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Importance of Leadership in Business-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1. What administration styles represent their prosperity? 2. What administration abilities/practices would you be able to dist...

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Homeless essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homeless - Essay Example If someone is being discharged from an institution such as a hospital, where he has been living for the last month or more, and has neither a house to live after his discharge nor the required resources to buy or rent one. Recently, volunteers spent a whole night trying to calculate the number of homeless people living in Syracuse. The Homeless and Housing Vulnerable Task Force traveled around the whole city counting the number of people spending the night on streets. They also checked emergency shelters, parks, playgrounds, bus stands, and all other possible areas where the homeless might spend the night. This year, it was the first time the Firefighting Department also helped in locating old and confiscated buildings where the homeless might find shelter. They counted out a total of 700 homeless people, which was a decrease by 37% since last year. At least the same rate of decrease is expected next year. (WTVH, 2008) Homelessness has been a major cause of problems occurring in a society on a daily basis. Businessmen are especially not happy with homeless people straying on the streets as it creates a bad image of their businesses, and also they are often subjected to petty crimes committed by the homeless. Other people living in the society are also often frightened by the presence of panhandlers and complain the destruction of the society's beauty brought about by the homeless. Due to the problems mentioned above, law enforcement agencies like the police department receive regular calls from angry businessmen complaining about the bad impact of homeless people on their businesses and ability to attract new business projects, and the crimes committed by them. In areas where large numbers of homeless reside, theft occurs at a regular basis. Businesses are robbed and theft of easily tradable accessories like tools and metal scraps has widely spread. Therefore, the police have to be extremely active in relation to the activities of the homeless. (Holderness, 1998) Along with the preceding problems, the community also faces the problem of large amounts of homeless people living and spending nights on subway stations. The up gradation and renovation of trains and subway stations done in order to attract people who lost hope in subway, also attracts helpless people who have no place else to go and wish to avoid crime and humiliation of public emergency shelters. Installation of air-conditioners has

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Essay

Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Emergencies and Disasters - Essay Example can be undertaken by the government and other organized movement toward the achievement of goal to lessen disasters (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters CRED, 2008). There are different types of disasters that are needed to be given attention. These events can be related to natural disasters and calamities, social, economic and health issues. The main focus of the study undertaken is related to the effects natural calamities specifically earthquake and the terrorism in different groups in the society. The attention needed by the students and workers of schools can be considered one of the most fundamental aspects due to the vulnerability of the said population. There are different actions and policies that can be related to both the local and national responses and plans. Included in the most important policies implemented in the different states and localities in the United States is the National Response Framework. Basically, the application of the processes inculcated in the policy in connection to the specific needs of the different parts of the country. For example in the case of the preparedness in terms of the natural disasters such as earthquake, there are some areas more susceptible to earthquake than others. In such cases, for example in the western region of the US, more actions are undertaken. Although this is the case, a multifaceted policy in terms of emergency planning and preparedness is required to be able to continuously protect the population and prevent cases such as the 2002 earthquake disasters in New York and the Midwest (Department of Homeland Security, 2008). When the policies of local, national and international coverage are then applied, the consciousness can be considered holistic. The NRF is in collaboration with the local governments, the state and tribal governments, the federal government and the private sectors and NGO’s. Each sectors and organizational systems has different visions and missions to

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Treatment Intervention for Paranoid Schizophrenia Case Study

Treatment Intervention for Paranoid Schizophrenia Case Study Jack Dwight (not his real name), aged 26 was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in October 2004. In August 2004 Jack’s best friend was killed by a group of youths who were terrorising their neighbourhood. Before the diagnosis Jack’s family was concerned about his constant complaints of headache and tummy ache. He suffered from a severe lack of appetite. He lost a lot of weight in a short time – from 120 to 108 kg in just two months. Jack no longer paid attention to his personal hygiene – his body odour was unbearable. Around September 2004 Jack developed an uncontrollable fear that he was going to be run over by a vehicle. He would not be persuaded to venture into the street, even going to his favourite store to get cigarettes for himself. He became extremely anti-social, keeping to himself in his locked bedroom most of the time. His family could not cope with his anger outbursts, which sometimes became violent. Thus it was that in October Jack was diag nosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Jack’s behaviour proved that Pinker (1997) is right when he states that sometimes, when thrust into a new and highly stressful situation, people suffer acute paranoia. For six weeks Jack was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where a team of specialists worked with him. It was on the 14th December 2004 that Jack was sent back home, and I became a part of his home staff of care providers. The medical staff prescribed pain killers – Paracetamol or Codeine for his headache, and antacids like Gaviscon for the tummy. It was agreed that care givers should try to redirect him whenever possible when he complained about head or tummy aches. It was suggested that since Jack enjoyed tea, he should first be offered calming tea when he complained of pain. He was also given Multi vitamins and Risperdal to take in the morning and evening. Jack is now happy to ask for a cup of Camomile tea whenever he has a headache. He understands that if his headache persists, he is allowed to take pain killers. He enjoys receiving positive feedback when he does not ask for painkillers all the time. He has even suggested that I serve him a cup of Camomile tea once every h our because he has realized that this controls his headaches. He has not made this request to my colleague who takes care of him when I am off duty. Instead, he gets the usual headache during this care giver’s shift. At this point one wonders whether this is similar to what Sorensen, Paul, and Mariotto (1988) refer to when they say â€Å"in some cases the paranoia diminishes for psychological reasons rather than because of the drug’s action.† I argue this because Jack’s headaches seem to surface when he is taken care of by some, and not other care givers. To this effect Smith (2003) is of the opinion that the outcome of therapy â€Å"may be determined by the ‘chemistry’ or fit between the therapist and the client than the specific modality being employed.† (p.61) In order to improve his appetite, Jack’s nutritionist suggested that Jack should be involved in the planning of a healthy menu. His opinion was to be sought and he was encouraged to plan his meals, choosing from a wide range of foods in the refrigerator. Care givers were advised to invite him to participate in the cooking and preparation of his meals, if he so wished. That plan worked very well because he felt a sense of ownership and was very proud to be serving his care givers the food that he himself has prepared. He started to enjoy meals that he had planned himself. This also made him to take an interest in reading the labels on all food packages, and he was proud to tell staff about the nutritional value of foodstuffs. The advantages of Jack’s involvement in the kitchen were enormous. Apart from improving his appetite, Jack also took an interest in going grocery shopping – something he had previously refused to do. He realized that he had to bathe and dress in clean clothes before going shopping. So his state of personal hygiene improved. He enjoyed watching his reflection in the mirror before going out. We now turn the trips to the grocery store into special excursions. I have noticed that even his need for a cup of Camomile tea disappears when we prepare to go shopping. It is not uncommon for him to compile the shopping list before going out. Jack recently invited his case manager to join us for shopping because he wanted to show her how well he was managing the shopping exercise. Before Jack’s friend was killed, they both worked as shop assistants in the local supermarket. During his illness Jack did not want to see any of his former work mates. He believed that they had plotted against his friend, and that they would do the same against him. This behaviour is in line with what Smith (2003) says, â€Å"paranoid persons have a highly developed aptitude for fabricating stories – making connections is like seeing shapes in clouds.† (p.39) In January 2005 the case manager helped Jack to sign up for membership at the local Clubhouse where care providers accompany him to attend meetings at least three times a week. Jack has met and talked to other individuals who have had a similar illness to his. The counselling they receive at the Clubhouse has helped Jack to want to renew his membership of his former workplace’s bowling club. From March 2005 Jack has been accepting invitations from former work mates to go bowling with them. The local Clubhouse operates on a slightly psychoanalytical manner in the sense that it serves all of Smith’s (2003) purposes in one integrated package. At the Clubhouse psychological problems are addressed in a comprehensive interdisciplinary method. Clients are given vocational training so that they can attain some basic skills of concentration and reasoning that would enable them to fit in the job world again. In May 2005 Jack was invited, through the help of the case manager, by his former employer to work some shifts. At the moment his job is in the cafeteria section where he works three hours for four days in a week. He cleans tables and makes sure the dining area is generally clean. Jack seems to enjoy going to work. His job coach, a qualified rehabilitation specialist reports that Jack is an asset at work, the cafeteria manager is pleased and speaks highly of Jack. At the Clubhouse clients also receive training in handling their finances. Jack is now capable of balancing his bank balance. He draws a budget, based on what he earns from his employer and his weekly allowance. He compares prices and chooses which hairdresser, restaurant, super market, etc. to visit. Qualified physiotherapists are available to advise clients on the best ways to relax. They teach clients how to breathe, exercise muscles, or meditate when feeling anxious. The Clubhouse staff also organises evening social events during most weekends. Clients are invited to bring friends and / or family along. Jack was reluctant to attend these social events at first, but as soon as he started going out with his ex colleagues, he felt comfortable to attend the Clubhouse events as well. He has recently made friends with a few clients of his age group, and they love to dance and sing. I have lately experienced some difficulty in getting Jack to stop dancing when it is time to go home. The nutritionist has suggested that his high energy levels may be caused by some refreshments that are served during the evening of festivities. The care givers have been advised to encourage Jack to take sugar free drinks. It seems that Jack’s progress causes him to lack the insight to appreciate the full extent of his illness. Pennington et. al. (2003) state that sometimes positive symptoms of schizophrenia distort a person’s ability to perceive his or her own condition. Jack realizes that he has missed out on fun activities, so he might be trying to make up for lost time. It is therefore difficult for him to understand the need to control his excitement levels. Although a lot of progress is made in Jack’s health one cannot quantify the success. Smith (2003) contends that â€Å"in order to measure psychological change, one must possess an instrument to do the measuring. The psychological test used must be both valid and reliable. A valid test is one that is adequately underwritten by empirical evidence and able to produce consistent results.† (p.61). It is unfortunate that care providers in Jack’s case do not always compile comprehensive reports about our shifts’ proceedings. There is no standard instrument of assessment that can produce measurable results. Reports compiled at the end of a shift may be subjective. With regards to symptoms, for example one care giver might conclude that a particular action points to worse illness while another might not think so. It is also a subjective matter whether a symptom is or not present because what one might regard as a symptom, another might not. The therapeutic modality may be effective, but if it is applied inappropriately outcomes may be unreliable. It is also disheartening that the care providers do not maintain their positions for long. During the six months that I have been taking care of Jack, three care providers have left. Jack needs stability and consistency in order to regain his sense of trust and confidence in people. I have noted that he becomes very sad when a staff member leaves. He takes it very personally, becomes moody for some time and blames himself when a care provider resigns. I have also noted that not all family members take part in discussions or attend meetings organised by the medical staff to help Jack, so there is an information gap which slows down progress. One afternoon during the Easter weekend Jack went out with his older brother who lives with the family, in the same house as Jack. They left home around 7pm and did not come home until the early hours of the next morning. They had been to a pub, and Jack argued with some people there. Jack spent the rest of the weekend in a bad mood – using foul language and banging doors. Time out did not really help. Jack later confessed to me that he was disappointed with himself, for having lost his temper and nearly ‘getting himself killed’. Had Jack’s brother attended all family therapy meetings, had he taken the time to find out what needs to be considered when Jack enjoys a night out, Jack would not have had a relapse. Care givers often feel inadequate when confronted by unrea sonable family members. When one interrogates the motives behind bullying relatives or irresponsible actions like Jack brother’s, one cannot but agree with theories like Bentall’s (2003) when he asserts that there are many people who suffer from undiagnosed forms of psychoses. Who, if not a psychotic person would expose his / her paranoid brother to a pub full of night revellers? Such questions are bound to remain unanswered for some time because the approach to schizophrenia itself is in need of improvement, so that it does not just assume that there is a distinct line between what is considered mental illness and mental health. A lot of ground has been covered in the study of paranoid schizophrenia, but a lot more still has to be covered. Studies examining the diagnosis of schizophrenia are not very reliable and consistent. The fact that it was Jack who showed remorse, and not his brother after the incident at the pub proves this assertion. Assessment is also another area that needs extensive research. The anti-psychiatry movement also finds fault with the diagnostic approach to schizophrenia. Bentall (2003) explains how proponents in this field argue for their case – stating that to classify specific thoughts and behaviours as an illness allows social control of people that society finds undesirable but who have committed no crime. Jack had committed no crime, but his loss made him to behave in a manner that is not so acceptable by society. An assessment of Jack’s condition at this point in time might also pose a challenge to psychologists. One care provider who ‘gets on well’ wi th Jack might assess him as stable, yet another might not. The challenge continues. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bentall, P.P. (2003) Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature. London:  Penguin. Pinker, S. (1997) How The Mind Works. London: Penguin. Smith, D.L. (2003) Psychoanalysis in Focus. London: Sage Publications. JOURNALS: Sorensen, D.J. ; Paul, G.L. ; Mariotto, M.J. (1988) Inconsistences in paranoid functioning, premorbid adjustment and chronicity: Questions of diagnostic criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin Vol. 25 (4) pp.570-575.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Robert Browning :: essays research papers

My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning, is an example of a dramatic monologue. A dramatic monologue is a kind of narrative poem in which one character speaks to one or more listeners whose replies are not given in the poem. The Duke is speaking to an envoy about his fisrt wife who is apparently dead. From what he is telling him, one can conclude that he is arrogant, domineering, and very insecure about his relationship. The Duke of Ferrara was a very arrogant man. He did not seem to care about the happiness of his wife, only his own. He did not like the fact that she found happiness in other places beside himself, as if he should be the only life in her life. He could not understand how she could rank his nine thousand year old name with more simpler things such as her white mule that she rode on the terrace, an act of kindness from an "officious fool" and the "drooping of the daylight in the west." His wife, no doubt, had no idea he felt that way but he could not discuss it with her, blaming it on the fact that he had no skill in speech. He let the problem persist until he no longer could stand it and finally "gave commands" that in one way or another caused her death. Another problem that he had was that he was too domineering. This is evident in the fact that he went to the extreme and killed his wife just because she did not conform to his image of a perfect wife. He wanted things to be his way regardless of how she felt. He now talks about his last duchess as if she were simply a thing painted in a picture to be admired. Other evidence that supports the idea of him being domineering is shown when he told his envoy that no one but him could touch the curtain that covered the picture. It is almost as if he has marked his territory and if anyone crosses the line they would be "dealt with" accordingly. Lastly, on the way down to meet his company he proudly points out his bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a sea horse. This is probably the embodiment of his whole mentality. He wanted to tame his wives into perfect women. Insecurity is something that we all feel at one point or another in our relationships.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Lost Symbol Chapter 98-101

CHAPTER 98 Robert Langdon regained consciousness with a crippling headache. Where am I? Wherever he was, it was dark. Deep-cave dark, and deathly silent. He was lying on his back with his arms at his side. Confused, he tried moving his fingers and toes, relieved to find they moved freely with no pain. What happened? With the exception of his headache and the profound darkness, everything seemed more or less normal. Almost everything. Langdon realized he was lying on a hard floor that felt unusually smooth, like a sheet of glass. Stranger still, he could feel that the slick surface was in direct contact with his bare flesh . . . shoulders, back, buttocks, thighs, calves. Am I naked? Puzzled, he ran his hands over his body. Jesus! Where the hell are my clothes? In the darkness, the cobwebs began to lift, and Langdon saw flashes of memory . . . frightening snapshots . . . a dead CIA agent . . . the face of a tattooed beast . . . Langdon's head smashing into the floor. The images came faster . . . and now he recalled the sickening image of Katherine Solomon bound and gagged on the dining-room floor. My God! Langdon sat bolt upright, and as he did, his forehead smashed into something suspended only inches above him. Pain exploded through his skull and he fell back, teetering near unconsciousness. Groggy, he reached up with his hands, groping in the darkness to find the obstacle. What he found made no sense to him. It seemed this room's ceiling was less than a foot above him. What in the world? As he spread his arms to his sides in an attempt to roll over, both of his hands hit sidewalls. The truth now dawned on him. Robert Langdon was not in a room at all. I'm in a box! In the darkness of his small, coffinlike container, Langdon began pounding wildly with his fist. He shouted over and over for help. The terror that gripped him deepened with each passing instant until it was intolerable. I have been buried alive. The lid of Langdon's strange coffin refused to budge, even with the full force of his arms and legs pushing upward in wild panic. The box, from all he could tell, was made of heavy fiberglass. Airtight. Soundproof. Lightproof. Escape-proof. I am going to suffocate alone in this box. He thought of the deep well into which he had fallen as a young boy, and of the terrifying night he spent treading water alone in the darkness of a bottomless pit. That trauma had scarred Langdon's psyche, burdening him with an overwhelming phobia of enclosed spaces. Tonight, buried alive, Robert Langdon was living his ultimate nightmare. Katherine Solomon trembled in silence on the floor of Mal'akh's dining room. The sharp wire around her wrists and ankles had already cut into her, and the slightest movements seemed only to tighten her bonds. The tattooed man had brutally knocked Langdon unconscious and dragged his limp body across the floor along with his leather bag and the stone pyramid. Where they had gone, Katherine had no idea. The agent who had accompanied them was dead. She had not heard a sound in many minutes, and she wondered if the tattooed man and Langdon were still inside the house. She had been trying to scream for help, but with each attempt, the rag in her mouth crept back dangerously closer to her windpipe. Now she felt approaching footsteps on the floor, and she turned her head, hoping against hope that someone was coming to help. The massive silhouette of her captor materialized in the hallway. Katherine recoiled as she flashed on the image of him standing in her family home ten years earlier. He killed my family. Now he strode toward her. Langdon was nowhere to be seen. The man crouched down and gripped her around the waist, hoisting her roughly onto his shoulder. The wire sliced into her wrists, and the rag muffled her muted cries of pain. He carried her down the hallway toward the living room, where, earlier today, the two of them had calmly sipped tea together. Where is he taking me?! He carried Katherine across the living room and stopped directly in front of the large oil painting of the Three Graces that she had admired this afternoon. â€Å"You mentioned you liked this painting,† the man whispered, his lips practically touching her ear. â€Å"I'm glad. It may be the last thing of beauty you see.† With that, he reached out and pressed his palm into the right side of the enormous frame. To Katherine's shock, the painting rotated into the wall, turning on a central pivot like a revolving door. A hidden doorway. Katherine tried to wriggle free, but the man held her firmly, carrying her through the opening behind the canvas. As the Three Graces pivoted shut behind them, she could see heavy insulation on the back of the canvas. Whatever sounds were made back here were apparently not meant to be heard by the outside world. The space behind the painting was cramped, more like a hallway than a room. The man carried her to the far side and opened a heavy door, carrying her through it onto a small landing. Katherine found herself looking down a narrow ramp into a deep basement. She drew a breath to scream, but the rag was choking her. The incline was steep and narrow. The walls on either side were made of cement, awash in a bluish light that seemed to emanate from below. The air that wafted up was warm and pungent, laden with an eerie blend of smells . . . the sharp bite of chemicals, the smooth calm of incense, the earthy musk of human sweat, and, pervading it all, a distinct aura of visceral, animal fear. â€Å"Your science impressed me,† the man whispered as they reached the bottom of the ramp. â€Å"I hope mine impresses you.† CHAPTER 99 CIA field agent Turner Simkins crouched in the darkness of Franklin Park and kept his steady gaze on Warren Bellamy. Nobody had taken the bait yet, but it was still early. Simkins's transceiver beeped, and he activated it, hoping one of his men had spotted something. But it was Sato. She had new information. Simkins listened and agreed with her concern. â€Å"Hold on,† he said. â€Å"I'll see if I can get a visual.† He crawled through the bushes in which he was hiding and peered back in the direction from which he had entered the square. After some maneuvering, he finally opened a sight line. Holy shit. He was staring at a building that looked like an Old World mosque. Nestled between two much larger buildings, the Moorish facade was made of gleaming terra-cotta tile laid in intricate multicolored designs. Above the three massive doors, two tiers of lancet windows looked as if Arabian archers might appear and open fire if anyone approached uninvited. â€Å"I see it,† Simkins said. â€Å"Any activity?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Good. I need you to reposition and watch it very carefully. It's called the Almas Shrine Temple, and it's the headquarters of a mystical order.† Simkins had worked in the D.C. area for a long time but was not familiar with this temple or any ancient mystical order headquartered on Franklin Square. â€Å"This building,† Sato said, â€Å"belongs to a group called the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.† â€Å"Never heard of them.† â€Å"I think you have,† Sato said. â€Å"They're an appendant body of the Masons, more commonly known as the Shriners.† Simkins shot a dubious glance at the ornate building. The Shriners? The guys who build hospitals for kids? He could imagine no â€Å"order† less ominous sounding than a fraternity of philanthropists who wore little red fezzes and marched in parades. Even so, Sato's concerns were valid. â€Å"Ma'am, if our target realizes that this building is in fact `The Order' on Franklin Square, he won't need the address. He'll simply bypass the rendezvous and go directly to the correct location.† â€Å"My thoughts exactly. Keep an eye on the entrance.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Any word from Agent Hartmann in Kalorama Heights?† â€Å"No, ma'am. You asked him to phone you directly.† â€Å"Well, he hasn't.† Odd, Simkins thought, checking his watch. He's overdue. CHAPTER 100 Robert Langdon lay shivering, naked and alone in total blackness. Paralyzed by fear, he was no longer pounding or shouting. Instead, he had closed his eyes and was doing his best to control his hammering heart and his panicked breathing. You are lying beneath a vast, nighttime sky, he tried to convince himself. There is nothing above you but miles of wide-open space. This calming visualization had been the only way he had managed to survive a recent stint in an enclosed MRI machine . . . that and a triple dose of Valium. Tonight, however, the visualization was having no effect whatsoever. The rag in Katherine Solomon's mouth had shifted backward and was all but choking her. Her captor had carried her down a narrow ramp and into a dark basement corridor. At the far end of the hall, she had glimpsed a room lit with an eerie reddish-purple light, but they'd never made it that far. The man had stopped instead at a small side room, carried her inside, and placed her on a wooden chair. He had set her down with her bound wrists behind the chair back so she could not move. Now Katherine could feel the wire on her wrists slicing deeper into her flesh. The pain barely registered next to the rising panic she was feeling over being unable to breathe. The cloth in her mouth was slipping deeper into her throat, and she felt herself gagging reflexively. Her vision started to tunnel. Behind her, the tattooed man closed the room's lone door and flipped on the light. Katherine's eyes were watering profusely now, and she could no longer differentiate objects in her immediate surroundings. Everything had become a blur. A distorted vision of colorful flesh appeared before her, and Katherine felt her eyes starting to flutter as she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness. A scale-covered arm reached out and yanked the rag from her mouth. Katherine gasped, inhaling deep breaths, coughing and choking as her lungs flooded with precious air. Slowly, her vision began to clear, and she found herself looking into the demon's face. The visage was barely human. Blanketing his neck, face, and shaved head was an astounding pattern of bizarre tattooed symbols. With the exception of a small circle on top of his head, every inch of his body appeared to be decorated. A massive double-headed phoenix on his chest glared at her through nipple eyes like some kind of ravenous vulture, patiently waiting for her death. â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man whispered. Katherine stared at the monster with total revulsion. What? â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man repeated. â€Å"Or the cloth goes back in.† Trembling, Katherine opened her mouth. The man extended his thick, tattooed index finger, inserting it between her lips. When he touched her tongue, Katherine thought she would vomit. He extracted his wet finger and raised it to the top of his shaved head. Closing his eyes, he massaged her saliva into his small circular patch of untattooed flesh. Repulsed, Katherine looked away. The room in which she was sitting appeared to be a boiler room of some sort–pipes on the walls, gurgling sounds, fluorescent lights. Before she could take in her surroundings, though, her gaze stopped dead on something beside her on the floor. A pile of clothing–turtleneck, tweed sport coat, loafers, Mickey Mouse watch. â€Å"My God!† She wheeled back to the tattooed animal before her. â€Å"What have you done with Robert?!† â€Å"Shh,† the man whispered. â€Å"Or he'll hear you.† He stepped to one side and motioned behind him. Langdon was not there. All Katherine saw was a huge black fiberglass box. Its shape bore an unsettling resemblance to the heavy crates in which corpses were shipped back from war. Two massive clasps firmly locked the box shut. â€Å"He's inside?!† Katherine blurted. â€Å"But . . . he'll suffocate!† â€Å"No, he won't,† the man said, pointing to a series of transparent pipes that ran along the wall into the bottom of the crate. â€Å"He'll only wish he could.† In total darkness, Langdon listened intently to the muffled vibrations he now heard from the outside world. Voices? He began pounding on the box and shouting at the top of his lungs. â€Å"Help! Can anyone hear me?!† Far off, a muted voice called out. â€Å"Robert! My God, no! NO!† He knew the voice. It was Katherine, and she sounded terrified. Even so, it was a welcome sound. Langdon drew a breath to call out to her, but he stopped short, feeling an unexpected sensation at the back of his neck. A faint breeze seemed to be emanating from the bottom of the box. How is that possible? He lay very still, taking stock. Yes, definitely. He could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck being tickled by air movement. Instinctively, Langdon began feeling along the floor of the box, searching for the source of the air. It took only a moment to locate. There's a tiny vent! The small perforated opening felt similar to a drain plate on a sink or tub, except that a soft, steady breeze was now coming up through it. He's pumping air in for me. He doesn't want me to suffocate. Langdon's relief was short-lived. A terrifying sound was now emanating up through the holes in the vent. It was the unmistakable gurgle of flowing liquid . . . coming his way. Katherine stared in disbelief at the clear shaft of liquid that was progressing down one of the pipes toward Langdon's crate. The scene looked like some kind of twisted stage magician's act. He's pumping water into the crate?! Katherine strained at her bonds, ignoring the deep bite of the wires around her wrists. All she could do was look on in panic. She could hear Langdon pounding in desperation, but as the water reached the underside of the container, the pounding stopped. There was a moment of terrified silence. Then the pounding started again with renewed desperation. â€Å"Let him out!† Katherine begged. â€Å"Please! You can't do this!† â€Å"Drowning is a terrible death, you know.† The man spoke calmly as he paced around her in circles. â€Å"Your assistant, Trish, could tell you that.† Katherine heard his words, but she could barely process them. â€Å"You may remember that I almost drowned once,† the man whispered. â€Å"It was on your family's estate in Potomac. Your brother shot me, and I fell through the ice, out at Zach's bridge.† Katherine glared at him, filled with loathing. The night you killed my mother. â€Å"The gods protected me that night,† he said. â€Å"And they showed me the way . . . to become one of them.† The water gurgling into the box behind Langdon's head felt warm . . . body temperature. The fluid was already several inches deep and had completely swallowed the back of his naked body. As it began creeping up his rib cage, Langdon felt a stark reality closing in fast. I'm going to die. With renewed panic, he raised his arms and began pounding wildly again. CHAPTER 101 â€Å"You've got to let him out!† Katherine begged, crying now. â€Å"We'll do whatever you want!† She could hear Langdon pounding more frantically as the water flowed into his container. The tattooed man just smiled. â€Å"You're easier than your brother. The things I had to do to get Peter to tell me his secrets . . .† â€Å"Where is he?!† she demanded. â€Å"Where is Peter?! Tell me! We did exactly what you wanted! We solved the pyramid and–â€Å" â€Å"No, you did not solve the pyramid. You played a game. You withheld information and brought a government agent to my home. Hardly behavior I intend to reward.† â€Å"We didn't have a choice,† she replied, choking back the tears. â€Å"The CIA is looking for you. They made us travel with an agent. I'll tell you everything. Just let Robert out!† Katherine could hear Langdon shouting and pounding in the crate, and she could see the water flowing through the pipe. She knew he didn't have a lot of time. In front of her, the tattooed man spoke calmly, stroking his chin. â€Å"I assume there are agents waiting for me at Franklin Square?† Katherine said nothing, and the man placed his massive palms on her shoulders, slowly pulling her forward. With her arms still wire-bound be hind the chair back, her shoulders strained, burning with pain, threatening to dislocate. â€Å"Yes!† Katherine said. â€Å"There are agents at Franklin Square!† He pulled harder. â€Å"What is the address on the capstone?† The pain in her wrists and shoulders grew unbearable, but Katherine said nothing. â€Å"You can tell me now, Katherine, or I'll break your arms and ask you again.† â€Å"Eight!† she gasped in pain. â€Å"The missing number is eight! The capstone says: `The secret hides within The Order–Eight Franklin Square!' I swear it. I don't know what else to tell you! It's Eight Franklin Square!† The man still did not release her shoulders. â€Å"That's all I know!† Katherine said. â€Å"That's the address! Let go of me! Let Robert out of that tank!† â€Å"I would . . .† the man said, â€Å"but there's one problem. I can't go to Eight Franklin Square without being caught. Tell me, what's at that address?† â€Å"I don't know!† â€Å"And the symbols on the base of the pyramid? On the underside? Do you know their meaning?† â€Å"What symbols on the base?† Katherine had no idea what he was talking about. â€Å"The bottom has no symbols. It's smooth, blank stone!† Apparently immune to the muffled cries for help emanating from the coffinlike crate, the tattooed man calmly padded over to Langdon's day-bag and retrieved the stone pyramid. Then he returned to Katherine and held it up before her eyes so she could see the base. When Katherine saw the engraved symbols, she gasped in bewilderment. But . . . that's impossible! The bottom of the pyramid was entirely covered with intricate carvings. There was nothing there before! I'm sure of it! She had no idea what these symbols could possibly mean. They seemed to span every mystical tradition, including many she could not even place. Total chaos. â€Å"I . . . have no idea what this means,† she said. â€Å"Nor do I,† her captor said. â€Å"Fortunately, we have a specialist at our disposal.† He glanced at the crate. â€Å"Let's ask him, shall we?† He carried the pyramid toward the crate. For a brief instant of hope, Katherine thought he was going to unclasp the lid. Instead, he sat calmly on top of the box, reached down, and slid a small panel to one side, revealing a Plexiglas window in the top of the tank. Light! Langdon covered his eyes, squinting into the ray of light that now streamed in from above. As his eyes adjusted, hope turned to confusion. He was looking up through what appeared to be a window in the top of his crate. Through the window, he saw a white ceiling and a fluorescent light. Without warning, the tattooed face appeared above him, peering down. â€Å"Where is Katherine?!† Langdon shouted. â€Å"Let me out!† The man smiled. â€Å"Your friend Katherine is here with me,† the man said. â€Å"I have the power to spare her life. Your life as well. But your time is short, so I suggest you listen carefully.† Langdon could barely hear him through the glass, and the water had risen higher, creeping across his chest. â€Å"Are you aware,† the man asked, â€Å"that there are symbols on the base of the pyramid?† â€Å"Yes!† Langdon shouted, having seen the extensive array of symbols when the pyramid had lain on the floor upstairs. â€Å"But I have no idea what they mean! You need to go to Eight Franklin Square! The answer is there! That's what the capstone–â€Å" â€Å"Professor, you and I both know the CIA is waiting for me there. I have no intention of walking into a trap. Besides, I didn't need the street number. There is only one building on that square that could possibly be relevant–the Almas Shrine Temple.† He paused, staring down at Langdon. â€Å"The Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.† Langdon was confused. He was familiar with the Almas Temple, but he had forgotten it was on Franklin Square. The Shriners are . . . â€Å"The Order†? Their temple sits atop a secret staircase? It made no historical sense whatsoever, but Langdon was in no position at the moment to debate history. â€Å"Yes!† he shouted. â€Å"That must be it! The secret hides within The Order!† â€Å"You're familiar with the building?† â€Å"Absolutely!† Langdon raised his throbbing head to keep his ears above the quickly rising liquid. â€Å"I can help you! Let me out!† â€Å"So you believe you can tell me what this temple has to do with the symbols on the base of the pyramid?† â€Å"Yes! Let me just look at the symbols!† â€Å"Very well, then. Let's see what you come up with.† Hurry! With the warm liquid rising around him, Langdon pushed up on the lid, willing the man to unclasp it. Please! Hurry! But the lid never opened. Instead, the base of the pyramid suddenly appeared, hovering above the Plexiglas window. Langdon stared up in panic. â€Å"I trust this view is close enough for you?†The man held the pyramid in his tattooed hands. â€Å"Think fast, Professor. I'm guessing you have less than sixty seconds.†

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Behavior Change Paper Essay

Imagine a world where college students can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. Imagine a world where soda machines continue to make millions of dollars per year by placing soda machines in schools and universities. Imagine a world where in our society, approximately twenty percent of today’s youth are considered obese. Imagine a world where obesity is killing more people than smoking each day. Imagine this world as our reality. Worldwide, obesity is a growing concern due to a wide range of contributing factors, and is an epidemic that can be controlled if a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and a well-balanced diet are maintained and incorporated into our everyday life. Because obesity is so prevalent in the United States especially the southeastern portion such as North Carolina, I decided to do my behavior change project on increasing my physical activity for six weeks by exercising at least three days a week, balancing my diet, and also substituting soda s and juices for more water. With obesity on the rise, I believe that it is very important to stay fit and maintain a healthy diet. Increasing my physical activity was definitely challenging, but I learned so much about myself throughout, and I am so grateful that I accomplished such a challenging task. In the past I have tried to accomplish this goal, but I noticed while doing this project, that I started to approach the same barriers that I did when trying to accomplish this goal once before. One of the main challenges was time management. I could never find the time to squeeze in thirty minutes to an hour’s worth of exercise when I had exams to prepare for, project deadlines, and working twenty hours every week. Who has time to exercise? When will I be able to exercise? Even though these barriers were hard to overcome, increasing my physical activity felt ten times better and helped reduce a lot of those constant stressors that I constantly kept experiencing. Obesity has become a serious public health concern affecting a significant portion of the population in countries such as the United States and ma ny other developed countries  throughout the world. According to the American Heart Association, among Americans aged 20 and older, over 154.7 million are overweight or obese. 79.9 million were men, and 74.8 million were women. Not only are American adults obese, but also our future children of America! According to the American Heart Association, 23.9 million children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are overweight or obese with 33% being boys and 15% being girls. With these rising numbers, childhood obesity can potentially become the number one global killer around the world. The numbers of adult and childhood obesity are even higher among the African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children and adults are overweight or obese. If we don’t solve this problem, one third of all children born in 2000 or later, will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity related health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma (â€Å"Letâ €™s Move†). One of the many ways to reduce some of the obesity trends we see as health educators is to increase physical activity by exercising and encouraging at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Another way to encourage change in our clients is to push and influence the many health benefits of increasing physical activity such as: weight loss, stronger heart and lungs, increased bone density, reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, temporary relief from daily stressors, more confidence about how we see ourselves, and more energy. Who wants to huff and puff just going up one flight or stairs, or jumping to get into our jeans? Increasing physical activity has many benefits that are not only physical, but mental as well. As a health educator, I would encourage my client to take physical activity one day at a time. Don’t bombard yourself with too much activity in one day that you become too sore to want to exercise the next day. Also, set goals! No goals are impossible and make the goals fit you! If you desire to lose weight, think to yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to accomplish this goal. How much do you want to lose? In what time frame do you desire? Another big advice that I would encourage is to organize your schedule! One barrier that I continuously experienced throughout this project was time management and finding the time to actually get out and get moving. One big accomplishment to overcome this barrier that I discovered was looking into my planner and planning out the times and days that I had enough time to  exercise. Not only organize, but also find an activity that you love and own it! One physical activity that I found fun during this project was yoga! Yoga really put me in a peaceful state of mind and it made me forget how much homework I had to complete at home or whether I paid my phone bill on time. I really connected with my body and loved it! Encourage positive self-talk! During this project, I found that I would negatively talk myself out of exercising because I would be too lazy or if the weather wasn’t on my side I would tell myself, â€Å"Oh no, can’t work out today because it’s too c old!† Always think positively! Start slow and tell yourself that you CAN do it and the want and inspiration to exercise will become natural. Throughout this project, I knew that I needed a PLAN. I needed something that would inspire me three days a week to either hit the gym or go outside and engage in physical activity. One way that helped me accomplish my goal was placing sticky notes on the refrigerator to go work out or a question of whether I exercised today or not. These sticky notes also inspired my roommate to engage in physical activity as well! Hey, I mean you have no choice when you are about to grab that ice cream to look at the door and say, â€Å"Oh man, should I really be eating this ice cream today?† â€Å"Did I work out today like I promised myself?† Knowing that I had a daily reminder to exercise really pushed me to go outside and get active or if the weather was a little sticky, I would encourage myself to work out inside by doing squats during commercials of my favorite TV shows or playing tennis on my Wii for at least 30 minutes. I knew that whatever I chose to do, I wanted it to be fun and inspiring to get me up and moving and change my lazy behavior especially when it comes to exercising. Also, completing my weekly checklist really hit home for me and could help me see trends in my behavior or common obstacles that I endured for that week. Not only did the weekly checklist help, but also writing a journal illustrating my journey helped me really become motivated and show how much I have changed from the beginning of not even thinking of exercising to loving exercising and how much fun it can be once you find the right activity that suits you and makes you want to move! This project really inspired me. I can’t believe that it is the end and I am a little sad. I had so much fun identifying why I wasn’t exercising and what I could do to change my behavior. I found some common trends in my obstacles from my weekly checklist such as: homework, time management, and  self-motivation. I knew that ba sed off these common trends, I needed to find some strategies that would influence me to work out. I found that organizing my schedule, placing workout gear in my car, and managing my time really helped me accomplish my goals. Also, my new puppy Lola helped inspire me to go outside more and encourage physical activity by walking Lola everyday and not only encouraging physical activity for myself, but also Lola as well. I want her to have a healthy heart and lungs! This project was very challenging, but I knew that with the right steps of motivation, I would complete it with no worries and also continue my journey! As a future health educator, I have learned that change is hard. This behavior change project really opened my eyes to how amazing changing a behavior can be and what a long journey it can be as well. This project helped me be able to identify a behavior and target what main reasons and goals can be set behind this behavior. I really enjoyed this project and it really helped me see that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I want to continue working out and you never know, I could be your next Baywatch babe! I would encourage my clients to set goals, stick with them, and if they see themselves slipping, to bounce back and get back to it like I did. Exercising can be fun when you choose things you love! I would tie my journey to the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change. the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) focuses on the decision-making of the individual and is a model of intentional change. The TTM operates on the assumption that people do not change behaviors quickly and decisively. Rather, change in behavior, especially habitual behavior, occurs continuously through a cyclical process. The TTM is not a theory but a model; different behavioral theories and constructs can be applied to various stages of the model where they may be most effective. The TTM posits that individuals move through six stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. For each stage of change, different intervention strategies are most effective at moving the person to the next stage of change and subsequently through the model to maintenance, the ideal stage of behavior. In the beginning, I can defi nitely say that I was in the precontemplation stage where I had no intention of exercising or changing my lazy behavior. I knew in my mind that I was not going to change and that this would be a waste of time, but then I entered the contemplation stage where I said to myself, â€Å"Hmm maybe I could  stop being a couch potato and see what exercising is all about.† As the project progressed, I entered the preparation or determination phase and got excited to get moving and start my journey of working out or doing some type of exercising three days per week. I set out a game plan and organized a schedule to motivate me to move and also get my roommate and puppy up and moving too! That’s when I took action! I got up and stayed focused on actually working out and staying healthy! I relapsed a few times, but I never let it get me down! I knew that increasing my physical activity would help me and I need to MAINTAIN it! Now, I am in the maintenance phase where although this project is over, I want to continue doing yoga and maybe look into some Zumba! A little shake shake shake can always get you up and moving and ready to start your day! This behavior change project has shown me that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I really enjoyed learning about myself throughout this entire process and so thankful that I have successfully decided to incorporate a little exercise in some way throughout my day. I have changed for the better in a way that I thought I never could. My parents are proud of me, my friends are proud of me, and most of all, I am proud of me. I overcame my laziness and actually found something I can possibly love in my own way and decided that I am a great person through it all. I have flaws and I also make mistakes that I am not proud of, but this is I. This is whom I am and changing has shown me that I can do anything and has given me a better insight as to who I am as an individual. This class has shown me with hard work and self-motivation, I can accomplish anything that is placed in front of me. This experience will always share a place in my heart and I will never forget the memories and life lessons that I have collected along my journey of becoming a better me.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Invention of the Crossbow in Asian History

Invention of the Crossbow in Asian History Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of the trigger. - Sun Tzu, The Art of War, c. 5th century BCE. The invention of the crossbow revolutionized warfare, and the technology would spread from Asia through the Middle East and into Europe by the medieval period. In a sense, the crossbow democratized warfare - an archer did not need as much strength or skill to deliver a deadly bolt from a crossbow as he or she would have with a traditional compound bow and an arrow. Who Invented the Crossbow? The first crossbows were likely invented either in one of the states of early China  or in neighboring areas of Central Asia, some time before 400 BCE. Its not clear exactly when the invention of this new, powerful weapon took place, or who first thought of it. Linguistic evidence points to a Central Asian origin, with the technology then spreading to China, but records from such an early period are too scanty to determine the origins of the crossbow beyond a doubt. Certainly, the famed military strategist Sun Tzu knew about crossbows. He attributed them to an inventor named Qin from the 7th century BCE. However, the dates of Sun Tzus life  and the first publication of his Art of War  are also subject to controversy, so they cannot be used to establish the early existence of the crossbow beyond a doubt. Chinese archaeologists Yang Hong and Zhu Fenghan believe that the crossbow may have been invented as early as 2000 BCE, based on artifacts in bone, stone, and shell that may be crossbow triggers. The first known hand-held crossbows with bronze triggers were found in a grave in Qufu, China, dating from c. 600 BCE. That burial was from the State of Lu, in what is now Shandong Province, during Chinas Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BCE). Archaeological Evidence Additional archaeological evidence shows that crossbow technology was widespread in China during the late Spring and Autumn Period. For example, a mid-5th century BCE grave from the State of Chu (Hubei Province) yielded bronze crossbow bolts, and a tomb burial in Saobatang, Hunan Province from the mid-4th century BCE also contained a bronze crossbow. Some of the Terracotta Warriors buried along with Qin Shi Huangdi (260-210 BCE) carry crossbows. The first known repeating crossbow was discovered in another 4th century BCE tomb in Qinjiazui, Hubei Province. Importance in History Repeating crossbows, called zhuge nu in Chinese, could shoot multiple bolts before needing to be reloaded. Traditional sources attributed this invention to a Three Kingdoms period tactician named Zhuge Liang (181-234 CE), but the discovery of the Qinjiazui repeating crossbow from 500 years before Zhuges lifetime proves that he was not the original inventor. It seems likely that he improved significantly on the design, however. Later crossbows could fire as many as 10 bolts in 15 seconds before being reloaded. Standard crossbows were well-established across China by the second century CE. Many contemporary historians cited the repeating crossbow as a key element in Han Chinas Pyrrhic victory over the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu and many other nomadic peoples of the Central Asian steppes used ordinary compound bows with great skill  but could be defeated by legions of crossbow-wielding infantry, particularly in sieges and set-piece battles. Koreas King Sejong (1418-1450) of the Joseon Dynasty introduced the repeating crossbow to his army after seeing the weapon in action during a visit to China. Chinese troops continued to use the weapon through the late Qing Dynasty era, including the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95. Unfortunately, crossbows were no match for modern Japanese weaponry, and Qing China lost that war. It was the last major world conflict to feature crossbows. Sources Landrus, Matthew. Leonardos Giant Crossbow, New York: Springer, 2010.Lorge, Peter A. Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, 2011.Selby, Stephen. Chinese Archery, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2000.Sun Tzu. The Art of War, Mundus Publishing, 2000.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Therapeutic Relationship Essay Example

Therapeutic Relationship Essay Example Therapeutic Relationship Paper Therapeutic Relationship Paper Person centred counselling originated and was evolved on the ideas of American psychologist Carl Rogers. The influences on Carl Rogers and he’s conceptualisation of Person centred counselling are numerous, from his early family life living on a farm, his interest and involvement in theology and his formative professional career. One incident which appears to have had a particular impact on Carl Rogers was when working in his first job as a psychologist, at Rochester New York, for an organisation for the prevention of cruelty to children, whilst working with a parent (Kirshenbaum H, et al. 1989). At this stage in his career Carl Rogers, being trained in or influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis, was essentially working in a diagnostic and interpretative way, helping a child or parent gain insight or an intellectual understanding of their own behaviour and what was unconsciously driving or motivating it (Thorne B 2002) . He formalised that the problem with the child stemmed from the Mother’s rejection of the child in his early years. But despite a number of sessions was unable to help the Mother gain this insight. He concluded that it wasn’t working and finally gave up. The Mother was leaving when she asked Carl Rogers if he takes adults for counselling. He began working with the mother, where she subsequently expressed her despair of unhappiness and feelings of failure, which was more emotive and authentic in expression, than the previously intellectual and matter of fact account given previously of her history and current life. Carl Rogers said that ‘real therapy’ began at this moment and concluded in a successful outcome (Kirshenbaum H, et al. 1990). This is Carl Roger’s view and what he learned from this experience: â€Å"This incident was one of a number which helped me to experience the fact- only fully realized later- that is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried. It began to occur to me that unless I had a need to demonstrate my own cleverness and learning, I would do better to rely upon the client for the direction of movement in the process†. (Kirshenbaum H, et al. 1990 p13). This statement is arguably the beginnings of what, in many ways would later define and becomes a way of working within person centred therapy – that is a therapy that allows the client to be whom the client is, without any active direction from the therapist. Carl Rogers through clinical experience, research and development later defined his model of therapy. He based it upon the principles of a person as having at it’s a core an instinctive tendency towards growth, to fulfilling their potential as a person in what he termed ‘self actualisation’ (Mearns D, et al.1988). Carl Rogers believed that every living organism has a desire to increase, widen and broaden. Essentially, a fundamental urge to improve upon itself and that although, in the case of human beings, this urge may be buried or hidden by multiple psychological structures and conflicts, he strongly believed in the existence of this actualisation tendency in all of us and that given the correct conditions, it could be freed and realised in all of us (Rogers C 1961- becoming a person). Personally, I have recognised a need to develop and grow within myself for sometime and this has again been highlighted to me during this term. The more I become aware of my insecurities and pre judgements, the greater the desire to become bigger than them only becomes more apparent to me. Through my clinical experience working with adults with mental health problems, I have certainly recognised a desire in many, to become bigger or more than their issues, although, I am not certain if that was a desire to escape from their often intolerable suffering, or a fundamental need to self actualise†¦ at the very least, I would suggest self actualisation is an entirely relative supposition and will differ from person to person, dependent upon their own experiences, circumstances and perhaps even expectations. These correct conditions which are required within person centred therapy in order that the client can achieve self actualisation and personality change were outlined by Carl Rogers and he believed that if this 6 conditions were met, it would facilitate change within the client: Two persons are in psychological contact- both client and counsellor are present physically and psychologically. The client is in a state of incongruence, (which will be discussed in more detail) the communication of the counsellor’s empathetic understanding and unconditional positive regard is met at a minimal level. The last condition mentioned involves 3 other conditions, which are essential attitudes and qualities necessary for the counsellor to posses for successful therapy; empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard and congruence. (Rogers C, 1957). Before looking at the latter 3 in more detail, it is important to understand Carl Rogers’s view of the person and perhaps what is ultimately bringing the client to therapy. Carl Rogers believed that there is incongruence between the self that is the actualisation part, that has a desire to grow, is open to experiencing in the moment and ultimately psychological well being and the actual experience of the self. He believed this effect was caused by ‘conditions of worth’, by external expectations, such as by parents and teachers, i. e. if you behave in a certain way that pleases me, that perhaps doesn’t evoke anxieties in me, you are a good boy- there are certain ‘conditions’ attached to being in this relationship- the child tries to internalise these conditions in order to maintain the relationship (Mearns D 1994- developing PC). Consequently, people deny or distort the experiences to their selves, which differ to how we are supposed or are conditioned to be. Therefore, Carl Rogers believed that we begin to believe in what we are not and refute who we really are (Mearns D 1994). The person has a fixed and inflexible view, or self concept (Rogers C 1980). It’s almost as if the person is driven in implementing or adopting certain behaviours in order to be accepted or loved and denying, or at the cost of their true self and feelings. This is the state of incongruence Rogers was referring as apart of the necessary conditions. Carl Rogers recognised, through his development of this approach, that distinctive and essential qualities are necessary within the therapist, for successful therapy and to facilitate character change. The emphasis being on the therapist’s attitude towards the client, as opposed to any technical skills or interventions, in comparison to many other modalities. As already mentioned, the key attitudes or qualities being empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard (Rogers C 1980). Empathy can be considered as having an ability to perceive and understand in the other person their feelings, experiences and their meaning to that person. To understand the internal world of that person, to be fully aware of the feelings they are experiencing, their anger or sadness for example, as if they are your own, but being aware that they are the clients, in order that your own feelings do not become the focus or blur the clients own experiencing (Rogers C, 1957). To absolutely see from the clients view, the feelings they may have from their position or personal experiencing, but recognising them as separate from your own. I recall a moment during this term, when in skills practise, being in the ‘client role’, when I received empathy. I was speaking about a personal situation, which I was aware on some level had meaning to me, but wasn’t fully aware of, or experiencing the feelings relating to this meaning. My perception later was that the person listened so intently, was so with me in trying to make sense of my situation, that they really did know and fully understand how it must feel for me. It was almost if I had no choice in allowing my feelings to be present, to come to my awareness and I was left with a sense of loss, feelings of loss, that I wasn’t aware of and made tremendous sense to my circumstances and why I had some anxiety and confusion in relation to this particular issue. This highlights for me how powerful empathy can be, as well as actively listening to and showing an interest sufficient in trying to understand the client, but also how it has the potential to provoke in the client in becoming aware of hidden feelings or realisations. Unconditional positive regard (UPR) is another important aspect and described as having total acceptance of the client, without conditions, whoever and whatever the client is, or how they may behave. An acceptance of not what they may or could be, but as they are now, regardless of what desired qualities the counsellor may wish for. It means total respect and valuing the person, without judgement. It also involves a sense of genuine care and wanting the best for them, including warmth for the person (Rogers C 1961). David Mearns talks about the often confusion in trainees, when understanding UPR, with a statement such as, ‘how is it possible to like all my clients’? He makes a distinction that liking is generally selective, as we perceive a similarity in values and complementary needs and UPR and liking are two very different concepts (Mearns D 1994). Unconditional positive regard is completely about valuing the person, without conditions, with all the facets of the person, their struggles, protective layers, confusion and perhaps inconsistencies. This unconditional stance is a contradiction to the conditions of worth spoken of earlier and is a vital component of person centred counselling (Kulewicz S, 1989). If a client is holding a believe that they will only be accepted, depending on the condition of others, essentially they do not see themselves as being wholly acceptable. The stance and communication of UPR can break this believe and the client is able to be in a relationship, with the counsellor accepting them without conditions (Rogers C 1961). If the counsellor is consistently valuing the client, the client perhaps has no reason for the protective layers and can be more open to their own inner experiences. Also, I wonder if the counsellor is almost giving permission and communicating a message to the client that it is ok to accept who they truly are. Another essential attitude for the counsellor, recognised by Rogers is congruence. This is the counsellor being who they are, no facade or ‘professional’ barrier. The counsellor is open and genuine in the relationship, allowing all feelings and thoughts to be in his awareness and available to him (Rogers C 1961). It’s being present with yourself and owning your feelings, not necessarily expressing what you are experiencing at the time to the client, but also not denying it. How congruence is conveyed is ultimately depended upon the counsellor themselves and when appropriate. It is about allowing a trust to be formed with the client, without pretences, where the counsellor is being human and willing to be seen (Thorne B 2002). If the counsellor is willing to acknowledge his feelings, strengths, perhaps their mistakes or weakness, it can not only allow for a more open and flowing relationship, but again I see this as perhaps giving permission to the client to embrace themselves, their strengths and weaknesses. How this differs from a helping relationship, are mainly the quality of contact and the nature of the differences in relationship. What if our client seeks help from a non person centred counsellor, perhaps a professionally respected person, a Doctor, teacher, perhaps even a work place manager, or colleague. They will listen, perhaps are sympathetic, are likely to offer advice and some direction the person may take in order to resolve their problem. But there is no ongoing process, no consistency of a relationship, with all the qualities discussed, empathy, UPR and congruence. The person centred therapist offers a safe and non judgemental relationship, with the client being valued for who they are, where they can grow in understanding of themselves, gain insight and become psychological stronger and independent. A helping relationship, although perhaps useful and supportive, will not facilitate change and allow a person to grow. In conclusion, person centred therapy is about an effective relationship, or aspires to be one, in which a person through experiencing a positive connection with another person, namely the therapist, receives deep empathy, understanding and genuine care. This enables a person to question or challenge their self concepts, to begin to experience buried or hidden feelings and gain a deeper understanding of themselves, with more acceptances and the autonomy to live without fear of their own feelings and perhaps their truer selves. It is without any difficulty from me to admire the sheer humanity of what Carl Rogers achieved with person centred therapy, the whole ethos of accepting and allowing the person to grow through such a positive and caring relationship. It appears to me that this is an incredibly challenging model of therapy, for both client and therapist. For the client the person centred therapist may appear safe and accepting, even inoffensive or unchallenging to his protective mechanisms or fixed self concepts, but that is perhaps the greatest challenge to the client, who may want answers or ways of dealing with their issues, perhaps unbearable anxiety and will perhaps look to the therapist for solutions and will find the person centred therapist completely and deeply sharing their distress, but essentially leaving it with client to be able to tolerate and accept for themselves, with of course as discussed, with the intention for the client to grow, understand the meaning behind their distress and ultimately in becoming psychologically independent. I would imagine, at least initially or in the short term, it must be difficult for the client, who is still searching and looking outside of himself, for the apparent safety and false ‘conditions’ that will make it all well again. For the therapist, the challenge is potentially numerous, but what I recognise is the trust he must have in the process of person centred therapy, in maintaining all the attitudes as discussed and consistently so. I can see that taking great strength and discipline, when he could perhaps temptingly turn to direction and advice giving. I am also left wondering if the strengths within PC therapy are also its weaknesses. The quality of therapy can only be as effective as the quality of therapist, or the limitations of the therapist. This could be said of other therapies, but for example, the CBT therapist has a direction and structure to fall back on. The challenge to the PC therapist is to be constantly growing and developing, as there is such a dependence upon who they are in the relationship. References: Kirshenbaum, H. and Henderson, V. L. (1989) The Carl Rogers reader Bury St. Edmunds: St Edmundsbury Press Limited. Kulewicz, S. F. (1989) The twelve core functions of a Counselor (5th Edn). Marlborough, CT: Counselor Publications. Mearns, D. and Thorne, B. (1988) Person-centred counselling in Action (3rd Edn). London: Sage Publications Ltd. Mearns, D. (1994) Developing Person Centred counselling (2nd Edn). London: Sage Publications Ltd. Rogers, C. R. (1957) The Necessary and Sufficient Conditions of Therapeutic Personality Change Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Vol. 60, No. 6, 827-832. Rogers, C. R. (1961) On Becoming a Person London: Constable Robinson Ltd. Rogers, C. R. (1980) A way of Being Boston: Houghton and Mifflin Company. Rogers, C. R. (1980) Client Centred psychotherapy In: Kaplan, H. I. et al, ceds, Comprehensive text book of Psychiatry (3rd Edn). Baltimore: Williams Wilkins Co. Thorne, B. Dryden, W. (2002) Person Centred Counselling in W. Dryden Handbook of Individual Therapy (4th Edn). London: Sage. pp. 131-157.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

mbar to atm - Converting Millibars to Atmospheres

mbar to atm - Converting Millibars to Atmospheres This example problem demonstrates how to convert the pressure units millibar (mbar) to atmospheres (atm). Atmosphere originally was a unit related to the air pressure at sea level. It was later defined as 1.01325 x 105 pascals. A bar is a pressure unit defined as 100 kilopascals and 1 millibar is 1/1000 bar. Combining these factors gives a conversion factor of 1 atm 1013.25 mbar. Key Takeaways: Millibars to Atmospheres Pressure Conversion Millibars (mbar) and atmospheres (atm) are two common units of pressure.You can use either of two conversion formulas to convert between millibars and atmospheres.1 millibar 9.869x10-4 atm1 atm 1013.25 mbarRemember, the number in mbar will be about a thousand times larger than the equivalent value in atm. Alternatively, converting from mbar to atm will yield a number about a thousand times smaller.When performing unit conversions, check your answer to make sure it makes sense, convert it to scientific notation if practical, and use the same number of significant digits as the original value. mbar to atm Conversion Problem #1 The air pressure outside a cruising jetliner is approximately 230 mbar. What is this pressure in atmospheres? Solution: 1 atm 1013.25 mbarSet up the conversion so the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want atm to be the remaining unit.pressure in atm (pressure in mbar) x (1 atm/1013.25 mbar)pressure in atm (230/1013.25) atmpressure in atm 0.227 atmAnswer: The air pressure at cruising altitude is 0.227 atm. mbar to atm Conversion Problem #2 A gauge reads 4500 mbar. Convert this pressure into atm. Solution: Again, use the conversion: 1 atm 1013.25 mbar Set up the equation to cancel out the mbar units, leaving atm: pressure in atm (pressure in mbar) x (1 atm/1013.25 mbar)pressure in atm (4500/1013.25) atmpressure 4.44 atm mbar to atm Conversion Problem #3 Of course, you can use the millibar to atmosphere conversion, too: 1 mbar 0.000986923267 atm This may also be written using scientific notation: 1 mbar 9.869 x 10-4 atm Convert 3.98 x 105 mbar into atm. Solution: Set up the problem to cancel out the millibar units, leaving the answer in atmospheres: pressure in atm pressure in mbar x 9.869 x 10-4 atm/mbarpressure in atm 3.98 x 105  mbar x 9.869 x 10-4 atm/mbarpressure in atm 3.9279 x 102 atmpressure in atm 39.28 atm or pressure in atm pressure in mbar x 0.000986923267  atm/mbarpressure in atm 398000 x 0.000986923267 atm/mbarpressure in atm 39.28 atm Need to work the conversion the other way? Here is how to convert atm to mbar About Pressure Conversions Pressure unit conversions are one of the most common types of conversions because barometers (the instruments used to measure pressure) use any of a number of units, depending on their country of manufacture, the  method used to measure pressure, and intended use. Beside mbar and atm, units you may encounter include torr (1/760 atm), millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), centimeters of water (cm H2O), bars, foot sea water (FSW), meter sea water (MSW), Pascal (Pa), newtons per square meter (which is also a Pascal), hectopascal (hPa), ounce-force, pound-force, and pounds per square inch (PSI). A system that is under pressure has the ability to do work, so another way to express pressure is in terms of stored potential energy per unit volume. Thus, there are also units of pressure relating to energy density, such as joules per cubic meter. The formula for pressure is force per area: P F/A where P is pressure, F is force, and A is area. Pressure is a scalar quantity, meaning it has a magnitude, but not a direction. Make Your Own Homemade Barometer Sources Giancoli, Douglas G. (2004). Physics: principles with applications. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-060620-4.International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006). The International System of Units (SI), 8th ed. p. 127. ISBN 92-822-2213-6.Klein, Herbert Arthur. (1988).  The Science of Measurement: a Historical Survey. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications 0-4862-5839-4.McNaught, A. D.; Wilkinson, A.; Nic, M.; Jirat, J.; Kosata, B.; Jenkins, A. (2014). IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book). 2.3.3. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. doi:10.1351/goldbook.P04819Resnick, Robert; Halliday, David (1960).  Physics for Students of Science and Engineering Part 1. New York: Wiley. p.  364.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Organizational Behavior and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Behavior and Leadership - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the manager of that organization must be able to recognize the unique perspective of the new employee in order to manage a better working relationship with that employee. This understanding of employee behaviors in order to improve organizational effectiveness is known as organizational behavior.  Management of the company needs to be fully aware of the basic goals and objectives of the company in order to implement the principles behind any organizational behavior. Some of the main objectives for the application of principles include understanding the employees’ nature, understanding the organizational culture, developing effective leaders, developing good teams, and increasing the productivity.This paper highlights that  virtually all multinational organizations have different managers, which include marketing manager, accounts manager, human resource manager, and plant manager but hardly any organization has an organizational beha vior manager. The reason is that organizational behavior is not an area of responsibility or a business function; rather it is a perspective, which provides a set of information that managers of all departments need to carry out their job responsibilities in an effective way.  The study of organizational behavior provides insights into all job related activities to the managers. Managers can use the information in many ways to improve their efficiency. Understanding of organizational behavior helps mangers understand their own motives and behaviors in order to use them in various decision-making processes and workplace communications (Luthans 2002). Greenberg (2008) found that managers deals with many people within an organization for different purposes. â€Å"An understanding of attitudinal processes, individual differences, group dynamics, intergroup dynamics, organization culture, and power and political behavior can help managers handle such interactions more effectively† (Griffin & Moorhead 2010, p. 7). Organizations expect their employees to work in teams in order to increase organizational productivity and efficiency. Groups are always

Friday, October 18, 2019

What is RFID technology In what ways can it improve supply chain Essay

What is RFID technology In what ways can it improve supply chain functioning - Essay Example This paper discusses one of the most efficient and trusted method of ensuring inventory efficiency is attained, the use of Radio Frequency Identification. The supply chain Radio Frequency Identification, abbreviated as RFID, is a technology used by some retailers and wholesalers to track goods along the supply chain (Millsap para. 4). This method employs the use of concealed RFID tags made by joining radio antennas with microchips. The tags can store up to two kilobytes of information. In the tag memory, information such as the product identification, price of the item, and its manufacture date is stored. The RFID tags are then attached on individual products or the packaging where they are read by a reader collecting information about the product and then transferring it to a computer system. With the use of RFID, companies can increase their efficiency of the global supply chain management through the visibility they devices offer on the demand of the products and ordering decision of customers. The RFID tags are effective in decreasing the Bullwhip effects. Since ordering and sales are closely related, companies can make proper decisions through Just in Time (JIT) information received from the tags and can, therefore, decrease effects of inefficient handling and making improper inventory decisions (Millsap para. 1). Although there have been ethical issues raised in regard to the tags, it is evident that they are very helpful in the supply

Policing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policing - Research Paper Example Policing How to Become a Police Officer in New York City New York has the second biggest police force in the United States with a total number of police officers in the department estimated to be about 5,000 (Skogan, 2006). The labor department foresees that there are going to be about 1,700 vacancies in the New York police department until 2018 (Skogan, 2006). Some of the positions available for interested candidates include aviation, highway patrol, criminal investigations, crime scene analysts as well as drug enforcement (Skogan, 2006). Educational requirements for candidates applying for positions in the police department in New York are a little bit higher as compared to other states. Candidates are required to have at least 60 credit units from college and a GPA of 2.0. The candidates are also required to be US citizens of about 21 years of age (Sherman & Eck, 2002). They must be New York residents with valid driving licenses and great vision of 20/100. Corrected vision with sp ectacle glasses has to be 20/20 for candidates to qualify. Apart from these qualifications, candidates are also taken through background investigations and tests as well as drug and substance abuse tests (Gaines & LeRoy Miller, 2006). The candidates are also obligated to take written Service Exam from the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). This examination helps the department to pick highly qualified candidates to serve in the police force. Other examination tests taken include the written psychological test. Candidates will also be taken through very rigorous oral interviews and job standardized test to determine how the candidates can perform at various police tasks. Qualifying candidates will undergo police training at the New York Police Training Academy for about 28 weeks, after which they will go through field training for 10 more weeks before they can start serving the police department (Sherman & Eck, 2002). Management Structure of the New York Police De partment The New York Police Department is structured into various bureaus and units that help maintain peace and order in the State. The head of the department is the New City York Police Commissioner. The commissioner appoints deputies and assistants to help him run the department. In total, the New York Police Department is divided into eight different bureaus, among which six act as enforcement bureaus (Gaines & LeRoy Miller, 2006). The head of each bureau is known as the Bureau Chief, for instance the Chief of Patrol or Chief of Internal affairs. Each bureau is subdivided into various units, divisions and sections, each dealing with a specific issue (Gaines & LeRoy Miller, 2006). The department also has some specialized units that do not fall under any bureau, for instance the Operations Unit. These specialized units report directly to the Police Commissioner (Braga, Kennedy, Waring, & Piehl, 2001). The Police Commissioner, who is the head of the department, is a civilian polic e officer appointed by the Mayor of New York City (Braga et al., 2001). The police staff of the department comprises both civilian and uniformed police. Uniformed police officers in the department are charged with the responsibility of investigating crimes and performing law enforcement operations in the state. On the other hand, the civilian police o

Project Reviews Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Reviews - Research Paper Example cope of the project, how many people works in that particular project, level of skills of the personnel, the time required for the project completion, project familiarity, resources available, the risk associated with the project, the project complexity and how often the communication is carried out within the project management systems (Barkley, 2006). While carrying out the project reviews it is fundamentally right to factor in the actionable information that gauges the extent of success of these projects. It should be able to scrutinize the project and determine the things that went well as well as those that met with failure in the process of project implementation. Besides, it should be able to capture things that struggled and created bottlenecks in different phases of the project implementation and take into account the preparation of the feedback mechanisms. The project review should take comparisons of the required specifications in consideration of the end results and whether the project is on track or in deviations. The actionable information helps in putting the lessons learnt in taking care of the project quality, budget, overall impacts, time delivery schedule and the project deviations from the requirements. The review should not be biased in any way and it should be able to identify risks that have occurred or yet t o occur in the process of project implementation. Honest project reviews is helpful since it puts projects on the right tracks by identifying the shortfalls and successes (Barkley,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cain and Abel After Eden,Fugitives and Pilgrims, A House Divided Essay

Cain and Abel After Eden,Fugitives and Pilgrims, A House Divided - Essay Example This chapter describes the origin of the world as illustrated in the Bible in the book of Genesis. The book 16 monitors the development of these cities from the time of Noah, to the time of Abraham. In later stages of this chapter, the progress of the heavenly city from Abraham to Israel’s kings is illustrated. In book 18, Augustine explains the distinct and separate nature of the heavenly city and the earthly city; as from Abraham’s times to the world’s end. The book also describes the actions of Jesus Christ, and the sacred prophets who existed immediately after Rome’s foundation; like Hosea, Isaiah, Amos and Micah. Book 19 describes the end of the earthly city and the heavenly city. Augustine studies the philosophers’ opinions on the supreme good, and the vain efforts they try to make for happiness in life. Augustine also illustrates the happiness and peace that is found in the heavenly city. Augustine illustrates in the City of God the Christianity’s interaction with other different religions and philosophies; and also the relationship of Christianity with the Roman government. Augustine consoled the Christians in the Roman Empire that the City of God is the most superior, and will eventually

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

5 Questions About 3 Ethical Case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

5 Questions About 3 Ethical Studies - Case Study Example Moreover, in addition to ethics, the officers are expected to uphold values, principles and morals while according their duty to the public. Therefore, this case study will greatly help when examining the outlined issues. How much material is available for your research in each topic? This case study is going to rely on information available on http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/nov2011/davi-n19.shtml . In addition, documented evidence in the university and the California State Police will also be used. To supplement this, the police force ethical conducts will be used as the base line to judge the ethical issues. Case Study 2: 20 children among 26 victims of Connecticut school shooting This case is aimed at evaluating the moral standards as well as, the phycology behind good values, principles and ethics. This study will help the research based mainly on the social-cognitive theory (Aldama, 2011). Therefore, the case study is aimed at discovering what may trigger people to act the way they do. In addition, the study is aimed at seeking how people perceive or react to their actions. How much material is available for your research in each topic? This research will be sourced from the article, 20 children among 26 victims of Connecticut school shooting.http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html . Moreover, additional material will be gathered from related article and eventualities. In addition, books and earlier studies on social-cognitive theory will be used so that a good case can be built for this study. This study will be very helpful because it will help when one wants to judge why a person may act in a given manner be it ethical or unethical. It will further help to evaluate the consequence and the acceptance of the victim in the case that they act unethical. For example, Should they take responsibility or what actions are supposed

Cain and Abel After Eden,Fugitives and Pilgrims, A House Divided Essay

Cain and Abel After Eden,Fugitives and Pilgrims, A House Divided - Essay Example This chapter describes the origin of the world as illustrated in the Bible in the book of Genesis. The book 16 monitors the development of these cities from the time of Noah, to the time of Abraham. In later stages of this chapter, the progress of the heavenly city from Abraham to Israel’s kings is illustrated. In book 18, Augustine explains the distinct and separate nature of the heavenly city and the earthly city; as from Abraham’s times to the world’s end. The book also describes the actions of Jesus Christ, and the sacred prophets who existed immediately after Rome’s foundation; like Hosea, Isaiah, Amos and Micah. Book 19 describes the end of the earthly city and the heavenly city. Augustine studies the philosophers’ opinions on the supreme good, and the vain efforts they try to make for happiness in life. Augustine also illustrates the happiness and peace that is found in the heavenly city. Augustine illustrates in the City of God the Christianity’s interaction with other different religions and philosophies; and also the relationship of Christianity with the Roman government. Augustine consoled the Christians in the Roman Empire that the City of God is the most superior, and will eventually

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

World history flvs honors assignment Essay Example for Free

World history flvs honors assignment Essay Brazil is a country in South America that is beginning to flourish and demand attention from the rest of the world. Brazil has had a troubled past gaining independence and problems with poverty but in the last few decades has gotten onto its feet and is, in my opinion, beginning their golden age. Artistic and/or intellectual achievements: The core culture of Brazil is a mixture from Portuguese culture, because of the colonies formed by the Portuguese empire; and other influences like Roman Catholicism and the strong influence by African and cultures and traditions. The music of Brazil was formed mainly from the fusion of European and African culture. But not only do Brazilians love their music, dancing and art, they are proud of their Brazilian national football team that is ranked among the best in the world and has won the world cup 5 times. medical, technological and/or scientific contributions: Technological research in Brazil are conducted in universities and institutes. The funding for most of this research comes from the Brazilian government agencies. economics: Brazil is the largest national economy in Latin America and has growing market exchange rates and purchasing power parity. The Brazilian economy has been predicted to become one of the five largest in the world in the decades to come. Brazil has an employment rate of over a hundred million and the unemployment rate is as small as 6.2% of the population. politics: The main four political parties that stand out in Brazil are the Workers Party, Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, and Democrats. Dilma Rousseff is the current Brazilian president. social developments and/or humanitarian efforts: A pole done in 2011said that the literacy rate of the population was 90.4%, meaning 9.6% of people are still illiterate in the country. Every year this can go up if children aren’t reached. As well as a growing education, the cultural diversity is much like a large thriving country. About 92 million described themselves as White, about 83 million claim themselves multiracial, about 13 million are Black from African decent. Many others identify with Asian decent or relation to A merindians.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Ethics in the Consultancy Profession

Ethics in the Consultancy Profession Ethics in the profession of consultancy Introduction: There are many reasons why individuals and organisations take the help of a consultant. Organisations resort to this practice regularly since the complexities of doing business are rising with reference to competition, new markets, laws and regulations, technology etc. Sometimes companies have their own consultants or they seek the help of professionals competent in their chosen field. In short a consultant is a person who is qualified to advise anyone who approaches him. This indicates that there should be trust in the client towards his consultant and the consultant on his part should not do anything to misuse it. In other words the consultant is expected to behave ethically toward his client. Ethical behaviour means a code of conduct with the belief that what is done is right with reference to own values, religious beliefs, law and what is generally accepted by the society. Ethics in the profession of consultancy: One of the most respected authorities on ethical consultancy is Peter Block who is a consultant himself. He has authored a number of books including the widely acclaimed Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. Mr. Block has given several guidelines that are expected to be a part of the code of conduct of a consultant. The most essential element according to Mr. Block is of the opinion that the consultant always tells the truth even if it is unpleasant to the client. The trouble with many consultants today is that they force the clients to think in their viewpoint by acting clever. It should be noted that the client may have his own viewpoints which may be relevant and the consultant is expected to review that before advising the client. Such behavior on the part of the client will make him skeptical of the consultant and the level of trust or faith in him will diminish. Clients see right through the fast language and persuasion techniques and, as a result, their level of skepticism rises. Instead, consultants should be who they are and tell the truth in a caring way, which will establish the balance that leads to a trusting, productive relationship with the client (Meet the MasterMinds: Flawless Consulting with Peter Block, Management Consulting News). http://www.managementconsultingnews.com/interviews/block_interview.php. The author is of the opinion that the role of consultancy has changed over the years. Consultancy organizations have grown in size and the role they play is more of a manager than an advisor. They end up taking the responsibility of performing the tasks they advise the clients in the first place. What will happen in this case is that the consultants become a part of the client organization. They loose the freedom that is essential for a consultant because of the policies and organizational politics that exist in the client organization. Mr. Block says that this situation came about not because it is a part of consultancy but because there is money in performing such tasks for the client. Another area of concern regarding ethics is the lack of accountability on the part of the consulting industry. He consultancy firms have their own models and methods which they force it on the clients. There is no negative impact in this industry even if the models do not work. The fact is that the clients themselves have come to accept such a behavior on the part of the consultants. Sometimes the consultant will agree to the clients point of view totally without voicing any disagreement just to keep the client happy. The consultant may give advice on matters that are beyond their area of expertise. Clients are usually willing to listen to the advice of their consultants totally. This might prompt the latter to overemphasize their point of view, thereby bringing loss to the client. The same situation may also result in a proper study of the issues on the part of the consultant. It could also happen that the client d id not disclose all necessary information so that the consultant will offer advice which is acceptable to the client. The consultant may disclose confident information of the client for personal gain. Sometimes the consultant may use the client as a testing ground for some new model or technology that the consultant may have developed or acquired. The consultant may also disclose confidential information given by the head of the client organization to other members of the management in the belief that it will help them to solve a problem. The above information was those given by experts and clients who felt that these are instances of unethical behavior by consultants. It can be seen that such behavior occurs also because of the attitude of the client towards the consultants. Some of the instances occurred because it was the client who made it possible. Example: The best example of unethical consulting behavior in the recent past involves Arthur Anderson Consultants and Enron Corporation. The collapse of the multinational giant resulted in huge losses for its average investors and the loss of millions of dollars of pension funds which were very valuable to its employees. Hundreds of people lost their jobs, creditors lost their money and many were affected in other ways. Arthur Anderson Consulting, which was well known throughout the world as practitioners of high ethics lost face and exists only to clear the various litigations against it. This particular situation is a result of greed, non-disclosure of facts by Anderson Consulting for fear of losing the client, in this case Enron Corporation and the consultant moving out of its real area of expertise which was that of accountants. The fact was that Anderson had two previous audit failures prior to Enron. The two companies involved were Waste Management and Sunbeam. The company had to spend $110 million to cover litigation costs. In the case of Enron, the company had appointed Andersons consultancy division for a very large fee. It was due to this that Andersons had to go along with the crooked accounting policies of Enron for fear of losing that account. There were also another factor involved. Enrons impressive growth during its earlier years made them arrogant. This led to a number of growth plans that were not feasible. Enrons growth plans including its asset light policy did not proceed as expected. The end result was that Enron had stakes in a number of loss making concerns. If the figures were to be disclosed in the company accounts, Enron would have to report a loss and the value of its shares would fall. The company falsified the losses of these companies by saying that they were hedged by another company. The truth was that it was Enron itself that held majority stake in the hedging company. This move resulted in the company s howing excess earning of one billion dollars during the period of 2000 to 2001. The company had also misappropriated funds by formation of certain companies like Chewco, LJM1 and LJM2. The formation of such companies resulted in huge illegal financial gains for its former CEO and certain employees of the company. According to the report by the Special Investigation Committee of the company formed immediately after the company filed for bankruptcy, former SEO Andrew Fastow received 30 million dollars from this deal. The company also found other methods to falsify its accounts. For this purpose, Enron created a separate entity called Special Purpose Vehicle or Special Purpose Entity (SPE). Such entities are usually formed for performing certain accounting tasks subject to regulations. Enron could treat the SPE as it were a totally independent company. Two conditions in forming the SPE were met by Enron. They are that an independent investor should invest at least 3% in the assets of t he company and that the independent investor should have control over the company. Another investment in a company called JEDI (Joint Energy Development Investment Partnership). To avoid showing the losses of this company in the company accounts, the then Enron CEO Fastow authorized Chewco to invest in a 3% stake in the SPE. The company, when reviewing the situation along with Anderson later in 2001 found that the investment in the SPE did not satisfy the rules. They decided to change the already published figures by incorporating JEDI in Enron accounts which resulted in a massive reduction income and a huge increase in debt. The question is what role did Anderson have in the whole affair. Reports from the Special Investigation Committee indicate that all the accounting tricks were done on the advice of Anderson. In virtually all of the transactions, Enrons accounting treatment was determined with extensive participation and structuring advice from Anderson, which Management reported to the Board. Enrons records show that Anderson billed Enron $5.7 million for advice in connection with LJM and Chewco transactions alone, above and beyond its regular audit fees. (Summary of Findings, William J Powers, Page 5, February 1 2002, Report of Investigation by the Special Investigative Committee of the Board of Directors of Enron Corp). http://files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/enron/sicreport/cover.pdf It can be seen that Anderson had played a part in advising and helping to falsify accounting practices of Enron Corporation. Both its auditing and consultancy divisions were at fault and had behaved in a very unethical manner.