Information Technology in Healthcare Essay

Information technology has undoubtedly played important role of transforming the operation, management and the overall performance of many organizations. Similarly, it’s expected that information technology would show more or less same impact of results in the healthcare organizations. That is, the employment of IT system in the provision of health care services will mitigate the quality of service provision in the industry. Generally, the term â€Å"quality† is used not in its simplest form but has been used in its complex form, which is primarily meant to incorporate improvement of the functioning of the different healthcare departments together with the affiliated organizations which form part or participate in one way or another in the process of delivering health care service (Berg, 2001). Despite the fact that there has been increased investment in the healthcare industry, recent research has shown that the consumption of IT services/products is far much less in the healthcare industry as compared with the consumption rate of organizations in other sectors. Moreover, the large world population in developed countries or states like in the UK, USA among others access to high-quality healthcare services. While it’s known that not all individuals in the developed nations are well up, the poor and the middle class group experience a lot of obstacles as they endeavor to access healthcare services and their related products such as acquisition of healthcare insurance cover and payment of hospital bills. With the low consumption rate of the IT services by the healthcare organizations in most developed nations, this has led to provisions of meager services to the poor, but it’s postulated changing to intensive IT consumption would mitigate the situation (Fournier, 2003). Significance of Using EMR system There are several reasons for the embracing of IT systems in the healthcare industry. Depending on different perspective of the focus, the use IT system has been used to bring an evolution in the healthcare provision. Like in other industries dealing with provisions of services and products different from those of healthcare industry, the implementation of IT services in the healthcare sector is aimed at bringing an evolution both in the performance and quality of the services delivered to the consumers. For the last two or three decades back, many organizations have put more efforts in the funding of healthcare service provision, in order to have a change from the traditional record keeping practices. The adoption of the E-recording has thus been viewed as major step towards achieving a greater improvement in the healthcare overall performance. The consumption of IT services though is at low rates, the benefit accrued from the few ways in which it has been absorbed is enormous. In the area of medical records and record keeping, healthcare industry is adopting to the IT system to solve the problem of complexity in their system. First and foremost, the utilization of IT systems in medical record and recording reduces the time of production, spaces and transfer duration, thus leading to overall decrease in the expenditure cost of the record management (Berg, 2001). Facility evaluation The EMR facility is a sophisticated instrument which comprises of different parts for the accomplishment of the recording and storage of healthcare data and information. The equipment’s components include both computer hardware as well as software that support its data processing, storage operations and management. The major physical parts of the facility are the CPU together with its accessory components, while the non-physical component included the operating software and the special EMR software, which permit the performance of multiples tasks of healthcare. The special software is an advanced one which enables data entry through use of clicks, reducing the amount of keyboard typing. This means that the EMR facility supports the input of enormous data into the healthcare records with ease. The advanced software not only wires information in the word formats but it also supports the use of the imagery or photographic works, meaning that it’s a complete storage system of healthcare information. Cost of EMR system The EMR system is a model that occupies the least space in data storage systems. Though it has a multi-task purpose, the costs perhaps is at moderate rate. EMR costs are computed from the various variables or components which are needed in the implementation of the system within an organization. The costs of implementing EMR are identified in two classes, viz the purchasing and installation system cost and the maintenance cost. Usually, prior to the installation of the EMR system, the CPU and computer accessories must be purchased. Additionally, the clinicians and physician are without the knowledge of developing the superior software which allows the carrying out of the various functions of data storage and processing. Currently, the prices of a computer range from $ 7000 to &7500, while the software prices are estimated in the range of $`1000 to $1500 which are inclusive of the license charges. The grant installation expenses of the hardware and the software within the healthcare premise is approximated at $ 3500, but this quote is not inclusive of the implementation expenses which incorporates the costs incurred during the adoption of the new systems. A part from the equipment and software costs, other indirect expenses are incurred in the courses of running the systems: the maintenance costs which are at about $ 2000 per annum (Fournier, 2003). Regulation implications The utilization of the EMR systems in hospitals will have great impacts on the regulation and management of information within the healthcare provider organizations. Among the anticipated outcomes is that the use of this system would save time taken in retrieving patient’s information as well as hasten transferring of the information to any other organization or party where it’s needed. By doing so, both insurance organizations and organizations acting as referral healthcare services providers will have broader based of the assessment the patient’s health progress. While this system employed Electronic signatures that are unique, it’s a practice that reduces the risks associated with the heavy use of personalized signatures that can change with time or maybe forgotten. Barriers to EMR systems As revealed in a number of healthcare organization that have endeavored to install the new EMR system in their organization, there are several challenges are generally faced by firms implementing the system. According to the disclosed information, the initial outlay or capital is extremely high to be met within the current budget on healthcare development. The lean budgetary range bars the purchase of crucial and basic equipments such as power backups to ensure data inputs and output operations are not halted due blackouts or brown out that adversely affect the quality of service delivery. Considering that most have workers have been used to the old system of paper work, it’s undoubtedly overt that most of them will be disturbed of the implementation of the system (Miller, 2004). The employment of EMR system mean that much work would be accomplished by a few clinicians and physician workers, a case that actually acts as a threat to job security for some of the employees. To take the full benefits of the systems, it’s very important for the training of the staffs, particularly to empower them in the use of installed system. This calls for the payment of the training service from external organization/firms as the organization has got no training personnel with the required knowledge, experience and proficient of the installed system. The hiring of the new trainers is not ease as their cost falls out of the current budget. The handling of the new system of EMR also demands the use of shared devices such as serves, which implies that the company would have to hire additional staff to maintain the networks and the servers. Fraud and waste issues The implementation of the EMR systems within the organization has the ability of curbing certain problems experienced in the course of management and activity accomplishment. Usually, most of the organization depending on the traditional paper work recording depicted a lot of movements from one place to another. This indicates poor integration or communication between individuals at different departments. Sometimes, this increases the duration of the patient’s stay within the healthcare facility. Thus, the employment of the EMR system reduces the waste of healthcare facilities by eliminating or reducing many personnel movements, meanwhile leading to improvement on patient’s safety and general service delivery. Though EMR systems is appealing way of improving the clinicians and physicians work effectiveness, high risks on privacy and confidence are associated with this kind of system. System hacking together with ease of reproducing the data in this system acts as the greatest threat to the use of the methodology (Miller, 2004) EMR Implementation The following are steps of implementing an EMR system: †¢ Selection of the most suitable EMR to be adopted by the organization †¢ Compose a lead team to campaign for the EMR system †¢ Generate an implementation plan †¢ List/choosing the required equipments and software †¢ Training the organization’s staffs †¢ Select security provider to the data/ information sites †¢ Input the selected data of interest Timeline The first day will be the discussion on the redundancy experienced within the organizations so as to determine the appropriate EMR system. The second day will be formation of a steering team that would work together towards ensuring success of the project. Third will be generation of a list of items: equipments and software that would be used. Then, this will be followed by the installation of the system that would take a bout a week. This will run concurrently with the training of the staff members on the new system though the training will be extended by another week for practical skill acquisition.

How Dinosaurs Came to Disappear

In this regard, the paper is going to look at the different theories such as sex, drugs, and disaster.. Focusing on the theories used to determine the causes of extinction of these big mammals, one of the critical theories that Gould considers is sex. In this theory, it said that since testes function under low temperatures that are biologically friendly, the sudden increase in temperate during the cretaceous era may have caused the testes to become dysfunctional (Gould). As such dinosaurs disappeared from the earth due to lack of procreation.Another theoretical approach asserts that around the same time, vegetation produce contained contaminated agents which affected the survival of the animals. Additionally, the occurrence of certain disasters such as comet hitting the earth may have created a shade of powder in the sky thereby suppressing the photosynthesis process and fundamentally lowering globe temperature, which made dinosaurs to vanish. On account of logos appeal, the author of the author chooses a previous study that was conducted during the sass. This study focused on one of the close relatives of the dinosaur.The aim was to establish functional traits, especially those focusing on the biological attributes of the animal that can be associated with the dinosaur. In this regard, the study focused on the tolerance of the alligator to extreme heat. The study assessed the amount of heat that alligators can absorb and how this can affect their existence. As such, using an example of an alligator, Gould shows that temperature can cause them to loose the functionality of their physiological system, which is critical for maintaining their temperature.This implies that these creatures have experience suffering during the experience and this causes them to become dysfunctional. Still on the logos appeal, the study also focused on the experience of large mammals such as the dinosaur when there are extreme temperature fluctuations. Gould asserts that large mammal s that have fairly small areas can release heat through a gradual process that enables them to maintain constant temperatures. This only takes place when there are ordinary fluctuations of weather conditions.The author uses a logical appeal to convince the reader that the dinosaur hat became extinct years back had a hefty size, which was too big to be affected by temperature fluctuations. The author uses the study to support his claims. Gould also asserts that large dinosaurs lived in favorable climates where temperature was normal. In this regard, the author recommends that any rise in universal temperatures before the Cretaceous annihilation may have caused the dinosaurs to warm up than their premium tolerance.Since they were bulky, this surplus heat may not have been extreme to kill or even to hamper functionality of the great beasts. However, Gould seems to agree with the previous theoretical position regarding the impact of temperature on testes. Earlier, it was suggested that they work best within a slim range of temperature. As a result, this surplus heat may have sterilized all the male dinosaurs. As such, they were unable to procreate successfully and give rise to future off springs.On ethos appeal, the author brings into light the truth about the drug overdose theory, which claimed that dinosaurs disappeared because their nutrition was interfered with the growth of these bitter and toxic plants. The author agrees that indeed blossoming plants did not develop until tardy in the dinosaurs' regime. He adds that the shrubs produced pungent amino-acid-based alkaloids. However, to claim that these plants could have poisoned the dinosaurs and caused them to disappear was unethical. Gould claims that majority of mammals are able to use their instincts and taste preferences to avoid eating poisonous plants.Even though the plants may have been bitter, mammals have livers that are able to produce antidotes to attack the poison. Indeed, this claim makes sense be cause it is unethical to overlook the biological functionality of the body and its ability to protect the body against toxins. The original study by Siegel claimed that dinosaurs could neither accommodate the flavor of the bitter plants nor cure the food they ingested. Indeed, the only way these animals may have been poisoned was through an overdose. Is there such evidence of an overdose?On pathos appeal, the author attempts to appeal to the emotional centre of the reader by looking at the outer space probes that have a deep association on the literature of dinosaurs destruction, The argument rose yet again in 1979, after a long pause, when the father-son, physicist-geologist squad of Luis and Walter anticipated that an asteroid, some 13 km in thickness, struck the ground 66 million years ago. The strength of such a crash would be massive, greater by distant than the Jumbo tonnage of all the world's nuclear arms.In trying to rebuild a scenario that would elucidate the synchronized d isappearing of dinosaurs on terrain and so many creatures in the aquatic the team proposed that a gargantuan grime shade, caused by particles blown up in the illusion would so dim the earth that photosynthesis (growing of vegetation) would stop and temperatures drop abruptly. The single-celled photosynthetic marine plants, with existence cycles calculated in weeks, would expire completely, but land plants might stay breathing throughout due to the capability of their seeds.Dinosaurs would die by malnourishment and glacial atmosphere; miniature, warm- blooded mammals, with added humble necessities for food and better guideline of body hotness, would yelp through. Indeed, the author figuratively brings out the Lloyd destruction in a way that makes it look like an end of the existence of living things. The reader is left with a vivid image of a humongous object flying from the outers pace, coming at a great speed, and hitting directly on the habitat of dinosaurs.As such, the reader is able to associate this story to similar stories such as those found in the bible, for example, the destruction of the Babylon city. In conclusion, the author does a great Job of analyzing the theories by focusing on the background information, present belief system, application of science, and reality. The theories proposed by the scientists give rise to a number of questions such as how could we likely settle on whether the idea that the rise of temperatures caused testes of the dinosaurs to become dysfunctional and consequently unable to give rise to new offspring?Can this be applied in consideration to the biological realities that we know about? Indeed, this theory carries weight to make a logical appeal to the reader. Could they keep away from the high heat by staying in the shade or caves? On the other hand, the article leaves the reader wondering whether the dinosaurs had a pacific diet that they relied upon and whether this disappeared at the time the bitter shrubs were spro uting.

(discussion format ) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

(discussion format ) - Assignment Example Very similarly, many other companies benefit from introducing e-commerce into their business models, even smaller companies that market their products through third-party suites such as e-bay are booming. Thus, the internet can help a company to diversify in two ways: (a) Diversifying customer-base (ex: selling on ebay or on own website through e-commerce solutions) and (b) Diversifying product range (similar to what HP did). Moreover, the internet enables faster communication by the means of VoIP (Skype, IM, Yahoo!) and e-mail, and of course the easy promotion of a business by the means of social networking websites such as twitter or Facebook. Furthermore, websites such as YouTube and Vimeo are just more cheap promotional methods to increase customer base or help in the launch of a new product. Not only that but web 2.0 can also help a company earn more revenues, such as revenues from advertisements on owned website and revenues from selling products from related industries and act ing as an agent.

Supermarket Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supermarket Prices - Essay Example There are a lot of assumptions about the grocery market in Australia. One of the assumptions is that markets like the Coles and Woolworths have large economies of scale and hence they have cheaper products as compared to other supermarkets. It is also argued that different states have different market sizes, and costs resulting in different prices across the states. It is also assumed that the prices differ according to the location of the store. Further, managers at ALDI claims that they have different prices in the three states. Answer 1 Hypothesis: The null hypothesis is one in which we assume that the difference between the sample means is because of chance. The alternate hypothesis supposes that the samples are affected by some non-random clause (Prince, 2000). The Null hypothesis will be the one which assumes that the average price of all the stores is same. The alternate hypothesis will assume that there is significant difference between the average prices of the 4 supermarkets. Null Hypothesis: H0:  µ1 =  µ2 =  µ3 =  µ4 Alternate Hypothesis: H1:  µ1 ≠   µ2 ≠   µ3 ≠   µ4 Where,  µ1 is the average price at Coles/BI-LO  µ2 is the average price at Woolworths/Safeway  µ3 is the average price at independent stores  µ4 is the average price at ALDI Appropriate Test Since, we are required to compare the means of 4 samples; the appropriate test that shall be performed is the one-way ANOVA (Karris, 2003).

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Argument - Essay Example Therefore, despite Socrates and Crito consider that a death sentence was unjust, nothing unjust can be done in return. Next, Socrates makes Crito confirm, that when one makes a contract, the true way would to keep the contract. Then, Socrates explains, that he willingly made such a contract (social contract) about sticking to Athenians decisions, and philosopher lived a whole life willingly keeping the contract. Now, in refer to the same state laws Socrates is sentenced to death, and despite the death sentence may be unjust, the injustice would be to betray the contract by escaping the prison. Such unjust decision will only confirm that Socrates deserves the sentence, and logically, will deprive Socrates life of value. The conclusion Socrates and Crito come with is that Socrates ought not to escape prison against Athenians will. To argue the matter, Socrates firstly found premises, which Crito cannot deny, and then accurately referred a whole argument to those premises. Since Socrates argument was logical, Crito agreed with Socrates point of

Public Law Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Public Law - Outline Example The reason is that there are more risks leading to full implications from the unqualified interpretations that pass unnoticed through democratic processes. The absence of mutual language in expressing necessary implication makes the courts have a presumption that the general words have the intent of subjecting meaning to basic rights among individuals. The detention power without seeking trial is one of the legislation that breaches the human rights as granted. Further, rule of law pursues the different forms of equality within legal legislation against the equitable subjection among classes of ordinary law from land administration by ordinary law courts. Irrespective of the lack of well-established definitions, the judiciary and administration are directed by the rule of law. There are elements that are appreciated to be sufficient in the provision of judicial dicta as they show the rule of law as a core definition of the judiciary. The repeated invocation by judges in explaining th e extent of the judicial review jurisdiction is enshrined in respective constitutional documents. The view of the public regarding the application of the rule of law to judicial review matters. Further, the concept also applies to the public interest and the means of legal processes as identified. For instance, the agencies of government have a legitimate claim of majority conception for public interest during the Judiciary prioritizes the identification of endurance and values to protecting all citizens, including minorities.

Kinship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kinship - Essay Example The lack of technology and advanced industrial techniques has left the Semai living a life, which would be considered primitive among many of the cultures currently existing in the world today. It is due to this lack of technology that they were driven to live in the northern parts and mountains of Malaysia. In addition, this has substantially had an effect on them not only culturally, but also economically and in their lifestyle. Since they are not very technologically advanced and they live in the more remote regions of Malaysia, sustainment is a key issue (F & D Nagh, 1998). The Semai are practiced horticulturists and have learned how to adapt and grow plants in the extreme environments. This comes as a result of many years of practice and tradition to get the point where they can sustain their entire society comfortably. It can be inferred that due to the lack of technology and the isolation of the culture that this is what lead the Semai to be so peaceful. Many psychologists bel ieve that anger and violence is a learned trait in that as modern children are sometimes exposed to violence at a young age. Since the Semai are well isolated and practice a policy of nonviolence, there is not an easy way for violence to pervade into their culture. Social organization also plays an important role in the group dynamics of a tribe. Each tribe or collective culture in the world operates on a set of definitions such as their value and beliefs system, which dictates how the society acts and what each individual’s role in society is. In the Semai society, democracy and equality is promoted. Since there is no aggression and competition, this limits the chaos that appears in a normal society such as that in a city or a town of an industrialized and technologically enhanced society. By keeping to the rule of peace and no aggression, the democratic system of operating is able to function and everyone is able to coexist with one another (Moss, 1997). As stated previousl y, the social organization of the Semai is based on the fact that they are a peaceful society. They work on a policy that everyone within a tribe is entitled to a say, hence the highly democratic nature. When it comes time to make decisions involving the community, they do meet at a central location and hold a town hall meeting. There is usually one person who presides over it; they do not control it. They just make sure that there is organization to the whole meeting and that what is needed to be covered is addressed. Once again, the peaceful and equal nature of the Semai is what allows them to operate in this manner in comparison to other cultures in the world. In many cultures, even the ones that are industrialized, there are gender differences and these often create problems in society. For example, in the competitive nature associated with business in America, many females often refer to a â€Å"glass ceiling† in that there is gender discrimination as far as promotion wi thin an organization goes. In gender structuring, there are also often roles, which are considered to be gender dominated. In the case of the Semai, there is no determined gender structure, much like in their social organizatio

Interest Groups and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Interest Groups and Politics - Essay Example The organization acts as an advocate to suppliers on regulatory and legislative issues (MEMA (a)). It identifies issues affecting the industry and proposes to the relevant authorities on how changes should be made on the policy or the matter, to avoid harmful effects to the industry. Examples of its advocacy initiatives are three letters addressed to relevant authorities touching on legislative issues affecting the industry. One letter was addressed to an acting director and general counsel of the office of government ethics. There was a proposed amendment to limit gifts from registered lobbyists and lobbying organizations. MEMA was not for the idea. The main issue here was that, the proposal would prohibit government employees from using the WAG exception to attend lobbying organizations’ variety of events and programs. MEMA, therefore, wrote a letter to address this issue on behalf of the companies it represented. It explained the effect of such an amendment and the companie s’ contribution to the economy (MEMA (d)). Another letter was addressed to the Honorable Carl Levin, a US Senator by then (2008), touching on the issue of Patent Reform Act (S.1145). The organization was concerned that this reform would weaken its patent system. It therefore addressed a letter to the Senator, before the issue was taken up in the Senate (MEMA (b)). Recently, President Obama uncovered a new plan for a â€Å"clean and secure energy future† (Walsh). MEMA has already analyzed the proposal and the opportunities it provides its members. It would, therefore, like its suppliers to be included in the proposal. The proposal is meant to set up an Energy Security Trust Fund, aimed at collecting $2 billion for a period of over 10 years. This is to be used in research into initiatives such as bio-fuels, domestically produced natural gas, electric vehicles, and fuel cells. Since 30% of the $18 billion research and development investment in automotive comes from the su pply base, MEMA is concerned that they need to be included in the proposal. The organization therefore, wrote a letter to the white house advocating for the inclusion of suppliers in the proposal (Walsh). Interest groups are there to provide valuable information to policy makers. According to Crain and Santos, information is always provided in the form of testimonies to committees. Information is provided under oath and so the interest groups ensure they provide truthful information. This supports one of the actions of MEMA (Crain & Santos). MEMA has provided a testimony before â€Å"the U.S. House Representatives Financial Services Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee† (MEMA (c)). The groups provide such information to the relevant committees free of charge. This may bring in the question of where they get their funds, because, obtaining such kind of information to present to a committee as a testimony is costly, both in terms of money and time. They also do not make mon ey. Interest groups are funded by both government and private institutions. This affects the organizations ability to lobby for something that is of their interest. Most of these organizations were supported by their founding organizations or groups for various reasons. The main reason is advocacy. This could be the case with MEMA. Albiston and Nielsen, however, indicate that the structure of funding has shifted from foundational support to government grants. Most of the

RBI Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RBI Application - Essay Example to reports of the holistic development as well as social adjustment of children raised by homosexual parents and if there are consistent with normal developmental expectations. Then, such reports will be compared with that of children raised by heterosexual parents to see if the sexual orientation of parenting has something to do with the differences, if any. Data that shall be collected from the literature, supported by interviews and questionnaires distributed to children of lesbian, homosexual and heterosexual parents and their parents as well. Investigation shall comprise specific information on what homosexual parents go through in parenting such as legal impediments, if any; what society expects from homosexual parents; the advantages and disadvantages of homosexual parenting with regards to the children; and if there are psychological effects on children raised by homosexuals and lesbians. Data shall be reported and references cited accordingly. Careful analysis of the data shall be done by the researcher in an unbiased manner. A grid of information shall be designed and data plotted into it. If certain themes prevail, then they shall likewise be analyzed too. Describe which statistical or analytical methods you will use to reveal relationships, differences, or patterns. The IRB is obligated to factor the rigor of the research design into the overall assessment of the potential risk and benefits of this study. The data that shall be gathered are the respondents’ interview answers. Interviews will be audiotaped and transcribed. The answers shall be put in a grid according to the theme questions (ex. Challenges in parenting; feelings of children about their family, etc.) and to whatever other theme that will come out of the free-flowing interviews. These are the data that will be compared, contrasted and discussed in relation to pertinent information gathered from the review of literature. Once relevant material on homosexual and heterosexual

Criminal Profiling of Satanic Followers Research Paper

Criminal Profiling of Satanic Followers - Research Paper Example There are reported several cases of a variety of crimes, inspired by the Black Pope’s Satanic teaching. A classic example of a ritualistic crime committed by self-styled Satanists is the story of La Vey’s disciples, ordered by their leader to perform high-profile murders (Kennedy, 2006). Another famous story involving satanic crime is the case of Richard Ramirez, â€Å"The Night Stalker†, who raped, tortured, and murdered several victims while forcing them to declare their love for Satan (Perlmutter, 2001). However, from the law enforcement perspective, it is not easy to classify a criminal activity as a satanic crime and, thus, reduce an investigation only to the suspects who claim to be Satanists (Lanning, 89). To start with, while there are several criteria that can help law enforcement officers to classify a crime as satanic, none of them is reliable enough to clearly define such a criminal activity. To start with, while some argue that the presence of certai n symbols, such as inverted crosses, pentagrams, or 666 makes a crime satanic, from the law enforcement perspective â€Å" unless there is a legal-valid perspective for doing so, police have no authority to seize any satanic or occult paraphernalia they might see during the search (Lewis, 2001). The symbols or signs have no any significance for the investigation unless they prove a criminal activity. If a victim includes a Satanic symbol when describing the instruments or a location of the crime, then the symbol can serve as an evidence.... The symbols or signs have no any significance for the investigation unless they prove a criminal activity. If a victim includes a Satanic symbol when describing the instruments or a location of the crime, then the symbol can serve as an evidence. However, many cases reveal that despite the presence of certain symbols in the possession of the offender, the crime had no Satanic relation. Furthermore, signs, symbols, and rituals cannot always be interpreted clearly as their meaning may change over time, place, and circumstance (Lewis, 2001). As an example, a swastika can represent either prosperity and good fortune, or Nazism and anti-Semitism, or – currently – hate, paranoia, and adolescent defiance. Especially in cases involving dabblers, teenagers, and other self-styled Satanists, who give the symbols their own meaning, the analysis of symbols and signs may only have a limited application. There are also cases of offenders leaving satanic symbols on the crime scene deli berately in order to make the crime look â€Å"satanic† and, thus, confuse the investigators. Thus, when law enforcement officers investigate alleged satanic crimes, they need to be objective fact finders (Lanning, 89). While law enforcement officers need to be trained to recognize the possible investigative significance of satanic symbols, rituals, and paraphernalia, it is impossible for one person to know the meaning of all the symbols and rituals of every spiritual belief system. Therefore, symbols cannot be used to clearly classify a law enforcement problem as a satanic activity (Kennedy, 2006). Following the concern about â€Å"unexplained† mutilations and murders of animals in the late

Federal Highway Act Essay Example for Free

Federal Highway Act Essay The accounting part of the airline industry focuses on the financial statements. The financial statements are composed of the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. The customers and the general public are more interested in the passenger ticket prices as well as the cargo shipping rates. The following paragraphs expounds on some of the many issues on the United States Airline Industry. In the article The Future of American Transportation Policy, the Federal Highway Act of 1956 was an important milestone in the history of American airline transportation and travel history.   For, it focused on the finished the interstate highway system. Finally, the completion occurred in the early 1990s which where the general agreement on transportation among the Americans had faded away. Many economists had expressed their concern over the American government’s management the transportation infrastructure. (Dilger, 2003). And, in the article The Law on Securities, was approved into law within the market economy development and the entrepreneurship program as the 1989 era closed. It was again revised in June of 1990. For, many airline companies trade their shares of stocks in Wall Street and other stock markets to any one who wants to own a part of airline companies. This law gives the guidelines on the issuance of treasury bills, commercial notes and bonds. This law gives a wide interpretation on how people can ‘buy’ a share of an airline company. Meaning, any airline company that has a profit character can freely offer its shares to the moneyed public. These shares are generally divided into ordinary (common) shares, preferred (as to dividend payments), cumulative, non –cumulative, bearer and registered shares of stocks. In addition, the airline companies can also enter into a creditor –debtor relationship when it offers bonds and other short term liability securities. However, the stocks offered in the stock markets must be branded as profitable in order to sell like hotcakes. To accomplish this, the airline companies offer to the interested investors free copies of their income statements that show that they have been making (passing) the grade because profits is the bottom line of the company for the past year or years of actual airline operations. And, to further give credence to the airline companies’ balance sheet and income statements, the companies attached an auditor’s reported that the financial statements are fairly presented. On the other hand, an auditor’s report stating that the financial statements are adversely presented means that the financial reported issued by the company are falsely  presented. Also, an auditor’s report that gives a â€Å"no opinion† portion shows that the financial statements have not been audited for one reason or another (Skof Vukmir, 1993). Further, the article The CEO as an Organization Designery states that Professor Germeshausen, a Professor Emeritus in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology opined that many senior officers in the airline companies can comfortably assess ahead of time the effect ad influence of their many policies on the stableness, growth nuances and the monetary behavior of the organizations that they manage and are responsible for. (Keough Doman, 1992) Also, the article A Problem –Finding Approach to Tactical Planning states that questions should be answered by the airline managers for tactical planning in terms of strategic planning environment. Some specific and important questions that could be asks include â€Å"What Corporate planning information is needed by top management and corporate planners to give direction to the company tomorrow? † should be renovated to the better â€Å"What tactical plans are needed by middle –level managers to insure a high level of sales (such as an annual increase in prior sales by a minimum benchmark of fifteen percent). Another good question would be to â€Å"did the company generate profits generated after deducting total costs and expense from the net sales? † One way of answering this question well is for the managers to implement a budget. A budget will state the maximum costs and expenses that the company will pay and the projected net sales and collections of accounts receivables in advance (a month or more ahead of the actual use of the expenses and cots). The budget shows the estimated amounts that will occur in the future such as the budgeted sales, budgeted purchases, budgeted production, budgeted administration expenses, the budgeted marketing and promotion expenses, budgeted balance sheet and other budgets. In addition, the planning strategy using the â€Å"what if this happens? †, and the accompanying â€Å"what must be done to win here? † approach will be a very useful tool to plan for a future action to resolve a future problem in terms of cost, expenses, sales, production and the like. To resolve this, the company must continuously update its information database because lack of information may result to a wrong decision or interpretation of data.

Comparing Philosophers Hobbes And Locke Philosophy Essay

Comparing Philosophers Hobbes And Locke Philosophy Essay Social contract is an essential principle applied in most societies in the world. Many nations have elected governments which are tasked with maintaining rule of law. Sovereignty of countries is therefore given to governments in exchange of maintaining order. Social contract therefore forms the legitimacy of governments since they require consent from the governed people in order to be considered legitimate. This is seen as important principle which encourages individual and social order. Some of the most important philosophers who advanced arguments for social contract include Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau. They however held different views on social contract with Locke supporting liberal monarchy and Hobbes supporting authoritarian monarchy. Their arguments have set the framework for development of theories such as liberal democracy, constitutional monarchy, republicanism and others. Their theories have also been implemented in many democracies across the world. This paper will evaluate Lockes and Hobbes arguments on social contract with specific focus on the differences in their approach to the topic. The paper will then take one viewpoint from among the two discussed and explain why it is superior to the other. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Hobbes view of social contract Hobbes was of the opinion that authoritarian monarchy is the most effective form of social order in society. In this form of organization, the people submit to the authority or leadership. Hobbes supported leadership where exclusive power was given to leaders or a political class (Adams 2003). This form of leadership has several characteristics which include the concentration of power among leaders and the use of strategies such as exclusion of challengers and political repression to maintain authority. In this form of leadership, Hobbes was of the view that mass organizations and political parties are effective in mobilizing the population around the goals of a political system. He supported this political system since he viewed men as equal and therefore preventing conflict amongst them was impossible. Man fought for basic necessities and material possession which would ultimately lead to social collapse. The authoritarian monarchy was viewed as most effective in stemming this chao s in society. Hobbes supported monarchy since it was difficult for monarchs to disagree with themselves. However, this system of governance features unpopular leadership strategies such as rigging of elections, making of political decisions by the minority as well as presence of bureaucracy. Leaders are appointed by the political class without participation of citizens and there is unregulated and informal use of power. This system also features intolerance for the opposition and deprivation of civil liberties. In order to control political power, the military is often used in states which exercise authoritarian forms of power. Social control is maintained by regulating the civil society and establishing allegiance through use of socialization processes. These forms of leadership are usually weakened by poor performance of the political class with regards to peoples needs. Many collapse due to revolution by the population against leadership. During the Cold War, the USSR governance system is an example of the authoritarian rule in society. Currently, countries such as Chad and North Kor ea adhere to this governance system. Lockes view of social contract Locke supported liberal monarchy which supports equal rights and liberty in governance. This leadership structure supports liberal democracy, constitutions, human rights, free elections, free trade, capitalism and religious freedom (Arnold 2006). It is also known as constitutional monarchy. In this political system, a monarch acts as head of state and derives power from the constitution. In many liberal monarchies, parliamentary systems are applied and these serve the purpose of checking excesses by the executive. In the past, liberal monarchy co-existed with quasi-fascist, fascist or military dictatorship. Liberal monarchy systems believe in going to war in cases of aggression although use of unilateral force is not supported as it encourages cycles of violence. Locke believed that liberal monarchy would best protect private property and encourage liberty; two of the most important amenities enjoyed by humans (Locke 2003). He viewed the human nature as being driven by self preservat ion and survival instincts, which made it necessary to have a supreme power in order to maintain social order. The social contract between people being governed and the sovereign authority achieved this objective. There are various weaknesses which are associated with the liberal monarchy governance system. The first is that although representatives are elected, these are few individuals who make decisions on behalf of the whole system. In essence, power is therefore held by few individuals who have a similar ability to misuse it as is seen in the authoritative governance system. Some critics, especially those who have Marxist roots, argue that this governance system is controlled by the rich as opposed to the majority. It is therefore not democratic as it is class based. The rich have the power and resources to ensure they are elected into power, which defeats the objectives of the system. In such systems, religious and ethnic conflicts are also often seen and this is viewed as a weakness of the system. In authoritarian rule, the government would stem such conflicts and restore social order. Finally, these governance systems are seen to focus on short term objectives as opposed to long term o nes. Since the election of government is held regularly, legislators focus on short term goals which would make them popular with the electorate as opposed to long term ones which may not be visible within short term durations. Current liberal monarchies include Bahrain, Bahamas, Australia, Denmark, Canada, Cambodia, Lesotho, Monaco, Malaysia, Norway, Sweden, UK, Thailand and others. Differences between Hobbes and Lockes approach to social contract theory A major difference between Hobbes and Lockes views on social contract is that Hobbes believes in authoritarian rule where the political power yields absolute power while Locke believes in the power of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights (Hegel 2001). Locke believed in protecting private property and liberty while Hobbes believed that human beings were incapable of living without conflict unless an authoritarian authority restored order. Another difference between these theories is that Locke views society as possessing power to overthrow governments. Locke viewed society as creators of the government which gave them power to overthrow it. However, Hobbes views the government as a powerful monarch which the people cannot overthrow. Locke is of the opinion that abolishing a government and replacing it with another as upholding the social contract. Unlike Hobbes who viewed the human nature as driven to fight for basic necessities and material possession which would ultimately lead to social collapse, Locke believed that God had created human beings with wisdom which could prevent their greedy nature from taking over. Locke also believed that the social contract between the authoritative monarch and the people would not be fair as two distinctive groups would emerge; property owners and the poor. The poor would then have different contracts from the rich and they would suffer under this rule. Personal opinion on the best social contract approach I believe that Lockes social contract approach is the most effective in maintaining social order in society. Liberal monarchy advocates for equal rights and liberty in governance. This leadership structure supports liberal democracy, constitutions, human rights, free elections, free trade, capitalism and religious freedom. There are several reasons which I will advance for support of Lockes liberal monarchy political system and these arguments will be contrasted against Hobbes theories to prove that the latter is inferior in achieving stable political and social unit. The first reason for support of Lockes approach is political and economic stability. Many countries across the world have enjoyed economic and political stability from democracy over centuries. In fact, most countries of the world follow a structure similar to liberal monarchy which supports equal rights and democratic election of government officials. These countries have enjoyed stability since they make decisions based on the rule of the majority. Democracy is followed in making political decisions and the people participate in political systems through the officials they elect. Due to this, most people support democratic regimes since they stand for what the majority advocates for. However, countries which have followed Hobbes authoritative leadership styles have experienced conflicts and revolutions. This is due to the reason that the leadership goals are not in line with what the people stand for. The fact that oppression and intolerance for opposition strategies are used also reduces public confidence in the political class. Governments which have been overthrown as a result of using this system include Tunisia, USSR, Uganda, Cuba, Germany, France and others. . Another reason why I support Lockes social contract approach is that it upholds human rights. Human rights are the basic freedoms which people enjoy. Some of the rights upheld by this system include the right to own property, right to religious freedom, right of expression and others. Locke supports safeguarding of rights according to the constitution. He advocates for protection of property and justice. However, Hobbes vests power in a few people who make all political decisions. These people in power hold the rights of the society and they make unilateral decisions of what is acceptable or not. This can be seen to be infringement of human rights which everyone should have access to. This makes Hobbes leadership approach unacceptable in the modern society. Finally, history has proven that countries which have practiced Lockes approach have prospered while those which have applied Hobbes approach have collapsed in the long run. Many revolutions such as the French revolution and Cuban revolution as well as the collapse of countries such as the USSR can be attributed to the use of Hobbes authoritarian monarchy leadership system. Current revolutions against countries such as Tunisia and Egypt can also be traced to the use of a similar approach. On the other hand, economically and politically stable countries in the modern world such as UK, US and others have applied the democratic governance system. This shows that Lockes approach is more effective in maintaining social order than Hobbes approach. Summary and conclusion Social contract has been discussed to be a form of gaining government legitimacy through giving governments sovereignty in exchange for maintaining order. Locke and Hobbes are important philosophers who analyzed social contract theories. However, their approaches were different with Locke supporting liberal monarchy and Hobbes supporting authoritarian monarchy. Both approaches have weaknesses and strengths which have been discussed in the paper. The most effective approach to apply in leadership especially in the modern world is Lockes approach which supports liberal democracy, constitutions, human rights, free elections, free trade, capitalism and religious freedom. This approach is consistent with the needs of several societies and it has been successfully implemented in many states. Hobbes approach has failed in several countries due to revolution against the political class which practices authoritarian rule. It is important for leaders to embrace leadership which supports respect for human rights, democracy and protection of property. History has proven that this is the most effective leadership style. Leaders who have failed to embrace democracy have faced revolutions and the current ones in Tunisia and Egypt can be traced to the weaknesses in Hobbes leadership style. When leaders impose their will on the people, there is likely to be resistance since the majority will not have their way. Although strategies such as repression work in the short term, eventually the people lose faith in leadership and a revolution is born. Leaders should therefore follow Lockes liberal monarchy political system and embrace democracy. Once democracy is embraced, human rights protected and the constitution is adhered to, the leadership gains support from the people. This ensures that order is maintained within states and that people live in harmony and peace.

Sociological Methods Of Research

Sociological Methods Of Research Sociology studies the social structures and influences society has on people, their experiences and interpretations of the world around them. Sociology provides information on how human societies are constructed, where our belief system may stem from, our daily routines and how social identities are formed. This essay will cover a small fraction of sociology; Quantitative and Qualitative methodology, its advantages and limitations. What will also be covered is quantitative approach to suicide by Emile Durkheim (1897) and his critic, J.D Douglas qualitative approach to suicide. (Tutor2U 2010) Emile Durkheim (1938) advocated Comtes methodology and agreed that social factors should be studied rather than what goes on internally; his rule was to consider social facts as things, he believed social facts make individuals behave in a certain ways (Haralambous). Sociologists use different methodologies to reach their conclusion; ways of producing and analyzing data so the theories can be tested which are then accepted or rejected. Durkheim adopted the methods of natural science by applying the use of quantitative methods in his suicide study. There are two ways in conducting a research, primary and secondary research. Primary research is where sociologist has to start from scratch as there is no data available, for it to be taken from. In order to do this the researcher needs to design they method of collecting data and analyze the results. Primary research is only validated if the research gives true measurement, descriptions or explanation of what was being studied. Unfortunately there is a likely hood that these finding may not be actually explain peoples everyday settings or actions. (Haralambous p815-16) Secondary research is data that has already been produced by a previous researcher(s); Organizations such as companies, charities, trade unions are useful sources of data as well as documents such as letters, autobiographies and dairies. Secondary research may not be specific enough for researchers needs which in that case means they may have to look at more than one source to come to a conclusion and not only that but more than necessary time is taken up, also information given by the secondary data are sometimes questionable which is why the research has to be aware of this disadvantage (Haralambous 838-9) Quantitative research, in sociology, contains measurements of variables within society; people and groups. In order to get peoples opinions, a survey may be carried out; fieldwork, experiments or documentary research. When these methods are carried out, the researchers are usually avoiding being biased. In order to be unbiased as possible questions that are asked in a closed question form, so the participants replies are very limited or generalised observations are then conducted. Researchers who carrying out quantitative research do not want to get distracted from the intent of the research; they know exactly what they are looking for so their researches are controlled, with closed questions or only statistical information (McGuigan 2010). Alternatively, qualitative research, in sociology, attempts to gather more in depth understanding of individuals or groups actions in the context of social life (Giddens 2009). There usually is no scientific evidence and if there is, its very little evidence. When using qualitative methods of research the investigator is more interested in deeper truths; they prefer to observe things in their natural settings, make sense of things and interpret the information gained; in order to gain information they may interview people or observe them in non artificial settings. Qualitative is more theoretical rather than statistical. Information gained explores deeper into their interest and then data is collected by either observing or interviewing and from the data gain helps generate a hypothesis. Qualitative research digs deeper into reasons of why people may act the way they do. A survey is a method used by researchers to gather information from a sample of individuals whether its from a certain gender, age, race etc where the researchers interest is at and changes depending on the purpose of the study. These samples of individuals are questioned on their information that will help the sociologist conclude, questions can be very much closed questions or open, they are sent out to participants or administered directly; surveys can have a variety of purposes and questions are asked in standardized procedures so the same questions are asked; Surveys help obtain a composite profile of the population. In all reputable survey organizations, organisers should present their results anonymously (Scheuren). Surveys are an advantage for generalizing a big group by getting smaller groups to answer the questions once there is an efficient amount of results. Unfortunately there is a risk of answers to the questions being answered falsely, may not actually reflect their tr ue feelings or may even seem superficial. Surveys can be used to either get quantitative or qualitative data, solely relies on the wording of the question, whether its a open question or a closed question. Field work is when the investigator hangs out, works or lives with a group, organization or community and lives the realism of the environment by taking direct part in their activities; in other words real world experience. Investigators who take part in this are likely to have a better understanding of those who actually are a part of what they are investigating. This method is more likely to be used to have a qualitative outcome. There are two types of experiments, one being laboratory and the other being field experiment. Experiments are used to test the hypothesis and the relationships between the two variables are tested. It is conducted in a controlled environment where the variables are isolated and the correlation between things can be discovered. In sociology laboratory experiments are barely used as they believed variables cannot be controlled, the environment people are put in are artificial which will lead to the actions of people being artificial too and they do not believe its right to put laboratories just to measure the effect of variables. Field experiments have been proved to be more used and affective in sociology as they are conducted in normal everyday situations and environments; variables cannot be controlled. Although field experiments arent conducted in laboratory they are still not exact but are more valid than lab experiments as the actions from the people are real; less artificial. B ut if people are aware that they are taking part in a experiment their actions can become artificial, for an example workers may work harder in normal conditions because they know they are being observed. Emile Durkheim (1897) did a socially confusing study on suicide based on the hypothesis; as the individuals social unity decreased it was found there was an increase of suicide rates. Durkheim (1897) did not believe that reasoning for suicide was an individual act, he believed suicide was a social fact that can be proved by other social facts; the larger social forces can account for social facts. Durkheim (1897) employed quantitative research to his study of suicide, to make it have a scientific backbone as he believed it to be more rich and valid, by examining the official suicide statistics in France; these official statistics were secondary sources produced by the government. He believed that patterns of suicide were linked to the way which individuals were integrated and regulated by society and how they controlled them, he identified there were four types of suicide, and he generalized these four types of suicide to everyone; the four were Egoistic, Anomic, Altruistic and Fatal istic suicide. Egoistic suicide is when an individual is isolated or their ties to a group is broken or weakened; Catholics and Protestants. Anomic suicide is when an individual feels his life has a lack of meaning and feels as they are worthless, this can be a result of a divorce. Altruistic suicide is when an individual values others more for an example a mother who pushes their child out the way of a oncoming car and hurts herself or a suicide bomber. Fatalistic suicide is when an individual feels hopeless about their fate or feels excessively restraint for an example an individual may take their own life before the police arrest them to avoid being in a cell for the rest of their life or many years. Egotistic and Anomic are the two most common occurred, of the four. In contrast to Durkheims study of suicide Douglas (1967) is one of the many interpretive sociologists; interpretive approach strongly advocate qualitative data as they believe sociologists should be able to understand and interpret the meanings and motives of actions and quantitative data does not help discover meanings and motives. Interpretative sociologists reject studying social facts as things, they say natural sciences deal with matter and matter does not have a mind which in that case has no consciousness which in that case there is no meaning in behaviour. Interpretive approach acknowledges that people have consciousness, it is believed that people will interpret the meaning of a stimulus and then react to it; meaning is attached to the stimulus. J.D Douglas (1967) conducted his study Social meanings of Suicide, he believed that the official statistics were systematically biased and could have been made up by friends, families, and coroners. He disputed that Durkheim (YEAR) neglected other meanings attached to why an individual may commit suicide, he believed it to be wrong that Durkheim (YEAR) would treat all suicides the same without investigating other reasonings. Douglas was concerned with meanings of suicide and believed there to be different reasons behind a suicide than the four generalisations Durkheim (YEAR) had made. In Douglass (1967) study of social meanings for suicide he believed there to be four different meanings of suicide. Douglas (1967) believed in qualitative research methods to find his answers to why an individual would commit suicide; his methods were conducting case studies, unstructured interviews and diaries, from his investigations he found four types of suicide, the four are Transformation of the s oul, this is where it is used as a way of getting into heaven, transformation of self, this is where the individual would want others to think differently of them, suicide where an individual wants sympathy and suicide where the individual tries to get revenge by leaving the other person feeling guilty.

The Importance of Donating Blood Essay -- Medical Health Essays

The Importance of Donating Blood The birth of Chase changed our lives forever. We were not sure if we were able to have children and after 5 years of trying with not avail, Chase was born. He was 5 lbs. and 8 oz. He was so tiny and fragile, but the love we had for our son was enormous. When Chase turned five months old, the doctors told us that he had leukemia. They said it would take a miracle for him to see his 1st birthday. We as parents did not know what to do or who to turn for to help and guide us in the right directions. Chase would undergo many surgeries and need many pints of blood. It is often that people do not understand why donating blood is important part of life. What if Chase was your 5-month-old son? We need blood for emergencies and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell anemia and other illnesses. Donating blood can save so many lives, one day it could save you or a loved one’s life. If all of us took the time to see the importance of blood donation than many people would have a greater will to give. Donating blood is a selfless act; it takes 30-45 minutes out of your day and can be a lifesaver for so many. Although we all would like to do are part, there are eligibility requirements in order to donate blood. To give blood you must be healthy, be at least 17-year’s old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated blood in the last 56 days. Some instances will make you ineligible to donate. Recently getting a tattoo or piercing, having a cold or flu, or having sexual relations with someone who has used drugs can make you ineligible. If you have been in a same sex relationship, you are not able to donate blood. In addition, certain place that you might have traveled... ...d that they got support they needed when it came time. There are many ways and places to donate. This is the time to join in and become a donor. Your one donation can save their lives. If it were not for the everyday heroes' that take time out of their busy day to give a piece of themselves, then many more people would not be here. Blood is one way of giving your support. Please help save a life and give what you can. Do not make excuses on why you cannot. Come up with reasons why you can. Even if you are ineligible to donate, you can always volunteer your services to help. Work Cited American Association of Blood Banks. 2004 http://www.aabb.org/index.htm American Red Cross Organization. 2003 http://www.redcross.org/home/ Plasma Care. 2003 http://www.plasmacare.com/ Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. 2004 http://www.seattlecca.org/

Effects of Racial Prejudice Essay -- Race Segregation African American

Effects of Racial Prejudice The effects of racial prejudice and segregation aimed at African Americans in the south on their lives and opportunities were deep-seeded and long lasting. The effects of segregation were perhaps the most destructive because they were legal and above-board. These laws illustrated to the African American population that their struggle was not limited to battling the backward notions and violent actions of cowardly southern rednecks, but that they had to overcome the mentality and ideology of a national government and, in fact, an entire society, that was failing to recognize them as citizens worthy of the basic rights and freedoms to which they were entitled as Americans. Proper and equal education was probably the opportunity that was most blatantly infringed upon by segregation. This probably also dealt one of the most devastating blows to the Movement, simply because it occurred on such a fundamental level in such a critical stage. Young minds were taught at an early and impressionable age to accept unquestioningly separation and inequality between themselves and their white counterparts. The employment of primarily Uncle Tom principles and teachers was intended to insure that ideas of freedom and equality did not make their way into the classroom. Education was only one of the many opportunities that blacks were not afforded because of white prejudice. Even after African Americans gained the right to vote, most were still kept from the polls through the use of threats, violence, and unfair polling and testing procedures and policies. This had the crippling effect of denying African Americans a voice in their future and that of their country. It further alienated them from society an... ... the well being of her family. Perhaps most of all, she knew rage. She had felt the choking anger brought by watching young blacks beaten to near death in the streets. She knew the frustration of working within a system that Scontinued to oppress her people. She experience the despair of losing leaders like Medgar Evers and J.F.K., whose presence alone had held the promise of change. She felt the guilt and heartache of losing loved ones who had done no wrong and the anger of seeing justice unserved time and time again. Coming of Age in Mississippi defines an era and a people through the eyes of a girl who lived through it and overcame it. It tells of her struggles, her triumphs, and her failures. Through her experiences and the experiences of those around her, it illustrates the impact of prejudice and discrimination on the African Americans of that period.

Waiting Room :: English Literature Essays

Waiting Room Ring! Ring! Who could that be, wondered Henry as he glanced at the clock. It’s three a.m. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Henry, its Jake. Sandra was in an accident last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Is it serious?† Fear clutched Henrys heart. â€Å"Yes, but she will be O.K. She is unconscious right now. Listen, buddy, I need your help. I have to go on maneuvers in a few minutes and was wondering if you could call the hospital every once in a while. I would also like for someone to be there when she wakes up.† Henry eagerly bolted from the comfort of his bed. â€Å"I’ll get ready to leave right now.† â€Å"Henry, why don’t you go back to sleep and when you wake up in the morning, you can go visit. No need for you to go right now; she’s still asleep and will be for a couple of more hours. Thanks for doing this, buddy.† Not waiting for a response, Jake hangs up the phone. †Hey! Not a problem, she’s only your wife; no need to be worried or anything like that,† Henry sarcastically thought. Henry did not like Jake very much. The only reason he talked to him was because he was married to his ex-wife. He still loved her very much. Henry hated how he treated her. â€Å"Your typical military man--more concerned about himself than his family,† Henry thought to himself. He took a shower, got dressed and within thirty minutes, he was in the VA hospital. He was glad that the construction on the interstate did not slow him down to Long Beach, where the VA hospital is located. â€Å"Excuse me, could you please tell me what room is Mrs. Sandra Anderson, I mean Davis, is in?† Henry asked with some concern. â€Å"Yes sir, she’s in room fifty-seven, but you cannot see her until seven am. You may stay in the waiting room at the end of the hall if you wish.† Said the Nurse pointing to Henry’s right. â€Å"Thank you, ma’am,† Henry said. He walked to Sandra’s room and looked through the window. He saw Sandra lying asleep, with all sorts of hoses and contraptions attached to her. Sandra’s head was heavily bandaged; she had a cast on her left arm and leg and a long gash from her chin to her neck. â€Å"You’re so beautiful, my little Sandra,† Henry murmured softly to himself, as tears welled in his eyes.

Concept of Community

Concept of Community 1 Running head: Concept of Community Concept of Community Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of community. The paper will explore the differences and definition between community and aggregate. The author will further discuss specific identification and description of an aggregate. The paper will conclude with the writer’s personal expression regarding this topic. Community vs. Aggregate Public health nurses and other care providers face various roles and challenges when working within the community. It is significant that nurses understand the differences between aggregate care vs. ommunity based approaches to health care and service delivery. A community, in public health, is a defined population. The focus of public health is the health of a defined population of community. A community can be defined as a common interest or characteristics (age, race, gender, social class, or cultural identity), also referred to as an associate population. It can be defined by geographic boundaries, or a system (Porche, 2004). Therefore, an individual within a given population can be a member of several different communities at one time, depending on the defining characteristic of the community. And, depending on the type of community, the members may never come into contact with one another (Porche, 2004). An aggregate is a subgroup of the community population. Any community consists of multiple aggregates. Community aggregates can be grouped into simple aggregates based on demographics or geographic locations. This is the least type of aggregate in community health practices. The most common type of aggregate is high risk aggregate. A high risk aggregate or subpopulation of the community that has a high risk commonality among its members, such as Concept of Community 3 isky lifestyle behaviors (drug users, alcoholics) or high risk health conditions (teen pregnancy). The aggregate concept is used to target specific aggregates or subpopulations within the community (Porche, 2004). An aggregate approach, targets a specific subpopulation within the community, such as teenagers at risk for teen pregnancy. For example, an aggregate study (Kelly, Sheeder, 2004), was to test the h ypothesis that teenagers who have taken home pregnancy tests (aggregate), are more ambivalent about remaining non-pregnant than those who have not, and for this reason, use contraceptives less consistently. This was supported by detailed evidence. The authors concluded that home pregnancy test taking should be regarded as a red flag by those who care for adolescents; although they are as capable of using contraceptives as their peers, test takers are less apt to do so because they expect less negative consequences from childbearing, and for this reason, may benefit more from discussing childbearing expectations than contraceptive options. Therefore, aggregate health care focuses on a specific group of people and is a more in-depth and detailed type of treatment. In contrast, the community based approach focuses interventions of the entire community, using community or population based data. In the community-based approach, the interventions are designed to affect the health of the entire community at one time. In other words, the community or public health approach is focused on the entire community. To affect the health of the entire population, the public health nurse targets specific groups and designs interventions at multiple levels (individuals, aggregate or group, family and community). Concept of Community 4 Conclusion In conclusion, Public health nurses and other care providers face various roles and challenges when working within the community. It is vital that nurses understand the differences between direct and indirect services and aggregate care versus community based approached to health care and service delivery. Within a given community, multiple partners become vital to the health and well being of populations served. Aggregate care tends to focus more on individual services and individually appropriate methods of delivery. In many circumstances however, community and aggregate based approaches may be considered one in the same. Concept of Community 5 References Porche, J. (2004). Community Health Nursing Practice: A Population-Based Approach. Journal of Clinical Nursing, pp. 7-16. Kelly, L. , Sheeder, J. (2004). Teen Home Pregnancy Test Takers: More Worried or More Wishful? Pediatric Nursing Journal,13(3), 581-584. Frish, N. (2007). Concept of Community and Aggregate Care. Alternative Journal of Nursing, 14(7), 45-50. Reed, J. (2003). Aggregate Health Status: A Benchmark Index for Community Health. Journal of Medical Systems, 27(2), 177-189.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 23~24

Chapter 23 Mom and Terrapin Pie â€Å"She's in town,† Jody said. â€Å"She's coming over in a few minutes.† Jody lowered the phone to its cradle. Tommy appeared in the bedroom doorway, Scott still dangling from his sleeve. â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"You're missing a cufflink,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't think he's going to let go. Do we have any scissors?† Jody took Tommy by the sleeve a few inches above where Scott was clamped. â€Å"You ready?† Tommy nodded and she ripped his sleeve off at the shoulder. Scott skulked into the bedroom, the sleeve still clamped in his jaws. â€Å"That was my best shirt,† Tommy said, looking at his bare arm. â€Å"Sorry, but we've got to clean this place up and get a story together.† â€Å"Where did she call from?† â€Å"She was at the Fairmont Hotel. We've got maybe ten minutes.† â€Å"So she won't be staying with us.† â€Å"Are you kidding? My mother under the same roof where people are living in sin? Not in this lifetime, turtleboy.† Tommy took the turtleboy shot in stride. This was an emergency and there was no time for hurt feelings. â€Å"Does you mother use phrases like ‘living in sin'?† â€Å"I think she has it embroidered on a sampler over the telephone so she won't forget to use it every month when I call.† Tommy shook his head. â€Å"We're doomed. Why didn't you call her this month? She said you always call her.† Jody was pacing now, trying to think. â€Å"Because I didn't get my reminder.† â€Å"What reminder?† â€Å"My period. I always call her when I get my period each month – just to get all the unpleasantness out of the way at one time.† â€Å"When was the last time you had a period?† Jody thought for a minute. It was before she had turned. â€Å"I don't know, eight, nine weeks. I'm sorry, I can't believe I forgot.† Tommy went to the futon, sat down, and cradled his head in his hands. â€Å"What do we do now?† Jody sat next to him. â€Å"I don't suppose we have time to redecorate.† In the next ten minutes, while they cleaned up the loft, Jody tried to prepare Tommy for what he was about to experience. â€Å"She doesn't like men. My father left her for a younger woman when I was twelve, and Mother thinks all men are snakes. And she doesn't really like women either, since she was betrayed by one. She was one of the first women to graduate from Stanford, so she's a bit of a snob about that. She says that I broke her heart when I didn't go to Stanford. It's been downhill since then. She doesn't like that I live in the City and she has never approved of any of my jobs, my boyfriends, or the way I dress.† Tommy stopped in the middle of scrubbing the kitchen sink. â€Å"So what should I talk about?† â€Å"It would probably be best if you just sat quietly and looked repentant.† â€Å"That's how I always look.† Jody heard the stairwell door open. â€Å"She's here. Go change your shirt.† Tommy ran to the bedroom, stripping off his one-sleever as he went. I'm not ready for this, he thought. I have more work to do on myself before I'm ready for a presentation. Jody opened the door catching her mother poised to knock. â€Å"Mom!† Jody said, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. â€Å"You look great.† Frances Evelyn Stroud stood on the landing looking at her youngest daughter with restrained disapproval. She was a short, stout woman dressed in layers of wool and silk under an eggshell cashmere coat. Her hair was a woven gray-blond, flared and lacquered to expose a pair of pearl earrings roughly the size of Ping-Pong balls. Her eyebrows had been plucked away and painted back, her cheekbones were high and highlighted, her lips lined, filled, and clamped tight. She had the same striking green eyes as her daughter, flecked now with sparks of judgment. She had been pretty once but was now passing into the limbo-land of the menopausal woman known as handsome. â€Å"May I come in,† she said. Jody, caught in the half-gesture of offering a hug, dropped her arms. â€Å"Of course,† she said, stepping aside. â€Å"It's good to see you,† she said, closing the door behind her mother. Tommy bounded from the bedroom into the kitchen and slid to a stop on stocking feet. â€Å"Hi,† he said. Jody put her hand on her mother's back. Frances flinched, ever so slightly, at the touch. â€Å"Mother, this is Thomas Flood. He's a writer. Tommy, this is my mother, Frances Stroud.† Tommy approached Frances and offered his hand. â€Å"Pleased to meet you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She clutched her Gucci bag tightly, then forced herself to take his hand. â€Å"Mrs. Stroud,† she said, trying to head off the unpleasantness of hearing her Christian name come out of Tommy's mouth. Jody broke the moment of discomfort so they could pass into the next one. â€Å"So, Mom, can I take your coat? Would you like to sit down?† Frances Stroud surrendered her coat to her daughter as if she were surrendering her credit cards to a mugger, as if she didn't want to know where it was going because she would never see it again. â€Å"Is this your couch?† she asked, nodding toward the futon. â€Å"Have a seat, Mother; we'll get you something to drink. We have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jody realized that she had no idea what they had. â€Å"Tommy, what do we have?† Tommy wasn't expecting the questions to start so soon. â€Å"I'll look,† he said, running to the kitchen and throwing open a cabinet. â€Å"We have coffee, regular and decaf.† He dug behind the coffee, the sugar, the powdered creamer. â€Å"We have Ovaltine, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He threw open the refrigerator. â€Å"Beer, milk, cranberry juice, and beer – a lot of beer – I mean, not a lot, but plenty, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He opened the chest freezer. Peary stared up at him through a gap between frozen dinners. Tommy slammed the lid.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ that's it. Nothing in there.† â€Å"Decaf, please,† said Mother Stroud. She turned to Jody, who was returning from balling up her mother's cashmere coat and throwing it in the corner of the closet. â€Å"So, you've left your job at Transamerica. Are you working, dear?† Jody sat in a wicker chair across the wicker coffee table from her mother. (Tommy had decided to decorate the loft in a Pier 1 Imports cheap-shit motif. As a result it was only a ceiling fan and a cockatoo away from looking like a Thai cathouse.) Jody said, â€Å"I've taken a job in marketing.† It sounded respectable. It sounded professional. It sounded like a lie. â€Å"You might have told me and saved me the embarrassment of calling Transamerica only to find out that you had been let go.† â€Å"I quit, Mother. I wasn't let go.† Tommy, trying to will himself invisible, bowed his way between them to deliver the decaf, which he had arranged on a wicker tray with cream and sugar. â€Å"And you, Mr. Flood, you're a writer? What do you write?† Tommy brightened. â€Å"I'm working on a short story about a little girl growing up in the South. Her father is on a chain gang.† â€Å"You're from the South, then?† â€Å"No, Indiana.† â€Å"Oh,† she said, as if he had just confessed to being raised by rats. â€Å"And where did you go to university?† â€Å"I, um, I'm sort of self-educated. I think experience is the best teacher.† Tommy realized that he was sweating. â€Å"I see,† she said. â€Å"And where might I read your work?† â€Å"I'm not published yet.† He squirmed. â€Å"I'm working on it, though,† he added quickly. â€Å"So you have another job. Are you in marketing as well?† Jody intervened. She could see steam rising off Tommy. â€Å"He manages the Marina Safeway, Mother.† It was a small lie, nothing compared to the tapestry of lies she had woven for her mother over the years. Mother Stroud turned a scalpel gaze on her daughter. â€Å"You know, Jody, it's not too late to apply to Stanford. You'd be a bit older than the other freshmen, but I could pull a few strings.† How does she do this? Jody wondered. How does she come into my home and within minutes make me feel like dirt on a stick? Why does she do it? â€Å"Mother, I think I'm beyond going back to school.† Mother Stroud picked up her cup as if to sip, then paused. â€Å"Of course, dear. You wouldn't want to neglect your career and family.† It was a verbal sucker punch delivered with polite, extended-pinky malice. Jody felt something drop inside her like cyanide pellets into acid. Her guilt dropped through the gallows' trap and jerked with broken-neck finality. She regretted only the ten thousand sentences she had started with, â€Å"I love my mother, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  You do that so people don't judge you cold and inhuman, Jody thought. Too late now. She said, â€Å"Perhaps you're right, Mother. Perhaps if I had gone to Stanford I would understand why I wasn't born with an innate knowledge of cooking and cleaning and child-rearing and managing a career and a relationship. I've always wondered if it's lack of education or genetic deficiency.† Mother Stroud was unshaken. â€Å"I can't speak for your father's genetic background, dear.† Tommy was grateful that Mother Stroud's attention had turned from him, but he could see Jody's gaze narrowing, going from hurt to anger. He wanted to come to her aid. He wanted to make peace. He wanted to hide in the corner. He wanted to wade in and kick ass. He weighed his polite upbringing against the anarchists, rebels, and iconoclasts who were his heroes. He could eat this woman alive. He was a writer and words were his weapons. She wouldn't have a chance. He'd destroy her. And he would have. He was taking a deep breath to prepare to light into her when he saw a swath of denim disappearing slowly under the frame of the futon: his dismembered shirt sleeve. He held his breath and looked at Jody. She was smiling, saying nothing. Mother Stroud said, â€Å"Your father was at Stanford on an athletic scholarship, you know. They would have never let him in otherwise.† â€Å"I'm sure you're right, Mother,† Jody said. She smiled politely, listening not to her mother, but to the melodic scraping of turtle claws on carpet. She focused on the sound and could hear the slow, cold lugging of Scott's heart. Mother Stroud sipped her decaf. Tommy waited. Jody said, â€Å"So how long will you be in the City?† â€Å"I just came up to do some shopping. I'm sponsoring a benefit for the Monterey Symphony and I wanted a new gown. Of course I could have found something in Carmel, but everyone would have seen it already. The bane of living in a small community.† Jody nodded as if she understood. She had no connection to this woman, not anymore. Frances Evelyn Stroud was a stranger, an unpleasant stranger. Jody felt more of a connection with the turtle under the futon. Under the futon, Scott spotted a pattern of scales on Mother Stroud's shoes. He'd never seen Italian faux-alligator pumps, but he knew scales. When you are lying peacefully buried in the muck at the bottom of a pond and you see scales, it means food. You bite. Frances Stroud shrieked and leaped to her feet, pulling her right foot free of her shoe as she fell into the wicker coffee table. Jody caught her mother by the shoulders and set her on her feet. Frances pushed her away and backed across the room as she watched the snapping turtle emerge from under the futon merrily chomping on the pump. â€Å"What is that? What is that thing? That thing is eating my shoe. Stop it! Kill it!† Tommy hurdled the futon and dived for the turtle, catching the heel of the shoe before it disappeared. Scott dug his claws into the carpet and backed off. Tommy came up with heel in hand. â€Å"I got part of it.† Jody went to her mother's side. â€Å"I meant to call the exterminator, Mother. If I'd had more notice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mother Stroud was breathing in outraged yips. â€Å"How can you live like this?† Tommy held the heel out to her. â€Å"I don't want that. Call me a cab.† Tommy paused, considered the opportunity, then let it pass and went to the phone. â€Å"You can't go out without shoes, Mother. I'll get you something to wear.† Jody went to the bedroom and came back with her rattiest pair of sneakers. â€Å"Here, Mom, these will get you back to the hotel.† Mother Stroud, afraid to sit down anywhere, leaned against the door and stepped into the sneakers. Jody tied them for her and slipped the uneaten pump into her mother's bag. â€Å"There you go.† She stepped back. â€Å"Now, what are we going to do for the holidays?† Mother Stroud, her gaze trained on Scott, just shook her head. The turtle had wedged himself between the legs of the coffee table and was dragging it around the loft. A cab pulled up outside and beeped the horn. Mother Stroud tore her gaze away from the turtle and looked at her daughter. â€Å"I'll be in Europe for the holidays. I have to go now.† She opened the door and backed out through it. â€Å"‘Bye, Mom,† Jody said. â€Å"Nice meeting you, Mrs. Stroud,† Tommy called after her. When the cab pulled away, Tommy turned to Jody and said, â€Å"Well, that went pretty well, didn't it? I think she likes me.† Jody was leaning against the door, staring at the floor. She looked up and began to giggle silently. Soon she was doubled over laughing. â€Å"What?† Tommy said. Jody looked up at him, tears streaming her face. â€Å"I think I'm ready to meet your folks, don't you?† â€Å"I don't know. They might be sort of upset that you're not a Methodist.† Chapter 24 The Return of Breakfast The Emperor lay spread-eagle on the end of a dock in the Saint Francis Yacht Club Marina, watching clouds pass over the bay. Bummer and Lazarus lay beside him, their feet in the air, dozing. The three might have been crucified there, if the dogs hadn't been smiling. â€Å"Men,† the Emperor said, â€Å"it seems to me now that there is, indeed, a point to that Otis Redding song about sitting on the dock of the bay. After a long night of vampire hunting, this is a most pleasant way to spend the day. Bummer, I believe a commendation is in order. When you led us down here, I thought you were wasting our time.† Bummer did not answer. He was dreaming of a park full of large trees and bite-sized mailmen. His legs twitched and he let out a sleepy ruff each time he crunched one of their tiny heads. In dreams, mailmen taste like chicken. The Emperor said, â€Å"But pleasant as this is, it tastes of guilt, of responsibility. Two months tracking this fiend, and we are no closer to finding him than when we started. Yet here we lay, enjoying the day. I can see the faces of the victims in these clouds.† Lazarus rolled over and licked the Emperor's hand. â€Å"You're right, Lazarus, without sleep we will not be fit for battle. Perhaps, in leading us here, Bummer was wiser than we thought.† The Emperor closed his eyes and let the sound of waves lapping against the piers lull him to sleep. Lying at anchor, a hundred yards away, was a hundred-foot motor yacht registered in the Netherlands. Belowdecks, in a watertight stainless steel vault, the vampire slept through the day. Tommy had been asleep for an hour when pounding on the door downstairs woke him. In the darkness of the bedroom he nudged Jody, but she was out for the day. He checked his watch: 7:30 A.M. The loft rocked with the pounding. He crawled out of bed and stumbled to the door in his underwear. The morning light spilling though the loft's windows temporarily blinded him and he barked his shin on the corner of the freezer on his way through the kitchen. â€Å"I'm coming,† he yelled. It sounded as if they were using a hammer on the door. He did a Quasimodo step and slid down the stairs, holding his damaged shin in one hand, and cracked the downstairs door. Simon peeked through the crack. Tommy could see a ball-peen hammer in his hand, poised for another pound. Simon said, â€Å"Pardner, we need to have us a sit-down.† â€Å"I'm sleeping, Sime. Jody's sleeping.† â€Å"Well, you're up now. Wake up the little woman, we need breakfast.† Tommy opened the door a little wider and saw Drew dazzling a stoned and goofy grin behind Simon. â€Å"Fearless Leader!† All the Animals were there, holding grocery bags, waiting. Tommy thought, This is how Anne Frank felt when the Gestapo came to the door. Simon pushed through the door, causing Tommy to hop back a step to avoid having his toes skinned. â€Å"Hey.† Simon looked at Tommy's erection-stretched jockey shorts. â€Å"That just a morning wood, or you in the middle of something?† â€Å"I told you, I was sleeping.† â€Å"You're young, it could still grow some. Don't feel bad.† Tommy looked down at his insulted member as Simon breezed past him up the stairs, followed by the rest of the Animals. Glint and Lash stopped and helped Tommy to his feet. â€Å"I was sleeping,† Tommy said pathetically. â€Å"It's my day off.† Lash patted Tommy's shoulder. â€Å"I'm cutting class today. We thought you needed moral support.† â€Å"For what? I'm fine.† â€Å"Cops came by the store last night looking for you. We wouldn't give them your address or anything.† â€Å"Cops?† Tommy was waking up now. He could hear beers being popped open in the loft. â€Å"What did the cops want with me?† â€Å"They wanted to see your time cards. They wanted to see if you were working on a bunch of nights. They wouldn't say why. Simon tried to distract them by accusing me of leading a black terrorist group.† â€Å"That was nice of him.† â€Å"Yeah, he's a sweetheart. He told that new cashier, Mara, that you were in love with her but were too shy to tell her.† â€Å"Forgive him,† Clint said piously. â€Å"He knows not what he does.† Simon popped out onto the landing. â€Å"Flood, did you drug this bitch? She won't wake up.† â€Å"Stay out of the bedroom!† Tommy shook off Lash and Clint and ran up the stairs. Cavuto chewed an unlit cigar. â€Å"I say we go to the kid's house and lean on him.† Rivera looked up from a stack of green-striped computer printout. â€Å"Why? He was working when all the murders happened.† â€Å"Because he's all we've got. What about the prints on the book; any thing?† â€Å"There were half a dozen good prints on the cover. Nothing the computer could match. Interesting thing is, none of the prints were the victim's. He never touched it.† â€Å"What about the kid; a match?† â€Å"No way to tell, he's never been printed. Let it go, Nick. That kid didn't kill these people.† Cavuto ran his hand over his bald head as if looking for a bump that would hold an answer. â€Å"Let's arrest him and print him.† â€Å"On what charges?† â€Å"We'll ask him. You know what the Chinese say, ‘Beat a kid every day; if you don't know why, the kid will.  » â€Å"You ever think about adopting, Nick?† Rivera flipped the last page of the printout and threw it into the wastebasket by his desk. â€Å"Justice doesn't have shit. All the unsolved murders with massive blood loss involve mutilation. No vampires here.† For two months they had avoided using the word. Now, here it was. Cavuto took out a wooden match, scraped it against the bottom of his shoe, and moved it around the tip of his cigar. â€Å"Rivera, we will not refer to this perp by the V-word again. You don't remember the Night Stalker. This fucking Whiplash Killer thing the press has picked up is bad enough.† â€Å"You shouldn't smoke in here,† said Rivera. â€Å"The sprout eaters will file a grievance.† â€Å"Fuck 'em. I can't think without smoking. Let's run sex offenders. Look for priors of rapes and assaults with blood draining. This guy might have just graduated to killing. Then let's run it with cross-dressers.† â€Å"Cross-dressers?† â€Å"Yeah, I want to put this thing with the redhead to bed. Having a lead is ruining our perfect record.† She woke to a miasma of smells that hit her like a sockful of sand: burned eggs, bacon grease, beer, maple syrup, stale pot smoke, whiskey, vomit and male sweat. The smells carried memories from before the change – memories of high school keggers and drunken surfers face-down in puddles of puke. Hangover memories. Coming as they did, right after a visit from her mother, they carried shame and loathing and the urge to fall back into bed and hide under the covers. She thought, I guess there's a few things about being human that I don't miss. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and one of Tommy's shirts and opened the bedroom door. It looked as if the good ship International Pancakes had run aground in the kitchen. Every horizontal surface was covered with breakfast jetsam. She stepped through the debris, careful not to kick any of the plates, frying pans, coffee cups, or beer cans that littered the floor. Beyond the freezer and the counter she spotted the shipwreck survivor. Tommy lay on the futon, limbs akimbo, an empty Bushmill's bottle by his head, snoring. She stood there for a moment running her options over in her head. On one hand, she wanted to fly into a rage; wake Tommy up and scream at him for violating the sanctity of their home. A justifiable tantrum was strongly tempting. On the other hand, until now Tommy had always been considerate. And he would clean everything up. Plus, the hangover he was about to experience would be more punishment than she could dole out in a week. Besides, she wasn't really that angry. It didn't seem to matter. It was just a mess. It was a tough decision. She thought, Oh heck, no harm, no foul. I'll just make him coffee and give him that â€Å"I'm-so-disappointed-in-you† look. â€Å"Tommy,† she said. She sat down on the edge of the futon and jostled him gently. â€Å"Sweetheart, wake up; you've destroyed the house and I need you to suffer for it.† Tommy opened one bloodshot eye and groaned. â€Å"Sick,† he said. Jody heard a convulsive sloshing in Tommy's stomach and before she could think about it she had caught him under the armpits and was dragging him across the room to the kitchen sink. â€Å"Oh my God!† Tommy cried, and if he was going to say anything else it was drowned out by the sound of his stomach emptying into the sink. Jody held him up, smiling to herself with the satisfaction of the self-righteously sober. After a few seconds of retching, he gasped and looked up at her. Tears streamed down his face. His nose dripped threads of slime. Cheerfully, Jody said, â€Å"Can I fix you a drink?† â€Å"Oh my God!† His head went back into the sink and the body-wrenching heaves began anew. Jody patted his back and said â€Å"Poor baby† until he came up for air again. â€Å"How about some breakfast?† she asked. He dived into the sink once again. After five minutes the heaves subsided and Tommy hung on the edge of the sink. Jody turned on the faucet and used the dish sprayer to hose off his face. â€Å"I guess you and the guys had a little party this morning, huh?† Tommy nodded, not looking up. â€Å"I tried to keep them out. I'm sorry. I'm scum.† â€Å"Yes, you are, sweetheart.† She ruffed his hair. â€Å"I'll clean it up.† â€Å"Yes, you will,† she said. â€Å"I'm really sorry.† â€Å"Yes, you are. Do we want to go back to the futon and sit down?† â€Å"Water,† Tommy said. She ran him a glass of water and steadied him while he drank, then aimed him into the sink when the water came back up. â€Å"Are you finished now?† she asked. He nodded. She dragged him into the bathroom and washed his face, rubbing a little too hard, like an angry mother administering an abrasive spit-bath to a chocolate-covered toddler. â€Å"Now you go sit down and I'll make you some coffee.† Tommy staggered back to the living room and fell onto the futon. Jody found the coffee filters in the cupboard and began to make the coffee. She opened the cupboard to look for a cup but the Animals had used them all. They were strewn around the loft, tipped over or half full of whisky diluted by melted ice. Ice? â€Å"Tommy!† He groaned and grabbed his head. â€Å"Don't yell.† â€Å"Tommy, did you guys use the ice from the freezer?† â€Å"I don't know. Simon was bartending.† Jody brushed the dishes and pans from the lid of the chest freezer and threw it open. The ice trays, the ones Tommy had bought for the drowning experiment, were empty and scattered around the inside of the freezer. Peary's frosty face stared up at her. She slammed the lid shut and stormed across the room to Tommy. â€Å"Dammit, Tommy, how could you be so careless?† â€Å"Don't yell. Please don't yell. I'll clean it up.† â€Å"Clean it up my ass. Someone was in the freezer. Someone saw the body.† â€Å"I think I'm going to be sick.† â€Å"Did they come into the bedroom while I was sleeping? Did they see me?† Tommy cradled his head as if it would crack at any moment and spill his brains onto the floor. â€Å"They had to get to the bathroom. It's okay; I covered you up so the light wouldn't get to you.† â€Å"You idiot!† She snatched up a coffee cup and prepared to throw it at him, then caught herself. She had to get out of here before she hurt him. She shook as she set the cup on the counter. â€Å"I'm going out, Tommy. Clean up this mess.† She turned and went to the bedroom to change. When she emerged, still shaking with anger, Tommy was standing in the kitchen looking repentant. â€Å"Will you be home before I leave for work?† She glared at him. â€Å"I don't know. I don't know when I'll be back. Why didn't you just put a sign on the door, ‘See the Vampire'? This is my life you're playing with, Tommy.† He didn't answer. She turned and walked out, slamming the door. â€Å"I'll feed your turtles for you,† he called after her.