Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4

The next day, I went to the address on Dante's business card. It was in Rainier Valley, which wasn't exactly rundown but wasn't upwardly mobile either. The directions led to a narrow shop jammed in between a barber and a shady-looking convenience store. PSYCHIC hung in red neon letters in the window. The â€Å"I† had burned out. Underneath it, a handwritten sign read: PALM READING & TAROT CARDS. I stepped through the door, making bells ring. The interior proved to be as barren as the exterior. A narrow counter flanked one wall. The rest of the small, stark space was empty, save for a round table covered in red velvet that had cigarette burns on it. A tacky crystal ball sat on top. This place was a wasteland compared to Erik's warm, inviting shop. â€Å"Just a minute,† a voice called from an open doorway in the back. â€Å"I've just got to – â€Å" A man entered the room and stopped when he saw me. He was about six-foot, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Two days worth of facial hair covered his face, and he wore jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Early forties, maybe, and pretty cute. He looked me over from head to toe and gave me a sly, knowing smile. â€Å"Well, hello. What do we have here?† He tilted his head, still studying me. â€Å"Not human, that's for sure. Demon? No, not strong enough. Vampire? No†¦not this time of day.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, surprised that he'd sensed something in me. He had no immortal signature; he was definitely human. He must be like Erik, I realized. A mortal who could sense the immortal world, though he didn't have enough skill to pinpoint what I was exactly. Deciding there was no point in subterfuge, I said, â€Å"I'm a succubus.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, you aren't.† â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"You aren't.† I was a bit surprised to be having this conversation. â€Å"I am too.† â€Å"No. Succubi are flame-eyed and bat-winged. Everyone knows that. They don't wear jeans and sweaters. At the very least, you should have a bigger chest. What are you, 34B or something?† â€Å"C,† I said indignantly. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"Look, I am a succubus. I can prove it.† I let my form change, shifting through several different female variations before returning to my usual one. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Well, I'll be damned.† I had a feeling he was playing with me. â€Å"Are you Dante?† â€Å"For now.† He approached and shook my hand, holding on to it. He flipped it over. â€Å"You here for a palm reading? I'll show you how to shape-shift your hand to get a good future.† I took my hand back. â€Å"No, thanks. I'm here because I have some questions†¦questions that Erik Lancaster thought you might be able to answer.† Dante's smile dropped. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? Erik's my friend.† Dante leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"Of course he's your friend. He's everyone's friend. Fucking boy scout. If he could have shaken his holier-than-thou attitude and worked with me, we could have made a fortune by now.† I remembered what Erik had said about Dante being a con artist and a Hell-bound person. I didn't pick up any evil vibes off him, but there was a definite abrasiveness to his attitude that made Erik's assessment more plausible. â€Å"Erik has standards,† I declared. Dante laughed. â€Å"Oh, great. A holier-than-thou succubus. This is going to be fun.† â€Å"Look, can you just answer my questions? It won't take long.† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"I've got time – at least until the next rush of customers.† The bitter tone in his voice as he gestured to the empty room indicated that there hadn't been a rush in a very long time. â€Å"I had a dream the other night,† I explained. â€Å"And when I woke up, all my energy was gone.† â€Å"You're a succubus. Supposedly. That kind of thing happens.† â€Å"I wish everyone would stop saying that! This wasn't normal. And I'd been with a man the night before. I was charged up, so to speak.† â€Å"You do anything afterward that would have depleted the energy?† Everyone kept asking that too. â€Å"No. I just went to bed. But the dream†¦it was really strange. I don't know how to explain it. Really, really vivid. I've never felt anything like it.† â€Å"What was it about?† â€Å"A, um, dishwasher.† Dante sighed. â€Å"Did someone pay you to come here and mess with me?† Through gritted teeth, I related the dream. â€Å"That's it?† he asked when I finished. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Lame dream.† â€Å"Do you know what it means?† â€Å"Probably that you need to fix your dishwasher.† â€Å"It isn't broken!† He straightened up. â€Å"Sorry. Can't help you then.† â€Å"Erik said this was your specialty.† â€Å"It is, I suppose. But, sometimes a dream is just a dream. You sure you don't want me to read your palm? It's all bullshit, but I can at least make something up so you feel like the trip wasn't wasted.† â€Å"No, I want to know about my fucking dream. How can it be just a dream if I woke up with no energy?† Dante walked back over to me and flicked a piece of escaped hair out of his face. â€Å"I don't know. You aren't giving me enough to go on. How many times has it happened?† â€Å"Just the one time.† â€Å"Then it may be just a fluke, kiddo.† I turned toward the door. â€Å"Well, thanks for the ‘help.'† Hurrying over to my side, Dante caught my arm. â€Å"Hey, wait. You want to go get a drink now?† â€Å"I – what?† â€Å"I'll risk upsetting the masses and close up shop for the day. There's a great bar around the corner. Draft Budweiser – only a dollar a glass during happy hour. My treat.† I scoffed. I didn't know what was more absurd. That Dante thought I'd go out with him or that he thought I'd drink Budweiser. His attractiveness wasn't enough to make up for his weird personality. â€Å"Sorry. I have a boyfriend.† â€Å"I'm not looking to be your boyfriend. Cheap sex is fine with me.† I met his eyes. They were gray, similar to Carter's but without the silvery hue. I expected a joke here, but despite the perpetual smirk, Dante appeared to be perfectly serious. â€Å"Why on earth do you think I'd have cheap sex with you? Do I look that easy?† â€Å"You say you're a succubus. You're easy by definition. And even without the bat-wings and flame-eyes, you're pretty cute.† â€Å"Aren't you worried about your soul?† Even if he was as corrupt as Erik had insinuated – and I still wasn't really seeing that – Dante would take some kind of hit from sleeping with me. All mortals did. Of course, I'd met plenty of men – good and evil alike – who'd been willing to risk their souls for sex. â€Å"Nope. My soul's pretty far gone. This would just be for fun. Look, if you want to skip the beer, we can just get right to it. I've always wanted to do it on the table over there.† â€Å"Un-fucking-believable.† I pushed open the door. â€Å"Oh, come on,† he pleaded. â€Å"I'm pretty good. And hey, maybe your boyfriend's poor sexual performance is what's stressing you out and taking away your energy.† â€Å"Not likely,† I told him. â€Å"We don't have sex.† There was a moment's silence, then Dante threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Did it occur to you that maybe that's stressing you out? Clearly the dishwasher is a metaphor for your broken sex life, which then forces you to wash dishes ‘by hand.'† I left, heading back to the bookstore where I could get a little respect. Some dream expert Dante had turned out to be. I could see now why Erik didn't really like him. I was also starting to wonder if maybe everyone was right. Maybe I had mentally burned myself out. Maybe the dream was really just a dream. I was almost at the bookstore when I got a phone call. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† asked a pleasant female voice. â€Å"This is Karen from the Seattle Children's Alliance, calling to confirm your participation in our auction this week.† â€Å"Your what?† There was a pause. â€Å"Our charity date auction, to raise money for the Alliance.† I was still baffled. â€Å"Um, sounds like a great cause, but I have no idea what you're talking about.† I heard papers being ruffled. â€Å"We have you listed as a volunteer.† â€Å"For what, to be auctioned off for a date?† â€Å"Yes. It looks like†¦here we are. Your name was submitted by Dr. Mitchell.† I sighed. â€Å"Let me call you back.† I hung up and dialed Hugh. â€Å"Hey, Dr. Mitchell. You volunteered me to be auctioned off?† â€Å"It's not that different from what you usually do,† he argued. â€Å"And it's for charity.† â€Å"I buy the peace-on-Earth-and-good-will-toward-men thing from Peter and Cody – but not from you. You don't care about those kids.† â€Å"I care about the group's director,† Hugh said. â€Å"She's a fucking fox. I get some high quality candidates to raise money, and I can probably get her in bed.† â€Å"You're using a children's charity to further your sex life. That's horrible. And why didn't you ask Tawny? If anyone needs a date, she does.† â€Å"Her? Jesus Christ. It'd be a disaster. We're trying to make money here. Do you hate kids or something?† â€Å"No, but I don't have time to do it. I'll write them a check.† I hung up on his protests, just as I turned onto Queen Anne Avenue. I was a little early for my shift and decided to stop home and grab an apple and a granola bar. Last time I'd worked, we'd been so busy that I'd skipped my lunch break. I figured that this time, I should come prepared. My immortality wouldn't let me starve to death, but I could still get lightheaded and weak. Halfway down the hall to my apartment, I felt a shock wave of crystalline goodness. Angelic auras. I opened my door and found the whole gang: Carter, Yasmine, Whitney, Joel, and Vincent. None of them spoke; they were all just watching me expectantly. The angels would have sensed me long before I sensed them. They all sat in my living room, casually occupying my sofa and chairs as though they weren't a host of heavenly warriors. Well, not all of them were casual. Joel sat as stiff and formal as he had the first time I met him. â€Å"Oh, man,† I said, shutting the door behind me. â€Å"It's just like that They Might Be Giants song.† Vincent grinned. â€Å"‘She's an Angel'?† I nodded. â€Å"Somewhere they're meeting on a pinhead – â€Å" † – calling you an angel, calling you the nicest things,† he finished. â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Joel, interrupting our jam session. â€Å"Or not so nice,† I muttered. I turned from Vincent and glared at Joel. â€Å"I live here, remember?† â€Å"We're having a meeting,† he said. â€Å"Hey, when you asked if Vince could stay here, you never said anything about making this your top secret tree house headquarters. I don't care if you guys hold your choir practice here or whatever, but don't try to throw me out while you do.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Yasmine. I did a double-take. Apologies from angels were about as rare as from demons. From the look on his face, Joel was about as surprised as me. â€Å"We probably should have asked first. We can go somewhere else.† She leaned over my coffee table and started gathering up newspapers. Interesting. Apparently Vincent's fixation with the news was more than just a personal hobby. I glanced back up at Yasmine and tried to act like I hadn't noticed anything. â€Å"No, it's fine. I'm actually heading right back out. I just came by for some food.† She pushed strands of long, black hair out of her face. They'd slipped out of her ponytail. â€Å"You want Vince to make you something?† He turned to her, startled, wearing an astonished, yet still-amused look. â€Å"What am I, your personal assistant?† â€Å"Not with the kind of respect you show us,† she grumbled. I hid a smile. â€Å"Thanks, but I'm fine. I don't have the time.† â€Å"Good,† said Joel. â€Å"Then hurry up.† Whitney sighed and looked a little embarrassed – but not enough to contradict him. Yasmine had no such qualms and elbowed him in the ribs. â€Å"What was that for?† he exclaimed. â€Å"You have no manners,† she scolded. Grinning broadly, I went to the kitchen and found an apple. When I opened the cupboard to look for my granola bars, I found the box empty. â€Å"Hey,† I said, carrying it out to the living room. â€Å"Did somebody eat these? I had two left this morning.† Carter spoke up for the first time. â€Å"I was hungry.† I stared at him, incredulous. â€Å"You ate both of them?† â€Å"I was hungry,† he repeated, not looking contrite in the least. â€Å"Does it ever stop with you?† I exclaimed. â€Å"First the Christmas tree, now this? You didn't even throw the box away!† â€Å"I was hoping you'd forgotten about the Christmas tree. That was an accident, and you know it.† I sighed loudly and put the apple in my purse. â€Å"I'm going to the grocery store later,† said Vincent helpfully. Aubrey jumped up and settled herself between him and Yasmine. Both their hands instantly moved to pet her. Aubrey gave me a smug cat look at the attention. â€Å"I'll pick you up some more if you want.† â€Å"Pick him up some more so that he doesn't go rob the food bank next. See you guys later. No wild parties while I'm gone.† Carter, Yasmine, and Vincent laughed; Whitney and Joel didn't. When I'd shut the door behind me, I paused in the hall, wishing there was some way to spy on angels. There wasn't, unfortunately. I couldn't even hide from them. They could mask their signatures from me, but not vice versa. In fact, they all knew I hadn't left yet. Annoyed, I headed downstairs, curiosity burning in me. Why were they all here? Why did they need a human? And what role did the newspapers play? Figuring out what angels did with their time was always difficult. With my side, it was pretty straightforward. We were always looking to commit souls to Hell and did so in a well-monitored, micro-managed manner. Heaven's forces moved in mysterious ways, though. Carter's purpose in Seattle was a continual puzzle for my friends and me since none of us ever saw any evidence of him doing anything particularly noble, aside from sharing his cigarettes. He did always show a lot of interest in my love life and was quick to dispense cryptic pieces of advice, but I suspected that was more curiosity than altruism. Work was only a few blocks away. Since it wasn't raining, I simply walked down there. As soon as I entered Emerald City, Maddie approached me, an uncomfortable expression on her face. â€Å"Hey,† she said uneasily. â€Å"I, um, need your advice. I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and don't know what to wear. This is so stupid†¦but could you take a look at my options?† Peering around, I decided the store could function without us for ten minutes, particularly since it had taken Maddie a fair amount of courage to broach this subject. I'd never actually seen her dress up before. â€Å"Okay. Let's see what you've got.† We went back to my office, and she tried on three different dresses. No doubt Seth would have been amused to know she was changing clothes while I was in there. When she'd finished, I gave my honest opinion. â€Å"They don't do you justice.† â€Å"Which is a nice way of saying they look awful on me.† Maddie balled one of the dresses up and tossed it to the floor. â€Å"I hate this sort of thing. How can I write about women's issues and not be any good at them?† â€Å"Well†¦you write about different kinds of issues. The problem here is that you're wearing clothes that are too big for you.† Her dark eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"I'm big. They're loose. They hide it.† Maddie wasn't big, not really. She was a size ten or twelve, if I had to guess, and her short height emphasized that a little. But her curves were all proportioned correctly, and she had a very pretty face. Of course, compared to the anorexic models so popular among humans today, I could understand her attitude. â€Å"You are not big. But those dresses make you look it. Something smaller's going to make you look better.† â€Å"I can't wear tight clothes.† â€Å"They don't have to be tight. They just have to fit.† Maddie sighed and ran her hands down the sides of her thighs. â€Å"You don't know what it's like,† she said, the slightest accusatory note in her voice. â€Å"You're beautiful and tiny. Not all of us have the luxury of looking perfect all the time.† â€Å"No one looks perfect all the time,† I argued. â€Å"I certainly don't.† Okay, I kind of did. â€Å"You've just got to find the right things. And really, half of beauty is attitude. You feel sexy, then you are sexy.† Maddie looked dubious. â€Å"I don't think it's that easy. Guys aren't exactly chomping at the bit to ask me out. You know how long it's been since I was on a date?† â€Å"That goes back to attitude,† I said. â€Å"Look, I don't mean to sound harsh, but you don't always give off friendly vibes. I mean, you do to me. And to Doug. Sort of. But really, that's it.† â€Å"I know I'm not the best with people,† she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. â€Å"But I just can't do meaningless small talk.† â€Å"Yeah, but you still have to do some talking. It's a fact of life.† â€Å"Well, if guys came and actually talked to me, maybe I could try. But they aren't really lining up.† She gestured at her body. â€Å"Because of this. And now we've come full circle.† â€Å"What if I could guarantee you a date?† I asked, suddenly inspired. Her lips quirked into a smile. It instantly transformed her face. â€Å"Are you asking me out?† â€Å"No, but someone else will, I'm certain of it. You just have to let me pick out your outfit.† â€Å"I'm not wearing anything slutty.† â€Å"It won't be,† I promised. I stood up from my chair. â€Å"Look, I've gotta run. Wear the yellow dress to the wedding. With a belt. I'll give you details later about the date plan.† She left, looking skeptical, and I threw myself into work. The rest of the day flew by. I never saw Seth in the caf? ¦ and presumed he was working at home today. We had a date later on, so I knew I'd see him then. Since becoming manager, I spent a lot of time holed up in my office, which was hard on the social part of me. But, every once in a while, I got to escape to cover someone's break or arrange a display. While near the self-help section, a guy carrying some books stumbled near me and dropped the stack. Hoping he hadn't tripped on a bump in the carpet and was planning a lawsuit, I hastily knelt down to help him. â€Å"No, no,† he said, cheeks burning. He was the age I looked, late twenties. Early thirties at most. â€Å"You don't have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was already stacking them, though, and quickly understood his discomfort. They were books on all sorts of fetishes – in particular, exhibitionism and voyeurism. â€Å"Oh God,† he said, as I handed him the books. â€Å"I'm so embarrassed. I feel like such a pervert.† â€Å"It's okay,† I told him. â€Å"It's your business, and we've all got our†¦ah, preferences.† He looked mildly reassured but still clearly wanted to bolt. There was a wedding ring on his hand, and I expected I was dealing with a fetish he probably didn't share with his wife. Honestly, I was surprised he'd resorted to actual books when he could find a hundred times more sources on the Internet. Most likely he and his wife shared a home computer, and he feared discovery. It was Georgina the succubus, not Georgina the bookstore manager, who asked the next question. Georgina the bookstore manager would have gotten fired for it if caught. â€Å"You like the watching or the doing?† I kept my voice low. He swallowed, studied me for mockery, and must have decided I was serious. â€Å"The, um, doing.† For half a breath, I considered going for it with him. I needed the energy, badly. He'd be an easy mark, consumed with a secret obsession he couldn't fulfill anywhere else. But, it'd mean doing it in this body, and I didn't like that. This was my preferred, everyday shape. I didn't want to sully it with business. So, I smiled and sent him on his way, silently wishing him well in fulfilling his sexual desires. I called Seth later while I was walking home from work to confirm our date. We were going to meet over at the Pacific Northwest Ballet to see The Nutcracker. While he appreciated the performing arts, getting him to go out while his book's ending loomed had been a Herculean task, and I still couldn't believe he'd agreed. He'd only conceded after I'd promised he could show up at the last possible minute. Only, we apparently had different definitions of â€Å"last possible minute† because when the lights went down, he still hadn't surfaced. The ballet started, and I craned my neck each time I heard one of the doors open. The chair beside me stayed empty, unfortunately. It was a sign of my agitation that I missed a lot of the performance and couldn't appreciate Clara's dream – a dream as vivid for her as mine had been for me. I loved the ballet. I'd danced in a few shows over my lifetime and never got tired of watching graceful muscles and elaborate costumes. At intermission, I turned on my cell phone and saw that Seth had tried to call. I dialed him back without even listening to the voice message. When he answered, I said, â€Å"Please tell me a crazy fan kidnapped you and broke your legs with a sledgehammer.† â€Å"Um, no. Didn't you get my message?† â€Å"Well, no, seeing as my phone said it came in a half-hour ago. I didn't have it on because I was busy watching this thing. You know, The Nutcracker?† He sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave. I was too wrapped up. I thought if I, uh, gave you enough notice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Notice? This was more like a belated birthday card. Six months after the fact.† Silence fell, and I felt some satisfaction in knowing he was quietly acknowledging his wrongdoing. â€Å"I'm sorry, Thetis. It was†¦I shouldn't have done it, busy or not. I'm really sorry. You know how I get.† Now I sighed. He was so damned sincere and adorable that I had a hard time holding a grudge. This wasn't, however, the first time he'd stood me up or otherwise neglected our social life. Sometimes I wondered if I allowed him too much indulgence. I spent so much time worrying about my transgressions taking advantage of him; maybe I was the one being walked over without even realizing it. â€Å"You want to meet up after the show?† I asked, trying not to sound mad. â€Å"Cody invited me out to the bar with them. We could hang out there for a while.† â€Å"Um†¦well, no.† â€Å"No?† The annoyance I'd tried to quell shot its head back up again. â€Å"I just forgave you for standing me up and wasting the money I paid on your ticket, and now you're turning down my conciliatory offer?† â€Å"Look†¦I really am sorry, but watching you and your friends get drunk isn't exactly appealing.† I sat for a moment, too stunned to respond. He'd spoken in his typically mild way, but I'd heard the slightest bit of derision underscoring his words. Seth didn't drink. He always tolerated my excesses good-naturedly, but I suddenly wondered if they irritated him after all. His meaning came through as haughtiness to me. â€Å"Sorry we're not up to your standards. God knows we can't expect you to do anything outside of your comfort zone.† â€Å"Please, stop. I don't want to fight with you,† he said with exasperation. â€Å"I'm really, really, really sorry about all this. I didn't mean to stand you up. You know that.† The lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"Will you†¦will you please come over tonight? Go out with your friends, let me finish, and then I'll make things up to you. I promise. I†¦I have an early Christmas present for you.† The hesitancy in his voice softened my heart. A little. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. It might be really late when I get there.† â€Å"I'll wait up.† We said our good-byes and disconnected. I watched the rest of the show in a grumpy mood and decided drinking and bitching with the gang couldn't come a moment too soon.

Battle at the Pumps: Is there a solution for increasing prices?

Remember when Grandpa used to tell stories of how gasoline cost $0. 10 a gallon when he first started driving? We laughed at the thought of anything costing less than a dollar, but with today’s national average for gas sitting at $3. 00 a gallon, the 300% price increase is no laughing matter (Benton, 2007).If the price for gas continues to increase at the rate it is now, our children will be the one’s finding humor in our silly rants of paying $90. 00 to fill our SUV tanks. Gas hikes and price gouging are issues that most Americans would rather not be associated with.Nevertheless, we all still have jobs to go to and errands to run. So, while some argue that the price increases are just a part of inflation, there are more arguing that gas pricing is a game of politics. Either way, we all will continue to pay what we have to go get from point A to point B. Targeting when gas hikes became such a hot issue dates back to the infamous â€Å"Katrina† disaster in August of 2005. In addition to the catastrophic storm, many claim that politics also play a part in price determination.Whatever the reason, a solution must be sought. Thankfully, there are a few solution-seekers out there who are actively searching for ways to make living in the days of $3. 00 plus per gallon a bit more tolerable, albeit still an, ah-hem, unpleasant issue. Collaborations between companies, innovations in vehicles, and vehicle purchasing incentives are all ways businesses are working together to keep the bitterness at bay. Nevertheless, many of us won’t be happy until we are completely dependent on our own resources for the precious commodity.So, while we will never see the same prices Grandpa paid for gasoline in our lifetime, reviewing the causes and finding solutions are the only ways we will avoid taking out a second mortgage just to put gas in the cars. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Americans panicked, and fearful gas retailers began a practice that was, for the most part, unheard of. Lines of gasoline-starved automobiles Battle at the Pumps 3 parked themselves at gas pumps, struggling to get every last drop of gas available before it was â€Å"all gone†.Rumors of depleted gas barrel supply sent small town gasoline retailers, as well as few big city retailers into gouging mode. Within hours, prices went from $2. 00 to just over $3. 00 a gallon in states such as Texas and Louisiana, the states closest to the disaster (AP, 2005). Another spark contributing to the gas fire blazing at the pumps is the claim that election years tend to send gas prices into a rollercoaster pattern: down before elections, and up after elections. In fact, Joe Benton of ConsumerAffairs. com writes that pre-election gas prices averaged $2.50 a gallon, and that gas prices â€Å"are sure to rise again†¦right after the midterm elections† (2006). Mr. Benton was correct. Just after the elections the national average for gas prices increased 12. 5 cents in December, and has steadily continued to rise. Though the decrease is unexplainable, rest assured that the elections have nothing to do with it. If they were the reason for the decreased gas prices, however, most Americans would vie for monthly elections! Unfortunately, for the disgruntled, the days paying less than $2. 00 a gallon for gasoline are long gone.In fact, we drivers, bus riders, airline passengers and taxi goers must continue the suffrage, as melees to locate the best gas source is continued. Until one is found, companies, manufacturers and even the government are giving a go at attempts to soften the blows of outrageously priced â€Å"petro†. The battle of fair gas prices has produced an effort among many to seek ways around getting hosed at the pump. For example, John Wakefield of Murphy Oil Corporation, states that Murphy USA’s goal is to â€Å"be a low cost provider to the communities [they] serve† (2006).To comply with this statement, Murphy USA has collaborated with discount retailer, Wal-Mart, in order to offer a minimum of a three-cent discount for those who purchase fuel with a Wal-Mart gift card. This allows Murphy USA to maintain its position in offering a below average price for Battle at the Pumps 4 gasoline throughout the nation (Wakefield, 2006). Additionally, manufacturers, such as Ford and Chevy, have joined in the labors of providing an alternative for gas guzzling vehicles. Their answer to the gas price dilemma has been to increase promotion of hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles.Hybrid vehicles, although in existence for many years, have become a popular choice for saving dollars at the pump, as have flex-fuel vehicles. Hybrid vehicles combine both the gasoline-powered and electric powered sources under the hood in order to increase the distance between fill-ups, which, in turn, saves one from filling up as often as with a strictly gas-powered vehicle (Layton, 2007) Similarly, flex-fuel vehicles (FFV), which have been around for a number of years as well, are also designed to combine power sources in order save on gasoline usage.In the FFV case, a combination of gasoline and E85 fuel work together to increase the number of miles driven between fill-ups, resulting in dollars saved (USDoE, 2007). The down side to both types of vehicles, however, is that they both cost a pretty penny, which brings us back to where we started: angry about spending mega-bucks just to drive. On the contrary, there is an up-side to the hybrid vehicle: The government offers a tax credit to those who purchase a hybrid (USDoE, 2007).That’s great†¦if you can afford the high price tag attached to the hybrid. But if you can’t, what else is the government doing to ensure that we don’t go bankrupt at the pumps? Though they sometimes seem like the bad guys, the government is making attempts to keep Americans from going into boxing matches with gas station attendants. Along with offering incentives to those who choose to finance or straight-out purchase hybrid vehicles, they are also looking out for the little people†¦those who can’t afford to pay the $4.00 per gallon price tag that has become a frequenter of many gas stations across America post Katrina. Price gouging, or pricing above the market when demand increases, was a practice few were aware of before Battle at the Pump 5 August of 2005. However, when disaster struck, gas retailers took action, regardless of who it would affect. Soon, consumers were left with no where to turn and had no choice but to pay for overpriced fuel. Thankfully â€Å"Super Government† with its flowing red, white and blue cape came to our rescue, regulating pricing among gas retailers.Although there is no law against price gouging, suspicious pricing will entail an investigation. In August 2005, the Energy Department created a hotline for people who fell victim to price gouging (Pope, 2005). Though efforts have been made, without a law to formally enforce a â€Å"no price gouging allowed† law, the problem, though not as wide spread as it had been initially, still exists. Gradually, as demand has continues to outweigh the supply of gasoline available, price gouging has sneakily made itself an accepted practice.Investigations pending for suspected price gougers, the government is also seeking ways for America to become less dependent on international sources to keep America on the roads and in the air. As we wearily trudge to the pumps prepared to sacrifice our limbs just for a few gallons of gas, alternatives are being sought in order to use domestic sources for fuel. Biodiesel, a renewable fuel derived from sources such as vegetable oils and recycled restaurant greases, is just one of the alternative fuels being researched for common use among Americans.In May of 2005, President Bush announced that efforts in making Biodiesel a main source for fuel were in the works, and estimated that by 2010, our country will become solely dependent on itself to fuel our vehicles, planes and trains (Bush, 2005). Upon receiving the news, farmers across America gained new hope in assisting in the effort to solve the ongoing problem of finding fuel alternatives. But one can’t help but wonder: What about those folks who can’t afford to transition into a vehicle that runs on the fuel alternatives soon to be available?This is, indeed, has the Battle at the Pumps 6 potential to cripple hopes of becoming domestically dependent. Look around the next time you are on the road and you will see cars dating back to the early 60’s and beyond. For some people, driving these ‘vintage’ vehicles is a choice, but for others, it is unavoidable. It makes sense to assume that if we all had the money to drive a modern day vehicle, we would. But for those people who are stuck in that 1976 beat-up Nova, gas prices are still an issue that fuel alternatives won’t so lve.Needless to say, if President Bush is determined for America to depend on ourselves for fuel, tapping into the oil sources available on our own soil is required. This, however, presents another problem: Once the soil is broken, where do those who live on the land go? The vast lands of Alaska are notorious for housing thousands of acres of untapped oil reserves. However, on those acres, life exists. Caribou, bison, bears, elk and even people inhabit these lands. For years, these habitors have been the reason that the oil reserves Alaska has to offer have gone undisturbed.Nature activists have long protested the spoiling of the majestic lands across the Artic coastline. For this, we have continued to rely on countries such as the Middle Eastern lands, for oil. Years of jokes, ridicule and mockery have been directed at presidents, past and present, as well as the government in general, for not making stronger efforts in aggressively utilizing this land, regardless of who is affecte d. With pretty much no choice, President Bush proposed a plan to break ground along the Artic coastline in order to make use of the untapped oil lying beneath the thick blankets of frozen land and fluffed snow (Rosen, 2003).There continues, as expected, to be protests against the efforts, to include the protests of the Inupiat Eskimos, who strongly feel that none of the villages in this region of Alaska will support the proposed project. Ultimately, someone is going to be unhappy. Battle at the Pump 7 To those who have decided to put on party hats in celebration of the anticipated Alaskan oil tapping project: don’t mess up your ‘do’s just yet. The future in gas pricing will continue a long time pattern that Grandpa, Grandma, Dad and Mom have all had the unpleasant chore of experiencing.The crystal ball of gas prices forecasts continued increases. While the rise may not be in fuel pricing, many will feel the impact of whatever solution is utilized to control this currently uncontrollable nuisance. While scientists are doing their best to resolve all issues with fuel alternatives, some alternatives, such as hydrogen, will pose an earlier predicted problem: older vehicles would have to undergo a complete replacement of their fueling systems. Alas, the efforts to seek out solutions must continue.Though many efforts have been made to resolve the long time issue of inflated gas prices, as weeks go by, Americans resume the struggle with unfair gouging and seemingly unnecessary price hikes. It seems almost impossible to consider the alternatives of spending money on gas†¦heaven forbid we actually walk anywhere. Unfortunately, this horrible predicament we’ve found ourselves in appears to be without light. The only way to pleasantly endure the task of spending money is to†¦well†¦spend money.To ensure that we survive this rain cloud, we can either cross our fingers for monthly elections (for the benefit of price drops), or we can purchase hybrid vehicles, stop in at the local Wal-Mart to purchase a gift cards, and gas up at Murphy USA. So, although solutions are being attempted, before you visit the gas pumps, be prepared to give up your first born child. References: 1. $3. 00 Gas Spreads to 7 States, D. C. (April 27, 2007) ConsumerAffairs. com: Benton, J. April 27, 2007. http://www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2007/04/gas_prices141. html 2. Bush plans on drilling in untapped Alaskan oil reserve.(Dec. 13, 2003) Reuters: Rosen, Y. April 27, 2007. http://www. commondreams. org/headlines03/1213-03. htm 3. Congress moves to outlaw gas gouging. (Sept. 19, 2005) SeattlePI. com: Pope, C. April 27, 2007. http://seattlepi. nwsource. com/national/241244_gouging19. html 4. Election loom; gas prices drop. (Sept. 13, 2006) ConsumerAffairs. com: Benton, J. April 27, 2007. http://www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2006/09/big_oil. html 5. Flex-Fuel Vehicles. (2007) FuelEconomy. Gov: US Dept. of Energy (USDoE) April 27, 2007 . http://www. fueleconomy. gov/feg/flextech. shtml 6.Gov urges gas-price investigation. (Sept. 21, 2005) CBS News: Associated Press (AP). April 27, 2007 http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2005/09/21/katrina/main870784. shtml 7. How hybrid cars work. (2007) HowStuffWorks, Inc. : Layton, J & Nice, K. April 27, 2007. http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car. htm 8. Murphy USA Refining and Marketing. (2006) Murphy Oil Corporation: Wakefield, J. April 27, 2007. http://murphyusa. com/rm/retail/ 9. President discusses biodiesel. (2005) The White House: Bush, G. W. April 28, 2007. http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050516. html

Supernatural Elements in English Literature: the Werewolves

Supernatural Elements in English Literature: The Werewolves A  werewolf, also known as a  lycanthrope, is a  mythological or  folkloric  human with the ability to  transform  into a wolf or an  anthropomorphic  wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a  curse and/or lycanthropic affliction through a bite or scratch from a werewolf, or some other means. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the  full moon, as popularly noted by the medieval chronicler  Gervase of Tilbury, and perhaps in earlier times among the ancient  Greeks  through the writings of  Petronius.In addition to the natural characteristics inherent to both wolves and humans, werewolves are often attributed strength and speed far beyond those of wolves or men. The werewolf is generally held as a  European  character, although its knowledge spread through the world in later times. Shape-shifters, similar to werewolves, are common in tales f rom all over the world, most notably amongst the  Native Americans, though most of them involve animal forms other than wolves.Werewolves are a frequent subject of modern  fiction, although fictional werewolves have been attributed traits distinct from those of original folklore. For example, the ideas that werewolves are only vulnerable to  silver bullets  or pierced by silver weapons, or that they can cause others to become werewolves by biting or wounding them derive from works of modern fiction. Werewolves continue to endure in modern culture and fiction, with books, films and television shows cementing the werewolf's stance as a dominant figure in horror.The werewolf of the last 60 years is largely the product of Hollywood. The first big werewolf film was The Werewolf of London (1935) followed by The Wolfman (1941), Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) and The House of Frankenstein (1944). THE CHILDREN OF LYCAON The Greeks and Romans included the werewolf in their myth ology, in the story of Lycaon, the Tyrant of Arcadia. Lycaon served Zeus (pronounced as ‘zeoos’) human flesh at a banquet. In return the god transformed the evil man into a wolf, reflecting the shape of his soul.The very first transformation scene in werewolf literature was penned by the Roman poet, Ovid. Written in the 1st Century AD, the scene shows even the ancient writers knew what readers wanted to see: †¦ There he uttered howling noises, and his attempts to speak were all in vain. His clothes changed into bristling hairs, his arms to legs, and he became a wolf. His own savage nature showed in his rabid jaws, and he now directed against the flocks his innate lust for killing. He had a mania, even yet, for shedding blood.But though he was a wolf, he retained some traces of his original shape. The greyness of his hair was the same, his face showed the same violence, his eyes gleamed as before, and he presented the same picture of ferocity. From Lycaon's name we get the word â€Å"Lycanthropy† or the state of being a werewolf. From mythology, the werewolf entered legend. In the works of Herodotus and Petronius, the werewolf goes from being a mortal cursed by a god to a shape-shifting witch or warlock with evil intentions. In Petronius'  The Satyricon  is a segment sometimes called â€Å"Niceros' Story.Stories like â€Å"Niceros' Story† were common well up to the feudal times. The werewolf was a man, transformed into the animal with all its vulnerabilities. Geraldis Cambrensis tells about two Irish folk cursed by an abbot, to be wolves for their ungodliness. After seven years penance as wolves, they were to change back into humans and return home. The Rawlinson Manuscript  tells about â€Å"King Arthur and Gorgalon†. Gorgalon is another poor individual cursed to be a wolf. These medieval werewolves did not kill men or livestock, and could even speak the Name of God to prove their goodness.They are victims of pries ts, witches and often their own sin. THE LITERARY WEREWOLF The Renaissance ushered in a new era, that of the literary werewolf. John Webster wrote of moral werewolves and vampires in his play  The Duchess Of Malfi  (1613), figurative creatures rather than literal ones. William Beckford, writing a century later during the Age of Reason, briefly mentions the lycanthrope in his arabesque tale  Vathek  (1787)as does Charles Maturin in his masterpiece,  Melmoth The Wanderer  (1820).Other literary figures like Mrs. Crowe and Alexandre Dumas wrote works with werewolves central to the plot. Even the prolific and sanguine Penny Dreadfuls–semi-illiterate, often plaguaristic, newspapers sold for a penny a page–produced one lycanthrope:  Wagner, The Wehr-Wolf  (1846) by G. W. M. Reynolds. With the exception of Wagner, more often than not, the werewolf was used as a metaphor for the beastly sins of glutton, cruelty and avarice than as an actual creature. Despite wor ks with Romantic tonalities like GeorgeMacDonald's â€Å"The Gray Wolf† and â€Å"The Romance of Photogen and Nycteris† as well as Robert Louis Stevenson's â€Å"Ollala†, the majority of Victorians–perhaps the single period to produce the greatest werewolf classics–preferred the supernatural approach, in adventure stories like Rudyard Kipling's â€Å"The Mark of the Beast†(1891), moral tales like Clemence Houseman's â€Å"The Werewolf†(1896) and the masterpiece of vampirism,  Dracula  (1897) by Bram Stoker. More interesting to the lycanthrophile is the excised first chapter, published as â€Å"Dracula's Guest† in 1914.In this chapter–cut because of the novel's length–Jonathan Harker leaves his carriage, which is taking him to Transylvania, and gets lost in a snowstorm. The graveyard he takes shelter in is inhabited by the undead. Only Dracula's appearance as a great, red-eyed wolf, saves Harker, so that he can go onto Castle Dracula and the well-known events there. It is with Stoker and the other Victorians that lycanthrope returns to its true state as a supernatural creature, but retains some allusive qualities as a literary device.The Twentieth Century brought many works about werewolves, more than in any preceding era. Early on these works resemble their Victorian counterparts in the works of writers like Algernon Blackwood and Eden Phillpotts, dealing largely with moral evil embraced in traditional ghost story techniques. It took a novel by New Yorker, Guy Endore (Harry Relis), to change the werewolf theme forever. Before Endore, the only werewolves to comment on social ills or the state of Mankind, were the allusive villains of Webster, evil men but not in actuality flesh-eating monsters.Endore combine the â€Å"actual† werewolf and the â€Å"literary† werewolf to create a modern classic. During the years that Endure wrote  The Werewolf Of Paris, the greatest explosi on of entertainment writing in American history was taking place. During the 1920-50's the Pulp magazines dominated popular entertainment. Titles like Weird Tales and Strange Stories produced hundreds of works about werewolves and other monsters. One writer who exemplified an imaginative use of the werewolf, was Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Cimmerian.One of his very first stories was the vignette â€Å"In the Forest of Villefere†(1925) which first introduces de Montour, a man who meets a werewolf and kills him in wolf form. By so doing, he assumes the curse from the last victim. When we meet him again in â€Å"Wolfshead†(1926) we get to see how the curse comes on him like a ghost, possessing him and turning him into a â€Å"wolf man†. De Montour was standing, legs braced, arms thrown back, fists clenched. The muscles bulged beneath his skin, his eyes widened and narrowed, the veins stood out upon his forehead as if in great physical effort.As I loo ked, to my horror, out of nothing, a shapeless, nameless something took vague form! Like a shadow it moved upon de Montour. It was hovering about him! Good God, it was merging, becoming one with the man! It should be noted that Henry Hull had yet to appear as  The Werewolf Of London  and set Hollywood's werewolf mould for all time. Across many stories, Howard sets down the idea that the wolf people, the harpies and other mythological creatures are ancient survivors of a time when man had yet to evolve from the trees. Contemporary with Howard was H.Warner Munn who penned  The Tales of the Werewolf Clan. Beginning with â€Å"The Werewolf of Ponkert†(1925) he creates a different image of the lycanthrope, not a man who becomes a wolf but another creature who only shares some of the wolf's features: Munn’s work was inspired by a letter from H. P. Lovecraft published in Weird Tales. HPL asked â€Å"†¦ why someone had not attempted a werewolf story narrated by the werewolf himself†. Munn tells the decline of a man who is selected against his will to join the wolf clan that is led by the fearsome Master, a vampire-like being who feeds on victims' souls.The sequel â€Å"The Werewolf's Daughter†(1928) tells of the Werewolf of Ponkert's daughter who is wrongfully prosecuted for his crimes. H. P. Lovecraft, whose fame lies with monsters on such a gigantic scale as to make the werewolf look trivial, himself used the werewolf in a collaborative story called â€Å"The Ghost-eater†(1923), in which the werewolf has been murdered but returns as a ghost, reliving over and over its revenge. He also used the lycanthrope in the poem, â€Å"The Howler†(1929).MODERN WEREWOLVES With the coming of pulps like Astounding Science Fiction and Amazing Stories in the 1920's, Science Fiction writers would eventually get around to explaining the werewolf in scientific terms, in magazines like John W. Campbell's  Unknown. Three of the most intriguing are  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Wolves of Darkness†(1932,  Strange Tales)  and the novel  Darker Than You Think  (1940,  Unknown) by Jack Williamson and â€Å"There Shall Be No Darkness† (1950,  Thrilling Wonder Stories) by James Blish.Recent horror writers have used this same approach, playing fast and loose with the traditional werewolf but creating consistent, terrifying monsters. Whitley Strieber disposed with the shape-shifter altogether and gave us  The Wolfen  (1978), ancient wolf-like spirits who have been on the Earth longer than humans. Preying off the unwanted and derelict, the Wolfen are the top of the human food chain, taking the sick and the weak. The future of the werewolf is assured. The old lycanthrope has a few surprises left up his furry sleeve.

Can The Mediterranean Diet Reduce Heart Disease Research Paper

Can The Mediterranean Diet Reduce Heart Disease - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that among the different types of diets that have become popular to help people lose weight, the Mediterranean diet is one that has been able to maintain its fame when it was first introduced until at present. Nonetheless, this type of diet has been studied by medical researchers and its association with some very common diseases in the society. Consisting of highly available products in the market, the Mediterranean diet is one that is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. Additionally, the consumption of olive oil, non-refined bread, and cereals, as well as a low intake of dairy products, fresh and processed meats, sweets, and wine are included. Although it may seem just as any food being consumed by everyone, the key components of Mediterranean diets is basically a healthy eating habit consisting at least two of these attributes inconsistency – a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat, low to moderate red wine consum ption, high legume consumption, significant grain and cereal consumption, significant consumption of fruits and vegetables, high fish consumption along with low consumption of meats and meat products, and moderate consumption of milk and dairy products. The most recent study conducted regarding this diet was its role in reducing the risk of obtaining heart disease. In 2003, the PREDIMED or Prevencià ³n Con Dieta Mediterrà ¡nea study was first conducted in Spain over a seven-year period, which aims to prevent cases of cardiovascular diseases.

Fallacious reasoning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fallacious reasoning - Assignment Example The most common fallacies in advertisements are appeal to emotions and ad hominem. In the ad hominem fallacy, the reasoning attacks the person rather than the issue at hand while in the appeal to emotions, the reasoning manipulates the emotions of the listeners in order to get their emotions (Carey, 2000).. Consider an advertisement during the Super Bowl Commercials 2012 in which David Beckham advertises H & M’s underwear (Hall, 2012). No one can dispute the effectiveness of the advert because it is perfect and provokes the market for the product. The advert employs fallacious reasoning through playing with the emotions of the listeners and viewers. The company employs the fallacy appealing to emotions. The company exploits the fact that in most cases, females do the purchasing of males’ underwear garments. These are mothers, girlfriends, and wives. Beckham is highly loved and appreciated worldwide especially by females. He is a known figure in the world of soccer, hence has a following among the football fans (Hall, 2012). The fallacy here aims at capturing the emotions of the viewers, hence make them purchase the garment. The company reasons that the multitude’s love for Beckham will make them love the garment, which is not necessarily

Realism, Fantasy & Utopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Realism, Fantasy & Utopia - Essay Example Truth and reality can be further defined by looking at the theories of how they are experienced has been examined in philosophical terms. Finally, seeing reality as it is reflected through art forms helps to define the way in which the nature of truth and reality are created, transformed, and then recreated. Truth and reality, because they are defined by absolutes, are a myth in which societies form beliefs in order to frame and explain their world. Reality is defined by the perception of the individual, even though it is often collaboratively linked within cultures, communities, and the greater society. In the end, one person’s reality is not the same as another’s because truth is defined by experience, not by a sense of mutually defined realness. Truth and reality are framed by the nature of experience within the individual, and while they may have some commonality through cultural similarities, in the end, a reality is confined within an individual, the truths of life developed though understandings surrounding experience that accumulate into a series of definitions. Foucault said of truth that each society has its regime of truth. However, the individual’s truth is based upon his position in life and less intrinsically linked to his level of intellectuality (208). Therefore, the question of how to define truth as it relates to the ideology of a society becomes a complexity that frames social constructio n, but is dependent upon the interpretation of individuals through their relating experiences. Foucault also linked truth to power, that power supports the promotion of truths so that belief can be created and framed as truth (208). An example of this can be seen through looking at the work of Galileo who determined that the Earth revolved around the sun, rather than the sun revolving around the Earth. However, because of the religious power of the

The importance of lesson plan and methods used in the Foundation Essay

The importance of lesson plan and methods used in the Foundation Program in Omani Universities for the study of language skills - Essay Example The participants are both male and female. The study will show that it is really important for the teachers to prepare the lesson before entering the class so that they will have a clear view how to teach the students the right way to learn different skills. When I worked as a teacher in the Foundation Program I thought that I would have to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills in the English language, and I have taken great care in making sure that I use various approaches to help them acquire the skills necessary for adopting the language, since it is the medium of instruction at Omani universities. Therefore, there is a great need to approach the teaching of English in a purposeful and systematic conduct. My aim is to help them attain a level of competence in reading, writing, and oral skills that will help them to pursue their studies in whatever major they choose (95% of the courses at the University are taught in English), pass job interviews, become sufficiently efficient in their work, and develop themselves in many other aspects of life using English which has now become the global language. "The Foundation Program is designed for students who are not sufficiently prepared in terms of English language skills to join the four-year bachelor program offered at the University and it complies with the National Standar... f English language skills to join the four-year bachelor program offered at the University and it complies with the National Standards for Foundation Programs in Oman. Most of these students may be required to spend from one to three semesters in the Foundation Program, depending on their results in the placement tests administered by the University. The Foundation Program is designed to bridge the gap between secondary education and university undergraduate studies. The program's focus is primarily on the enhancement of students' proficiency in English, so students enrolled in the program have a full day schedule with a weekly load of around 30 hours, including study groups." "The program is communicative in nature, shifting the emphasis from grammar to meaningful oral and written communication.The instructional materials adopted for the program have performance-based objectives as well as clear scope and sequence for teaching communicative skills. The program approaches language as a tool of communication and stresses reading and writing as the two main language skills instrumental for students' success in university-level education through the medium of English. The teaching methodology treats language skills in an integrated fashion and incorporates study skills into the program. The teaching methodology is communicative in nature, presenting authentic and simulated communicative tasks in real life Situations". (Dhofar University, Foundation program). However most of the students in the foundation programmer are unappreciative with the role of English language. In this stage of a students' academic life, it is very important for the teacher to find effective ways to help these students progress to the next level. Teachers must know their students and their needs

Human Performance in Running a Multi-Division Form Company Essay

Human Performance in Running a Multi-Division Form Company - Essay Example These semi-autonomous units are guided and controlled by various financial and performance targets that together form core objective of the organization. These units therefore, operate as their own separate entities. Each unit plays a vital role in the organization in areas of conflict management, customer service, employee retention, overall productivity and profitability (Rohlander & Snell, 2009). Multi-divisional form of business is usually adopted by organizations to facilitate prudent changes without encountering an extensive chain of approval. Human performance is therefore a vital factor in ensuring efficiency and effectiveness with regards to productivity of the organization. It is for this reason that firms, both public and private must seek to quantify the value of their human performance. In the process of measuring this performance, several challenges are likely to arise, some intended while others unplanned. Measures must therefore be put in place to minimize the consequ ences of measuring human performance that were not planned. Since there are multiple divisions in these organizations it is of great significance to know both the performance and contribution of each division to the overall performance of the enterprise. Human performance Human performance is at the core of an organization’s well being; it incorporates total quality management, improvement of processes, appropriate employee behavior and sound instructional systems all under the banner of human resource management. In as much as employees are not listed in the balance sheet, they are such an essential asset to an enterprise and their contribution is a vital factor that should not only be quantified but also harnessed for the achievement of the set objectives. Multi-divisional private companies are not listed in the stock markets and therefore the effects of their human performance do not translate into a drop or rise in the prices of their stocks. This is however not the case for public traded companies that have their shares not only affected by financial but also human performance (Rohlander & Snell, 2009). Effectively, when there is news or even a feeling of inefficiency in a public company the ripple effects will be immediately felt at the stock market. This has the dire consequence of insolvency if drastic measures are not taken to make the necessary corrections. Measuring human performance begins with putting in place targets that must be achieved within specific timelines. Each unit (division) is given its overall targets that are then broken down to individual targets. With the kind of autonomy enjoyed by divisions in most M-form businesses, it is very easy for the individual units to then come with performance strategies and the best ways of evaluating the set targets. Multi divisional forms of business therefore help in meeting the needs of employees by enabling managers to delegate various responsibilities leaving them with ample time to monit or and make sure that everything is done for the achievement of an organization’s objectives (Wang &King 2009). This model makes communication between units more effective, problem solving manageable and team work is encouraged. The ways and means of achieving the set

Proof Mayan Language Exists Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Proof Mayan Language Exists - Research Proposal Example It also included the Yucatan Peninsula, the northwest to the Isthmus ÃŽ ¿f Tehuantepec and southwest into Honduras and El Salvador (Brainerd 7). The Maya culture had interesting aspects in their civilization or that they accomplished over time. The important aspects ÃŽ ¿f the Mayas are their physical characteristics, how they dress, their social organization, the agriculture, art and techniques, religion, god and goddesses, architecture, trade, mathematics and government. The physical characteristics ÃŽ ¿f the Maya culture are the following; they were short, long-bodied, and chunky, with good muscle development and a tendency to gain weight. The heads were broad, lips prominent, noses had a high convex bridge and curved pendulous tip. The chin and forehead were somewhat receding, eyes had a mongoloid cast with heavy lids and cheekbones were prominent. Skin color varied from medium to dark-brown, and the hair was black, straight to rarely wavy (Brainerd 9). A greater physical variability among the highlands Maya, the language diversity, and the historical accounts all suggest that they have been subject to much more outside influence than have the lowland peoples. (Robinson 2002) The Maya language is spoken by most Yucatecans. But many ÃŽ ¿f them do not speak Spanish. There is evidence ÃŽ ¿f impoverishment ÃŽ ¿f Maya vocabulary over the last 200 years, but the language is still in good form (Brainerd 10). In the warm climate ÃŽ ¿f the Maya area, clothing as protection from the elements had never been a necessity. Maya clothing was used as decoration and the most spectacular clothes were for the priest. The Maya personages wore large earplugs, necklaces, breastplates, ornaments attached to the nose, lips, waist, legs, arms, all were used for resplendent effect (Brainerd 68). Mayan peasants wore very little. The men had a simple loincloth or rather a band ÃŽ ¿f material that went once around their waist and then between their legs.

Nutrition in elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nutrition in elderly - Essay Example This population requires greater care as there are many reasons that lead to malnutrition in the elderly. These include different pathological conditions that restrict their dietary intake. The nutritional requirements of the elderly need to be assessed and explained so that this group of the population can be catered and the prevalence of malnutrition amongst the elderly can be reduced. Nutrition in Elderly Elderly people are subjected to the dilemma of malnutrition. Furthermore, efforts have been made to give them sufficient nutritional balance but there are still many hurdles that have stopped this process. First of all, the nutritional requirements of the elderly are sometimes not very well described. As the basal metabolic rate and lean body mass both decline as one grows old, the energy requirement of an older person per kilogram of his or her body weight also reduces. This process of ageing also adversely affects the different nutrient needs of the human body. For instance, as the requirements for some of the nutrients reduce over time, data suggests that other essential nutrients’ needs might further increase when a person gets old. Therefore, there is a pressing need to reconsider the currently recommended every day nutrient allowances for the elderly group. Additionally, there is a rising demand all across the world for guidelines by WHO which are capable to urge the national authorities to highlight the nutritional needs of the increasing elderly populations all over the world (BBC, 2012). Nutrition in elderly is therefore an important issue in nursing that needs to be understood as the nutritional requirements of the elderly are different from the other age groups. 1. Background Of The Issue a.) History Almost more than 1.4 million Americans who are above the age of sixty five reside in nursing homes according to the data collected by Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging in 2008. Nutrition does play a vital role in encouraging the health of elderly occupants of the nursing homes. Comprehending the facts about how these nursing homes cater the dietary and nutritional needs of their people can assist one in learning what to expect from them and also to look for a nursing home in the future (World Health Organization, 2012). b.) Advice for Interested People many federal and state regulations are there to help restrict serious nutrition problems from taking place in the nursing homes; but one should plan on taking a practical approach for the monitoring of the nutrient intake of the elderly. Whenever you are considering placing your elder one in a nursing home, you should talk to the staff about their nutritional program. Also, you should arrange for visiting on a meal time so that you can try the meal yourself as well. Then you can also review the facility’s procedure and policy manual which should exclusively explain the nutritional protocol and plan of the senior citizens home. N ow if you have any concerns, you can arrange for a meeting with the nutrition program director to discuss as well as solve any concerns you have regarding what your loved one is eating (World Health Organization, 2012). c.) Impact of Public Policy/Health care Delivery Nursing homes need to cater a wide range of healthy snacks and meals to their residents as well as sticking to the restrictions placed on the residents related to their diets. Those people who are not able to feed their own self need to be assisted by the staff. Weight loss and

Broken Globe Stage 2 Essay Example for Free

Broken Globe Stage 2 Essay Characterization is the process by which authors make characters come alive for readers. Authors have many techniques available to portray characters, and they can broadly be divided into indirect and direct presentation. In the short story â€Å"The Broken Globe†, author Henry Kreisel brillantly develops the two principle characters, Nick Solchuk and his father, through indirect presentation. Consistency is the key to good characterization. From ? rst person point of view, the reader obtains a full portrait of both Nick and his father indirectly by learning what the narrator sees and hears somewhat objectively. Nick, the narrator’s friend, is a successful geophysicist studying the curvature of the earth. He demonstrates persistance, passion, and determination in the study of the earth. He asks the narrator â€Å"eagerly† with â€Å"his face reddening† about his paper to the International Congress. Even under the torture of his father, he still keeps his goal of proving that the earth moves. He even retorts his father by saying â€Å"You can beat me and break my globe, but you cannot stop [the earth] from moving. † This passage shows his determination in his belief. On the other hand, Nick’s father adopts personas of sophistication during the short visit of the narrator. His father is stubborn that he only believes what he sees is the truth: â€Å"[the earth] is ? at, and she stands still. † He is also imptuous and fractious that he â€Å"[beats] Nick like he is the devil† when he wants Nick to accept the same concept of the earth as he believes. Both characters are consistent and static, for they are still living in their own world: one lives in a ? at world and the other lives in the world of science. Another signi? cant objective of characterization is to reveal motivation. Kreisel’s story is set mainly in Alberta, a â€Å"land ? attens until there seemed nothing. † Living in Alberta, Nick’s father sees only the open prairies and ? elds every day; thus he perceives that the earth is exactly ? at and still as what he sees. Moreover, the reader learns that he is hard to change his mind because â€Å"he received an education of sorts when he was a boy. † Therefore, he believes that the earth is the center of the universe and the center is still. Similarly, Nick’s motivation is intrigued by a teacher who teaches him the earth is round and is moving. This teacher’s â€Å"enthusiasm [is] infectious† as Nick says. The teacher shows Nick a world larger than the ?at prairies, a world that is exuberent. Although the two characters’ own views of the world contradict one another, they do care and love each other. To build characters that convincing, the author must make their actions realistic and believable. Nick and his father are plausible due to their backgrounds. Nick’s father is taught that â€Å"the earth is ? at and still,† and what he sees outside in Alberta is only the far-distant prairies with â€Å"neither hill nor tree nor bush. † Furthermore, Nick, suffering from the violence of his father, always illustrates indomitable perserverence in seeking the truth. He continually shows to his father a globe can move, even though he knows his father will be mad. People with bond ? de determination can achieve their goals, just like Nick achieves his goal and becomes a geophysicist (to prove his father wrong? ). Altogether, they both are rounded characters in that they demonstrate many attributes and traits. Nick’s father is a stubborn, impulsive, and fractious father whereas Nick is a passionate, indomitable, and persistent geophysicist. In the story â€Å"The Broke Globe† Henry Kreisel effectively utilizes many techniques to develop characters, and further reveals a thoughtful insight into life. Nick’s father who insistently believes that the world is ? at and still lives in his own â€Å"broken globe†, where â€Å"Satan has taken over all the world† but him. 1. Sample Task for English 12 Writing Prepared by Seaquam Page 15 Characterization: A Father and a Son, How the Apple Falls Characters can make a short story rich and worth reading. In Henry Kreisel’s â€Å"The Broke Globe† the differences in ethics between a man and his father is seen through the eyes of a somewhat neutral narrator. Nick Solchuk is a brilliant man of science, while his father is the polar opposite. His father is a pious prairie farmer who does not value higher education or the values its teaches. Even though these characters are presented indirectly, Kreisel utilizes other methods to develop the characters. He shows them as static and round characters who are plausible and who remain consistent. Being ? rst person narrative, no direct presentation is used because the author cannot speak directly. He simply assumes the persona of a a narrator and therefore all presentation is indirect. One can ? nd out a lot about a character by what others say about him. Nick’s father is developed in the beginning during the conversation between Nick and the narrator. At this point the reader discovers that Nick and his father differ in many ways. Obviously, Nick is a man of great intelligence as the narrator say, â€Å"he studied at Cambridge and got his doctorate there and was now doing research at the Imperial College. † The reader also learns that despite being a brilliant man, nick whistfully remembers his simple childhood growing up in Three Bear Hills, Alberta. Nick’s father is developed much the same way later on in the conversation. Nick reveals that his father is a polar opposite. Nick’s father is shown as a religious prairie farmer with â€Å"a strange imagination. † Nick also explains why there is tension between himself and his father. â€Å"Curious man my father. He had strange ideas and a strange imagination too. He couldn’t understand why I was going to school or university. † â€Å"I suddenly realized that the shape of the world he lived in had O been O ? xed for him by some medieval priest in the small Ukranian villiage he was born in O But he still lived in the universe of the medieval church. : The reader now knows that Nick and his father are very different. Dialogue becomes a very important part of this story. The reader learns a lot about the father by what he says and by what he says he does. The ? rst meeting between the father and the narrator shows a lot about the father. â€Å"You friend of NickOWhat he do now? O still tampering with the earth? † Now, it has been con? rmed that Nick’s ideas differ greatly from his father’s. Nick’s father may be a simple prairie farmer, but that does not mean that he is rude. The father acts very formally when inviting the narrator inside his house. He stands as the narrator comes in, which is a sign of respect; he even brings out coffee for the narrator. The reader continues to learn about the relationship Nick’s father has with his son, and certain other people. The father explains how he exploded at a teacher for â€Å"letting Satan in† and for teaching Nick science at school. This act shows how the father deals with other people. The father goes on to elaborate on how he dealt with Nick as a child. â€Å"I grab him by the arm and I shake him and I beat him like he was the devilOAnd he made me madder and madder because he doesn’t cry or shout or nothing. † â€Å"I would of killed him right there for sure. † The reader now knows how he handles his son. Nick and his father are both static, round characters. They do not change at the end of the story, but they have many traits. Nick’s father proves he does not change by saying to the narrator â€Å"Satan has taken over all the world. † Then he suddenly rousled himself and hits the table with his ? st crying passionately, â€Å"But not me! Not me! † The characters act consistently throughout the story. â€Å"The Broken Globe† is a deeply driven character story. Both main characters are well developed. In some cases, the apple falls very far from the tree.

The Effects of Technology on Decision Making Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Technology on Decision Making Essay Computer systems are one way that health care providers have integrated technology into the medical field. Each computer system is unique, yet all have a purpose, function and structure. Deciding what computer system to choose, what software programs to incorporate and what the computer is needed to do are just a few burdens that have to be weighed when deciding which is best suited for the health care organization. Many health care organizations elect to incorporate decision support systems. Decision support systems have been in increasing patient quality of care, increasing positive patient outcomes and decreasing the potential of medical errors. Bar coding, robotics, interactive websites, electronic medical records, and e-scribing are just a few advances in technology. â€Å"Advances in software, hardware, and networking all share common impact attributes in their ability to improve cost-effectiveness of care, quality of care, and access to care† (Nobel Norman, 2003). With these attributes, the benefits are numerous in assisting with decision making in all aspects of health care. A discussion on the DIK Mode The key to the complex relationship between data, information, and knowledge lies at the source of data and information. The source of data and information is dual: activities, and situations. Both activities and situations produce information (e. g. , ‘relevant meaning’ to someone) that is captured, thus becoming data, or becomes unaware. The key to understanding the relationship between information and knowledge is to know where the information resides. Recollect that information is at its soul message that is generated from activities and situations. However, information resides in storage media (e. g. , database, print, video tapes, etc. ) in the form of data, or in the human mind as knowledge (in its simplest form of know-what or the higher forms of know-how and know-why). If this is the case, then extend between data and information in association with information and knowledge becomes evident, e. g. , they occupy different space at the same time. This also explains why many distinguish data and information, as well as information and knowledge as well suited. †¦one man’s data can be another man’s knowledge, and vice versa, depending on context† (Stewart, 2002, p. 6). However, they are not exchangeable in terms of their accepted distinct definitions. So, what is a book; knowledge, information or data? It is all the above in various context. A book is knowledge from the author’s perspective, information for the impending reader, and data as well which is contained in a storage media (called ‘book’). A discussion of systems and informatics theories Direct communication represents an information processing world of systems. Systems have been designed to provide access to data, information, and knowledge for use by nurses in a multifaceted and culturally diverse world. â€Å"A system is defined as a series of well designed mechanism connected by communication links exhibiting resolute, goal directed behavior† (King, 1996 p. 61). A common language among nurses worldwide would describe the categories of various systems wherever they occur. Nurses are becoming more knowledgeable of the technologies offered as health care organizations across the world incorporate technology into their practices. Considering the nurse has the responsibility of the majority of the documentation, it is important to incorporate aspects of nursing classification systems to help with decision making. The transaction Process in King’s theory when used in interdisciplinary teams facilitates mutual goal-setting with patients based on each member of the team’s specific knowledge and functions. This often facilitates role similarity and respect for the knowledge, skills, and values each member brings to the situation. An example of the usefulness of the nursing process, as process in technology use is the documentation of the nursing process in the computerized healthcare record. Information technology has enabled healthcare organizations to function as incorporated healthcare delivery networks, improve quality, and become socially and environmentally responsive (Davenport, Jarvenpaa, Beers, 1996; Tapscott Caston, 1993). Nursing data must be included in computerized information systems in organizations or the nurse’s documentation becomes invisible. The nursing process is much broader than â€Å"steps,† the nursing process is an international method to use the discipline’s body of knowledge organized in the structure of theory and nursing and nursing classifications. With emerging technology, and the integration of software applications, the ability to incorporate the nursing process and other health care information into a digital system has become a reality. As technology advances, incorporation of decision support systems also advances. The use of expert systems and decision support systems further the ability for technology to engage in decision making. The role of expert system in nursing care and medicine Expert systems in medicine are computer programs that make human based decisions by copying the judgments and behavior of humans, based on knowledge and experience from previous diagnosis and investigation derived from treatment and long-term care of patients with similar conditions as the present. That is why expert system is referred to as knowledge- base information system. The expert system is an artificial intelligent branch of computer generated thought with a very narrow focus. It is used in health care because the system functions very well with specific activities or problems and a discrete database of digitalized facts, rules, cases and models. Using patient data, its incorporated knowledge base, its inference engine, and the expert system can derive specific advice related to the case being treated. Expert systems basically act as if a Doctor or Nurse would, when they make a decision on courses of treatment. Diagnosing, predicting, interpreting and instructing are four interactive roles that form the activities of the expert system. The use of decision aids and decision support systems Decision support systems usually have numerous functions when used in hospital or healthcare settings. They are mostly used in specific decision-making activities. Decision support system relies on computer hardware, software and information for effective function. They can be used as knowledge-based and also as non- knowledge -base. One of its functions is administrative, in which they help in documentation of clinical information, decide whether a procedure is appropriate for treating a certain condition, and decide if a referral is necessary, to whom or where, and make follow-ups on the referrals. They help in keeping patients on protocol in situations like chemotherapy treatment or just research. Decision support systems also help in tracking orders whether medical or external shipments. They are very efficient in avoiding mistakes such as scheduling unnecessary tests. Most importantly, Decision support systems help in making the right diagnosis, providing different treatment options and suggesting the better option, and help look after the patients and hospital population as a whole. Decision aids are mostly used in helping the patient or care-giver decide which treatment is best for the condition being considered. Decision aids can also be used in referrals of patient to nurse call-centers or patient education services available. In the future decision support system will incorporate four criteria; robustness, ease of control, simplicity, and completeness of relevant detail. Reusability will be proficient through some type of software or hardware framework in compliance to Alter’s model, enabling companies to take benefit of basic, generalized models common to a range of scenarios. The history of Decision Support Systems is a short one, making it easy to map out the steps and growth of this relatively new concept. Even small improvements to current systems will enable all companies to make improved decisions about the marketing of products, which will in the long run aid the economy as a whole by placing in it only the most desirable and successful products. A framework that represents the backbone of decision support system will enable companies that would not normally work together on marketing concepts to bring together their efforts. The core system will progress to one that will in real meaning constantly learn from past practice. The uses of technology for patient and client management Technology for patient and client management is changing the health care system daily. Informatics is a specialized computer science used to manage information technology. Most healthcare settings have IT departments, yet nurses need to be able to use and retrieve valuable patient information to give patient care. Electronic medical records, also known as EMR, are the most recent and largest application of technology in the health care field. The use of EMR allows for documentation and a more cohesive interdisciplinary care plan for the patient. Another popular trend in healthcare is to have an integrated EMR with other aspects of patient care including patient appointments, assessments, billing and personal information, and other outpatient tests. Within this integrated patient record, a computer can keep documentation of many areas of a patients care; can provide easy access to the records from any place to any medical personnel. Technology such as this decreases the gaps in medical care; the time spent on documentation, and reduces medical errors. This in turn saves money for health care providers. Another form of technology that is used in patient care is the internet. It can be used for retrieval of data for patient education. The internet can be used to search multiple sources of information with efficiency. The biggest concern with the use of the internet is that the electronic source must be evaluated for credibility and reliability. The internet is allows for quick communication amount healthcare professionals to enhance collaboration and coordination of care (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). An analysis of the effect of technology on health care and health status The medical care field is allowing expanding technology of the twenty-first century to be integrated into patient care. Technology has allowed surgical procedures to be simplified, patients recover quicker, and fewer complications occur. This also decreases the length of stay for a patient and therefore decreases medical costs. Technology has also made it possible for a patient’s medical history to be all in one spot, accessible for all members of the health care team, and from any area of the world. The use of technology advances have resulted in better health care delivery and patient outcomes. As health care organizations integrate ethnology into their daily practices, they are faced with many complexities. DIK models, health informatics systems, and decision support systems must be created to improve patient care, increase efficiency among health care staff, decrease costs or be cost-effective, and increase positive patient outcomes. Decision making technology, such as decision support systems, must meet timelines, objectivity, have the ability to integrate with other software applications, have boundaries, and be able to prioritize information and gathered data. â€Å"The quantity and complexity of decisions faced by the health care executive demand standardized decision processes† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). Efforts to improve the quality and value of health care are increasingly emphasizing a critical role for the meaningful use of clinical decision support systems. The use of health information technology (HIT), health information systems (HIS), electronic medical records (EMR), electronic health records (EHR), and Pyxsis systems are just a few computer software programs that integrate DSS to provide supportive tools to assist health care providers in clinical decisions. Conclusion Technology will continue to change. It is important for health care organizations to embrace these changes to better the delivery of medical care. As technology advances, the ability for health care consumers to gain a better understanding of their diagnosis and treatment options, such as the internet, also advances. Patients are expecting faster service, use of the best technology, and are choosing health care facilities based on how advanced technologically the facility is. The decision support technologies will assist the physician’s and other medical staff to be able to provide faster responses and increase patient satisfaction.

Analysis of Leadership Agility Theory

Analysis of Leadership Agility Theory Leadership is in a constant flux, driven by the dynamics of an ever-changing global landscape. Competition has never been fiercer, times have never been more unpredictable, and leadership has never been more significant for organizations to succeed. Bill Joiner and Robert Stephens (2006) introduce the concept of leadership agility which they defined as the ability to take wise and effective action amidst complex, rapidly-changing conditions (p. 6). The best thing about the book is that upon reading the introductory pages, you already know that it is a timely book on leadership. Joiner and Stephens make their case early on that effective leadership in the globalized world is contextualized that with the cross-cultural considerations, leaders are now faced with the challenge to adapt more ably to changing conditions and goals. When it comes to books on leadership, I was looking for concrete examples on what the authors are actually trying to point out in order to illustrate the theori es in a real-world setting. This book did not disappoint me on this aspect. There were numerous examples of individuals at various stages in their leadership careers, how they handled crisis situations and decision-making, including the strengths and weaknesses of their judgments. The last chapter of the book also encourages the reader to assess his or her level of organizational agility and to determine which core competencies of agility he or she needs to develop to lead more effectively. The book is well-written, not very technical in language, very organized, and rife with illustrations on the points they wanted to make, particularly on how the various levels of agility and core competencies differ from one another. From the title itself, I expected structure as I knew the authors would try to guide me through what they call the five levels of mastery in leadership. The authors succeeded in meeting all the challenges in coming up with a book on leadership that in the end, gives the reader not only the basic concepts, but teaches him on how to measure his or her agility level provide guidance on what to do next. In this book review, I intend to indicate the strengths as well as the points for improvement that I found while reading the book. I will also synthesize the concepts presented by the authors to relevant leadership concepts we have learned from the course from Northouse (2008), Clawton (2008) and Kouzes and Posner (2007). Highlights of the Book Part One of the book introduced the core competencies in leadership agility which is the main topic of this work. To do so, the authors did three things. First of all, they provided the rationale for leadership agility in the context of the interdependent world that has been borne out of globalization. They emphasized the complexity that leaders in organizations now face. The acceleration of ideas and new technologies has increased competition to a level never anticipated in the past. With the speed of these technological changes, opportunities and threats are also encountered at roughly the same level. This necessitates leaders to develop the ability to become agile, a behavior demonstrated when leaders are able to leverage resources and relationships in order to effectively respond to changes that affect the organization. Agility, said the authors, is developmental it passes through different stages and displays specific behaviors as leaders go from the most basic stage to the hig hest. The five steps in leadership agility include (from the lowest to the highest level): expert, achiever, catalyst, co-creator and synergist (Joiner Stephens, 2006). Second, in order to provide a brief look at how agility is demonstrated differently in five ways, the authors narrated a fictional character, Ed, a manager, who, upon encountering a situation responds to it in five very distinct ways. The manner in which Ed responded to the situation given illustrated a level in the leadership agility hierarchy. Third, the authors presented core competencies which are significant in leadership agility. By competencies, they meant the abilities and the skills needed by leaders to become agile. All in all, there are four competencies, which include context-setting agility, stakeholder agility, creative agility, and self-leadership agility. Under each core competency are two capacities involved. Within the context-setting agility, leaders have sense of purpose and situational awareness . Under creative agility, leaders possess reflective judgment and connective awareness. Under stakeholder agility, leaders possess power style and stakeholder understanding. Under self-leadership agility, leaders possess developmental motivation and self-awareness. Part Two of the book expounds on the five stages of leadership agility, devoting one chapter for each level. This section of the book explained in detail the areas, distinctions, and differences at each level of agility and illustrated each by presenting at least three case studies. The authors showed the leadership style, organizational initiatives, team leadership, and handling pivotal conversation associated with each agility level. The specific stages in leadership agility intertwine with some of the leadership concepts and styles that have been discussed in the course. I will discuss the concepts in relation to the five leadership agility levels. Expert. At the Expert Level, which is the lowest in the agility hierarchy, the leader proceeds with a tactical and problem-solving style of leadership. At this stage, the leader believes he holds the expertise and position to know what is best for the organization. This is similar to what has been learned from the course objectives. The style of leadership being manifested at this level is transactional management is key. This is what Burns (as cited in Northouse, 2008) tried to reiterate in distinguishing managers and leaders in that managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing (p. 213). The thrust in the Expert level of agility is results, not the fulfillment of organizational goals or empowerment of followers. The leader stays on top of the situation. While this leadership style gets things done, it is a mild variation of the autocratic leadership style because the leader is the central decision-making body and the leader assumes that he o r she alone knows what is best for the company. Achiever. The Achiever strives for outcome and leads knowing that ones expertise and positional authority alone does not lead to effective leadership but also on ones capacity to motivate others. In this stage, the leader moves up from being purely transactional to recognizing the need to be transformational as well. Northouse (2008) explained the difference between transactional and transformational leadership by saying that the latter motivated by considering and appealing to the interest of the followers. The ability to motivate others is the leadership aspect in Kouzes and Posners (2007) so-called journey. According to them, leadership requires the capacity to convince people to go on board while management guarantees that they reach the destination. To Joiner and Stephens (2006) then, the Achiever level of agility requires one to be both leader and manager. The Achiever initiates change by looking at the market environment and seeking input from stakeholders. Since the Achiever prioritizes outcome, there is an emphasis on using communication to assert the leaders views as well as accommodate views from others so long as it furthers organizational goals. One of the biggest concerns for leadership is handling the change process through more effective ways of communicating (Northouse, 2008; Clawson, 2008). Clawson (2008) considered communication important in any organization and opined that meetings should be a forum of empowerment. Clawson (2008) believed that meetings are an avenue where leaders show that while being the head of the organization, he or she is not supposed to dominate the group but instead empower them to speak out about current concerns and to foster dialogue in the direction of finding working solutions. Catalyst. The Catalysts leadership style is visionary and innovative and is able to articulate goals and at the same time inspire people into achieving those goals. In a sense, the Catalyst is transformational and realigns the culture and values of an organization to that of empowerment, teamwork, and participation. The Catalyst pushes for change and does so progressively. This is because he or she realizes that organizational change and member empowerment are vital elements of building and maintaining an industrious and dynamic organization. Kouzes and Posner (2007) believed that transformational leaders engaged stakeholders proactively and values their feedback as important considerations in decision-making. Even in the midst of opposition, the Catalyst welcomes dialogue and considers team-building to be an integral part of leadership development. This is very similar to what Northouse (2008) referred to as intellectual stimulation present in transformational forms of leadership. T his is a characteristic where leaders foster a climate of open-mindedness and creativity, challenging members to question the status quo, and to challenge their beliefs and values, as well as those of the leader (Northouse, 2008, p. 177). Northouse (2008) also highlighted in Chapter 6 of Introduction to Leadership that vision is crucial in leadership and that possessing it is as important as articulating it effectively, as in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr.s famous I Have a Dream speech and the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy. In the same vein as Joiner and Stephens (2006) emphasis on the Catalysts appreciation for feedback, Northouse (2008) also considered the development of group behaviors as important and that leaders must ensure that members are trained to provide constructive feedback that will help improve the dynamics of the team toward organizational effectiveness. On the other hand, Kouzes and Posner (2007) said that that leaders must search for opportunities to in novate, grow, and improve but reiterated that leaders should not be the only sources of innovation (p. 371). Cocreator. Joiner and Stephens (2006) identify the Cocreator as someone with an orientation toward collaboration and shared objectives. The Cocreator views leadership more importantly as a form of service toward the common good, similar to Kouzes and Posners (2007) emphasis on leadership as a means of achieving justice. Joiner and Stephens (2006) places upon the Cocreator the capacity to leads toward organization change by creating deep relationships with stakeholders fueled by mutual interests and devotion to uphold the welfare of the general population. The Cocreator may be more inclined to advocate for corporate social responsibility as a crucial component in organizational leadership. Team leadership to him is about collaborative practices and instilling in members that the welfare of the organization is a collective responsibility (Northouse, 2008). At this stage, leaders are aware that in order to accomplish goals and in handling change more effectively, they need followers, a nd vice versa. It is also at this stage where leaders are more keen on adopting ethical practices in leadership, because the leader becomes more aware that the actions, values, character, and goals of the organization are important (Northouse, 2008). Synergist. The Synergist is the highest type of leadership agility and in the authors estimation, present only in 1% of managers today. The leadership orientation is holistic leading becoming a purposeful activity which benefits the organization while at the same time becoming a medium for personal transformation. A sense of purpose is a recurrent theme in leadership literature and is an acknowledged element in the change process. Effective leadership, according to Clawson (2008) is pursuing purpose by exerting ones influence in improving the conditions and making things better for the organization and the society in general. The Synergist is able to maintain a keen yet objective awareness of incompatible stakeholder interests but is able to transform these differences in opinion into a win-win situation to the benefit of all concerned. Team leadership in a Synergist is fluid and dynamic and is able to form group dynamics in a way that provides optimum results. When engaging in pivo tal conversations, the Synergist maintains a present-centered awareness that is able to unify the organization despite chaotic situations (p. 11). According to the authors, this is the type of leadership agility that all managers should aspire for in the long-term. ÂÂ   While the five levels of leadership agility are hierarchically presented, meaning that the topmost Synergist level is the most effective form, Joiners and Stephens (2006) are quick to point out that this does not mean that the Synergist type is always the applicable one. In this vein, leadership agility becomes situational (Northouse, 2008). At this current business environment and considering the present forms of leadership that are found in most organizations, the challenge is to get past the so-called heroic leadership forms characterized by Achievers and Experts at the lower and middle level management (Joiner Stephens, 2006, p. 35). Heroic leadership is purely transactional, characterized by self-centeredness and the belief that the leader along is responsible for charting the organizations objectives, coordinating the activities of the members, and in managing how workers perform their respective jobs. Agile leadership on the other hand is transactional as well as transformati onal because it is dynamic and adaptive to the requirements of rapidly changing global business environment requires (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). The authors recommend the post-heroic leadership forms that emerge from the Catalyst stage onwards. What is desirable about post-heroic leaders is that while leaders hold accountability and accept ultimate responsibility, they allow members to participate and the organization shares commitment and burden in realizing organizational objectives. In this manner, even members of the group are empowered without necessarily holding a position with power. Conclusion This work from Joiner and Stephens (2006) is a response to the ever-growing challenges of leadership that has swept the global age. Compared to the more normative concepts of effective leadership that could be read from Northouse (2008) and Kouzes and Posner (2007), Joiner and Stephens focused on the ability not only to achieve organizational outcomes but to adaptability as well to respond to the changing conditions in society to achieve success for the business or organization. Comparatively, Joiner and Stephens presented a more contemporary strategy for todays leaders and highlighted examples that are grounded to twenty-first century realities. They used recurrent themes in leadership in presenting their case for leadership agility such as the distinguishing the difference between managers and leaders. The first two forms (Expert and Achiever) resemble the traits of a manager who controls, arranges, and does things right (Northouse, 2008, p. 135). Joiner and Stephens (2006) recogni ze that managerial skills are important in achieving outcomes but must be elevated to include transformational leadership skills in order to apart more effectively to global challenges. For instance, in education reform, there is a need to apply more creative strategies in response to organizational change. This may include proposing for policies that require 1) inclusion and diversity, 2) trends in curriculum and instruction, and 3) use of technology (OConnell, 2010). As agility progresses to the Catalyst, Cocreator, and Synergist level, the managers transitions to a leader who not only gets results but unleashes creative potential among followers, guides them with a sense of purpose and vision and empowers them toward achieving not only the outcomes of the organization but toward the good. Joiner and Stephens (2006) also dealt with the importance of communication in handling the change process. They reinforced Clawson (2008) in saying that meetings should be empowering to follower s. Furthermore, communication also requires that the vision and mission of the organization are articulated well and understood by all levels within the organization (Clawson, 2008; Kouzes Posner, 2007). Joiner and Stephens (2006) incorporates some of the traditional leadership concepts such as transformational leadership, motivation, influence, creativity, innovation into the hierarchical leadership agility model but is unique in characterizing the stages in agility into three areas: organizational change, team leadership, and handling pivotal conversations. Dealing with and initiating change is one of the central tenets of this book. Clawson (2008) opined that organizations need to respond to changes in the external environment more proactively. Leaders need to develop a comprehensive understanding of competition, market, consumer issues, and all possible underlying factors in order to adapt more effectively to changes. Competitiveness in this global age relies not on what has been traditionally done, but on versatility and change (Kouzes Posner, 2007; Clawson, 2008) or agility according to Joiner and Stephens (2006). As a response to accelerated technological developments and in creasingly borderless world, firms and organizations must step up to the challenge of constantly innovating and addressing threats that come and embracing opportunities encountered. One weakness of this book is that it is largely silent on ethics as a consideration on leadership agility. Kouzes and Posner (2007) capitalized on ethical leadership as an urgency for organizations. Northouse (2008) considered it important for leaders to continually self evaluate in terms of how they are performing in better, fairer, and more humane ways (Northouse, 2008). Oftentimes, change in the globalized world is synonymous with maintaining competitive edge over others usually at a cost. With the increasing attention on global climate change, environmental issues, terrorism, protectionism, and even resistance to globalization in the twenty-first century, leaders must be highly adaptive to these global issues as well and weigh how these global conditions come into the equation.