An In-Depth Look at the Lightning Thief

An In-Depth Look at 'the Lightning Thief' The first book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief, was published in 2005. This book is an entertaining introduction to a world of half-bloods, heroes, and Greek mythology. From the hilarious chapter titles (â€Å"We Take a Zebra to Vegas†) to the action-packed and thrilling text, to the strong narrative voice and compelling characters, readers of all ages (especially those ages 10 to 13) will find themselves immersed in Percy’s world. Many readers are unable to put the book down. Story Synopsis The books protagonist is 12-year-old Percy Jackson, who has dyslexia. He cant seem to keep himself out of trouble. He has been kicked out of a lot of boarding schools, but the last thing he wants to do is get kicked out of Yancy Academy. Things go horribly wrong on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when he and his best friend Grover are attacked by their math teacher, who has turned into a monster. Percy narrowly escapes this monster, then learns the truth about why his teacher attacked him. It turns out that Percy is a half-blood, the son of a Greek god, and there are monsters trying to kill him. The safest place is at Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp on Long Island for the children of the gods. Here, Percy is introduced to a new world of gods, magic, quests, and heroes. After a series of page-turning events where Percys mother is kidnapped and Zeuss master lightning bolt is stolen, a crime for which Percy is being blamed,  he sets out on a quest with his friends Grover and Annabeth. They want to find the lightning bolt and return it to Mount Olympus on the 600th floor of the Empire State building. Percy and his friends mission takes them in all sorts of odd directions and on adventures around the country. By the end of the book, Percy and his pals have helped restore order among the gods, and his mom is set free. Why Its Worth Reading While the plot sounds needlessly complicated, it works as a whole to keep the reader engaged. There’s an overarching story that holds all the smaller pieces together. The smaller side plots introduce various Greek gods and myths that make the story so much fun to read. Riordan knows his Greek mythology and understands how to make these stories interesting for kids. The Lightning Thief is appealing to both boys and girls, as the book is peppered with strong male and female heroes and heroines. The Lightning Thief provides a fantastic start to a fun series. Its highly recommended reading for children aged 10 to 13. About Author Rick Riordan A former sixth grade English and social studies teacher, Rick Riordan is the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the  Heroes of Olympus  series, and The Kane Chronicles  series. He has also been a part of The 39 Clues series. Riordan is an outspoken advocate of books that are accessible and interesting to read for kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. He is also the author of an award-winning mystery series for adults. Sources: Riordan, R. (2005).  The . New York: Hyperian Books.Lightening Thief Rick Riordan. (2005). Retrieved from http://rickriordan.com/

Fermentation vs. Anaerobic Respiration

Fermentation vs. Anaerobic Respiration All living things must have constant sources of energy to continue performing even the most basic life functions.  Whether that energy comes straight from the sun through photosynthesis or through eating plants or animals, the energy must be consumed and then changed into a usable form such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Many mechanisms can convert the original energy source into ATP.  The most efficient way is through aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen. This method gives the most ATP per energy input.  However, if oxygen isnt available, the organism must still convert the energy using other means.  Such processes that happen without oxygen are called anaerobic.  Fermentation is a common way for living things to make ATP without oxygen.  Does this make fermentation the same thing as anaerobic respiration? The short answer is no.  Even though they have similar parts and neither uses oxygen, there are differences between fermentation and anaerobic respiration.  In fact, anaerobic respiration is much more like aerobic respiration than it is like fermentation. Fermentation Most science classes discuss fermentation only as an alternative to aerobic respiration.  Aerobic respiration begins with a process called glycolysis,  in which a carbohydrate such as glucose is broken down and, after losing some electrons, forms a molecule called pyruvate.  If theres a sufficient supply of oxygen, or sometimes other types of electron acceptors, the pyruvate moves to the next part of aerobic respiration.  The process of glycolysis makes a net gain of 2 ATP. Fermentation is essentially the same process.  The carbohydrate is broken down, but instead of making pyruvate, the final product is a different molecule depending on the type of fermentation.  Fermentation is most often triggered by a lack of sufficient amounts of oxygen to continue running the aerobic respiration chain.  Humans undergo lactic acid fermentation. Instead of finishing with pyruvate, lactic acid is created.  Distance runners are familiar with lactic acid, which can build up in the muscles and cause cramping. Other organisms can undergo alcoholic fermentation, where the result is neither pyruvate nor lactic acid.  In this case, the organism makes ethyl alcohol.  Other types of fermentation are less common, but all yield different products depending on the organism undergoing fermentation. Since fermentation doesnt use the electron transport chain, it isnt considered a type of respiration. Anaerobic Respiration Even though fermentation happens without oxygen, it isnt the same as anaerobic respiration.  Anaerobic respiration begins the same way as aerobic respiration and fermentation.  The first step is still glycolysis, and it still creates 2 ATP from one carbohydrate molecule.  However, instead of ending with glycolysis, as fermentation does, anaerobic respiration creates pyruvate and then continues on the same path as aerobic respiration. After making a molecule called acetyl coenzyme A, it continues to the citric acid cycle.  More electron carriers are made and then everything ends up at the electron transport chain.  The electron carriers deposit the electrons at the beginning of the chain and then, through a process called chemiosmosis, produce many ATP.  For the electron transport chain to continue working, there must be a final electron acceptor.  If that acceptor is oxygen, the process is considered aerobic respiration.  However, some types of organisms, including many types of bacteria and other microorganisms, can use different final electron acceptors.  These include nitrate ions, sulfate ions, or even carbon dioxide.   Scientists believe that fermentation and anaerobic respiration are older processes than aerobic respiration.  Lack of oxygen in the early Earths atmosphere made aerobic respiration impossible.  Through evolution, eukaryotes acquired the ability to use the oxygen waste from photosynthesis to create aerobic respiration.

AAS 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AAS 4 - Essay Example These crimes usually take place where there are people of different ethnicity, culture, religion or background living together in a tense and unsocial environment that tends to create differences which, with the passage of time, increase and become more influential and dominating in the society so as to create an everlasting difference that transfers from one generation to another. Vincent Jen Chin was an Asian American who originally belonged to China. He was brutally murdered through assaults in the month of June; year 1982 in the city of Detroit, Michigan’s closed society of Highland Park. Ronald Ebens who was a Chrysler plant supervisor murdered him with assistance from his stepson, Michael Nitz. The assault included baseball bat blows to the head and possessed numerous characteristics falling in the context of hate crimes. The case carries great importance in the context of hate crime as the assassination caused an outrage from the public due to the soft sentencing of both the men in a plea bargain. Later a Federal prosecution was carried out which was an outcome of the public demand through alliance numerous Asian ethnic organizations. This is why the assassination is believed to be the commencement of a movement of pan-ethnic Asian Americans. (Yip) Ethnic issues are increasing in offices and schools where there are brisk socio-economic modifications and such issues are the consequence of uneven work and educational prospects or bias practices in employment of staff. Deterrence of hate crimes and gang movements in schools as well as offices are the duty of school, employers and the police, who must take measures to make plans to take care of such activities and resolve racial

Natural Resources and Energy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Natural Resources and Energy Paper - Essay Example The use of fuel wood in both industrial and domestic use is a major contributor to desertification and reduction of the forest cover (Department of sustainability Environment, WaterPopulation and Communities, 2009, p. 23). Likewise, the increase of population puts pressure on the existing forests. Human population growth is a factor affecting forest cover across the world. Human population has grown to reach seven billion in 2008, which is exerting pressure on the forests and the agricultural land. The growth of population has affected some species of wildlife and plants making them endangered. For instance, some wildlife and plants have been considered extinct because of over-exploitation or encroachment on their natural habitat. Encroachment on the natural habitat of the plants and wildlife is a major concern in the conservation efforts across the world. In spite of the efforts to conserve the forests, challenges exist in the society on the best approaches to conservation and prote ction of the natural habitat. The demand for land for establishment of towns and cities due to population growth is alarming and the challenge is made worse by the increasing need for energy supply. The development of renewable energy sources is vital for the development of sustainable forests. It will reduce reliance of wood fuel and fossil fuel. In addition, it reduces air pollution by reducing carbon emission. The best form of energy is hydrogenation which involves the use of water to generate electricity. It is environmentally friendly and encourages protection and conservation of the forest. The energy is considered renewable and effective because it has zero carbon emission. The success of hydro-generation depends on the availability of the water and height. Other energy sources that are environmentally friendly include solar and wind energy (McGrath, 2009). Together with hydro energy, wind and solar energy should be

Developing a strategic approach Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing a strategic approach - Research Paper Example Apart from that, several government policies such as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) where both uninsured and insured American citizens are guaranteed with the right of receiving medical attention at lower rates. This can harm the financial health of Jim’s Care Center (Wallace, 2006). Apart from that, the internal factors such as recruiting and retaining qualified employees. Hence, it is essential to devise relevant strategies that will allow the firm to remain consistent with the market situations. The first step in ensuring proper functioning of the business and ensure prosperity of the business is to set a relevant mission and vision statement. In addition, it is also essential to develop strategic goals for the firm as that will allow them to follow a proper direction and the process will be more systematic. In the subsequent sections, the mission and vision statement of the company will be developed and along with that the strategic goals of the firm will also be formulated. Apart from that, service delivery strategy and support components required will be discussed. Lastly, on the basis of the findings of the study, recommendations pertaining to the specific adaptive strategy or combination of adaptive strategies that would be most effective in ensuring that the organization achieves its strategic goals and approaches to manage those strategies will be clearly discussed. The mission of Jim’s Care Center is to provide health care services to the people at an affordable price and continue to offer medical consultation to the patient till the time he/she is fully cured. The vision statement of Jim’s Care Center is to make offer people make this world free from diseases. We believe that along with quality and timely treatment, sympathetic view and price affordability, together we can curb any disease and offer human

Global Rise Of Oil Prices Economics Essay

Global Rise Of Oil Prices Economics Essay Energy and Oil is a strategic commodity and very valuable to everyday life. Millions around the world are affected if there is a significant change in the price of oil, especially if the prices increases. The price is affected by two factors, supply and demand. If the supply is steady, stable and adequate to meet up with world demand there wouldnt be an issue. But this isnt the case, to say the least World prices of energy sources began to rise as early as 2005 and showed no sign of stopping, By march 2005 OPEC had admitted to losing control on prices and immediately sought to pump additional barrels but wasnt sufficient. In 2007 the price of oil nearly doubled and continued to rise into early 2008, leading on to the economic crisis. Gas, coal, nuclear energy and in particular oil reached soaring prices as high as $160 a barrel like someone had lost a grip on it somewhere. This price spike in oil prices is due to a combination of factors, first the Kyoto protocol that finally came into effect in 2007, the rising demand from India and china, the neglect from oil companies and investors as they search and research on other alternative source of energy. Political struggles, corruption and attacks on oil pipe lines in one of OPECs member country Nigeria. Where unrest in the African oil region has resulted to a lost in 175,000 barrels per day.  [1]  The fall in value of the US currency played a major role and is partly responsible, since the price for these commodities is typically quoted in US dollars. The financial crisis and recessions in the global economy also appears to have contributed to a substantial increase in speculative interest in energy future markets, helping to boost prices. World oil demand is expected to increase substantially until 2020 according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA , 2006) while in the IEO (Independent Evaluation Office) 2009 projections total world consumption of energy is projected to increase by 44 percent until 2030 with most of its demand from non-OECD economies. . Although the price of a barrel has gone down in recent times and settled, the question is what happens in the event of another decline in supply or demand continues to persist, with failing and short term policies by the institutes involved, policies that fail to come together, correlate and aline with each other, ignoring the fact that the issue at hand if neglected again or not carefully managed can cause devastating effect to the world economies. Today oil has proved to be a powerful economic tool it has also proved to be a capable political weapon. In other words, oil contributes directly and indirectly to the production of all goods and services. For example, in 2003 oil as a source of energy accounted for about 37% of total energy sources. There is compelling body of evidence that oil production is determined by the interplay of institutional and economic forces. The issue is the policies that the key players implement from the U.S. to the EU and OPEC itself. Statement of the Issue/Problem: What policies energy institutes and oil producing countries including government bodies have to stabilize and control the market? There is pressure on the industry and oil market, with concerns about CO2 emissions and global warming since the time of Kyoto and increasing environmental awareness but no adequate policies to resolve the issue or at least one that works in the competitive and challenging industry. Background (of the problem): Oil, coal and gas currently provide more than two-thirds of the worlds energy and electricity, but also produce the greenhouse gases largely responsible for global warming. A number of models suggest that implementation of the Protocol will affect energy markets and oil revenues. At the same time, world energy demand is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, presenting all societies worldwide with a real challenge see appendix (1). Several factors as mentioned earlier has caused the previous drastic rise in price and decline supply. Presently as the prices continues to remain low the demand from Asia for oil is increasing by more than two million barrels per day  [2]  if demands from Asia grow significantly at such a rapid rate when prices are at a stable range then there are no doubts that prices would not and cannot stay low for too long ( Merlin Flower 2010) . Another issue is that of pegging, many oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait peg their currency to stronger currencies like the U.S. dollar. When we experienced the decline of the dollar during the recession their economies are relatively affected there after they let their currency float. A classic example is in 2006 when other countries with Kuwait leading the way unpegged their currency from the dollar following suit was the expected rise in energy prices. Speculations and uncertainty affect businesses and stock value not to say the least oil field services companies (Giuseppe Marconi 2008). Many oil-exporting economies argue that they peg to the dollar because oil is priced in dollars. Pegging their currency to the dollar eliminates the apparent mismatch between the governments dollar-denominated oil revenues and its local currency spending. The IMF after undertaken research indicates that a significant increase in price of oil on average leads to real appreciation of the currencies of oil exporting economies therefore might have been another reasons for their actions. This logic, however, fails to accurately diagnose the real fiscal problem of oil-exporting economies. Appendix (2) shows a list of major exporting economies and those that peg or float their currency. There is a growing view that, if nothing is done to cut the growing demand on world consumption of oil , there is likely to be an oil supply crunch within the next 10 years, Because oil consumption is responsible for some 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, efforts to reduce emissions would seem likely to affect the market for oil According to the economist in 2004 global consumption of oil increased by 3.4% , with nearly a third from growing nations like china where its demand is predicted to be about 16%. Supporting that is a chart from the European Commission in Appendix (3). Upon that there is insufficient investment by the international and oil companies many multinational oil companies are or have spent time buying their own shares rather than developing the society they present.  [3]  Although with the exception of a few whom participate in the development of their local economies but how adequate is this? If this is to happen, there is no doubt it might trigger another econo mic crisis and causing a global impact. Oil export revenues account for between 9% and 40% of GDP in OPEC economies, so reduced oil revenues means reduced economic growth. For most of its members which are developing nations a decline in economic growth has implications for their relative economies most especially unemployment for those with high population growth rate. So far all parties involved with significant influence in the market have policies of their own different interest. Policies tried have been short term policies and have proved no effect so far. A typical example of short term policy was in 2001 the U.S under introductions from the president, the U.S. announced it would release 30m of barrels from the Strategic petroleum Reserve (SPR) rather than selling the oil. Between August and November the department of Energy (DOE) requested offers for oil to be replaced back. These efforts proved to have back fired increasing the cost of crude oil having been handled in a clumsy and old fashion way. The U.S policy whether short-term or long term can have the long term negative effect of increasing the cost of crude oil. This showed the importance of set policies and reform in the energy market especially oil which the world depends on. If there isnt no change in policies the by 2015, then there is likely to be a future crash in the energy oil market affecting individuals across the globe either in little ways from transportation or domestic energy consumption. Critique of Pre-existing Policies: When it comes to policies either set by OPEC or the U.S. Energy policymaking in the past 35 years has been neither decisive nor strategic. The world can no longer afford to forward oil policies which we fail to implement. (Thomas D. May 2006). Previously OPEC adopted the quota system to limit its oil supplies to keep oil prices at certain levels. According to this system each OPEC country is allocated a specific level of oil production to limit total OPEC oil supply and thereby influence oil prices in the international market. In the late 19s around 1986, this system did not help OPEC to avoid the oil price collapse because most OPEC countries did not respect their quotas, Angola, Venezuela, Iran and Nigeria named the biggest cheaters. Bearing in mind These OPEC short term policies affect international affairs. It is thought that implementing the Kyoto Protocol will require a carbon tax (or equivalent) in Annex B countries, and this will raise the price of oil to consumers and therefore reduce demand there. Because these Annex B countries account for more than 60% of world oil consumption any significant reduction in demand there may well cause a decline in the producers price of oil on the global market. Further, if the principal mechanism by which Annex B countries reduce emissions is through a carbon tax, then this tax wedge may increase the rent that governments in energy importing countries have in the oil market, transferring wealth from oil producers to consumers (Mabey et al., 1997, p. 274). To put this in perspective, the G7 countries (US, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, Britain and France) already earn some 70% more income from oil taxes than OPEC members earn from petroleum exports (OPEC, 2001). So, through reduced demand, reduced price and reduced market rent it is thought that implementation of the Kyoto Protocol will reduce oil export revenues. Other concerns expressed by OPEC countries include the potential increase in renewable subsides, which they perceive to be given at the expense of other energy forms (e.g. oil) and discriminatory in nature (WTO, 2002. Problem is that everyone seems to have or develop their own policies from the Arab council to the European Union, all different policies different directions and interests. In the last few years OPEC agreed on a range of oil prices (ie between $22-28/B) and used its quota system to keep its oil prices within these limits. However, OPEC did not give any scientific rationale for this range or explain whether or not it was based on any scientific study. Nor did it say such a study took certain factors into consideration. In other words this price range seems to be arbitrary. On October 2007 in London the EU proposed new energy policies to come into place in other to tackle the challenging industry . The EU has clearly recognised that the internal energy market is the policy line that ensures fair prices to citizens and industries. At the same time, it guarantees that even smaller companies, for instance those that invest in renewable energy, have access to the energy market. Absent from this section of the initiative are measures to directly address the current peaking of internal Natural Gas production. Although put forward as so, market liberalization wont secure the increasing Natural Gas imports needed in the following years to meet internal demand. Lines of action to substitute Natural Gas or to secure other foreign sources simply do not exist. The main energy problem in Europe is not mentioned even less dealt with. These policies have a unique flexibility in that they can be used as a cure or as a weapon, but commonly their primary purpose is to promote or protect economic interests. Policy options and recommendations: As regards to reform of the oil or energy sector, in order to meet the requirements concerning the opening up of the market, an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework is necessary, in particular as regards regulation, and implementation of energy policy. Apart from the formulation and implementation of an energy policy, work should be concentrated on two aspects: opening up production, distribution, pricing and restructure of economic development plans by adopting efficient policies and procedures. There are several policy measures and recommendation that might minimise any possible losses to OPEC countries. One, assistance from developing countries to exporting economies to diversify sources of income, as models results show that economies with a diverse pattern of production and exports will be least affected by the Kyoto Protocol (Polidano et al., 2000). Two, OPECs share of oil market and cartel power would increase if there are measures to discourage the production of fossil fuels within developed countries Third, measures to abandon nuclear power generation would also favour oil exporters as more primary energy needs would presumably be met by oil. Fourth creating a situation where by countries wouldnt be able to peg theirs with another and jumping off once the market changes rather look to creating fiscal policy and finally the issue to sell essential and vulnerable commodity in a more stable currency like the euro, as the U.S. is unpredictable the least to say. However, this does not mean that all policies are going to be successful; they need to be well managed within a sustainable balance of power from global institutes. Appendices Appendix (1) Table 1. World Marketed Energy Consumption by Country Grouping, 2006-2030 (Quadrillion Btu) Region 2006 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 Average Annual Percent Change, 2006-2030 OECD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241.7 242.8 252.4 261.3 269.5 278.2 0.6 North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121.3 121.1 125.9 130.3 135.6 141.7 0.6 Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81.6 82.2 84.8 87.9 90.0 91.8 0.5 Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.7 39.5 41.8 43.1 43.9 44.6 0.6 Non-OECD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230.8 265.4 299.1 334.4 367.8 400.1 2.3 Europe and Eurasia . . . . . . . . . . 50.7 54.0 57.6 60.3 62.0 63.3 0.9 Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117.6 139.2 163.2 190.3 215.4 239.6 3.0 Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.8 27.7 30.3 32.2 34.6 37.7 1.9 Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.5 16.2 17.7 19.1 20.6 21.8 1.7 Central and South America . . . . 24.2 28.3 30.3 32.5 35.2 37.7 1.9 Total World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472.4 508.3 551.5 595.7 637.3 678.3 1.5 Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Sources: 2006: Energy Information Administration (EIA), International Energy Annual 2006 (June-December 2008). Summary data on major oil-exporting economies Appendix (2) Country Oil and gas export revenues, 2006 (billions of dollars) Average oil exports, 2006 (millions of barrels a day) Population (millions) Exchange rate regime Change in REER, end 2001 to end 2006 (percent) Saudi Arabia 195.6 8.8 21.4 Fixed (to dollar) -22.2 Russia 190.8 7.4 142.9 Managed float (euro-dollar basket) 39.6 Norway 75.7 2.3 4.6 Floating 6.2 United Arab Emirates 70.2 2.2 2.6 Fixed (to dollar) -18.9 Venezuela 60.3 2.4 25.7 Fixed -25.6 Iran 60.1 2.4 68.7 Managed float 22.3 Kuwait 55.9 2.3 2.4 Fixed (to basket) n.a. Algeria 53.3 1.7 32.9 Managed float (to dollar) -22.0 Nigeria 48.5 1.9 131.9 Managed float (plans to float 2009) 12.8 Libya 38.3 1.3 5.7 Fixed (to special drawing rights) n.a. Kazakhstan 24.6 1.5 15.2 Managed float n.a. Qatar 21.9 1.0 0.9 Fixed (to dollar) n.a. Oman 16.4 0.7 3.1 Fixed (to dollar) -18.4 Bahrain 9.4 0.0 0.7 Fixed (to dollar) -25.4 n.a. = not available Note: Oman and UAE real effective exchange rate (REER) estimates are based on International Monetary Fund annual data, which end with 2005. For Nigeria, it reflects revenues of net oil and gas exports. Irans exports reflect its fiscal year 2005-06. Sources: IMF, International Financial Statistics ; IMF Country Reports; BP Global (for energy data); national central banks; CIA, World Factbook (for population). Appendix (3)

Hamlet - Movie Critique :: essays research papers

The movie of Hamlet was an excellent, as far as book-movies go. I believe it was produced with focus, reason, and logic. The characters were also portrayed with a good interpretation. There were several changes to the play compared to the book, although the movie was done in such a way that they were not particularly missed, from the movie's point of view. Although, from my point of view, after reading the book, there were several somewhat important scenes and elements missing. The first scene in particular was missed. This played a part in setting the stage and was part of the whole theme throughout the whole play. It was in this scene that the ghost of Hamlet Sr. was first seen and where much of the plot developed. Hamlet Sr. told Hamlet Jr. that he had been killed by Claudius and that he must have revenge, Hamlet Jr. being the person to avenge him. In the book, this carried on throughout the rest of the play and without it the plot was not as concrete from the beginning. The dumb-play and play for the king and court was compressed. In the movie, it consisted of primarily just a dumb-show and then the king got mad. It should have included that first and still had a whole play, in which special lines inserted by Hamlet Jr. were to be read. This did not have a dramatic affect on the way the plot was presented in the movie, but was just noticeable. As far as the casting and setting is concerned, I believe that the director did an excellent job. Obviously, this coming from Hollywood kind of gives it advantages to all previous presentations. Mel Gibson was a great choice for Hamlet, because he is good actor and played his part wonderfully.

Bereavement and Grief: Counsellling and Therapy

Bereavement and grief impacts people on many levels: emotionally, biologically, sexually, economically, socially, and spiritually. In essence, all aspects of a bereaved person’s life are affected by grief. The lack of emphasis on the personal toll of therapy may lead to unprepared therapists; conversely, having a personal preparedness for dealing with death issues, rather than simply being trained in tactics, seems to predict more effective work with grieving persons and improved self-efficacy on the part of therapists.This paper provides extensive research on the bereavement and grief therapies. First, it examines various definitions of grief and bereavement and differences between them. Then a variety of theories related to these processes are scrutinised and presented. Then different therapeutical approaches coping with bereavement and grief are explored. After that subject of this study is examined through lenses of two classical psychotherapy theories: Person-Centred and Cognitive Therapy. Finally, an integrated approach based on previous ones is presented.Some conclusive remarks are also added. Definition of Bereavement and Grief Morgan (2000) and traced the words bereavement and grief back to the French word ravir and even further, to its root, the old Frisian word reva, which means to steal or to rob. Thus, in experiencing loss, one feels an acute sense of deprivation of a significant person in one’s life. Morgan (2000) stated that grief is the price we pay for love; it is the price we pay for security; it is the price we pay for a sense of warmth and for a sense that our lives have meaning (p.1). Simply expressed, â€Å"grief is the little kid inside of us protesting. Grief is that little kid inside of us thinking that if I yell loudly enough, if I scream loudly enough maybe my loved one will come back† (p. 1). While the terms grief and bereavement may be viewed as synonymous, some authors make a distinction between them, generally defining bereavement as â€Å"the objective situation of having lost someone significant† (Stroebe, Hansson, Stroebe, & Schut 2001, p. 6).Grief is defined as the reaction to bereavement, the â€Å"severe and prolonged distress that is a response to the loss of an emotionally important figure† (Weiss 2001, p. 47). Parkes (1970) offers a more detailed definition: Grief, it seems, is a complex and time-consuming process in which a person gradually changes his view of the world and the places and habits by means of which he orientates and relates to it. It is a process of realization, of making psychologically real an external event which is not desired and for which coping plans do not exist (p.465). While grief is the internal experience of thoughts and feelings in response to the loss, bereavement can be described as the loss itself, and the process that expresses the internal experience of grief (Worden 2002). Thus, a person may be bereaved in having experienced a los s, but not directly experiencing grief, as in the stage of denial (Worden 2002). Bereavement is characterized most often by emotions of sadness, anger, guilt, loneliness and insecurity (Kubler-Ross 1969). Becker (1973) asserted his belief in three possible responses to death.The first response is to deny the reality of death, to act as though it will not happen or is not important. The second response is to become mentally ill, to engage with death in a way that disregards societal and legal boundaries. The third response is to be heroic, to live life fully and to leave a legacy that upholds life and that honours one’s existence (Becker, 1973). Original Theories of Bereavement Morgan (2000) stated that grief impacts people on many levels: emotionally, biologically, sexually, economically, socially, and spiritually. In essence, all aspects of a bereaved person’s life are affected by grief.Freud's (1917) seminal bereavement paper, â€Å"Mourning and Melancholia,† was the first to propose the necessity of doing grief work, which he defined as a cathartic process of reviewing and then severing the psychological bonds to the deceased, in order to create room for a new attachment to a live person; â€Å"a withdrawal of the libido from this object and a displacement of it on to a new one† (p. 249). Stroebe (1992) more recently defined grief work as â€Å"a cognitive process of confronting a loss, of going over the events before and at the time of death, of focusing on memories and working towards detachment from the deceased† (pp. 19-20).Freud (1917) compared melancholia, which he considered pathological, to the normal process of mourning; he argued that while both share the same features of dejection, loss of interest, inhibition, and loss of capacity to love, melancholia was distinguished by its punitive and painful view of the self, during which the grieving person expects punishment (a belief which may reach delusional proportio ns). â€Å"In mourning it is the world which has become poor and empty; in melancholia it is the ego itself (p. 246). The pathology becomes the conflict within the ego, as opposed to the normal struggle to reconcile the loss of the object.Freud introduced ambivalence as a necessary precursor to melancholia, implying that the quality of one's prior relationship to the deceased was an important factor. The ambivalence toward the lost object created a maelstrom in the grieving individual, who struggles to both detach and remain attached simultaneously. His assumption was that all people need to do the â€Å"work† of grieving, where â€Å"every single one of the memories and situations of expectancy which demonstrate the libido's attachment to the lost object is met by the reality that the object no longer exists† (Freud 1917, p. 255).Freud believed that the ego then became â€Å"free and uninhibited† (p. 245) once the grief work was completed, and ready to form a new attachment. While these were theoretical constructs, based on Freud's observations of grieving persons, they were assumed to be representative of the process of grieving and had implications for the bereavement field for many decades afterward. Freud himself even stressed that further study was needed to identify those who may be predisposed to develop melancholia, and that his paper was actually not addressing grieving, per se; he was exploring dimensions of depression.The distinction between normal and pathological grieving was further explicated by Lindemann (1944), who interviewed 101 bereaved individuals from both an inpatient and outpatient population. Lindemann described the trajectory of normal grief as a fairly comparable phenomenon across patients, characterized by â€Å"(1) somatic distress, (2) preoccupation with the image of the deceased, (3) guilt, (4) hostile reactions, and (5) loss of patterns of conduct† (p. 142).Lindemann observed that it was not unusual for people experiencing a normal grief reaction to resolve the immediate symptoms within four to six weeks with the care of a psychiatrist. Lindemann (1944) viewed morbid grief reactions as a distortion of the normal grieving process. These pathological responses included a delay or distorted reaction to the loss (i. e. , overactivity, or no observable change in affect), somatic reactions that mimic the illness of the deceased, hostility against those perceived as responsible (i.e. , the loved one's physician), prolonged isolation from social supports, and intense self-persecution and desire to punish oneself, including suicidal ideation. Lindemann (1944) defined grief work as â€Å"emancipation from the bondage to the deceased, readjustment to the environment in which the deceased is missing, and the formation of new relationships† (p. 143). He believed that an obstacle to the successful resolution of grief was the avoidance of expressed emotional distress.Lindemann seemed perhaps overly optimistic by stating that a person could be assisted through a morbid grief reaction in eight to ten interview sessions, yet this may have been seen as a welcome departure from Freud's (1917) statement that mourning is â€Å"long-drawn-out and gradual† (p. 256). Furthermore, this could have been a precursor to the studies supporting the profile of the resilient individual (discussed in greater detail below). Anderson (1949) described the symptomology of 100 hospitalised bereaved patients under his care, who exhibited anxiety, hysteria, agitated and anergic depression, and hypomania.Anderson clearly endorsed the pathology of a delayed grief reaction, stating, â€Å"It is obvious that such states of mind will pervert, distort and prolong the natural process of grief in reference to patients who were unable to cry or who appeared elated. Anderson (1949) also believed the necessity of understanding the bereaved patient's relationship to the deceased, and endorsed that an ambivalent attachment would produce a conflicted and prolonged bereavement process.

What a Java Package Is In Programming

What a Java Package Is In Programming Programmers are an organized bunch when it comes to writing code. They like to arrange their programs so that they flow in a logical way, calling separate blocks of code that each has a particular job. Organizing the classes they write is done by creating packages. What Packages Are A package allows a developer to group classes (and interfaces) together. These classes will all be related in some way – they might all be to do with a specific application or perform a specific set of tasks. For example, the Java API is full of packages. One of them is the javax.xml package. It and its sub packages contain all the classes in the Java API to do with handling XML. Defining a Package To group classes into a package, each class must have a package statement defined at the top of its .java file. It lets the compiler know which package the class belongs to and must be the first line of code. For example, imagine youre making a simple Battleships game. It makes sense to put all the classes needed in a package called battleships: package battleships class GameBoard{ } Every class with the above package statement at the top will now be part of the Battleships package. Typically packages are stored in a corresponding directory on the filesystem but it is possible to store them in a database. The directory on the filesystem must have the same name as the package. Its where all the classes belonging to that package are stored. For example, if the battleships package contains the classes GameBoard, Ship, ClientGUI then there will be files called GameBoard.java, Ship.java and ClientGUI.java stored in a directory call battleships. Creating a Hierarchy Organizing classes doesnt have to be at just one level. Every package can have as many sub packages as needed. To distinguish the package and subpackage a . is placed in-between the package names. For example, the name of the javax.xml package shows that XML is a sub package of the javax package. It doesnt stop there, under XML there are 11 sub packages: bind, crypto, datatype, namespace, parsers, soap, stream, transform, validation, ws, and XPath. The directories on the file system must match the package hierarchy. For example, the classes in the javax.xml.crypto package will live in a directory structure of ..\javax\xml\crypto. It should be noted that the hierarchy created is not recognized by the compiler. The names of the packages and sub-packages show the relationship that the classes they contain have with each other. But, as far as the compiler is concerned each package is a distinct set of classes. It does not view a class in a subpackage as being part of its parent package. This distinction becomes more apparent when it comes to using packages. Naming Packages There is a standard naming convention for packages. Names should be in lowercase. With small projects that only have a few packages the names are typically simple (but meaningful!) names: package pokeranalyzer package mycalculator In software companies and large projects, where the packages might be imported into other classes, the names need to be distinctive. If two different packages contain a class with the same name its important that there can be no naming conflict. This is done by ensuring the package names are different by starting the package name with the company domain, before being split into layers or features: package com.mycompany.utilities package org.bobscompany.application.userinterface

The eNotes Blog A Murder at Pemberley P.D. James and her AusteniteMystery

A Murder at Pemberley P.D. James and her AusteniteMystery Renowned and prolific mystery writer P.D. James has done what very few authors would dare to do in a serious way: tread on the territory of her fellow British, and much beloved, author Jane Austen. Not since Anne Telscombes almost universally declaimed attempt to finish Austens last novel, Sanditon, has an author dared to mess with the English icon. Not only that, but James has taken as her own two of literatures most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from what is arguably Austens most popular work, Pride and Prejudice. Jamess new novel is Death Comes to Pemberley. Elizabeth and Darcy have been married for six years and have two young sons. All seems to be well, until a body is found in the woods of the estate. The author maintains that she tried very hard to remain faithful to both the characters and voice of Austen. Here is the opening paragraph of Death Comes to Pemberley: It was generally agreed by the female residents of Meryton that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet of Longbourn had been fortunate in the disposal in marriage of four of their five daughters. Meryton, a small market town in Hertfordshire, is not on the route of any tours of pleasure, having neither beauty of setting nor a distinguished history, while its only great house, Netherfield Park, although impressive, is not mentioned in books about the countys notable architecture. The town has an assembly room where dances are regularly held but no theatre, and the chief entertainment takes place in private houses where the boredom of dinner parties and whist tables, always with the same company, is relieved by gossip. You can see that James does try to set that tone from the beginning. As many readers know, this is the opening line of Austens Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Whether readers will warm to this adaptation or not remains to be seen. Readers of other Austen take-offs, like the comical works Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters,  certainly arent expecting much of an artistic homage. Will James be able to win over some of the harder cored Austenites? A smattering of authors have been able to pull off such a feat. One thinks of the recent novel March by Geraldine Brooks. Here, the main character, John March, returns home from the Civil War to the characters in Louisa May Alcotts classic Little Women. As popular and well-received critically as Brooks novel was, there were plenty of detractors. What do you think? Is it a good idea to carry on in the voice of another author?

Japan's Culture vs. United State's Culture Research Paper

Japan's Culture vs. United State's Culture - Research Paper Example In comparing the cultures of Japan and the United States, it is clear that the differences provide for very different outcomes in relationship to economy and success. The central government is involved in the success of their school systems. School systems are the same throughout the nation with moves from one region to another meaning that a child will not be in a different state of educational advancement in one place compared to another. Equity is achieved through the centralized control of the education system. Communities are not responsible for defining their own education system, but rather there is a high quality of standardization that exists though out the country (Berger, 2009). Children spend longer days, longer weeks which include Saturdays, and a longer period of the year in school. School systems are only shut down for one month out of the year. Three fourths of the children attend supplemental public school which is called juko (Berger, 2009). Japanese children routinely score higher on science and mathematics tests. One criticism, however, is that so much time is spent on rote learning that concept of meta-cognitive skills are not as well developed. Learning discipline through memorization is emphasized while thinking skills are not fully developed to the capacity that could be achieved. In 2002, the Japanese government made changes in order to create more relaxed learning in order to maximize controlled curriculum at 30% with the rest of the curriculum being devoted to teaching children how to think (Berger, 2009). Family life in Japan, therefore, is based upon the importance of the group dynamic. Georges (2009) shows that the ideal family relationship is one in which â€Å"a feeling of oneness† exists to the point that the members of the family understand one another without having to discuss anything. Contrasting to American ideas of teenage life, when polled on how much teenagers believed that their family

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of Essay

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of your choice. What does the comparison tell you about the factors that shape public management in each country - Essay Example The objective is to understand deeper the specific circumstances confronted by each country in public sector management. The first, command and control, involves top-down management and asserts that government can take charge and â€Å"can be highly effective† (Barber 2007, p. 21). Two such examples of the â€Å"command and control† approach is the UK government’s National Literacy Strategy between 1997 and 2001 and the UK government’s reduction of health care waiting times between 2000 and 2005 (Barber 2007, p. 21). The â€Å"quasi-market† approach attempts to provide government services as how one may provide a service in the market wherein privatisation is an option (Barber 2007, p. 21-22). According to Barber (2007, p. 22), some of the good examples of the â€Å"quasi-market† market approach are as follows: (1) the Medicare program of the United States; (2) the UK policy of encouraging the use of independent providers for routine operations in the UK health care system; and (3) the use of private providers for public schools in Philadelphia. According to Barber (2007, p. 22), evidence on the quality of impact of the â€Å"quasi-market† approach is mixed but â€Å"success seems to depend on the precise design of the program†. In third approach, â€Å"devolution and transparency,† government devolves â€Å"responsibility to the frontline units delivering the service and then use transparency† or making public the results in a way that allows comparison s to drive performance higher (Barber 2007, p. 22). On the other hand, Briggs and Fisher (2006, p. 30) advanced that the three paradigms of public sector management are the traditional public administration approach, the new public management paradigm, and the public value management. In the traditional public management approach, public managers are assumed to have the task of ensuring that rules and appropriate procedures are followed and that the public sector has the monopoly of the service ethos