Sunday, January 26, 2020

A Current National Health Policy Social Work Essay

A Current National Health Policy Social Work Essay Policies are relevant and essential as they allow health professionals whether employer or employee, to work within their remit and understand their responsibilities to their clients, patients and their colleagues (Baggott, 2007). Walt and Gibson (1994) identified that health policies are made through complex association of actors, processes and content. The health policy triangle was introduced by Walt and Gibson (1994) as an approach of methodically discerning the various factors that can affect or generate a health policy. Policy actors pertain to governments or individuals who can affect the policy, such as pressure groups and politicians (Walt and Gibson, 1994, cited in Buse et al, 2005). Policy process relates to the formulation or implementation of the policy and how it is communicated to the public or society (Walt and Gibson, 1994, cited in Buse et al, 2005). Policy content refers to material or substance within a policy which describes the issue or topic covered, such as so cial or political which may refer to national or local areas (Walt and Gibson, 1994. cited in Buse et al, 2005). This essay will scrutinise and critique a health policy. It will demonstrate the development of a policy and critique the beneficial worth, stating whether the health policy is achieving the objectives for its initial implementation. It will similarly evaluate and assess the policy content and determine the benefit of this particular health policy within my nursing practice. Furthermore argue whether the health policy has strengths to enhance my practice or weaknesses which may hinder application to my role as a school nurse. The Department of Health were the policy actors who published the National Service Framework for Children, Young people and Maternity services in 2004. This policy was instrumental in enabling health professionals to look at childrens services in a different manner and address the whole child rather than the childs illness or problem they may have; and instead look at techniques to prevent the problem from initially occurring (DH, 2004). The national service framework for children, young people and maternity services (2004) brought to the attention of policy makers the necessity of action focusing on childrens services, which lead to more policies and strategies being formulated (Baggott, 2007). One of them being Healthy lives, brighter futures. The strategy for children and young peoples health (2009), which states that all children and young people should grow up healthy with specific attention directed to the vulnerable; which includes looked after children and children in low inc ome families. Healthy lives, brighter futures. The strategy for children and young peoples health was published in 2009, jointly by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. This strategy was the Labour Governments plan to improve children and young peoples health and wellbeing (Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009). (DH and DCSF, 2009). The Labour governments aim through this Strategy was for children and young people to have more opportunities by using more easily accessible services, which would benefit them and diminish health inequalities leading to less strain on the countrys financial resources (DH and DCSF, 2009). Healthy lives, brighter futures. The strategy for children and young peoples health (the Strategy) (2009) was the primary approach targeting all health professionals and childrens services, which preceded the Healthy Child Programme: From 5-19 years old policy; in addition was introduced later the same year together by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. To achieve the goals set out in the Strategy which targeted health professionals in the community, hospitals and commissioners highlighting the importance of their part in reducing health inequalities (DH and DCSF, 2009). Child poverty is on a decline but in the United Kingdom (UK) one in four children are growing up in poverty (Department for Work and Pensions, 2009). Young people and children living in poverty additionally use and rely on more frequently, emergency services which can add unnecessary strain to health services (Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People s Services, 2010). Health inequalities are still present, and policy actors such as the British Youth Council were there to add their voice to the areas, and problems which they felt still needs addressing for the young people of the UK (British Youth Council, 2012). The section of the Strategy (DH and DCSF, 2009), which will be discussed/critiqued in great depth will be section five, titled Young People. I work with young people and can look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Strategy; and this area was also chosen as young people sometimes feel that their concerns are dismissed and their opinions are undervalued (British Youth Council, 2012). Adolescence is seen as a vital stage where young people are leaving behind their childhood and stepping forward into adulthood; where they are gaining more independence and in some cases looking after their own health for the first time, rather than depending on their parents or carers (DH and DCSF, 2009). The Strategies established are directed to providing health services for young people which targets their health as well as their psychological wellbeing (DH and DCSF, 2009). Through this transitional period adolescents are developing neurologically, physically, emotionally in addition to psychologically (Moshman, 1999). While young people are testing the boundaries though they are gaining more independence, young people are more likely to listen and seek advice from their peers rather than adults (Moshman, 1999). In our locality to make school nursing services more accessible to teenagers we provide a drop in clinic, where teenagers can come and discuss health issues or concerns t hey may have on their own or with a friend. The Strategy has recommended that health services adopt a more young people friendly service (DH and DCSF, 2009). Youre Welcome Quality criteria for young people friendly health service published by the Department of Health, Children and Young People (DH and CYP, 2011). This policy was one of the follow on programmes to the Strategy which gave more in depth recommendations, for providing additional user friendly health services for young people and training for staff to have a more user friendly approach. A project directed by Randall and Hill (2012), noted that young patients wanted their nurses to be friendly; but still give them their privacy and dignity without drawing unnecessary attention (Randall and Hill, 2012). Youth workers based in the community can break through barriers as they are mainly adult workers that can relate to young people as they may work with them daily, when young people attend youth groups or centres (Hilton and Jepson, 2012). Young people attending hospital appointments or in hospital can feel isolated, have low self-confidence or lose their individuality (Hilton and Jepson, 2012). Presently school nurses only work with young people mainly if they have health conditions, to promote health or have Child protection plans. If there were more resources available, in this case time, school nurses could work with youth workers to help distil fears in young people, in regards to being admitted onto a hospital ward or learning to live with a long-term health conditions. This would empower young people to have additional confidence in health workers, and enable them to feel undaunted about their transition into the adult world (Young, 2006). Policy makers understand and recognise the importance of young peoples psychological wellbeing and mental health which is addressed (DH and DCSF, 2009). The issue to provide a service to tackle and deliver support for young peoples mental health is challenging, as insufficient funds is available to deal with this one particular area on its own (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2012). This is evident by my employment Council that provides an integrated child support service, which entails education psychology and education welfare, early intervention and behaviour (Southwark Council, 2012). If the child has a more serious emotional or mental health problem that cannot be dealt with by the integrated child support service, the child would be referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, generally referred to as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2012). My employment Trust has CAMHS which provides mental health care for four Trusts and also a national and specialist team (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2012). Usually a referral to CAMHS can take from four to eight weeks before the child or young person would be given an appointment (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2012). This reveals how necessary and important the service which is provided by CAMHS is needed and required, but demonstrates the challenge to respond to the high demand of referrals in a sufficiently and effectively appropriate amount of time (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2012). CAMHS has a policy of if the child or young person misses their appointment due to any other reason than ill health, they will be put back onto the waiting list. The Strategy recommends that young people should have more access to information regarding sexual health (DH and DCSF, 2009). Teenagers are known for trying unsafe behaviours whether it is sexually or experimenting with drugs or alcohol (DH and DCSF, 2009). Teenagers can access health services if they are still in school or may want to discuss things away from their usual environment by attending sexual health clinics (DH and DCSF, 2009). In my school nursing locality young people are offered a drop in service where they can discuss personal issues; presently the service is only offered once a month due to lack of school nurses to run the drop in clinic. Southwark has the eighth highest rate of long term unemployment in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 2010). Southwark has 10% more deprived districts than the rest of England, in terms of income deprivation which affects children living in the borough (Southwark PCT, 2011). Priority is made to safeguarding children which is paramount, and as there are quite a few cases of children in Southwark who have child protection plans (Southwark Council, 2012). Health of children in Southwark is generally worse than the average in England (Association of Public Health Authorities, 2010). Promoting healthy eating can be challenging, when low income families are trying to provide a healthy meal for their family at a time when they are on a fixed income (Livingstone, 2007). The Strategy recognises that young people are adept at using the internet, and other forms of modern technology to gain access to information (DH and DCSF, 2009). Young people 16 years and above can open a Health Space account, where they can keep their current health records and have more control over their health information (DH and DCSF, 2009). Health space also gives young people guidance on healthy eating and information on different types of illnesses; and where teenagers can go to get necessary support if required (Health Space, 2012). As part of the recommendations our school nursing service uses mobile phones to text young people to remind them of upcoming appointments. The policy Youre Welcome Quality criteria for young people friendly health services, identified that young people preferred to receive a text message rather than an appointment letter and to be given the option of attending their appointment with or without their parents (DH and CYP, 2011). An effective approach mentioned by the Strategy is for health to be promoted through advertising. This can be through television or radio commercials and also through posters in prominent areas and campaigns (DH and DCSF, 2009). A campaign which referred to excess drinking was called Know your limits encouraging young people not to get drunk as they are not in control of their faculties and emphasised the dangers of being drunk; such as getting alcohol poisoning to having unprotected sex (DH and DCSF, 2009). The Know your limits campaign ran from June to September 2009, which included advertising on television, radio and on the internet (Community Justice Portal, 2009). A survey conducted after the campaign revealed that young people did take notice of the anti-binge drinking campaign (Community Justice Portal, 2009). While 67% of young people said they would think more when out drinking with their friends, but none of the young people said that they would reduce the amount of alcohol they would consume (Community Justice Portal, 2009). This brings into question whether the campaign was effective, and whether another form of advertising would have been beneficial, productive and less costly. Teenage pregnancy rates are decreasing and currently are at the lowest they have been for the last forty years (Office for National Statistics, 2010). In Western Europe England still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy, with the majority of the pregnancies unplanned and half of them legally aborted (Swann et al, 2003). The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy launched in 1999, set out guidelines to reduce the amount of teen pregnancies in the UK (DCYPF and PH, 1999). The Strategy made clear and productive follow on guidelines to the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, which involved methods and approaches on how to reduce teenage pregnancies and campaigns to promote effectual contraceptive techniques (DH and DCSF, 2009). Young people aged between 16 years to 24 years old still has the highest amount of reported sexually transmitted infections (DH and DCSF, 2009). The Strategy has made clear procedures and techniques on how to decrease teenage pregnancy by gleaning evidence based information from countries such as America; where they have had an 86% reduction in their teenage pregnancy rate which they say was due to better quality use of contraceptives (DH and DCSF, 2009). Sex and relationship education is taught in schools by school nurses or by school teachers, but we are limited in some independent and religious schools by what we can teach the children. This would hinder and impede upon school nurses following the guidelines which the Strategy would like us to follow, as in some schools we have to negotiate with the head teachers what they will allow us to teach the pupils. For instance, in Catholic secondary schools if the pupils are taught sex and relationship education, it is limited to purity, abstinence and waiting till the students are married before having a sexual relationship (Catholic Education, 2012). Childhood obesity is defined as weight gained to a significant amount which can affect the childs health (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2003). The Strategy tried to put in place guidelines to help combat obesity in young people, but the government admitted that they were struggling to find effective ways to tackle the obesity in young people (DH and DCSF, 2009). The Strategy was not precise or adequate with beneficial and practical guidelines to encourage healthy eating in young people (DH and DCSF, 2009). Campaigns such as Change 4 Life were introduced in the same year as the Strategy, with the goal of targeting the whole family into eating healthier and exercising, and nothing directed just for young people (DH, 2009). The Change 4 Life was effective to a certain extent, as it gave school nurses a worthwhile tool to go into schools and work with young children. Posters and leaflets were given to schools to promote the Change 4 life campaign; but as for teenagers they found it unrelatable. In addition to the Olympics being held in London, the follow on campaign is Games 4 life (DH, 2011). This was designed at encouraging families to take an active part in the games instead of just watching it all on the television set in their homes (DH, 2011). Games 4 life misses out on the opportunity of targeting young people to get them involved with the Olympics where they could have schools competing against each other. Our experts are examining the Governments NHS reforms in detail and highlighting aspects of the legislation that merit greater scrutiny Right Hon Stephen Dorrell MP, Health Select Committee (2011). IMPACT The announcement of the NHS reforms by the current Government will have a thought-provoking impact on patients care and the roles which health professionals presently hold. For instance, additional audits will be put in place and this can be questioned about the effectiveness of these audits, as it may perhaps mean more time being spent on completing these audits which would mean less time focusing on service users (Ham et al, 2011). An adverse effect from the NHS reforms was the abolishment of the student education maintenance allowance scheme. (EMA) Young people in low income families relied on the EMA for funds for their books, and in some cases their travel expenses to college (British Youth Council, 2012). The distribution of the EMA bursary is now controlled by schools, training providers and colleges; young people feel that it is biased as they see it as another way for the Government to control their education when the young people should be making more decisions for themselves (British Youth Council, 2012). The NHS reforms will give 80% of the health budget to general practitioners to control and decide where they think health financial resources should be spent (DH, 2011). CONCLUSION The Strategy has a positive and negative influence on my practice as a school nurse. There are a number of areas for improvement which has been highlighted, such as promoting healthy eating in schools. This could happen by working more closely with school teachers but there would also need to have more resources put in place. These resources requires having a bigger budget to hire more school nurses, and also more funds to target young people to demonstrate to them, that they are not an age group which society undervalues and fails to appreciate as noted by the British Youth Council (British Youth Council, 2012). By means of additional resources, an increase in the amount school nurses could be hired and we would be able to offer a more effective service to young people and their families. The Strategy recommended various ways of promoting sex and relationship education which is working, as records demonstrate the decreasing levels of teenage pregnancies and abortions for forty years (Office for National Statistics, 2010). This is advantageous as with the reduction of teen pregnancies the Government as one of the main policy makers, can implement more policies which should continue to highlight the needs of young people to help reduce health inequalities and promote their health and wellbeing (DH and DCSF, 2009). Young people attend and are admitted to hospitals all the time. The Strategy did not give enough information on how young people would be supported if they had to attend or be admitted to hospital; this could hinder my practice as not enough research has been conducted in this area. The study conducted by Hilton and Jepson (2012), noted the importance of youth workers who could relieve some of the fears of young people and support them when and if they are admitted to hospital. More money spent towards the youth service signifies youth workers liaising and coordinating with school nurses working together to arrange schemes, work on leaflets or have an advice line for young people to contact school nurses. Presently we have a drop in clinic once a month but with more easily accessible contact services, young people would surely use the service if it was user friendly intended especially for their age group (British Youth Council, 2012). The Strategy has recommended some valid points which can be implemented into my nursing practice as a school nurse; however there are some areas which have been demonstrated that are quite difficult to apply and facilitate without further resources and manpower to improve on the service which is presently in place for young people. Improvements have been noted and I am sure they will continue to improve while we have policy makers from different parts of the society such as the British Youth Council, who will continue to make society listen to the voice of young people.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 2

For a few seconds, I was no longer at the party. My mind's eye flashed back to where I stood on a cliff outside the town I'd grown up in, barely old enough to be called an adult by today's standards. And Niphon was there, smiling at me, promising me he had all the answers and could make my problems disappear†¦. I shook my head, driving off the memories and returning to the party at hand. His smile grew, an evil smile that promised even more evil things. I could have been facing Eden's serpent himself. â€Å"I knew you had it in you,† he continued, stepping toward me. His voice stayed soft. â€Å"I knew it the minute I saw you. I can't wait to find out firsthand just how†¦experienced you've become.† My defenses snapped into place, and I stepped back. â€Å"Touch me, and I'll break your fucking neck.† â€Å"Such ingratitude, considering I made you what you are.† â€Å"Stay away from me.† He started to move forward again, and my heart leapt to a pace that would have killed most humans. Suddenly, Jerome's voice fell over us, and I realized the room had become silent. â€Å"Leave her alone, Niphon. She said no.† The imp paused and made a pleading face. â€Å"Aw, come on, Jerome. What kind of demon doesn't share his goods?† â€Å"You aren't here to fuck my succubus. If you can't do your job, I can replace you.† Jerome's voice held a warning note that even an asshole like Niphon couldn't ignore. Maybe someone would be consigned to Hell tonight after all. Disappointingly, the imp inclined his head in obeisance and backed off. The look he gave me warned we would have a later conversation. I walked over to Jerome. â€Å"Maybe you should have given me a heads up earlier.† â€Å"And ruin things for you lovebirds? Hardly something a die-hard romantic like me could do. Besides, I told you to come early.† Hugh snapped his cell phone shut and wandered over to join us. He kissed my cheek. â€Å"Hey, sweetie. Big things going on here.† My already enormous sense of dread grew by leaps and bounds. â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Re-org. Seattle's lines have been redrawn. We're getting another succubus. Or, well, we've got one.† My jaw dropped, and I replayed Niphon's earlier words. â€Å"You are so joking.† â€Å"Afraid not. This is Tawny.† Robo-Blonde pranced over on her stiletto heels and tried to shake my hand again. I kept it out of reach, fearing for my bones. I forced a smile. â€Å"Hi, Tawny.† I turned back to Jerome and jerked my head at Niphon. â€Å"Why is he here then?† â€Å"I acquired her,† the imp explained. â€Å"Acquired† was a nice way of saying he'd bought her soul for Hell, just as he'd purchased mine. â€Å"It's my job to stay and watch her until she's settled in and taken her first victim.† â€Å"No one ever did that for me,† I recalled. â€Å"You sort of threw me to the wolves.† I'd had to be some innkeeper's sex toy in Constantinople for a few years until I'd learned the succubus ropes. Niphon shrugged. â€Å"HR's new policy. Just think of all the time it'll give us to catch up.† Giving Tawny a sidelong glance, I hoped her adamant desire to destroy men everywhere meant she'd be a quick study. Eyeing her leopard-skin skirt, I had my doubts. â€Å"Well. Fantastic. Now that I'm up to speed, I guess there's no need to stay – â€Å" Hugh shook his head, suddenly becoming my-friend-the-imp as opposed to the all-business imp. I could tell from his expression that I wouldn't like what he had to say next. â€Å"There's something else you need to know. For the next year or so, you have to be her†¦uh, mentor.† â€Å"Mentor,† I repeated flatly. He nodded, looking sympathetic. Jerome watched our exchange with amusement. â€Å"What, um, does that mean for me exactly?† Hugh set his briefcase on a coffee table and pulled out what looked like the kind of copied-and-bound manual Kinko's would run off. He tossed it to me. I caught it and nearly keeled over. The thing had about eight-hundred pages. Mentor's Official and Complete Procedural Handbook on Initial Succubus Intake and Probationary Period (Abridged). â€Å"Abridged?† I spun toward Jerome. â€Å"Tell me you're getting back at me for the time I accused you of wearing Old Spice.† â€Å"That one's still coming,† said the demon. â€Å"This one's for real.† â€Å"I can't do this, Jerome. I don't have the time! Do you know how much stuff I've got going on? I'm still training the new assistant manager at work – â€Å" He stood up with speed a vampire might have admired. He leaned toward me, the amusement gone from his face. â€Å"Oh gee, Georgie. How inconsiderate of me to take you away from your human boyfriend and your crucial-to-the-world bookstore job and all the other fucking absurdity in your life! Let me just go ahead and tell my superiors that you've got more important things to do than answer to the powers who control your immortal soul and could wipe out your existence in the blink of an eye.† Heat flooded my cheeks. I didn't really appreciate being verbally bitch-slapped in front of Niphon and Seattle's entire dream team of evil. â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just – â€Å" â€Å"It's not up for debate any longer.† His words crawled over my skin. I swallowed. â€Å"Yes, Jerome.† Even I knew when to back down. Silence fell. A smirk played over Niphon's face. â€Å"A human boyfriend. How terribly quaint. I can't wait to hear all about it.† â€Å"I think it's cute,† said Tawny. â€Å"I hope you're making him suffer.† â€Å"Their romance is a great tale of self-exploration,† remarked Hugh, straight-faced. I shot him a glare. As a sexual workaround, Seth and I found we could do unto ourselves what we couldn't do to each other. I'd never actually told my friends about this solution, but they'd kind of figured it out. With the drama complete, the rest of the room lost interest in me. Tawny did not, however, and immediately began talking to me about the joys of ripping out men's hearts and watching them cry. I left her as quickly as I could, working the room and talking to those I hadn't seen in a while. I was good at smiling and making people laugh while all the while, my mind spun and processed this new complication. When I finally found Cody, Peter, and Hugh huddled in a corner, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could tell from the looks on their faces that this was the most hilarious thing they'd seen in a while. Cody, young for a vampire but ancient compared to Tawny, threw an arm around me. His shaggy blond hair was tamed into a short stub of a ponytail. He was perpetually laidback and upbeat, and his â€Å"youth† always made the rest of us want to baby him. â€Å"Oh, man. This is going to be great. You are so screwed.† â€Å"As if,† I said, squirming away. â€Å"You think I'm afraid of her?† â€Å"I am,† said Peter with a shiver. He had thinning brown hair and wore casual yet exquisitely coordinated clothes, all the way down to his argyle socks. He was an old vampire, close to my age, and was Cody's mentor. I'd never thought much about their mentor-apprentice relationship before. It always seemed pretty effortless, but then, Cody was no Tawny. I followed Peter's gaze to where the new succubus animatedly told a story to a stone-faced demoness named Grace. From the dangerous jiggling of Tawny's breasts, it looked as though the structural integrity of her shirt could only last so long. â€Å"I don't think you're afraid,† said Hugh slyly. â€Å"I think you're jealous.† â€Å"Of what exactly? Bad fashion sense? An ergonomically unsound bustline? I have nothing to be jealous of.† â€Å"Whatever. I saw your face when you heard we were getting a new succubus. Looks like someone isn't going to be the only girl in our little clique anymore.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, we'll have a new little sister to fawn and fret over. You'll have to share the spotlight.† â€Å"I'm not sharing anything,† I said huffily. Peter laughed. â€Å"So it does bother you. Can't wait until the fur starts flying.† â€Å"Her fate is in your hands,† said Cody. â€Å"You should make her call you ‘Miss Georgina,'† added Hugh with a mocking southern drawl. â€Å"Or at least ‘ma'am.'† Niphon's presence and Jerome's lecture had put me in a grouchy mood. â€Å"I'm not doing any mentoring. She's so gungho to take on the world's male population, she doesn't even need me.† The three men exchanged more smirks. Cody made some hissing and meowing sounds, scratching at the air. â€Å"This isn't funny,† I said. â€Å"Sure it is,† said Cody. â€Å"Besides, don't you want to help others? Where's your sense of goodness and charity?† â€Å"I think I cashed that in when I, you know, sold my soul to Hell.† Peter waved his hand. â€Å"Details, details. ‘Tis the season to put aside petty rivalries and animosity. You've got to get into the holiday spirit. You probably haven't even put up your Christmas tree yet.† â€Å"I'm not getting a tree this year.† The smile slipped from Peter's face. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Oh, shit. You've done it now,† said Hugh. â€Å"I already got lectured earlier for not having one.† â€Å"You're a Scrooge,† Peter told him while still looking at me. â€Å"No one expects that kind of festive cheer from you. But Georgina†¦didn't you have a Christmas tree last year?† â€Å"Yeah. Somebody burned it down. At my Christmas Eve Martini Party.† â€Å"I was there,† said Peter. â€Å"I don't remember that.† â€Å"You were drunk. You'd already passed out.† â€Å"What kind of sick bastard burns down a Christmas tree?† Hugh and I exchanged glances. â€Å"That's an excellent question,† I said dryly. Peter looked startled. â€Å"Was it you?† he asked Hugh. â€Å"No,† said the imp. â€Å"It was Carter.† â€Å"Your Christmas tree was burned down by an angel?† asked Cody. He hadn't been with our group last December, so this was all new to him. And Peter too, apparently. â€Å"Yup. The irony isn't lost on me,† I said. â€Å"He had his ashtray too close to where a branch was hanging down.† â€Å"Well, I think he did you a favor,† said Hugh. â€Å"You can get a fake one now. They're easier. No watering. No woodland animals. Besides, you can get them to match your d? ¦cor. Did you notice Peter's is ‘pissed-off ocean green'?† Peter sighed. â€Å"It's ‘jaded sea green.'† I followed their gazes to Peter's monstrosity of a Christmas tree. Nine feet of perfectly shaped needles draped in gold tinsel and red glass ornaments. Everything on it coordinated. In fact, I suddenly realized, it matched Peter's outfit. The tree looked like a display model from a department store. The green in the multicolored bejeweled star on top even seemed to bring out the blue in the ‘jaded sea green.' â€Å"At least you don't have an angel on top,† I said. â€Å"Because that would have been kind of wrong. And possibly a fire hazard.† â€Å"Joke all you want,† the vampire said, â€Å"but you have to have a Christmas tree. Oh, yeah – you also have to draw a name for Secret Santas.† I groaned. â€Å"Are we doing that again?† â€Å"Let me go get the cup,† he said, trotting to the other side of the kitchen. I looked at the other two. â€Å"A vampire obsessed with Christmas. That has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard.† â€Å"No weirder than an angel burning down a Christmas tree,† pointed out Cody. Peter returned with a reindeer mug that held a few folded pieces of paper. He held it out to me. â€Å"Not many left. Pick.† I pulled out a slip and opened it. Carter. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I swore. â€Å"I hate Christmas.† â€Å"You do not,† said Peter. â€Å"You just have to get a tree. Then you'll feel better.† My eyes drifted from the star, down to Tawny and Niphon. â€Å"What I have to do is get out of here,† I told them, setting my glass on the counter. I made my good-byes to them and endured a bit more teasing about my new mentoring job. As I walked to the door, I overheard Jerome saying to Grace, â€Å"†¦but I'll be out of town for a few days.† I suddenly realized I needed to ask him something. â€Å"Hey, Jerome.† He turned from the demoness, shooting me an impatient look. In as few words as possible, I recapped how I'd woken up without the energy I'd stolen the previous night. Jerome listened, looking bored. â€Å"What'd you do last night? Bursts of shape-shifting? Rocket science? Heavy lifting?† I didn't need him to tell me what sorts of things would burn through my energy. â€Å"I didn't do any of those things. I just slept. I did dream, though.† â€Å"Dreams only suck the life out of humans, not us,† he remarked dryly. â€Å"It's what keeps Hell in business.† Seeing my expression, he sighed. â€Å"It's probably nothing, Georgie. Mental exhaustion'll do it. You probably spent the whole night unconsciously wrestling with sexual temptation.† I didn't appreciate his flippant answer, but there was nothing I could do about it. I left the party, driving home at a reasonable speed limit this time. As soon as I cleared the door, I tossed that ridiculous manual to the floor. It landed with a ground-shaking thump that made my cat Aubrey puff up her tail. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled, scratching her black-speckled head in consolation. Traipsing to the bedroom, I promptly dialed Seth on my cell phone. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"Hey. You have to come over here tonight.† A pause. â€Å"Well, I could, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh, come on! You won't believe what I just went through. We're getting another succubus.† He paused again. â€Å"I'm not really sure how to respond to that.† â€Å"Respond by getting your ass over here. I need you.† â€Å"Thetis†¦I'm so close to the end here. Four chapters away. And I got this idea while we were having breakfast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groaned. Cady and O'Neill had defeated me again. Before actually meeting Seth, I'd worshipped him from afar as a literary genius, reading his novels over and over. Now I knew the dark truth about being a bestselling author's girlfriend. Hearing my silence, he reluctantly added: â€Å"But, I mean, if you really need me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no. Don't worry about it. It's okay.† â€Å"You don't sound like it's okay. I know how women work. You say that, then you'll hold a grudge against me forever. Literally.† â€Å"No, really. It's fine. I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway. Besides, as soon as I get out of this dress, I'm just going to pass out anyway.† No way was I starting that procedural tome. â€Å"You're wearing a dress?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"You weren't wearing one earlier. What's it look like?† I started laughing. â€Å"Ooh†¦are you trying to have phone sex with me?† â€Å"Phone sex? Hardly. We haven't even had a phone first date.† â€Å"It's not that hard. You see, I tell you how the dress has a really low neckline with nothing underneath. Then, you tell me how you'll reach out and peel it off and stroke my – â€Å" â€Å"Oh my God. No. We are not doing this.† Typical Seth. He could write sex scenes that set the page on fire or dialogue clever enough to impress even me. Make him vocalize any of it, and he choked up. He was shy around others, fearful in large groups, and much happier staying an unnoticed listener. I sympathized but sometimes had trouble really comprehending it, considering how often I became the center of attention. I liked to think he'd improved a bit since we got together, but he had a long way to go. â€Å"It just takes practice. Here, I'll help you. Picture it. I'm getting on my knees and slowly unfastening your pants – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, look. If you really want to go through with this, I'd be happy to, you know, go get on my computer and IM it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh good grief. Go work on your book.† I hung up the phone and sat down on my bed. Good Lord. My weekend had taken an abrupt U-turn. Like it or not, I supposed it had been only a matter of time before a new succubus joined the ranks here. Seattle had grown significantly over the years, and I could only do so much. But a green succubus? One I had to train up? If I hadn't known such administrative decisions were out of the demon's hands, I would have accused Jerome of doing it on purpose. It was on par with his sense of humor. Why couldn't we have just gotten some antisocial pro who did her job without ever interacting with me? And Niphon†¦well, that was the coup de gras. I didn't like being reminded of my past, and I didn't like him. Something told me he had it in for me, though I couldn't entirely fathom why. He'd bought my soul and recruited my eternal services. What more was there? Wait and see, a warning voice whispered in my head. I shivered. Tawny couldn't make her first score a moment too soon. Suddenly, I didn't feel like passing out after all. I wanted to go out. Not for a victim or anything†¦just to, well, be out. Grab a drink. Do a little flirting. It might salvage the train wreck I'd just endured. I headed downtown to the Cellar, a favorite watering hole for local immortals. After Tawny's coming-out party tonight, I doubted anyone I knew would be there. A little alone time suited me just fine. Yet, as I entered the crowded bar and slipped through the drinking, laughing patrons, I felt a cool sensation tickle my immortal senses. It made me think of crystal and ozone. Scanning around, I finally found Carter sitting across the room at a round table. Seattle's most powerful angel – and the one who had burned down my Christmas tree – had sensed me too, and a slight smile curled his lips in greeting. Although he naturally hadn't been at Hell's all staff meeting, he did have a tendency to hang out with my little clique. It had weirded me out at first, but I'd since come to view him as a normal fixture in my life, albeit a strange and badly dressed one. More startling than seeing him out tonight, however, was his assortment of companions. Three angels and a human – none of whom I'd ever met before. All of them watched me, displaying curiosity and – for one of them – scorn at my presence. Whatever. He could scorn all he wanted. It would take more than an angel posse to get to me after everything I'd experienced today. Carter's company did strike me as odd; I'd never known him to work with others. A grudging curiosity rose up within me, wondering what could have brought them all together – with a human, no less. Noting my scrutiny, Carter winked and made a small gesture of invitation, much to the astonishment of two of the angels. I nodded back in acknowledgement, first stopping by the bar to get a vodka gimlet. When I walked over a minute later, I put on my best saucy succubus attitude and pulled up a chair beside Carter. â€Å"Well, well,† I said. â€Å"I feel like it's Rush weekend or something. We're all entertaining guests, huh?† â€Å"So I hear,† he said. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his chin-length blond hair. Unless I was mistaken, it had been washed for the first time in six months. These guests must be serious. â€Å"I also hear one of yours is of a more permanent nature.† I pulled a face. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about that, if it's all the same to you.† â€Å"Can we expect a cat fight soon?† â€Å"That joke is so one hour ago. You want to introduce me to the rest of the class?† This made one of the angels laugh. She had deeply tanned skin and black hair that shone like silk. A merry glitter danced in her eyes as she extended a hand to me. â€Å"Yasmine. And you're Georgina.† I nodded back, unable to help a smile. The one she gave me in return filled me with warmth and joy. Maybe some angels weren't so bad after all. It was a good thing, too, because her companions seemed less thrilled to make my acquaintance. â€Å"I'm Whitney,† said another slowly, a pretty black woman whose hair consisted of myriad tiny braids. She dressed with a fashion sense that met my standards and wore cat-eye glasses that made her look both cute and wise. Her handshake took a moment in coming, but it did come. I glanced at the last angel expectantly. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, paired with a long and narrow face. His expression conveyed clear disapproval and a haughty coldness. Now that was behavior I associated with angels. For a moment, I didn't think he'd speak at all. Then, with great stiffness, he said, â€Å"I'm Joel.† No handshake followed. I turned to the human. He grinned back with as much enthusiasm as Yasmine and flipped his longish dark hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Vincent Damiani. Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too.† I cut Carter a sly look. â€Å"And all this time, I didn't think you had any friends.† â€Å"You're jumping to conclusions, Daughter of Lilith.† He sipped from what looked like whiskey straight up. â€Å"They're here on business.† â€Å"Ooh. Top secret angel business, huh? What're you going to do? Dance on a pinhead? Lobby for National Cute Puppy Day?† Joel's cold look dropped another ten degrees. â€Å"As if we would discuss our affairs with a dark seductress of evil.† Yasmine elbowed him with an eye roll. â€Å"She's joking.† â€Å"That's what she wants you to think,† he warned ominously. â€Å"I for one am not going to let my guard down while she attempts to use her wily and sinister powers of seduction on us.† Fixing him with a slow, languid smile, I leaned back in the chair, crossing my legs so the skirt rode up my thighs. â€Å"Baby, if I were using my wily and sinister powers of seduction, you'd be the first to know.† A dark flush stained his cheeks. He fixed his gaze on Carter. â€Å"I don't know what game you think you're playing, but you need to get rid of her.† Carter stayed unfazed. â€Å"She's harmless – unless you're a drug-pushing god or a nephilim. Or an introverted writer.† Yasmine flinched, her cheerful countenance becoming sober. â€Å"Don't joke about nephilim.† â€Å"In fact,† Carter obliviously continued, â€Å"she might fix that little logistical problem. Georgina, I don't suppose you'd mind playing hostess, would you? Vincent needs a place to stay while he's in town.† I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Misinterpreting my silence, Vincent hastily added, â€Å"It's okay if you don't want to. I mean, you don't even know me. I can see how that'd be weird.† â€Å"I don't know,† I told him, even more curious as to what was transpiring with this odd group. â€Å"If angels vouch for you†¦well, you can't really get a better recommendation than that. If you don't mind sleeping on the couch, it's fine by me.† â€Å"You're a pearl among succubi,† Carter declared. Joel nearly choked on his drink. Considering his stick-up-the-ass attitude, I doubted he had anything alcoholic. Probably Kool-Aid or Pepsi. Diet Pepsi, at that. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† he exclaimed. â€Å"She's a succubus. You can't subject him to that. Think about his soul.† â€Å"She's not really into nice guys,† Carter said. â€Å"Usually. You won't have a problem.† Yasmine offered Vincent a playful look. â€Å"He's not that nice anyway.† â€Å"Carter – † began Joel. â€Å"I told you, she's fine. Let it go. You have my word. Besides, she won't ask any questions, and it'll give him an accessible place to stay while you guys search.† I jumped on the word â€Å"search.† Now we were getting somewhere. â€Å"What are you guys looking for?† Dead silence met me. Whitney crossed her arms. Vincent sipped his drink. â€Å"Okay, I get it.† I finished the gimlet with a gulp. â€Å"Need to know basis. Mum's the word. Hush-hush and all that.† Yasmine's easy grin returned. â€Å"I love her, Carter. No wonder you keep her around.† She then started talking about another succubus she'd met in Boston, smoothly changing subjects as deftly as Carter could. Guessing what I was thinking, Carter caught my eye and grinned. I rolled my own eyes in exasperation. Nonetheless, as the evening progressed, I found myself liking Yasmine immensely. She, Vincent, and Carter carried most of the conversation, and while angels weren't nearly as fun as the rest of my friends, I found this group entertaining in their own way. They also swore and drank a lot less, but well, nobody's perfect. When the bar closed, I took Vincent with me, but not before Joel issued warnings about the sanctity of the human soul. Vincent listened to it with a patient face, nodding along at the key parts. â€Å"Is he always like that?† I asked on the drive home. Vincent laughed. â€Å"He can't help it. He means well. He's just worried about me.† â€Å"Are you worried?† â€Å"Nah. You're pretty cute, but no, I'm not worried. I'm already in love with someone.† I started to joke that that was no protection against anything, that I'd seduced plenty of guys who thought they were in love. Something in his voice stopped my quip. The way he spoke implied that being in love was indeed protection from me and all the other evils of the world. He spoke like one who was invincible. I suddenly felt sad. â€Å"Good for you,† I said softly. He cut me a sidelong look. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† â€Å"Okay enough to tell me what you and the Super Friends are doing in town?† A smile flashed back over his face. â€Å"No.† At home, I set him up on the couch, producing piles of blankets to keep him warm. I kept my apartment at a steamy temperature most of the time, but it was December, and the part of me that still remembered huddling around meager fires in days gone by felt one could never have enough blankets. I soon went to bed, buried under my own stash of covers. This time, I didn't dream.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Categorizing Personality Types Essay - 1659 Words

Outgoing and spontaneous, or level headed and reserved: these are ways in which people identify the others surrounding them every day. These personality indicators may seem easy to distinguish; however, at times, finding one’s own personality type can be difficult. In the early 1900s, a Swedish psychologist named Carl Jung introduced the idea of categorizing personalities into identifiable types (Boeree). By investigating the subconscious, Jung was able to classify personality types that have certain characteristics in common. This became known as typology (Boeree; TheFreeDictionary.com). Several years later, Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs-Myers, took Jung’s typology to the next level. Together they separated†¦show more content†¦Also, extroverted people tend to act impulsively without thinking of consequences. An introverted person will think about his or her actions before committing to them (Extroversion). After taking the Myers-Br iggs test, I discovered that I had an extroverted personality (Flynn). This is very prevalent in my job, as well as school. While I benefit from some time to myself, I enjoy working with groups of people. If I must choose between conducting a project on my own or with a group, I will usually pick the group. I also have a job that requires working with large groups of children. While some individuals may find such a large group overwhelming, I find it easy and comfortable. Another indicator of my extroverted personality is my tendency to act on impulse. Many times, I will enroll in classes before I take the time to see if I need them or will do well in them. I also make choices without considering consequences. Last semester, I chose to skip class to attend other events. While friends thought it made me a fun, flexible person, I ended up failing my class due to absences. Being introverted and extroverted both have their positive and negative qualities, but I typically bene fit from my outgoing personality. The next set of traits is sensing and intuitive. These types refer to the way a person interprets information (Basics). A person with aShow MoreRelatedLearning Style Inventory ( Lsi )1679 Words   |  7 PagesHe found that some students preferred attended lectures or reading whereas others preferred doing activities. Kolb contribution to the field through his Experimental learning model illustrated in Exhibit 1.1. His Learning Style Inventory (LSI) categorizing students and learners in to four learning style field domains: diverging, assimilating, converging and accommodating; as illustrated in Exhibit 1.2. Kolb`s work was of great assistance to the development in learning to medicine and management studentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Paul Smith s First Clothing Boutique1412 Words   |  6 Pages The brand has a strong personality but able to adapt with different environments by decorating each store differently to fit in with the local area. We re a leading and uniquely British brand. We mix up one-off antiques with high quality tailoring: the chair you sit on when you buy a suit is for sale and we can wrap the suit and have the chair waiting for you when you get home.† They do not only sale clothes but it is also the lifestyle, the customers must have a type of attitude to appreciateRead MoreDo Men With Excessive Alcohol Consumption And Social Stability Have An Addictive Personality?1148 Wor ds   |  5 PagesSocial Stability Have an Addictive Personality?† (Roman Balldin, 2011), offers some statistical research on the issue on the effects of alcohol consumption. The study was conducted on men that were between the ages of eighteen to sixty-five years old, and they consumed additional alcohol then they wanted to. The men that were in the study have permanent housing, they are not dependent on any substance that is not alcohol or nicotine, and they have some type of income, whether it is a job or aRead MoreEssay on Social Cliques in The Breakfast Club by Eric Berne711 Words   |  3 Pages As opposed to the film The Breakfast Club, written by John Hughes, that creates a more negative input on stereotyping. Berne’s uses a theory of basic human types as an example of a scientific subject made for nonscientists, where in the article he breaks down categories of people’s appearances to help them reflect on their own personalities. On the other hand, Hughes engages in a different theory of how to let people recognize stereotyping by giving a different perspective of it. In The BreakfastRead MoreThere Is A Wide Array Of Theories About The Cause Of Crime1102 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen categorized by biological, psychological, and sociological theories. A major biological theory is Richard Dugdale’s theory of inheritance. There are several psychological theories with two of them being intelligence theory and Sigmund Freud’s personality trait theory. Sociological theories includes Emilie Durkheim’s functionalist theory and Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory. Overall, there are a wide range of theories and theorists that try to determine what factors influence devianceRead MoreIndividual Behaviour Research Paper983 Words   |  4 Pages3rd lecture Individual Behavior Prof. Dr. Robert J. Zaugg robert.zaugg@unifr.ch Individual Behavior Learning Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Explain the nature of the individual-organization relationship Define personality and describe personality attributes that affect behavior in organizations Discuss individual attitudes in organizations and how they affect behavior Describe basic perceptual processes and the role of attributions in organizations Explain how workplace behaviors can directly or indirectlyRead MoreTaking a Look at Psychopaths and Sociopaths1325 Words   |  5 Pages Of all the psychiatric disorders, none are more chilling to the world then the psychopaths and sociopaths. These two disorders, categorized as antisocial personality disorders, bring about the absolute worse people and killers that the world has ever known. The infamous serial killers, the people who do the unimaginable, were all psychopaths. 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But when we do those types of things such as categorizing or even placing people in a certain type of thought to ourselves is actually very practical and realistic. Everyone has a different type of feel to them, a type of trait or uniqueness to them, and say if we were to go and take that idea and delve into

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Scandal, Bribery, And Corruption - 2047 Words

Scandal, bribery, and corruption: all aspects of everyday life, and sports. With countless scandals hitting the news every day, it is easy to see that sports â€Å"players† are no exception. With scandal comes crisis communication. Rhetors use strategic language and techniques to save face and restore image after a scandal. Apologia theory is a crisis communication concept which aims to categorize the strategies used in rhetoric to apologize, defend oneself, and restore an individual or organization s image. Theorist have studied famous speeches and situations from Bill Clinton to Tiger woods, using apologia as the lens to understand how we react in times of crisis. In the case of the recent bribing scandal involving Eric Black, a Southampton†¦show more content†¦Both statements were released on the club’s website and social media platforms. The statements aimed to combat the negative feelings of fans after the scandal made headlines. The day after the article and video went up on The Daily Telegraph’s website, Southampton FC released the first of two press statements. The first statement, released September 29th, aimed to reassure the community they were doing something about this video and the possible corruption. The discuss the steps they are taking to look into the video and possible bribing in the league; stating they are working with the FA (The English Football Association, and The Premier League (SFC, 2016). They use rhetorical strategies to reassure fans and other community member they take this seriously, and they understand how this affects the wider community. this helps to restore their image and build credibility. The first statement does not speak of Eric Black himself or his status as employee; the rhetors use framing as a device to shift the reader s mind away from the scandal and Black, and towards the investigation and future resolution. The second statement goes into more detail about the status of Eric Black as an employee of Southampton, and continues to reassure while promoting a sense of community. Southampton FC followed up the next day with an extended andShow MoreRelatedThe Discourse Of The Endemic Grand Corruption1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe discourse of the endemic grand corruption in Nigeria is inadequate without a critical scrutiny of the roles played by the multinational companies (MNCs) in facilitating and sustaining grand corruption. Scholars argue that companies, especially multinationals, are the biggest perpetrators using a sophisticated network of notional companies and corporate structure to facilitate corrupt practices in developing countries. In essence, grand corruption in Nigeria is to a large extent sustained byRead MoreThe List Of Core Corrupt Acts1345 Words   |  6 PagesDrugs and Crime: bribery, embezzlement, theft, fraud, extortion, nepotism, favoritism, and clientelism. 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It was practised even in Mughal and Sultanate period. When the East India Company took control of the country, corruption reached new height. Corruption in India has become so common that people now are averse to thinkingRead MoreThe Absolute Biggest Threat That Our World Faces Today Is Global Mass Corruption Essay1512 Words   |  7 Pagesbiggest threat that our world faces today is global mass corruption. A comprehensive report suggests that Afghanistan, Somalia, and North Korea are among worst regions in terms of corruption. Transparency International is the firm in which has established the Corruption Perceptions Index. The index is based on the collaborated global professional opinion of many intellects in order to d efine the measured perceived levels of public sector corruption. The score a nation receives in the report determineRead MoreThe White Sox Of The World1628 Words   |  7 Pagesmake money, but also a high risk†¦ but not if the game is fixed. Despite the lack of prevalent hard evidence proving they fixed the game, the eight White Sox players involved in the 1919 World Series bribery scandal were rightfully banned. The eight White Sox players attended meetings about the bribery and accepted and agreed to the bribe. When the White Sox first basemen, C. Arnold â€Å"Chick† Gandil, met with a gambler, the idea of throwing the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and theRead MoreCorruption Is A Matter Of Great Concern For The Nation1742 Words   |  7 PagesGovernment in 1963, Kenya has been plagued with corruption. Combating corruption is a matter of great concern for the nation, largely because corruption in Kenya is not just centralized at the head of government, but systematically rooted throughout all levels of government and normalized within society. Kenyans have developed a culture of corruption that cannot be easily broken, and poor governance can be attributed to the entrenchment of corruption throughout Kenya. Government institutions, whichRead Moredoes Bribery help or hurt Essay879 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Bribery in the business world is a very polemical ter m, where it involves the corruption between the private sector and the government. The article â€Å"Does bribery help or hurt firm growth around the world?† by Jessie Qi Zhou Mike W. Peng provides a good review and examination of how bribery plays a role in the growing process of a firm and what implications or consequences it can bring. The article brings two important points of view; the first one is focus on what levels the firms have to useRead MoreComparing Italy And The United States Of America1651 Words   |  7 Pagestreated differently, while in the U.S. this is rarely seen, and almost everybody is mostly treated equally. Masculinity is also slightly higher in Italy motivating people to increase their wealth and status, and sometimes it creates fertile ground for briberies. Italy has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation Italians are not comfortable in ambiguous situations. Formality in Italian society is important and the Italian pena l and civil code are complicated with clauses, codicils