Creativity report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creativity report - Coursework Example Creativity and innovation have become valuable features of leading companies. Schirrmacher (1988) defines creativity as one’s ability to see things in novel ways; it is breaking boundaries and going beyond the known facts. It is also developing something new, different and original and combining things which do not seem to be related to each other but eventually makes sense when put together. This is closely related to innovation which is sparked by a new idea. The idea can be a new technology such as a gadget that can provide more convenience to consumers, a new service like an alternative form of relaxation, a new product, or even a new administrative procedure. Such ideas are driven by needs that are seen by the innovators. Innovation requires creativity. In organizations, innovation becomes the growth of a new idea from its initial state into its actualized form as a full-blown innovation (Roberts, 2006). Thus, creativity is at work when one innovates. The ongoing global recession has caused the shutdown of several companies, leading to massive unemployment. Epic Events Management Company is a small company that has likewise suffered the blow, with many of their clients opting to forgo their special events as a way of cutting down expenses. To keep the company afloat, they had to let go of a large part of their office space which occupied the whole floor of a prominent building downtown. The CEO decided to just keep his office for entertaining clients, the team room with a few office tables and the reception area. Because of this drastic move, they have significantly saved on rental expenses. The problem now lies on how they would rearrange the office so that all the staff can fit in and still be productive. On top of that, they need to think up of other alternative income-generating ideas that will augment the losses incurred from the lack of projects. For the problem of lack of office space for the

The Processes Managing Risk With Vulnerable People Social Work Essay

The Processes Managing Risk With Vulnerable People Social Work Essay This assignment will explore assessment processes and the management of risk in the protection of a vulnerable person. I will provide a brief case study and discuss how assessments and risk management has been applied to this individual case. This assignment will look at different theories and legislation that impact on risk management in social work and the field of child protection. The case study that I have chosen to discuss is a case that I have held for two years. X is a four year old child who currently lives with his mother Ms X. Xs name has been on Wrexhams Child Protection Register for three years under the category risk of emotional harm due to concerns regarding Ms Xs criminal behaviours and drug misuse and the impact that this has on the care that she can provide. Ms X has two older children and there were concerns that she was unable to meet the needs of these children due to the same issues. Ms Xs eldest child spent ten years of his life in the care of the Local Authority, which sadly included over twenty different foster placements. He is now serving a custodial sentence and holds a lot of resentment towards his mother for the way that he was parented and his inappropriate life experiences. Ms Xs second child was placed for adoption at an early age following the undertaking of assessments by different professionals, who felt that X was unable to ap propriately care for the child. It has been assessed that Ms Xs care of X is of a higher standard than the care of her older children, however there are still aspects of this that are considered to be a risk to Xs emotional well being. Ms X has been unable to care for X for significant periods of his life as a result of serving three custodial sentences, the last being for a period of five months. During these periods X has been cared for appropriately by a family member, although has been extremely distressed and unsettled. This last incident of Ms X being arrested and imprisoned raised further concerns for Xs sense of stability and emotional well being. As a result a meeting was arranged with the Local Authoritys Solicitor and Head of Service to determine whether the risk to X was to the extent that Care Proceedings would need to be considered. Looking at a persons history can allow different opinions and judgements to be formed, this history is also included as part of current risk assessments. In the field of child protection social work risk is usually viewed as being negative and something that needs to be minimised or prevented. The concept of risk is very difficult to define; this is a result of it being ambiguous and contestable. The definition of it will rely on the situational context, field of application and the perspectives undertaken. Risk became a dominant preoccupation within Western society towards the end of the20th century, to the point where we are now said to live in a risk society (Beck,1992), with an emphasis on uncertainty, individualisation and culpability. When defining risk it is often done in mathematical and probabilistic terms as a result of it relating to the expected losses which can be caused by a risky event and the probability of this event happening. It is mapped to the probability of an event which is seen as undesirable. When the loss is harsher in relation to the likelihood of the event then the risk will be worse. This negative conception of risk as risk avoidance or risk aversion can be contrasted with the more positive account based on risk taking in venture capitalism and finance as a measure of the variance of possible outcomes. The systematic management of actuarial risk is risk management while the methodology for evaluating for evaluating is risk assessment. Across different professions techniques and methods used for managing and assessing risk can vary considerably. The resulting effect is that some professions, such as social work, are defined according to their ability and propensity to deal with risk. Kemshall (2002) argued that social work is predominantly concerned with handling and assessing risk instead of focusing on social need and justice. It is argued in Social Work in a Risk Society that, as a response to risk, the reconfigurations between state, politics, science and people are particularly felt in world of social work (Webb, 2006). The reasoning for this is due to the vulnerable, dangerous and challenging populations under conditions of great uncertainty and crisis which social work invariably deals with. Due to this the opportunity for situations that present a risk are greater. The resulting effect is that social work role attempts to develop more extensive risk management and actuarial systems for trying to control this risk. (www.socwork.net). The current risk to Xs emotional well being has been documented through an individual child protection plan and support services identified. This plan is reviewed on a monthly basis through multi agency core group meetings. These meetings ensure that all agencies and the family have updated information regarding Xs circumstances and are aware when issues arise that may be seen to increase the risk to Xs emotional well being. The regular meetings also ensure that professionals and family members are included in decision making, such as presenting the recent concerns to a legal planning meeting. It is important that the information was gained from agencies involved in the process and that their views were respected. I was aware that different professionals had their own view about what was going on and how this impacted upon X. I did not take these views as a fact but assessed the information that was received. I understand that different professionals and organisations can have different means of assessing risk. This can be challenging when making decisions and plans. In this particular case, when Ms X received a custodial sentence there were professionals that felt that the risk to Xs emotional well being was immediate. Other professionals did not see the risk as being immediate as there was an appropriate family member to care for X when Ms X was arrested. The category of risk to the child appears to be a factor in the assessments that are made. Despite efforts to refocus childrens services away from a preoccupation with risk of significant harm towards supporting families to meet the needs of their children, the risk of immediate harm continues to take priority. In many of the case examples, the needs of children had been overlooked or resources were not available until risk of immediate harm was apparent. Indeed, the focus was on specific types of harm, children who were deemed at risk of physical or sexual abuse (i.e. immediate harm) caused more concern than those who were potentially at risk of neglect or emotional abuse. This was an issue that both service users and practitioners linked to near misses, as well as to more serious adverse incidents. (Bostock, L et al, 2005). Since the 1970s child protection work has become less optimistic and more reactive when in 1973 the death of Maria Colwell created a public outcry and preoccupation with retribution and blame (Parton, 1996). The abuse of children became something that social workers should be able to predict and prevent. Assessing risk is one of the main roles in the field of child protection which usually means trying to minimise and prevent potential and identified risks. Assessment has always been integral to social work practice. Since the 1990s there has been a steady increase in interest in the field of child care social work assessment. Its importance in social work practice is widely acknowledged. Assessments are undertaken by social workers to gain access to resources such as family support workers and funding and are also used to assess risk. Assessments are used by managers and Courts to inform the decision making process, consequently social work assessments can have a lasting and profound impact upon children and their families. Assessments can also include linking with other organisation liaising and negotiating using interpersonal and communication skills. For Thompson (2000) interventions can either challenge inequality or reinforce them it is therefore important to recognise inequalities and power imbalances and this can lead to empowerment through promoting equality. For Coulshed and Orme (2006) there is no understanding that the information gained from social work intervention and assessments might be interpreted in many different ways, depending on which theoretical approach is used. For OSullivan (2002) there is mounting pressure to base decisions on research evidence but he believes there are serious failings in this approach. Therefore OSullivan (2002) believes that research studies need to have a supportive rather than significant role in relation to decision making. Evidence based practice and relevant theories should inform social work practice when assessing risk. For this particular case I researched attachment theories and the impact that separation could have on X as a result of his mothers imprisonment. Bowlbys attachment theory which Beckett (2005) uses to look at how early life experiences on childrens affect long term psychological development. Research suggests that insecure attachments in childhood can also have a negative impact on behaviour in childhood and throughout adult life. Bowlby (in Crawford and Walker, 2005) believed that the prolonged separation of the child from their mother, especially in the first 5 years of their life could cause m ental health issues in later life. These include oppositional-deviant disorder(ODD), conduct disorder(CO) or post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) all of which have been linked to early traumatic experiences, including abuse or neglect. (http://psychology.about.com) However as Crawford and Walker argue there have been criticisms of early thinking of attachment theory as children can make attachments to other people not just their mother. These may include extended family members. Crawford and Walker (2004) believe that as social workers we must consider how life experiences may have influence on the individuals growth and development. Throughout my involvement with X in assessing risk and devising plans I have ensured that his individual life experiences were considered. I was aware that X has previously been separated from his mother for a significant period, which could lead to the conclusion that Xs attachment to his mother was already insecure. When completing risk assessments the long and short term affects of the identified risk need to be explored, this ensures that the social worker can gain a bigger picture of how the identified risk could have an impact on the persons life. I have explored different information and research regarding the effects of parental incarceration and ensured that the family and other professionals involved in the case had access to this information. There have been a variety of long-term effects on children identified which are associated with the incarceration of parents, one example is the childs level of development. Even if a child-parent attachment has already developed, for example as in the case of infants in the first 9 to 12 months of there lives that have been in either their mothers or fathers care, the disruption caused by parental incarceration will likely have an adverse affect on the quality of their attachment to their parents. (Parke et al 2001). The quality of infant or toddler child-parent attachment can even be impacted by even less drastic changes such as divorce, or moving home (www.hhs.gov). Insecure attachments between parents and children, which is believed to be a consequence from adverse changes in ones life circumstances, have been linked to a variety of negative outcomes for the child; these include diminished cognitive abilities and poorer peer relationships (Parke et al 2001). In light of this info rmation it is not surprising that when their parents are serving custodial sentences, it has been observed for young children between the ages of 2 and 6 years of age to suffer from a range of adverse outcomes which are consistent with research on the effects of insecure attachments (Johnson, 1995). One estimates states that 70% of young children whose mothers were in prison had emotional or psychological problems. Children are said to exhibit internalising problems, such as, depression, anxiety, withdrawal, guilt and shame (Bloom Steinhart, 1993; Dressler et al, 1992, cited in Parke et al, 1992). It has been documented that young children are also at risk of externalizing worrying behaviors such as anger, aggression towards caregivers and siblings (Fishman, 1983 cited in Parke et al 2001). Since the Children Act 1989 was implemented in October 1991 there has been a debate between the appropriate emphasis of social work practice in terms of risk and need. This has been closely linked to the centrality of the assessment with social work gaining momentum. Within the act there is no definition for the term risk, child protection is instead constructed with the term significant harm. Under s.31(9) of the Children Act 1989: harm means ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development; development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; health means physical or mental health; and ill-treatment includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical. (Brammer 2007) Within risk assessments in social work the term risk has been associated with the negativity of harm and child death (Parton 2000). This mixed with the blame culture that is present in todays society has an impact on the way in which risks are viewed in the field of child protection. Due to the complexity, and the protracted nature of the work, most social work is of little interest to the media and the wider public. Social work stories only become of interest when major failures occur in the system. (Wroe, 1988). Social workers have been very publicly named and shamed in the aftermath of the tragic Baby P case, one newspapers headline stating Blood on their hands. The Sun newspaper appeared to lay the blame almost exclusively on the heads of social workers, launching a petition calling for every social worker who had been involved in the case to be sacked and prevented from working with children again (Brody 2009). The Baby P case was shocking and serious mistakes were made, this has created a fear amongst social workers of making mistakes regarding the risk to a child. Social workers and other professionals are now more aware of the negative implications of risk. Following the death of Baby Peter the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCA SS, 2009 in Parton, 2010) produced figures which demonstrated a nearly 50 per cent increase in care applications in the second half of 2008-09 and the demand for care continue to remain at a unprecedented high level. Assessment is a fundamental skill in social work interventions; it is more than collecting information and is a process rather than an event, which you return to again and again. Therefore it was important to be aware when new information was brought forward regarding the family it was included and the assessment was updated. It acts as a basis for intervention and can form clear objectives. It is important to recognise that there may be multiple problems and all need to be taken into account. Legislation and policy requirement needs to be taken account of, both locally and nationally. Strengths as well as weaknesses need to be assessed. I had to take these into account whilst continuous assessments were being carried out to gain a clear understanding of the bigger picture, as identified in National Framework Triangle (2000). It is important that children have the right to have their voices heard and to be included in the decisions that affect their lives. It is crucial to engage with the children in the family in order to establish if they are in need or at risk of significant harm. Throughout the period that I have been allocated as the social worker to X I had considerable power to make decisions which would affect the family such as judging whether they were eligible for service, therefore there is a power imbalance. For Milner and OByrne (1998) power within social work practice can be used to empower others when working in an anti oppressive way, if power is used incorrectly it can exclude and marginalise service users. As a social worker I was seen as the expert, the service user according to Thompson (2000), by therefore occupies a more powerful position. For Morris (2000) the Framework for the Assessment of Children and their Families (DoH, 2002) is targeted at a professional audience which means that service users are not provided with guidance about what they can expect as best practice in assessment or what the minimum standards are. This means for Morris (2000) the development of a working partnership or effective participation is limited as only the social worker has the guidance needed and the information about the service that is offered. For Milner and OByrne (1998) power within social work practice can be used to empower others when working in an anti oppressive way, if power is used incorrectly it can exclude and marginalise service users. As a social worker I was seen as the expert, the service user according to Thompson (2000), by therefore occupies a more powerful position. Due to Ms X being female I looked at how gender affects the issue of drug misuse and offending. An awareness of gender difference should play a key role according to Barnes and Norma (1992), in understanding and responding to needs. But a women centred approach cannot ignore the experiences which divide and separate women as well as uniting them. For example black women in the UK will be affected by cultural differences, racism and in some cases language difficulties as well as by sexism. Barnes and Norma (1992) believe that there is considerable evidence to show that women are more likely to be identified as experiencing emotional problems. Mental disorders amongst women are often identified as behaviours which deviate from what is regarded as normal female behaviour. New and emerging radical values concerned with challenging oppression are very distinct from traditional values as described in the Code of Practice which emphasise individualised relationship between the social worker and the service user.. We must decide whether to interpret values traditionally as a commitment to respect for people, equal opportunity and meeting needs or radically as a concern with social rights, equality and citizenship. Though there should be no presumptions that the emergence of new values or the development of traditional ones will lead to changes in professional practice. If there is no organisational backing or changed professional education, practice is likely to remain unchanged. Risk assessment methods in the field of child protection continue to be criticised for being time consuming and being overly actuarial. Accountability in child protection social work tends to focus on the family, as opposed to external factors, such as poverty in terms of neglect (www.northerncja.org.uk). It must be highlighted that risk can be defined differently dependant on the individual completing the risk assessment. Differing agencies and workers have different values, cultures, interpretations and language relating to risk. I am aware that the thresholds of risk vary not only across agencies but within agencies (Brown and White 2006). As highlighted by (Barry 2007) social workers with more experience may operate a higher risk threshold than their more recently trained colleagues. Throughout my involvement with X and his family sought advice from colleagues, managers and the Local Authority Solicitors when required and advised to do so. Prior to the use of risk assessments the child protection system could have been seen to be ineffective. Risk assessments usually require the social work to contact all other agencies that the child is known to. According to (Parsloe 1999) In the pre risk assessment days inter agency communication was lacking compared to todays standards and because of this children were harmed or even killed, who otherwise could have been saved. The introduction of child protection case conferences has ensured that information between agencies is shared and acted on appropriately, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of assessing risk. In the case of X child protection case conferences allowed recommendations to be made to all professionals involved which aimed to minimise the risk to X. The case conferences reviews also ensure that any recommendations and actions have been completed by professionals and the parents. As highlighted in (community care.co.uk) child protection case conferences have greatly improved communication between agencies, resulting in the risk posed to a child being reduced considerably. In conclusion, it must be noted that assessing risk in the field of child protection has improved greatly since its introduction. Social workers now have various documents and theories designed to determine the different risks that affect vulnerable children. The importance of inter agency communication is now highlighted in policies and procedures that social workers must adhere to. Recent media attention directed at social workers has undoubtedly created a fear amongst not only social workers but other professionals in allowing and promoting risk taking. This has resulted in an increase in the referrals received by childrens services and an increase in childrens names being placed on the child protection register of the Local Authority that I am employed by. The different categories that risk is defined under has an impact of the action that is taken by social workers and other professionals. This essay has highlighted the issue that the risk of neglect or emotional harm is not see n to be as urgent as a child that is at risk of sexual or physical harm. I am conscious that risks that are identified can vary depending on the individual that is assessing the risk. I am aware that as a social worker it is important that I recognise my own values and how this could impact an assessment that I complete.

Trafficking and Prostitution in Thailand Essay -- Human Trafficking

In a small village consumed by poverty a man in a business suit shows up. He goes from family to family offering to buy children for a year’s worth of pay. He gets to one family with a young girl whose father sells her to feed his addiction for heroine. Scared and confused the girl is now forced into a brothel, sexually pleasing more than 20 men a day. Nearly five years later she is rescued only to lose her life to AIDS from unprotected sex. The human trafficking industry in Thailand has long been overlooked both internally and externally. Corruption, greed, foreign relations, economic pressure, and overall demand have fueled the trafficking industry in Thailand. Until the world and the Thai government make serious changes to the way they handle the situation in Thailand, the victims of trafficking will continue to experience similar atrocities. During Vietnam War, America had an agreement with Thailand that allowed them to establish a rest and relaxation base there. The base and soldiers stationed there caused the economy to thrive through tourism however once the war was over, the U.S. no longer needed the base so they left Thailand. The Thai economy needed a way to continue to sustain itself, so it began to prostitute women in their country to create a desirable location for tourism again. This prostitution business gained attraction around the world, and the Thai economy was once again sustaining itself. As time passed it became apparent that trafficking women from nearby impoverished countries would be easier than using the local women. Thailand began establishing itself as one of the biggest prostitution industries and soon became known as â€Å"Asia’s Brothel†. Women and children that are trafficked into Thailand live hor... ...x Slavery." NewsMax.com: America's News Page - News Archives. 21 Apr. 2001. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. . Northcutt, Casey. "Education may prevent human trafficking." The Murray State News. 21 Feb. 2008. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. . Perrin, Andrew. "Thai families partners in child sex trade / Border area's products are drugs and daughters." San Francisco Bay Area News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Classifieds: SFGate. 6 Feb. 2002. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. . "Thailand: Fighting Child Trafficking | World in Progress | Deutsche Welle | 01.09.2007." Home | Deutsche Welle. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. .

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 8

As they hastened from the car to the secluded motel room, Elena had to put pressure on her legs to keep them steady under her. As soon as the door to the room slammed shut, with the storm more or less outside and her own stiff and aching body inside, she headed for the bathroom without even turning on a light. Her clothes and hair and feet were all damp. The fluorescent lights of the bathroom seemed too bright after the darkness of the night and the storm. Or maybe it was the beginning of her learning to circulate her Power. That had certainly been a surprise. Damon hadn't even been touching her, but the shock she had felt still reverberated inside her. And as for the feeling of having her Power manipulated from outside her body, well, there just weren't words. It had been a breathtaking experience, all right. Even now just thinking about it made her knees tremble. But it was more clear than ever that Damon wanted nothing to do with her. Elena confronted her own image in the mirror and winced. Yes, she looked like a drowned rat that had been dragged backward a mile through the gutter. Her hair was damp, turning its silky waves into tiny wisps of curls all around her head and face; she was as white as an invalid, and her blue eyes were staring out of the pinched and exhausted face of a child. For just a moment she remembered being in even worse shape a few days – yes, it was only days – ago, and having Damon treat her with the utmost gentleness, as if her bedraggled appearance had meant nothing to him. But those memories had been taken from Damon by Shinichi, and it was too much to hope that that might have been his real state of mind. It had been†¦whim†¦like all his other whims. Furious at Damon – and at herself for the prickling behind her eyes she felt – Elena turned away from the mirror. The past was the past. She had no idea why Damon had suddenly decided to start jerking away from her touch, or to look at her with the hard cold eyes of a predator. Something had caused him to hate her, to barely be able to sit in the car with her. And whatever it was, Elena had to learn to ignore it, because if Damon left, she would have no chance of finding Stefan. Stefan. At last her trembling heart could find rest in thinking of Stefan. He wouldn't care what she looked like: his sole concern would be for her well-being. Elena shut her eyes as she turned on the hot water in the tub and stripped off her clammy clothes, basking in her imagination of Stefan's love and approval. The motel had provided a small plastic bottle of bubblebath, but Elena left it alone. She'd brought her own translucent-gold bag of vanilla bath crystals in her duffel bag, and this was the first chance she'd had to use it. Carefully, she shook about a third of the beribboned bag's crystals into the rapidly filling tub and was rewarded with a steamy blast of vanilla, which she drew into her lungs gratefully. A few minutes later, Elena was shoulder deep in hot water covered with a vanilla-scented foam. Her eyes were shut and the warmth was soaking into her body. The softly disintegrating salts were easing away all pain. These weren't ordinary bath salts. They had no medicinal smell, but they'd been given to her by Stefan's landlady, Mrs. Flowers, who was a genteel elderly white witch. Mrs. Flowers's herbal recipes were her specialty, and right now Elena would swear that she could feel all the tension of the last few days being actively sucked out of her body and gently soothed away. Oh, this was just what she had needed. Elena had never appreciated a bath like this before. Now, there's just one thing, she told herself firmly, as she inhaled breath after delicious breath of vanilla steam. You asked Mrs. Flowers for bath salts that would relax you, but you cannot fall asleep here. You'll drown, and you already know what that feels like. Been there, done that, didn't even have to buy the shroud. But even now Elena's thoughts were dimmer and more fragmented, as the hot water continued to relax her muscles, and the vanilla scent swirled around her head. She was losing continuity, her mind drifting off into daydreams†¦. She was giving herself to the heat and the luxury of not having to do anything at all†¦. She was asleep. In her dream, she was moving briskly. It was only half-light, but she could tell somehow that she was skimming downward through deep gray mist. What worried her was that she seemed to be surrounded by arguing voices, and they were arguing about her. â€Å"A second chance? I've spoken to her about it.† â€Å"She won't remember anything.† â€Å"It doesn't matter whether she remembers. Everything will remain inside her, if unawakened.† â€Å"It will germinate inside her†¦until the time is right.† Elena had no idea what any of it meant. And then this mist was thinning, and clouds were making way for her, and she was drifting down, more and more slowly, until she was deposited gently on a ground covered with pine needles. The voices were gone. She was lying on a forest floor, but she wasn't naked. She was wearing her prettiest nightgown, the one with real Valenciennes lace. She was listening to the tiny night sounds all around her when suddenly her aura reacted in a way that it never had before. It told her someone was coming. Someone who brought a sense of safety in warm earthen hues, in soft rose colors and deep, blue violets that enfolded her even before the person arrived. These were†¦someone's†¦feelings about herself. And behind the love and soothing concern she experienced, there were deep forest greens, shafts of warm gold, and a mysterious tinge of translucency, like a waterfall that sparkled as it fell and foamed like diamonds around her. Elena, a voice whispered. Elena. This was so familiar†¦. Elena. Elena. She knew this†¦. Elena, my angel. It meant love. Even as Elena was sitting up and turning in her dream, she was holding out her arms. This person belonged with her. He was her magic, her solace, her best-beloved. It didn't matter how he'd gotten there, or what had happened before. He was her soul's eternal mate. And then†¦ Strong arms holding her tenderly†¦ A warm body close to hers†¦ Sweet kisses†¦ Many, many times†¦ This familiar feeling as she melted into his embrace†¦ He was so gentle, but almost fierce in his love for her. He had vowed not to kill, but he would kill to save her. She was his most precious thing in all the world†¦. Any sacrifice would be worth it if she were safe and free. His life meant nothing without her, so he would gladly give it, laughing and kissing his hand to her with his last breath. Elena breathed in the wonderful autumn-leaves scent of his sweater and was comforted. Like a baby, she allowed herself to be soothed by simple familiar odors, by the feeling of her cheek against his shoulder and the wonder of the two of them breathing together in synchronicity. When she tried to put a name to this miracle, it was at the front of her mind. Stefan†¦ Elena didn't even need to look up at his face to know that Stefan's leaf-green eyes would be dancing like the waters of a small pond ruffled by wind and sparkling with a thousand different points of light. She buried her head in his neck, afraid somehow to let go of him, although she couldn't remember why. I don't know how I got here, she told him nonverbally. In fact, she didn't remember anything before this, before awakening to his call, only jumbled images. It doesn't matter. I'm with you. Fear seized her. This isn't†¦just a dream, is it? No dream is just a dream. And I'm with you always. But how did we get here? Shhh. You're tired. I'll hold you up. On my life, I swear it. Just rest. Let me hold you just once. Just once? But†¦ But now Elena felt worried and dazed, and she had to let her head fall backward, had to see Stefan's face. She tilted her chin back and found herself meeting laughing eyes of an infinite darkness in a chiseled, pale, and proudly handsome face. She almost cried out in horror. Hush. Hush, angel. Damon! The dark eyes that met hers were full of love and joy. Who else? How dare you – how did you get here? Elena was more and more confused. I don't belong anywhere, Damon pointed out, suddenly sounding sad. You know I'll always be with you. I do not; I do not – give Stefan back to me! But it was too late. Elena was aware of the sound of water trickling and of tepid liquid sloshing around her. She woke up just in time to keep her head from going underwater in the bathtub. A dream†¦ She felt much more flexible and easy in her body, but she couldn't help feeling saddened by the dream. It hadn't been an out of body experience, either – it had been a simple, crazy, mixed-up, dream of her own. I don't belong anywhere. I'll always be with you. Now what was gibberish like that supposed to mean? But something inside Elena trembled, even as she remembered it. She hastily changed – not into a Valenciennes lace nightgown, but into a gray and black sweat suit. When she emerged, she was feeling overtired and prickly and ready to start a fight if Damon gave any sign of having picked up on her sleeping thoughts. But Damon didn't. Elena saw a bed, managed to focus on it, stumbled toward it and collapsed, flopping down on pillows that sank unsatisfactorily beneath her head. Elena liked her pillows firm. For a few moments she lay, savoring her after-bath sensations, as her skin gradually cooled – and her head cooled as well. As far as she could tell, Damon was standing in exactly the same position as he had taken up when they'd entered the room. And he was still as silent as he had been since the morning. Finally, to get it over with, she spoke to him. And being Elena, she went straight to the heart of the problem. â€Å"What's wrong, Damon?† â€Å"Nothing.† Damon stared out the window, pretending to be engrossed in something beyond the glass. â€Å"What nothing?† Damon shook his head. But somehow, his turned back eloquently conveyed his opinion of this motel room. Elena examined the room with the too-bright vision of someone who has forced their body beyond its limits. She contemplated beige walls, beige carpet, a beige armchair, a beige desk, and of course, a beige bedspread. Even Damon couldn't reject a room on the grounds that it doesn't match his basic black, she thought, and then: oh, I'm tired. And bewildered. And scared. And†¦incredibly stupid. There's only one bed in here. I'm lying on it. â€Å"Damon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With an effort, she sat up. â€Å"What do you want? There's a chair. I can sleep on the chair.† He half turned, and she saw in the movement that he wasn't annoyed or playing games. He was furious. It was all there in the faster-than-the-human-eye-could-follow assassin's spin and the complete muscular control that stilled it almost before it had begun. Damon with his sudden movements and his frightening stillness. He was looking out the window again, body poised as always for†¦something. Right now it looked poised to jump through glass to get outside. â€Å"Vampires don't need sleep,† he said in a voice icier and more controlled than she'd heard since Matt had left them. That gave her the energy to get off the bed. â€Å"You know I know that's a lie.† â€Å"Take the bed, Elena. Go to sleep.† But his voice was the same. She would have expected a flat, weary command. Damon sounded more tense, more controlled than ever. More shaken than ever. Her eyelids sank. â€Å"Is this about Matt?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Is it about Shinichi?† â€Å"No!† Aha. â€Å"It is, isn't it? You're afraid that Shinichi will get past all your defenses and possess you again. Aren't you?† â€Å"Go to bed, Elena,† Damon said tonelessly. He was still shutting her out as completely as if she weren't there. Elena got mad. â€Å"What does it take to show you that I trust you? I'm traveling all alone with you, without any idea where we're really going. I'm trusting you with Stefan's life.† Elena was behind Damon now, on the beige carpet which smelled like†¦nothing, like boiled water. Not even like dust. Her words were the dust. There was something about them that sounded hollow, wrong. They were the truth – but they weren't getting through to Damon†¦. Elena sighed. Touching Damon unexpectedly was always a tricky business, with all the risks of setting off murderous instinct by accident, even when he wasn't possessed. She reached out, now, very carefully, to put her fingertips on the elbow of his leather jacket. She spoke as precisely and unemotionally as she could. â€Å"You also know that I have other senses now than the usual five. How many times do I have to say it, Damon? I know it wasn't you torturing me and Matt last week.† Despite herself, Elena heard a certain pleading in her own voice. â€Å"I know that you've protected me on this trip when I was in danger, even killing for me. That means – a lot to me. You may say you don't believe in the human sentiment of forgiveness, but I don't think you've forgotten it. And when you know that there is nothing to forgive in the first place – â€Å" â€Å"This has absolutely nothing to do with last week!† The change in his voice – the force in it – hit Elena like a whiplash. It hurt†¦and it frightened her. Damon was serious. He was also under some dreadful strain, not completely unlike that of fighting off Shinichi's possession, but different. â€Å"Damon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Leave me alone!† Now, where have I heard something like that before? Befuddled, her heart pounding, Elena groped through memories. Oh, yes. Stefan. Stefan when they had first been in his room together, when he was afraid to love her. When he was sure he would cause her to be damned if he showed he cared. Could Damon be that much like the brother he always mocked? â€Å"At least turn around and talk with me face-to-face.† â€Å"Elena.† It was a whisper, but it sounded as if Damon couldn't summon up his usual silky menace. â€Å"Go to bed. Go to hell. Go anywhere, but stay away from me.† â€Å"You're so good at that, aren't you?† Elena's own voice was cold now. Recklessly, angrily, she moved in even closer. â€Å"At pushing people away. But I know that you haven't fed this evening. There's nothing else you want from me, and you can't do the starving-martyr bit half as well as Stefan – â€Å" Elena had spoken knowing that her words were guaranteed to incite a response of some kind, but Damon's usual response to this sort of thing was to lounge against something and pretend not to have heard. What happened instead was completely outside the range of her experience. Damon whirled, caught her precisely, held her locked in an unbreakable grip. Then, with a swoop of his head like a falcon on a mouse, he kissed her. He was more than strong enough to hold her still without hurting her. The kiss was hard and long and for quite a while Elena resisted out of sheer instinct. Damon's body was cool against hers, which was still warm and damp from the bath. The way he was holding her – if she put enough pressure on those particular points, it would hurt her possibly seriously. And then – she knew – he would release her. But did she really know what she knew? Was she prepared to break a bone to test it? He was stroking her hair, which was so unfair, curling the ends and crushing them in his fingers†¦just hours after he'd taught her to feel things to the tips of her hair. He knew her weak spots. Not just every woman's weak spots. He knew hers; he knew how to make her want to cry out in pleasure and how to soothe her. There was nothing to do but test her theory and maybe break a bone. She would not submit when she had not invited him. She would not! But then she remembered her curiosity about the little boy and the great stone boulder, and she deliberately opened her mind to Damon's. He fell into the trap of his own making. As soon as their minds connected there were something like fireworks. Explosions. Rockets. Stars going nova. Elena set her mind to ignoring her body and began looking for the boulder. It was deep, deep inside the most locked-off part of his brain. Deep in the eternal darkness that slept there. But Elena seemed to have brought a searchlight with her. Wherever she turned, dark festoons of cobwebs fell and heavy-looking stone arches crumbled and fell to the ground. â€Å"Don't worry,† Elena found herself saying. â€Å"The light won't do that to you! You don't have to live down here. I'll show you the beauty of the light.† What am I saying? Elena wondered even as the words left her lips. How can I promise him – and maybe he likes living here in the dark! But in the next second she had come much closer to the little boy, close enough to see his pale, wondering face. â€Å"You came again,† he said, as if it were a miracle. â€Å"You said you would come, and you did!† That brought down all Elena's barriers at once. She knelt, and pulling the chains to their utmost length, took him on her lap. â€Å"Are you glad that I came back?† she asked gently. She was already stroking his hair smooth. â€Å"Oh, yes!† It was a cry, and it frightened Elena almost as much as it pleased her. â€Å"You're the nicest person I've ever – the most beautiful thing I ever – â€Å" â€Å"Hush,† Elena told him, â€Å"hush. There's got to be some way to warm you up.† â€Å"It's the iron,† the child said humbly. â€Å"Iron keeps me weak and cold. But it has to be iron; otherwise he wouldn't be able to control me.† â€Å"I see,† Elena said grimly. She was beginning to get a grasp on what kind of relationship Damon had with this little boy. For a moment, on a hunch, she took two lengths of iron in her hands and tried to tear them apart. Elena had super-light here; why not superpowers? But all that happened was that she twisted and turned the length for nothing, and finally cut the web of her finger against an iron burr. â€Å"Oh!† The boy's huge dark eyes fixed on the dark bead of blood. He stared as if he were fascinated – and afraid. â€Å"Do you want it?† Elena held out the hand to him uncertainly. What a poor scrap of a creature to be coveting other people's blood, she thought. He nodded timidly as if he were sure she'd be angry. But Elena just smiled and he reverently held her finger and took the whole globe of blood at once, closing his lips like a kiss. As he lifted his head, he seemed to have a tinge more color in his pale face. â€Å"You told me Damon keeps you here,† she said, holding him again and feeling heat being sucked from her into his cold body. â€Å"Can you tell me why?† The child was still licking his lips, but he turned his face toward her immediately and said, â€Å"I'm the Warden of Secrets. But† – sadly – â€Å"the Secrets have gotten so big that even I don't know what they are.† Elena followed the motion of his head from his own small limbs to the iron chain to the huge, metallic ball. She felt a sinking inside herself and a deep pity for such a small warden. And she wondered what on earth could be inside that great stone sphere that Damon was guarding so intently. But she didn't get the chance to ask.

How to become a good manager Essay

1- What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear family? A main advantage of the nuclear family is that a couple has ultimate privacy. Nuclear families incur less stress and trouble when moving into a new home. There is a specific sense of freedom that gives a nuclear family the ability to live life as they wish. It is also easier to avoid stress. A disadvantage is that children are left to take care of themselves. Another disadvantage is that the feeling of safety and security is lacking. There is also not much of a support system. 2- What are the advantages and disadvantages of extended family? Extended families are families where three or more generations are living in the same house. Usually, that means that the grandparents are living with their children and grandchildren. Research has shown that there are several advantages to living in extended families. Extended families are very important in countries where there is no social security net. Extended families help prevent elderly people from becoming poor. Another advantage is that the grandparents can look after the children. During the day, the grandparents watch the children to make sure that they are ok. And they also talk to the children when the parents are busy. This helps the children learn their language. And since the children are well taken care of, both of the parents are free to work on the farm or earn money in jobs. Disadvantages. Sometimes you have no privacy because there are so many members. They can also cause conflict and problems, meddling in other family members’ problems. While it is advantageous when you have a problem to have other members around to help, sharing other family members’ problems can also become burdensome on other members†¦ so that you not only have your own problems to worry about, but those of your extended family. 3- What are the advantages and disadvantages of polygamous family? Advantages of polygamy can be that stereotypical ‘female’ roles can be shared. That means that children get more attention, house work is done quicker and also  that if a woman in a polygamous relationship wants to work outside the home, she can without worrying whether or not ‘strangers’ are raising her child. Disadvantages can occur when people start to think they have ownership over each other and get jealous. Other disadvantages may be that as a wife gets older she can be replaced with a ‘better’ younger woman. She may feel neglected as her time has passed, but monetarily she should still be taken care of and she still has her place in the family. 4- What are the advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriage? Advantages: Your parents know you personally from birth to raising you your whole life so they best know your dispositions and personality and how you cope with others and all that good stuff. When they look for someone for you, they look out for people who best fit your mold and not someone whom you might be enticed by from some few qualities that turn out to be not so great later on. Also, usually arranged marriages occur w/in close communities so people will know each other well from childhood and in that case, people really do know each other, including those getting married and they are strangers. In Islam also, parents not only look for good personal qualities but also good spiritual qualities in how good they are with their religion and so forth. The person getting married also can refuse any person their parent chooses as he/she has no compulsion to marry anyone he/she doesn’t like or doesn’t think he/she will like. Finally, although a non-Muslim wouldn’t consider it anything, Muslim stress a lot on prayer and that Allah leads them in the right direction to the right match and steer them away from a bad choice. Disadvantages: You don’t necessarily know the person so love attraction may take some time. Something which is really bad not b/c of the institution itself but more b/c of various cultural influences on people’s personal agendas or essentially, when parents aren’t looking out for their children but their own needs. They may have personal prejudices against people who look some way or against people of a certain status and while Islam states that a true Muslim looks  past these things and only spirituality matters, not all parents are good Muslims and some are better South Asians than Muslims and are quite superficial. These kind of parents also don’t give much thought to spirituality either so it could be a woman who wears tight clothing or a man who drinks and womanizes. 5- What are the advantages and disadvantages of love marriage? Advantages of Love Marriage One of the most important advantage of love marriage is that it gives you the freedom to choose your own life partner and love marriage offers more independence and freedom to live your life. In love marriage both individuals feel more secured and comfortable as they know each other well and are also aware of strengths and weakness of each other. And they do not find any difficulty or anything new in their life after their marriage. Love marriage has a bright chances of success because it occurs from mutual attraction, love and understanding of individuals. It is not an artificially created union as in an arranged marriage. Love marriage gives your life excitement and peace of mind. You have a life partner of your choice with whom you can go to different places, enjoy your vacations, watch sports events and you’ll see all these things will look more lovely when you have your love with you Disadvantages of Love Marriage In spite of advantages there are certain disadvantages of love marriage. Those individuals who go for love marriages usually don’t get family support and even in some cases their relatives do not approve of their marriage. In love marriage both bride and groom have more expectations from each which can ruin their happiness in coming future as unmet expectations are a major cause of conflict in love marriages. The worst drawback of love marriage is an early break up, as both individuals who were in love with each other before the marriage feel lack of freedom from their families. Love marriages are successful only if a person is chosen wisely but man such marriages are not a result of any careful deliberation or insight but raging hormones. So, as a result there is mismatch between life’s goals and aspirations of the two individuals, which after some time becomes a cause of friction and eventually leads to divorce. Thus it is most important to decide to get married to a person who loves you more than you love that person 8- Why do  we need to study about Asian Culture? If you look at the countries that form the Asian continent, they are as diverse and fascinating as you can get. The continent includes giant nations like China, India and Turkey – and is home to historically-rich countries like Japan, Korea and the Philippines. The Middle East is an area rich in culture and natural resources, and is the theological homeland for all three of the world’s largest religions, which are found in this area. In fact, Asia is the birthplace of most of the world’s religious and philosophical thought. As far as culture is concerned, there is nowhere more fascinating and diverse on earth. From the mountain-tops of Tibet to the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia, Asia is home to a host of really important cultures. 9-What are the advantages and disadvantages of city living? There are many advantages living in a city. Living in a city is very convenient. There ara many important things for life such as cloths, furniture and health care here. There are better choices because there are more shops. We can also choose an expensive or cheap things that suit to our budget. Living in a city can makes chances of getting a proper education because we can go to a better school, colleges or universities. Most of the good and famous universities are situated in big cities. It is also easier to find chances of getting a good job and of course a good salary if you choose to live in a big city. A big city has more opportunity to find job with good salary as there are many companies, corporations and businesses. The facilities are also good. During emergency, we do not have to be transferred to other hospital as we need only short time to get to the hospital. In addition, living in city, we can enjoy the best entertainment. There are many entertainment for our family. Furthermore, we can also enjoy many kinds of food as there are many restaurants in city. The public transportations in city are always better than the one that we have in the rural area. We can choose transport like busses, LRT or monorail which the rural area does not have. These will reduce our expenses.