Finance Case Study

INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Konstantinos Kanellopoulos, MSc (L. S. E. ), M. B. A. COURSE: MBA-680-50-SUIII12 Corporate Financial Theory SEMESTER: Summer Session III Case Study The Many Different Kinds of Debt (solutions) Konstantinos Kanellopoulos 22nd August 2012 CASE STUDY ON The many different kinds of debt It was one of Morse’s most puzzling cases. That morning Rupert Thorndike, the autocratic CEO of Thorndike Oil, was found dead in a pool of blood on his bedroom floor. He had been shot through the head, but the door and windows were bolted on the inside and there was no sign of the murder weapon. Morse looked in vain for clues in Thorndike’s office.He had to take another tack. He decided to investigate the financial circumstances surrounding Thorndike’s demise. The company’s capital structure was as follows: †¢ 5% debentures: $250 million face value. The bonds matured in 10 years and offered a yield of 12%. †¢ Stock: 30 million shares, which closed at $ 9 a share the day before the murder. Yesterday Thorndike had flatly rejected an offer by T. Spoone Dickens to buy all of the common stock for $10 a share. With Thorndike out of the way, it appeared that Dickens’s offer would be accepted, mush to the profit of Thorndike Oil’s other shareholders[1].Thorndike’s two nieces, Doris and Patsy, and his nephew John all had substantial investments in Thorndike Oil and had bitterly disagreed with Thorndike’s dismissal of Dickens’s offer. Their stakes are shown in the following table: | |5% Debentures (Face Value) |Shares of Stock | |Doris |$4 million |1. 2 million | |John |0 |0. | |Patsy |0 |1. 5 | All debt issued by Thorndike Oil would be paid off at face value if Dickens’s offer went through. Morse kept coming back to the problem of motive. Which niece or nephew, he wondered stood to gain most by eliminating Thorndike and allowing Dickens’s offer to succeed? Help Morse solve the case. Which of Thorndike’s relatives stood to gain most from his death? Solutions THE SHOCKING DEMISE OF MR. THORNDIKEMinicase solution, Chapter 25 Principles of Corporate Finance, 9th Edition R. A. Brealey, S. C. Myers and F. Allen After the corpse was removed, police inspectors came to dust the bedroom for fingerprints. Morse knew they would find nothing. He walked down the marble staircase of Rupert Thorndike’s mansion and into the paneled library. He sat at a table in front of the fireplace, scarcely noticing the painting over it, Monet’s portrait of the legendary John D. Thorndike at Giverny. He turned on his laptop computer. Thorndike Oil had three classes of securities outstanding: $250 million of ebentures (face value), 30 million shares, and an issue of subordinated convertible notes. Morse had to calculate the change in the value of each security now that Thorndike was gone, and given the now near-certain acquisition of Thorndike Oil by T. Spoone Dickens. Table 1 reports Morse’s results. The notes summarize his reasoning. With Table 1 in hand, it was easy to calculate the increases in value due to the murder and resulting acquisition. Debt increased by 39. 5% of face value. Common stock increased by $1. 00 per share, and each convertible note increased from 103. 5% to 110% of face value (from $1039. 50 to $1100 per bond). Morse summed the gains to Doris, John and Patsy (see Table 2). Then he reached for his cell phone and dialed Chief Inspector Spillane. Thorndike Oil Table 1 Values of Thorndike Oil Securities Before and After the Murder | |Before |After | |Debt |$151. 25 million, |$250 million | | |60. % of face value |100% of face value | |Equity |$270 million, |$300 million, | | |$9 per share |$10 per share | |Convertible notes |103. 95% of |110% of | | |face value |face value |Notes 1. Debt, before: PV at 12% of the 5% coupon for 10 years, plus repayment of face value (100%) at year 10, is 60. 5% of the $250 million face value, or $151. 25 million. Debt, after: essentially risk-free. The debt will be repaid in short order and should trade very close to face value. The gain in market value is 1 – . 605 = . 395, or 39. 5% of face value. 2. Shares: Share price increases from $9. 00 to $10. 00. 3. Convertible notes: Conversion value before is 110 shares at $9 per share = $990 per $1,000 note. The bonds were trading at 5% over conversion value, or 1. 05? 90 = $1,039. 50. Note holders will convert prior to the takeover, receiving 110? 10 = $1,100. (If they don’t convert, they get only $1,000. ) In other words, the notes increase by 110 – 103. 95 = 6. 05% of face value. Thorndike Oil Table 2 Who Gained Most? (Figures in millions) | |Doris |John |Patsy | | | | | | |Debt |$1. 8 |0 |0 | | |(. 395? 4) | | | | | | | | |Stock |$1. 2 |$0. 5 |$1. | | |(1. 00 ? 1. 2) |(1. 00 ? .5) |(1. 00 ? 1. 5) | | | | | | |Convertible notes |0 |$0. 3025 |$0. 1815 | | | |(. 0605 ? 5) |(. 0605 ? ) | | |___________ |___ ________ |_________ | |Total |$2. 78 |$0. 8025 |$1. 6815 | ———————– [1] Rupert Thorndike’s shares would go to a charitable foundation formed to advance the study of financial engineering and its crucial role in world peace and progress. The managers of the foundation’s endowment were not expected to oppose the takeover. Finance Case Study INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Konstantinos Kanellopoulos, MSc (L. S. E. ), M. B. A. COURSE: MBA-680-50-SUIII12 Corporate Financial Theory SEMESTER: Summer Session III Case Study The Many Different Kinds of Debt (solutions) Konstantinos Kanellopoulos 22nd August 2012 CASE STUDY ON The many different kinds of debt It was one of Morse’s most puzzling cases. That morning Rupert Thorndike, the autocratic CEO of Thorndike Oil, was found dead in a pool of blood on his bedroom floor. He had been shot through the head, but the door and windows were bolted on the inside and there was no sign of the murder weapon. Morse looked in vain for clues in Thorndike’s office.He had to take another tack. He decided to investigate the financial circumstances surrounding Thorndike’s demise. The company’s capital structure was as follows: †¢ 5% debentures: $250 million face value. The bonds matured in 10 years and offered a yield of 12%. †¢ Stock: 30 million shares, which closed at $ 9 a share the day before the murder. Yesterday Thorndike had flatly rejected an offer by T. Spoone Dickens to buy all of the common stock for $10 a share. With Thorndike out of the way, it appeared that Dickens’s offer would be accepted, mush to the profit of Thorndike Oil’s other shareholders[1].Thorndike’s two nieces, Doris and Patsy, and his nephew John all had substantial investments in Thorndike Oil and had bitterly disagreed with Thorndike’s dismissal of Dickens’s offer. Their stakes are shown in the following table: | |5% Debentures (Face Value) |Shares of Stock | |Doris |$4 million |1. 2 million | |John |0 |0. | |Patsy |0 |1. 5 | All debt issued by Thorndike Oil would be paid off at face value if Dickens’s offer went through. Morse kept coming back to the problem of motive. Which niece or nephew, he wondered stood to gain most by eliminating Thorndike and allowing Dickens’s offer to succeed? Help Morse solve the case. Which of Thorndike’s relatives stood to gain most from his death? Solutions THE SHOCKING DEMISE OF MR. THORNDIKEMinicase solution, Chapter 25 Principles of Corporate Finance, 9th Edition R. A. Brealey, S. C. Myers and F. Allen After the corpse was removed, police inspectors came to dust the bedroom for fingerprints. Morse knew they would find nothing. He walked down the marble staircase of Rupert Thorndike’s mansion and into the paneled library. He sat at a table in front of the fireplace, scarcely noticing the painting over it, Monet’s portrait of the legendary John D. Thorndike at Giverny. He turned on his laptop computer. Thorndike Oil had three classes of securities outstanding: $250 million of ebentures (face value), 30 million shares, and an issue of subordinated convertible notes. Morse had to calculate the change in the value of each security now that Thorndike was gone, and given the now near-certain acquisition of Thorndike Oil by T. Spoone Dickens. Table 1 reports Morse’s results. The notes summarize his reasoning. With Table 1 in hand, it was easy to calculate the increases in value due to the murder and resulting acquisition. Debt increased by 39. 5% of face value. Common stock increased by $1. 00 per share, and each convertible note increased from 103. 5% to 110% of face value (from $1039. 50 to $1100 per bond). Morse summed the gains to Doris, John and Patsy (see Table 2). Then he reached for his cell phone and dialed Chief Inspector Spillane. Thorndike Oil Table 1 Values of Thorndike Oil Securities Before and After the Murder | |Before |After | |Debt |$151. 25 million, |$250 million | | |60. % of face value |100% of face value | |Equity |$270 million, |$300 million, | | |$9 per share |$10 per share | |Convertible notes |103. 95% of |110% of | | |face value |face value |Notes 1. Debt, before: PV at 12% of the 5% coupon for 10 years, plus repayment of face value (100%) at year 10, is 60. 5% of the $250 million face value, or $151. 25 million. Debt, after: essentially risk-free. The debt will be repaid in short order and should trade very close to face value. The gain in market value is 1 – . 605 = . 395, or 39. 5% of face value. 2. Shares: Share price increases from $9. 00 to $10. 00. 3. Convertible notes: Conversion value before is 110 shares at $9 per share = $990 per $1,000 note. The bonds were trading at 5% over conversion value, or 1. 05? 90 = $1,039. 50. Note holders will convert prior to the takeover, receiving 110? 10 = $1,100. (If they don’t convert, they get only $1,000. ) In other words, the notes increase by 110 – 103. 95 = 6. 05% of face value. Thorndike Oil Table 2 Who Gained Most? (Figures in millions) | |Doris |John |Patsy | | | | | | |Debt |$1. 8 |0 |0 | | |(. 395? 4) | | | | | | | | |Stock |$1. 2 |$0. 5 |$1. | | |(1. 00 ? 1. 2) |(1. 00 ? .5) |(1. 00 ? 1. 5) | | | | | | |Convertible notes |0 |$0. 3025 |$0. 1815 | | | |(. 0605 ? 5) |(. 0605 ? ) | | |___________ |___ ________ |_________ | |Total |$2. 78 |$0. 8025 |$1. 6815 | ———————– [1] Rupert Thorndike’s shares would go to a charitable foundation formed to advance the study of financial engineering and its crucial role in world peace and progress. The managers of the foundation’s endowment were not expected to oppose the takeover.

How the Brain Impacts Learning Essay

The brain is a very complex and amazing organ that consists of two very important halves. The right hemisphere and the left hemisphere, both of these effect how we learn and process information. In most cases we have a dominate side whether it be the left or right side. In some cases it is found that there are whole brained thinkers pulling information from both sides of the brain. Let’s cover how the brain works, what subjects each side learns and how it processes information, teaching techniques for the right, left and whole brained learners. The brain is made up of two halves, or hemispheres – the left brain and the right brain. The brain is divided into two distinct and separate parts by a fold that runs from the front to the back. These parts are connected to each other by a thick cable of nerves at the base of each brain, called the corpus collosum. A good analogy is that of two separate, incredibly fast and immensely powerful computers, each running different program from the same input, connected by a network cable, or the corpus collosum. The left hemisphere of our brain is â€Å"wired† to the right side of our body and vice versa. This even applies to our eyes, with information from our right eye going to the left hemisphere and information from our left eye feeding the right hemisphere†(Eden, Left brain right brain) The left and right side of the brain have different ways to process how they take in information and learn different subjects. Let’s start with the right side of the brain and see how it works in this way. The right hemisphere process the information best with demonstrated instructions, looking for patterns, similarities, open ended questions, drawings and is free with its feelings. â€Å"Right-brain students are the dreamers. They can be very intelligent and very deep thinkers—so much so that they can get lost in their own little worlds. They make great students of the social sciences and the arts. † (Fleming, 2011) The Left side sees things differently than the right side preferring verbal instructions, logical thinking, talking and writing, multiple choice testing and controls feelings. Dominant left brain students will be more organized, they’ll watch the clock, and they’ll analyze information and process it sequentially. They are often cautious, and they follow rules and schedules. Left brain students are strong in math and science, and can answer questions quickly. †(Fleming, 2011) The whole brained learners or middle brained learners, are the ones that can use both sides to processes the different information which is a great benefit to their success in life. They can look at a situation and choose which side would best solve the situation. Students who are middle brain oriented can have strong qualities from either hemisphere. Those students can benefit from logic from the left and intuition from the right. †(Fleming, 2011) We are all different in the way we use our brain; some having a dominate side and some utilizing both sides. Thus leaving the question of how teaching techniques can stimulate both sides? Teachers have a great responsibility teaching our children and they should teach in a way that can stimulate both sides of our brain or better yet the whole brain. It is important to know what types of thinkers you have in your classroom so they can be better taught. The examples above should give you an idea of how the right, left and middle brained thinkers take in the information so let’s move forward to how you can help teach them better. â€Å"For many students, particularly those who are â€Å"right-brained,† a visual, such as a picture or 3-D model, can help them better understand a concept. Another way to help â€Å"right-brained† students is to pair music with learning. Have students make up a song about history facts and sing it to the melody of a familiar song such as â€Å"On Top of Old Smoky. † Let these students see, feel, and touch things. â€Å"Right-brained† students also seem to thrive when doing group or hands-on activities. †(Quantum Learning, 1999, p. 31) Activities should include shared learning, group discussions, role-playing and experiments. These learning techniques will greatly benefit our right brained learners. To help â€Å"left-brained† students, provide information in very logical sequences—for example, make (numbered) lists for them. Another way to help students with a left-brain preference is to give them typed or printed directions. Let these students do their work step by step. â€Å"Left-brained† students seem to thrive when following plans and having structure with activities. † (Quantum Learning, 1999, p. 31) Activates should include analysis, research, realistic projects a nd worksheets. These learning techniques will benefit the left brained thinkers. Keeping in mind though, that many teaching techniques can benefit all of your students; it is also important to use both of these techniques to benefit the students that use both the left and right side of their brain. As an educator you need to understand how your students learn best whether it is a; dominate left or right brained student or the whole brained learner that likes a mixture of both techniques. Another great benefit you can find using these techniques in your lessons is to get a dominate brained student to use there less used side of thinking. Through this we have learned how the brain works, how we process and learn information using both sides of our brain and how teaching techniques are important in learning as a whole. We all learn new things each and every day so use this as it is vital information to help you learn to your full potential. Today, in more than years past, we are using these studies to help students learn as much as they can. Teaching curriculums are always on par with the best technology out there and the more that we learn about the differences between the two halves of the brain the more our children can learn.

A famous chemist †antoine lavoisier

To summarize Antoine Lavoisier’s contributions to modern chemistry in one sentence could most probably be â€Å"Lavoisier revolutionized chemistry with the balance†.It was him who, by systematic and intelligent usage of good balances, introduced chemistry as an exact science that from now on could turn from its mystic alchemical past to the well defined and modern approach we know today [1].Lavoisier was born in 1743 in Paris and during his lifetime could sample events like the beginning of industrial production of sulphuric acid (1747), the construction of the first lightning conductor by Benjamin Franklin (1752), the invention of cement and the birth of Mozart (both in 1756) or the American declaration of independence (1776) [2].During his entire life his main job was tax collector, however, and he performed his chemical research just in his spare time, where he very disciplined worked in his private chemical laboratory exactly from 6 to 8 am and from 7 to 10 pm each day.His young wife Marie Anne Paulze – who he married in 1771 when she was only 14 years old – helped him selfless and even learned English to enable him to discuss his ideas with the â€Å"great† researchers from the English speaking parts of the world Priestley, Jefferson and Franklin.Unfortunately, Lavoisier got more and more unpopular because of his tax collecting activities and finally was arrested and sentenced to death by Guillotine during the French Revolution [2]. A legend says that, when he was finally killed on May, 8th in 1794, he concluded his life with one last experiment by testing how many times he cold still blink his eyes once his head was cut off his body.Whether true or not, there are reports that he could blink 11 times [3]†¦ However, French mathematician Joseph Lagrange, who was present at Lavoisier’s decapitation commented this tragic event with the famous words â€Å"They only need a second to take his head, but a hundred yea rs might have to pass until a similar head will grow again† [2].Antoine Lavoisier’s contributions to chemistry are numerous and more than valuable. Already with his first published experiments – in 1764 he demonstrated that when he carefully heated gypsum and collected and weighed the released water, that this water was exactly the amount that was previously added to get the right consistence of gypsum – he could found a fundamental chemical principle that is valid until today.

The Last Supper Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Last Supper - Research Paper Example For centuries, Jesus Christ is the most prominent religious figure. His life is mostly chronicled in the Bible and a historical account of Tacitus mentioned about the death of Christus in the hands of Pontius Pilatus (Canfield 144).Prior to his death, Christ and his disciples were recorded to have the supper before Passover and this later on would be one of the important events not only in the history of Christianity but will also shape the sociological, cultural and political history of the world. Immortalized in painting as early as the 1300s (Dyas 139), the famous scene depicting the last meal of Jesus Christ with his disciples was rendered in varied styles by artists from different art genres. Two of the most famous versions of the last supper were Last Supper created by Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci (Kleiner 582) and the painting by Mannerist Jacopo Robusti generally known as Tintoretto with the same title created in 1594 (615). Differences can be observed immediately up on viewing the two last supper paintings. Both paintings vary mainly because the two painters belong to different periods and relatively, the social, political and cultural situations during their respective times had influenced Da Vinci and Tintoretto in creating their renditions of the last supper.Aside from the surrounding conditions during the era of the two artists, a close comparison of the two versions with the Biblical accounts about the famous last meal would enlighten as which artist had depicted the scene exactly or was close enough to what really transpired during the night before the Passover. Probing on the accuracy of the two paintings, may demystify the misconceptions regarding the last supper which in recent times had largely influenced the social, political and cultural beliefs. An example of which is the controversial story about the last supper in Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. A fresco made for the church refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Italy, Da Vinciâ₠¬â„¢s Last Supper measures 13 feet and 9 inches by 29 feet and 10 inches (4.2 meters by 8.9 meters), oil and tempera on the plaster wall were used by the artist (Kleiner 582). The symmetrical painting depicts Jesus Christ at the center of the tabl

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Essay Example Generally, the ultimate goal is to present a case study on a chosen patient which is diagnosed to have COPD. The case is then presented and analyzed on the basis of the physiological functions, the effects on the systemic balance of the patient, the probable care required while taking into consideration of the history and past ailments of the patient. The prevalence of lung diseases is considered as one of the concerns of the present generation of medical care. One of the respiratory diseases that cover a variety of ailments and symptomatic indications is the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The disease commonly includes lung deficiencies such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema or overlapping cases of such diseases. This disease mainly involves the increasing malfunction of the lungs mainly due to building up impediment in the respiratory passages (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute or NHLBI, 2003). One of the leading causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the increasing amount of pollutants in the atmosphere and high percentage of smokers. The data gathered from study of cases related to COPD is limited but it can be surmised that due to the fact that the exposure to agents causing this ailment is relatively high, the cases of recorded COPD is only a small portion of the actual number of those affected. Based on general studies on the exposure to smoking in particular that reaches to 1.2 billion of the world population, the susceptibility of the population is related to this total number (Davis and Novotny, 1989; Sharma, 2006). Causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease To specifically present the possible causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease factors such as causative agents and susceptibility to the disease are presented. Causative agents are cigarette smoking and air pollution. On the other hand the contributing factor such as airway hyper responsiveness and Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency are also important. These two factors determine the risk that a patient faces in relation to COPD (Sharma, 2006). One of the main reasons for the incidence of COPD is smoking. Of the recorded cases of COPD gathered from hospital records, 15% are caused by cigarette smoking. The severity of the condition and in relation to the mortality can be attributed to factors such as the age that a patient started smoking, the rate of smoking and even the exposure to other smokers. The factor such as continued smoking even in the incidence of observance of the possible indications of COPD is also considered. The highest proportion which is 90% risk of rate can be attributed to tobacco consumption. The non-smokers that are in close association to the smokers are also in great risk of acquiring lung diseases which includes asthma and deterioration of the lung processes. The pollution in the air is another causative agent in the onset and progressive development of COPD. Although this is the case, there is less effect when compared to smoking. Smoke and other particulates in the atmosphere along with the house hold consumption of fuel also contribute to the increasing incidence of lung ailments (Sharma, 2006). The susceptibility of the patients to respiratory ailments can also contribute to acquisition of the disease. The "hyper responsivene

Digestion and diseases of Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Digestion and diseases of - Term Paper Example Digestion is a complex process involving mechanical and chemical processes. Different complex molecules in our food are treated differently by our digestive system, depending upon its composition such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals etc. All these compounds are important as they provide source of energy, for protein making, for growth and for all the activities that we carry. The digestion starts from the mouth by chewing of food called mastication. A cephalic phase starts in which a signal is transferred to stomach lining to produce acid. The enzymes and saliva (produced by salivary glands for moistening the food) also enters the complex food particles. The starch and fats starts to breakdown right from the mouth due to saliva. The esophagus transfers the chewed food to the stomach, and this ineffective barrier may cause the acid in stomach to come up to the esophagus and cause a disease called gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is very common nowa days. The stomach consists of fundus, body and antrum. The gastric phase starts when food enters into a large body called stomach. Here, the proteins start to break down to form peptides and acidic conditions in stomach prevent the microorganisms for further contamination. The fundus lining in the stomach produce hydrochloric acid when as the food enter in the lining of stomach, and by this acid the de naturation of proteins occur. The pepsinogen becomes activated in the form of pepsin after the formation of hydrochloric acid. The gastric lipase further hydrolyzes the fats in the stomach. The anturm stabilizes the acid produced and is a site for the grinding action. Food passing through pyrolic sphincter to the small intestine is called chime, while passing through the pyrolic sphincter, small intestine simulates hormones secretin and cholecystokinin, further resulting in the release of pancreatic juice from pancreas. The food enters the small intestine that is extended and has incr eased surface area for absorption. It contains folding called plicae, villi and microvilli. The sucrose, maltase and lactose hydrolyze di sugars. In the region called duodenum, the bicarbonates mix with chime decreasing its acidity. The pancreatic juice also helps in digestion. Iron and calcium are taken in duodenum, while most minerals and vitamins are absorbed in jejunum. The starch also digested in duodenum and jejunum. The liver produces bile that solubilizes fat. The ileums being the final part of small intestine do the final digestion. At the end of this process, 90 percent of food is digested. The large intestine conserves the water and salts. The remaining fibers in large intestine may remain there for up to 3 days. After the whole process, the unwanted food is defecated outside the body, from colon to rectum and then out of the body. The intestines are the important part of gastro intestinal (G.I) tract because most of the absorption and digestion is done in intestines, so it has vital importance in our body. Intestines are divided into small intestine and large intestine. The anatomy tells us that from which cells, the small intestines are made up of and then discuss the physiological role played by intestines. Small intestine is that portion of intestine which is connected to stomach and food contents from stomach come into large intestine via small intestine. Here, absorption, mixing and digestion takes place. Small intestine

The Shawshank Redemption 1994 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Shawshank Redemption 1994 - Movie Review Example We are held prisoners by our surroundings, and unless we are will to think outside the box, we will remain in the box. The movie tells of an incredible story about the desire for freedom. Although this movie may seem like any other prison movie at first, but as you continue watching it, you will discover that it is about hope, and it will captivate your heart. It tells the story of a certain prosperous banker who was sent to prison for killing his wife and her bed mate. He comes back home and finds them in bed, and out of anger, he shoots and kills them both. The judges pronounce him, â€Å"a particularly remorseless and icy man†. This banker named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is then taken to a prison called Shaw Shank, a prison reserved for the worst of mankind. In this prison, guards would often brutally beat the prisoners especially when they do something wrong, such as attempt an escape. Conflicts and fights among inmates was a common thing as well. Red is the narrator of this story and he begins it quite interestingly by saying, â€Å"I wish I could tell you that Andy fought the good fight, and the Sisters let him be. I wish I could tell you that - but prison is no fairy-tale world. He never said who did it, but we all knew. Things went on like that for a while - prison life consists of routine, and then more routine. Every so often, Andy would show up with fresh bruises. The Sisters kept at him - sometimes he was able to fight 'em off, sometimes not. And that's how it went for Andy - that was his routine. I do believe those first two years were the worst for him, and I also believe that if things had gone on that way, this place would have got the best of him.† As Andy enters the prison, he becomes the target of some of the prisoners, because he is new and looks weak. But this quickly changes as he starts to make some unusual friends. He meets a certain man by the name of Ellis Boyd â€Å"Red† Redding (a character played by Morgan Fre eman). This man who goes by the nickname Red has been sent to prison for life. He has covered a lot of years, and there is no hope for him of ever seeing the outside world. Andy soon discovers that Red likes to smuggle things in for the prisoners, and he exchanges them for whatever he wants. As the friendship between this two amazing men starts to build up, Red starts to realize that Andy is more than what meets the eye. But he doesn’t see much in him, as we can see in his comment, â€Å"I must admit, I didn’t think much of Andy first time I laid eyes on him, looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over. That was my first impression of the man.† In the meantime, Andy helps a certain hardened prisoner who has a tax problem, and in exchange he gets bottles of cold beer, and he distributes them to the other prisoners. This helps him get the soft side of most of the prisoners, and helps reduce some of the bullying from other prisoners. After this, Andy moves from one project to another. First he helps to make the prison library a better place, and he also helps the prisoners that tend to use the library by helping them to study. He continues to take care of the tax returns of the guards, and he continues further by helping the tough warden (Bob Gunton) in some areas he needs help. This proves to be a wise move because, as the years go by, he gets respect and trust from the inmates, guards and also

English research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English research paper - Essay Example The California Supreme Court is scheduled to decide early next year whether or not to invalidate the state’s ban of gay marriage which voters approved via Proposition 22 in 2000. This paper will more closely examine the benefits denied gay couples in most states as well as the political, legal, moral and societal implications involved with the issue. As people are becoming better informed about the issue, more are accepting, if not the lifestyle, the right for gays to be married. The argument proposed by the opponents of gay marriage is that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a republican form of government in which elected officials are intended to set social policy for the nation. Legislators do this by representing their constituent’s moral views when drafting laws. Because the Constitution bars the intertwining of state and religion, the only method of ensuring that moral and ethical codes are enforced throughout society is through acts of legislation. When courts determine morality issues, they counteract legislation meant to protect the moral fabric of society and break down the constitutionally guaranteed separation of powers within the government. â€Å"When judges erode the power of the people’s representatives to set society’s moral compass, they likewise undercut the authority of parents, schools, and other community groups to set the standards they would like to see their children and fellow citizens live by. Indeed, it is a f rontal assault on community values writ large† (Raul, 2003). The government was originally formed as an entity meant to champion the rights of the individual whether they are on the majority or minority side of public opinion. Laws that were enacted in the South disallowed the marriage between black and white people but were struck down by the Supreme Court. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act followed the tenets of the Constitution by prohibiting this type of discrimination.

The Story of an Hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Story of an Hour - Essay Example icted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.†(213) I consider this as an important irony on which the entire superstructure of the story is built. Mrs. Mallard’s authentic reaction to the news of death is one of relief, though she begins to weep immediately as soon as she is told about it by her sister Josephine. This is the irony of her real state of mind and the state of mind which she wants the people around her to believe. Privately, she accepts the news of death as a matter of fact incident but immediately craves internally to live a long life. Thus the irony of the situation is, she considers Mr. Mallard as a constraint or a hurdle to her wellbeing and to live a fully contented life, according to her plan of actions. I see an element of irony in her ‘heart trouble’ that has double meaning. It is connected to her mental ailment. Her private world always craves for experien cing the joy of independence. With the breaking of the news of the death of her husband, latent joy engulfs her that she positively imagines that she has reached threshold of freedom. She feels liberated. It will be even correct to describe that she feels that she is born again. The excellence of Kate Chopin is evident in the manner in which she has succeeded in creating an ironic situation. Mrs. Mallard can’t be condemned for her private joy; rather her reaction is to be pitied, when Mr. Mallard walks back to her life again, hale and hearty. I see this ironic situation takes the full circle in the life of Mrs. Mallard. The greatest irony is, her death as a broken hearted woman, not because Mr. Mallard is alive, but her newfound dream of freedom is snatched away from her. Symbolism is the second literary element that has been used with telling effect in the story. The the story is full of symbols. Mrs. Mallard, on receiving the news of the death of her husband, moves to another room to experience the

Film and Cinematography styles used in the Shawshank Redemption Essay

Film and Cinematography styles used in the Shawshank Redemption - Essay Example Since both the viewers and Red are oblivious of what Andy is thinking, the viewers get a clue about Andy via Red’s eyes. Red thinks that Andy intends to take his own life. The technique used here is such that the viewers are scheduled to think as Red does. They are meant to sail in the same belief boat that Red is planning to commit suicide. The story is structured in such a manner that makes the viewers develop care despite the fact that it revolves around criminal lives. In particular, the relationship between Andy Dufresne and Red illuminates great friendship, hope and most significantly redemption as indicated by the movie title. Andy confesses to Red about the crimes and wrongs he committed in the past and the price he had to pay for the crimes I prison. He proceeds to tell his friend about his dream of going to Mexico and establishing a charter boat business. Andy then escapes from the prison via a hole on the wall, which signifies his redemption. His hope never extingui shes. This is evident in scenes where he maintains hope about his innocence, receiving state funds someday to refurbish the dilapidated library, helping Tommy achieve his G.E.D and most notably, getting out of prison. The film features only one prison warden and Captain Hadley’s big roles at the prison serve to make the movie much more dramatic in the end. The character Andy symbolizes hope. He is an inspiration to both fellow inmates and guards. Through his achievements at the prison, handling the warden’s illegal money, he is given his own room, office and enjoys freedom by walking around the prison with no guards around him. This symbol of hope features throughout the movie, emphasizing about one of the main themes in the movie-hope. Many of Frank Darabont’s films usually revolve around characters attempting to find remedies for their predicaments. Even though he also does movies best categorized as horror or thriller

Human Resource Management and its Role in Managing the Employees of an Assignment

Human Resource Management and its Role in Managing the Employees of any Organization - Assignment Example Overall, the Human Resources department helps in organizing and deals with any issues related to compensation, safety, policies, wellness settlement, general administration, training and development. They are also expected to add value to the employees (Wikipedia, 2010) Health and safety law basically safeguard the welfare of employees and general public. The law holds the person, company or organization liable for any employee injured through accident at work or death of any employee. The Health and safety team can execute a criminal prosecution against the company which may result in penalty or imprisonment against the company management. The affected employee can also seek for damages in the civil court. (Wikipedia, 2010) Risk Management team to access the risks involved to the employees, customers, vendors who are affected by the activities performed inside the company premises. Protecting the health of other people against risks in connection with the activities performed by people at work. Having an effective leadership team and effective workforce management will help the organization in protecting and safeguarding the interest of the employees. The indispensable and critical principles are protecting the health and safety of the employees should be one of the main focuses of the risk management team in any organization. Health and Safety plays an integral and fundamental part of the organization’s success. Management, board members and the leadership team who do not show any focus in this area would never be able to achieve the highest achievement of health and safety management and should be penalized. Failure on the part of the management to incorporate health and safety as a key business risk can result in disastrous and appalling results to the organization. The law states that the leadership team will be personally and collectively liable in the event of a breach of these duties. (Health safety executive, n.d) The management should be held responsible and liable for violating the basic health and safety of the employees.

Lows Gully Essay Example for Free

Lows Gully Essay This case is about British Army adventurous training exercise to Low’s Gully in Borneo, Malaysia. The exercise was intended to build leadership skills and character in 10 volunteer soldiers. The task was to scale down a dangerous and untraversed gully, a 10 mile long chasm that served as drain for rainwater, using abseiling technique and then follow the river out of the jungle. This team was led by two British officers who recruited five soldiers from units in Great Britain and three Chinese soldiers stationed in the British Army’s Hong Kong Military Service Corps. The eight soldiers knew little or nothing about each other. In the face of adversity during the exercise, the participants separated into sub teams despite being individually trained by the army to work well with other soldiers and to follow the ‘golden rule for such expeditions never split up. † (Connaughton 1996). Participants easily could have lost their lives when the planned ten day exercise ended up lasting up to five weeks. Half of the group members actually accomplished the initial objective and the other half had to be rescued by a helicopter. All of them were in ill health and famished and some badly injured. The catastrophic failure also left them mentally scarred and two of them actually quit the army disillusioned or disgraced. Even though attempting to traverse an uncharted and hostile territory is bound to test any team dynamics, it was the leadership failures of Lt. Col Neil and Major Foster that amplified the adversity that faced the team. There were several misjudgments on the part of these two individuals that eroded the trust between the team members. Neil miscalculated the amount of rope required for abseils and was the major reason why the team split, leaving no avenue to regroup in case of adversity. Secondly, he purchased no walkie talkies in an effort to minimize the budget that resulted in lack of communication between the two split parties. Primary tools of communication such as maps, star charts and radio beacons to broadcast locations were also ignored. Another misjudgment on Neil’s part was to go ahead with the mission in the rainy season despite being warned by locals of the unpredictable weather and increased difficulty of scaling down the gully. Each misjudgment reflected the leader’s overconfidence in his judgment – ‘a cognitive bias’ called in literary circles that distorts managerial decision. Neil admits of being overambitious in his diary while he lay in the cave helpless awaiting rescue. As Mann, one of the soldiers put it, â€Å"these are two officers on their last great hurrah†. As these mistakes became evident on the course of the mission, the soldiers trust grew into mistrust of the leader’s abilities and judgments and finally led to a permanent group fracture. This erosion of trust was however gradual. There was a definite initial trust in the team due to communal common grounds. All the members were from the same organization i. e army and had gone through similar training and ethos. They also placed trust in the leader and his superior rock climbing certification and willing followed his instruction in the beginning. It was at a personal level that common ground failed to establish. The team realized early in the start the lack of benevolence on the leader’s part. When the officers ignored warnings from the locals about the harsh weather conditions, the soldiers felt it as inadequate concern for the well being of the rest of the team. Then integrity based doubts began to emerge when the team found out that the leaders were carrying rucksacks lighter than them. They also felt they had been misinformed about the actual difficulty of the task at the time of recruiting. When the Chinese soldiers were expressed their safety concerns, they were threatened rather than being motivated. Hence the initial communal trust failed to hold due to lack of lack of benevolence and integrity from the leaders. The trust turned transitioned into trust with apprehension but even the soldiers continued to follow the leader’s orders refraining from all out disobedience. The final breakdown in communication and permanent and physical split took place when the adversity of the course was at its peak. The group of 10 was split between the most physically fit and the others. Others included both the leaders. Physically fit were told to scale down the gully first and act as reconnaissance party for the others. After abseiling for several days till they reached a point of no return, Corporal Mayfield reported back to the Neil to make him aware of the situation. Neil did not heed to this warning once again and told the ‘recce’ party to go ahead and wait at the bottom. The ‘recce’ party proceeded hesitantly and waited for them at the bottom severely exhausted. When they ran out of rations they finally proceeded out of the woods leaving the group permanently split. The lack of proper communication was at fault when Neil failed to realize the gravity of the situation. As a leader in place of Col Neil, I would have avoided being overambitious and would have carefully assessed the difficulty of the exercise in great detail. Primarily because I was in charge of the safety of my team members and it was my responsibility to prepare them of the task which lay ahead. I would have paid special consideration to the advice of the locals who knew more about the terrain we are about to tread. The amount of rope needed for abseiling and the suitable weather for the task would have had my extreme focus. There will be no compromise on integrity on my part and would never fake my climbing certification to gain acceptance from the rest of the team. In terms of communication, I would have gathered equipment which let all members keep in touch in times of adversity. Radio beacon, walkie talkies and maps are important tools to avoid communication failure and a potential group split and I would make sure to accompany them. Also in order keep communication two ways with my junior team members I would have made sure Major Foster acted as my conduit to team members of my orders and let me know of any apprehensions my soldiers had. This is crucial to repair trust trepidation at its beginning and avoid it to lead to distrust. The information is easier to trickle down but there should be a mechanism where the information has to trickle up as well. This is the reason, as a leader, it is important to heed to junior team member’s assessment of ground and treat them as eyes and ears. Even though ‘recce’ party was established to do that, Neil never realized the gravity of the situation when abseiling the 1 mile gully. The possibility of a permanent split between the team at the gully would be inacceptable to me. Even though I think it is a wise idea to create subgroups with a team to achieve more efficiency, I have would make sure the subgroups consisted of members with complementary skills instead of similar ones. Separating the most physically fit members with the rest was fatal in the end and that is the reason why they accomplished and the weaker members failed.

Support and Care for Geriatric Issues

Support and Care for Geriatric Issues TASK I- Identify and critically analyse the kinds of support and access to community support services in Kindly Residential Care Rest Home clients with these types of geriatric problems may need. You are required to prepare a report for the next board meeting. Elderly patients who have degenerative diseases, specifically dementia, have the right to be involved with the decisions about their care, like for instance the medical interventions, nursing interventions, the kind and amount food that are given to them, the ambulation, the routine care, and the hospice care. When you ask for a consent to do examinations and medical interventions, you have to bare in mind that that the patient is able to manifest their ability to account the advantages and disadvantages of the decision. Whether or not an individual has the capacity to assimilate information , make a decision and accountable for the consequences of the decision is a clinical evaluation; it is not a question of legal capacity. Furthermore, persons with mild-to-moderate dementia are to make some decisions. They may be able to participate in decision making but impaired memory recall might preclude their ability to demonstrate that they understand the treatment options (Moye et al., 2004). Consequently, it is always better to discover the patient’s authentic wants, needs and preferences rather than to immediately resort to significant others or other teams to take over for decision making. Patients whose cognitive status is unclear or fluctuates need protection from two types of mistakes: first, mistakenly preventing capacitive patients from directing the course of their healthcare; second, failing to protect incapacitated patients from the harmful effects of their decisions (Sherry A. Greenberg, PhD(c) MSN, GNP-BC New York University College of Nursing, 2012). There is no criterion for capacity determination. A Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination score below 19 or above 23 is one proposed means to differentiate those with capacity from those who lack capacity for healthcare decision making (Karlawish et al., 2005). The patient’s ability to appreciate the consequences of a decision is a highly valued standard of decision making among healthcare professionals (Volicer Ganzini, 2003). However, there are also support organizations in New Zealand that caters health services to elderly with dementia. There are actually a lot of these organizations but I chose only 5 of them. The organizations are as follow: Alzheimers New Zealand Incorporated One of the non-for-profit organizations is the Alzheimers New Zealand Incorporated. It has 21 Alzheimers member organisations throughout the New Zealand which provides support, datas, learning programmes and services applicable within their affiliate environment. They intend to give information and recommend high standards of teaching and instruction for people with dementia, their carers and families and health professionals. They also look forward to the needs of the people with dementia with regards to their careers through provision of national advocacy and they also raise government awareness over them. In addition, they provide support to all member organisations, and most of all they give importance to the Treaty of Waitangi by developing a working relationship with MÄ ori in the provision of dementia services. SuperGold Card The SuperGold Card is like an ATM card as you can see it physically. It is not inserted through any machine but instead, this card gives discounts and concessions for veterans in New Zealand as a recognition of their contribution to the society. The SuperGold Card offers fa range of businesses like when you buy something in grocery stores, pharmacies or any other departments. This card also gives a reduced price for government privilege including public transportation and discounted services from local agency. Deaf Aotearoa The path to and promotion of New Zealand sign language is the main focus of this organisation. They promote awareness to elderly with hearing disability on how to use the accepted and universal sign language for them to communicate to other individuals. Deaf Aotearoa also helps impose the rights of deaf people. They also give the people the self-esteem to be an functional part of the general public. Deaf Aotearoa, like Alzheimers New Zealand Incorporated, is also a non-for-profit organisation. They are the only provider of services to Deaf people and gives information on a class of services, including legal counsel, learning opportunities and employment concerns in New Zealand. Service coordination, employment consultancy, equipment services, community relations and transition programmes are Deaf Aotearoa’s primary services. They also cater access to information and services, encourages Deaf New Zealanders to follow favorable circumstance that will enhance their lives, be self-reliant and to follow their dreams, facilitates ongoing scholastic analysis and provides measure for local and national government. They also boost for a better pathway to opportunities and services. 4. Age Concern Age Concern is dedicated to help or encourage individuals especially elderly to a better health and well being, their rights, admiration and nobility for aged people. Through a domestic office and a nationwide system of connection of 35 Age Concerns, they provide an act of helpful activity, facts and agency to older people in response to their needs. Their vision is to value older people and live in a comprehensive environment. This means that golden-aged people should be treated equally and that they live a quality of life where everyone is whole and benefit abundantly from the fullness of life. Though New Zealand hasnt achieved this yet, but they are doing their very best by conducting meetings and gatherings in order to uplift the standards of their organisation, as well as resolving some issues in connection with them. 5. Nelson Grey Power Association Nelson Grey Power is a hallway organization encouraging to promote the felicity and healthfulness of those people who reached 50 years old and above. Grey Power are publicized as â€Å"the voice of the over 50s† and have prosperously implemented to enhance the drivers licensing process for the senior citizens even those who aged 50 years old and above. In addition, Grey Power has enormous impact and influence in the Country (New Zealand) due to the countless number of senior citizens population. On the other hand, there are also service provisions that gives services and assists the elderly with dementia. Like for instance, the hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, independent living and early intervention. Hospitals all around New Zealand does not only cater help and remedy to those who are in pain, injured and sick. They also specialise and assist on some disorders like those who experiences dementia and other degenerative diseases that occur during aging. They have what they called dementia unit inside the hospital where they are being took good care of by the healthcare providers. These healthcare providers include the medical doctors who specialise dementia, nurses, healthcare assistants, medical technology and caregivers; all who keep in touch in course of managing the patients condition. These multidisciplinary team work hard to lessen the symptoms felt by the patient as this, dementia, really progresses badly. They treat every patient wholly and equally in any walks of life. Other establishments that provide services to the elderly are those in the Hospice. From the word hospice, it literally means a place that provides care for people who are dying. This is an adjunct or supplementary care given to those people whose living days can be counted by the fingers. Hospice gives patients and their significant support and care from an multidisciplinary team that includes experts in end-of-life care. Hospice interdisciplinary team are learned enough about common signs and symptoms that may happen in patients with severe Alzheimers disease. Nursing home is the common house for elderly in New Zealand. Due to various and loads of work for the productive-aged individuals, they tend to send their loved ones (ages 60 and above) to such nursing homes. Elderly sent at nursing home dont mean they are unable to do their daily routine. They are able but they need assistance of another person. That help can be done by their significant others or they can hire a caregiver at home, but, the setting inside the nursing home is very therapeutic to elderly most especially if they need other companions in their lives. The Early Intervention Service medical team gives central nationwide buildup and appointment to Tairawhiti, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Tairawhiti, Whanganui, Wairarapa and MidCentral, as well providing the medical services for District health board (Kapiti ,Wellington and Porirura) and Hutt District Health Board. The Early Intervention Service is an ‘Early Intervention in Psychosis’ assistance. This means that they helping young people who is experiencing psychosis. They also provide a assistance to people from aged 13 to 25 who are going through psychosis for the first time, or who have not received any treatment for such condition. Independent Living Service in New Zealand promotes self-worth for elderly. With this service provsion, they are being taught how to do their daily routine with some assistance. It is important that they are still able to do the activities of daily living so that they will feel how the world will value them, and that the community sees how vital their roles are in the society. TASK II- Identify the impacts on the relationships between these stakeholders provide alternative measures to support, minimise or remove the identified negative impacts. â€Å"Dementia; a Cancer?† Not all what you knew is true and correct. You know what dementia is, but you dont know the whole thing about it. Yes! you heard it right. There many mythical or unclear beliefs about the disease that produced into a Stigma. The way you treat a person with Dementia is so poor. It seems like a person is dying because he/she is having a Cancer. But that shouldnt be that way. There are some certain things you need to know about the disease. Due to these negative opinions that brought about by these normal people, it created a bad, big impact to those who are affected by such condition. Such stigma impacts are as follows: a. Social isolation of the individual and their family People who are affected with dementia should not feel isolated. They should be kept in touch with their loved ones and the world, especially with the community. Let them feel their self-worth thru giving them reasons why should they have to live in this world. Show to them how world and the community needs them and that you have valued a lot their contributions to our progressive country. b. Assumption of automatic lost of independence Elderly with Dementia should be treated fairly. They are not incapacity to treat them like a child. You can assist them with their daily activities in life like changing clothes, taking a bath or performing their necessities. Do not do everything on your own because they are still able, especially those who are in mild dementia and moderate dementia category. You can even assist them during decision making and determine their options so that you will know where to intervene. The first thing you have to remember when making a decision is always their safety and security. Unable to make decisions about own care When you say dementia, it has three categories. The mild, moderate and severe dementia. Elderly with mild and moderate dementia are able to make their own decisions but they should be guided. They are also trainable but you should always have an eye for them in order to be safe. d. Dissatisfying interactions with the medical community As normal individuals we should always have to remember that we are the functional system in the community as well as any other area we are. As a productive ones, we should always give favor to those who are not. Like the elderly with dementia, they are ill but they are still conscious about the environment. They are having hard times understanding about something but you should always bare in mind that you are there to assist them. As a healthcare provider, it is in your responsibility to be therapeutic to your patients. So you should remain to be in that way. No matter how bad the experience may be, you should always have to give them chance to interact with you. e. Uncertainty of support services and treatments Dementia is not a cancer and there are certain assistance, support and treatments to those who are affected by it. The notion of bring hopeless situation to those who are affected by it are just a hearsay. Never ever believe on it. You have to read more about dementia and you can merely conclude the truth about the disease on your own. One day you will realize that the the things you knew your good at might be wrong. Reading is a good hobby, and a hobby will become an excellent habit. The best teacher is ourselves alone; learn it from your experience and relate it with your intelligence. Recommendation â€Å"Prevention is better than cure† I would like to recommend this work to everyone since having dementia can occur in an early stage of life. To prevent such disease, we should always bare in mind the things that we are doing right now, if these things can contribute to this degenerative diseases and how can we, as individuals, prevent these degenerative diseases. I specifically recommend this to the secondary students, because this is the stage in life where the act of bullying is more common. This is to help them prevent such act and will also help them understand what dementia is really all about, and if they happen to see elderly in the community who wanders every time, they wont be that surprised to see it in actual setting. On the other hand, I also would like to recommend my work to the adults so that they will be knowledgeable enough about the disease. We are also going through the same pathway as our elderly have been before, and they may be experiencing such degenerative disease in the future. I also would like this to be read by health professionals like the nurses, healthcare assistants down to caregivers who are working in an establishments where heaps of patients are affected by such condition. Conclusion Generally speaking, Dementia can happen to anyone. It doesnt choose people. Even rich people can be affected by such disease as we aged. We have to be mindful of the things around us. We all have to work hand in hand for our treasures (elderly) in life. The better way to make life harmonious to live is to accept and love more our grandmothers and grandfathers. We have to take good care of them and respect them as much as we respect ourselves, so that we will receive the same amount and may be more about the things we want to receive in the future, as we aged. Bibliography WHO (1990). Dementia: a public health priority. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/dementia_report_2012/en/ Joan M. Erikson (1998). The Generational Link. The Life Cycle Completed Extended Version, pages 66-71 Alzheimers New Zealand (2012). What is Dementia?. Retrieved from http://www.alzheimers.org.nz/about-dementia/what-is-dementia

Recommendations for Healthcare Worker Health and Safety

Recommendations for Healthcare Worker Health and Safety Liz Rushe Comprehensive plan and aims Outline the aims of the assignment and background details of the setting My name is Elizabeth Rushe, I am currently doing a healthcare QQI awards course, as part of my course work and assignments, and I have to do some work experience, in a nursing home setting, for sixty hours. I applied in Riada House in Tullamore Before I started my work experience, I had to apply in writing, for the work experience and sent in my cv along with my guards clearance and my insurance letter, two references, when I had all the paper work in order I had to set up a meeting with the manger, to meet with them and see, when I could start doing my work experience. I met with the manager her name was Geraldine, she was very nice and made me feel very welcome, and she asked me all about the course and asked did I like it. Geraldine said that they do have a lot of students doing work experience in the setting, we talked about when I would start and what I needed to wear, which was a black trouser and polo shirt. I asked her about the setting, she told me that there were 35 bedded units, consisting of 6 respite care and 29 long term care beds. The care team at Riada House aim to provide high quality, person centred care within a supportive, homely and welcoming environment. The care team aim to promote independence and residents choices. The rights and dignity of each resident will be respected at all times. I thanked Geraldine for her taking the time for meeting me and that I look forward, to starting my work experience there and that I would see her on the date that I was starting on, as I walked up the hall to the main door, any staff members that I met, they all smile and said hello, as I met them, which tell me that this is a nice place. Liz Rushe Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace Noise and sound HAZARDS As a healthcare assistant, working with noise and loud can cause stress for both patients and the healthcare assistant, especially on a long shift. Patients are not able to get a full night sleep, as they may have waked up shortly are falling asleep and too tried to get up the next day. As someone has the radio or television up a bit too high, or a staff member letting something fall in the middle of the night that might have made a loud noise. RISK Loud and distracting sounds and noises can interfere with the healthcare assistant duties, as this can distract them and not concentrate on the patient that they are attending, which puts the patient at risk. CONTROL MEASURES Make sure that all televisions and radio are turn off or turn down low after 8pm in the evening and that all the ward doors are closed to help aid a good night sleep.   That all staff are wearing low and comfortable footwear, (cushions souls). Liz Rushe Stress HAZARDS If the healthcare assistant is under or feeling stress in the workplace, this can cause physical and mental health problems and up set to them,   this can cause them to be distracted in their work and not having their minds fully on their job, this could result in putting the patient, other members of staff and them selves at risk. This   may lead to the healthcare assistant been absence for work, this can lead to more problems for the healthcare assistant, as they are out of work, they are not getting their full wages. RISKS The healthcare assistant can start to have problems, such as high blood pressure, skin problems (eczema, rash), the healthcare assistant can have disturbed sleep, which will affect them carry out their daily duties and this can affect their confidence in their work. The healthcare assistant can take to drugs, alcohol, or even develop an ulcer from worrying, which can also lead to hair loss or going grey. If the healthcare assistant is on any medical, or coming into work after taking drugs or alcohol, this could affect them in their work environment CONTROL MEASURES Taking up daily exercise, as getting out in the fresh air can help your mood; also as you are walking, they might find it can tell them to talk to another person about what is going on in their lives. Going to their manger and having a talk with them, might the only thing that they have to do to fit the problem, that they are having and if not it might be the first steps that they take to putting it right. Liz Rushe Diet, exercise and lifestyle HAZARDS Having a good lifestyle, might not always be a good thing, if we do not take any exercise at all, this could affect the healthcare assistant, in their daily work. Taking daily exercise is one of the key in fighting and preventing heart disease, depression and anxiety.   Going for a walk can help change your mood, after a bad day at work or just help clear your head, if anything was worry you, if they are getting it hard to focus on their job, which can lead to bad judgment. A well balance diet can help too, this can start feeling good on the inside, and this diet must contain, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, mineral, salts and fibre, plus some fat. RISKS If something is wrong at work, this can affect the healthcare worker, judgement and choices that they made about each patient. If they are not concentrating on what they are doing, they can easily mix up mediation. By not taking exercise can be the cause of back pain, other injury, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or type two diabetes, depression. CONTROL MEASURES Regular physical exercise is great; taking 20 30 minutes, three times a week will help improve our physical and mental health.   Reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. having a well balance diet, can help us feel good, this also helps   our bladder and bowl keep in working order, penalty of roughage dose help. A few drink free nights together and giving up smoking will improve the healthcare worker chance of living long and fitter as well. Liz Rushe Dangerous chemicals, fumes and dust HAZARDS The healthcare assistant should always read the labels on all chemicals, before use, and never mix any chemicals together. All chemicals are dangerous and need to be treated with care, as the can catch fire or cause some long term health problems for the healthcare worker. If chemicals get on the skin, this may cause skin irritation, chest problems, as the fumes can be dangerous. RISKS The healthcare assistant could be out of work for a long time, due to inhaling fumes that have cause chest problems, or skin irritation. If not stored properly, some chemicals can catch fire, which could lead to someone getting buried. CONTROL MEASURES All chemicals must be labelled clearing, that everyone knows what the are and how to use them, store away in a locked and safe area or cupboard. Good housekeeping is always top of the list, as damp dusting, will help keep down dust that can lead to health problems. All ways wear PPE, gloves, mask, and apron when dealing with any chemicals. Never put any chemicals into minerals bottles at ant time. Liz Rushe Occupational related illness HAZARDS People and patients coughing or sneezing on you, passing their germs to you. It is important that healthcare assistants always follow policy and procedures, by wearing PPE, gloves, aprons etc. The healthcare worker should report anything that they see, that could cause a hazard, such as wet floor, this could cause someone to fall or slip, which could result in the person been injury. RISKS Bad house keeping can cause a risk, such as air borne bugs (dust), spills that occur, if not clean up straight away, can result in slipping or falling, which lead to that person been out of work (back injury). Steps could be highlighted for safety if in a dark area, also keep all hall ways clear of any equipment or boxes. CONTROL MEASURES If the   healthcare assistant is not trained in the right control measures, they should look to be trained, and it is important that the healthcare worker, maintain a good standard of house keeping, spraying door handles, hand rails, good hand washing, and report any defects that they see, on equipment, or in the wards. Liz Rushe Manual handing HAZARDS If the healthcare assistant is not trained probably in moving, or lifting patients in a hoist, this could result, in the healthcare assistant or patient getting hurt. Always use the slip sheet, instead of pulling the patient up the bed by hand. Not wearing the right footwear, can be a hazard, wearing non slip soles and comfortable can help been on your feet all day and reduce back injury. RISKS If the task needs two people, the healthcare assistant must not attempt, to do this by themselves, as this could result in the patient or the healthcare assistant getting hurt. Never lift by them as this could lead to the healthcare assistant been out of work, due to back injury, always using a hoist. CONTROL MEASURES The healthcare assistant must make sure before using any equipment, that it is in good working order and report it if needs attention and always be in the correct standing position before moving anyone. Make sure that before moving or changing the patient, that you have everything that is needed; it is too late half way through. The healthcare assistant must give themselves penalty of room in moving a patient and not wearing clothes that could restrict their movement. Liz Rushe Select one occupational related illness and give a detailed description of CAUSES Back injury is the most common injury in the healthcare sector, along with contacts with germs, falls, trips, and slips on wet floors. As the healthcare assistant goes about their daily duties, it is important for them to follow policy and procedures, to reduce the risk of injury to themselves or patients. By not using a hoist when lifting a patient into or out of a bed, chair or if need be into the toilet, there will be a pulling on the back. The healthcare assistant who does not take care, when picking up, putting down any such items as boxes, etc. Not using the slip sheet, when moving a patient up in the bed and pulling them up using their own arms. When making or changing a bed, the healthcare assistant must always raise the bed up to hip level, before starting this task, as this can reduce the risk of back injury. When showering a patient do not lift them, with another assistant, use a hoist to lift them into the shower bed or onto a chair to wheel them into the bathroom. When feeding a patient sit down beside them at their level and do not stand, bend down over them. When changing a patient in the bed, bending over the patient, can lead to back discomfort and after doing this for a length of time, will cause back injury. Liz Rushe Symptoms As the healthcare assistant goes about their daily duties, they may find that not using their manual handing properly   and lifting patients, with their arms   and pulling them up in the beds and chairs that now they are suffering with back pain and discomfort. They may feel tried and not able to do much around the house. This may start to affect the ability to do their normal work duties and affect their home life as well and if this is not look after, might lead to been out of work, for a long time. The healthcare assistant must watch out for things left out in hall ways, as they can fall over them and hurt their backs and walking into rooms, after been cleaned, as the floors might be still wet and they can slip and fall. As the healthcare assistant finds that the simple thing of rolling a patient over in the bed, can hurt them, as this could be the result of wear and tear over a period of time. This can also lead to the healthcare assistant to start getting pains in their, legs, arms and neck as the injury gets worst. The healthcare assistant may have to, leave work and go to the doctor, which could lead to been out of work for long periods of time. Liz Rushe Impact on the worker The impact on the healthcare assistant was out of work, due to wear and tear, or a fall, can have big effect on their lives. If they are out of work, they might not be able to do anything at home, such as hover, wash a floor or other basic things and this could start them feeling down in them selves. As they sit at home the healthcare assistant, could start to eat to much as that all they can do or turn away from food, as they get more and more depressed. Their sleep might be affect, which could lead to been up during the night and asleep all day, which could lead to the person been moody. Along with this, their wages might be affect, which will bring other problems with it, such as doctor bills, any medication that they might have to get, plus if they have to see a physiotherapy, this can start to add up and not been on full wages , can become expensive. This may cause the healthcare assistant to become stress and depress, as financial problems may start to arise.   As the healthcare assistant is at home, they might not see anyone until their family comes home, which this can be lonely on the person. They should try and get out for a walk every day even if they can not go very far, as they will meet someone along the way to talk to them. Liz Rushe Preventative measures It is the healthcare assistant responsibility to be trained fully in manual handing and if not go to the staff nurse or manger to request that this is done.   The healthcare assistant must always follow what they have been shown, through manual handing, as this dose prevent a lot of injury. The healthcare assistant must report any faults in the setting or any equipment that needs to be repaired. Suitable footwear can help, as been on your feet all day can affect your back. Put manual handing into use, by bending your knees when bending and lifting any boxes and always use correct stand, when moving a patient, use your legs to take some of the pressure. Regular exercise can help prevent, some back injury and getting patients who are able to move, to get them to do most of the moving themselves, where possible. Always use the hoist, when lifting or moving a patient to a chair, toilet, shower or bed and never lift anyone by yourself, always have someone with you to assess. When moving a patient up in the bed, always use a slip sheet and never pull a patient up with your arms. Bring the bed up to hip high, when changing the bed or a patient, as the healthcare assistant will not have to bend over, and there for reduce the pull to the assistant back area. When feeding a patient, sit down beside them at their level, so you do not have to bend over them or reach to them. Liz Rushe Recommendations One of my recommendations would be that all healthcare staff, trained in manual handing, before the start the job, and any up date training to be done, for all staff in the setting.   As lifting without a hoist can be dangerous, also that all staff that have anything to do with changing, feeding or looking after the patients. Follow policy and procedures correctly, as this can stop injury to the patient and healthcare assistant. I also recommendations that all staff and students shown how to steer, and walk slowly with a wheelchair, especially around corners. I recommend that all staff wear appropriate foot wear (cushion souls), as I think that this dose helps with back problems. All healthcare staff should their PPE personal protective equipment, gloves, aprons, masks, when dealing with any patients that soiled or any body fluids. For all staff to use the hand gel, as many times as they can during the day, as this is better than hand washing, in killing more germs. All nurses, healthcare assistants, cleaning staff to report anything that they find in the wards, hallways or other parts of the setting that is in need of repair, as this can cause an accident or maybe become a risk for someone. As good communication between staff and manger, is especially to keep everything running smoothly. Liz Rushe Assignment evaluation As part of my assignment, I had to go work experience, in a nursing home setting, as I started this course and doing my work experience, I have learned so much about policies and procedures, health and safety, that following them is very important. I have learned how much care and attention the patients need on a daily basic and this is given to them, by all the staff with kindness and respect. Staff must follow the health and safety policy and procedures, to ensure that everyone is working in safe environment. I have learned that all staff must do everything they can   to prevent the spread of infection and that staff that are dealing with patient of high risk are taking appropriate measures, such as hand washing, hand gel and wearing PPE at all times. When changing a bed, to have the laundry trolley beside the bed and not to bring the dirty sheets to the trolley, in another room.

Spinal Stenosis Essays -- Disease/Disorders

The spine is made up of bones known as the vertebrae which are each separated by discs that serve to reduce the impact that movement may have on the spinal column thus acting as a movable support structure. The spine is made up of seven vertebrae in the neck known as the cervical spine, twelve vertebrae in the mid-back known as the thoracic spine and 5 vertebrae in the low back known as the lumbar spine. There is a hollow space that runs down the middle of each vertebra that contains the spinal cord known as the spinal canal. The spinal nerves exit the spinal canal via the intervertebral foramen. It is imperative that these canals maintain enough room to support the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Spinal stenosis occurs when the canals narrow causing irritation or pressure on the spinal cord or the spinal nerves, depending on which area of the spine is affected. As the canals narrow, there is less space for the spinal cord and nerves to move without restraint. Spinal stenosis is a de generative condition that can occur in any area of the spine, although it is most prevalent in the lumbar area. Lumbar spinal stenosis is a reduction in the dimension of the central or lateral lumbar spinal canal that occurs most frequently as a result of chronic degenerative changes (Celik et al., 2012). The narrowing may be caused by either congenital or acquired etiologies, or in some rare cases, both. Congenital stenosis is also known as primary stenosis which occurs during postnatal development meaning it is seen at birth. Acquired stenosis or secondary stenosis occurs after the normal development of the spine in which the narrowing occurs due to an acquired condition such as degenerative stenosis, spinal instability or trauma. As the aged po... ...udy of a clinical diagnosis support tool for lumbar spinal stenosis. Journal of orthopaedic science : official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association 14, 711-718. Landi, A., Tarantino, R., Marotta, N., Ruggeri, A.G., Domenicucci, M., Giudice, L., Martini, S., Rastelli, M., Ferrazza, G., De Luca, N., et al. (2011). The use of platelet gel in postero-lateral fusion: preliminary results in a series of 14 cases. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society 20 Suppl 1, S61-67. Miyakoshi, N., Hongo, M., Kasukawa, Y., Ishikawa, Y., and Shimada, Y. (2011). Prevalence, Spinal Alignment, and Mobility of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with or without Chronic Low Back Pain: A Community-Dwelling Study. Pain research and treatment 2011, 340629.

About Hajj :: Papers

About Hajj A Muslim is obliged once in their lifetime ,by their religion along with their own will, to take a pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. This pilgrimage is called Hajj and is an amazing journey that is done for a definite purpose. It is part of the Five Pillars of Islam that is the basis of the entire religion making it obligatory. Through completing Hajj, a Muslim can begin to feel closer to Allah (Islam's God) and experience inner fulfilment. Hajj must be done for the right reasons, "it is for the glory of Allah not for the glory of the person making the journey." Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place', it's a journey with rites and rituals along the way. The Qu'ran calls Muslims to 'complete the Hajj or Umrah in the service of Allah'. For generations, the journey a Muslim takes has always started in Makkah. This place is sacred because in 10AH, 632 CE, Muslim's believe that Muhammad (pbuh)- Islam's most famous prophet - performed Hajj with 1400 of his followers because Allah instructed him to. He also lived and preached in Makkah during his lifetime. Since Muhammad's pilgrimage, Makkah has been sacred to all Muslim's. They want to follow in the footsteps of Muhammad and the prophets Adam, Ibrahim and Isma'il as they believe that Allah is there to guide them through life just as he guided the prophets. Makkah is classed as Holy Ground and people go there to change their life as they wash away their sins. They believe that Hajj and Makkah makes them a better person. Hajj must take place at certain times because of its historic roots. It is to be taken place between 8 and 13 Dhu'l Hijjah, the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. If a Muslim journeys at another time, it's known as 'Umrah' (a lesser pilgrimage that can be taken at any time). The significance of this journey isn't as great as Hajj and the journey isn't counted as a completion of the fifth pillar.

Fiji Water

Introduction FIJI Water LLC is a U. S. based company, that market its famous brand in more than a dozen countries out of its bottling plant located in the Fiji Islands. The product concept was developed in the early nineties by David Gilmour, the Canadian-born owner and founder of Fiji’s renowned Wakaya Island Resort. 1 As of 2008, FIJI Water marketed its bottled mineral water in about a dozen countries in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It was marketed as FIJI Natural Mineral Water in Europe and as FIJI Natural Spring Water in Australia.The two main markets for the product were the United States and Australia. At the same time, the company’s relationships with the Fiji government were at the lowest point. The government accused FIJI Water of transfer price manipulations and seized hundreds of containers carrying FIJI brand. The company’s tax- free concession granted by the Fiji government for 13 years in 1995came to an end in October 2008 and th e company will be required to pay corporate tax in Fiji. The new water resource tax, although much lower than the draconian 20-cents-a-litre excise, still will adding about FIJI$1 million to its cost every year.In other hand, the company was making efforts to live up to its good corporate citizenship claim by focusing on its contributions to the local communities. In the following report you will find my selected analysis of the FIJI Water Case Study. I have chosen to respond to Question 2: What factors contributed to the marketing success of FIJI Water? And Question 5: Are the FIJI government's concerns about the â€Å"negative† contribution of the FIJI Water to the local environment justified?Does the company do enough to improve its relations with the FIJI government and the local community? What else should it do to improve those relations? What factors contributed to the marketing success of FIJI Water? 1 James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"Natural Waters of Viti Limite d-Pioneering a New Industry in the Fiji Islands,† Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 9:2,2003 (Special Edition on Management Case). FIJI Water’s International Market Expansion FIJI Water global trends in bottled water consumption and demand were very important.Since more than 90 per cent of all the FIJI Water was exported, the sales of FIJI Water in the domestic market were very small. In 2007, Eurpoe and North America were the biggest regional markets for bottled water, accounting for 30. 9 and 30. 7 per cent of the world’s sales volume, respectively. Asia accounted for 24. 3 per cent and the rest of the world accounted for 14. 1 per cent. 2 FIJI Water had made its strategy revolve around capturing international market opportunities and strongly positioning the brand in large and growing markets for bottled water.Conquering the U. S. Market The United States is the very first and important international market that FIJI Water launch ed. Due to its light mineralization, FIJI Water was characterized by a smooth taste and no aftertaste. The light mineralization also gave the water a clean, pure taste. Many U. S. consumers instantly liked the taste of the water and, having tried it, repurchased the product in preference to the more mineralized waters. Also the company continued to educate the consumer about main advantages over other bottled water brands. 3The successful marketing equation plays an important role in the product content. One of the important elements was packaging. The packaging is the first thing that comes to the customer’s eye. For many years, all bottles containing natural water were the same—round, with paper labels. Packaging, one of the most fundamental ways to differentiate a product, was not used as such a toll in bottled water markets. Over the last decade, both companies and consumers had discovered the power of packaging in bottled water brand positioning and imagery.Simila rly to packaging, FIJI Water’s price was higher than that of most brands offered to U. S. consumer; people all believe that a premium-price policy reinforced the product’s high-quality image. Another important factor that had contributed to FIJI Water’s success in the U. S. market was its distribution. Having good distributors was important in that it enabled the brand to be well placed in and readily available to the market. Building an image of the high quality, uniqueness and class of the product was another aspect of this successful marketing campaign.The successful launch of FIJI Water in the United States was attributed to a skilful marketing strategy and the high quality of the people who drove the initial marketing campaign. 4 The company made people believes that FIJI Water was much more than just pure, good-testing liquid; it was also a promise of good health, refinement, status, and exclusivity. It evoked images of unspoiled natural beauty and purity. It was a tropical paradise captured in a bottle. 2 â€Å"The Global Bottled Water Market. Report 2007,† Beverage Marketing Corporation, January 2008. www. fijiwater. com. 4 Paul Yavala, â€Å"Fiji Water Travels,† The Fiji Times, November 2000, P. 4. Relations with the FIJI Government The â€Å"negative† contribution to the local environment—Tax Issues Fiji Water appeared to provide little direct benefits to government revenue because of the tax-free status granted by earlier governments The success of FIJI Water was very evident to all citizens of Fiji as they observed the large number of trucks transporting containers of bottled water to the ports of Lautoka and Suva using the Queens highway.One could argue that the damage caused to the national roads and bridges by the huge number of heavily laden trucks carrying FIJI Water might have exceeded the road and fuel tax, and that the citizens of Fiji were subsidizing FIJI Water. Based on FIJI Water’s export levels, the new export tax would result in the company paying many millions to the government coffers. In 2006, FIJI Water exported 119,000,000 litres of bottled water to the United States. Appling a tax of 20-cents-per-litre, FIJI Water will be paying the government FJ$24 million just for its exports to one market. FIJI Water and the nine other companies immediately mounted a campaign against the new tax. They first threatened to cease production and to lay workers off. They argued that this sudden decision by the Cabinet was made without thorough analysis of the economic costs and benefits. They also pointed out that it would undermine the government’s economic development strategy that was based on increasing the level of investment and export-oriented growth. A critical issue was the likely impact of this new tax on both foreign and local investment.Behind the scenes, the bottlers were very active in seeking the support of the media and key decision makers, trade unions, village leaders and local chiefs as well as lobbying interim ministers and members of the Military Council. On July25, 2008, the Fiji government made an announcement that it had decided to drop the new tax. Immediately after the announcement of the repeal of the tax, the major bottled water-exporting companies resumed production and re-employed the hundreds of workers who had been laid off. 0 In November 2008, the Fiji government re-introduced the disputed water tax as part of the 2009 budget in a different form. It was called â€Å"water resource tax† and was progressive depending on the amount of water extracted. FIJI Water’s tax-free concession granted by the Fiji government for 13 years in 1995 came to an end in October 2008, and the company will be required to pay corporate tax in Fiji. The new water resource tax, although, much lower than the draconian 20-cents-a-litre excise, is nevertheless likely to erode the company’s profitability by adding ab out FJ$1 million to its costs every year.This is expected to coincide with a slow-down of growth or even stagnation of FIJI Water sales in its main markets due to the global recession. 5 FIRCA Press Release, July 21,2008, www,frca,org,fj/docs/firca/press_release/Press Release 21. 07. pdf Transfer Pricing In January 2008, the government became concerned that FIJI Water was engaging in transfer price manipulations, selling the water shipments produced in Fiji at a very low price to the company headquarters in Los Angeles.A press release by FIRCA, issued in January 2008, noted that FIJI Water had received advice from international law firm Baker ; McKenzie, which conducted an economic study on transfer pricing and declared what the company was doing in Fiji was fair. FIRCA rejected the claim by stating that: â€Å"FIRCA will not passively accept the verdict of Baker ; McKenzie without itself having access to the information on which same is based, and to the instructions on which same is based, and without the opportunity to conduct its own transfer pricing study based on such matters and upon the profitability of Natural Waters of Viti Limited. 6 Relations with the local community Establishing and maintaining good relations with the five neighboring Fijian villages that were the traditional landowners of the Yaqara basin, where the bottling plant was located is very important. FIJI Water had established an excellent work environment with good interpersonal relationships among the workforce. In other hand the company also supported children’s education, provided the pre-schools with equipment, educational material, teacher training and other support.In March 2002, the company voluntarily established an independently administrated community development trust fund and allocated FJ$275,000 to it. The Trust provided founds for developing the infrastructure, expertise and skills needed to supply clean, safe and sustainable water to more than 100 communities, s chools, health centers and nursing stations throughout Fiji. 7 Maintaining good relations with the Fiji government will be vital. A series of ads sponsored by FIJI Water, placed in the popular daily Fiji Times in late 2008 and early 2009, was focused on letting the public and the overnment knows how good a corporate citizen the company is. The ads highlighted FIJI Water’s contribution to creating new jobs, improving education and raising standards of living in Fiji. FIJI Water was making efforts to live up to its good corporate citizenship claim. But is it enough to dispel government officials’ and ordinary citizens’ doubts about FIJI Water’s positive contribution to the local economy and community? 6 â€Å"Press Release,† Fiji Islands Revenue ; Customs Authority, January 11, 2008, p. 3. 7 www. fijiwater. com

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 19

Ella The next day is lighter somehow, like I've been buried in the sand and someone has finally dug me out. Micha seems happier too, although I can tell he's still hurting, so I work on keeping his mind distracted. â€Å"So what did you do to it?† I ask Micha as I circle the back end of his car with my hands on my hips, taking in the scratches and dings in the black paint, which look worse in the sunlight. â€Å"I took it for a very intense joy ride.† A lazy grin stretches across his face as he puts his head beneath the hood to examine the engine. I plant my butt on the edge where he's working and cross my leg over my knee. â€Å"At least tell me you won? And that the scratches and dings were totally worth it.† â€Å"Of course. They're always worth it,† he says with a hidden meaning that only the two of us could ever understand. Gripping the edge, I lean back over the engine and give him a peck on the cheek. He grins, tosses a greasy rag onto the ground, and pinches my ass. A squeak comes out of my mouth as I jump from the pinch and fall toward the engine. Pushing myself back up, I get grease all over my arms and backside. I hop off the hood, trying to clean the grease off with my hands, but it's only making a bigger mess. Micha laughs at me as he retrieves a new tool box from the top shelf. â€Å"That's a good look for you.† I stick out my tongue and turn to leave. â€Å"Where are you going?† he asks. I hold up my greasy hands. â€Å"Thanks to you, I have to go take a shower and wash my clothes.† A wicked look dances in his eyes. â€Å"I have grease all over me to. I think I may need to come in there with you.† My stomach flips thinking about last night. I keep backing up toward my house with my eyes on him. â€Å"I'll tell you what. If you can catch me, you can shower with me.† His eyes scroll my body as he sucks his lip ring in between his teeth. â€Å"Is that a challenge, pretty girl?† I try not to smile as I exit the garage into the sunlight, but it's too much and my lips turn upward. I take off toward my house and his footsteps head after me. I jump the fence gracefully, but by the time I reach the back door, his arms are circling my waist. He spins me around and picks me up effortlessly. Hooking my legs around his waist, he opens the door and gets us into the kitchen. He glances around the room and cocks an eyebrow. â€Å"Is Lila here?† I shake my head slowly. â€Å"She's with Ethan.† â€Å"What about your dad?† â€Å"He went to work.† His aqua eyes darken and I can't help but kiss him. I feel him walking, traveling somewhere as our tongues entwine together. I run my fingers through his hair grabbing onto as much of him as possible, shutting my fear away and basking in the moment. Without breaking his lips away from mine, he carries me into the downstairs bathroom. When I hear the shower water turn on, I pull my lips away from his. Before I can ask what he's doing, he sets me down underneath the warm water. I let out a scream as my clothes are drenched. â€Å"See, this way you're washing your clothes and taking a shower at the same time.† He grins and tips the showerhead down so it hits more of me. I seize the front of his T-shirt and yank him forward, so he stumbles into the running water. He braces his hands on the walls, and water sprays over his hair and drips down his face. I smile at him innocently and allow the water to stream down my body. â€Å"Now you're all clean too.† He shakes his head, then shoves away from the wall and jumps all the way into the shower with me. He shuts the curtain and seals us inside the steam. His jeans and T-shirt are sopping wet and beads of water drip into his eyes. I run my hand across his forehead over a spot of grease and then through his hair. He aims the shower head down on me and I tip my head back into the flow. He combs his fingers through my hair sensually and his other hand comes down on the wall behind me as he gathers some of my hair into his hand. Pulling at the roots, he leads me toward him for a deep, watery kiss. Steam surrounds us and makes the passion inside my body ignite. Panic starts screaming inside my head, but I tell it to shut up and suck the water off his lips as I find the bottom of his shirt to lift it over his head. He pulls back and helps me out, slipping it off and tossing it to the side, instantly reuniting his lips with mine. My fingers trace along the lines of his muscles and the pattern of the tattoo on his rib cage; the lyrics to the first song he ever wrote. His hands explore my hips, my waist, then up my shirt. Finally, I just take it off for him and then he unhooks my bra. Our bare chests crash together as we continue to kiss underneath the hot water. Minutes later, the rest of our clothes are in a pile by our feet and I can hardly think straight. The way he touches me, kisses me – nothing has ever felt like this before. He sucks on my breast and licks the water off my skin on my bare stomach, continuing to go down until his tongue finds the right spot. I fall back against the wall as a scream claws up my throat and I lose total control over my body. This time I don't mind. Micha After Ella comes apart, I turn the water off and grab a towel off the hook. She raises her arms above her head, keeping her eyes on me as I wrap the towel around her. â€Å"What?† I ask her, because I can tell she's thinking deeply about something. â€Å"Nothing.† She shrugs casually, but her cheeks turn a little pink. â€Å"It's just that if I would have known all along that it felt that good, I probably wouldn't have fought it so hard.† â€Å"Well, I'm glad you think I'm that good,† I tease her snatching another towel and tying it around my waist. She nibbles on her lip apprehensively as she crosses her arms and rests back against the wall. â€Å"Alright, pretty girl,† I demand. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† She lets her lip pop free. â€Å"It just doesn't seem fair that I'm the one that gets to have all the fun.† I try not to get too excited, because let's face it, she's a runner. â€Å"I'm sure I'll have plenty of fun by myself later.† She reaches forward hesitantly and yanks the towel off my waist. â€Å"That was smooth,† I say, gripping the edge of the counter, fighting to stay calm. Her eyes travel over my body. â€Å"I learned from the best.† She runs her fingers softly along my swollen cock, making me harder than I already am. â€Å"Fuck, Ella,† I say, leaning back against the door and letting go. Ella I have no idea what the hell came over me and I'm not going to over analyze it. I can finally breathe again and that's all that matters. Letting things take their course might be exactly what we both need. Micha wraps a towel around his waist looking happier than I've ever seen him. He kisses me, sucking my bottom lip gently into his mouth, before pulling away and staring into my eyes. â€Å"You're so beautiful.† Smiling, I stare down at our wet clothes balled up in the corner. â€Å"Now what do we do?† He licks his lips and braces his hands on the wall, trapping my head between his arms. â€Å"We could do it again.† I swat his chest, pretending that he's being silly, even though I do want to do it again. â€Å"I mean how do we get out of here? Our clothes are soaking wet and I'm not putting mine back on.† He shrugs and leans away. â€Å"No one's home so keep the towel on you and run upstairs.† I eye over his lean chest. â€Å"Yeah, but what about you?† â€Å"You can go get me some clothes after you get dressed†¦ if you want to.† His lips tug into a flirty grin. I start to say something, but the back door slams shut and Lila and Ethan's voices float from the kitchen. â€Å"Well, there goes that plan,† Micha says with laughter in his tone. I tighten the towel around me and we wait for them to leave, but after a while, it's clear they're not going anywhere. â€Å"I'll go out there,† Micha says and heads for the door. I pull him back by the arm. â€Å"You're in a towel.† â€Å"Obviously.† â€Å"But they'll see you and know something was up.† He cocks his head to the side, his eyes scrutinizing me. â€Å"Is that a bad thing?† I hug my arms around myself. â€Å"No, it's just that†¦ what are we going to tell them we were doing?† â€Å"I'm sure they'll figure it out,† he says. â€Å"Why is this upsetting you?† â€Å"It's not,† I reply, deciding to just be honest. â€Å"It's just that†¦ this is like the realest thing I've had in a long time and it scares me a bit.† He tucks a strand of my damp hair out of my eyes. â€Å"I know it does, but you'll be okay – we'll be okay.† I nod quickly and then move away from the wall, straightening my shoulders. â€Å"Are you coming back after you change?† He plants a kiss on my forehead. â€Å"Where else would I go?† I move out of his way and he walks out the door in his towel, like he's not embarrassed at all. He leaves the door cracked behind him and seconds later I hear the sound of Lila's shocked voice followed by the laughter of Ethan. A few seconds later footsteps head my way. â€Å"Oh Ella,† Lila says through the crack in the door. â€Å"Can I come in?† Holding the towel on, I open the door about half way. â€Å"Could you go get me some clothes, please? Mine are soaking wet.† She covers her mouth, stifling her laughter. â€Å"Sure. I'll be right back.† She comes back with a pair of red shorts and a grey tank top. I get dressed and we meet Micha and Ethan out in the garage. Micha's wearing a pair of loose fitted jeans and his favorite Pink Floyd t-shirt, and he tries not to smirk when he sees me, but Ethan doesn't hold back. â€Å"Have fun this morning?† he asks me and I punch him in the arm. â€Å"Ow,† he fakes hurt and then glances down at the engine. â€Å"Dude, you ripped this thing to shit. What the fuck did you do to it?† â€Å"I took it down to Taylor Bay and drag raced it,† he says with a shrug. â€Å"I guess I pushed it too hard.† â€Å"Then where'd the dents come from?† I question, peering underneath the hood. â€Å"I had an unfortunate run in with another car,† he says, with a twinkle in his eye as he captures my gaze. â€Å"But I still won.† Ethan sighs and slams the hood shut. â€Å"Get in and we'll take it to the shop.† We pile into the car and Micha drives it up on the grass to maneuver it around Ethan's truck parked in the center of the driveway. We drive down the road toward the shop holding hands over the console, listening to Lila and Ethan chat about their day, something so simple, but so meaningful. When Micha pauses at a stop sign, Mikey's cherry red Camaro rolls up to the side of us. He points at Micha's car and then one of his friends mockingly waves. â€Å"Fucking asshole,† Ethan mutters from the backseat. I roll down the window. â€Å"Is there a problem?† Mikey laughs and aims a finger at the hood. â€Å"What'd ya do to that poor thing? It sounds like it's dying.† â€Å"It sounds a lot better than your piece of shit car on a good day,† I retort, sitting up and sticking my head out the window. â€Å"Ella,† Lila says from the backseat, shocked. â€Å"Let her go,† Ethan says. â€Å"She's very entertaining when she gets this way.† Mikey's greasy black hair shines in the sun as he pokes his head out of the car. â€Å"You can keep talking, but it ain't going to do no good since you're both too chicken shit to race me. You guys proved that at the last race.† â€Å"Only because your small size was unimpressive,† I say with an innocent bat of my eyelashes. That pisses him off. He jumps out of the car and Micha pulls me back in and leans over the console, resting an arm around my shoulder protectively, knowing that Mikey's the kind of guy that would hit a girl. Mikey glances up the street before crouching down next to the door. â€Å"If you two think you're so tough then prove it,† he says with a venomous tone. â€Å"The Back Road, nine o'clock.† â€Å"I'm pretty sure she already explained to you that your car isn't worth our time,† Micha says evenly. â€Å"So back the fuck off and get back in your car.† â€Å"The Back Road, nine o'clock,† he repeats slowly before backing away and climbing into his car. â€Å"And I'm sure with the noises your car's making, it should be a pretty fair race.† He revs his engine, proving something, before speeding off through the intersection, leaving tire marks on the asphalt. â€Å"What a jerk,† Lila says from the backseat. â€Å"Getting in your face like that – who does that?† I turn to Micha with a guilty face. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He delicately sketches his finger along my lips and sighs. â€Å"It's okay. We'll figure something out†¦ Besides you can make it up to me later.† â€Å"We can't fix your car that fast, man.† Ethan leans over the console, shoving the sleeves of his black shirt up to his elbows, revealing several tattoos on his arms. â€Å"It's nowhere close to being in racing condition.† â€Å"I know,† Micha replies and starts driving again. â€Å"I guess we'll just have to go in there blind.† â€Å"It could fall apart if you push it too hard,† Ethan cautions. â€Å"Then you'd be back to square one with it.† â€Å"Wait a minute.† Lila holds up her hands in front of her. â€Å"You guys aren't seriously going to race him, are you?† â€Å"We have to,† Ethan and Micha say at the same time. Lila glances at me for an explanation. â€Å"Why?† Ethan slumps back in the seat and brings his knee up as he turns to Lila. â€Å"It's how things work around here. If we don't, then we'll get hounded for it for the rest of our lives.† â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lila says jolting in the seat as the car hits a pothole. â€Å"What's wrong with that?† Ethan rifles for a way to explain it to her, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. â€Å"It'd be like getting picked on every day in school by everyone in the school.† Lila tucks her hands under her legs. â€Å"That doesn't sound very fun.† â€Å"Exactly, so you can understand why we have to race.† He folds his arms and directs his attention back to Micha. â€Å"Go to the shop, man and we'll see what we can get fixed before it's time to go.†