Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 10

â€Å"But only if you absolutely swear to me you didn't do it.† â€Å"Oh, how many times? I've been telling you all week I didn't. I never said a word to her. I swear.† The first voice, which sounded taut and a little unbalanced, was Tanya's. The second was Kim the Gymnast's. Despite her brave words, Kim sounded scared. (Angel? What's going on?) (Trouble.) â€Å"Okay,† Tanya's voice was saying. â€Å"Then this is your chance to prove it by helping me.† â€Å"Tan, look. Look. I'm sorry about you and David breaking up. But maybe it's not Gillian's fault-â€Å" â€Å"It's completely her fault. The stuff with Bruce was over. You know that. There was no reason for David to ever find out-until she opened her mouth. And as for how she found out-â€Å" â€Å"Not again!† Kim the Gymnast sounded ready to scream. â€Å"I didn't do it.† â€Å"All right. I believe you.† Tanya's voice was calmer. â€Å"So in that case there's no reason for us to fight. We've got to stick together. Hand me that brush, will you?† There was silence for a moment, and Gillian could imagine Tanya brushing her dark hair to a higher gloss, looking in a mirror approvingly. â€Å"So what are you going to do?† Kim's voice asked. â€Å"Get both of them. In a way, I hate him more. I promised he'd be sorry if he dumped me, and I always keep my promises.† Squashed between the heavy, swaying clothes on her right and left, Gillian had a wild and almost fatal impulse to giggle. She knew what was going on. It was just such a †¦ a sitcom situation that she had a hard time making herself believe in it. Here she was, listening to two people who were actually plotting against her. She was overhearing their plans to get her. It was†¦ absurd. Bad mystery novel stuff. And it was happening anyway. She made a feeble attempt to get back to reality, straightening up slightly. (Angel-people don't really do these revenge things. Right? They're just talking. And-I mean, I can't even believe I'm hearing all this. It's so †¦ so ridiculous†¦) (You're overhearing it because I brought you here. You have an invisible friend who can lead you to the right place at the right time. And you'd better believe that people carry out these â€Å"revenge things.† Tanya's never made a plan that she hasn't carried through.) (The future executive.) Gillian thought it faintly. (Future CEO. She's deadly serious, kid. And she's smart. She can make things happen.) Gillian no longer felt like giggling. When she pressed her ear against the wall again, it was clear she'd missed some of the conversation. â€Å"†¦ David first?† Kim the Gymnast was saying. â€Å"Because I know what to do with him. He wants to get into Ohio University, you know? He sent the application in October. It was already going to be a little hard because his grades aren't great, but he scored really high on the SATs. It was hard, but I'm going to make it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a pause and Tanya's voice seemed to mellow and sweeten. â€Å"Absolutely impossible.† â€Å"How?† Kim sounded shaken. â€Å"By writing to the university. And to our principal and to Ms. Renquist, the English lit teacher, and to David's grandpa, who's supposed to be giving him money to go to college.† â€Å"But why? I mean, if you say something nasty, they'll just think it's sour grapes-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going to tell them he passed English lit last year by cheating. We had to turn in a term paper. But he didn't write the paper he turned in. It was bought. From a college guy in Philadelphia.† Kim's breath whooshed out so loudly that Gillian could hear it. â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"Because I arranged it, of course. I wanted him to bring his grades up, to get into a university. To make something of himself. But of course he can never prove all that. He's the one that paid for it.† A silence. Then Kim said, with what sounded like forced lightness, â€Å"But, Tan, you could ruin his whole life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† Tanya's voice was serene. Satisfied. â€Å"But†¦ well, what do you want me to do?† â€Å"Be ready to spread the word. That's what you do best, isn't it? I'll get the letters written by Monday. And then on Monday you can start telling people-because I want everyone to know. Prime that grapevine!† Tanya was laughing. â€Å"Okay. Sure. Consider it done.† Kim sounded more scared than ever. â€Å"Uh, look, I'd better get back downstairs now-can I use the brush a second?† â€Å"Here.† A clatter. â€Å"And, Kim? Be ready to help me with Gillian, too. I'll let you know what I've got in mind for her.† Kim said, â€Å"Sure,†-faintly. Then there were a few more clatters and the sound of a door rattling open and shut. Then silence. Gillian stood in the stuffy closet. She felt physically sick. As if she'd found something loathsome and slimy and unclean writhing under her bed. Tanya was crazy-and evil. Gillian had just seen into a mind utterly twisted with hatred. And smart. Angel had said it. (Angel, what do I do? She really means it, doesn't she? She's going to destroy him. And there isn't anything I can do about it.) (There may be something.) (She's not going to listen to reason. I know she's not. Nobody's going to be able to talk her out of it. And threats aren't any good-) (I said, there may be something you can do.) Gillian came back to herself. (What?) (It's a little complicated. And†¦ well, the truth is, you may not want to do it, kid.) (I would do anything for David.) Gillian's response was instant and absolute. Strange, how there were some things you were so sure of. (Okay. Well, hold that thought. I'll explain everything when we get home-which we should do fast. But first I want you to get something from that bathroom.) Gillian felt calm and alert, like a young soldier on her first mission in enemy territory. Angel had an idea. As long as she did exactly what Angel said, things were going to turn out all right. She went into the bathroom and followed Angel's instructions precisely without asking why. Then she went to get David to take her home from the party. â€Å"I'm ready. Now tell me what I can do.† Gillian was sitting on her bed, wearing the pajamas with little bears on them. It was well after midnight and the house was quiet and dark except for the lamp on her night stand. â€Å"You know, I think you are ready.† The voice was quiet and thoughtful-and outside her head. In the air about two feet away from the bed, a light began to grow. And then it was Angel, sitting lotus style, with his hands on his knees. Floating lotus style. He was about level with Gillian's bed and he was looking at her searchingly. His face was earnest and calm, and all around him was a pale, changing light like the aurora borealis. As always, Gillian felt a physical reaction at the first sight of him. A sort of shock. He was so beautiful, so unearthly, so unlike anyone else. And right now his eyes were more intense than she had ever seen them. It scared her a little, but she pushed that-and the physical reaction-away. She had to think of David. David, who'd so trustingly taken her home when she â€Å"got sick† an hour ago, and who right now had absolutely no idea what was in store for him on Monday. â€Å"Just tell me what to do,† she said to Angel. She was braced. She had no idea what it would take to stop Tanya, but it couldn't be anything pleasant-or legal. Didn't matter. She was ready. So Angel's words were something of a letdown. â€Å"You know you're special, don't you?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"You've always been special. And underneath, you've always known it.† Gillian wasn't sure what to say. Because it sounded terribly cliche-but it was true. She was special. She'd had a near-death experience. She'd come back with an angel. Surely only special people did that. And her popularity at school-everyone there certainly thought she was special. But her own inner feeling had started long before that, sometime in childhood. She'd just imagined that everybody felt that way†¦ that they were different from others, maybe better, but certainly different. â€Å"Well, everybody does feel that way, actually,† Angel said, and Gillian felt a little jolt. She always felt it when she suddenly remembered her thoughts weren't private anymore. Angel was going on. â€Å"But for you it happens to be true. Listen, what do you know about your great-grandma Elspeth?† â€Å"What?† Gillian was lost. â€Å"She's an old lady. And, um, she lives in England and always sends me Christmas presents†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She had a vague memory of a photograph showing a woman with white hair and white glasses, a tweed skirt and sensible shoes. The woman held a Pekingese in a little red jacket. â€Å"She grew up in England, but she was born American. She was only a year old when she was separated from her big sister Edith, who was raising her. It happened during World War One. Everyone thought she had no family, so she was given to an English couple to raise.† â€Å"Oh, really? How interesting.† Gillian was not only bewildered but exasperated. â€Å"But what on earth-â€Å" â€Å"Here's what it's got to do with David. Your great-grandma didn't grow up with her real sister, with her real family. If she had, she'd have known her real heritage. She'd have known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That she was born a witch.† There was a long, long silence. It shouldn't have been so long. After the first second Gillian thought of things to say, but somehow she couldn't get them past the tightness of her throat. She ought to laugh. That was funny, the idea of Great-grandma, with her sensible shoes, being a witch. And besides, witches didn't exist. They were just stories- -like angels- -or examples of New Age grown-ups acting silly. â€Å"Angels,† Gillian gasped in a strangled voice. She was beginning to feel wild inside. As if rules were breaking loose. Because angels were true. She was looking at one. He was floating about two and a half feet off the floor. There was absolutely nothing under him and he could hear her thoughts and disappear and he was real. And if angels could be real†¦ Magic happens. She'd seen that on a bumper sticker somewhere. Now she clapped both hands to her mouth. There was something boiling up inside her and she wasn't sure if it was a scream or a giggle. â€Å"My great-grandma is a witch?† â€Å"Well, not exactly. She would be if she knew about her family. That's the key, you see-you have to know. Your great-grandma has the blood, and so does your grandma, and so does your mom. And so do you, Gillian. And now†¦ you know.† The last words were very gentle, very deliberate. As if Angel were delicately putting into place the last piece of a puzzle. Gillian's laughter had faded. She felt dizzy, as if she had unexpectedly come to the edge of a cliff and looked over. â€Å"I'm†¦ I've got the blood, too.† â€Å"Don't be afraid to say it. You're a witch.† â€Å"Angel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian's heart was beating very hard suddenly. Hard and slow. â€Å"Please †¦ I don't really understand any of this. And†¦ well, I'm not.† â€Å"A witch? You don't know how to be, yet. But as a matter of fact, kid, you're already showing the signs. Do you remember when that mirror broke in the downstairs bathroom?† â€Å"And when the window broke in the cafeteria. You asked me if I did those things. I didn't. You did. You were angry and you lashed out with your power†¦ but you didn't realize it.† â€Å"Oh, God,† Gillian whispered. â€Å"It's a frightening thing, that power. When you don't know how to use it, it can cause all kinds of damage. To other people-and to you. Oh, kid, don't you understand? Look at what's happened to your mother.† â€Å"What about my mother?† â€Å"She †¦ is †¦ a †¦ witch. A lost witch, like you. She's got powers, but she doesn't know how to channel them, she doesn't understand them, and they terrify her. When she started seeing visions-â€Å" â€Å"Visions!† Gillian sat straight up. It was as if a light had suddenly gone on in her head, illuminating five years of her life. â€Å"Yeah.† Angel's violet eyes were steady, his face grim. â€Å"The hallucinations came before the drinking, not after. And they were psychic visions, images of things that were going to happen, or that might have happened, or that happened a long time ago. But of course she didn't understand that.† â€Å"Oh, God. Oh, my God.† Electricity was running up and down Gillian's body, setting her whole skin tingling. Tears stung in her eyes-not tears of sadness, but of pure, shocking revelation. â€Å"That's it. That's it. Oh, God, we've got to help her. We've got to tell her-â€Å" â€Å"I agree. But first we have to get you under control. And it's not exactly a thing you can just spring on her without any warning. You could do more harm than good that way. We've got to build up to it.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, I see that. You're right.† Gillian blinked rapidly. She tried to calm her breathing, to think. â€Å"And just at the moment, she's stable. A little depressed, but stable. She'll wait until after Monday. But Tanya won't.† â€Å"Tanya?† Gillian had nearly forgotten the original discussion. â€Å"Oh, yeah, Tanya. Tanya.† David, she thought. â€Å"There is something very practical you can do about Tanya-now that you know what you are.† â€Å"Yes. All right.† Gillian wet her lips. â€Å"Do you think Dad will come back if Mom realizes what she is and gets it all together?† â€Å"I think there's a good possibility. But listen to me. To take care of Tanya-â€Å" â€Å"Angel.† A slow coil of anxiety was unrolling in Gillian's stomach. â€Å"Now that I think about it †¦ I mean, aren't witches bad? Shouldn't you-well, disapprove of this?† Angel put his golden head in his hands. â€Å"If I thought it was bad would I be here guiding you through it?† Gillian almost laughed. It was so incongruous- the pale northern lights aura around him and the sound of him talking through clenched teeth. Then a thought struck her. She spoke hesitantly and wonderingly. â€Å"Did you come here to guide me through it?† He lifted his head and looked at her with those unearthly eyes. â€Å"What do you think?† Gillian thought that the world wasn't exactly what she had thought. And neither were angels. The next morning she stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She'd done this after Angel had first come to her and made her cut her hair-she'd wanted to look at her new self. Now she wanted to look at Gillian the witch. There wasn't anything overtly different about her. But now that she knew she seemed to see things she hadn't noticed before. Something in the eyes-some ancient glimmer of knowledge in their depths. Something elfin in the face, in the slant of the cheekbones. A remnant of faery. â€Å"Stop gazing and come shopping,† Angel said, and light coalesced beside her. â€Å"Right,† Gillian said soberly. Then she tried to wiggle her nose. Downstairs, she borrowed the keys to her mother's station wagon and bundled up. It was an icy-fresh day and the whole world sparkled under a light dusting of new snow. The air filled Gillian's lungs like some strange potion. (I feel very witchy.) She backed the car out. (Now where do we go? Houghton?) (Hardly. This isn't the kind of shopping you do at a mall. Northward, ho! We're going to Woodbridge.) Gillian tried to remember Woodbridge. It was a little town like Somerset-but smaller. She'd undoubtedly driven through it at some point in her life. (We need to go shopping in Woodbridge to take care of Tanya?) (Just drive, dragonfly.) Woodbridge's main street ended in a town square bordered by dozens of decorated trees. The stores were trimmed with Christmas lights. It was a postcard scene. (Okay. Park here.) Gillian followed Angel's directions and found herself in the Woodbridge Five and Ten, an old-style variety store, complete with creaking wooden floorboards. She had the terrifying feeling that time had gone back about fifty years. The aisles were tight and the shelves were jammed with baskets full of goods. There was a musty smell. Beyond asking questions, she stared dreamily at a jar of penny candy. (Head on to the back. All the way. Open that door and go through to the back room.) Gillian nervously opened the rickety door and peered into the room beyond. But it was just another store. It had an even stranger smell, partly delicious, partly medicinal, and it was rather dimly lit. â€Å"Uh, hello?† she said, in response to Angel's urging. And then she noticed movement behind a counter. A girl was sitting there. She was maybe nineteen and had dark brown hair and an interesting face. It was quite ordinary in shape and structure-a country girl sort of face-but the eyes were unusually vivid and intense. â€Å"Um, do you mind if I look around?† Gillian said, again in response to Angel. â€Å"Go right ahead,† the girl said. â€Å"I'm Melusine.† She watched with a perfectly friendly and open curiosity as Gillian moseyed around the shelves, trying to look as if she knew what she was looking for. Everything she saw was strange and unfamiliar-rocks and herby-looking things and different colored candles. (It's not here.) Angel's voice was resigned. (We're going to have to ask her.) â€Å"Excuse me,† Gillian said a moment later, approaching the girl diffidently from the other side. â€Å"But do you have any Dragon's Blood? The-activated kind?† The girl's face changed. She looked at Gillian very sharply. Then she said, â€Å"I'm afraid I've never heard of anything like that. And I wonder what makes you ask.† Gooseflesh blossomed on Gillian's arms. She had the sudden, distinct feeling that she was in danger.

Security Risk Management

Abstract In this paper, it’s have stress on importance of user in participate on information security risk management and its influence in the context of regulatory compliances via a multi-method study at the organizational level. Along with associated outcomes, the types of activities and security controls in which user’s participation as part of Sarbanes – Oxley compliance also understand here. Besides that, research model also been develop in this paper on the finding of the quantitative study and extant user participation theories in the system development literature.While the IS security literature often portrays users as the weak link in security, the current study suggests that users may be an important resource to IS security by providing needed business knowledge that contributes to more effective security measures. User participation is also a means to engage users in protecting sensitive information in their business processes. 1. 1 Introduction This a rticle is briefing about the problems that involved with information security example external threats likes hackers, viruses and people.There have two reason why user participate in IS security risk management very valuable. Firstly, user awareness of the risks to IS security is widely believed to be fundamental effective IS security (Aytes and Connolly 2004; Furnell 2008; Goodhue and Straub 1991; Hu et al 2006; Siponen 2000a,2000b; Straub and Welke 1998; Whitman 2004) and second is security control need to be aligned with business objectives to be effective (Alberts and Dorofee 2003; Halliday et al 1996; ITGI 2005; McAdams 2004; Suh and Han 2003).In this article concept of user participation have been characterized by extant theories and conceptualization in IS security contexts. The study’s multi – method research design is outlined and followed by a qualitative exploratory study that examined user participation in IS security risk management for regulatory complian ce. A theoretical model be informed by extant user participation theories and the qualitative study is then tested in a confirmatory quantitative study. 1. 2 Content In this article, security risk management was discussing with the user participation with it.Security risk management is a continuous process of identifying and prioritizing IS security risk and implementing and monitoring controls. User participation is expected to add value to SRM, which in turn contributes to effective controls that ultimately improve security. SRM have a combination with data that have been collected and analysis method that used on separate samples to examine user participation. There has two method in examines user participation such as qualitative methods and quantitative methods.Qualitative methods provides a rich understanding of the activities, behaviours and assignments that define user participation in the context of SRM for regulatory and allowed a process model to be constructed by applyin g the three user participation. Quantitative methods test the theoretical model derived from the qualitative study and based on the researchers understanding (Lee 1991). Combining this two methods provides a rich context and testability to the study (Tsohou et al. 2008).In this paper, Sarbanas – Oxley Act has be chosen for the study context as to mean locate an adequate sized sample of companies employing user participation in SRM. Sox has two reason why them encourages business participation in SRM. First, ICOFR focuses on business process that impact financial information on publicly reported statements and second technical controls geared toward protecting the network perimeter from external threats are insufficient to manage internal threats and vulnerabilities embedded within business processes.An exploratory study was conducted to better understand the specific activities, behaviours and assignments that constitute user participation in SRM and to investigate their outc omes. To conduct the exploratory study, informants with SOX experience were first identified and selected. Nine semi-structured interview were conducted with eleven informants from five companies in three countries, two interviews included two informants. A contextual narrative of user participation lays a foundation for a subsequent examination of the effects of participation studied through the lens of three extant user participation theories.This three theories are The Buy-In Theory, The System Quality Theory and The Emergent Interaction Theory. User participation in SRM was found to raise organizational awareness of security risks and controls within targeted business processes, and facilitated greater alignment of SRM with business objectives, values, and needs. As a result, development and performance of security controls improved. Thus, user participation was found to add value to an organization’s SRM. User participation’s effect was strongest in aligning SRM w ith the business context.In turn, users became more attentive as business-alignment increased. This finding suggests that users are likely to be more attentive when IS security is something to which they can relate. That is, when SRM becomes part of business processes, and users are assigned hands-on SRM tasks, security becomes more visible and relevant to users. Consequently, user participation may be a mechanism for managing user perceptions on the importance of security. Accountability was found to contribute most to user participation in SRM.One explanation for this finding is that the study context was regulatory compliance for a law that required annual external audits. This finding suggests that regulation may provide an opportunity for security managers to engage business users in security risks and controls when regulatory compliance has a business process orientation. Secondly, regardless of regulation, study findings suggest that efforts at accountability for SRM may be m ore effective if there are routine audits with documented results and follow-up for control deficiencies. 1. 3 ConclusionAlthough the IS security literature has often cited users as the weak link in IS security due to user errors and negligence, the present study provides evidence that supports an opposing view. User participation raises organizational awareness of security risks and controls within business processes, which in turn contributes to more effective security control development and performance. Security managers can harness regulatory compliance as an opportunity to engage users, raise organizational awareness of security, and better align security measures with business objectives. . 4 References Alberts, C. , and Dorofee, A. 2003. Managing Information Security Risks: The Octave Approach, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison- Wesley. Aytes, K. , and Connolly, T. 2004. â€Å"Computer Security and Risky Computing Practices: A Rational Choice Perspective,† Journal of Or ganizational and End User Computing (16:3), pp. 22-40. Lee, A. S. 1991. â€Å"Integrating Positivist and Interpretive Approaches to Organizational Research,† Organization Science (2:4), pp. 342-365. Hu, Q. Hart, P. , and Cooke, D. 2006. â€Å"The Role of External Influences on Organizational Information Security Practices: An Institutional Perspective,† in Proceedings of the 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press. Tsohou, A. , Kokolakis, S. , Karyda, M. , and Kiountouzis, E. 2008. â€Å"Process-Variance Models in Information Security Awareness Research,† Information Management & Computer Security (16:3), pp. 271-287.

Coaching Youth Soccer essays

Coaching Youth Soccer essays Coaching children at a young age is an extremely rewarding and challenging experience. Over the last two years I have had the privilege of organizing and coaching my sons soccer teams. These teams consisted of six, seven, and eight year old children, many of whom were playing soccer for the first time. Coaching inexperienced children is a unique challenge, and a good coach strives to give everyone a rewarding experience by establishing a positive foundation in soccer. Therefore, good coaches must be teachers, role models, and master communicators. When coaching children of this age it is important that three main teaching principles be maintained. First, fun. The players must have fun during practice and in the games. Their laughter and smiles will make them want to come back and continue to play the game over and over again. Second, participation. All players should be involved at all times. Long lines and long talks tend to create lapses in attention and draw focus away from the game or practice. Practice exercises must be designed so all players are actively involved and are not simply standing around. Third, success. It is essential that the players achieve a high level of success in the practices. Success is obtained by teaching the fundamentals of the game and nurturing a childs self-esteem. Players must not be forced to participate in difficult activities that cause frustration and resentment, but those that foster positive feedback and attainable goals. As a coach, I had to research and interpret the rules and strateg ies of soccer, then explain them to my team. Arming my players with the facts of the game sets them up for success in the actual competitions. A good coach sets an example for the youth on his team by looking the part, being organized and ready for practice, and exhibiting patients. An enthusiastic tone is important, along with plenty of positive feedback to the children. ...

How to Get the Job You Want by Being the Perfect Fit

How to Get the Job You Want by Being the Perfect Fit Recruiters are careful about the applicants they choose to interview because the faster they do their job, the faster they can go on to the next task. One thing recruiters don’t like is wasting time, so job applicants who  are a great fit are more likely to be called in for an interview. You’ve searched the job classifieds for weeks and finally nailed an interview. Here are a few tips to  help you present yourself as the best person for the position so you get the job.Offer the best reasons why you should have the jobInterviews don’t tend to last long, so making the most of your time is important. Prepare a list in advance of your selling points. You may want to include your experience, technical and soft skills, education, training, and accomplishments that benefited your previous company.Ask a family member or friend to help you practiceA  successful interview can depend on practicing  your body language and what you are going to say. Appearing anxious during your interview may be a problem; however, by practicing your responses in advance, you will appear confident and sure of yourself. Ask a friend or family member to practice with you. If no one is available, practice in front of a mirror until you think you have it down pat.Combine your skillsYou may have good qualifications for your desired job, but others may have those same qualifications. See if you can combine several skills that appear on the job application to set yourself apart from other applicants. For example, if you have great computer skills and have also led project teams, point that out to the recruiter.Find out about the interview formatRecruiters use various formats while interviewing candidates for a job. Knowing whether the recruiter will use standard questions, or, for example offer problems you have to solve can help you prepare in advance. What the recruiter is looking for is a creative person who is up to any challenge. There is no problem with asking th e recruiter what type of questions will be presented during your interview, so go ahead and do it.Keep your answers shortDroning on and on is a good way to lose the recruiter’s interest. By practicing, you can hone down your answers to one or two minutes. However, be cautious because memorized responses can sound stiff and robotic during an interview. Work at maintaining your natural voice so your answers sound unrehearsed.Dress for the jobOf course you would like to go to your interview in your comfy jeans and sneakers, but that may not be appropriate. Look over the company to see how its employees dress, and copy that style for your interview. For example, if the employees wear suits, wear one. If they wear khakis and Hawaiian shirts, wear that. One important point is that whatever you wear, you should feel comfortable. While it might be tempting to go out and buy new clothing, if you aren’t comfortable, it will show during your interview.Being prepared for an interv iew is just as important as finding a great position. You can improve how you do both by using successful tactics. Instead of searching for work through classified job ads, you can upscale your search by letting TheJobNetwork do your search for you. All you do is fill out your qualifications and job interests, and TheJobNetwork will send you email alerts for jobs. When you sign up with TheJobNetwork, you won’t miss out on any opportunities.

Feminist Consciousness-Raising Groups

Feminist Consciousness-Raising Groups Feminist consciousness-raising groups, or CR groups, began in the 1960s in New York and Chicago and quickly spread across the United States. Feminist leaders called consciousness-raising the backbone of the movement and a chief organizing tool. The Genesis of Consciousness-Raising in New York The idea to start a consciousness-raising group occurred early in the existence of the feminist organization New York Radical Women. As NYRW members tried to determine what their next action should be, Anne Forer asked the other women to give her examples from their lives of how they had been oppressed, because she needed to raise her consciousness. She recalled that labor movements of the Old Left, which fought for workers rights, had spoken of raising the consciousness of workers who did not know they were oppressed. Fellow NYRW member Kathie Sarachild picked up on Anne Forers phrase. While Sarachild said that she had extensively considered how women were oppressed, she realized that the personal experience of an individual woman could be instructive for many women. What Happened in a CR Group? NYRW began consciousness-raising by selecting a topic related to womens experience, such as husbands, dating, economic dependence, having children, abortion, or a variety of other issues. The members of the CR group went around the room, each speaking about the chosen topic. Ideally, according to feminist leaders, women met in small groups, usually consisting of a dozen women of fewer. They took turns speaking about the topic, and every woman was allowed to speak, so no one dominated the discussion. Then the group discussed what had been learned. Effects of Consciousness-Raising Carol Hanisch said that consciousness-raising worked because it destroyed the isolation that men used to maintain their authority and supremacy. She later explained in her famous essay The Personal is Political that consciousness-raising groups were not a psychological therapy group but rather a valid form of political action. In addition to creating a sense of sisterhood, CR groups allowed women to verbalize feelings they may have dismissed as unimportant. Because discrimination was so pervasive, it was difficult to pinpoint. Women may not have even noticed the ways a patriarchal, male-dominated society oppressed them. What an individual woman previously felt was her own inadequacy could have actually resulted from societys ingrained tradition of male authority oppressing women. Kathie Sarachild remarked on the resistance to consciousness-raising groups as they spread across the Womens Liberation movement. She noted that the pioneering feminists had initially thought to use consciousness-raising as a way to figure out what their next action would be. They had not anticipated that the group discussions themselves would end up being seen as a radical action to be feared and criticized.

Environmental issues to International security Essay

Environmental issues to International security - Essay Example ..7 The Kyoto Protocol†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Climate Stress And Change†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 Pollution And Persistent Pollutants †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Deforestation And Desertification†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Invasive Species†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...12 Military Security Implications†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...12 Nuclear Issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 The Japan Earthquake†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...13 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 Introduction Environmental security is a broad term which does not have a universally acknowledged definition. There are at least four major definition of the term environmental security. The first definition defines environmental security from the standpoint of how one can protect the resources which are available in a particular area. From the perspective of natural resources and ecosystem, the natural resource should be free of contamination, depletion, pollution or other forms of deprivations which are external in nature. The second definition of the term is related to the onus that the security communities of nations have in implementing the standardized environmental norms for its governmental and military operations. There are certain threats such as terrorism and war, which lead to the increase of weapons of mass destruction. Although these can potentially harm the environment greatly, it pales in front of natural disasters, which can have a detrimental effect on environmental security. The Greenhouse Gas proliferation, the destructiveness of Hurricane Katrina, the devastating tsunami which ravaged islands in the Indian Ocean are just a few examples of the effect natural disasters can have on the environment. The third environmental security definition concerns the dynamics between manmade stresses which are exerted on the environment and the eventual conflict these stress causes between the s tates and the individuals. This generally pertains to the governmental interventions with neighboring states in order to prevent the spread of environmental pollutants. Finally the fourth definition of environmental security concerns the amalgamation of the three aforementioned definitions of environmental security into one combined concept which can integrate the essence of environmental security perfectly. Therefore, environmental security is the term which takes in to account the military and governmental threats to environmental protection, the quality of environmental protection policies implemented by the country, and the effective use of resources and collaboration with other states in order to safeguard the environment. UN and Its Role In Environmental Security The United Nations

Customer Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Customer Management - Research Paper Example â€Å"Customer retention refers to the ability of a company or product to retain its customers over some specified period. High customer retention means customers of the product or business tend to return to, continue to buy or in some other way not defect to another product or business, or to non-use entirely†.(Wikipedia,2017) With the cost of customer acquisition rising, retention is a priority for banking institutions. Majority of the products and services offered by a bank can be easily replicated by another bank, the only factors on which they can differentiate are price, customer management and quality. Thus, customer retention is potentially the solution that banks can use to gain an upper hand and survive in an extremely competent banking industry(Inkumsah 2013). â€Å"As per Harvard Business School report, on average, increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25%-95%†(Anon 2017). Customer Retention helps in advances in revenue generation, p roduct development, marketing, customer feedback, branding, differentiation, along with causing less stress to bank employees, getting more interaction and feedback from the customers. Analytics play an important part in banks' retention strategies. Banks, by using analytical techniques on appropriate enablers can see a significant increase in new customers and elongated relationships with existing ones.