, man, take it. We owe you one. If you need a favor or something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tommy took Zelda. How would he explain to Jody? â€Å"By the way, I've turned your little friends into statues.† And this right after they'd had a big fight. He slunk up the steps feeling completely lost. Jody had left him a note on the counter: Tommy: Imperative that you are here when I wake up. If you go out you are in serious, life-threatening trouble. I mean it. I have some very important things to tell you. No time now, I'm going to go out any second. Be here when I wake up. Jody â€Å"Great,† Tommy said to Peary. â€Å"Now what do I do about Mara? Who does Jody think she is, threatening me? What does she think she's going to do if I'm not here? I can't be here. Why don't you keep her busy until I get home.† Tommy patted the chest freezer and an idea came to him. â€Å"You know, Peary, scientists have frozen vampire bats and thawed them completely unharmed. I mean, how would she know? How many times has she thought it was Tuesday when it was really Wednesday?† Tommy went to the bedroom and looked in on Jody, who had made it to bed, but not in time to change out of her black dress. Wow, Tommy thought, she never dresses like that for me. She looked so peaceful. Sexy, but peaceful. She'll be angry if she finds out, but she's angry now. It won't really hurt her. I can just take her out tomorrow morning and put her under the electric blanket. By sundown she'll be thawed out and I'll have handled the Mara thing. I can tell Mara that I'm involved. I can't start something new until this is finished. Maybe with the extra time, Jody will have chilled a little. He smiled to himself. He opened the lid of the freezer, then went into the bedroom to get Jody. He carried her into the kitchen and laid her in the freezer on top of Peary. As he tucked her into the fetal position he felt a twinge of jealousy. â€Å"You guys behave now, okay?† He tucked a few TV dinners around her nice and snug under her arms, then kissed her on the forehead and gently closed the lid. As he crawled into bed he thought, If she ever finds out about this, she's really going to be pissed. Tommy had been asleep three hours when the pounding started. He rolled out of bed, stumbled across the dark bedroom, and was blinded when he opened the door into the loft. He was just regaining his eyesight when he opened the fire door and Rivera said, â€Å"Are you Thomas Flood, Junior?† â€Å"Yes,† Tommy said, bracing himself against the doorjamb. â€Å"I'm Inspector Alphonse Rivera from the San Francisco Police Department.† He held up a badge wallet. â€Å"You're under arrest† – Rivera pulled a warrant from his jacket pocket – â€Å"for abandoning a vehicle on a public street.† â€Å"You're kidding,† Tommy said. Cavuto stepped through the door and grabbed Tommy by the shoulder, whipping him around as the big cop pulled his handcuffs from his belt. â€Å"You have the right to remain silent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cavuto said. Two hours later Tommy had been processed, probed, and printed, and as Cavuto had expected, Tommy's fingerprints matched those on the copy of On the Road that they had found under the dead bum. It was enough for them to get a search warrant issued for the loft. Five minutes after they entered the loft a mobile crime lab was dispatched along with a forensics team and two coroners' trucks. As far as crime scenes went, the loft in SOMA was the mother lode. Cavuto and Rivera left the crime scene to the forensics team and returned to the station, where they took Tommy from a holding cell and put him in a pleasantly pink interrogation room furnished with a metal table and two chairs. There was a mirror on one wall and a tape recorder sat on the table. Tommy sat staring at the pink wall, remembering something about how pink was supposed to calm you down. It didn't seem to be working. His stomach was tied in knots. Rivera had done dozens of interrogations with Cavuto and they always took the same roles: Cavuto was the bad cop, and Rivera was the good cop. Actually Rivera never felt like the good cop. More often he was the I-am-tired-and-overworked-and-I'm-being-nice-to-you-because-I-don't-have-the-energy-to-be-angry cop. â€Å"Would you like a smoke?† Rivera asked. â€Å"Sure,† Tommy said. Cavuto jumped in his face. â€Å"Too bad, punk. There's no smoking in here.† Cavuto took great pleasure in being the bad cop. He practiced in front of the mirror at home. Rivera shrugged. â€Å"He's right. You can't smoke.† Tommy said, â€Å"That's okay, I don't smoke.† â€Å"How about a lawyer then?† asked Rivera. â€Å"Or a phone call?† â€Å"I have to be at work at midnight,† Tommy said. â€Å"If it looks like I'm going to be late, I'll use my call then.† Cavuto was pacing the room, timing his path so he could wheel on Tommy with every statement. He wheeled. â€Å"Yeah, kid, you're going to be late, about thirty years late, if they don't fry you.† Tommy pushed back in his chair with fright. â€Å"Good one, Nick,† Rivera said. â€Å"Thanks.† Cavuto smiled around an unlit cigar and backed away from the table where Tommy sat. Rivera moved up. â€Å"Okay, kid, you don't want an attorney. Where do you want to start? We've got you hands-down on two murders and probably three. If you tell us the story, tell us everything, about all the other murders, we might be able to waive the death penalty.† â€Å"I didn't kill anybody.† â€Å"Don't be cute,† Cavuto said. â€Å"We found two bodies in your freezer. We've got your fingerprints all over a book that we found under a third body outside your apartment. We've got you staying at the motel where we found a fourth body. And we've got you with a closetful of women's clothing and eyewitnesses that put a woman near where we found a fifth body†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tommy interrupted, â€Å"Actually, there's only one body in the freezer. The other is my girlfriend.† â€Å"You sick fuck.† Cavuto drew back as if to hit Tommy. Rivera moved to restrain him. Tommy cowered in his chair. Rivera led Cavuto to the far side of the room. â€Å"Let me take this for a minute.† He left Cavuto grumbling to himself and went to the seat across from Tommy. â€Å"Look, kid, we've got you cold, so to speak, on two murders. We've got circumstantial evidence on another. You are going to jail for a very long time, and at this point, the death penalty is looking pretty good. Now if you tell us everything, and don't leave anything out, we might be able to help you out, but you have to give us enough to close all the cases. Do you understand?† Tommy nodded. â€Å"But I didn't kill anybody. I put Jody in the freezer, which I admit is inconsiderate, but I didn't kill her.† Cavuto growled. Rivera nodded in mock acceptance of the story. â€Å"Fine, but if you didn't kill them, who did? Did someone you know force you into this?† Cavuto exploded, â€Å"Oh Christ, Rivera! What do you need, a videotape? This little bastard did it.† â€Å"Nick, please. Give me a minute here.† Cavuto moved to the table and leaned over it until his face was next to Tommy's. He whispered, raspy and gruff, â€Å"Flood, don't think you can use a wiggle and a wink to get yourself out of this. That might work down on Castro, but I'm immune to it here, you got me? I'm going to leave now, but when I come back, if you haven't told my partner your story, I'm going to cause pain. Lots of it, and I won't leave a mark on you.† He stood up, smiled, then turned and left the room. Tommy looked at Rivera. â€Å"A wiggle and a wink?† â€Å"Nick thinks you're cute,† Rivera said. â€Å"He's gay?† â€Å"Completely.† Tommy shook his head. â€Å"I would have never guessed.† â€Å"He's a Shriner, too.† Rivera tapped a cigarette out of his pack and lit it. â€Å"Looks can be deceiving.† â€Å"Hey, I didn't think you were allowed to smoke in here.† Rivera blew smoke in Tommy's face. â€Å"You had two people in your freezer, and you're giving me shit about smoking.† â€Å"Good point.† Rivera sat down and leaned back in the chair. â€Å"Tommy, I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me how you killed those people, then I'm going to let Nick back in here and I'm going to leave. He really likes you. This room is soundproof, you know.† Tommy swallowed hard. â€Å"You're not going to believe me. It's a pretty fantastic story. There's supernatural stuff involved.† Rivera rubbed his temples. â€Å"Satan told you to do it?† he said wearily. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Elvis?† â€Å"I told you, it's supernatural.† â€Å"Tommy, I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before. If you repeat it, I'll deny I said it. Five years ago I saw a white owl with a seventy-foot wingspan swoop out of the sky and pluck a demon off a hillside and take off into the sky.† â€Å"I heard that cops get the best drugs,† Tommy said. Rivera got up. â€Å"I'm going to bring Nick in.† â€Å"No, wait. I'll tell you. It was a vampire. You can thaw Jody out and ask her.† Rivera reached over and turned on the tape recorder. â€Å"Now slow down. Start at the beginning and go until we walked you into this room.† An hour later Rivera met Cavuto behind the one-way mirror. Cavuto was not happy. â€Å"You know, I'd rather you just threaten that I would beat him up.† â€Å"It worked, didn't it?† â€Å"There's nothing there we can use. Not a thing. If he sticks with that story he'll get off on insanity. It's too wild. I want to know how he got the blood out of the bodies.† â€Å"The kid thinks he's a writer. He's showing off his imagination. Let's let him sit awhile and get something to eat. I want to find the Emperor.† â€Å"That wacko?† â€Å"He's been reporting seeing a vampire for weeks. Maybe he saw the kid doing one of the murders.†

Free Web-based EHR Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Free Web-based EHR - Assignment Example Practice Fusion’s EHR system is a free Web-based EHR that provides all the services that envelops all technological requirements. The EHR contains numerous features that are helpful to its users. It is made from the real schedules of the office-based physicians that help in manage one’s practice. The present features namely charting, scheduling, and e-prescribing makes the practice fusion’s EHR an appropriate management tool (Practice Fusion, 2012). The charting and notes feature of the EHR is the main characteristic of the system that enables medical charting as part of the daily workflow. It offers an easy way pull out patients’ charts, produce, and sign medical notes. Moreover, it offers an option of viewing the entire patient’s medical history and prescribed medications. The documents feature of the EHR provides the user with a simple-to-use tool to manage all the scanned and digital records. The feature allows easy uploading and tagging of documents to the patient’s relevant data. It also provides an option of assigning any file type. This includes the insurance cards, photos, x-rays and any necessary audio or video files (Practice Fusion, 2012). The lab integration feature provides users of the practice fusion’s EHR with possible integration with over thirty-five labs. This eases the streamlining of an individual’s practice lab results and orders. The choice of these labs ranges from national to regional labs. If shared with other facilities, the EHR will provide very effective services to its users. This is because the combination of the features will enable easy execution of various automated data analysis and reports. Moreover, the sharing would lead to the integration of other EHR solutions that would handle any practice sizes and workflow in the resultant system (Practice Fusion, 2012). It would widen the scope of services to patients with ease. For instance, the medical billing solutions would

Terrorism in Southeast Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Terrorism in Southeast Asia - Essay Example In spite of that fact if US being the most powerful state on the planet up till now, as well as that US has its assertive role in the region, the regions and the countries that have been facing the terrorism have not exactly been backing the US in case of the terrorism. It is to be seen as to why that is he case. Now the case has changes to some extent as we shall see in the case of Indonesia (Capie 2004., pp 1-3). South East Asia has been having periodical episodes of terror campaign as well as the episodes of political violence. Both scenarios are related ad counted in the terrorism heading. The terrorist activities include the communists group that is based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. The activities are linked against the socialist regimes in these countries. In many cases, the terrorist activities have been directed against some states. As it happened in case of Christian anti-separatist groups in the southern Philippines who were opposing Muslim secessionists and militia groups in East Timor, Papua and various other parts of Indonesia. There have been some developments taking place after the war in Afghanistan in the era of 1980s. In this war, US supported mujahhedin guerillas fought against the soviet occupation forces. Since the 1980s, there have been changes in the face of the terrorist groups and the terrorism in the region (Manyin 2003., pp 12-17). Analysis The role of Afghans has been central to the development of the terrorist networks in south East Asia since many years. There are approximately 230 million Muslims in south East Asia, which is just the 20% of the total percentage of the Muslims in the whole world. This 20% of the Muslim population has moderate views about other religious groups. However, the extreme forms arose from other parts of the world including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The terrorist groups in these areas were making an appeal to the people to join them. The appeal was strengthened and heightened when there was a recruitment process that went on to recruit the people to fight against the resistance forces of Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Many powerful leaders of the Islamic groups based in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia joined the terrorist groups and were trained, and they served in Afghanistan. After this recruitment stage, there was a boost in the Islamic resistance in Afghanistan on a large scale. This added a lot to the new changes in the face of the Southeast Asian Islamic separatism. The funding was also being gained from stronger movements that were based on an international level having strong financial backgrounds. The role of socio economic factors The socio economic status has further added to the activities of the fundamental Islamic groups in Southeast Asia. All the Islamic movements need to have autonomy. Nevertheless, their mission of gaining autonomy has been under resistance. The resistance has been shown by many central governments. Alternatively, in some cases, the autonomy has been gained but it has been used or implemented in an ineffective way as in the case of southern Philippines. The madrasaas The world saw Asia drown in the financial crisis in the year 1997. Since than there has bean a pressure on the regional

Business in europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business in europe - Essay Example Some threats or challenges which are staring at the company have been looked into. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. is an automobile giant based in Japan. The company manufactures a wider range of vehicles, starting from passenger vehicles, trucks, to buses and marine vehicles. The organisation has operations in different countries of Asia, US, South America and Europe. It produces luxury cars under the Infiniti brand. Under the leadership of CEO Carlos Ghosn it has grown to be the number two automobile company in Japan just after Toyota. Presently Renault which is a leading French automobile company owns 45% of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (Company Profile For NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., May 2009; Nissan Motor Company, 2008). The Japanese auto giant by the name of Nissan motor Co. Ltd. has risen to become the 2nd largest automaker in Japan after Toyota and has got its operation in different countries of the world spanning the continents of North and South America, Asia and Europe. In Europe Nissan initiated its business by acquiring an equity stake in S.A., Barcelona, Spain’s Motor Iberica and begun producing the Patrol/Safari model there three years later. The next year in 1984, the company established Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. in Sunderland, UK. In 1988 it established the Nissan European Technical Centre Ltd. again in UK. The next year the company established a centre in Amsterdam by the name of NENV or Nissan Europe NV to look after a broad scope of work all over Europe, from developing new products, procuring raw materials, raising capital to manufacturing. Owing to the success in UK market the company again established Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd. was established as a new sales company i n UK in 1991.In 1992 in Germany Nissan design Europe GmbH was established. The same year saw the launch of Micra in the European market which went onto win the award for the best car of the year in the European market. In 1995 the

Faults in U.S. Intelligence Operations Carried over from Persian Gulf Assignment

Faults in U.S. Intelligence Operations Carried over from Persian Gulf War I to Persian Gulf War II - Assignment Example The war was successful due to the fact that no much resource was used during the war and only estimated 300-Allied soldiers lost their lives. Twelve years down the line, the U.S. and its allies again initiated another war with Saddam Hussein in 2003 with a view to toppling his regime. The reason for Iraq’s invasion according to the then U.S. president George Walker Bush, and the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair was that their intention was to disarm Saddam of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and stop Saddam from supporting terrorist as well as liberate the people of Iraq3. The war ended after several months of fighting with the culture of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad Iraq. Despite the success in the two wars, the U.S. intelligence services have been faulted for not doing its work as expected. This was mainly manifested during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. After discovering the faults, the U.S. intelligence service took several initiatives aimed at rectifying the faults to avoid a repeat of such errors in subsequent operation. Despite these attempts, the question that one may ask is whether the US intelligence op eration made similar faults during the Persian Gulf War of 2003? The objective of this paper is to analyze whether the faults in US intelligence operations were carried over from the Persian Gulf War of 1991 to the Persian Gulf War of 2003. Intelligence department plays a major role with regard to the provision of vital information that may help country strategize in time and combat any security threat5. Provision of timely and accurate information is important because it may help a country prepare in terms of defence and put in place the necessary resource needed to prevent any security threat. This has been a major concern for the United States government since the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, some of the intelligence services have failed the government of U.S. with regard to the provision of vital information regarding  uncertainties and early warning. This was witnessed during the Persian Gulf War of 1991 when the I MEF failed to provide a strategic warning during months Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Principle of Fashion Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Principle of Fashion Marketing - Essay Example The essay "Principle of Fashion Marketing" concerns the fashion marketing. The growth history of the Louis Vuitton has been awarded with the reward of world’s most valuable luxury brand for the six consecutive years from 2006 to 2012. The recognition as world’s most luxury brand has also enabled the company to gain high market valuation. The market valuation of the Louis Vuitton was about 25.9 billion USD in the year 2012. The underlying essay aims at analysing brand position of Louis Vuitton. The brand analysis of the company will be done in accordance with the stepwise framework of PEST analysis, MICRO analysis, market segmentation, target market strategy, etc. The marketing mix of the company will also be presented in order to specific ideas regarding product, pricing, place and promotional strategy being adopted by the company. The assessment of branding and marketing perspective of the company in light of the above mentioned frameworks will facilitate in identifyin g challenges likely to incur in the next three years and solutions in the form of recommendations to handle such challenges. PEST analysis is the most widely adopted tool of performing macro environment analysis of the company. PEST analysis represents the acronym of political, economic, legal and technological analysis of the concerned company. This dimension of PEST analysis takes into consideration political structure, stability and regulating or governing philosophy behind respective government. France is one of the developed country. with stable political environment. The political atmosphere of the country is favourable with no political trouble, crisis, conflict or any adverse situation. The favourable political climate has attracted many investors to invest money in the Louis Vuitton expansion strategies. The establishment of any business operation in the France requires a fixed investment limit of 1500000 Euros (France Country Report, 2011). The fixed investment limit act a s a obstacle for many international enterprises. But, France government has tried to convert this obstacle into opportunity by announcing various tax saving schemes to business organisations of France. Moreover, France government also do not hold any strict religious belief and customs and thus facilitates the entry of every business enterprise having any religious background and customs. The favourable political conditions have facilitated the Louis Vuitton to a wide extent in carrying the business operations and pursuing international expansion strategies in France without any difficulty. Economic Economic conditions and factors also play a significant role in determining success of any business operation. The economic variables take into account inflation and interest rates, unemployment condition, Gross domestic product (GDP), and many more. The GDP rate of France was being considered as stronger in the year 2011 with the surprising growth of about 1.85%. The economy of France w as considered as fifth largest in the world and second largest in the Europe. It is also being recognised as one of the wealthiest European country and world’s fourth largest wealthiest nation. The aggregate household wealth of the economy was about 2.6 million dollar in the year 2012 demonstrating growth history of France (France Country Report, 2011). The inflation and unemployment rate of the France economy was also

International and comparative HRM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International and comparative HRM - Assignment Example As argued by Edwards et al. (2001, p.201), the intricate connection between markets and institutions, and the physical benefits of actors ultimately influence the transfer of HR practices within MNCs. This paper will critically evaluate the manner in which host and home country environments interrelate to yield the forces that eventually influence the transfer of HR practices within British MNCs operating in China. This evaluation will consider the cultural, institutional, and organisational barriers or facilitators while citing examples of specific HR practices that are more likely to be adopted in the Chinese national cultural and institutional context. Within the context of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of nations, businesses have successfully expanded their operations beyond national frontiers thereby leading to the rise of MNCs (Ferner & Quintanilla 1998, p.710). MNCs can simply be understood as corporations that have their headquarters in one state and operations spread out in several other countries as suggested by the word multinational. MNCs are naturally oligopolistic powers that tend to dominate markets while joining forces with other great businesses to gain monopoly. MNCs explore the latest advanced technologies to deliver excellent value products and services across their chains. In most cases, MNCs invest heavily on research and development of new improved technologies for maximum efficiency in chain operations. MNCs have grown significantly in the recent past thereby contributing immensely to the global GDP (Edwards, Marginson & Ferner 2012, p.2). The scope of MNC’s operations has increased further, following the prevalent deregulation of global economies to eliminate barriers to foreign domestic investment. The level of transfer of HRM practices in different types of MNCs varies exceedingly, because they adopt varying strategies to the transfer of HRM practices

Improving service productivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Improving service productivity - Essay Example So, a higher ratio indicates higher productivity. Compared to manufacturing industries, it is much difficult to measure productivity in services industries, especially those that are enabled by Information Technology. (Saari, 2006) Yet, management gurus have identified a few proven techniques for improving service productivity, which are discussed below. One way of improving service productivity is by applying operations-driven strategies. This entails reducing costs and wastage of resources, setting production capacities to meet demands, computerizing mechanical or routine tasks, upgrading systems to latest standards, re-training employees to adapt to upgraded systems, expanding the range of tasks that an employee can perform, redesigning service process where applicable, etc. All of these improvements in operations will lead to overall improvement in service productivity. (www.slideshare.net, 2011) There is another approach to increasing service productivity, which is via Customer- driven strategies. The first component of these strategie is to â€Å"change the timing of customer demand†. The rationale is that â€Å"by shifting demand away from peaks, managers can make better use of firm's productive assets and provide better service†. (www.slideshare.net, 2011) Similarly, involving customers in the production process is also helpful.

How to Treat Depression Without Medication Essay Example for Free

How to Treat Depression Without Medication Essay While it takes more than a simple â€Å"lifestyle change† to effectively attack a medical issue such as depression, it is not more medication that this Country needs more of, but rather a greater awareness, better mental health education and greater access to therapy for those suffering from this condition. Depression is as much an organic, physiological issue as a broken bone or heart problem but because it cannot be seen it is often ignored, dismissed, mistreated or over-medicated by the vast majority of healthcare providers. Todays HMO driven, medication dependent society tends to throw pharmaceutical band-aids at the problem of depression. A more holistic, therapeutic approach, ideally involving the family/support system of the patient would, in the long run, be both a more effect and lasting treatment for the patient and more cost effective as well. While depression can, in fact, be helped by the use of proper medications, any long-term treatment must include counseling/therapy and significant and lasting lifestyle changes. Depression is, in fact, the catalyst that has lead me to pursue my current academic and professional dream to become a Psychologist. It is also something that I have a great deal of personal experience with, both as a parent of a clinically depressed teenager and as a woman living with a depressive disorder myself. In my own personal experience, the majority of doctors tend to â€Å"throw medication† at the issue of depression, when in fact, for many patients, therapeutic counseling and psychotherapy is often all that is needed. This tendency to medicate first and counsel second, especially in teens, can be irreparably damaging. Psychological medications, by their very nature, effect brain chemistry and can have huge negative side effects: suicidal tendencies, physical aggression, dramatic weight gain (which can have psychological and other medical side effects of its own), to name a few. These side effects can often times be even more emotionally damaging and dangerous to the patient than the depression itself. In 1998, after years of struggling, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. My own personal struggle with depression has also involved quite a few medications, with varying successes and varying degrees of side-effects. While searching for an effective treatment for me, my doctors prescribed any number of SSRIs, Beta Blockers and other commonly prescribed medications for the treatment of depressive disorders. I fought with sexual side effects, weight gain, crippling panic attacks, suicidal thoughts and more. In the end, I chose to wean myself from the medication and focus on therapy and the necessary lifestyle changes that go along with it. It is still a daily struggle and a choice to be happy and fight the â€Å"demons† that haunt me, but with the help of God, my family and my therapist, I am happier and more â€Å"well-adjusted† than ever before in my life. In a developing brain, like that of a depressed adolescent, these potentially hazardous side effects can be even more detrimental. In 2006, My then 14 year old daughter, when faced with depression due to her parents’ divorce and adjustment to life as an â€Å"Army Brat,â€Å" was put on Prozac by her Family Practice Physician. Within 30 days she had to be hospitalized and detoxified after suffering a psychotic episode at school and weeks of suicidal and homicidal thoughts. After a year of numerous diagnoses, multitudes of different psychological medications and weight gain of almost 80 pounds, she was no more emotionally stable than she was when she had begun the treatment. With the assistance of a new Psychiatrist and Primary Care Physician, we weaned her off all of the psychological medications and instead enrolled her in bi-weekly, one-on-one counseling with a Psychologist. It took her almost 3 years to undo the damage the experience with the hospital and medication trials had inflicted on her. She is finally doing well, is stable and uses counseling, meditation, breathing techniques and a number of other therapeutic tools to deal with the stresses of life, rather than continuing to be medication-dependent and suffering the side effects of those medications.

Online Fashion Business

Online Fashion Business Online Fashion Business – A new trend of teenagers being interested and broad participation. Just type in the phrase online fashion business into the search box on the network, you can get over 10 million results from google, with the names of several fashion brands, big and small. This shows a little nimble, daring the small amount of investment, many people have become young boss without much capital, but the revenue appears in front. Just one click, even though you are at home, at your office or wherever you are, you can also freely select and purchase the products that you like on the internet. Its the new trend of young people being interested and broad participation. Online Sales phrase is not too strange to people. It is a form of offering, introducing the product on the internet and consumers also deals to buy products online. English entrepreneur Michael Aldrich invented online shopping in 1979. Although it appeared for a long time in the big city, this movement received the lively participation of young teenage about 1-2 years. In 2013, we have witnessed a real boom in this business field. In addition, the needs of modern life, consumers have become more intelligent as more and more people decide to shop online. In the survey, 24-hour shopping, Avoiding crowds and convenience topped the list of Reasons Consumers plan to spend more online this year. Grasping the growing demand, the youth have created a business start-up by the internet. Think of the fashion business to open shop simply because they are aesthetic or good computational ability that will make teenagers more easily get a strong attachment to the development of his favorite became a real career. Agree with this point of view, If you have a passion for fashion and love clothes, starting an online clothing boutique apparel friend the perfect business for you. These are the basic elements but decisive, and if teenager understand and apply, they are almost 80% successful, 20% remaining is the creativity, the flexibility and your recklessness when deciding to participate in the online business world. It is necessary to identify the benefits you easily achieve when starting online business. The primary benefit of the online shop is not spending too much initial investment cost for renting store, cabinets, products display racks, store decoration, Therefore, the cost of starting a business is very simple, just a laptop, a camera, online time, and a source of stable products. You do not have to be a headache to calculate, organize expenses to fit with your little startup capital. The second benefit is the advantage and the power of online marketing to advertise widely for your shop. The social networking site is an extremely lively world and possesses a large number of potential customers. At first, customers are often colleagues, friends, and spread to the other provinces. While young entrepreneurs often worry about the lack of customers, but the business through the internet attracted a large customer. The numbers of people visiting the site from commercial communities are often 100-1000 / people / minute. Through that shop owners can more accessible to customers, not limited by geographical distance. This is a characteristic of this type of business. Another benefit of small-scale business is that you will not take a lot of capital, when the risks appear. Because your investment is small, your mistakes do not pay too much financially. Therefore, with the little capital, lack of experience, the online businessis the first direction you should think about if you want to try business. Round of young people success in this field, they were really excited and share practical point of their current job. Thuy Linh, 21, owner of online shop specializing in fashionable South Korea, said: I often learn dressing style of Korean youth and realize that this is one fashion trend is very popular in Vietnam. I have set up a facebook account, add friends to advertise products and tag people in photos. In just one week, Ive sold almost all the goods which I have because the price is too low, an average of 90-180 thousand dollars / item . In addition, the Vietnamese hotgirls are not also missing the opportunity to get rich with sales trends on this network. Secret Lylys success a famous Vietnamese hotgirl is smart, agile and beautiful, so instead of paying rent model, Lyly took photos of herself to introduce shop new products. Business is the most difficult stage first. Early days, the market competition with the branded shop, Lyly feels anxiety and great pressure. Fortunately because customers who have purchased products have continued to come back and invite their friends, it is now a bustling business. Share with their career, online businessis more and more develope by 8X, 9X generations, who are trying to be experienced and successful as those people. Without any success is easy, so it also has many challenges and especially you must take courage and confidence to have a good start. Im a big fan of Small Business Ownership. I think its the backbone of innovation. But to be successful, you first have to have the courage to go for it. Therefore, to business efficiency and long-term development, there are very few who can do that. Moreover increasingly competitive market requires the online business to get a clear development strategy and more important to understand the rules of business on the Internet can be successful. In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. In fact, while many people have invested a lot of money to open a business establishment then quickly closed, it has many businesses are started with a few hundred dollars and development long-term growth. In short, you must have the courage to face to face with any challenge with confiden ce and assertiveness when building your own business.   Ã‚   Besides the great benefits of online shopping, actually, it has defective when you use it. There are plenty of people taking advantage of online business to scam consumers that make people panic and lose faith in online sales. Because, if you are not careful, you will buy products unlike with images, poor quality or loss of the deposit. As a result, they fooled once then make sure they will not look to shop it again. Therefore, even if you do any business or profession, do not look at the immediate interests and forget the long term benefits. The strong growth of the internet has created numerous ways and opportunities to make money especially attractive, in that, there are ways that you ever previously considered impossible. Young people also fast catching up the trend of business and engaged with a large force. The dynamism and creativity of the youth has made many online products very unique. By the way, benefits that this form of trading bringing is not small. However, the trend of hundreds of sellers, buyers thousands, the online store owners need to ensure credibility, quality products, honest pricing. Especially, just a computer network, you can sell to anyone, anywhere, without having to work hard search for a place to open a store, nor headache decorated with or recruiting staff. Starting with little capital, online business is one of the wise choice and quite safe for people who want to try in the field of business. References Online shopping.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 May 2014. Web. 5 May 2014. . CHANG, JOYCE, NIKKI GAMER, and , LAURA KALIEBE. Catalog Comeback: Retailers turn to paper catalogs to boost online sales.Catalog Comeback: Retailers turn to paper catalogs to boost online sales. N.p., 5 May 2014. Web. 5 May 2014. . McFarlin, Kate , and Demand Media. How to Open an Online Clothing Boutique.. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . Rancic, Bill . Small Business Quotes.BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . S. Geneen, Harold. Business World Quotes.BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. .

Children and Television Essays -- Sociology

As Americans we should be very concerned about the effect that television is having on our children. Today's children watch far too much television. As a result, a number of horrific conditions occur, which could have easily been prevented, if we as parents and caregivers simply would get off of our lazy butts and just turn off the tube. The National Coalition for Children and Families states, "By the time adolescents graduate from high school, they will have spent 15,000 hours watching television, compared with 12,000 hours spent in the classroom." The influence that television is having on America's children is having alarming results. Everyday we are seeing more and more children with developmental delays, distorted realities, and just plain laziness. Children as young a one year old and younger are influenced by television, and the effects have already begun to take place before we even notice that the baby is watching. Television has become a complete nuisance. It has taken hold of our children's lives and it is sucking their energy, creativity, and personalities right out of them. There are many educators, caregivers, and parents who are under the belief that television is an essential learn tool and has helped many children to advance beyond their age level. Many shows such as Blue's Clues, Sesame Street, and Barney are geared to teaching young children between the ages of 2 - 5. But the truth of the matter is children at this tender age are watching television without receiving any personal interaction. One on one interaction is a key developmental tool that is so desperately needed for toddlers to be able to progress in learning. But a line must be drawn when we allow television to be the sol... ...ll this help them to create a healthier lifestyle, but it will also help them to build their immune systems against disease. Grab a book and sit down and read to your child or have them read to you. This will help to develop their vocabulary and personal interaction skills, and not to mention its fun too. Another great idea is to pull out a game and sit down and play with your children. This will not only teach them many valuable skills, but also give them great memories for years to come. Basically it's about getting back to parenting. Learning together, and teaching each other new things, will help to develop a great relationship between the two of you. Give the babysitter (the television) the night off and just spend time with your kids. If you can do this, your children will be smarter and more secure, not to mention happier, healthier members of society.

Redux: A new Weight loss Medication :: Dieting Health Essays

Redux: A new Weight loss Medication History of Redux Dexfenfluramine is the first new anti-obesity drug to be approved by the FDA in 23 years. Although the drug was just recently recommended by an advisory panel for sale in the U.S. by a narrow 6 to 5 margin, it has been available in Europe for the past decade and it is sold in 65 countries (http://wsfl.usatoday.com/life/health/lhs484.htm). It is being marketed under the name "Redux" and its purpose is to help people lose weight by suppressing appetite. Who can use Redux? Redux is appropriate for people with a BMI (body mass index) of at least 30, or someone who is 30 percent over his ideal body weight. For example, if a 170 pound woman has an ideal body weight of 130, then she is a candidate for Redux. It may also be prescribed to someone with a BMI of 20 or greater in the presence of other risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidema). Denfexfluramine should not be prescribed for or taken by anyone who casually wants to lose 10 or 15 pounds (http://www.pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/dexfen2.html). How does Redux work? Redux, which from this point on will be referred to as denfexfluramine, is taken in the form of two 15 milligram capsules daily at the cost of approximately $2.40. The drug works by convincing the brain that the stomach is full. Denfexfluramine triggers the release of serotonin in the brain which depresses appetite and calms anxieties. Patients will eat smaller than normal size meals without feeling hungry, thus aiding them in their quest to lose weight. The drug is designed to be taken in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet to maximize its benefits. Deborah Wesley, a Redux user, attests to its effectiveness. "Once you take the pill and you sit down to the table all those cravings and those urges for out the window. You start to eat and you feel full really quickly" (http://www.wraltv.com:80/features/healthteam/1996/1106-weight-partl/html). How effective is Redux? Weight loss with denfexfluramine appears to be relatively modest for most patients. In addition, the majority of weight loss occurs within four to six months of initiating use, with weight loss declining after this period. If no weight loss occurs after one month of use, the patient and doctor must re-evaluate this drug therapy.. There have been several studies which attempt illustrate the potential weight loss for denfexfluramine users. Interneuron Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, Massachussettes reported that denfexfluramine helped 40 percent of people studied lose up to 10 percent of body weight -- double the amount of weight lost through diet alone (Seachrist 358).

A Violent Act-Taking Place at Work

As difficult as it may be to imagine a violent act-taking place at work, in these times it is an eventuality that cannot be ignored. Too frequently, these days, the evening news leads off with a report about a disgruntled employee committing some horrifying act of violence in the workplace. Something like that could never happen here, is what most assumes. Unfortunately, the statistics show that violence can and does happen in the workplace. In fact, the chances of violence occurring in the workplace are shockingly high and increasing. An important question that should be asked is, what causes violence in the workplace? The answer to this question is very complex. There are numerous contributing factors that can push an employee to the point that may seem unbearable. To an employee, being perceived unfair is one of the significant factors. Many times the organization is looked upon as not treating their employees properly. Other contributing factors are, but not limited to, an unstable economy, downsizing, layoffs–each causes fear, depression, and paranoia, evaluations, lack of promotion or advancement, authoritarian management, relationships brought to the workplace, and stress (Liabig 33). Stress is one of the more common causes of violence at any place of employment. The body†s response to any demand on it for adaptation is called stress. A stressor may be acute or chronic. Stress can also be both good and bad. Examples of good stress are reasonable deadlines and competition. This type of stress if needed to function, without stress people become stagnates. The level of anxiety caused by a good stressor is usually in the low moderate range. Levels of high anxiety are okay for short periods of time. If levels of high anxiety last for an extreme period then the stressor is bad, and the person functioning becomes impaired and overwhelmed (NIOSH 1). The failure to adapt to stress can cause clinical depression. Clinical depression is a depression that is organic in nature whose origin is usually a chemical imbalance or caused by outside factors. It is obvious that these circumstances may result in subsequent aggression. In turn, such feelings may produce intense emotions of anger and resentment, which may lead to the feeling of needing to harm the people that is responsible in some manner. Other contributing factors that may trigger workplace aggression and violence frequently are related to three types of workplace changes. 1) The increased use of part-time and temporary workers. This causes aggressions for two reasons. First, the increased use of contingent workers makes existing employees feel threatened. Secondly, a revolving door of temps can make employees uncomfortable. 2) Management turnover and change. When bosses start changing, the workplace aggression level increases. This is because employees may not like the new boss style, they may feel uncertain about their own job security or they may view the new managers as an opportunity to act out. 3) Major schedule changes. Employees who suddenly find themselves working a new shift after getting comfortable with a certain set of hours can become uneasy. Detecting the characteristics of an employee that may display some of the above attributes should certainly be continuously in effect (Caudron 51). It is important that data that is collected be as specific as possible and focus on job performance or any unusual behavior on the job. Recurring patterns should be noted. Everyone has an off day once in a while so observation or documentation should go on over a period of time. Collection of data helps the supervisor make a fair and impartial assessment of job performance. It also guards against remembering only the peaks of performance, the good days and not the bad days. There are several characteristics that should alert an employer of possible signs of workplace aggression. Individuals who commit violence tend to fit a pattern. Often, they are loners, and the main focus of their lives is their job. Absenteeism, which consist of frequent absences or days off with vague or unlikely excuses. Also included would be excessive use of sick leave, tardiness and early departures are some things to look for. There is also the factor of on-the-job absenteeism. This may entail an employee being regularly absent from post, long lunches and always preoccupied. Then there is the issue of personal appearance, attitude and behavior. An employer should take notice when the personal appearance becomes untidy and when distinct mood swings occur during the day for no apparent reason. If the smell of alcohol and or excessive use of breath deodorizers are used and repeated unusual accidents on or off the job occur, yes the employer should take notice. Another issue that may create workplace aggression would be interpersonal relations. If there are complaints from co-workers and from clients on a regular basis, and if the employee has a tendency to avoid associates. Direct threats of violence, verbal abuse or intimidation toward employees. An intense anger that does not defuse over time or a fascination with the killing power of weapons that go far beyond a hobbyist gun collection. These behaviors are observable warning signs of violent behaviors. Having the ability to recognize is one thing but what counts the most is being able to prevent workplace violence. If it is not understood what triggers violence then it is difficult to prevent it. Although many acts of workplace violence appear completely random, there are actually many things companies can do to prevent violent outbreaks from occurring. The initial step would include the screening of potential employees thoroughly. If the resources are not there, an outside service should be hired to conduct criminal background checks for a nominal cost. The implementation of a zero-tolerance policy with harsh repercussions for violent or threatening behavior at the workplace should be established. All threats of violence should be reported to the police immediately. Certain circumstances may even warrant the temporary use of a security firm. It is significant for an employer to create a workplace culture that encourages mutual respect and open communication. It would be essential to conduct training for employees and supervisors that covers conflict resolution, how to report and handle complaints of unfair treatment and how to recognize signs of a potentially violent employee. The use of the Employee Assistance Program, which is a plan that provide employees with assistance for various problems, as a means to prevent workplace violence due to stress. All employees should be trained in methods to handle stress. When firing or disciplining a potentially violent employee, the employer should be sensitive. To sound as if the employee is being accused, is not a good approach. An example is to simply state that other employees have begun to feel fearful and that according to the company policy, it is required to take action. This approach will avoid blame. Also when firing or disciplining a potentially violent employee, the manager should make sure that they find something good to say about the employee (Liabig 33). By building up the persons dignity, it decreases the likelihood that the employee will see the manager as part of the larger corporate conspiracy that is out to get him or her. Last but not least, it is very relevant for the employer to provide job counseling for terminated employees. Termination is a traumatic change and counseling can help these individuals cope. It is a fact that an individual can exhibit one or more warning signs and never resort to violence. It is important to remember that people have different levels of sensitivity. What is a violence-triggering event to one person may not be to another. Each case must be examined on an individual basis and, to the extent possible, viewed from that person's perspective.

Tourettes, I Swear I Can’t Help It

It was televised in May of this year, although during the show we see various clips from both men's lives. At Serge's introduction to the programmer all we see Is a camera shot of a nice looking private school†¦ And then loud screams. This shocks the viewer a great deal because we do not understand what Is going on and Immediately thoughts fly through our heads. Questions Like Who's screaming? ‘, why are they screaming? And even What's going on? Join our train of thoughts, but then the RPR voice-over of Sue Johnston explains that Greg developed Trustees at the age of seven.It then skips to the Greg of the resent – aged fifteen, and he explains how he had to leave that particular private school due to the fact that his parents could not afford to keep him there as well as pay additional for the special care he required. He goes on to mention that he now attends a public school after a campaign to get his necessary assistance. I noticed that when Greg and John are tal king most of their clips are in interview format, I believe the producer chose to do it this way because the camera is focused on their faces so you can see their expressions much better and see their eyes.This makes It el the more personal for the viewer at home. The next clips of Greg are ones of him in school In a lesson and his tics go off and you'd think they would disrupt the classroom but everyone Just goes on as normal â€Å"It's Like It was the wind† as Greg says. In the home videos of Greg as a child there Is always sad music backing It which I believe is to emphasize the emotion and distress the whole family were feeling at this time. Here is where the viewer begins to sympathize with Greg and his family and I believe this was the intention of the programmer. As the interviewer talks toGregg father he explains that after Greg developed Trustees he was feeling down and even went to see his GAP about it – the doctor told him he was suffering depression over th e loss of a child, and Serge's father was getting emotional while repeating this memory then he said†¦ â€Å"And it was true, I felt like I had lost a son. â€Å". I think there are many parts of Serge's childhood (or what we see of it) that are very hard-hitting and this Is when the viewer begins to realize that the condition Is truly dreadful. At one point Greg tells about a time when he was young he Just wanted â€Å"IT† o stop and he actually was begging his parents to kill him.As the younger Greg Is being interviewed we find that he is a very articulate and eloquent child. He explains now Nils tic makes NV swear sometimes Ana nest saying something Like â€Å"l I know if I should say it†¦. ‘Shut your F***inning gob' â€Å". When he says this the last part is whispered and this emphasizes his innocence and proves that it can truly happen to anyone. What I found most interesting about Greg is that he doesn't associate the tic as being himself, to him it is a different person and he even compares himself to Googol'.A few people might be familiar with John Davison because when he first developed Trustees at the age of sixteen, a documentary was made about him called â€Å"John's Not Mad† (1988) and we see clips from this documentary in the latest one, I think we see the clips of his youth and so on to emphasis that this condition does not Just come and go, it is ALWAYS there, and it shows John's constant suffering. Also when Greg first developed Trustees (when he was seven) a documentary was made about him, and this included John at the age of thirty â€Å"The Boy Can't Help It. . As we e clips of John we see the difference between him and Greg almost immediately; John had to endure his illness through a time where it was virtually unknown so people's understanding and acceptance was minimal. We learn all about John's life and how he deals with the Trustees. He goes to support groups where he has a good friend called Chopper, who also has Trustees. We learn that John works in a community centre with children, and we wonder could this be because he missed out on his childhood because of his Trustees?He says in the interview that he feels left out and likes to work with kids and it's â€Å"nice to get a hug†. I believe this shows that sometimes John feels truly isolated from the rest of the world, and this brings the viewer to an understanding of John – and we feel more connected because of how personal this documentary is. We learn that John's family wasn't as half as understanding as Gregg which made John's teenage years all the more unbearable. In some clips from â€Å"John's Not Mad† we see a canteen full of teenagers but no sign of John, that's where the camera skips to another room where John is sitting all alone eating his food.This emphasizes his isolation as a youth. As we find out more about John's family we discover that John hardly sees them now because they're all living their own lives in other places†¦. This makes the viewer think that the family was not, and still is not, very understanding and accepting of his condition, almost as if they're ashamed of him? But he goes on to explain how he's got a sort of ‘surrogate family with a woman called Dorothy/Dotty. He goes on to mention that he eats round at their house three to four times a week.I believe this is to show the viewer a glimmer of hope, show that even the loneliest of people can still find friendship and even the Emily they always wished they had. One thing that surprised me about John's illness is that he has a tic which causes him to spit his food. I did not realize that this could happen. But there is a clip of John as a young man eating a meal with his family and he's putting food in his mouth but then spitting some of it back out again. The viewer then realizes that this is probably why he ate alone as a young man and also realizes how many aspects of a person's life Trust ees can affect.There is one particular scene which really did shock me, it was when John and Dotty were shopping and heir stood in an aisle looking at something when suddenly John smacks Dotty in the face. This part confused me at first because I didn't realize Trustees could cause this sort of behavior, and I believe that this was one of the main reasons it was actually shown – because anyone with little knowledge of Trustees will stereotype it to be someone won swears Ana can't Nell I t wanly Isn't all Tanat serious, out tens clip snows that it is physically dangerous because he genuinely can't help what he does.As we go further into the programmer we learn how John and Greg have accepted that they eave this illness and they try to live their lives as normally as possible. Greg is happy to state that his Trustees doesn't control most of his life, he can still go out and make friends and it doesn't get in the way of his drumming either. We even learn that Greg and some of hi s friends are in a band by the name of â€Å"The Brotherhood†. We get comments from his friends about Greg and his illness; one boy says that in Year Seven he didn't realize that Greg actually had Trustees, he simply thought he was being rebellious.I think this clip emphasizes how little the common knowledge about Trustees is, that people don't even realize what it is and simply think the person is doing it willingly. Another friend makes the statement â€Å"He lives with it – why can't R†. This is a major statement in the documentary because it shows how things have changed and how different ages react differently to things, for a boy of fifteen to say something like this emphasizes the maturity of people in this situation.In an interview John says that he accepts his illness and even goes as far as to say if his illness was gone then he would miss it. All he wants is one day, Just one day, where e has no tics at all. But Greg is mentioning he actually had a da y like this, he says that it was the best day of his life' and he wishes to have another like it. This makes the viewer feel compassion when we realize that although Greg has had a â€Å"free day' – he will probably never get another one in his lifetime, and the fact that John is nearing his forties makes you wonder if he will EVER get such a day.I believe the purpose of this programmer was to raise awareness and increase understanding of Trustees Syndrome, because most people see it as a very funny sort of illness because it makes people swear. In all fairness the affliction can be quite funny and light-hearted at times and I think this was the producer's aim, to get people laughing first and then it would be more of a shock to them when it actually came to the serious stuff. Also it was to let the previous viewers (the ones who watched â€Å"John's Not Mad† and â€Å"The Boy Can't Help It†) know how these people were doing.When you're watching a documentary l ike this, I believe you start to care about the particular person because the programmer is so detailed and personal you almost feel as if you really know them. I believe the target audience for this was a very wide en. Greg is my age so I think people my age would find it interesting and reasonably easy to relate to Greg, and a lot of people are interested in Trustees after Pete Bennett, a sufferer of Trustees, who won Big Brother 7. It was somewhat of a phenomenon, and this is where the real awareness first rose, but people stereotyped Trustees to be funny, quirky, something laughable.Unfortunately the true illness was never fully explained; Trustees is a neurological condition (a condition that affects the nervous system). It causes both physical and verbal tics, which are involuntary repetitive movements or sounds. Trustees is named after the French doctor, Georges Gilles De la Torture, who was the first person to describe the condition and its symptoms. Most people have no idea whatsoever how common Trustees is and it is difficult to know exactly how many people are affected by Trustees because people with the mildest form often disguise their symptoms from others.A recent estimate is that one in every 100 people is affected by the condition. T Is primarily a canon Leases, Ana Toys are affected more than girls. Most people with Trustees will begin to have physical tics at the age of about six or seven ND vocal tics at around eleven. The cause is unknown, but research suggests that the condition is caused by problems with a part of the brain known as the basal ganglia. This documentary was very effective in my eyes, because I realized the true misfortune of Trustees, and now I won't laugh when I hear about it or see it.I strongly believe the programmer will have raised a lot of awareness on the subject and hopefully increase understanding so that the sufferers of Trustees can live a little better. It definitely conveyed to the viewer that it is very seriou s, especially with some of the clips from Gregg childhood, e. . The home video in which Greg Just collapses and can't move. The viewer sympathizes with and respects both Greg for having to go through it and his parents for having to deal with such things.In my opinion the programmer was very interesting, enjoyable and it opened my eyes. It could drag on in certain parts – particularly in the personal interviews, but it was not made to be exciting and interesting, it was made to raise awareness. Watching it for the first time has more of an effect on you than watching it a second time, so it was good for me being a first time viewer. Part of it makes me want to watch the other two wows but I realize that Vive already seen the ending so it would be a bit pointless.I would definitely recommend this to others, it is important for people to know about and understand this illness. So, in conclusion I enjoyed watching this show and I'm glad to have learned so much about a subject th at was practically unknown to me. I would give it 6/10 because it was very good but I didn't enjoy the whole thing, I don't think I'd watch it again unfortunately. My personal taste didn't favor the programmer very much because it was a bit too much like a lesson so it made me feel as though watching it was mandatory and not my choice.

Ethics in Counseling Essay

This paper analyses social, ethical and legal issues within a complaint initiated by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) against a psychologist, Steven Kreft (HCCC v Kreft, 2011). The HCCC investigated a complaint by a client of Kreft of personal and sexual disclosures, as well as unprofessional treatment in the solicitation of a photograph of the client in which the client was dressed in underwear. Kreft’s actions are assessed in light of professional and ethical standards as well as potential breaches of the law. Steven Kreft, was an experienced psychologist narrowly specialising in the treatment of men with anxiety conditions using cognitive-behavioural therapy (HCCC v Kreft, 2011). The client, a 19-year-old married woman, was referred to Kreft because of anxiety and possibly panic attacks, but during the initial stages of counselling, she raised relationship problems, her appearance and sexual needs and practices with him and these became the focus of their se ssions. Kreft conveyed to the client that he was not experienced or skilled in the treatment of relationship problems or sexual disorders, however, the client stated that she wished to continue working with him and he did not insist on referring her elsewhere. The client ultimately accused Kreft of failing to observe proper professional boundaries and engaging in inappropriate discussions of a personal nature in which he: Complimented her on her appearance referring to her petite size, short height and thin build, and likened her to his girlfriend; Commented on her wearing Bonds underwear like his girlfriend wore; Asked the client to comment on his physical appearance; Disclosed details of his personal life including the number of sexual partners he had had, that his girlfriend would share a bed with other girlfriends when they slept over, that he had been in love numerous times, and that he had thought about homosexuality during his youth (HCCC v Kreft, 2011). In addition, Kreft was accused of failing to follow or observe appropriate therapeutic practice and/or failing to observe proper professional boundaries when he asked the client for photographs for a study in which other people would rate the client’s appearance. One of these photographs pictured the client dressed in underwear. Kreft copied these photographs onto his own computer for later presentation to unnamed others. This exercise was not recorded in the client’s clinical notes (HCCC v Kreft, 2011). The HCCC investigated the client’s complaints and took disciplinary action against him. There are numerous social, ethical and legal issues in this case. Although Kreft was in fact a psychologist, for the purpose of this paper, his conduct will be assessed against the Australian Counselling Association’s Code of Ethics and Practice (2012). This paper will explore the power imbalance between Kreft and his client, the effect of his behaviour on the therapeutic relationship and whether Kreft’s behaviour might have breached sexual harassment laws. Ethical and legal guidelines exist to offer protection to people who may experience harm as a result of the actions of another person. According to Welfel (2013, p.3), professional ethics in counselling encompasses five dimensions of behaviour including having sufficient knowledge, skill and judgement; respecting the client’s h uman dignity and freedom; using a counsellor’s inherent power responsibly; and, acting to promote public confidence in the counselling profession. This provides a useful framework for assessing Kreft’s conduct in this case. Beginning with Kreft’s expertise, Kreft usually used a strict cognitive-behavioural protocol for the management of anxiety and panic disorders. Kreft is described by his own treating psychiatrist as a skilled practitioner in a narrow field, having been trained to think rationally and logically. Kreft’s practice â€Å"involved administering protocols, carrying out logic-based interventions and requires his patients to occupy a mindset where they share a common objective and commitment to the treatment and its proposed outcome† (HCCC v Kreft, 2011 at 227). Although referred to Kreft because of his relevant expertise, the treatment interaction became sexualised when the client began talking about her sexual experiences and practices. There was further exploration of her concerns about her personal appearance, low self-esteem, need for validation by men via her sexual activities and descriptions of her specific sexual behaviour. Here, Kreft was out of his professional depth. Specifically on this matter, the Australian Counselling Association’s (ACA) Code of Ethics and Practice states that counsellors must â€Å"endeavour to make suitable referral where competent service cannot be provided† (p.3) and â€Å"undertake regular supervision and debriefing to develop skills, monitor performance and sustain professional accountability† (p.3). Although Kreft recognised that  the client’s relationship and sexual issues were beyond his expertise and conveyed as much to the client, he could have insisted on referral, despite the client’s preference for continued sessions with him. The ACA further states that competence includes being able to recognise when it is appropriate to refer a client elsewhere (p.12). The rationale for this professional expectation is that counsellors are required to â€Å"take all reasonable steps to ensure that the client does not suffer physical, emotional or psychological harm during counselling sessions †(p.4). Sexualisation of the therapeutic relationship can be harmful to clients, and in this case, it is difficult to see how it served the client. According to the ACA Code of Ethics and Practice, â€Å"the helping relationship constitutes the effective and appropriate use of helper’s skills that are for the benefit and safety of the client in his or her circumstanc es† (2012, p.3), and â€Å"counsellors must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the client does not suffer physical, emotional or psychological harm during counselling sessions† (2012, p.4). In relation to the disclosures, for whose benefit where they? It is unclear what led Kreft to make sexualised self-disclosures and what purpose he thought they served. Perhaps it was a response to the client’s exploration of her relationships and sexual activities. Such client self-disclosure can sexualise the therapeutic relationship (Gurtheil & Brodsky, 2011, p. 183). Counsellor disclosures are inevitable and sometimes useful, but self-disclosure can become burdensome to the client and therefore detrimental. Gurtheil and Brodsky (2011) state that in cases of sexual misconduct, â€Å"a key turning point often occurs when the relationship shifts from a therapeutic exchange to one of sharing personal confidences and feelings† (p.114). They further state that even therapists whose practice deliberately includes open self-disclosure, it is rarely useful and usually burdensome for clients to hear details of the therapist’s emotional, sexual, personal or family life. â€Å"Such disclosures, especially when they involve sexual feelings, are nearly always considered boundary violations† (p.115). It seems that Kreft may have been meeting some personal need by making the disclosures. Without having observed the interaction, it is difficult to judge, however, perhaps in an attempt to normalise the client’s experience or keep her engaged, Kreft seems to also be almost boasting of his own sexual prowess. This amounts to an exploitation of the client for  his own needs. The APA states that, â€Å"counsellors must not exploit their clients financially, sexually, emotionally or in any other way (pp.4-5). If poorly handled, the power imbalance inherent in the therapeutic relationship can lead to exploitation of clients (Barnett, Lazarus, Vasquez, Moorehead-Slaughter & Johnson, 2007, p.402). A young female client, is less likely to challenge the appropriateness of such comments. In addition to the sexualised disclosures, Kreft devised an exercise based on his narrow focus on CBT, which he believed would help the client. He requested and obtained a photo of his client wearing a bra and underpants for the purpose of an exercise aimed at ‘challenging’ the client’s maladaptive or negative beliefs about her appearance. The photo was to be shown to a number of unnamed people in order for them to rate her appearance. Kreft claimed in his testimony that he created the exercise based on his expertise and training. He did not state that he researched current effective practice or discussed the client’s needs in supervision. It would seem prudent to educate oneself about an unfamiliar field of practice or client. In fact, the ACA’s ethical expectations include counsellors committing to ongoing personal and professional development, as well as undertake regular supervision and debriefing (p.3). A cursory investigation of recognised treatments for body image problems Butters and Cash (1987) research into effective cognitive-behavioural treatment of women with body-image dissatisfaction found that a combination of methods produced improved affective body image, reduced maladaptive body-image cognitions and enhanced social self-esteem about fitness and sexuality. The methods included providing clients with information about body-image dissatisfaction, having clients construct a personalised hierarchy of body areas, desensitisation to automatic thoughts and developing counterarguments for irrational thoughts. Butters and Cash (1987) did use observer ratings of client physical attractiveness as part of the series of exercises, but there is no suggestion that clients were to be barely dressed in the photographs used. Kreft seemed to exercise poor judgment in his selection of a photograph in which the client was so scantily clothed. Kreft seemed unaware of his power in the relationship. Power within the therapeutic relationship can take numerous forms. Proctor (2002, p.8) states that one basic form is societal power which is expressed in the imbalances between the genders and between the old and young. In this  case, Kreft was an older male with a teenage female client. According to testimony in his case, Kreft was accustomed to working with male clients, so he may have been unaccustomed to working with a young female. He may have been unaware of the subconscious power he held in the relationship simply by virtue of his stronger position in society. Pope and Vasquez (2007, pp41-42) describ e other forms of power that therapists have in relation to clients. These include the power of expectation–clients expects that the therapist’s interventions will be able to induce beneficial change. Related to this is the power to choose the approach to therapy. Kreft chose to make personal disclosures and chose the therapeutic exercise involving the client’s photograph. She complied with the activity, although she stated in her complaint that she was very uncomfortable about it. Kreft failed to recognise this in her delayed provision of the photo, but also failed to recognise that any young woman might be uncomfortable with such an exercise, yet reluctant to refuse. He did not make this psychologically safe for her. Under the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010, both the disclosures and the request for photographs could be deemed sexual harassment and therefore unlawful. A person sexually harasses another person if he or she engages in unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in relation to another person in circumstances in which a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would have anticipated that the other person would be offended, humiliated or intimi dated. Conduct of a sexual nature includes making orally, any remark or statement with sexual connotations to a person or about a person in his or her presence, and, making any comment of a sexual nature in a person’s presence (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 2013a, p.79). There are therefore three characteristics of behaviour that would have it constitute sexual harassment – being unwelcome; being conduct of a sexual nature; and being conduct that a reasonable person would consider likely to offend, humiliate or intimidate in the circumstances. There seems little doubt that Kreft’s disclosures about his sexual activities fit this definition of conduct of a sexual nature. In relation to whether the comments were unwelcome to the client, it certainly appears so, as she has complained of as much. For conduct to be unwelcome, it must be unsolicited or uninvited by the client, and regarded as undesirable or offensive by the client. Kreft does not suggest that the  client invited the comments. Even if a client does not speak up or complain at the time, the conduct might still be considered unwelcome (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 2013b, p.6). The client’s age is a factor recognised as causing someone to tolerate behaviour even if unwelcome. Numerous sexual harassment cases have recognised how a power imbalance between the parties can contribute to a person remaining silent about how unwelcome the behaviour is (VEOHRC, 2013a, p.85). The final element in sexual harassment is whether the conduct occurred in circumstances in which it could reasonably have been expected that the conduct would offend, humiliate or intimidate the person. Again, given the client’s age in relation to Kreft, and the highly sexual nature of the disclosures, within a relationship that should be focusing on the client’s concerns, it seems that this third criterion of sexual harassment would be met. In conclusion, it seems that Steven Kreft’s behaviour in this case fell far short of recognised ethical, legal and social expectations. He took on a client with issues outside his narrow expertise and attempted to work with her i n relation to the highly sexualised disclosures she made about her relationships with men. Kreft’s own highly sexualised personal disclosures were unethical according to professional guidelines and potentially unlawful, under sexual harassment laws. Kreft’s attempts to help the client change her negative beliefs about her body were devised without reference to existing knowledge in the treatment of such problems and again became sexualised when Kreft chose a photo of the client dressed only in underwear. Ultimately, Kreft was required to update his training, engage in regular supervision, and undergo a suspension of practice for six months. Kreft’s case provides a number of warnings for other practitioners about the dangers of a narrow knowledge and experience base, as well as the importance of understanding the various dimensions of therapeutic relationships. Counsellors would do well to have a sound understanding of ethical boundaries and how they might appropriately respond to a client’s disclosures of sexual behaviour. Having regular supervision is crucial for assisting counsellors in all of these areas. References Australian Counselling Association. (2012). Code of ethics and practice. QLD: Author. Barnett, J., Lazarus, A., Vasquez, M., Moorehead-Slaughter, O., & Johnson, W. (2007). Boundary issues and multiple relationships: Fantasy and reality. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(4), 401–410. Butters, J. W. & Cash, T. F. (1987) Cognitive-behavioral treatment of women’s body-image dissatisfaction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 6. Gurtheil, T. G. & Brodsky, A. (2011). Preventing boundary violations in clinical practice. London: Guilford Press. HCCC v Kreft (No. 1) (2011) NSWPST 2. HCCC v Kreft (No. 2) (2012) NSWPST 1. Pope, K. S. & Vasquez, M. J. (2011). Ethics in psychotherapy and counselling: A practical guide. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Proctor, G. (2002). The dynamics of power in counseling and psychotherapy: ethics, politics and practice. Ross-on-wye, Herefordshire: PCCS Books. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. (2013a). Victorian discrimination law. Melbourne, Australia: Author. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. (2013b). Guideline: Sexual harassment. Complying with the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Melbourne, Australia: Author. Welfel, E. R. (2013). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy. (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.