Dealing with Fraud

Dealing with Fraud Health Care Policy, Law, and Ethics HSA 515 March 09, 2013 Dealing with Fraud Obstetric health care centers are a major source for providing care to millions of women around the country and a branch of medicine that involves pregnancy and childbirth. Studies of pathologic and physiologic functions of the female reproductive area are also a part of obstetric care. Physicians in this field commonly referred to as OB/GYNs and care for the mother and fetus during pregnancy. As Chief Nursing Officer of one of the state’s largest Obstetric Health Facilities countless women are treated at this center.The staff is fully aware of the mission, vision, policies, and procedures that make a huge impact in the community. Women rely on the care and attention received from the exceptional physicians on staff. Unfortunately, the type of care delivered and the service the hospital is responsible for providing, word of fraudulent behaviors have been reported and must be addres sed. As United States health care cost continues to rise, people depend upon privately funded health plans and millions are still uninsured due to funding by state and federal government.The major government sponsored health care plans are Medicare and Medicaid programs. Both programs make up a large portion of government spending. One key reason for rising costs has been the enormous degree of fraud committed against government health care programs. Although billions have been exposed due to informants of qui tam, additional monies remain undetected. Ultimately, health care fraud used as a deceptive means to profit from health care agreements through the federal government and the reason the United States Government Accounting Office has categorized Medicare and Medicaid as â€Å"high-risk programs. Various sources evaluate the effect of qui tam in health care organizations and refer to the 1986 False Claim Act the effectiveness. The term â€Å"whistleblowing† recognized by provisions in the False Claims Act and authorizes cases be brought to the government on behalf of the United States to share in the recovery efforts. The â€Å"Informer’s Act† or better known as â€Å"The Qui Tam Statue is from the Latin phrase â€Å"qui tam pro domino rege quam pro seipse,† meaning â€Å"he who as much for the king as for himself,† established during the civil war and focused on ending dishonest suppliers to the union military.Therefore, fraud investigation, and legal action became easier for the government. The history behind qui tam statue and today’s use provides an understanding to the term â€Å"whistleblower† and for an individual with past or present knowledge of fraud on the federal government to recover damages and impose penalties, (Cruise, â€Å"n. d. †). Fraudulent behavior or health care fraud affects health care organizations. Several ways businesses and individuals have defrauded, and continue to def raud, federal, and state government health care programs.Examples of fraudulent behavior include: †¢ No Services: Non-submission of claims for diagnostic tests, treatments, devices, or pharmaceuticals services that were never rendered. †¢ Non Existence: Involves submitting a claim for the services previously mentioned and provided to patients that do not exist or never received service. Also an item billed for in the claim. †¢ Anti-Kickback Statute: bans any offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of money, property or remuneration to persuade or reward patient referrals or health care services funded by a government health care program, including Medicare or Medicaid.These are improper payments and come in several different forms, includes but not limited to: referral fees, finder’s fees, productivity bonuses, research grants, excessive compensation, and free or discounted travel or entertainment. The offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any such monies or remuneration can be a violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback statute, 42 USC  §1328-7b(b), the Federal False Claims Act, various other federal, state laws, and regulations, (Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick, and Raspanti, LLC, 2013).These are just a small number of fraudulent activities currently affecting health care organizations. Qui tam has been an effective force in combating fraud. The Justice Department continues to recover record amount of judgments and settlements, however, qui tam cases exist in a variety of health care organizations. Processing and payment errors of Medicaid and Medicare patients may appear to be simple mistakes and not by medical professionals attempting to take advantage of the system, but individuals intent on abusing the system particularly, with working nowledge of how and when the government pays Medicare and Medicaid claims. Also in some cases fraud affects the people with these programs and liability occurs for co-payments and contributes to excessive government spending. Other examples of qui tam cases include; Defective pricing/false negotiation – reflects price adjustments by submitting false data and pricing to the government to receive an inflated amount according to the contract price. Mischarging – one of the more widespread frauds used to submit claims for products or services never provided or rendered.Product/service substitution – A product is certified that does not meet specifications or submitting a product for government approval then substituting the merchandise with another of poorer quality. False certification – benefit entitlement documents are falsely certified. Information submitted to the government has been adjusted for price supports or mortgage guarantees, according to the source more than half of qui tam recoveries have involved health care fraud, qui tam lawsuits filed have been successful against defense contractors and other companies, (â€Å"Einstein Law,â⠂¬  2008).Various federal and state requirements must be satisfied by the health facility prior to admission. For example, pre-admission evaluations for Medicaid patients require prior determination for eligibility. A full patient assessment will determine a plan of care. The prescribed care plan is prepared by the attending physician and registered nurse. Other hospital staff will get involved with the patient’s care if necessary. The care plan is updated on a quarterly basis, or more frequently if the patient’s condition changes.Other requirements for Medicare and Medicaid patients must be met before admission to determine suitable environment and to respect patient’s rights after admission while receiving medical care. Procedures for admission into a health facility for Medicare and Medicaid referrals must understand and comply with the laws that govern these procedures. The Anti-Kickback Statute (â€Å"AKS†) enacted by Congress delivers criminal pena lties for the payment of fees designed to persuade or reward medical referrals for treatment covered by Medicare and Medicaid.The AKS is extensive and includes discounts for physician referrals. Liability is a major concern under the Anti-Kickback Statue unless procedures fall within the law. Another regulation that limits physician self-referrals for Medicare and Medicaid patients is The Stark Law. Hospitals or health care providers are prohibited from receiving payments or kickbacks after improper billing Medicare for selected equipment or services. Ultimately, claims cannot be submitted by physicians for items or services because of their financial relationship with the health care providers.The Stark Law passed because of inappropriate financial relationships between doctors and health care providers and the professional judgment of doctors with regard to whether items or services are medically necessary, safe, or effective also reduce probable overpayments by Medicare for uncer tain services, (The Qui Tam Team, 2012). The next stage is for physicians and nurses review the following conditions for patient referrals. 1) Services must be personally referred by the attending physician. 2) Referrals are to a physician of the same group or practice. ) Any individual supervised by the referring physician in the hospital or physician that works part-time in the facility and is part of a group practice must comply with all coverage and payment rules regarding Medicare and Medicaid patients. 4) Patient billing is by the physician performing or supervising the care and treatment of the patient. 5) Regarding a group practice, attending physician under the group must be a member with an assigned billing number different from physicians employed with the health facility. ) Third party billing companies representing the physician(s) will also be assigned a billing number. These companies have to comply with Medicare requirements. The task of evaluating referral arrangeme nts by physicians will be challenging, however: financial provisions involving physicians can be analyzed using the conditions outlined. The Chief Nursing Officer will receive a monthly report of Medicare and Medicaid referrals. Non-compliance will result in immediate termination from the health facility. Discussing fraud and abuse the health industry continues to lose billions.Fraud can range from performing unnecessary medical procedures for insurance gains, to altering patient information and illegally billing for services not rendered. Also accepting kickbacks for patient referrals, and promoting drugs without authorization. These incidents affect the economy and are potential hazards to the health and safety of patients. An example is medical information illegally altered may receive incorrect treatment or realize existing health benefits are exhausted. Either way another alternative for compliance can address these issues.A method of enforcement created by the office of the In spector General (OIG) identified as a Corporate Integrity Agreement to improve health care quality and promote compliance to health care guidelines. The term â€Å"Integrity Agreement† focuses on physicians according to one source. Establishing OIG 1976 to imposed action against widespread fraud and abuse in Federal health care programs. These efforts developed a collaborative use of enforcement tools as monetary penalties and exclusions. Corporate Integrity Agreements implemented by the OIG to redeem health care providers under the program to avoid exclusions.Implementing a CIA will be challenging and somewhat complex, especially for birth and reproduction. The sterilization process, wrongful birth, and wrongful life are areas of interest, and the CIA will have major impact. Physicians play a major role due to misconception by prenatal testing, genetic testing, and laboratories that failed to provide these services. Sterilization falls under reproduction and birth is another area likely for fraudulent behavior from the side effects patients go through and were not informed by the attending physician.Nevertheless, to address current fraud behaviors and prevent future incidents among physicians, nurses, and medical staff it is necessary to develop strategies to ensure ethical and moral business practices through compliance of various laws that will reduce any risk of legal liability. Although the CIA program contains various features, after careful review and collaboration among executive staff the following requirements will accommodate the needs and requirements that will mitigate incidents of fraud by: Developing written policies and standards;Instituting a confidential disclosure program; Employing a compliance officer or a compliance committee; Implementing an employee training program; Restricting employment of ineligible persons; Report overpayments, fraudulent behaviors, and ongoing investigations/legal proceedings; Implementation reports are pro vided annually to the regulatory agency, (Sable, 2013). These requirements should prevent future fraud misconduct by ensuring internal actions and mitigating methods are in place. In conjunction with fraud and abuse is protecting patient information and omplying by all applicable laws. Accessing patient information considered a major subject for health organizations to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) laws. Patient medical records are vital for treatment and must remain confidential within the federal and state laws. Without authorization the patient Privacy Rules are in violation. The responsibility of Chief Nursing Officer ensures the medical staff training and knowledgeable of health center’s policies and procedures to remain in compliance with HIPPA.Often areas overlooked whether accidental or intentional and certain information is discussed or discarded documents. Routine conversation among staff would be limited to specific are as where patient information cannot be disclosed. Public areas such as elevators, hallways, or waiting areas are strictly off limits. Many times patients are in surgery or receiving treatment for an illness, family members are waiting for results and often physicians will meet with them in public areas to discuss sensitive information not realizing the conversation can be overheard by others. This is just one example of a disclosure violation.Also what may sound insignificant represents another action that can lead to breach of information by patient documents thrown in a trash can that must be shredded to avoid public view. The plan is simple; to comply with all necessary laws extensive training provided to the entire staff is the beginning. One-on-one and group meetings held on a quarterly basis as a tool to prevent abuse and fraudulent behavior. Patient sensitivity is essential in meeting the goals of health center. Laws provide direction for dealing with fraud cases or any uneth ical or moral decisions made.To eliminate fraud and abuse continued pressure on the government to establish tougher policies in the delivery of medical and health care services. Additional funding for government enforcement agencies will put more pressure on physicians to act responsibly. As physicians become more aware of this fact, he or she should continue to take steps, such as implementing a compliance plan, to ensure the services provided reflect effective documentation for claims of payment. Until doctors, nurses, and other medical staff demonstrate ethical and moral standards, fraud, and abuse will continue to a problem for health organizations. ReferencesFraud and Qui Tam Cases. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. lawyershop. com Healthcare Fraud and Qui Tam Suits. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. lawyershop. com Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick, and Raspanti, LLC. (2013). Health Care Fraud and False Claims. Retrieved from http://www. falseclaimsact. com Cruise, P. L. ( â€Å"n. d. †). Deregulating Health Care Ethics Education. Retrieved from http://www. spaef. com/article Sable, L. (2013). Negotiating Corporate Integrity Agreements. Retrieved from http://www. franchiselawsolutions. com The Qui Tam Team. (2012). Types of Qui Tam Cases. Retrieved from http://www. quitamteam. com

Counselling Contract Essay

Part 1 1 Trainee and Setting contract 2 BACP, Ethical framework of Good Practice) 3 Confidentiality (Serious harm to self, harm to vulnerable adults, harm to children I may have to breach your confidentiality. Should you talk about Act of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking legally bound to report to authorities) 4 Supervision once a month 5 Notes, locked away 6 Have you been to Counselling before? 7 The way in which I work is integrative with a person centered core which means you have the tools within you to move forward and I will help facilitate your growth in a non directive manner without offering advice. 8 Time 9 What brings you to Counselling today. Part 2 at end of first session 1 summarize 2 check safety 3 How do you feel about you and I working together 4 What would you like to gain from our work together 5 Day and time/ number of sessions 6 cancellation policy 7 See you out and about, would you like me to acknowledge you. Hope this is of help to your Supervisee and I can remember it and make it flow on Wednesday. Rachel Counselling contract Part 1 1 Trainee and Setting contract 2 BACP, Ethical framework of Good Practice) 3 Confidentiality (Serious harm to self, harm to vulnerable adults, harm to children I may have to breach your confidentiality. Should you talk about Act of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking legally bound to report to authorities) 4 Supervision once a month 5 Notes, locked away 6 Have you been to Counselling before? 7 The way in which I work is integrative with a person centered core which means you have the tools within you to move forward and I will help facilitate your growth in a non directive manner without offering advice. 8 Time 9 What brings you to Counselling today. Part 2 at end of first session 1 summarize 2 check safety 3 How do you feel about you and I working together 4 What would you like to gain from our work together 5 Day and time/ number of sessions 6 cancellation policy 7 See you out and about, would you like me to acknowledge you.

MSc International Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MSc International Marketing Management - Essay Example ise has two--and only these two--basic functions: marketing and innovation." Chadwick (1998) predicted that marketing research would evolve from the role of merely providing ‘market and opinion research’ to a more vital function of furnishing a company’s tactical data, consultation, and communication with clients. Marketing research is a superior management technique that collects and analyses customer requirements and desires within the marketplace in an effort to ascertain how to satisfy them. Higgins (2008) defines marketing research as, â€Å"all techniques used to provide information that assists the firm in all of its decision-making processes relevant to customers or clients† (Higgins 4). Marketing research is one of the main branches of marketing which the American Marketing Association (2007) describes it as, "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."(AMA 1). AMA characterizes marketing research as ‘the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about problems relating to the marketing of goods and services.’ Kumar (2000), classifies international market research as â€Å"market research conducted either sim ultaneously or sequentially to facilitate marketing decisions in more than one country† (Kumar, 2000 p2). An exceptional export market research therefore involves collecting appropriate market information that enhances the export decisions to be undertaken. This includes unearthing the economic, socio-political and cultural factors that either encourage or hinder market penetration in the foreign market. Comprehensive market research assist the corporation correctly decide on, the fragmentation, zero in or position their merchandise in a foreign market appropriately. Market research consequently embraces the creation of goals, collecting information, analyzing and disseminating the

Career Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Career - Research Paper Example Below is a succinct depiction and description of this career. I. Nature of the Work II. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement III. Work Environment IV. Job Expectations V. Job Outlook VI. Earnings VII. Advantages VIII. Disadvantages Nature of the Work Their core obligation is to protect lives and property. These police officers pursue individuals who break the law, apprehend them and give warnings or rather citations. The largest percentage of their time is spent on activities of keeping and maintaining records of the occurrences in their area of work. They also spend large proportions of their time writing reports on the occurrences in their area of work. They usually patrol areas under their jurisdiction and maintain peace, order and calm. They further investigate and examine incidences they encounter. Special agents are the category of detectives who investigate cases, gathering important evidence and compiling their findings. The routine obligations of police officers d iffer with the kind of specialty in which they concentrate on. It is dependent on whether they are police officers, game wardens or detectives and whether they work for federal, state or local agencies (Heilbrun and Greene 97). Police officers in uniforms have universal law enforcement obligations. Their work is to maintain order and respond to calls for service. They spend numerous hours of work doing consultations with the citizens and doing masses of paperwork. They are also involved in direction of traffic at the scene of a motor accident, give first aid to casualties and control traffic at the incidence of burglary. In huge police agencies, the police officers are assigned different tasks to carry out. They are ambassadors in the issue of community policing where they mobilize citizens to deal with crime and also help in law enforcement. This establishes a profound connection between the police officers and the citizens, easing their work. Police officers are familiar with thei r areas of jurisdiction and therefore patrol in pursuit of incidences that threaten the safety of citizens (Heilbrun and Greene 97). Many police agencies are vested with geographical jurisdiction and enforcement responsibilities. This includes public schools for police officers, college level, university level schools and transportation hubs. Police officers are trained to do different tasks as, finger print identification, firearms instruction, microscopic and chemical analyses and firearms instruction and training. Different units are available including: Bicycle, horseback, canine corps, motorcycle, special weapons and tactics and emergency/ weapons systems. A number of special police officers perform their work in correctional facilities and other special areas. Sheriff Officers work on county level and enforce law from there. They are designated into their positions through election. They enforce law and order in the county level. Additionally, Deputy Sheriffs have the same ran k as the senior police officers in the urban police departments. State police officers apprehend criminals statewide and also control the traffic and ensure that rules and regulations concerning traffic are observed (Heilbrun and Greene 97). Detectives are state plainclothes police officers who conduct investigations, generate reports and keep a record of the criminal activities in the state level. They specialize in either frauds or homicide. They work on assigned cases, arrest the

Human Resource Management in Global Economy Essay

Human Resource Management in Global Economy - Essay Example Moreover, they should be more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the Human Resource managers have to change in order to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organisation. In order to succeed, Human Resource Management must be a business-driven function with a clear understanding of the organisation's ultimate goals and be able to influence essential decisions and policies of the organisation. Generally, the emphasis of modern day Human Resource manager is on strategic personnel preservation and skills advancement. Human Resource professionals will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organisation's members and their loyalty. The Human Resource manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organisations, especially in the management of workplace diversity (Chan, 2004). Business organisations today have a clear and accelerating tendency toward downsizing that is the slow and methodical dismantling of an area - its redefinition and decentralization in the direction of the other areas of the company. Human Resource Management is not an exception on this trend. ... y, decentralising decision-making, debureaucratisation, deregulation, separation into strategic business units, continuous quality improvement programs, reengineering, and other trends in contemporary administration are accompanied by equivalent changes in people management (Chiavenato, 2001). HRM departments are on their way out The Human resource management department is on its way out. The concept of "human resource management" is being replaced by a new term that is garnering greater reception, namely 'people management.' 'Managing people is progressively more becoming the accountability of the middle management. Employees are now considered as human beings, not simply organisational resources or assets. Their activities and individual differences are being understood and respected, because they are gifted with unique personalities and intelligence, and differentiated aptitudes, knowledge and abilities. To the extreme, some more advanced organisations do not even talk about managing people, because this concept could imply that people are simply passive agents who depend on decisions from higher levels, rather Human Resource managers talk about managing with people, making employees more of business partners than alien entity separate from the organisation. This whole new concept means that workers from all levels of the organisation are considered responsible for, as well as involved in the organisation's business (Chiavenato, 2001). Computerisation of HRM functionsIn order to reduce the manual workload of Human Resource Department's repetitive administrative activities, organisations began to electronically automate many of these processes by introducing innovative HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems/HCM

Case Study I COnsent, Safety, and Firefighter Culture Essay

Case Study I COnsent, Safety, and Firefighter Culture - Essay Example (p. 40) As such, â€Å"they offer a secondary, reconstructed set of meanings rather than the primary ‘life world’ ones† ((p. 40). Deetz was emphasizing the effects of developed specialized institutions eroding functions of the family and the community in structuring one’s needs in life. The implications on this statement are: (1) being aware that corporations have different goals from personal goals, one should be recognize that strengthening personal aspirations would enhance the preservation of traditional family values and encourage community ties; (2) one should recognize that corporations exist to partially fulfill personal goals and should be not completely construed as the sole provider of one’s personal needs; and (3) the family remains the basic unit of community and should not be replaced by the corporation where one has recent ties. Question 2: Critical theorists claim that in order to discover the deep structures of power in the organization, an individual must look at the influences of the economy, politics, and social systems as forces that shape the organizational culture. Why is this important and what modes of thinking should be adopted by the critical researcher? A critical researcher utilizes thought processes to evaluate information and appropriately applies conclusions to guide decision-making processes. The framework applied by a critical researcher is associated with modes of accuracy, logic, depth, fairness, credibility and intellectual clarity. As such, in discovering the forces that shape organizational culture, the critical researcher must be aware of the availability and accessibility of relevant information pertaining to the following four areas, to wit: (1) advances in science and technology, (2) global redistribution of knowledge, power and wealth, (3) competing political, cultural, and religious ideologies, and (4) sustainability of

Tourism and the Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism and the Economy - Research Paper Example What are the strategies important for the development of tourism industry? What are the factors that may influence the growth tourism industry? Literature review Economic importance of tourism industry According to UNWTO (1) â€Å"In 2011, international tourism receipts exceeded US$ 1 trillion for the first time, up from US$ 928 billion in 2010.† Tourism industry as a growing service sector is diversified and includes hotels, airlines and other transportation, resorts, parks, shopping malls, motels and entertainment venues. It could be observed from the World Tourism Barometer furnished by UNWTO (2), that the growth of tourism industry in BRIC countries has been phenomenal during the year 2011 with Brazil at 29.5% (Rank from 18 to 12), Russia at 22.1% (9 to 7), India at 32.9% (24 to 22) and China at 32.2% (no change) with US and Euro zone though positive with less than 10% growth. Growth of tourism is largely linked to recent economic growth in these economies. For some small countries like Singapore, Dubai and Fiji, tourism industry is the major source of foreign exchange. Tourism sector plays an important role in employment generation. UNWTO (3) stated â€Å"Participants at a major United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) have underscored the role of tourism as a vital service sector, contributing to GDP and employment in developed and developing countries alike.† Stability and growth in earnings in this sector would lend flexibility in management of balance of payments position of a country, if the potential of this industry is recognized and necessary initiatives taken by the government for its growth. Development of tourism industry The growth in international trade and businesses due to globalization is closely linked to the development of tourism industry. The tourism industries of emerging economies like China and India have been benefited greatly by industrial developments. However, marketing in respect of individu al companies in the industry should be backed up with effective planning and establishment of standards and communication facilities for sustainable future growth. The standards adopted in the industry and the categorization of customers or services offered underwent significant changes over time. Sharpley and Telfer (2008, p. 27) stated â€Å"Approaches to tourism development, then, have evolved over time from traditional, modernist economic growth models through to sustainable approaches that attempt to balance tourism as a profit-driven, resource-hungry activity with the developmental needs of destination environments and communities.† Diversity in workplace is very important for meeting the demands of the customers with different cultural and social backgrounds. The unique feature of this industry is that the languages spoken and customs, habits and behaviors of the customers vary significantly. Also, the types of services offered are multifarious from catering and lodgin g to recreation, health, sports, travelling and event management. Therefore, role of HRD in recruitment, placement and training is very important. Retaining and attracting talents to businesses is a challenge to the industry. The tourism industry has successfully weathered the European financial crisis. Economic growth in the developing countries is expected to help industry’s growth. Convergence of technology and emergence of social networks have acted as a catalyst for the business growth

Mobile Health Application Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mobile Health Application - Research Paper Example It is a small book for not only drug reference but also has several rules for disease pathologies. Medical students and professionals like Medscape because it has instructions on performing medical procedures, videos on the actual action and detailed pictures (Sullivan, 2013). Many because of free content also love it; over 7,000 drug orientations, 3,500 disease medical references and medical images about 2,500 are all free on the app. Strong drug interaction tool checker CME activities are also some features that make Medscape more favorable. The app regardless of features achieves the application in mobile phones and tablets. It can be accessed offline without the internet connection; you only download the medical reference database (Schulk, 2013). The idea is almost real to everyone since almost each person owns a smartphone (Dalrymple,2010). Despite all the benefits acquired from the app, it also has disadvantages especially on security and privacy threats. Some of the threats include: Stolen mobile device- in case the mobile device which was actively used to access, transmit and eventually store patient’s information on his/her health gets lost or is stolen, the patients data might be at great risk of getting into wrong hands. The culprits might alter the medical information, and this may pose a great risk to person’s health. In addition, medical identity theft may occur whereby another person uses a person’s name and medical number (Dixon, 2006). To avoid all these, all mobile devices used by medics must be designed to ask for passwords, special codes or fingerprints in order to gain access. Area for entering passwords must be masked so that a person cannot see it avoid cracking of the password. Remote wiping or disabling can be activated on the device, which can allow erasure of all information on the device in case it is lost or stolen and if later recovered data can be recovered by enabling the

Aristotles Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aristotles Politics - Essay Example As Swanson and Corbin (2009) maintain, â€Å"His critical analysis of things political and intellectual emanates from a perspective that sees a necessary and objective linkage between politics and ethics.† (Swanson and Corbin, 1) Therefore, it is important to recognize that one of the essential factors contributing to the universal approval of this work is that it establishes the connection between politics and ethics. In a careful analysis of this classic work by Aristotle, it becomes lucid that it is one of the best examples of philosophical writings on the relationship between politics and ethics and it deals with various crucial aspects of politics. Aristotle is also explicit and clear about the qualities of people who rule the state, the people who are ruled (citizen), and the merits and demerits of different types of government. A profound exploration of Aristotle’s Politics confirms that Aristotle is highly effective and convincing in proving that politics is the fundamental feature of human beings and that no human being can neglect the prime role of politics. In other words, Aristotle’s Politics establishes that man is essentially a political animal, and this is one of the best explanations of human nature. Therefore, Aristotle underlines the fact that politics is ultimately linked to man’s basic nature. According to him, â€Å"it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either a bad man or above humanity.

The U.S.A. Patriot Act Essay Example for Free

The U.S.A. Patriot Act Essay Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The protection of civil rights in the society requires thorough understanding of political, social, and economic conditions. Under certain political pressures some societal groups require special protection. However, with the desire to minimize the risks of foreign terrorism, privacy rights seem to lose their relevance in the legal system of the U.S. The U.S.A. Patriot Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S.A. Patriot Act is the set of legal norms aimed at decreasing the risks of foreign terrorism in the U. S. The Acts provisions actually introduce amendments into numerous law enforcement, surveillance, and counter-terrorism legal norms to expand their legal borders, and to provide their broader application under the constant threat of terrorist acts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S.A. Patriot Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S.A. Patriot Act is the document which requires detailed review in the light of privacy rights protection. In the process of reading the Act, one cannot but notice that in the attempt to protect the U.S. citizens from the threat of terrorism, the authors of the Act have actually created extremely unfavorable conditions for the equality and protection of the privacy rights. Although the Act openly states that â€Å"Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, and Americans from South Asia play a vital role in our Nation and are entitled to nothing less than the full rights of every American† (The U.S.A Patriot Act 2001, I:102), it also implies that privacy rights will hardly remain important when it comes to eliminating terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Title II of the Act is devoted to surveillance procedures, and significantly broadens the rights of the surveillance agencies. This Title is the key to discussing the issue of privacy rights as related to the U.S.A. Patriot Act. â€Å"Any investigative or law enforcement officer, or attorney for the Government, who by any means authorized by this chapter, has obtained knowledge of the contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, or evidence derived therefrom, may disclose such contents to any other Federal Law enforcement, intelligence, protective, immigration, national defense, or national security official† (The U.S.A. Patriot Act 2001, II:203). In this context, the U.S.A. Patriot Act not only fails to provide the exact criteria for such disclosure, but it also initially breaks the privacy rights of those, whose information is to be disclosed. Moreover, the Title II of the U.S.A. Patriot Act significantly expands the rights of juries, government’s attorneys, courts, and intelligence agencies in disclosing personal information which is otherwise prohibited (The U.S.A. Patriot Act 2001, II: 102).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Section 212 of the Title II of the U.S.A. Patriot Act refers to the right to disclose customer records â€Å"to a governmental entity, if the provider reasonably believes that en emergency involving immediate danger of death or serious physical injury to any person justifies disclosure of information† (The U.S.A. Patriot Act 2001, II:212). Again, we face the need to specify the criteria of such disclosure, and the legal criteria of determining the potential risks towards someone’s health or life. Without these criteria, the Act directly violates the privacy rights of the U.S. and non-U.S. citizens on the U.S. territory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S.A. Patriot Act was a legal attempt to produce sound counter-terrorist measures. However, as it has significantly expanded the rights of the law enforcement agencies, the Act has also failed to protect the basic privacy rights of those who may appear under the pressure of the Patriot Act’s provisions. This does not mean that the discussed Act loses its relevance. Under the threat of terrorism, legal provisions of the U.S.A. Patriot Act deserve attention and may serve the reliable instruments of eliminating terrorist risks. Yet, the U.S.A. Patriot Act will become legally correct only in case it provides specific criteria for each case of breaking the privacy rights and for determining the threats to ones health or life. References The U.S.A. Patriot Act. (2001). Retrieved March 02, 2008 from http://epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html

Impact of Junk Food on Health

Impact of Junk Food on Health Junk Food Impact on Health Junk foods are called fast foods. As the name says they are easy to prepare and can be consumed very quickly. They are low in nutritional value and have fat, salt etc. in it that cause ill effect on consumer’s health.. The term ‘Junk food’ was coined by Michael Jacobson, director of Center for Science in 1972 in the public interest to raise attention among people about the issue of junk foods that has high calories and a lack nutritional value. Junk food contains sugar in high quantity, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat salt and numerous food additive such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) etc. and lack healthy nutrients that are required by body like protein, vitamin and fiber etc. They are popular because it requires a very simple process to manufacture and to consume. It is also popular because their taste and has a long shelf life which may not require refrigeration. It is quite popular in the developed countries like USA, Canada etc. because of a fast lifestyle. The junk food advertising also plays important role in its popularity. It should be avoided at all cost because it lacks energy and important nutrients required by the body and also has many health effects too. Eliminating the temptation for junk food and developing the awareness for health fitness like going to gym regularly and banning junk foods in schools can be helping in avoid the junk food and also shifting to the healthy foods can help in avoiding it. In the UK, the food standards agency do not use the term ‘junk food ‘and describe food ‘HFSS’ (high fat, sugar or salt). They state that has foods can form part of a balanced diet, but research show that children diet contain too much fat (especially trans fat) salt and suger. Americans eat the most fast food, but the Japanese spend the most on take away (home delivery) according to a research conducted by Euro-monitor International. The high level of per capita consumption demonstrates the importance of fast food in life style in these countries. Burger dominates the US fast food industry as it taking more than half of total fast food expenditure. There are many types of junk foods available in the market like sodas, pizzas, burgers sandwiches and French fries etc. They are many companies that provide these foods like McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC etc. There are some foods like cheese chili, pav bhaji and gyro though they are not considered as fast foods but it contain less nutritional value and are made in oils as a result of that it can be considered as junk food. Similarly during the breakfast time some people like to eat cereals and considered them healthy but it contains high quantity of salt, sugar and fat as a result of that it could trigger various problems and has long time effects. Junk food Facts and Marketing According to the article published in US News on 11/5/2013 different facts related to marketing like In 2012 the fast food industry spent $4.6 billion to advertise junk food and the main audience was children and teen. A report by Yale shows that in 2013 33% of children consumed fast food and whereas 41% of teens ate fast food. The most worry some was everyday day it contribute an increase of 126 calorie in kids and whereas in teens it is 310. There are different ways to advertise fast food like TV ads social media and mobile ads. According to the report out of 5,427 meal combinations of junk food only 33 met recommended nutritional standards. There are different marketing strategies that junk food companies follow to promote it. Many of the companies like subway, McDonald’s etc. offer loyalty programs. This is the most important way how they advertise it. It is based on the frequency you buy it and based on that you get a gift after some frequent visits like get a free meal etc. Another strategy they use is termed as Collectibles. With this they get customer particularly that children watch and enjoy. What they do is they find movies , cartoons and when parents buy kids meal, they provide a free gift as a result people do come back to collect all the collectibles. They also use societal marketing. According to Assistant Professor of clinical marketing in University of Southern California Lars Perner says â€Å"social marketing is designed more for getting ideas across than making sales†. With the help of this consumers that relate to ideas patronize fast food restaurant in turn. Problems related with Junk foods They are many problems related to junk food: High in Fat Content: Junk foods like pizzas, chips, sandwiches etc contain high quantity of saturated fats. They fats are not easy to digest as a result of that it gets accumulated as a result of that people gain weight which results in over weight leading to obesity. All this could trigger many problems related to heart and high blood pressure etc. High salt Content: Fast foods contain salt in more quantity as required by the body. Salt results in increase of blood pressure. Too much salt is not good for body as result of people might suffer from hypertension. High sugar content: Sodas and biscuits etc. contain sugar. Everyone likes sweet taste but sugar has its own disadvantages like too much sugar rots the teeth and could trigger a lot of tooth problems like ache etc. Excessive amount of sugar increase the sugar content in the body and as a result of that people could suffer from diabetes. I personally feel that it contains sugar , salt and fat that is needed but in contrast to that it contains in excess quantity as a result of that people suffer from it. Why junk foods are popular There was a research conducted in 2005 in Minneapolis area were 600 people were interviewed and was found that there are multiple reasons why people prefer it. The chart is based on the 600 people that was interviewed in the Minneapolis in 2005 and was published on the webmd.com by Miranda Hilti. Due to following reasons people prefer junk food over homemade nutritious diet: Time: People are addicted to eat junk food in spite of knowing its harmful effects because it is easy to prepare and can be consumed very quickly. It saves a lot of time and as it is cooked in oil and contains sugar and salt, is added it to its taste. We eat it while going for job or when we do not want to cook or while watching movies etc. Taste: Moreover not only time but also its taste because of salt , sugar and oil, people prefer it. Junk foods like chips and biscuits etc do not require to be refrigated and can be put on shell. So it has more shelf life. Junk food packing is so simple that it could be transported from one place to another easily and hustles free as compared to perishable foods. Junk foods are cheap as compared to homemade food. Harmful effects of Junk food: Obesity: When people are having excess fat or weight, then person is termed as obese and is suffering from obesity. It is a global problem. Based on the research it is found that 33% of the people in the US are suffering from it. Medically normal body mass indes should be between 20-25. But when it is more than it person is termed as overweight. But when person has BM I of 30 or more than he is suffering from Obesity. All this is caused because of trans fat in the junk food. Diabetes: Junk food contains high amount of sugar as a result of it people could suffer from it. It is of 2 types Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is caused because of junk food consumption. Hypertension: High amount of salt is present in junk food. As a result of that when people consume junk food it increase the blood pressure of the body. Excessive amount of salt in body could lead to hypertension, which could trigger many other problems related to the heart and obesity is also a cause of it. Heart Problems: Junk food fats get clotted in the heart arteries which could increase the chances of heart attack. It takes more time to treat it and is medically expensive. Cavities: The junk food gets accumulated on tooth spaces as a result of that it forms plague and ultimately causes cavities. This is quite popular among children. It could also trigger kidney diseases related to renal or polyuria because of salt and sugar present in junk food Junk food contains artificial flavors and preservatives which could cause asthma. Junk food is prepared with lot of additives and chemicals and some people can get allergic to it and it cause skin problems like rashes etc. Overweight people could suffer from digestive cancers as well. Moreover the junk foods makers do not do anything for healthy living and people could also suffer from digestive problems like food poisoning etc. Reasons to avoid it: Lack of energy: In order to remain healthy body requires vitamins , minerals , proteins etc but junk foods lacks all these which leads to weakness in people. Poor Concentration: This is also caused result of junk food. Some people eat a lot and because of that there is lack of oxygen , nutrients which makes people dowsy and other problems. High Cholesterol: It causes heart problems as it blocks the persons arteries. It is not limited to it and also affects liver where it is metabolized. It permanently damages it. Heart Diseases : It is major cause of it because arteries gets blocked because of plague formation as a result of that heart needs to put extra effort to pump blood. But it causes lack of blood in heart and triggers heart attacks. Low nutritional Value: If you want to give a rating regarding the nutritional value then it will be 1 out of 10. When we make junk food nutritional is lost so they add syntactic nutrients to it in order to compensate which causes many diseases and effect our health adversely. Addictive: Salt and sugar are added to make the food tasty but they are highly addictive as it simulates receptors in the brain and people feel goods because the dopamine levels increases as a result of this. Many chemicals like MSG , artificial colors etc are added to prepare junk food. Medical report states that MSG causes obesity. Similarly junk foods are canned and free zed as a result of that it loose flavor so chemicals are added for flavors but it affects our health.

Intelligent Satire in Voltaires Candide Essay -- Candide essays

Intelligent Satire in Candide      Ã‚   In the story Candide, Voltaire uses the experiences of the character Candide and dialogue between characters to dispute the theory by other philosophers that "Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds" (Voltaire). Voltaire believed that the society that he lived in had many flaws, flaws which are illustrated throughout the story. Voltaire uses satire to take aim at the military, religion, and societies' emphasis of physical beauty, to illustrate that we do not live in the best of all possible worlds.    One institution that Voltaire takes aim at in Candide is the institution of the military. Voltaire attacks of the military using dialogue between Candide and Martin as they speak during their passage along the shores of England. On their journey they witness the execution of an admiral in the English army. Martin explains to Candide that this admiral was executed for not killing enough people in a battle with a rival French admiral. With this statement, Voltaire illustrates that the military has lost its sense of duty, becoming a machine of brutality instead of an institution to protect the lives of citizens. The manner in which the execution is carried out further illustrates the flaws within this particular society. Instead of secretly executing the admiral, the military made the admiral's execution a ceremony for the public. With this chapter of Candide, Voltaire creates a satirical and brutal view of the not only the military, but also of the citizens of England who come to watch . In most societies, citizens are appalled by such behavior, but in this instance the citizens are accepting of these actions and even condone the murder. All of these points are illu... ...splay what he considers to be the best of all possible worlds. In the story of Candide's travel to the land of Eldorado, Voltaire creates his view of a perfect society, one in which people are kind to one another, money and jewels have no real value to be exploited, and where government is honest. This section of Candide is different from all others, essentially the only positive section of Candide's travels. After analyzing the work, it seems as if the story was not written as a fictional work, but rather a commentary on the state of society throughout Europe.    Works Cited and Consulted: Frautschi, R.L. Barron's Simplified Approach to Voltaire: Candide. New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1968. Lowers, James K, ed. "Cliff Notes on Voltaire's Candide". Lincoln: Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Voltaire. Candide. New York: Viking Publishers, 1998.

Creative People Essay -- Analysis, Dahlén

Dahlà ©n (2008) illustrates creative people as being distinguished by five paradoxes. These paradoxes states that: creative people are characterized by a large measure of conventionality and rebelliousness; creative people make extensive use of both divergent and convergent thinking; creative people are characterized by the fact that they have both abundant energy and a great need for relaxation; creative people is the combination of humility and pride; and creative people are to a great extent both introverted and extroverted (Dahlà ©n, 2008). Change and the accompanying uncertainty throw off ones equilibrium, yet it is these fluctuations, disturbances, and imbalances that are the primary sources of creativity. When considering the paradoxes presented by Dahlà ©n (2008) this writer is a creative person. Creativity is an aspect of human personality and a component of human development. This writer is very interested in coming up with new ideas or enhancing processes that are no longer effective. For example, this writer was recently asked by a manager in the organization, to look at ways the reporting process for the division could be enhanced to reduce the amount of time a State has to wait for a final report after an audit has been conducted. The normal timeframes were taking up to 18 months to produce a final audit report. By being a divergent thinker, this writer was able to look at all the factors and individuals involved in the report writing process and connect them to the end product to reduce the timeframe to 184 days. Dahlà ©n (2008) considers only one half of creative thinking as changing one’s thought process, and the other half is trying to combine ideas into creative results (p. 98). Creativity is the driving ... ...igh (Saednejad, 2008). In an educational organization thinking inside the box is the first step to creative thinking. In an educational setting it is critical to teach a child to think inside the box to avoid them from becoming critical of everything they encounter. It is important for children to learn the facts before they form their own opinion. Conclusion In conclusion, creative thinking is important for innovation. Creative thinking in business is widely viewed as a way to solve complex problems for the benefit of the organization. Change and the accompanying uncertainty throw off ones equilibrium, yet it is these fluctuations, disturbances, and imbalances that are the primary sources of creativity. Investment in creativity gives a company considerably more security than, for example, its assets, age, liquidity, growth or financial strategy.

Dr. John Henry doc Holliday :: essays research papers

On August 14, 1851 in Griffin, Georgia, John Henry Holliday was born to Henry Burroughs and Alice Jane Holliday. Their first child, Martha Eleanora, had died on June 12, 1850 at six months of age. When he married Alice Jane McKay on January 8, 1849, Henry Burroughs was a druggist by trade and, later became a wealthy planter, lawyer, and during the War between the States, a Confederate Major. Church records state: "John Henry, infant son of Henry B. and Alice J. Holliday, received the ordinance of baptism on Sunday, March 21, 1852, at the First Presbyterian Church in Griffin." Alice Jane died on September 16, 1866. This was a terrible blow to young John Henry for he and his mother were very close. To compound this loss, his father married Rachel Martin only three months later on December 18, 1886. Shortly after this marriage, the Holliday family moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Major Holliday quickly became one of the town's leading citizens, becoming Mayor, the Secretary of the County Agricultural Society, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, the Secretary of the Confederate Veterans Camp, and the Superintendent of local elections. Because of his family status, John Henry had to choose some sort of profession and he chose dentistry. He enrolled in dental school in 1870 and attended his first lecture session in 1870-1872. Each lecture session lasted a little over three months. He served his required two years apprenticeship under Dr. L.F. Frank. On March 1, 1872, the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia conferred the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery upon twenty-six men, one of whom was John Henry Holliday. Upon completion of his training and graduation, Dr. Holliday opened an office with a Dr. Arthur C. Ford in Atlanta in 1872. Then, because of the session of the Southern Dental Association, Dr. Arthur C. Ford, D.D.A. was unable to serve patients, until the middle of August. Taking his place was Doc Holliday. John was a good dentist, but shortly after starting his practice, he discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis. Although he consulted a number of doctors, the consensus of all was that he had only months to live. However, they all concurred that he might add a few months to his life if he moved to a dry climate. Following this advice, Doc packed up and headed West. His first stop was in Dallas, Texas, the end of the railroad at the time. Dr. John Henry doc Holliday :: essays research papers On August 14, 1851 in Griffin, Georgia, John Henry Holliday was born to Henry Burroughs and Alice Jane Holliday. Their first child, Martha Eleanora, had died on June 12, 1850 at six months of age. When he married Alice Jane McKay on January 8, 1849, Henry Burroughs was a druggist by trade and, later became a wealthy planter, lawyer, and during the War between the States, a Confederate Major. Church records state: "John Henry, infant son of Henry B. and Alice J. Holliday, received the ordinance of baptism on Sunday, March 21, 1852, at the First Presbyterian Church in Griffin." Alice Jane died on September 16, 1866. This was a terrible blow to young John Henry for he and his mother were very close. To compound this loss, his father married Rachel Martin only three months later on December 18, 1886. Shortly after this marriage, the Holliday family moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Major Holliday quickly became one of the town's leading citizens, becoming Mayor, the Secretary of the County Agricultural Society, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, the Secretary of the Confederate Veterans Camp, and the Superintendent of local elections. Because of his family status, John Henry had to choose some sort of profession and he chose dentistry. He enrolled in dental school in 1870 and attended his first lecture session in 1870-1872. Each lecture session lasted a little over three months. He served his required two years apprenticeship under Dr. L.F. Frank. On March 1, 1872, the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia conferred the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery upon twenty-six men, one of whom was John Henry Holliday. Upon completion of his training and graduation, Dr. Holliday opened an office with a Dr. Arthur C. Ford in Atlanta in 1872. Then, because of the session of the Southern Dental Association, Dr. Arthur C. Ford, D.D.A. was unable to serve patients, until the middle of August. Taking his place was Doc Holliday. John was a good dentist, but shortly after starting his practice, he discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis. Although he consulted a number of doctors, the consensus of all was that he had only months to live. However, they all concurred that he might add a few months to his life if he moved to a dry climate. Following this advice, Doc packed up and headed West. His first stop was in Dallas, Texas, the end of the railroad at the time.

“Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway Essay

The story under the title â€Å"Cat in the Rain† was written by Ernest Hemingway, one of the most favourite American novelists, short-story writer and essayist, whose deceptively simple prose style has influenced wide range of writers. So, the story begins with the description of the hotel where two Americans stopped. It was raining, that’s why the couple stayed in and just a cat in the rain attracted the young woman’s attention. She wanted to get the cat inside but failed and was brought another cat. The problem of the story lies very deeply and we are to uncover it. The story is written in one mood which constantly and directly increases. It starts from the beginning where it’s created by a persistent and repeated use of the â€Å"rain† with a number of phrases associating it, such as puddles, deserted square, glistening war monument. Repetition is one of the widely used and favourite stylistic devices of Hemingway. Here he applies it to reveal the relationship of the protagonist to the old hotel owner (she liked †¦ , she liked†¦ ). As the verb â€Å"to like† is not used to characterize relations of the wife to her husband, this contrast is full of the concealed but easily read meaning. Though the cases of repetition in the story may seem a bit obtrusive, their modifications enter into the core of the narration very organically. They carry emotional character, however penetrating the story the deep sorrow becomes evident gradually. We realize that little, as if meaningless, capricious wishes of a young woman reveal the drama of her fate, the absence of comfort in her life, comparable with the cat in the rain. The title of the story anticipates this confrontation and the fact that the cat’s image makes great play twice – just increases the total effect. In fact, the young woman pines for love, for home, for her family. And the purring cat she’d like to have and to stroke is a traditional symbol of home and comfort she lacks so much. She wants warmth, attention, care, joy, happiness; however she is brought the cat – a pitiful substitution of that, what she, a young, beautiful woman needs incredibly. This is the main problem of the novel we tried to uncover. Perhaps the hotel owner didn’t get the reason of her yearnings and took her wish for whim. But dignity, deference and respectfulness of the old man are confronted to egoism and carelessness of George not occasionally. The war monument is also mentioned deliberately. The world George and his wife belong to – is uncomfortable, homeless after-war world, where the fates of young people joined with such hardships and troubles. If to speak about the text itself, it is told in the 3rd person narrative. the description is interlaced with descriptive passages and dialogues of the personages. The author makes extensive use of repetitions to render the story more vivid, convincing, more real and emotional. The author’s style is remarkable for its powerful sweep, brilliant illustrations and deep psychological analysis. Everything he touches seems to reflect the feelings of the heroes. The story reveals the author’s great knowledge of man’s inner world. He penetrates into the subtlest windings of the human heart.

Life After High School Essay

Life after high school is different than the life in high school because it is going to be a lot of responsibilities people have to take care of and it is the biggest part of life to decide what to do in a future. So juniors and seniors should think what they are going to do after graduate from high school and needs to make a plan for their future. Juniors and seniors should know junior and seniors years are very important year. They have a lot of decisions to make and not much time to make them if they didn’t make in time. Their decisions will either make or break their life, and they have to make sure that they make to the best of their ability because there is no turning back. They need to make sure they definitely want to attend college or a year off. They have to make sure that if they are going to attend college they have to have something in mind that they will want to do, to succeed in. Choosing a major can be a very stressful situation so why not sit down and take some time to do it? So they have to be creative, they don’t have to rush, give plenty of time and have to really think what interests them in life. Their major should be something’s they will want to enjoy; something’s that they will be doing for their rest of their life. So juniors and seniors have to think and make plans what they are going to do after graduate from high school. After graduate from high school some students can follow different path. Some people’s plans to attend college and some peoples want to take a year off. According to the Anita Gurian (2001) from New York Times states that â€Å"peoples who are not sure why they’re going to college or what they will do when they get there, taking a year off between high school and college can provide a rich growth experience for the peoples†. If people are planning to go to college they have to know what they want to be and how they plan to get there. They need to know which schools appeals to them and how they are going to pay for their education. According to the Darcy Lyness (2008) â€Å"before selecting the school they have to start asking question themselves about their preference like what are their strength, which learning environment is best for them etc†. Once they have narrowed down their choices they have to make arrangements to visit. According to the Ralph Keyes (2009) â€Å"students should visit when school is in session so they can get a good idea of what life is really like on campus†. Students have to apply on more than one college if they want to go to college because schools are picking from large pool of applicants. They wants to know how well students are and what makes them stand out from everyone else. So they will look at grade point average, SAT scores, class ranks and extracurricular activities. So it is important for students to dedicate time and effort to all these things and they have to choose a career they are interested to do in their future because according to the Anita Gurian (2001) â€Å"75% of students change their majors in the middle or after one year†. At last many people’s wants to be a successful. They don’t want to struggle in life having to worry about the job so peoples decide to go to college to get a better education and find a career job they are interested. Before seniors year ends students needs to make sure what they want to do in the college so they can be focused on that one thing and they should know which college is best for them to get their education for their career job. So before graduate from high school juniors and seniors should know what they are going to do after high schools and need to make plan for their future like going to college or year off and if they are going to college how they are going to pay for their college and choosing the career that interest them.

Racial Ethnic Groups in the United States

Even in 2013 racism and ethic differences are a struggle in the United States. This is mainly due to the fact that unlike fifty years ago when the country was split just black and white, there are now more races involved. Granted, the generations now are much more knowledgeable about the ethic differences, most don’t see any harm in a person judged based on their skin color. However, those who do still find it a problem have taken it to the extreme to let their opinions be known.Take for instance in week five’s reading; the hate that was betrayed against Asian Americans in the radio show where over two dozen Asian Americans were physically injured, thirteen of which had to go to the hospital because their African American classmates decided to fight. However that is not the worst part of that situation. Instead of the security guards and teachers doing something to stop the hate, they let it continue. And this is in every race. Many people in today’s day and age tend to pick more on the Latino groups of America.This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of them are not in the United States legally. Included in these races are people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Venezuelan heritage. The main reason for many of these immigrants to come to the United States is to receive a better life. But with this immigration mainly fail to assimilate properly to their local neighborhoods to live the American way. By assimilating in the United States one is able to adopt the cultural traits and/or identity of the host group, Americans, and/or integrate into the primary networks and secondary organizations of the host group.  (Feagin and Feagin)While coming into the country illegally the Latino race automatically puts a bad taste in most American’s mouths because on top of them coming into the country without proper paperwork, they take away jobs that could be used for other Americans simply because Latinos are known for taking a lower pay so that th ey may be paid in cash verses check based on the simple fact that they do not have proper documentation to be working in the United States. According to Milton Gordon, author of the influential Assimilation in American Life, there are many problems with assimilation.This though involved mainly European groups coming into the United States that they were not willing to adjust to the living styles of another country. This being the main problem of immigrants is that they will not forego racial difference to fit into the country. Gordon suggested that this will be the main problem with America in the future. (Page: 31, Racial and Ethnic Relations Census Update, Ninth Edition, 9E by Clairece Booher R Feagin and Joe R. Feagin, Pearson) This of course is not the case with all Latinos though.There are many people of these races that live in the United States legally that are hardworking and want to the properly the American way. These are the kind of people though that end up getting left in the dust because not many realize that some people want to be a part of the country to that extend. These Latin Americans have fully comprehended the concept of acculturation, or cultural assimilation, which is the change of one group’s important cultural patterns to those of the host or dominant group. (Feagin and Feagin) This doesn’t mean though that Latin Americans, or any race, have to give up their entire cultural habits.It simply means that they understand that they came into a different country and they respect the fact that some things culturally are done differently. For instance there were many situations brought up in the video on 60 Minutes regarding the American Canal. Americans see that canal as a water source for their vegetables in the winter, however those from Mexico see it as a dangerous way into the United States. This is of course a problem between the two races because the Americans don’t feel they need to alter the safety  of the cana l so that Mexicans don’t continue to keep drowning in the water in attempts to get into the country illegally.Asian Americans have a huge burden on them just like the Latino races but it’s not as much as being considered â€Å"illegal†. Their pressure is more of an educational outlook. They are expected to excel in school and get great grades at high education at the best colleges. Some of this plays into their benefit though considering the life they will be able to live by better educating themselves. They are pressured with these expectations through their own families though too.For instance it is assumed that if a Caucasian American meets an Asian American while they are at school, such as college, it may be assumed that the Asian American is good at math. It might not be verbally said, but as Americans that is a trait that Asian Americans have always had. This is a trait though that does not , and should not, be given up with trying to fit into the America n way of life. If anything a trait like this only enhances living in America. Take for instance the breakdown of educations in America.Asian-Indian Americans lead the country when it comes to obtaining a Bachelor’s degree from college with 70.1%, Chinese Americans follow with 52. 1%; Filipino Americans 48%, Vietnamese Americans at 27. 8%, Asian-Indian Americans with 70. 1%, and White Americans with 30. 7%. (Page: 338, Racial and Ethnic Relations Census Update, Ninth Edition, 9E by Clairece Booher R Feagin and Joe R. Feagin, Pearson) Even according to Gordon, the transition of Asian Americans into the United States society is a lot easier that other races and it has a lot to do with their ability to want to learn and help not only their culture and people but the society of people in which they surround themselves.According to the research done in the Feagin and Feagin text the amount of Asian students not only applying but getting admitted into college is increasing every yea r. A study shows that in 1979 2. 6 percent of students admitted into Brown University were of Asian descent. In 1993 however, it jumped to 14. 8 percent of the students accepted. Many researchers though such as James Madore of the Christian Science Monitor label Asian Americans as â€Å"model minorities†. However they still have their troubles.For instance the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) argued with U. S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas for his use of the term â€Å"model minority† when describing Asian Americans. Thomas argued that Asian Americans â€Å"transcended the ravages caused even by harsh legal and social discrimination† and should not be beneficiaries of government affirmative action because they are â€Å"overrepresented in key institutions. † (Page339: , Racial and Ethnic Relations Census Update, Ninth Edition, 9E by Clairece Booher R Feagin and Joe R.  Feagin, Pearson)The term â€Å"model minority† can be taken as a good or bad quality as explained in the above paragraphs it is all a matter of who is saying it and in what context they are using the title. But it expresses the fact that Asian Americans still face hard consequences in the United States based on assimilation and acculturation because even though some of their traits from their own heritage are beneficial to Americans, Americans then feel offended that someone is coming into the country trying to take over schools and education.It is hard to be an immigrant in the United States and that is understood by a lot of people in the country. But at the same time Americans want to keep their reputation of living the American dream with excellent jobs and families that love and support each other with the right to stick up for what they believe in and the will to pursue their dreams in whatever they wish. It is the some groups of Americans that have backed down to the immigrants of the country and have been belittled by t hose  assimilating into the United States.It is these Americans that create the hate in the country against entire races verses individuals. It is the lack of education on Americans that plays into part of the frustration of the country. No one notices those trying to do things the correct way but that may be because there are so many immigrants in the country that are illegal and take advantage of the fact that they don’t have to do anything to stay in the country. But this is not â€Å"Living the American Dream†.Immigrants that are taking advantage of any state’s aid, or not agreeing to file proper documentation to become a citizen to receive a paycheck instead of a lower pay but being paid in cash are a huge part of the problem. Taxes play into this just as much. Immigrants to America are not stupid. America taxes everything and everyone is required to pay them. Not everyone does though. Having many other races enter the country in this day and age gives th ose of this generation a clue to what happened many years ago when whites and blacks were ordered to stay separated.There are still parts of the country that blacks are not welcomed and they are discriminated against. It is almost as if no laws were overturned. Today there are still about eleven states in the country without a street dedicated to Martin Luther King Junior, and some states say they do not plan on including that street in the maps anytime soon. With racial issues almost always a battle it is almost near impossible to say that everyone one day will be entirely happy and created equal. The battle between White Americans against Asian Americans against Latino Americans and African Americans seems to be a never ending battle.In his research, Gordon believe that â€Å"the integration of African Americans into the core economy and society is well under way†. (Page 205: , Racial and Ethnic Relations Census Update, Ninth Edition, 9E by Clairece Booher R Feagin and Joe R. Feagin, Pearson)This indicates simply that the full migration of different races, though thought to be fixed many years ago, still has many small details to be drawn out. Every person whom goes to school learns about the horrible way that African Americans were treated before any slavery laws were abolished.It is a part of any history class at an early age. Every child in America should be able to answer simple questions such as what was Jim Crow segregation. Could this be that years down the road history is repeating itself only with another race, which race will it be? Will it be all of them? Will it be illegal immigrants? African Americans though were willing to fight for what they believed they had a right to, they stood up and protected themselves and many dies fighting for what they believe in, which is the exact way that Americans are known to live their lives.That quality in itself is one of the most solid reasons as to why African Americans are treated equally in America now as opposed to having different drinking fountains and bathrooms and having to sit in the back of the bus. Many of the challenges facing African Americans today are more subtle and involve a struggle that is more within the African American community than without. Many of these challenges involve fighting negative stereotypes that were born from hip hop videos or the misuse of power and authority by well-known figures in the African American community.The struggle involves pushing against institutional barriers that have been strengthened by those in favor of maintaining a historical precedent or the status quo. For example, it oftentimes seems easier for city leaders to support the new school district that educates the suburban community rather than funding the struggling inner city schools. And simply because an organization has never had an African American leader, does not mean that it never should.Finally, the struggle involves a continued determination to resist an apathet ic attitude toward the problems in the African American community. In many instances, it is not the opinionated few who determine the overall outcome, but the indifference of the majority who are usually directly affected by the decision that they fail to be a part of. Discrimination is described as the actions carried out by members of dominant groups, or their representatives, that have a differential and harmful effect on member of subordinate racial or ethnic groups.Since times of racial issues the word discrimination can be used for other things also. Many people even in the year 2013 are being discriminated for physical or mental differences too. There is so much hate in the United States yet and many people are not aware of it. Discrimination due to skin tone, physical or mental differences can have long tern effects on a person and often cause, like in the Asian cultures, attempts at suicide. These are actions that can be avoided if people would just educate themselves on th e hate that is still in the world.

Spirit Bound Chapter Nineteen

â€Å"ARE YOU CRAZY?† I ASKED. He gave me the same wordless look he always did when I asked that question. I sighed and tried again. â€Å"A party? That's pushing it, even for you. People just died! Guardians. Priscilla Voda.† Not to mention, people had just come back from the dead. Probably best to leave that part out. â€Å"This isn't the time to get trashed and play beer pong.† I expected Adrian to say that it was always a good time for beer pong, but he remained serious. â€Å"Actually, it's because people died that there's going to be a party. It's not a kegger type. Maybe party's not even the right word. It's a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, grasping at words. â€Å"A special event. An elite one.† â€Å"All royal parties are elite ones,† I pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, but not every royal is invited to this. It's the†¦ well, elite of the elite.† That really wasn't helping. â€Å"Adrian–â€Å" â€Å"No, listen.† He made that familiar gesture of his that indicated frustration, running his hand through his hair. â€Å"It's not so much a party as a ceremony. An old, old tradition from†¦ I don't know. Romania, I think. They call it the Death Watch. But it's a way to honor the dead, a secret that's been passed on through the oldest bloodlines.† Flashbacks of a destructive secret society at St. Vladimir's came back to me. â€Å"This isn't some Mana thing, is it?† â€Å"No, I swear. Please, Rose. I'm not all that into it either, but my mom's making me go, and I'd really like it if you were there with me.† Elite and bloodline were warning words to me. â€Å"Will there be other dhampirs there?† â€Å"No.† He then added quickly, â€Å"But I made arrangements for some people you'll approve of to be there. It'll make it better for both of us.† â€Å"Lissa?† I guessed. If ever there was an esteemed bloodline, hers was it. â€Å"Yeah. I just ran into her at the medical center. Her reaction was about like yours.† That made me smile. It also piqued my interest. I wanted to talk to her more about what had happened during her visit to Dimitri and knew she'd been avoiding me because of it. If going to some silly royal ritual or whatever it was could get me to her, then so much the better. â€Å"Who else?† â€Å"People you'll like.† â€Å"Fine. Be mysterious. I'll go to your cult meeting.† That earned me a return smile. â€Å"Hardly a cult, little dhampir. It really is a way to pay last respects to the people killed in that fight.† He reached out and ran a hand along my cheek. â€Å"And I'm glad†¦ God, I'm so glad you weren't one of them. You don't know†¦.† His voice caught, the flippant smile trembling for a moment before stabilizing again. â€Å"You don't know how worried I was. Every minute you were gone, every minute I didn't know what had happened to you†¦ it was agony. And even after I heard you were okay, I kept asking everyone at the medical center what they knew. Had they seen you fight, did you get hurt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt a lump in my throat. I hadn't been able to see Adrian when I'd returned, but I should have sent a message, at least. I squeezed his hand and tried to make a joke of something that really wasn't funny. â€Å"What'd they say? That I was a badass?† â€Å"Yeah, actually. They couldn't stop talking about how amazing you were in battle. Word got back to Aunt Tatiana too about what you did, and even she was impressed.† Whoa. That was a surprise. I started to ask more, but his next words brought me up short. â€Å"I also heard you were yelling at anyone you could to find out about Belikov. And that you were beating down the guardians' doors this morning.† I looked away. â€Å"Oh. Yeah. I†¦ Look, I'm sorry, but I had to–â€Å" â€Å"Hey, hey.† His voice was heavy and earnest. â€Å"Don't apologize. I understand.† I looked up at him. â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Look, it's not like I didn't expect this if he came back.† I glanced back at him hesitantly, studying his serious expression. â€Å"I know. I remember what you said before†¦.† He nodded, then gave me another rueful smile. â€Å"Of course, I didn't actually expect any of this to work. Lissa tried to explain the magic she used†¦ but good God. I don't think I could ever do anything like she did.† â€Å"Do you believe?† I asked. â€Å"Do you believe he's no longer Strigoi?† â€Å"Yeah. Lissa said he's not, and I believe her. And I saw him from a distance out in the sun. But I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to try to see him.† â€Å"That's your jealousy talking.† I had absolutely no right to sound accusing, considering the way my heart was all tangled up over Dimitri. â€Å"Of course it's jealousy,† said Adrian nonchalantly. â€Å"What do you expect? The former love of your life comes back–from the dead, no less. That's not something I'm really excited about. But I don't blame you for feeling confused.† â€Å"I told you before–â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know.† Adrian didn't sound particularly upset. In fact, there was a surprisingly patient tone in his voice. â€Å"I know you said him coming back wouldn't affect things between us. But saying one thing before it happens and then actually having that thing happen are two different things.† â€Å"What are you getting at?† I asked, kind of confused. â€Å"I want you, Rose.† He squeezed my hand more tightly. â€Å"I've always wanted you. I want to be with you. I'd like to be like other guys and say I want to take care of you too, but†¦ well. When it comes down to it, you'd probably be the one taking care of me.† I laughed in spite of myself. â€Å"Some days I think you're in more danger from yourself than anyone else. You smell like cigarettes, you know.† â€Å"Hey, I have never, ever said I was perfect. And you're wrong. You're probably the most dangerous thing in my life.† â€Å"Adrian–â€Å" â€Å"Wait.† With his other hand, he pressed his fingers over my lips. â€Å"Just listen. It'd be stupid for me to think that your old boyfriend coming back isn't going to have any effect on you. So do I like you wanting to see him? No, of course not. That's instinct. But there's more, you know. I do believe that he's a dhampir again. Absolutely. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what?† Adrian's words had me more curious than ever now. â€Å"But just because he isn't a Strigoi doesn't mean it's entirely gone from him. Hold on.† Adrian could see my mouth opening in outrage. â€Å"I'm not saying he's evil or means to be evil or anything like that. But what he went through†¦ It's huge. Epic. We really don't know much about the changing process. What effect did that kind of life have on him? Are there violent parts of him that might suddenly lash out? That's what I'm worried about Rose. I know you. I know you aren't going to be able to help yourself. You'll have to see him and talk to him. But is it safe? That's what no one knows. We don't know anything about this. We don't know if he's dangerous.† Christian had said the same thing to Lissa. I examined Adrian intently. It sounded like a convenient excuse to keep Dimitri and me apart. Yet, I saw truth in those deep green eyes. He meant it. He was nervous about what Dimitri might do. Adrian had also been honest about being jealous, which I had to admire. He hadn't ordered me not to see Dimitri or tried to dictate my behavior. I liked that too. I extended my hand and laced my fingers with Adrian's. â€Å"He's not dangerous. He's†¦ sad. Sad for what he's done. The guilt's killing him.† â€Å"I can imagine. I probably wouldn't forgive myself either if I suddenly realized I'd been brutally killing people for the last four months.† Adrian pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head. â€Å"And for everyone's sake–yes, even his–I really hope he is exactly the way he was. Just be careful, okay?† â€Å"I will,† I said, kissing his cheek. â€Å"Inasmuch as I ever am.† He grinned and released me. â€Å"That's the best I can hope for. For now, I've got to head back to my parents' for a little bit. I'll come back for you at four, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Is there anything I should wear to this secret party?† â€Å"Nice dress clothes are fine.† Something occurred to me. â€Å"If this is so elite and prestigious, how are you going to get a lowly dhampir like me in?† â€Å"With this.† Adrian reached for a bag he'd set down upon entering. He handed it to me. Curiously, I opened the bag and gaped at what I saw. It was a mask, one that just covered the top half of the face around the eyes. It was intricately worked with gold and green leaves and bejeweled flowers. â€Å"A mask?† I exclaimed. â€Å"We're wearing masks to this thing? What is this, Halloween?† He winked. â€Å"See you at four.† We didn't actually put on the masks until we arrived at the Death Watch. As part of the secret nature of it all, Adrian said we didn't want to call any attention to ourselves while going to it. So we walked across the Court's grounds dressed up–I wore the same dress I'd worn to dinner at his parents'–but not getting much more notice than the two of us usually did when we were together. Besides, it was late, and a lot of the Court was getting ready for bed. Our destination surprised me. It was one of the buildings that non-royal Court workers lived in, one that was very near Mia's. Well, I supposed the last place you'd look for a royal party would be at the home of a commoner. Except we didn't go to any of the apartments inside. Once we stepped into the building's lobby, Adrian indicated we should put our masks on. He then took me over to what appeared to be a janitor's closet. It wasn't. Instead, the door opened to a staircase leading down into darkness. I couldn't see the bottom, which put me on high alert. I instinctively wanted to know the details of every situation I entered. Adrian seemed calm and confident as he headed down, so I took it on faith he wasn't leading me to some sacrificial altar. I hated to admit it, but curiosity over this Death Watch thing was temporarily taking my mind off Dimitri. Adrian and I eventually reached another door, and this one had two guards. Both men were Moroi, both masked like Adrian and me. Their postures were stiff and defensive. They said nothing but simply looked at us expectantly. Adrian said a few words that sounded like Romanian, and a moment later, one of the men unlocked the door and gestured us inside. â€Å"Secret password?† I murmured to Adrian as we swept past. â€Å"Passwords, actually. One for you and one for me. Every guest has a unique one.† We stepped into a narrow tunnel lit only by torches embedded in the walls. Their dancing flames cast fanciful shadows as we passed by. From far ahead, the low murmur of conversation reached us. It sounded surprisingly normal, like any conversation you'd hear at a party. Based on Adrian's description, I'd half-expected to hear chanting or drums. I shook my head. â€Å"I knew it. They keep a medieval dungeon under the Court. I'm surprised there aren't chains on the walls.† â€Å"Scared?† Adrian teased, clasping hold of my hand. â€Å"Of this? Hardly. I mean, on the Rose Hathaway Scale of Scariness, this is barely a–â€Å" We emerged out of the hall before I could finish. An expansive room with vaulted ceilings spread out before us, something that boggled my spatially challenged brain as I tried to recall just how far underground we'd gone. Wrought-iron chandeliers holding lit candles hung from the ceiling, casting the same ghostly light the torches had. The walls were made of stone, but it was a very artful, pretty stone: gray with reddish flecks, polished into smooth round pieces. Someone had wanted to keep the Old World dungeon feel but still have the place look stylish. It was a typical line of royal thinking. Fifty or so people were milling around the room, some huddled in groups. Like Adrian and me, they wore formal clothing and half masks. All the masks were different. Some had a floral theme like mine, while others were decorated with animals. Some simply had swirls or geometric designs. Even though the masks only covered half the guests' faces, the sketchy lighting went a long way to obscure any other identifying features. I scrutinized them carefully, hoping I might pick out details that would give someone away. Adrian led me out of the entryway and over toward a corner. As my view of the area expanded, I could see a large fire pit in the middle of the room, embedded in the stone floor. No fire burned in it, but everyone kept well away. For a moment, I had a disorienting flash of deja vu, thinking back to my time in Siberia. I'd been to a type of memorial ceremony there too–though hardly one with masks or passwords–and everyone had sat around a bonfire outdoors. It had been in Dimitri's honor, as all those who had loved him sat and told stories about him. I tried to get a better look at the fire, but Adrian was intent on keeping us behind the bulk of the crowd. â€Å"Don't bring attention to yourself,† he warned. â€Å"I was just looking.† â€Å"Yeah, but anyone who looks too close is going to realize you're the shortest person here. It'd be pretty obvious you're a dhampir. This is elite old blood, remember?† I frowned at him as much as I could through the mask. â€Å"But I thought you said you'd made arrangements for me to be here?† I groaned when he didn't answer. â€Å"Does ‘making arrangements' mean just sneaking me in? If so, those guys were kind of crap security.† Adrian scoffed. â€Å"Hey, we had the right passwords. That's all it takes. I stole–er, borrowed them off my mom's list.† â€Å"Your mom's one of the people who helped organize this?† â€Å"Yup. Her branch of the Tarus family's been deep inside this group for centuries. They apparently had a really big ceremony here after the school attack.† I turned all of this over in my mind, trying to decide how I felt. I hated when people were obsessed with status and appearances, yet it was hard to fault them wanting to honor those who had been killed–particularly when a majority of them had been dhampirs. The Strigoi attack on St. Vladimir's was a memory that would forever haunt me. Before I could ponder much further, a familiar sensation swept me. â€Å"Lissa's here,† I said, looking around. I could feel her nearby but didn't spot her immediately in the sea of masks and shadows. â€Å"There.† She stood apart from some of the others, wearing a rosehued dress and a white and gold mask with swans on it. Through our link, I felt her searching for anyone she knew. I impulsively started to go to her, but Adrian held me back, telling me to wait while he retrieved her. â€Å"What is all this?† she asked when she reached me. â€Å"I figured you'd know,† I told her. â€Å"It's all top secret royal stuff.† â€Å"Too top secret for me,† she said. â€Å"I got my invite from the queen. She told me it was part of my heritage and to keep it to myself, and then Adrian came and said I had to come for your sake.† â€Å"Tatiana invited you directly?† I exclaimed. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. Lissa would have hardly needed sneaking in like I did. I figured someone would have made sure she got an invitation, but I'd assumed it had all been Adrian's doing. I glanced around uneasily. â€Å"Is Tatiana here?† â€Å"Likely,† said Adrian, voice annoyingly casual. As usual, his aunt's presence didn't have the same impact on him that it did the rest of us. â€Å"Oh, hey. There's Christian. With the fire mask.† I didn't know how Adrian spotted Christian, aside from the not-so-subtle mask metaphor. With his height and dark hair, Christian easily blended in with the other Moroi around him and had even been chatting with a girl standing nearby, which seemed out of character. â€Å"No way did he get a legit invite,† I said. If any Ozeras had been deemed special enough to come to this, Christian wouldn't have been one of them. â€Å"He didn't,† agreed Adrian, making a small gesture for Christian to join us. â€Å"I gave him one of the passwords I stole from Mom.† I gave Adrian a startled look. â€Å"How many did you steal?† â€Å"Enough to–â€Å" â€Å"Let us come to attention.† A man's booming voice rang out through the room, halting both Adrian's words and Christian's steps. With a grimace, Christian returned to where he'd been standing, cut off from us now on the other side of the room. It looked like I wouldn't have the chance to ask Lissa about Dimitri after all. Without any direction, the others in the room began forming a circle around the fire pit. The room wasn't big enough for us to make a single-layered circle, so I was still able to stay behind other Moroi as I watched the spectacle. Lissa stood by me, but her attention was fixated across from us, on Christian. She was disappointed that he hadn't been able to join us. â€Å"Tonight we come to honor the spirits of those who died fighting the great evil that has plagued us for so long.† This was the same man who had called us to attention. The black mask he wore glittered with silver swirls. He wasn't anyone special that I recognized. It was probably safe to assume that he was someone from an important bloodline who happened to have a good voice for bringing people together. Adrian confirmed it. â€Å"That's Anthony Badica. They always recruit him as an emcee.† Anthony seemed more like a religious leader than an emcee right now, but I didn't want to answer back and attract anyone's notice. â€Å"Tonight we honor them,† continued Anthony. I flinched as almost everyone around us repeated those words. Lissa and I exchanged startled looks. Apparently, there was a script we hadn't been told about. â€Å"Their lives were taken from us too soon,† continued Anthony. â€Å"Tonight we honor them.† Okay, this script might not be so hard to follow after all. Anthony kept talking about how terrible the tragedy was, and we repeated the same response. The whole idea of this Death Watch still weirded me out, but Lissa's sadness permeated the bond and began to affect me too. Priscilla had always been good to her–and polite to me. Grant might have only been Lissa's guardian a short time, but he had protected her and helped her. In fact, if not for Grant's work with Lissa, Dimitri might still be a Strigoi. So, slowly, the gravity of it all began to hit me, and even if I thought there were better ways to mourn, I appreciated the acknowledgment the dead were getting. After a few more refrains, Anthony gestured someone forward. A woman in a glittering emerald mask came forward with a torch. Adrian shifted beside me. â€Å"My darling mother,† he murmured. Sure enough. Now that he'd pointed it out, I could clearly make out Daniella's features. She tossed her torch into the fire pit, and it lit up like the Fourth of July. Someone must have doused that wood with either gasoline or Russian vodka. Maybe both. No wonder the other guests had kept their distance. Daniella melted into the crowd, and another woman came forward holding a tray with golden goblets. Walking around the circle, she handed a cup to each person. When she ran out, another woman appeared with a tray. As the goblets were distributed, Anthony explained, â€Å"Now we will toast and drink to the dead, so that their spirits will move on and find peace.† I shifted uncomfortably. People talked about restless spirits and the dead finding peace without really knowing what that meant. Being shadow-kissed came with the ability to see the restless dead, and it had taken me a long time to gain control so that I didn't see them. They were always around me; I had to work to keep them blocked out. I wondered what I'd see now if I let down my walls. Would the ghosts of those killed the night of Dimitri's attack be hovering around us? Adrian sniffed his cup as soon as he got it and scowled. For a moment, I felt panic until I sniffed mine too. â€Å"Wine. Thank God,† I whispered to him. â€Å"From your face, I thought it was blood.† I recalled how much he hated blood that wasn't straight from the source. â€Å"Nah,† he murmured back. â€Å"Just a bad vintage.† When everyone had their wine, Anthony raised his cup over his head with both hands. With the fire behind him, it gave him an almost sinister, otherworldly look. â€Å"We drink to Priscilla Voda,† he said. â€Å"We drink to Priscilla Voda,† everyone repeated. He brought the goblet down and took a sip. So did everyone else–well, except for Adrian. He gulped half his down, bad vintage or not. Anthony raised his cup over his head again. â€Å"We drink to James Wilket.† As I repeated the words, I realized James Wilket was one of Priscilla's guardians. This crazy group of royals really was showing respect to dhampirs. We went through the other guardians one by one, but I kept my sips small, wanting to keep a level head tonight. I was pretty sure that by the end of the name list, Adrian was faking his sips because he'd run out. When Anthony finished naming all who had died, he held his cup up again and approached the blazing fire, which had begun to make the small room uncomfortably hot. The back of my dress was growing damp with sweat. â€Å"To all those lost by the great evil, we honor your spirits and hope they will move on in peace to the next world.† He then dumped the remainder of his wine into the flames. All this talk of spirits lingering in the world certainly didn't go along with the usual Christian afterlife beliefs that dominated Moroi religion. It made me wonder just how old this ceremony really was. Once more, I had an urge to drop my barriers and see if any of this had really drawn ghosts to us, but I feared what I'd find. Besides, I promptly got distracted when everyone else in the circle began dumping their wine into the fire as well. One by one, going clockwise, each person approached. All was silent as this happened, save for the crackling in the fire pit and shifting of logs. Everyone watched respectfully. When my turn came, I fought hard not to tremble. I hadn't forgotten that Adrian had sneaked me in here. Lowly Moroi weren't allowed, let alone dhampirs. What would they do? Declare the space violated? Mob me? Cast me into the fire? My fears proved unfounded. No one said or did anything unusual as I poured out my wine, and a moment later, Adrian stepped forward for his turn. I melted back beside Lissa. When the entire circle had gone up, we were led into a moment of silence for the departed. Having witnessed Lissa's kidnapping and subsequent rescue, I had a lot of dead to ponder. No amount of silence would ever do them justice. Another unspoken signal seemed to pass through the room. The circle dispersed, and the tension lifted. People again fell into small chatty groups, just like at any other party, though I did see tears on the faces of some. â€Å"A lot of people must have liked Priscilla,† I observed. Adrian turned toward a table that had mysteriously been arranged during the ceremony. It sat against the back wall and was filled with fruit, cheese, and more wine. Naturally, he poured a glass. â€Å"They aren't all crying for her,† he said. â€Å"I find it hard to believe they're crying for the dhampirs,† I pointed out. â€Å"No one here even knew them.† â€Å"Not true,† he said. Lissa quickly caught his meaning. â€Å"Most of the people who went on the rescue would have been guardians assigned to Moroi. They couldn't all be Court guardians.† She was right, I realized. We'd had too many people with us at the warehouse. Many of these Moroi had undoubtedly lost guardians that they'd become close to. Despite the disdain I often had for these types of royals, I knew some had probably formed legitimate friendships with and attachments to their bodyguards. â€Å"This is a lame party,† a voice suddenly said. We turned and saw that Christian had finally made his way over to us. â€Å"I couldn't tell if we were supposed to be having a funeral or summoning the devil. It was kind of a half-assed attempt at both.† â€Å"Stop it,† I said, surprising myself. â€Å"Those people died for you last night. Whatever this is, it's still out of respect for them.† Christian's face grew sober. â€Å"You're right.† Beside me, I'd felt Lissa light up inside when she saw him. The horrors of their ordeal had brought them closer together, and I recalled the tenderness they'd shared on the ride back. She offered him a warm look and got a tentative smile in return. Maybe some good would come of all that had happened. Maybe they'd be able to fix their problems. Or maybe not. Adrian broke into a grin. â€Å"Hey. Glad you could make it.† For a moment, I thought he was speaking to Christian. Then I looked and saw a girl in a peacock mask had joined us. With the mingling people and masks, I hadn't noticed that she was purposely standing near us. I peered at her, seeing only blue eyes and golden curls before I finally recognized her. Mia. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked. She grinned. â€Å"Adrian got me a password.† â€Å"Adrian apparently got passwords for half the party.† He seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"See?† he said, smiling at me. â€Å"I told you I'd make this worth your while. The whole gang's here. Nearly.† â€Å"This is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen,† said Mia, glancing around. â€Å"I don't see why it has to be a secret that the people who got killed were heroes. Why can't they wait for the group funeral?† Adrian shrugged. â€Å"I told you, this is an ancient ceremony. It's a holdover from the Old Country, and these people think it's important. From what I know, it used to be a lot more elaborate. This is the modernized version.† It occurred to me then that Lissa hadn't said a single word since we'd noticed Christian had come with Mia. I opened myself to the bond, feeling a flood of jealousy and resentment. I still maintained Mia was one of the last people Christian would be involved with. (Okay, it was hard for me to imagine him involved with anyone. His getting together with Lissa had been monumental.) Lissa couldn't see that, though. All she saw was him continually hanging out with other girls. As our conversation continued, Lissa's attitude grew frostier, and the friendly looks he'd been giving her began to fade. â€Å"So is it true?† Mia asked, oblivious to the drama unfolding around her. â€Å"Is Dimitri really†¦ back?† Lissa and I exchanged glances. â€Å"Yes,† I said firmly. â€Å"He's a dhampir, but no one believes it yet. Because they're idiots.† â€Å"It just happened, little dhampir.† Adrian's tone was gentle, though the topic clearly made him uncomfortable too. â€Å"You can't expect everyone to get on board with it right away.† â€Å"But they are idiots,† said Lissa fiercely. â€Å"Anyone who talks to him can tell he's not a Strigoi. I'm pushing for them to let him out of his cell so that people can actually see for themselves.† I wished she would push a little harder for me to get to see him, but now wasn't the time to talk about that. Eyeing the room, I wondered if some people would have trouble accepting Dimitri because of his role in the deaths of their loved ones. He hadn't been in control of himself, but that wasn't enough to bring back the dead. Still uncomfortable around Christian, Lissa was growing restless. She also wanted to leave and check on Dimitri. â€Å"How long do we have to stay here? Is there more to–â€Å" â€Å"Who the hell are you?† Our little cluster turned as one and found Anthony standing by us. Considering most of us were here illicitly, he could have been speaking to anyone. But, based on where his gaze was fixed, there was no question who he meant. He was talking to me.