Explain How Children and Young People’s Development Is Influenced by a Range of Personal Factors Essay

There are many influences which can affect a child’s development, personal factors include influences before and at birth, health status and disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties. Genetics affect a child’s development at conception where the sperm and egg determine sex, height and eye colour. If the genetics are faulty this can affect the child’s health and development. During pregnancy the mother needs to ensure that she does not smoke, drink or use drugs, all of these things are made up of toxins which can severely harm the baby which in turn can cause complications at birth and possible delayed development later on in life. Genetics can also cause addiction, depression and low self esteem if these problems run in the family. Difficulties throughout the labour such as anoxia (lack of oxygen) can cause difficulties for development. Read more: Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay If a child is born with a condition or develops one later on in life this may affect their development. They may have an illness such as asthma which affects their breathing; this can be caused by living in highly polluted areas or living in a house with people who smoke. Due to this the child may be less likely to play and be active with their friends as their condition may restrict them from doing this, this may mean that the child has a lesser understanding of appropriate group interaction or team playing. Learning difficulties in a child can cause a developmental delay; this means that the child finds learning difficult. Disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties can affect children’s and young people’s development, their disability may affect one area of development which in turn can affect another the development of another area, meaning that overall development cannot occur, this can lead to low self -esteem and self-worth.

Challenges faced by small businesses Essay

Growth in the small and medium business in Canada and other developed countries has been very significant. This sector of the business community now represents about 40 percent of GDP and accounts more than half of total employment. Today small businesses are more diverse and more vigorous than ever, but they also faces newer and more challenges or inhibitors to their growth than their older conter parts. This research will attempt to find the answer to the following hypothetical question: â€Å"What are the barrier to entry, inhibitors to growth, and detriments to the health of small business and entrepreneurship today?† Access to capital and credit at various stages in the business life cycle is identified as the major hurdle by the entrepreneurs. For many small firms and most start-ups, the personal funds of the business owners and entrepreneur and those of relatives and acquaintances constitute as the major source of capital. For many small businesses, especially during th e early years of their operation, credit is simply not available. For many others, the limited available credit is not through bank loans. Due to this many of them rely on multiple credit card balances and home equity loans as major sources of credit for start-up firm. Because banks are bound by laws and regulations to prudent lending standards that require them a risk management assessment for each loan made. These regulations were made more vigor during the late 1980† and early 1990 . Banks always found that lending to manufacturing firm with hard asset such as property, equipment, and inventory has always been easier than lending to today’s expanding service sector firms. Because the service sector firms own few hard asses, therefor lending judgment have to be based in terms of character, markets, and cashflow, which make it difficult to the bank to meet the regulations for the approval of the loan. Additional, the banking industry, as well as the entire financial sector of the economy, is undergoing rapid change. In the future bank ing industry will be divided into global, national and super-regional banks and a much smaller number of community banks. It is expected of these banks primarily super regional banks and community banks will extend their services to the needs smaller business through large loan processing centers utilizing credit-scoring techniques and â€Å"intelligent models† (artificial intelligence-derived computer-based models) . These will increase the standards the loan process. Therefore making the loan available for small business more scare. Globalization is a major force that modified and molded the environment for small business and entrepreneurs. Even though it’s interms of identifying foreign markets and foreign sources of supply as important parts of their strategies for growth and success. But it has continually deteriorating our local retail small businesses with the introduction of retail giants such as Home Depot, Wal – Mart and etc. Because of the stiff competition that our small businesses face from the foreign market, it puts extra pressure on them interms of efficiency, price, quality, cost-control, marketing expertise, customer satisfaction and innovativeness. But because of lack of capital, credit and skill workers they are not able to equally competitive with others. Thus they become prey to the ever expanding corporate giants. For small business entrepreneurs to be successful over the next decade and beyond, and educated and trained work force must be available. Public school systems are not meeting the needs of the small business community interms of preparing new labor force entrants with such basic skills as literacy, math skills, and problem solving skills. Those who go beyond high school education are leaving Canada and entering our neighboring country work force and experienced and skilled workers we have now are entering 50’s and 60’s. The lack of proper technical education, brain drain and the aging baby boomers present yet another challenge to small business owners. That’s is to recruit skilled workers in the future. Despite all the potential that e-commerce has for the small business users, it also has man y challenges too. E-commerce consists of a wide spectrum of types of business transactions. It can mean anything from a simple electronic ad that generate a telephone call to the company sales clerk, to a complex real-time transfer of funds between buyers’ and sellers’ bank accounts . Large corporations find it easy to adjust to e-commerce from their traditional sales and transaction methods, while small business find they must structure their entire operations around e-commerce. For business owners who simply want to purchase products over the web, the process is relatively straightforward. They can use credit cards to make purchases just like any other consumer. The only consideration that should be taken in this process is in controlling which staff members should have the authorization to use the card. But for businesses that wish to sell over the â€Å"net†, however, face considerably higher barriers. Computer system and software development cost can be substantial particular ly in custom applications. Ensuring quick order, a must by consumers, can introduce a completely new infrastructure and cost dimension to the business. Also because credit card orders are not always guaranteed valid by the banks, the vendor my be 100% liable in case where consumers challenge the validity of a purchase. As a result, banks often require that e-vendors post high deposits up-front to guard against charge backs. E-commerce also require a whole new set of employee skills, which add considerably to labor costs. The extent, complexity and uncertainty associated with regulations were identified as a major inhibitors of growth for the small business. All sectors of small business faces rigid barriers for entry and approval for licenses as the result of regulations, these can be from a youth trying to secure a vendor license to bankers who see the risk associated with environmental laws as limiting their ability to make loans. It further more complicated when federal, provincial and municipal regulations overlap each other contradictory standard fashion. Regulations fall more heavily on smaller organizations than larger organization. Because large enterprises can often hire internal and external help at a reasonable price. Despite these barriers to small-firm growth, further projections indicate that small businesses and entrepreneurship would continue to grow and make major contributions interms of job creation, innovation, empowerment. But if these challenges were removed or eased to manageable standards by the proper authorities can act as a rebost to this expanding economy. Government can try to ease the small business owners face interms of capital and credit, by dividing the public grants evenly. Rather than just giving large chunks away to large corporation, university research and etc. Some of the regulations set by the government should be abounded or modified to be more size sensitive. Public school should incorporate skill required courses that would suit the demands of today’s business world. If these suggestions w ere taken into consideration or if these barriers were removed the small business will reach the sky with their innovativeness in the 21st century.

Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

Discusses the spread and decline of various languages. This paper discusses the pros and cons of bilingualism focusing on the homogenizing of the worlds languages and the struggle to keep some languages and cultures alive. It mentions the effects of colonial powers, the necessities of learning other languages for trade purposes and the reluctance of younger members of minority groups to learn their original tongue. Contains information such as the top nine countries language wise contain 3,300 languages. The paper also discusses the gradual process of change in a language. From the paper: ?Bilingualism is a reality today and it will become a greater reality as time goes. The extent to which it is prevalent is evidenced by the presence of bilinguals in every country today, as well as in every social class and every age group. International travel, communication and the mass media, emigration and planetary economics have created a so-called global village whereby inhabitants speak more than their own native language.

Religions in the Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religions in the Modern World - Essay Example In his desperate search for a reason to hope, for a reason to believe in a better life now and in the hereafter, man has for time immemorial made recourse to the guidance of a supreme being. He has expressed his belief in this being through diverse forms of worship known as religions. Antiquity had its religions. No period in human history has probably ever witnessed a boom in religions like the modern era. There has been the birth of thousands of religions in the last century, each religion vying for adepts. In an analysis of the number of adherents of the major religions of the contemporary world, the Religious Tolerance website makes allusion to David Barret et al, editors of the â€Å"World Christian Encyclopedia†. According to the editors’ Comparative survey of churches and religions AD 30 to 2200, â€Å"there are 19 major world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270 large religious groups, and many smaller ones. 34,000 separate Christian groups have been identified in the world." According to the same web source, Christianity has the largest (but declining) membership, be it 2,039 million adherents. Islam follows trail with 1,226 million adepts and is a growing religion. Judaism counts 14 million members world wide. Wicca is the smallest religion with only 0, 5 million members. It is interesting to note that the source informs of 775 million persons with no religion. It may not be an overstatement to say that aside Christianity and Islam no other religion has ever attained the degree of fame Judaism has attained, especially in the last century and more so in the last two decades. This is certainly because Judaism is linked to the Jewish nation. This nation has been the object of several controversies. She is the hot pot of political tensions in the Middle East. The Jews or the Israelites believe in their divine right to the land of Palestine. The United Nations (UN) and the Zionists created the state of Israel on 29.11.1947 (E:/theorcracywatch.org/Christian_zionism_israel_forms.htm) Your last name 2. Peace has never existed between the Israelis and the Palestinians since that date. But the Israeli determination to ensure their sovereignty is more than firm. The source of this unshakeable resolve to ensure their autonomy, aside being backed by the constant support of the Zionist is rooted in the historical background of the Jews presented in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. In one of his works, Professor S. D. Kunin of the Department of Theology and Religion of the University of Durham wrote; "The biblical depiction of God's promise of the land clearly provided a strong religious and emotional tie to specific geographical location, and continues to provide political and religious motivations for many Zionists" (Kunin). It is interesting to discover the link between religion, sovereignty and territory. The biblical depiction mentioned by Kunin is embedded in what is known as the covenant myth. The rediscovery of this myth in the last two decades by the Jews has added more force to the emotional, religious and political ties mentioned by Kunin. Due to this discovery, the Zionists have had more reason to affirm the right of the Jewish nation to be situated where it is today. A criticism of Kunin's statement would necessitate an eminent discussion of the covenant myth and its rediscovery as well as the role of the Zionists in the Jewish nation before any judgement can be made of the merits of that assertion. Judaism, Jewish politics, Jewish social life and culture all draw their origins and inspirations from the old Testament of the Bible. It probably started with the covenant God made with Abraham. (Genesis 12.) Daniel J. Elazar, explaining the rediscovery of the covenant myth in an article entitled; "Covenant as the Basis of the Jewish Political Tradition" published on the Jerusalem Centre for Political Affairs website states clearly states that, "the covenant is as much a

Supervision Today Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supervision Today - Assignment Example According to the research findings, the supervisor should make a decision themselves when it’s urgent and the decision does not require the input of other people. In addition, this strategy can be effective when the decision requires special skills that the group members don’t have. Some decision jobs are specific and straightforward. Therefore, when making the decision, the supervisor should be direct in order to avoid any risk that might emanate from confusion. For instance, engineering works are specific and in detail. As a result, the decision should not be ambiguous. Knowing this information about decision-making styles will benefit me in understanding the best style for a particular problem. In addition, the researcher will be aware of when to involve the decision-making process and when to make the decision on his own. As the head of the discussion group, the author realized that there were several conflicts that were affecting the performance of our group. In or der to come up with and well-informed solution, the author searched for a solution online in order to know how people resolve the problems in the group. The researcher came up with several alternatives. These were to reward the best performing member of the group or implement an open office policy. The first alternative was viable because the author did not have money to give out to the members. Therefore, he decided to be more open to the members of the group and encourage them to air their grievances to him in order to seek a solution before it’s too late. After a span of two weeks, the author evaluated the decision and noted that the group members communicated more freely and they were highly motivated to work as a group rather than individually.

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Essay

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - Essay Example Most of Walker’s work were in the 1930s and were even incorporated in some of the documents of the Great Depression. However, these issues did not only concern the 1930s tribulations but also reflected on modern films, literature and traditional visual arts. Although this particular book is presented as documentary and true critics say that the pictures were somewhat posed for technical and aesthetic reasons. This has led to number of controversies over the truth of historical records (Kaja, 2008). Evans pictures are photographic, very direct and even appear to be literal. Perhaps the most remarkable picture in this book is the third, the picture of Mrs Gudger. It shows a woman with a beautifully bony face, thinning black hair, sunken or perhaps bitten-in mouth and sun-narrowed eyes. The face is a single concentrated phrase of suffering; you are bound to have an immediate outgoing impulse toward it, but this is at once hemmed in, at once made careful and respectful, by what the camera does. It is significant that, like all the pictures in the book, this is a portrait; it was "sat for" and "posed" and not only does the pose tell more than could be told by unconsciousness of the camera but the sitter gains in dignity when allowed to defend herself against the lens. The gaze of the woman returning our gaze checks our pity; and it is further checked by the cameras observance of the strands of jetty hair, of the sharp horizontals of eyebrows, eyes and mouth which are repeated in th e three parallel shadows of the clapboard wall behind, and by the cameras light emphasis on the early wrinkles and the puckered forehead, which are delicately repeated in the grain of the wood. And this is true of all of Evans pictures of the Gudger, Woods and Ricketts families. The entire hullaballoo about the photos; the rocking chair being moved, about the time on the clock, about the time the photos, about objects being added or removed is much fuss over

B2C to B2b Marketing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

B2C to B2b Marketing Paper - Essay Example Traditionally, businesses begin as B2C but as they expand and look for new markets develop a B2B operations. However, this model of development has significantly changed because of advances in technology. Though B2C and B2B's characteristics essentially remain the same, they have already exceeded their basic definitions. B2C refers to businesses dealing directly with consumers. The action of purchase is for the purpose of personal consumption. It is not to imply that the customer or consumer has to procure the product or service directly from the manufacture or service provider, B2C can take the form of a person buying a product from a store or person availing of a free spa treatment with a gift certificate or voucher. B2B in contrast refers to businesses engaging the service or procuring products for their own operations and not for consumption. An example of B2B would be a bakery buying flour to produce its breads. The criteria defining whether the interaction is B2B or B2C is consumption (Koetler, 1998). The objective in a B2C model is to promote or market a site is to be able communicate on a personal level. Each consumer will have different motivations and these motivations may vary greatly considering individual perception, socio-cultural background (both demographics and psychographics), and experience. These elements define the customers' needs which initiate the buying process. The following figure is an example of a depiction of what influences consumer behavior: Therefore, sites that wish to appeal to consumers have to focus on the characteristics of customers and to consider the decision process of these customers which characterizes the type of person that consumer is. In contrast, B2B customers' motivations or preferences are generally based on quantitative pre-defined needs or criteria. B2B transactions generally arise from the following: 1. Raw material or industrial supplies or services are needed to produce an end product to be sold in the open market 2. Raw material or industrial supplies or services are needed as components of processing a product 3. Products or services are bought form an original manufacturer for resale 4. Products or services are bought from s non-original manufacturer for the purpose of distribution 5. Products or services are bought as a complete system or "turnkey" operation. Figure 2 illustrates the buying process that characterizes the undertaking of B2Bs. It is not required that all of these stages are passed through in each B2B transaction. At this level, buyers are limited by the people and other factors that affect the company. This then highlights the influence organizational culture plays in the buying process. Therefore, in marketing a site on the B2B model, the marketer must consider not just that direct need but also the main use of the product, its users and even the tendencies or preferences of senior executives and others who have bearing on company policies (Johansson, 2001). Differentiating Approaches in B2C and B2B Table 1 summarizes the differences between B2B marketing and B2C marketing. Marketing

Cultural Relativism- Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Relativism- Critical Analysis - Essay Example Argument in standard form Premises 1. According to cultural relativists, there are no universal moral principles. 2. Each society has its own different codes of conduct 3. Each moral or code of conduct applies only to the society in question. 4. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance towards the custom practices of other cultures Conclusion There is no objective truth in morality; it is nothing more than socially approved customs in a given culture. Discussion Cultural relativism is where each culture or ethnic groups is to be viewed on its customs, behavior on values and norms and not on the basis of those of other cultures or ethnic groups. Cultural relativists see moral norms as a result of culture. They see that many cultures disagree widely on moral norms and values, and there is no way which is clear to solve the differences therein. They, therefore, conclude that there are no accepted objective truths. Cultural relativists see other cultures, not as different not as â€Å"w rong†. According to premise one above, it wrong to say that there are no universal moral principles, according to cultural relativists. ... The Cultural relativism does not conclude that it is not possible to have a universal system of moral values to guide humans from a universal perspective. Rather, it explains that every society has its own moral norms and values to guide members of that society, but these values are of worth to those who abide by them, but they may differ from those of other, different society members (Herskovits 31). This failure to understand the differences between intra and cross cultural relativism is the one which led ethicist like Abraham Edel to write â€Å"If cultural relativism is a sociological truth, then your morality judgment of good and bad, right and wrong) is a function (cause) of your domicile. If moral norms and values assertions are expressive (subjective), it all depends on your feelings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Edel 27-28). Cultural relativism only has relevance between cultures and not within a specific culture. It is a cross-cultural principle, not an intra-cultural principle. The firs t premise thus does not make the conclusion that morality is nothing more than socially approved customs to be true since it is evident that cultural relativism does not advocate ethical or individual relativism. In premise 4 if we abide by cultural relativism, then we will not be able to judge other cultures. We would no longer see other customs as inferior to our own, judging other societies merely because they are â€Å"different†. This will be good but only in some cases but not in a case where a society is anti-Semitic and waged a war against a Semite society. Cultural relativism would stop us from interfering, and we cannot even judge on the society which tolerant of Semites and one which is anti-Semites it would be

Barriers cross cultural communication Research Paper

Barriers cross cultural communication - Research Paper Example In the business world, increasing globalisation has been resulting in the formation of many multinational companies (MNCs). Initially, these were mostly dominated by the West, whereas Asian Multinational Companies (AMCs) have mostly been of Japanese or Korean origin. Lately, a new breed of AMCs are emerging that are mostly of Chinese and Indian origin. Their expansion however, as with the earlier MNCs before them, is posing challenges related to cross-cultural communication. This paper seeks to identify the typical barriers to effective cross-cultural communication in this new context and how they can be overcome. The greater focus is on examining Chinese culture and the experience of Chinese managers of AMCs working within the American socio-cultural environment. Such Chinese high-profile AMCs include Haier, Lenovo and Huawei, and Indian AMCs include Tata and Bharti Airtel. Both countries have some domestic economies. Apart from issues such as the need to improve governance, have greater transparency, and so on (Moller, 2008), they also recognise the need to adapt to different cultures. This entails stressing responsibility and accountability, and to be more responsive to local needs (Rajan et al., 2009). The Chinese realise that it is knowledge and skills for operating internationally that are needed more than owning shares due to the previously limited exposure and general seclusion. The Indians on the other hand have had a longer exposure to the market economy. Both acknowledge that knowledge acquisition is paramount for innovation (Teagarden et al., 2008), but new knowledge has to be communicated using language in order to be acquired (Welch & Welch, 2008). Tata’s acquisition of South Korea’s Daewoo vehicle company in 2004 was seen as a success but that is because their cultures shared many similarities to begin with (Rodrigues, 2006). The language barriers were overcome easily, which speeded the integration, and confidence developed

A Filmic Analysis of Hamlet Essay Example for Free

A Filmic Analysis of Hamlet Essay Shakespeare’s Hamlet inspired many film directors to adapt the play onto the big screen. In Kenneth Branagh’s version, he takes on the challenge of both directing the film and portraying Hamlet. In Marco Zeferelli’s edition, celebrated actor Mel Gibson stars as Hamlet. The directors use different aspects of cinematography and mise-en-scene to depict distinctive interpretations of the famous â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy. Branagh interprets the scene as a contemplation of Hamlet’s decision whether to kill himself or Claudius, whereas Zeferelli construes the scene as a deliberation of life, death, and the afterlife. Branagh uses props, varied camera angles, and thoughtful acting to describe the â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy as a brooding decision haunting Hamlet of action versus inaction. Branagh begins the soliloquy facing a two-way mirror, with Polonius and Claudius hidden behind it. The audience sees Hamlet staring directly at himself, while also facing the concealed men behind the mirror. This personifies the idea that Hamlet is hesitant about taking action against his own life or taking the life of Claudius: â€Å"Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing end them† (3. 1. 65-68). The camera angle consists of a medium close-up on the intense concentration of Branagh’s face, expressing the critical contemplation of his life and Claudius’s. Later in the soliloquy, Hamlet uncovers a bodkin, pointing the weapon towards the two-way mirror in a manifestation of action versus inaction. The lighting of the scene highlights Branagh’s face and disposition with explicit detail, leaving no question to the viewer about his intent on either killing himself or Claudius. However, Branagh neglects to analyze Hamlet’s actual contemplation of death itself. Zeferelli focuses on Hamlet’s reflection of death as an experience and also the ambiguity of the afterlife. Mel Gibson recites the â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy in a royal tomb where his father is buried. The morbid setting suggests a theme of death. The low-key lighting emphasizes an ominous quality associated with Hamlet’s musing of the afterlife. Gibson meticulously edges through the graves, using composed speech to reflect upon his life and the life of his father: â€Å"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause. There’s the respect / That makes calamity of so long life† (3. 1. 74-77). Hamlet believes that the hardships of life become resolute through death. The turmoil of human affairs perishes along with an individual’s life. Gibson’s acting and disposition suggest that he thinks death is more appealing than life. His ponderings are not a question of action and revenge but a question of the actual prospects of death and what comes after death. The setting in a tomb highlights this as well as Gibson keenly looking up towards heaven during the soliloquy. Although the two directors interpret the â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy differently, similarities exist between the two scenes. The acting of Branagh and Gibson both reflect deep contemplation; Branagh being more concerted and Gibson being more reflective. Both actors use Shakespeare’s words very thoughtfully and precisely, and keep their voices in a soft but convincing monotone. The camera angles of the scenes are also similar with the shot situated intently on the actors’ faces, either focused in a fixed position on Branagh to represent great credence or zooming in slowly on Gibson’s face to represent a more reflective quality. Both directors do an exceptional job conveying the message that their cinematographic and acting choices suggest. The â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy is interpreted in many different ways, but Branagh and Zeferelli artfully choose one aspect of the scene to focus on.

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management supply chain management Abstract Purpose -The aim of this paper is to have a qualitative analysis of benefits,barriers and bridges to effective strategic supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach The author use a case study approach .Interview was conducted from Supplier, SC manager and retailer . Findings- Results shows that customer satisfaction is consider as the primary benefits by all chain partners. And primary barrier and bridge is adequate information system and human factors. Research limitations/implications Due to the resource and time constraint the findings of this research are only based on supply chain of a single organization. Practical implications -This paper provide a understanding of how managers ,suppliers and retailers view benefits .barriers and bridges of SCM. Originality/value Keywords Supply chain management, Strategic management, Relationship marketing Paper type Research paper Introduction In todays business world competition is very fierce. Due to the Globalization, advance technology, and Increase customer demand , organizations need to raise there bar of performance continuously. As Thomas Edison said, If there is a better way, find it. So managers must keep his advice in mind. And supply chain management is a better way to compete in market. Supply chain management is the management of activities from availability and procurement of raw material , their processing into finish goods and then distribution of these goods. The purpose of this encompassing process is to enhance the business of the company and satisfy customers. By Sandra Maria Stammberger Christopher argues that the real competition is not company against company, but rather supplies chain against supply chain. For example, Wal-Mart and its suppliers will battle Carrefour and its suppliers in consumer markets around the world. This study has looked at benefits and barriers to supply chain integration. Vital bridges to supply chain success are also explored. SCM can reduce inventory, improve productivity, enhance quality, and reduce both product development and fulfillment cycles. As attractive as the potential benefits of supply chain management appear; the barriers or roadblocks to achieving them appear equally ominous such as internal external turf protection, inadequate information system, poor collaboration among the chain partners etc. And bridges/solutions are the mirror image of the most of the barriers (e.g., poor management leads to barrier; careful management is the bridge). The purpose of the study is to provide an understanding of the benefits, barriers, and bridges to successful SCM. For this purpose data is collected from the supplier ,SC manager and retailer of PEPSI (Gujranwala). We conclude that there are numerous benefits of SCM but to achieve these benefits we have to overcome two main barriers that is technology and human barrier. Focus of managers and scholars must not be on any specific barrier, but rather consider these two in combination for strategic supply chains to be successful . We hope that the research methodology given in this study provide some useful insight to help managers and their companies as they make headway along the arduous journey to supply chain leadership This research article is comprised as follows: literature of SCM in terms of benefits, barriers, and bridges followed by research methodology.And the main part of article includes findings from in-depth interviews , and conclusion with some suggestions for future research. In this way this article provide valuable insight into the state and direction of supply chain practice research. Background: benefits, barriers, and bridges An enormous amount of material has appeared in current years about supply chain management in both academic journals and trade press. Driving forces of supply chain management The driving forces of SCM stem from two sources: external pressures and potential benefits from strategic SC alignment. External pressures include such forces as advances in technology and increased customer demand across national borders (Mehta, 2004); maintaining lower costs while meeting these diverse needs (Cook and Garver, 2002); and intensified competition utilizing relationships among vertically aligned firms (Togar and Ramaswami, 2004). These pressures have begun shifting the focus of individual firms vying for market presence and power to supply chains competing against supply chains (Bhattacharya et al., 1995). Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges have been identified by Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Increased inventory turnover Internal and external turf wars Information transperancy Increased revenues SCM cost reductions Poor SCM planning Collaborative planning Product availability Lack of SCM vision IT architecture /internet Responsiveness Executive commitment Formal performance tracking Economic value added IT deficiencies Adopt strategic SCM vision Capital utilization Organizational structure /culture Attention to human factors Decreased time to market Lack of SC measures Suppply base reduction Reduced logistics costs Lack alliance guidelines Segmented customers: Poor SCM understanding Shared investment/benefits Benefits of strategic supply chain managemen Increased inventory turnover: Inventory turn reflects how frequently a company flushes inventory from its system. In SCM company has relations both with supplier and customer so they receive material on time and deliver goods to customer on time. So inventory turnover increases. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Increased revenues SCM cost reductions: Main source of cost saving is inventory management. Through SCM it is possible to reduce your inventory level and leads to cost saving. Other ways of reducing cost: Better trade relations and lower transaction cost Enhance asset utilization via shared resources Better product design that cost less (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Product availability: Involvement of supplier in new product development process can solve many problems like communications and new ideas are generated in collaborative design efforts rather than non-colleborative. In todays marketplace there is a need to have the right product available at the right time and right place at a lower cost than the competition. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Responsiveness: Responding to customers in a courteous, personal and understandable way is vary important.Quickly response to customers requests is possible through collaboration with chain partners.Close relationship with partners enables them to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events.Supply chain responsiveness requires exceptional/outstanding manufacturing and logistical flexibility to meet unique or special requests.And it is possible through integration. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Economic value added: There are two view points from which share holder value can be measured. 1) Internal view point (Economic value is used) 2) External view point (Market capitalization is used) EVA is calculated by deducting the cost of capital from its operating profit. Drivers of shareholder value are : Operating cost reduction ,fixed capital and working capital efficiency and revenue growth. There is no doubt that supply chain strategy affects all these drivers directly or indirectly. These are some of the strategies: Lead time of all incoming products is reduced by having partnership with the suppliers . By integrating processes .internal lead time can be reduced. By having a strong relation with distributor information flow from demand size is improved. (Christopher, M., Ryals, L. (1999)). Capital utilization: Capital utilization refers to how a companys assets are best used. Capital utilization is dollars of revenue generated in relation to dollars invested in assets such as account receivables, inventory etc. Examples of supply chain management connection: Demand planning Transportation management Inventory management Accurate forecasting (Timme, S.G. and Williams-Timme, C. (2000) Decreased time to market Successful companies create supply chains that respond to the sudden changes in market. Effective supply chain enables a firm to respond to the short term changes in demand and supply in the market because of collaborative relationship with suppliers and distributors. (lee(2004) Reduced logistics costs: In an integrated supply chain ,efficiency and effectiveness of operations can be improved by managing the movement of material throughout the firm in an organic and systematic way. This allow the firm reducing their purchase cost ,transportation cost and inventory and warehousing cost.( La Londe, B.J. and Masters, J.M. (1994), Emerging logistics strategies: blueprints for the next century, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 35-47. La Londe, and Masters,). Barriers to effective supply chain management Internal and external turf wars: Conflicts within the departments and within organizations are fundamental barrier to SC collaboration. In most of the companies all departments such as marketing, finance , operation work independently. But when managers make decisions they only consider their own department and ignore the impact of their decision on other departments and on whole organization. And same is the case with supply chain partners each partner work only for its own interest. So A tug of war begins as each department and partner pull the organization in their favor. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001) Poor SCM planning: Supply chain management is a way to combine process and entrepreneurship. The concept of SCM begins with customer and integrates all activities from raw material procurement to finished product distribution. In many organizations SCM fails due to insufficient forecasting and poor planning process. For correct forecasting, planning process must involve appropriate players and relevant information. Andraski, J.C. (1998). Lack of SCM vision: One of the major barriers to SCM collaboration is that chain partners dont have clear and common vision of SCM. They hold different beliefs and values and supplier and customer dont share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Lack of SCM vision: Lack of trust is one reason that channel partners are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001), Executive commitment: Top management should here be understood as the group of people that together constitute the highest management executive authority in a company. Top management is in a position to play an important role in successful SCM collaboration. A prerequisite for performing SCM is top management support. Almost all of the barriers such as incompatible technology ,conflict among supply chain members ,lack of employee willingness to share information can only be overcome with top management support. According to (Moberg et al., 2003) training and education are Important factors for top management to encourage and intensify. (Sandberg, Erik1; Abrahamsson, Mats(2010)) IT deficiencies: As because of globalization suppliers and customers are located all over the world so integration has become a major challenge .Lack of integrated information system is a major barrier as sharing of information is not possible without integrated information system. IT is like a nerve system of SCM. ( E.W.T. Ngai a,*, A. Gunasekaran b ,(2004) Organizational structure /culture: Organization culture and structure are also very crucial barrier to SC collaboration. If an organization is working independently for a long time then its very difficult for it work in collaboration with other chain partners. Lack of SC measures: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance.(Brewer and speh ,2001;) Measuring supply chain performance Lack alliance guidelines: Each channel partner in the supply chain has a separate plan for activities such as production plan and schedules. If an organization only have understanding of their on process and they dont have understanding of their customers and suppliers processes then there is a gap exist and organization cant improve their processes as external processes have an influence on internal processes. Lack of same performance measures across different departments and across the channel partners leads to conflicting behaviors both internally and externally. ( Barratt, M. (2004a) Poor SCM understanding: Employee dont have understanding of how SCM is beneficial for the organization and how it will benefit their job .This poor understanding is one reason they are not willing to contribute in SCM implementation. Bridges to effective supply chain management Information transperancy: ( yu zhenxin (2001) Each member of the supply chain should have complete information about the other members. If members are willing to share information then this leads to the improve performance of the whole system . Collaborative planning: Planning should be made with the involvement of all parties involve in the supply chain. Such as demand forecasting, production schedules etc may not be effective without the involvement of all partners. IT architecture /internet: With the passage of time SCM is becoming more and more complex and require online communication system .In order to enhance the buyer- supplier relationship different information technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange ,Internet And World Wide Web Are Used. Formal performance tracking: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance. (Brewer and speh ,2001;). Measurement of supply chain performance can help in Reducing cost ,Identify and target those segments of market which are more profitable((Lambert and Pohlen, 2001),better and improves decisions and test and employ new strategies Adopt strategic SCM vision: Chain partners should have clear and common vision of SCM. They should hold same beliefs and values and supplier and customer share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Attention to human factors: A fundamental factor for the successful SCM collaboration is the human factor . People resist changes and they dont want to share information with others .So attention must be paid to human factors first as their willingness to implement effective SCM is the key to success. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thumb for determining maximum number of supplies. It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Segmented customers: Organization should collaborate only with those suppliers and customers who are strategically important for the business. This segmentation play a very important role in successful collaboration.(Tang and Gattorna, 2003). Segmentation of customers is done on the basis of their buying behavior and services needed. Different supply chains are made for different segments. A different strategy and supportive culture and leadership style is required for different supply chains. To serve the segmented supply chain a further step is to segment the suppliers according to their abilities. Shared investment/benefits: For SCM to be more effective and successful there is a need to share benefits resulting from integrated SCM. Benefit sharing is as much important as information sharing . even though reliable and trust worthy information is available ,there should be a need to fairly allocate benefits among members otherwise it weakens their relationship. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Methodology SCM removes the boundaries of the organization therefore it is known as boundary spanning activity (Bowersos et al,1999) . To Have a macro picture ,information is collected through channel analysis. In this way more generalized view about the benefits ,barriers and bridges can be obtained. Case studies The case study method is used for answering questions regarding what, why, and how related to SCM implementation. This method put emphasis on in detail qualitative analysis. In order to have a cross-channel analysis interview is conducted from supplier ,SC manager and retailer. A structured ,face-to-face interview was conducted and Confidentiality was ensured .Structured interviews are those conducted when it is known at the outset what information is needed. The interview has a list of predetermined questions to be asked. The interview guide was divides into general questions and questions about the benefits ,barriers and bridges faced by the organization. Average interview duration was 1 and half hour. And face-to-face interview helps in repeating and rephrasing questions if not understood by respondents, and clarify doubts. Interview consist of Open-ended questions. Results and discussion Top five benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Customer satisfaction Inadequate information system Adequate information system On time delivery Lack share risk and reward Sharing of risk and reward Response to customer request Lack willingness to share information Willingness to share information Order fulfillment lead time Lack employee empowerment Senior management interaction Cost reduction Measuring customer demand Supply chain training Benefits Customer satisfaction: Company customers are satisfied because company is in a position to fulfill their needs, deliver goods on time and at low cost through integrated SC. On-time delivery: The development of closer, cooperative relationships with chain partners together with the establishment of integrated systems and processes make it possible to consistently deliver goods and services to customer at the right time and at the right place. Respond to customer requests: Business analysts have been saying for years-that customers matter most. So response to customers need as quickly as possible is very important for the success of business. One way of doing this in todays competitive market is to develop strong relationship with suppliers, retailers and distributers. This collaborative supply chain enables all parties to respond to their customer speedily. Order fulfillment lead times: Supply chain integration also reduces order fulfillment lead times by having exact quantities on-hand when needed . Cost reduaction: One way of cost reduction is to reduce cost of inventory. Another is sharing of resources with your chain partners and also by reducing product development cost through integrated process. Some other benefits includes: Handle unexpected challenges More open and trusting relationships enable more accurate information to be shared on more timely basis. This helps in making Supply chain partners better able to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events (e.g unique or special requests ) Productivity One of the most important benefit due to which organizations are adopting SCM is to increase revenues and decrease costs. Productivity is the ratio of Outputs/inputs. if planned and managed correctly, changes in supply chain relationships can help in producing same outputs with low cost of inputs and ultimately revenue increase . This doubleimpact of supply chain management is motivating factor for organizations to build strong relationship with chain partners in order to constantly reduce the costs of purchased items and to work with them to improve their processes in ways that increase productivity. Product innovation lead times, Collaborative product development help to minimize product innovation lead time. Involvement of all the partners results in higher quality,lower cost and less time to market. To gain these benefits there should be a need to build strong relationship base on trust and communication is necessary to share technology, co-locate personnel, and accept supplier-generated design improvements. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Barriers Inadequate information system: Inadequate information system is that lack in quantity and quality of information if not enough information is shared or the information shared is of little value strategic SCM may fail. Lack of willingness to share risk and rewards: As employee dont have clear understanding of what SCM is and how will benefit their job so they are not willing to share their risk and reward. Lack willingness to share information: Lack of trust is one reason that people are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. Lack employee empowerment: Lack of employee empowerment is a barrier to SCM to be successful. As employee empowerment is one way to motivate employees to participate in making SC collaboration successful. Employee empowerment is a form of decentralization it means giving employees the power to make decisions regarding their job and tasks. One of these decisions includes making purchasing decisions .i.e. when and how much is to be purchased..This will leads to successful implementation of Just-in Time manufacturing concept. Measuring customer demand: Accurately forecast customer demand is very important for successful SCM integration . In case manufacturers and distributers fails to accurately forecast customer demands then there are chances of stock outs and organizations face difficulties in maintain adequate inventory level. Some other barriers includes: Organizational boundaries There are two kind of boundaries in any organizarion intra and inter-organizational boundaries. These boundries should be removed for successful supply chain integration. For successful supply chain integration intra and inter -organizational boundaries should be removed. inter -organizational boundaries overcoming the company boundaries and working closely with suppliers and customers. (i.e., functional, business process, information/materials flows, and information/communication technology integration) intra -organizational boundaries Integration between different discipline and functions, such as manufacturing, distribution, marketing, accounting, information, and engineering. Measuring SC contribution, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Measuring Supply chain contribution is very important . these four measures can be used to measure supply chain contribution. Delivery: percentage of entire order deliver to the customer when he or she wanted it. Quality: for this purpose Customer satisfaction and customer loyaty is checked. Customer satisfaction includes giving customer what they expects. Customer loyaty is the percentage of customers who still purchase their products after purchasing once. Time: order fulfilment lead time is effected by inventory level. For total order-fulfilment lead time, first The time spent in inventory should be computed for each part of the supply chain (supplier, manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer) and then added. Cost: measure cost along the supply chain is to measure efficiency in value added or productivity. One measure of efficiency is as follows: Efficiency = sales cost of materials / labor + overhead Lack resources for SCM Resource constraints represent Serious hurdle in supply chain integration efforts Although companies are trying to best utilize the people resources that they have, but due to their nature of always trying to do more with less, create problem of lack of resources. e.g The managers who are Conside to be best for handling supply chain initiatives because of their experience, work ethic, creativity, technical knowledge, and personal credibility are always in high demand. interviewed managers identified other critical resources constraints including capital and technology Bridges Adequate information system: EDI LINKAGES: ERP system is a single unified system in which several computer hardware and software components are used . This unified system helps in cross functional integration (e.g between all departments , accounting departments, as well as marketing, strategic management, and human resources, in addition to warehousing, Information Technology, logistics, and production. ). Organizations adopt ERP system in order to integrate data and process into a single unified unit rather than trying to synchronize data and process across different systems Sharing of risk and reward: Interview manager also highlighted the point that in order to build closer relationship they share both Risk and reward with their chain partners. Frequent communication: Open and clear broad line of communication should be develop (Mohr and spekman (1994)) Senior management interaction: Top management is responsible for integrated supply chain management. Only senior manager can remove the walls between the organization and between the organizations. Supply chain training: As supply chain is becoming more popular and technology focused ,the individuals directly involve with it are required to give additional training. Some ways of giving training to individuals are On the job training Take classes out of work Online training Some other bridges includes: Suppply base reduction, Vendor managed inventory (vmi), Use of total cost analysis, Common goals and shared mission statement, Use of cross-functional teams and cross-functional processes Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thum for determining maximum number of supplies.It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. VENDOR MANAGED INVENTORY (VMI). Supplier is responsible for managing inventory at customer s location .Customer is not required to reorder .Its the duty of supplier to maintain the stock of customer at optimum level. Use of total cost analysis As we all know that Competition in todays markets is much more then before.so in order to compete in market , organizations need to offer products at low price and high quality. Through SC collaboration it is possible to reduce Total production cost . by having long term relationship with supplier, supplier reduce the cost of their supplies.in this way total production cost is reduced. Common goals and shared mission statement For SCM cooperative efforts to be successful, increase understanding and respect for partners businesses is very important. This process involves common golas and shared mission statement.When they all have a common goal , combine efforts are made to achieve that goal .And decisions are made for the success of each party. Use of cross-functional teams and Cross-functional processes Effective supply chain requires coordination across businesses and within the business. Coordination within the business is possible through Cross-functional teams and process. . For example, a cross-functional team is often used to plan and control the master schedule for manufacturing. The team consists of representatives from marketing/ sales, production, human resources, and accounting/ finance. The team develops a forecast of future expected orders, plans the capacity of manufacturing, and schedules customer orders. Everyone then agrees to work toward executing this plan. Without a cross-functional team of this type, marketing makes a forecast, production uses a different forecast to plan production, and the capital is not made available to provide the capacity needed. Clear Alliance management guidelines. alliance management techniques, none of the interviewed firms have every one in place. Clear roles and responsibilities are defined and communicated. Risks and rewards are shared on a mutually acceptable basis Technology linkages can be used to routinize information exchange. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Conclusion and Limitations This article attempts to identify potential benefits ,barriers and bridges of successful implementation of SC integration . Results shows that all chain partners are enjoying many benefits from SC collaboration. Primary benefit mentioned by all chain partners is Customer satisfaction. In supply chain ,Supplier want to satisfy their customer (i.e. manufacturer) and manufacturer want end user to be satisfied. So for this purpose they must be aware of what customer expects from the product or service and then make efforts to meet their expectations . SC manager ,supplier and retailer do not share the same values and beliefs regarding the primary barrier and bridges of supply chain management. SC manager identify human factors as the primary barrier to SC collaborati

An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

An Inspector Calls' is based in 1912, before the first and second world war, before the sinking of the Titanic and before women had any rights. An Inspector Calls 'An Inspector Calls' is based in 1912, before the first and second world war, before the sinking of the Titanic and before women had any rights. 'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945, Britain was enduring the final year of The Second World War and the country was united in one community, together they were fighting for Britain. JB Priestley liked what he saw; people were putting aside their class and background and ignored their prejudices in an attempt to help their country. The only problem was Priestley knew after the war, that Britain may return to its previous state. Therefore Priestley wrote a play, based in Edwardian Britain when class mattered and reputation was everything. Priestley set the play in Brumley, an industrial town where, like most places in Britain, the rich and poor rarely met. The only places the two classes became more integrated were the bars where prostitutes and rich men would meet. But these places were another world, a form of escapism for family men yearning for more excitement, they had double standards and these double standards appear throughout the play. The story is about the Birling family and their involvement with a young woman who tragically committed suicide, each member of the family had their own input to her downward spiral, and it started with Mr Birling. 'A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own..' and it is with that there is knock at the door. Inspector Goole enters the Birling household (and in my opinion acting as Priestley's alter-ego), causing unrest amongst some of them and no affect on others. The mood changes from a happy, celebratory atmosphere to a tense and mysterious one. Maybe this could be shown in a change of lighting, being more intense as apposed to before when the family were rejoicing the fact of their daughter's engagement. When the inspector begins to interrogate Mr Birling he refuses to accept any responsibility for Eva Smith's death, he gives no thought to his actions and this is obvious as he shows relatively little remorse or guilt. However, Mr Birling has an honest approach to life, not ashamed by his refusal to give Eva Smith a raise 'I refused of course,' and seems surprised why anyone would query his actions. Money in this era was a precious thing and all Eva Smith was to Mr Birling was a problem, which must be rid off immediately, especially since it could

Michael Moore: An Influential Filmmaker Essay -- Cinema

Michael Moore, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker is known for his highly controversial documentaries. He appeals to the newer generation, trying to educate people along with addressing our unresolved social issues in the United States. He gives incite to corrupt things that our government is involved in that citizens do not know about if they do not read or watch the news. Michael Moore proved to be a big-time influence through his work in the movie industry. His main message is to get people to stop following their government blindly, but rather speak out, ask questions, get involved, and most of all shows peoples power to be able change what needs to be changed. He proves being patriotic means taking responsibility and being informed about what’s happening in the media and all of Michael Moore’s films give the audience this. Time magazine named Michael Moore one of the World’s 100 most influential people. Through his Oscar and Emmy awards, he proves even a powerless author and producer with nothing more than a pen and a movie camera can make a tremendous difference. His documentary Bowling for Columbine reiterated that by a determination and persistence that not only him, but patriots can create change. He interviewed some of the surviving victims of the Columbine shootings along with Charlton Heston, the NRA president. He shows the gruesome effect of allowing guns and bullets to be so easily accessible. Kmart was his main destination and he took it upon himself by going right to the top of a major corporate food chain. The documentary was about how he was able to get them to stop selling bullets completely. Getting Kmart to stop selling bullets doesn’t mean that you’re going to prevent kids from going somewhere ... ...n in public, which many people are not courageous enough to do, and for that many respect him. Michael Moore proves that one man can make a difference. He is a great example of exercising our right to free speech and questioning the government. If something doesn’t seem right he is a spokesperson for finding out the truth. Michael was a small town boy who grew up to become one of the most influential documentary film makers of our time. Works Cited Bowling For Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. 2002. Fahrenheit 911. Dir. Michael Moore. 2004. Penn, Sean. Time.com. 18 April 2005. 8 March 2012 . Sicko. Dir. Michael Moore. 2007. The Oprah Winfrey Show. Michael Moore's Sicko. 1 January 2006. 8 March 2012 .

Background Info on My Forbidden Face :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live as an Afghan girl under the rule of the Taliban? This question is answered in the book My Forbidden Face. Latifa, a young Afghan girl, discusses her struggles throughout the book. Latifa faces several different problems while being under the rule of the Taliban. She handles these problems with the best of her ability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, Latifa had to deal with the struggles her mom was facing. Latifa’s mother was very ill so she dealt with the situation by trying to help her mother out in every way possible. Latifa was always there to comfort her mom. Latifa’s mother was also struggling with not being able to work. Because women weren’t allowed to do anything in the Afghan society, Latifa opened a school for the apartment children. Latifa’s mother managed to help out by cooking, which she considered a form of work. She watched her children be mistreated throughout the Taliban rule. Latifa had all intentions of receiving an education but she couldn’t go to school due to the laws of the Taliban. Latifa’s mother saw strong ambitions in her daughter so she encouraged her to believe in herself and always do her best. Latifa managed to deal with her mom’s struggles very well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly, Latifa had to deal with the way women were treated in the Afghan society. Women weren’t allowed to go outside of their homes without the company of their father or brother. Latifa managed to deal with this by staying inside. She knew she wouldn’t have to deal with the Taliban if she avoided them. Latifa also couldn’t stand the fact that women couldn’t hold jobs. She opened up a school for the children of her apartment complex knowing there would be harsh consequences if caught. She also had to deal with knowing her mother and sister had to give their jobs up. Women were also required to dress in certain clothing. Latifa claimed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   she couldn’t walk in the long skirts and couldn’t breathe under the facial clothing. Latifa liked to wear nail polish and earrings but this privilege was taken away when the Taliban came into power. Women were treated very badly under the Taliban rule, but Latifa found ways to deal with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thirdly, Latifa had to deal with her own illness of depression and learned to deal with this by reading.

Coyote Blue Chapter 30~31

CHAPTER 30 Like Flies They heard the bikers before they saw them: raucous laughter and Lynyrd Skynyrd from a boom box. They followed the road around a long, gradual curve that descended into a valley, stepping carefully to avoid the deep puddles. The trees were thinning out now and Sam could make out the light of a huge bonfire below them in the valley, and figures moving around the fire, a lot of them. Someone fired a pistol into the air and the report echoed around the valley. â€Å"Do they have sentries or something?† Sam whispered to Calliope. â€Å"I don't remember. I was pretty drunk when I was here before.† â€Å"Well, we can't just walk in.† â€Å"This way,† Coyote said, pointing to a path that led away from the road. They followed the trickster up the path, through thick undergrowth, and up onto a ridge that looked down on the clearing. From the top of the ridge they could see the entire camp. The fire was burning in the center of the camp with perhaps a hundred bikers and women gathered around it, drinking and dancing. The bikes were parked by the road leading in. There was a stand of tents and smaller campfires on the opposite side of the camp, with two pickup trucks parked nearby. Lynyrd Skynyrd sang â€Å"Gimme Back My Bullets.† â€Å"I don't see Grubb,† Calliope said. â€Å"Or the woman,† Coyote said. â€Å"Wait,† Calliope said. â€Å"Listen.† Amid the din of rock and roll, laughter, shouts, screams, and gunfire, they heard the sound of a baby crying. â€Å"It's coming from the tents,† Coyote said. â€Å"Follow me.† Coyote led them further down the ridge until they were about fifty yards from the tents and could see four women sitting around a campfire drinking and talking. One of them was holding Grubb. â€Å"There he is,† Calliope said. She started down the ridge and Sam caught her arm. â€Å"If you go down there that woman will call for Lonnie and the others.† â€Å"What can I do? We have to get him.† â€Å"Take off your clothes,† Coyote said. Sam sneered at the trickster, â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Here, take this,† Coyote said, handing something to Sam. Sam couldn't make out what it was in the dark, but it felt warm and soft. He recoiled and dropped it. â€Å"Ouch,† Coyote said, his voice soft now, feminine. â€Å"Is that any way to treat a lady?† Sam looked, moved closer to the trickster, and saw that he was no longer a he. Still in his black buckskins, he had changed into a woman. â€Å"I don't believe it,† Sam said. â€Å"You're lovely,† Calliope said. â€Å"Thanks,† Coyote said. â€Å"Give me your clothes. These don't fit me now.† He started undressing. In the dim moonlight that filtered through the trees, Sam watched the women undress. Calliope was right, the trickster was gorgeous, a perfect female mirror of the male Coyote, an Indian goddess. Sam felt a little sick at the thought and looked away. Coyote said, â€Å"I'll go down and get the child. Be ready to run. And pick that up, I'll need it.† He pointed to the ground where Sam had dropped his penis. Sam picked up the member in two fingers and held it out as if it would bite him. â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this.† â€Å"I'll hold it,† Calliope said, now dressed in the black buckskins. â€Å"No you won't!† Sam said. â€Å"Well.† She cocked a hip and waited for him to make a decision. Sam put the penis in his jacket pocket. â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this, I want you to know.† â€Å"Men are such babies,† Coyote said. He hugged Calliope, girl to girl, and made his way down the hill. Sam watched the trickster move away from them toward the fire. Unable to look away, he became nervous with his own thoughts. Calliope patted his shoulder. â€Å"It's okay,† she said. â€Å"In my jeans he really does have a great ass.† -=*=- Tinker lay in the bed of the pickup sulking, listening to the nearby women going on about how badly they were treated by their men and how cute the baby was. The little bastard had been crying for an hour. What the fuck had Lonnie been thinking, bringing a crumb-snatcher to a rally? From time to time Tinker sat up and looked over the edge of the pickup to pick out which of the women he would fantasize about getting a blow job from. Fat chance, stuck here in the truck. Fucking Bonner and his military discipline. â€Å"This is a business trip,† Bonner had said. â€Å"A business trip we wouldn't be taking if Tinker would have taken care of business. So Tink, you guard the truck. No partying.† What was the point rallying with your bros if you couldn't get fucked up and start a few fights? Fuck this action. At least it had stopped raining. Tinker peeked over the edge of the truck to see a new chick coming up to the fire. What a piece she was! Right out of Penthouse or something. She looked Indian, long blue-black hair. What a fucking body. He watched her fawn over the baby and touch Cheryl's face. Lonnie had fucked her up, bad. Tink wondered what it was like to hit a chick. He was getting hard thinking about it. The Indian chick was holding the baby now, walking around the fire rocking it. She walked behind one of the tents, then ducked down. Tinker saw her shoot out the other side in a crouch, headed up the hill with the baby. Two people were coming down to meet her. â€Å"Hey, bitch!† Cheryl yelled. The other women were on their feet, yelling – going after the Indian chick. Tinker jumped out of the truck and started to circle around and up the hill to head off the Indian chick. As he ran he drew his Magnum from his shoulder holster. He slipped, fell to one knee, and drew down on the Indian chick. No, fuck it. If he hit the rug-rat Bonner would have his ass. He climbed to his feet and lumbered across the hill, watching the Indian chick hand the rug-rat to a blond chick. They were on the path at the top of the ridge. Gotcha! He'd take the lower path and be waiting for them. They had to come out at the road. As Tinker made his way up the dark path he heard scooters firing up below him. Good. Bonner would get there and he would already have it handled. He'd be out of the doghouse. He reached the spot where the two paths intersected and stopped. He could hear them coming up the path, the baby still crying. He leveled his Magnum down the path and waited. If the dude showed first he'd waste him without a word. He saw a shadow, then a foot. Tinker cocked the Magnum, put the sight where the chest would appear. A rush went through him, waiting, waiting. Now! A vise clamped down over the gun and he felt it wrenched out of his hand, taking skin with it. Another clamp locked down on his neck and he looked up into the eyes of his deepest fear. He felt his face come down on something hard and the bones of his nose crush. His head was wrenched back and slammed down again, then it went dark. -=*=- â€Å"Shade!† Coyote said. Minty Fresh threw Tinker's unconscious body aside and looked up at the Indian woman. â€Å"Who are you?† Sam said, â€Å"M.F., what are you doing here?† â€Å"The name is Minty Fresh.† He held Tinker's Magnum out to Sam, then let it drop. â€Å"I'm learning how to sneak up on people.† He saw the baby and smiled. â€Å"You got him.† â€Å"It was a fine trick,† Coyote said. â€Å"Who are you?† Minty insisted. â€Å"It's your old buddy Coyote.† Coyote cupped his breasts. Minty stepped back from the woman to get a better look. â€Å"Something's different, right? Haircut?† â€Å"We have to go,† Calliope said. â€Å"To where?† Minty said. Calliope looked at Sam, panicked, confused. Sam had no answer. Coyote said, â€Å"Montana. The Crow res. Come with us, shade. It'll be fun.† Minty turned to the roar of bikes behind him. â€Å"They're coming up the road,† he said. â€Å"I'll block them as long as I can with the limo.† They made their way down the path to where the Z was parked. The limo was parked in front. â€Å"I'll drive,† Sam instructed. â€Å"Cal, you and Grubb in the back.† They got in the car as lights from the Harleys broke through the woods. Minty got in the limo, started it, and pulled it forward to make way for the Z. Sam pulled the Z into the road, careful not to spin the wheels in the mud. You guys okay?† he said to Calliope, who had curled herself around Grubb. â€Å"Go,† she said. The bikers broke into view, Lonnie Ray in front. Minty hit the brights on the limo, hoping to blind them. He checked the mirror to see the Z pulling away, then started to back the limo up, careful to keep it in the middle of the road to block the bikes. As Lonnie approached the limo he drew a pistol from his jacket and leveled it at Minty through the windshield. Minty ducked and hit the gas. The limo revved and stopped, the back wheels of the heavy car buried in the mud. Lonnie jumped off his bike onto the hood of the limo and braced himself on the roof as he aimed and fired at the Z. At the sound of the shot Minty looked up to see the barrel of Lonnie's pistol pointing at him through the windshield. The other bikers, unable to get past, moved up around the limo. â€Å"You're finished, spook,† Lonnie hissed. He cocked the pistol. â€Å"Move the car out of the road.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Minty said. Lonnie jumped off the hood of the Lincoln and stuck the pistol through the window into Minty's temple. â€Å"I said move it.† â€Å"You move it,† Minty said. He pushed the limo door open, knocking Lonnie to the ground. Two bikers yanked him from the car and rode him to the ground. Minty felt a boot in his kidney, then a fist in the stomach, then the blows fell on him like rain. He heard Calliope's Z downshifting in the distance and smiled. -=*=- Sam pulled the Z back onto the pavement and floored it. â€Å"Everyone okay?† Grubb was still crying. Sam shouted, â€Å"Calliope, are you okay?† Coyote turned in the passenger seat and reached back. â€Å"She's hit. There's blood.† â€Å"Oh fuck, is she-â€Å" â€Å"She's dead, Sam,† Coyote said. Part 4 Home Coyote Hears His Heart It is an old story, from the time of the animal people. Coyote was in his canoe, and had paddled all day and all night, only to find that he didn't know where he wanted to go. He sat in his canoe, drifting for a while, thinking that something was wrong. He wanted to do something, but he didn't know what it was, so he made some mountains and gave them names. But that didn't make him happy. He tried to think, but he wasn't very good at it, and he kept hearing a thumping noise that bothered him. â€Å"Where should I go? What should I do? How can I think with all this noise?† Coyote was becoming sad because he could not think, so he called out to the Old Mother, who was the Earth. â€Å"Old Mother,† he said. â€Å"Can you stop this thumping noise so I can figure out where I am supposed to be?† Old Mother heard Coyote and laughed at him. â€Å"Silly Coyote,† she said. â€Å"That thumping noise is the sound of your own heart beating. Listen to it. It is the sound of the drums. When you hear your heart you must think of the drums – the sound of home.† â€Å"I knew that,† Coyote said. CHAPTER 31 There Are No Orphans Among the Crow It was five hours from Sturgis to Crow Agency, and Coyote, back in his black buckskins, drove the whole way. Sam sat in the passenger seat, dazed, staring but seeing nothing, holding Grubb, rocking the baby in a rhythm to a pulsing emptiness in his chest and trying not to look at Calliope's lifeless body in the back. Mercifully, there was no thinking or remembering – his mind had shut down to protect him. Coyote was quiet. As they drove through town an old warning sounded deep in Sam's mind and he mumbled, â€Å"I shouldn't be here. I'm in trouble.† â€Å"You have to go home,† Coyote said. â€Å"Okay,† Sam said. He thought he should protest but he couldn't think clearly enough to remember why. â€Å"When we get there, no tricks, okay? Act human for a while, please.† â€Å"For a while,† Coyote said. A mile out of town Coyote pulled the Z into the muddy driveway of the Hunts Alone house. â€Å"Stay here,† Coyote said. He got out of the car and went up the cement steps to the door. Sam looked around, seeing the house like a memory. It hadn't changed much. The house had been painted and peeled a couple of times and there were two horses, a paint and a buckskin, in the back field. An old Airstream trailer was parked by the sweat lodge and there were a couple more abandoned cars rusting in the side lot. It all felt wrong, to have run so long to end up back where he had started – the danger that he had run from was still here, and now, with Calliope dead, he felt even weaker than the fifteen-year-old who had left so many years ago. As frightening as it had been to leave, it had been a beginning, full of hope and possibility. This felt like the end. Coyote knocked on the door and waited. A Crow woman in jeans and a sweatshirt, about thirty, answered. She was holding a baby. â€Å"Yes?† Coyote said, â€Å"I've brought your cousin home. We need help.† â€Å"Come in,† she said. Coyote went into the house and came back to the car a few minutes later. He opened the door, startling Sam. â€Å"Let's go inside,† Coyote said. â€Å"I told the woman inside what happened.† He helped Sam out of the car and pointed him to the door where the woman waited. Sam walked stiffly up the steps and past the woman into the house. He stood in the center of the living room, rocking Grubb. Coyote came in the door behind him. â€Å"Can I bring her in?† he asked the woman. The woman looked horrified at the thought of a dead body in the house. Sam turned suddenly. â€Å"No, not in the house. No.† Coyote waited. The woman looked uncomfortable. â€Å"You could put her in the trailer out back.† Coyote went back out. The woman came to Sam and pulled the blanket away from Grubb's face. â€Å"Has he eaten?† â€Å"I?CI don't know. Not for a while.† â€Å"He needs a change. C'mon, give.† She put her own baby on the couch and coaxed Grubb out of Sam's arms. She spread the blanket on the coffee table and laid Grubb down on his back. â€Å"I've heard about you,† she said. â€Å"I'm Cindy. Festus is my husband.† Sam didn't answer. She took Grubb's dirty diaper off him and set it aside. â€Å"He's at work now, with his dad. They have their own shop in Hardin. Harry works with them too.† â€Å"Grandma?† Sam said. She looked up and shook her head. â€Å"Years ago, before I met Festus.† She brightened, trying to change the subject and the mood. â€Å"We have three other kids. Two other boys and a girl. They're in school – the little one in Head Start.† Sam stared over her head at the elkhorn hat rack hung with baseball caps, an old Stetson, and a ceremonial headdress. An obsidian-point buffalo lance hung beside it, next to an old Winchester and a Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar. â€Å"He's a strong baby,† Cindy said, grabbing Grubb's fidgeting fists. Sam looked back at her. â€Å"Pokey?† He looked down and away, a wave of grief washing over him. He walked to the kitchen doorway and stared at the ceiling, the first tears stinging as they welled up. â€Å"Pokey's okay,† Cindy said. â€Å"He went into the clinic last week. He almost – He was real sick. They wanted to move him to the hospital in Billings but Harlan wouldn't let them.† Cindy finished diapering Grubb and propped him up on the couch next to her own baby. â€Å"I'll fix him a bottle.† She walked past Sam into the kitchen. He turned away from her as she went by. â€Å"Do you want some food? Coffee?† Sam turned to her. â€Å"She never hurt anybody. She just wanted her baby back.† He covered his face. Cindy moved to him and put her arms around him. Coyote came in the front door. â€Å"Sam, we have to go.† Sam took Cindy by the shoulders and gently pushed her away, then turned and looked at Grubb, who was dozing on the couch. â€Å"He'll be okay,† Cindy said. â€Å"I'll watch him.† Sam didn't move. â€Å"Sam,† Coyote said, â€Å"let's go see Pokey.† -=*=- Heading back through Crow Agency to the clinic, Sam noticed the new, modern tribal building and the new stadium behind it. Wiley's Food and Gas was still across the highway, just as it had been before. Kids were still hanging around outside the burger stand. Two old men shared a bottle outside the tobacco store. A mother led a pack of kids out of the general store, each carrying a bag of groceries. â€Å"I shouldn't be here,† Sam said. Coyote ignored him and kept driving. The clinic was housed in an old two-story house at the far end of town. A line of people – mostly women and kids – waited outside. Coyote pulled into the muddy parking lot next to a rusted-out Buick. They crawled out of the car and walked up to the door. Some of the kids whispered and giggled, pointing at Coyote. An old man who was wheeling an oxygen cylinder behind him said, â€Å"Crow Fair ain't 'til next summer, boy. Why you dressed for a powwow?† â€Å"Be cool,† Sam said to Coyote. â€Å"Don't scare him.† Coyote shrugged and followed Sam into the waiting room, a ten-by-ten parlor with a checked linoleum floor and mint-green walls hung with racks of pamphlets. Twenty people sat in folding chairs along the walls, reading old copies of People or just staring at their shoes. Sam approached a window where a Crow woman was absorbed in scribbling on index cards, intent on not looking at those who waited. â€Å"Excuse me,† Sam said. The woman didn't look up. â€Å"Fill this out.† She handed a form and a stick pen over the counter. â€Å"When you hand it in – with the pen – I'll give you a number.† â€Å"I'm not here for treatment,† Sam said, and the woman looked up for the first time. â€Å"I'm here to see Pokey Medicine Wing.† The woman seemed annoyed. â€Å"Just a minute.† She got up and walked through the door into the back. In a moment a door into the waiting room opened and everyone looked up. A young, white doctor poked his head out, spotted Sam and Coyote, and signaled for them to come in. Everyone in the waiting room looked back down. Inside the door the doctor looked them up and down, Sam in his dirty windbreaker and slacks, Coyote in his buckskins. â€Å"Are you family?† â€Å"He's my clan uncle,† Sam said. The doctor nodded to Coyote. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Just a friend,† Sam said. â€Å"You'll have to wait outside,† the doctor said. Sam looked at Coyote. â€Å"Keep it under control, okay?† â€Å"I said I would.† The trickster went back into the waiting room. â€Å"He should be in a real hospital,† the doctor said. â€Å"He was technically dead, twice. We brought him back with the defibrillator. He's stable now, but we don't have the staff here to watch him. He should be in an ICU.† Sam hadn't heard a word of it. â€Å"Can I see him?† â€Å"Follow me.† The doctor turned and led Sam down a narrow hallway and up a flight of steps. â€Å"He was severely dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. I think he'd been drinking even before he went on the fast. It leached all the fluids out of his body. His liver is shot and his heart sustained some damage.† The doctor stopped and opened a door. â€Å"Just a few minutes. He's very weak.† The doctor went in with Sam. Pokey was lying in a hospital bed, tubes and wires connecting him to bottles and machines. His skin was a brown-gray color. â€Å"Mr. Medicine Wing,† the doctor said softly, â€Å"someone is here to see you.† Pokey's eyes opened slowly. â€Å"Hey, Samson,† he said. He smiled and Sam noticed that he still hadn't gotten false teeth. â€Å"Hey, Pokey,† Sam said. â€Å"You got bigger.† â€Å"Yeah,† Sam said. Seeing Pokey was breaking through his fog, and he was starting to hurt again. â€Å"You look like shit,† Pokey said. â€Å"So do you.† â€Å"Must run in the family.† Pokey grinned. â€Å"You got a smoke?† Sam shook his head. â€Å"I don't think that would be a good idea. I hear you're still drinking.† â€Å"Yeah. I went to some meetings. They said I needed to get a higher power if I wanted to quit. I told them that a higher power was why I was drinking in the first place.† â€Å"He's outside now. Waiting.† Pokey nodded and closed his eyes. â€Å"I had a couple of visions about you meeting up with him. All those years he's quiet, then I get a bunch of visions. I thought you was dead until I had the first one.† â€Å"I couldn't come home. I shouldn't have†¦.† Pokey dismissed the thought with a weak wave of his hand. â€Å"You had to go. Enos would've killed you. He checked on us for years, lookin' in our mailbox for letters, watching the house. He drove himself plumb crazy. He give up on you when Grandma died and you didn't come home.† Sam had listened to the last part of the speech sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Pokey. His knees had given out at the news that Enos was alive. He stared at the door. â€Å"I don't feel anything,† he said. â€Å"You okay?† Pokey said, trying to grab his nephew's arm. â€Å"There's nothing. I'm not even afraid.† â€Å"What's wrong?† Sam looked over his shoulder at Pokey. â€Å"I thought I killed him.† â€Å"You busted him up real good. Broke both his legs and an arm sliding down the face of the dam. Tub a lard didn't even have the manners to drown.† â€Å"I been running for nothing. I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I should of never give you that Coyote medicine,† Pokey said. His breath was starting to come in rasping gasps. â€Å"I thought if I got rid of it I wouldn't be crazy no more.† â€Å"It's okay.† Sam patted Pokey's arm. â€Å"I don't think you had a choice.† Pokey continued to breathe heavily. â€Å"I saw a shadow that said you were going where there was death. I didn't know where to find you. I told Old Man Coyote. He said he knew.† Pokey gripped Sam's arm. â€Å"He said he knew, Samson. You got to get away from him.† â€Å"Calm down, Pokey.† Sam stood and put his hands on Pokey's shoulder. â€Å"It's okay, Pokey. It wasn't my death. Do you want the doctor?† Pokey shook his head. His breathing started to calm. Sam took a pitcher of water from the bedside table and poured some into a paper cup. He held it while Pokey drank, then helped the old man lie back. â€Å"Whose death?† Pokey asked. Sam put the cup down. â€Å"A girl.† He looked away. â€Å"You loved her?† Sam nodded, still looking away. â€Å"She had a baby. Cindy's watching him.† â€Å"When did it happen?† â€Å"This morning.† â€Å"Was Old Man Coyote with you when it happened?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Ask him to bring her back. He owes you that.† â€Å"She's dead, Pokey. She's gone.† â€Å"I been dead twice in the last two days. I ain't gone.† â€Å"She was shot, Pokey. A bullet went through her spine.† â€Å"Samson, look at me.† Pokey pulled himself up on the bed so he could look Sam in the eye. â€Å"He owes you. There's a story that Old Man Coyote invented death so there wouldn't be too many people. There's another story that his wife was killed and he went into the Underworld to get her. There was a shade there that let her go as long as Coyote promised not to look at her until he got back to the world, but he looked, so now no one can come back.† â€Å"Pokey, I can't do this right now. I can't listen to this.† â€Å"He stole your life, Samson.† Sam shook his head violently. â€Å"This just happened to me. I didn't make any of it happen.† â€Å"Then make it happen now!† Pokey shouted. Sam stopped. â€Å"In the buffalo days they said that a warrior who had counted coup and had an arrow bundle could move in and out of the Underworld. He could hide there from his enemies. Go, Samson. Old Man Coyote can help you find your girl.† â€Å"She's dead, Pokey. The Underworld is just old superstition.† â€Å"Mumbo jumbo?† Pokey said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Crazy talk?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"Voodoo?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Like Coyote medicine?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Well?† Sam didn't answer. He was gritting his teeth, glaring at his uncle. Pokey smiled. â€Å"You still hate it when I talk about the old ways. Try it, Samson. What do you have to lose?† â€Å"Nothing,† Sam said. â€Å"There's nothing at all.† The doctor opened the door and said, â€Å"That's enough. He needs to rest.† â€Å"Fuck off, paleface,† Pokey said. Sam said, â€Å"Just one more minute, please.† â€Å"One minute,† the doctor said, holding up his finger as he backed out of the room. Sam looked at Pokey. â€Å"‘Fuck off, paleface'?† He laughed. It felt good. â€Å"Be nice, Squats Behind the Bush. I'm sick.† Sam felt something moving through him as he grinned at Pokey – something warm, like hope. â€Å"Now, quick, before you die again, you old fuck. Where do I get an arrow bundle?† -=*=- Sam came striding out of the clinic and grabbed Coyote by the arm, pulling him away from a group of kids he was lying to. What had been a paralyzing grief had changed to purpose. Sam felt incredibly alive. â€Å"Let's go. Give me the keys.† â€Å"What's going on?† Coyote said. â€Å"Why the hurry? Did the old man die?† Sam climbed into the Z and fired it up. â€Å"I've got to get to a phone, and I've got to get some clothes.† â€Å"What happened in there?† â€Å"You knew she was going to be killed, didn't you?† â€Å"I knew someone would.† â€Å"Pokey says that you can go in and out of the land of the dead?† â€Å"I can? Oh, the Underworld! Yeah, I can. I don't like to, though.† â€Å"We're going.† â€Å"It's depressing. You won't like it.† â€Å"Pokey thinks you can bring Calliope back.† â€Å"I tried that once; it didn't work. It's not up to me.† â€Å"Then we're going to talk to whoever it's up to.† â€Å"Aren't you afraid?† â€Å"I'm a little past that.† â€Å"Why do you need clothes?† â€Å"We're going to Billings first, to get something.† â€Å"It's depressing. You won't like it. There's a big cliff in Billings that was a buffalo jump, but our people never drove the herds over it. The buffalo used to go up to the edge and say, ‘Oh, no, it's Billings, then they'd just jump over out of depression. Nope, you don't want to go to Billings.† Sam pulled into the Hunts Alone driveway, shut off the car, and turned to Coyote. â€Å"What's in the Underworld? What are you so afraid of?†

College stress

College stress BY JoshuaB662 classes, scheduling issues to coordinate, difficult tests and other academic obstacles, coupled with the more independent nature of the college learning structure, many new and returning students find themselves studying long, hard hours. Social Stress While college freshmen face the most obvious social challenges that usually involve leaving one's entire support structure behind, creating a new social network, dealing with being away from home for the first time and finding less parental support, most tudents face social stress.Finding and living with a roommate, balancing friends with school work (and often part-time Jobs), and dealing with the dynamics of young adult relationships can all be difficult, and these challenges can lead to significant stress. Other Stresses There are also many miscellaneous stresses that often come from college life. Many students keep crazy hours from staying up late to study, getting up early for classes, and trying to cr am in all the work and fun that can possibly fit. Often the logistics of iving more independently†from laundry to car insurance†can cause stress.New students deal with missing home and more seasoned students may wonder if they're in the right major. Most students struggle with who they are and where theyd like to be, at least at some point in their college career. The Impact of Stress What affect do these issues have on students? Just as everyone deals with stress in a unique way, college students experience a range of consequences from stress, from mild to severe. Here are some of the common effects of stress: Experience of StressOne of the most commonly felt consequences of college stress is a feeling of being overwhelmed. While trying to find a balance of how hard to work (and play), many college students struggle with perfectionism or unhealthy habits like heavy drinking. Weight Issues Partially because of stress and partially because of other social and practical is sues faced by college students, many struggle with their weight. Many gain 10-20 pounds around their first year (weight gain known as the Freshman 15), and others lose weight unintentionally, or struggle with eating disorders. Dropout Rate College Stress One important factor of college stress on students leading to suicide is academic linked issues in college. Firstly, college means higher education demanding for a number of assignments, tests and projects which is just sufficient for students to commit suicide particularly when exams are round the corner. Every semester has two or more quizzes, group assignments and case study for each subject which is worth so much Of marks that you don't want to lose it.Next, world has become very competitive so in order for one to shine in that world requires a lot of hardwood to make homeless different from others. Everyone is in the race of being the number ‘one'. In addition, students give up hope thinking that if they don't do well academically they are not worth anything, but they don't realize that living with hope motivates oneself to be somebody in life. It is very hard for one to adopt new environment, new responsibilities and to be exposed to the world of competition.There is a va st difference between school life and college life, for example, unlike college, secondary students are usually upon-fed by their class teachers that is everything given in hand by teachers whether its notes or any announcements. So to be able to adopt this environment is itself a challenge. Living with family means less responsibility on students' shoulders Some students stay away from their families means more responsibilities which sums up level of stress in college for example, mothers usually chase their children around for food but living in a hostel or without parents means prepare everything by themselves.Sometimes assignments really gets jammed up over the schedule that many students stay up late at night and study long hours and getting up early for classes. This is really traumatic. Depression is a very common form of stress among adolescents. It can be in a form of finance and life circumstances. Its one of the major reasons of the increasing number of suicides. Unlike s chools, college expenses are much higher which some parents can't afford, directly or indirectly it puts students under great pressure.Secondly, we often ear or experience that students might not be able to clear examinations therefore he/she may have to repeat that subject or even the entire semester which is really embarrassing and depressing. Having mentioned it earlier due to some financial situation or life circumstances, student may have fear of being dropout from the institution. Many students do not understand how great an impact this stress can have on their happiness and overall behavior. Suicide has now become a trend caused by college stress which many adolescents follow.