Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Since my escape attempt, I can't get the angel to leave the room at all. Not even for his beloved Soap Opera Digest. (And yes, when he left to obtain the first one, it would have been a good time to make my escape, but I wasn't thinking that way then, so back off.) Today I tried to get him to bring me a map. â€Å"Because no one is going to know the places I'm writing about, that's why,† I told him. â€Å"You want me to write in this idiom so people will understand what I'm saying, then why use the names of places that have been gone for thousands of years? I need a map.† â€Å"No,† said the angel. â€Å"When I say the journey was two months by camel, what will that mean to these people who can cross an ocean in hours? I need to know modern distances.† â€Å"No,† said the angel. (Did you know that in a hotel they bolt the bedside lamp to the table, thereby making it an ineffective instrument of persuasion when trying to bring an obdurate angel around to your way of thinking? Thought you should know that. Pity too, it's such a substantial lamp.) â€Å"But how will I recount the heroic acts of the archangel Raziel if I can't tell the locations of his deeds? What, you want me to write, ‘Oh, then somewhere generally to the left of the Great Wall that rat-bastard Raziel showed up looking like hell considering he may have traveled a long distance or not?' Is that what you want? Or should it read, ‘Then, only a mile out of the port of Ptolemais, we were once again graced with the shining magnificence of the archangel Raziel? Huh, which way do you want it?† (I know what you're thinking, that the angel saved my life when Titus threw me off the ship and that I should be more forgiving toward him, right? That I shouldn't try to manipulate a poor creature who was given an ego but no free will or capacity for creative thought, right? Okay, good point. But do please remember that the angel only intervened on my behalf because Joshua was praying for my rescue. And do please remember that he could have saved us a lot of difficulty over the years if he had helped us out more often. And please don't forget that – despite the fact that he is perhaps the most handsome creature I've ever laid eyes on – Raziel is a stone doofus. Nevertheless, the ego stroke worked.) â€Å"I'll get you a map.† And he did. Unfortunately the concierge was only able to find a map of the world provided by an airline that partners with the hotel. So who knows how accurate it is. On this map the next leg of our journey is six inches long and would cost thirty thousand Friendly Flyer Miles. I hope that clears things up. The trader's name was Ahmad Mahadd Ubaidullaganji, but he said we could call him Master. We called him Ahmad. He led us through the city to a hillside where his caravan was camped. He owned a hundred camels which he drove along the Silk Road, along with a dozen men, two goats, three horses, and an astonishingly homely woman named Kanuni. He took us to his tent, which was larger than both the houses Joshua and I had grown up in. We sat on rich carpets and Kanuni served us stuffed dates and wine from a pitcher shaped like a dragon. â€Å"So, what does the Son of God want with my friend Balthasar?† Ahmad asked. Before we could answer he snorted and laughed until his shoulders shook and he almost spilled his wine. He had a round face with high cheekbones and narrow black eyes that crinkled at the corners from too much laughter and desert wind. â€Å"I'm sorry, my friends, but I've never been in the presence of the son of a god before. Which god is your father, by the way?† â€Å"Well, the God,† I said. â€Å"Yep,† said Joshua. â€Å"That's the one.† â€Å"And what is your God's name?† â€Å"Dad,† said Josh. â€Å"We're not supposed to say his name.† â€Å"Dad!† said Ahmad. â€Å"I love it.† He started giggling again. â€Å"I knew you were Hebrews and weren't allowed to say your God's name, I just wanted to see if you would. Dad. That's rich.† â€Å"I don't mean to be rude,† I said, â€Å"and we are certainly enjoying the refreshments, but it's getting late and you said you would take us to see Balthasar.† â€Å"And indeed I will. We leave in the morning.† â€Å"Leave for where?† Josh asked. â€Å"Kabul, the city where Balthasar lives now.† I had never heard of Kabul, and I sensed that was not a good thing. â€Å"And how far is Kabul?† â€Å"We should be there in less than two months by camel,† Ahmad said. If I knew then what I know now, I might have stood and exclaimed, â€Å"Tarnation, man, that's over six inches and thirty thousand Friendly Flyer Miles!† But since I didn't know that then, what I said was â€Å"Shit.† â€Å"I will take you to Kabul,† said Ahmad, â€Å"but what can you do to help pay your way?† â€Å"I know carpentry,† Joshua said. â€Å"My stepfather taught me how to fix a camel saddle.† â€Å"And you?† He looked at me. â€Å"What can you do?† I thought about my experience as a stonecutter, and immediately rejected it. And my training as a village idiot, which I thought I could always fall back on, wasn't going to help either. I did have my newfound skill as a sex educator, but somehow I didn't think there'd be call for that on a two-month trip with fourteen men and one homely woman. So what could I do, what skill had I to gentle the road to Kabul? â€Å"If someone in the caravan croaks I'm a great mourner,† I said. â€Å"Want to hear a dirge?† Ahmad laughed until he shook, then called for Kanuni to bring him his satchel. Once he had it in hand, he dug inside and pulled out the dried newts he'd bought from the old hag. â€Å"Here, you'll be needing these,† he said. Camels bite. A camel will, for no reason, spit on you, stomp you, kick you, bellow, burp, and fart at you. They are stubborn at their best, and cranky beyond all belief at their worst. If you provoke them, they will bite. If you insert a dehydrated amphibian elbow-deep in a camel's bum, he considers himself provoked, doubly so if the procedure was performed while he was sleeping. Camels are wise to stealth. They bite. â€Å"I can heal that,† Joshua said, looking at the huge tooth marks on my forehead. We were following Ahmad's caravan along the Silk Road, which was neither a road nor made of silk. It was, in fact, a narrow path through the rocky inhospitable highland desert of what is now Syria into the low, inhospitable desert of what is now Iraq. â€Å"He said sixty days by camel. Doesn't that mean that we should be riding, not walking?† â€Å"You're missing your camel pals, aren't you?† Josh grinned, that snotty, Son-o'-God grin of his. Maybe it was just a regular grin. â€Å"I'm just tired. I was up half the night sneaking up on these guys.† â€Å"I know,† said Joshua. â€Å"I had to get up at dawn to fix one of the saddles before we left. Ahmad's tools leave something to be desired.† â€Å"You go ahead and be the martyr, Josh, just forget about what I was doing all night. I'm just saying that we should get to ride instead of walking.† â€Å"We will,† Josh said. â€Å"Just not now.† The men in the caravan were all riding, although several of them, as well as Kanuni, were on horses. The camels were loaded down with great packs of iron tools, powdered dyes, and sandalwood bound for the Orient. At the first highland oasis we crossed, Ahmad traded the horses for four more camels, and Joshua and I were allowed to ride. At night we ate with the rest of the men, sharing boiled grain or bread with sesame paste, the odd bit of cheese, mashed chickpeas and garlic, occasionally goat meat, and sometimes the dark hot drink we had discovered in Antioch (mixed with date sugar and topped with foaming goat's milk and cinnamon at my suggestion). Ahmad dined alone in his tent, while the rest of us would dine under the open awning that we constructed to shelter us from the hottest part of the day. In the desert, the day gets warmer as it gets later, so the hottest part of the day will be in the late afternoon, just before sundown brings the hot winds to leach the last moisture from your skin. None of Ahmad's men spoke Aramaic or Hebrew, but they had enough functional Latin and Greek to tease Joshua and me about any number of subjects, their favorite, of course, being my job as chief camel deconstipator. The men hailed from a half-dozen different lands, many we had never heard of. Some were as black as Ethiopians, with high foreheads and long, graceful limbs, while others were squat and bowlegged, with powerful shoulders, high cheekbones, and long wispy mustaches like Ahmad's. Not one of them was fat or weak or slow. Before we were a week out of Antioch we figured out that it only took a couple of men to care for and guide a caravan of camels, so we were perplexed at why someone as shrewd as Ahmad would bring along so many superfluous employees. â€Å"Bandits,† Ahmad said, adjusting his bulk to find a more comfortable position atop his camel. â€Å"I'd need no more than a couple of dolts like you two if it was just the animals that needed tending. They're guards. Why did you think they were all carrying bows and lances?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, giving Joshua a dirty look, â€Å"didn't you see the lances? They're guards. Uh, Ahmad, shouldn't Josh and I have lances – I mean, when we get to the bandit area?† â€Å"We've been followed by bandits for five days now,† Ahmad said. â€Å"We don't need lances,† Joshua said. â€Å"I will not make a man sin by committing an act of thievery. If a man would have something of mine, he need only ask and I will give it to him.† â€Å"Give me the rest of your money,† I said. â€Å"Forget it,† said Joshua. â€Å"But you just said – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, but not to you.† Most nights Joshua and I slept in the open, outside Ahmad's tent, or if the night was especially cold, among the camels, where we would endure their grunting and snorting to get out of the wind. The guards slept in two-man tents, except for two who stood guard all night. Many nights, long after the camp was quiet, Joshua and I would lie looking up at the stars and pondering the great questions of life. â€Å"Josh, do you think the bandits will rob us and kill us, or just rob us?† â€Å"Rob us, then kill us, I would think,† said Josh. â€Å"Just in case they missed something that we had hidden, they could torture its whereabouts out of us.† â€Å"Good point,† I said. â€Å"Do you think Ahmad has sex with Kanuni?† Joshua asked. â€Å"I know he does. He told me he does.† â€Å"What do you think it's like? With them I mean? Him so fat and her so, you know?† â€Å"Frankly, Joshua, I'd rather not think about it. But thanks for putting that picture in my head.† â€Å"You mean you can imagine them together?† â€Å"Stop it, Joshua. I can't tell you what sin is like. You're going to have to do it yourself. What's next? I'll have to murder someone so I can explain what it's like to kill?† â€Å"No, I don't want to kill.† â€Å"Well, that might be one you have to do, Josh. I don't think the Romans are going to go away because you ask them to.† â€Å"I'll find a way. I just don't know it yet.† â€Å"Wouldn't it be funny if you weren't the Messiah? I mean if you abstained from knowing a woman your whole life, only to find out that you were just a minor prophet?† â€Å"Yeah, that would be funny,† said Josh. He wasn't smiling. â€Å"Kind of funny?† The journey seemed to go surprisingly fast once we knew we were being followed by bandits. It gave us something to talk about and our backs stayed limber, as we were always twisting in our saddles and checking the horizon. I was almost sad when they finally, after ten days on our trail, decided to attack. Ahmad, who was usually at the front of the caravan, fell back and rode beside us. â€Å"The bandits will ambush us inside that pass just ahead,† he said. The road snaked into a canyon with steep slopes on either side topped by rows of huge boulders and wind-eroded towers. â€Å"They're hiding in those boulders on top of either ridge,† Ahmad said. â€Å"Don't stare, you'll give us away.† Joshua said, â€Å"If you know that they're going to attack, why not pull up and defend ourselves?† â€Å"They will attack one way or another anyway. Better an ambush we know about than one we don't. And they don't know we know.† I noticed the squat guards with the mustaches take short bows from pouches behind their saddles, and as subtly as a man might brush a cobweb from his eyelash, they strung the bows. If you'd been watching them from a distance you'd have hardly seen them move. â€Å"What do you want us to do?† I asked Ahmad. â€Å"Try not to get killed. Especially you, Joshua. Balthasar will be very angry indeed if I show up with you dead.† â€Å"Wait,† said Joshua, â€Å"Balthasar knows we are coming?† â€Å"Why, yes,† laughed Ahmad. â€Å"He told me to look for you. What, you think I help every pair of runts that wander into the market at Antioch?† â€Å"Runts?† I had momentarily forgotten about the ambush. â€Å"How long ago did he tell you to look for us?† â€Å"I don't know, right after he first left Antioch for Kabul, maybe ten years ago. It doesn't matter now, I have to get back to Kanuni, bandits scare her.† â€Å"Let them get a good look at her,† I said. â€Å"We'll see who scares who.† â€Å"Don't look at the ridges,† Ahmad said as he rode away. The bandits came down the sides of the canyon like a synchronized avalanche, driving their camels to the edge of balance, pushing a river of rocks and sand before them. There were twenty-five, maybe thirty of them, all dressed in black, half of them on camels waving swords or clubs, the other half on foot with long spears for gutting a camel rider. When they were committed to the charge, all of them sliding down the hillsides, the guards broke our caravan in the middle, leaving an empty spot in the road where the bandits' charge would culminate. Their momentum was so great that the bandits were unable to change direction. Three of their camels went down trying to pull back. Our guards moved into two groups, three in the front with the long lances, the bowmen just behind them. When the bowmen were set they let arrows fly into the bandits, and as each fell he took two or three of his cohorts down with him, until in seconds the charge had turned into an actual avalanche of rolling stones and men and camels. The camels bellowed and we could hear bones snapping and men screaming as they rolled into a bloody mass on the Silk Road. As each man rose and tried to charge our guards an arrow would drop him in his tracks. One bandit came up mounted on a camel and rode toward the back of the caravan, where the three lancers drove him from his mount in a spray of blood. Every movement in the canyon was met with an arrow. One bandit with a broken leg tried to crawl back up the canyon wall, and an arrow in the back of his skull cut him down. I heard a wailing behind me and before I could turn Joshua rode by me at full gallop, passing the bowmen and the lancers at our side of the caravan, bound for the mass of dead and dying bandits. He slung himself off his camel's back and was running around the bodies like a madman, waving his arms and screaming until I could hear the rasp as his throat went raw. â€Å"Stop this! Stop this!† One bandit moved, trying to get to his feet, and our bowmen drew back to cut him down. Joshua threw his body on top of the bandit and pushed him back to the ground. I heard Ahmad give the command to hold. A cloud of dust floated out of the canyon on the gentle desert breeze. A camel with a broken leg bellowed and an arrow in the eye put the animal to rest. Ahmad snatched a lance out of one of the guard's hands and rode to where Joshua was shielding the wounded bandit. â€Å"Move, Joshua,† Ahmad said, holding the lance at ready. â€Å"This must be finished.† Joshua looked around him. All of the bandits and all of their animals were dead. Blood ran in rivulets in the dust. Already flies were collecting to feast. Joshua walked through the field of dead bandits until his chest was pressed against the bronze point of Ahmad's lance. Tears streamed down Joshua's face. â€Å"This was wrong!† he screeched. â€Å"They were bandits. They would have killed us and stolen everything we had if we had not killed them. Does your own God, your father, not destroy those who sin? Now move aside, Joshua. Let this be finished.† â€Å"I am not my father, and neither are you. You will not kill this man.† Ahmad lowered the lance and shook his head balefully. â€Å"He will only die anyway, Joshua.† I could sense the guards fidgeting, not knowing what to do. â€Å"Give me your water skin,† Joshua said. Ahmad threw the water skin down to Joshua, then turned his camel and rode back to where the guards waited for him. Joshua took the water to the wounded bandit and held his head as he drank. An arrow protruded from the bandit's stomach and his black tunic was shiny with blood. Joshua put his hand gently over the bandit's eyes, as if he were telling him to go to sleep, then he yanked out the arrow and tossed it aside. The bandit didn't even flinch. Joshua put his hand over the wound. From the time that Ahmad had ordered them to hold fire, none of the guards had moved. They watched. After a few minutes the bandit sat up and Joshua stepped away from him and smiled. In that instant an arrow sprouted from the bandit's forehead and he fell back, dead. â€Å"No!† Joshua wheeled around to face Ahmad's side of the caravan. The guard who had shot still held the bow, as if he might have to let fly another arrow to finish the job. Howling with rage, Joshua made a gesture as if he were striking the air with his open hand and the guard was lifted back off his camel and slammed into the ground. â€Å"No more!† Joshua screamed. When the guard sat up in the dirt his eyes were like silver moons in their sockets. He was blind. Later, when neither of us had spoken for two days, and Joshua and I were relegated to riding far behind the caravan because the guards were afraid of us, I took a drink from my water skin, then handed it to Joshua. He took a drink and handed it back. â€Å"Thank you,† Josh said. He smiled and I knew he'd be all right. â€Å"Hey Joshua, do me a favor.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Remind me not to piss you off, okay?† The city of Kabul was built on five rugged hillsides, with the streets laid out in terraces and the buildings built partly into the hills. There was no evidence of Roman or Greek influence in the architecture, but instead the larger buildings had tile roofs that turned up at the corners, a style that Joshua and I would see all over Asia before our journey was finished. The people were mostly rugged, wiry people who looked like Arabs without the glow in their skin that came from a diet rich in olive oil. Instead their faces seemed leaner, drawn by the cold, dry wind of the high desert. In the market there were merchants and traders from China, and more men who looked like Ahmad and his bowmen guards, a race whom the Chinese referred to simply as barbarians. â€Å"The Chinese are so afraid of my people that they have built a wall, as high as any palace, as wide as the widest boulevard in Rome, and stretching as far as the eye can see ten times over,† Ahmad said. â€Å"Uh-huh,† I said, thinking, you lying bag-o'-guts. Joshua hadn't spoken to Ahmad since the bandit attack, but he smirked at Ahmad's story of the great wall. â€Å"Just so,† said Ahmad. â€Å"We will stay at an inn tonight. Tomorrow I will take you to Balthasar. If we leave early we can be there by noon, then you'll be the magician's problem, not mine. Meet me in front at dawn.† That night the innkeeper and his wife served us a dinner of spiced lamb and rice, with some sort of beer made from rice, which washed two months of desert grit from our throats and put a pleasant haze over our minds. To save money, we paid for pallets under the wide curving eaves of the inn, and although it was some comfort to have a roof over my head for the first time in months, I found that I missed looking at the stars as I fell asleep. I lay awake, half drunk, for a long time. Joshua slept the sleep of the innocent. The next day Ahmad met us in front of the inn with two of his African guards and two extra camels in tow. â€Å"Come on, now. This may be the end of your journey, but it is merely a detour for me,† Ahmad said. He threw us each a crust of bread and a hunk of cheese, which I took to mean we were to eat our breakfast on the way. We rode out of Kabul and into the hills until we entered a labyrinth of canyons, which meandered through rugged mountains that looked as if they might have been shaped by God out of clay, then left to bake in the sun until the clay had turned to a deep golden color that reflected light in a spray that ate up shadows and destroyed shade. By noon I had no sense whatsoever of what direction we were traveling, nor could I have sworn that we weren't retracing our path through the same canyons over and over, but Ahmad's black guards seemed to know their way. Eventually they led us around a bend to a sheer canyon wall, two hundred feet tall, that stood out from the other canyon walls in that there were windows and balconies carved into it. It was a palace hewn out of solid rock. At the base stood an ironclad door that looked as if it would take twenty men to move. â€Å"Balthasar's house,† Ahmad said, prodding his camel to kneel down so he might dismount. Joshua nudged me with his riding stick. â€Å"Hey, is this what you expected?† I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know what I expected. Maybe something a little – I don't know – smaller.† â€Å"Could you find your way back out of these canyons if you had to?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Nope. You?† â€Å"Not a chance.† Ahmad waddled over to the great door and pulled a cord that hung down from a hole in the wall. Somewhere inside we heard the ringing of some great bell. (Only later would we learn that it was the sound of a gong.) A smaller door within the door opened and a girl stuck her head out. â€Å"What?† She had the round face and high cheekbones of an Oriental, and there were great blue wings painted on her face above her eyes. â€Å"It's Ahmad. Ahmad Mahadd Ubaidullaganji. I've brought Balthasar the boy he has been waiting for.† Ahmad gestured in our direction. The girl looked skeptical. â€Å"Scrawny. You sure that's the one?† â€Å"That's the one. Tell Balthasar he owes me.† â€Å"Who's that with him?† â€Å"That's his stupid friend. No extra charge for him.† â€Å"You bring the monkey's paws?† the girl asked. â€Å"Yes, and the other herbs and minerals Balthasar asked for.† â€Å"Okay, wait here.† She closed the door, was gone only a second, then returned. â€Å"Send just the two of them in, alone. Balthasar must examine them, then he will deal with you.† â€Å"There's no need to be mysterious, woman, I've been in Balthasar's house a hundred times. Now quit dilly-dallying and open the door.† â€Å"Silence!† the girl shouted. â€Å"The great Balthasar will not be mocked. Send in the boys, alone.† Then she slammed the little door and we could hear her cackling echo out the windows above. Ahmad shook his head in disgust and waved us over to the door. â€Å"Just go. I don't know what he's up to, but just go.† Joshua and I dismounted, took our packs off the camels, and edged over to the huge door. Joshua looked at me as if wondering what to do, then reached for the cord to ring the bell, but as he did, the door creaked open just wide enough for one of us to enter if we turned sideways. It was pitch black inside except for a narrow stripe of light, which told us nothing. Joshua again looked at me and raised his eyebrows. â€Å"I'm just the stupid no-extra-charge friend,† I said, bowing. â€Å"After you.† Joshua moved though the door and I followed. When we were inside only a few feet, the huge door slammed with a sound like thunder and we stood there in complete darkness. I'm sure I could feel things scurrying around my feet in the dark. There was a bright flash and a great column of red smoke rose in front of us, illuminated by a light coming from the ceiling somewhere. It smelled of brimstone and stung my nose. Joshua coughed and we both backed against the door as a figure stepped out of the smoke. He – it – stood as tall as any two men, although he was thin. He wore a long purple robe, embroidered with strange symbols in gold and silver, hooded, so we saw no face, only glowing red eyes set back in a field of black. He held a bright lamp out as if to examine us by the light. â€Å"Satan,† I said under my breath to Joshua, pressing my back against the great iron door so hard that I could feel rust flakes imbedding in my skin through my tunic. â€Å"It's not Satan,† Joshua said. â€Å"Who would disturb the sanctity of my fortress?† boomed the figure. I nearly wet myself at hearing his voice. â€Å"I'm Joshua of Nazareth,† Joshua said, trying to be casual, but his voice broke on Nazareth. â€Å"And this is Biff, also of Nazareth. We're looking for Balthasar. He came to Bethlehem, where I was born, many years ago looking for me. I have to ask him some questions.† â€Å"Balthasar is no more of this world.† The dark figure reached into his robe and pulled out a glowing dagger, which he held high, then plunged into his own chest. There was an explosion, a flash, and an anguished roar, as if someone had killed a lion. Joshua and I turned and frantically scratched at the iron door, looking for a latch. We were both making an incoherent terrorized sound that I can only describe as the verbal version of running, sort of an extended rhythmic howl that paused only when the last of each lungful of air squeaked out of us. Then I heard the laughing and Joshua grabbed my arm. The laughing got louder. Joshua swung me around to face death in purple. As I turned the dark figure threw back his hood and I saw the grinning black face and shaved head of a man – a very tall man, but a man nonetheless. He threw open the robe and I could see that it was, indeed, a man. A man who had been standing on the shoulders of two young Asian women who had been hiding beneath the very long robe. â€Å"Just fuckin' with you,† he said. Then he giggled. He leapt off of the women's shoulders and took a deep breath before doubling over and hugging himself with laughter. Tears streamed out of his big chestnut eyes. â€Å"You should have seen the look on your faces. Girls, did you see that?† The women, who wore simple linen robes, didn't seem as amused as the man. They looked embarrassed and a little impatient, as if they'd rather be anywhere else, doing anything but this. â€Å"Balthasar?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Yeah,† said Balthasar, who stood up now and was only a little taller than I was. â€Å"Sorry, I don't get many visitors. So you're Joshua?† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua said, an edge in his voice. â€Å"I didn't recognize you without the swaddling clothes. And this is your servant?† â€Å"My friend, Biff.† â€Å"Same thing. Bring your friend. Come in. The girls will attend to Ahmad for the time being.† He stalked off down a corridor into the mountain, his long purple robe trailing behind him like the tail of a dragon. We stood there by the door, not moving, until we realized that once Balthasar turned a corner with his lamp we'd be in darkness again, so we took off after him. As we ran down the corridor, I thought of how far we had traveled, and what we had left behind, and I felt as if I was going to be sick to my stomach any second. â€Å"Wise man?† I said to Joshua. â€Å"My mother has never lied to me,† said Josh. â€Å"That you know of,† I said.

Bullying: who does what, when and where? Essay

In this paper, bullying was defined as a form of aggressive behavior or negative actions reoccurring over time between children who bully and those who are victimized (Fekkes, Pijpers, & Verloove-Vanhorick, 2005). Furthermore, Fekkes et al. (2005) suggested bullying as a group phenomenon involving not only the bullies and their victims, but also the bystanders. Other problems addressed by this research included the negative impact bullying has on children’s mental and physical health and the level of involvement that is necessary for effective intervention strategies to be successful. The specific research questions posed investigated the extent to which children are involved in bullying behavior, the level of involvement of others (i. e. , teachers, parents, classmates), and the effectiveness of current intervention strategies used to stop bullying behaviors. The purpose of the data presented by this research was to gather information and to utilize that information to compose novel efforts in combating bullying in schools. Fekkes et al. (2005) presented a range of empirical literature to support the need for this research. Studies by Williams et al. , (1996); Salmon et al. , (1998); and Forero et al. , (1999) were included to support the problem of negative health issues associated with bullying behaviors (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Studies by Atlas and Pepler (1998) and Hawkins et al. (2001) supported the notion of bullying as a group phenomenon and the effectiveness of bystander intervention (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Participants in this study were 2766 children from 32 Dutch elementary schools. These children had participated in a longitudinal study on the effectiveness of an anti-bullying policy at schools. It is important to note that the data were collected prior to any implementation of the anti-bullying policy. In November 1999, children from 9 to 11 years old were administered a questionnaire in the classroom. The questionnaire addressed frequency of bullying behaviors, types of bullying behaviors, where bullying behaviors took place, who intervened to stop the bullying, and whether or not the interventions were successful. According to Liebrand et al. (1994), Mooij (1992), and Olweus (1994), this questionnaire was based on the Dutch version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, a well-documented questionnaire that was used in numerous studies on bullying (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Using statistical analyses to analyze the data from the questionnaires, Fekkes et al. (2005) found that active bullying was prevalent at schools. Physical forms of bullying behaviors, such as hitting or pushing, were found to be most typical of boys. Girls were found to initiate bullying behaviors that were relational in nature, such as isolation tactics and rumor spreading. Bullying was found to take place on the playground as well as in the classroom. Nearly half of children being bullied did not report it to their teacher but did speak to their parents about it. A similar finding was also reported by Whitney and Smith (1993) (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Intervention attempts by teachers were found to have little effect, if any, on bullying occurrences. All of these findings provided the insight needed to recommend future intervention strategies. The prevalence of bullying behaviors among children in this age group was found to be consistent with the findings of similar studies conducted cross-culturally. Fekkes et al. (2005) compared the findings of this study to others in Norway, the UK, Italy, and Germany. With regard to gender differences in bullying behaviors, Whitney and Smith (1993), Borg (1999), Junger-Tas and van Kesteren (1999) found similar results among the direct and indirect nature of bullying behaviors among boys and girls (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Olweus (1993a) found that levels of bullying were lower on playgrounds with more teachers present (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Consistent with Whitney and Smith’s (1993) study and Rivers and Smith’s (1994) study, teachers are not regularly told about incidents of bullying behaviors by victimized children (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Because so many of the findings of this paper were consistent with other studies, the next logical step for future researchers would be to systematically integrate the various aspects of this topic into an intervention model with a comprehensive approach. Fekkes et al. (2005) recommended many strategies to assist such interventions. One such recommendation stated that teachers should create an environment in which children feel comfortable talking about their negative bullying experiences. Olweus (1993a) suggested the establishment of class rules aimed at minimizing bullying behavior (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Fekkes et al. further suggested that in addition to establishing class rules to minimize bullying behaviors, class discussion of the rules on a regular basis may aid in establishing an anti-bullying culture within that community. Another possible step for future research may be to replicate the study with a younger set of participants. Data collected from a younger age group may provide more insight into the early stages of bullying behaviors and early intervention strategies may aid in minimizing the prevalence of incidents of bullying in the higher elementary grades. Overall, I believe this study provided some valuable insight with regard to prevalence of bullying behaviors without the aid of an established intervention program. One of the strengths of this study was its large number of participants as well as findings which were consistent in similar studies in other countries. Such a large sample size provides for a clear snapshot of the pervasiveness of this problem. An additional strength of this study involves its use of an adapted version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire which has been used in many studies on bullying. Using such a well-documented tool lends to the consistency of the findings across multiple studies. Something that stood out to me was that there was no mention of effects of bullying behaviors on peer bystanders, positive or negative. I feel this was a limitation because bystanders were referred to as having a certain degree of power when taught effective intervention strategies Fekkes et al. , 2005). Another limitation I observed was the limited age range of the participants. I feel that with younger participants, it may be possible to do comparison studies to try to pinpoint just when bullying behaviors begin to surface within the social structure of the classroom. A final limitation of this study was its use of a quantitative design to address issues more qualitative in nature. Fekkes et al. (2005) state that the aim of the data presented was to provide insight on the topic. This may be more effectively accomplished by doing a current literature review on the prevalence of bullying behaviors and current intervention strategies. Fekkes et al. (2005) describe their current involvement in a project aimed toward development of anti-bullying policies within schools in the Netherlands. They also describe how this study will be used in that capacity. This paper being linked to such a project also raises questions for me about the integrity of the purpose of the study.

Food and Beverage Director Essay

The operation in food and beverages has been a staple source of income in hotels for many years. Development of a food and beverage department in most of the hotels supplements the income generated from room profits as well as builds the image of the hotel. People come to hotels now not just for the room accommodations but also for the food and beverages they offer in their restaurants, cafes, function rooms, and bars. The demand of food and beverages lead to the creation of a hotel position called food and beverage manager that spearheads the services offered by the hotel’s food and beverage department(Hubsch 1966). Food and beverages management is among the most complicated areas of hospitality and is an integral part of the hotel industry. The latest trend in the management of food and beverages in a hotel setting has shifted from a cuisine based job into a career that necessitates knowledge in marketing and productivity. The shift can be attributed to the challenge to provide a service of high quality despite the increasing competition, technological innovations, and clientele sophistication. At present, the duties and responsibilities of a food and beverage director of a hotel go beyond planning the menu. Food and beverage trends affects the preference of clients thus the food and beverage manager should be able to constantly monitor this and cope up with the trends so that the clients will be able to appreciate the services offered. Nowadays, to be able to compete and cope up with the fast paced hospitality industry individuals like hotel food and beverage managers need to have a wide knowledge on the various aspects of business. Aside from the basic knowledge on cuisine, these managers now need to possess an understanding on organizational skills, technical expertise, and dedication to high standards of the industry(Riley, 2005). A food and beverage department of any establishment especially in hotels is supervised and coordinated by a manager or director. This individual makes sure that the service delivery at all points of sale must be done appropriately. The primary responsibilities of a food and beverage manager include the following: guarantee that the guest will receive service of excellent quality; make sure that all the department as well as the company’s regulations are followed; responsible for the optimizing the chain of supply as well as the utilization of raw materials; and ensure that the costumers are satisfied by the services offered(HEG). The manager of the food and beverages in dining rooms, private clubs, institutions, restaurants, resorts, convention centers, and hotels is the one responsible for planning, directing, and controlling all aspects of the services in food and beverages(emerit, 2006). The individual suited for this type of job needs to be able to ensure that the organization’s financial and labor objectives are met with the application of management skills and balanced with excellent customer skills. The responsibilities of a person managing the food and beverages of an organization are the following: staff recruitment and training of staff; organization, direction, and assessment of services associated with food and beverages; scheduling of employee shifts; purchase and regulating inventory; management of staff performance that include staff performance monitoring and feedback provision; monitoring revenues and expenses; assure that the health and safety regulations are practiced; communicate and negotiate with clients regarding the offered services; and handle negotiations with the suppliers of food and beverages products(Society, 2007). Hotel food and beverage managers have various responsibilities as well as needed abilities to be able to do these responsibilities. Through management of the catering and beverages department is one of these responsibilities. The food and beverage manager (F&B manager) oversees the functions of the all of the employees in the department including the maitre d’hotel’s, production managers, and banquet mangers. All the operations in the department are under the scrutiny of the F&B manager. Designing and pricing menus is another role of the F&B manager. The menu is the first thing a client sees in the hotel restaurant or bar thus the design should be done appropriately with the prices based on the pre-determined gross profit. The purchasing or supervision of the purchasing of all the food, beverage, and related products is the third responsibility of an F&B manager. He or she can do the purchasing himself or can delegate the task to a subordinate with his or hers supervision. Adequate knowledge on quality, mark, grades, and counts of all the perishable and non-perishable foods must be possessed by the food and beverages manager. With his or her supervision the following are arranged: dealers guide of purchase specifications; a clerk that receives the products delivered; and, and chefs and stewards according to need. Part also of the F&B manager’s work is the search for better deals for goods in places like markets and packing houses(Brodnerc 1960). Another responsibility of a hotel food and beverage manager is working as the head of the food and beverage department which necessitates knowledge on handling labor organizations, scheduling staff duties, job descriptions, psychology of employment, and the likes. The regulation of the number of personnel and areas to staff needed during different occasions is the primary function of the H&B manager in staffing. He or she must be equipped with appropriate capability to determine the service needs of the clients in different instances according to room occupancy of the hotel; various functions or gatherings held in the hotel; and outside patronage(Brodnerc 1960). A wide knowledge on state of the art cooking methodologies and procedures will be of excellent value to a hotel food and beverage manager. This individual should be well versed in the kitchen and equipped with fitting experience about the cooking process for easier performance. The manager though will not have cooking as part of his or her duty can function better with the passion for cooking and food. The modern methods of food production nowadays is widely accepted so a F&B manager without excellent exposure and passion for cooking can do the job but still the position will be better performed by an individual that is not only well versed in the clinic but also has the passion for cooking(Brodnerc 1960). The food and beverage manager especially in big hotels supervises the maitre d’hotel, headwaiters, and other service personnel thus the individual needs to have the capability to direct this employees into achieving the appropriate standards of services offered. No matter how excellent the quality of food the staffs in the kitchen produces if the individuals that serve this to the clients will not be able to do so with the preservation of the food quality, the service provided would still be of inferior quality(Brodnerc 1960). Purchases of beverages, bar operations, cocktail lounges, and services during feasts are also taken care of the food and service managers. Without a department that specifically handles feast occasions the food and beverages department will come to the rescue hence the F&B manager needs to be competent enough to handle this situations. Success in the feast can be attained either with delicious and extravagant food or with excellent mixed drinks offered. The purchases of beverages as well as for the bar operations, feasts, and cocktail lounges must be managed well by the F&B manger(Brodnerc 1960). The control and regulation of every storeroom, refrigerators, and similar areas is another function of the food and beverage manager of a hotel. This individual needs to prevent losses due to the spoilage of raw materials purchased. He or she has the task to control all the storage rooms and refrigerators by mandating that these areas are to be locked when not used, all these areas must be of the proper temperatures needed for the materials or products, and prevent unauthorized individuals from having access to the area(Brodnerc 1960). Excellent knowledge about the lay-out of the kitchen, efficient utilization of the latest equipment and technologies, and compliance with the proper sanitation procedures will be of value to a food and beverage manager. The manager should be able to suggest to the management how to efficiently use the modern amenities in the kitchen. Despite if the kitchen is very old the F&B needs to ensure that practices in housekeeping are in compliance with the health standards of the area(Brodnerc 1960). The above mentioned responsibilities and capabilities of a hotel food and beverage manger are only representatives of the various functions of a person with this type of position. Though most of the things are not done by the F&B manager directly, he or she still needs to have necessary experience and passion for preparing and serving food so as to function well. Even though in big hotels there are many sub-positions from the manager, the F&B manger still has the responsibility to integrate and monitor the said aspects of food production(Brodnerc 1960). The job as a food and beverage manager requires skills that will enable the individual to fulfill the demands of the job. Among the skills needed for this job are: good team player qualities including team management and leadership; passion for organizational type of work; management effectiveness specifically on delivering profit centre profitability; excellent sales ability; good public relations especially sensitivity to the customers; financial awareness; capability to adopt with the diverse needs of the customers; and, having the initiative(HEG). Hotel executives now have a growing trend of hiring individuals that possess the qualifications to manage their food and beverage operations. The demand for a hotel food and beverage manager is high but the qualifications set for the position also parallels the demand. Hence, a person who is interested in having a career in the food and beverages industry must first have himself equipped with the necessary and education to be able to function in the competitive world in which the hotel food and beverage manager position is included. References Brodnerc , J. (1960). The Food and Beverage Manager. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 1(79). emerit. (2006). Food and Beverage Manager Certification [Electronic Version]. Food and Beverage Manager (FBM). Retrieved December 8, 2007, from http://www. emerit. ca/eng/pdf/foodandbeveragemanager. pdf HEG, H. E. G. -. Food and Beverage. jobsinhotels. co. uk Retrieved December 8 2007, from http://www. jobsinhotels. co. uk/Default. asp? page=83#1 Hubsch , A. W. (1966). Hotel Food and Beverage Management. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 7(9). Riley, M. (2005). Food and beverage management: A review of change. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(1). Society, T. H. (2007). Food and Beverage Manager. Retrieved December 8, 2007, from http://www. go2hr. ca/CareersbrinTourism/JobDescriptions/FoodandBeverageManager/tabid/590/Default. aspx

Developing a marketing strategy for a multinational company Essay

Developing a marketing strategy for a multinational company - Essay Example Individual branding will elevate the new notepad to reach high market standards. This might trigger customers to try other Lenovo products hence paving way for other products to penetrate the new market (Johansson, 2012). To effectively advertize the new notebook into foreign countries Lenovo will use a global advertising strategy. A Global advertising strategy allows a company to adopt or adjust its advertisement to suit the needs of a foreign country’s citizens while maintaining the global reach. Unlike international advertising, global advertising can modify ads to appeal readily to the locals. The contents of Lenovo advertisement will be amended to suit different foreign countries’ styles. Changing advertisement materials might reduce the adverse impacts brought by cultural differences and language barriers. Benefits associated with using a global advertisement strategy include being able to reach people in multiple countries while maintaining respect for each of their culture. A world advertising strategy maintains consistency in the messages sent across the globe. This can create synergy and a common identity among consumers of Lenovo’s products (Johansson, 2012). Lenovo will be looking to introduce the new notepad in South Africa. To effectively introduce the new notebook into the South African market, it is important to carry out a market segmentation analysis. Doing this will ensure the company better understands the country’s market dynamics and needs. The country is at 30 degrees south and 25 degrees east. South Africa covers 471,000 square miles with a population of 59.98 million as at 2009.The South African population is of youths aged between 18 and 35. They make up almost 60% of the country’s total population. Majority of South African people are computer literate. South Africa has seven international airports meaning that the country is easily accessible by air. The

Emerging Trends in Health Care Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emerging Trends in Health Care - Term Paper Example As elucidated by Sena, adoption of technology in healthcare is one of the emerging trends affecting health care. Just like in any other industry, the use of technology is imperative in healthcare as healthcare organizations strive to align their services with their objectives of providing quality services to their clients. In essence, the use of technology has made the job of doctors and nurses easier and patients are able to access healthcare services more rapidly. A good example of how technology is used today in healthcare is electronic health records which improves efficiency of services. Doctors and physicians are therefore able to access patients' medical information in their computers by just a click. Secondly, according to Sena, individuals seeking treatment today are more involved in the provision of care. This can be attributed to the fact that the modern man is more sophisticated in terms of education. Therefore, people today tend to evaluate all available healthcare avenues in order to make an informed decision on the institution offering the best services. This has also been contributed by the fact that people are able to access information particularly through the internet. Consequently, people in the contemporary world can identify differences in terms of services, costs, as well as quality of services in different institutions as relevant information is available on the internet. The third emerging trend is closely linked to the current high spending in healthcare that has pushed up health insurance premiums.

Environmental project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental project - Essay Example Sustainability of the project is among the greatest challenges toward implementation of the entire canopy walkway facility in the short run and long run (Schowalter & Jerry 2012, p. 4). The positive and negative effects of the project to the environment are critical to execution. A canopy walkway would help pedestrians, researchers and tourists with uncomplicated access to the canopy of the Tropical Forest biome. Construction of walkway bridges supported by cables and pathways that do not require researchers’ physical efforts are some of the key tasks. Generally, researchers for a long time have relied on rope climbing techniques (Schowalter & Jerry 2012, p. 4). The economic benefits of a canopy walkway are the main motivating factors to its implementation. The walkway will also provide opportunity for further education alongside opening up avenues for local community participation. However, the project must adhere to the laid down procedures of environmental management as wel l as forest conservation bodies (Schowalter & Jerry 2012, p. 4). 2.0 Overview of Environmental Impacts The canopy walkway will generate array of challenges to the environment as well as the local inhabitants. The walkway will cause damages to trees and canopy. Such damages would be detrimental to long-term goal, which is to step up forest conservation and other natural resources within the locality and the Tropical region at large (Zeppel 2006, p. 220). In addition, the canopy walkway will interfere with the habitats of various animals. Birds together with animals that live on top of large trees would lose their habitat to construction processes. Therefore, birds of different species will perish or migrate during construction work. Tourist activities and construction process might lead to air and soil pollution. For instance, tourist might careless dispose food items, plastic materials and chemicals substances thereby causing pollution to the soil. Similarly, these food substances c ontribute to air pollution upon decomposition. Furthermore, the canopy walkway might contribute to an alteration of the relationships that previous existed between competing species (Zeppel 2006, p. 220). For example, destruction of trees to give way for construction work and certain feeding habits. Careless damping of injurious items, chemicals, and bridge constructions may cause significant decrease in biomass and contribute to mechanical damages to the vegetation. 3.0 Environmental Benefits of Project Canopy walkway project has significant benefits to the environment as well as local community. Revenues obtained from tourists could be used to facilitate conservation of the area. Since canopy walkways are constructed high above the ground, they spare several animals their habitat against probable destruction if roads or pathways were to be constructed within the forested zone in place of canopy walkways (Buckley 2009, p. 117). Moreover, people who visit the walkway carry new ideas that help influence their own lives and lives of people in their home states or countries. Thus, environmental conservation would become a universal requirement or necessity nationally and globally. Bringing local and foreign tourists to the area will positively influence environmental conservation processes and procedures alongside contributing to economic development (Buckley 2009, p. 117). The local community through its environment management organization will use funds obtained from tourism to enhance awareness creation and responsiveness to conserve Mother Nature and other inherent resources. Passing over the canopy is not only a memorable experience but also a challenge

Investment Enhancement Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment Enhancement - Research Paper Example This type of investment strategy might be attractive for a senior citizen investor who is looking to minimize or eliminate investment risks since he will be retiring within a few years and needs to lock in his retirement’s benefits. For the typical investor there is variety of benefits to utilizing international investments to improve financial portfolio performance On the other hand most investors are looking to maximize their return on investment therefore are willing to accept an increased level of risk in order to benefit from the possibility of much higher returns. Although studies have shown that the benefits of direct international investments to achieve adequate international portfolio diversification are limited for U.S. investors partly due to the fact that U.S. investors can invest in domestic multinational corporations, country funds. Another reason is possibly because the U.S. both the economy and its stock market are much more developed and diversified than other countries. The benefits of international investments are more easily realized in underdeveloped countries than in developed countries. Investing internationally makes sense to a lot of potential investors since for example foreign investment mutual funds provide the opportunity for individual investors which typically lack the necessary financial resources to buy a large number of stocks on their own to benefit from the expertise of a professionally administered international investment mutual fund. Recently national economies have become more closely linked due to globalization, growing international trade, and investment capital flows. This might lead to realize that the benefits of international portfolio diversification might be overstated. Despite significant interdependencies between markets, there is still room for international diversification. A recent tendency has been for investors to look into emerging economies as good candidates for international diversification. Sinc e ongoing research suggests that since emerging economies are not closely correlated to industrialized there are still considerable opportunities to benefit from international diversification. There are various investment vehicles investors can use to build up a portfolio in the equity and money markets. The most popular form of investment is common stock. The price ticker investors’ track on Wall Street represents common stock investments. Common stocks are equity investment that represents a right of ownership. People that invest in common stock have voting rights over certain corporation decisions. There are different types of common stocks. Two types of common stocks are blue chip and penny stocks. Blue chip stocks are stocks that are issued by a well-known company with an established record of making money and paying dividends (Teweles & Bradley & Teweles, 1992). An example of a blue chip stock company is Microsoft Corporation. Within the category of common stock blue ch ips are considered the safest type of investment. On the other side of the spectrum are penny stocks. Penny stocks are can be defined as stocks that trade at a relative low price and market capitalization typically outside the major marketplaces (Investopedia, 2011). Penny stocks are very risky and on many occasion the stocks go into default as these penny stock companies run out of business. Another popular type of investment that is often

Tata Coffee, Starbucks Near Deal for Stores Essay

Tata Coffee, Starbucks Near Deal for Stores - Essay Example This is the fundamental concept of Supply and Demand Paradox (Fisher, 2007, p. 8). Today’s market is largely influenced by technology advances, globalization and rigorous competition between suppliers and therefore companies are seeking for an effective strategy that can help it stay competitive. Discovering new market and newer opportunity will be far effective way than identifying the existing demands and satisfying consumer wants accordingly. This piece of research paper reviews the literatures regarding factors affecting demand and supply and explain what is price as well as income elasticity in relation to the recent attempt of Starbuck to come in alliance with Tata Coffee. This paper also explains how discovering new market would be a better economic strategy to foster demands from the example of Starbucks’s attempt to deal with Tata Coffee. Economic perspectives of Demand and Supply Demand and supply are perhaps the names of the most important models in all of ec onomics and these two are normally used for providing insights on the movements in price and output. The basic underlying concept of economics assumes that there is a market, where sellers and buyers contact for trade. Sellers are expected to bring goods or services to the market wherefrom consumers are assumed to bring money to it to buy the goods or services they demand (Guell, 2008, p. 20). From the economic point of view, demand is a schedule or curve or any other graphical presentation of the various amounts of a product that consumers are willing and able to purchase at each of the series of possible prices during a specific period of time (McConnell and Brue, 2004, p. 40). Demand is the quantity of a product or service that will be purchased at different possible prices when other things stay unchanged. Quantity demanded shows how much consumers are willing and able to buy the goods or services at a particular price during a specific period of time (Guell, 2008, p. 22). Accor ding to the law of demand, price and quantity demanded are inversely related and therefore an individual’s demand schedule will be downwardly sloping in its curve, as depicted in the graph. As price falls, the quantity demanded rises and as price rises, quantity demanded falls. When other market variables are remaining constant, consumers will be tended to buy more of a product as its price declines. Quantity supplied is the maximum quantity that sellers want to sell at a given price. The law of supply states that the quantity supplied will increase when the price rises and will decrease when the price falls, because a supplier will be able to produce and supply more when he expects to gain more profits or other advantages due to price hike (Wessels, 2006, p. 37). As shown in the figure, producers will be producing more of the product or services when price of the same increases in the market. Most of the Economics literatures (Wessels, 2006, McEachern, 2011, Lipsey and Chrys tal, 2007 etc) explained that producers are tended to supply more when they expect an extra earning from the price hike or from any other factors that may lead to the same. When it comes to the case of Starbuck’s attempt to work in alliance with Tata Coffee in India, as Ahmed (Oct, 2011) wrote in Wall

EESC LOG501 MOD 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EESC LOG501 MOD 2 SLP - Essay Example The chips and light snack industry is highly competitive and is characterized by stiff rivalry. With large competitors such as Kellogg, Kraft and General Mills increasing their activities in recent times, the snack industry has become a tough industry to play in (New York Times, 2012). The model Extended enterprise supply chain refers to a model of supply chain wherein it is extended to the sources of the raw materials. Davis and Spekman (2003) have been of the opinion that supply chains that extend beyond the enterprises are normally characterized by trust, shared vision, alignment and commitments among the parties involved. Furthermore, the authors (Davis and Spekman, 2003) have noted that extended enterprise supply chains should be externally oriented on processes, systems, and metrics of the chain. The key target for this type of supply chain should be the creation of value in the market place. The main aim for extended enterprise supply chain is to better align the supply chain along the process. Also, the business process improvements are aimed at identifying what improvements may be made to be effected system wide. The relationships created through these supply chains are normally cross organizational by nature (Davis and Spekman, 2003). ... The flow of supply chain of Frito Lay is as follows: Figure 1: Frito Lay Supply Chain model The company’s supply chain in light of the model However, in the context of the present study, extended enterprise supply chain model may also benefit Frito Lay just as it would do to any company. However, in order to come up with an extended enterprise supply chain model for Frito Lay it is imperative that we first determine the raw materials used by the company for the various products it manufactures and distributes as well as sells to its customers. Given the rich array of product offerings that Frito Lay has, it is nevertheless imperative that most of their products are made mainly out of potato, corn, wheat and flour. However, various flavours are added to these base ingredients to given them the final shape. Since the products Frito Lay specializes in are mainly light snacks served or had in between meals, it is also imperative that these products are characterized by heavy adver tising and promotion. Thus, packaging is one of the key ingredients for which they have to purchase materials of outside. Thus, there are many ingredients needed to come out with the final products that Frito Lay produces. A comprehensive list of all the most widely used products or key ingredients would be as follows: Potato Corn Wheat/Flour Nuts Tortilla Oil Onions and garlic Flavouring agents Now it may be noted that they have already started growing special potatoes exclusively for their chips. This obviously refers to an extended enterprise supply chain model that Frito Lay has already put in place. However, the details of what Frito Lay does in terms of growing potatoes is but backward integration and under this scheme they provide

Anne Frank Book Summary Essay Example for Free

Anne Frank Book Summary Essay I’ve just finished reading The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. Anne Frank’s diary was begun on June 14th, 1942 and her last entry was on August 1st, 1944. Her diary was mostly about the Holocaust, when her family went into hiding. Anne’s family included herself, her sister (Margot Frank), her mother (Edith Frank), and her father (Otto Frank). This story was set in Prinsengracht, Amsterdam. I chose to read this book because stories that relate to war, really interest me. It all started on Anne’s thirteenth birth, when she received a diary from her parents. She was really excited because she wanted someone or something, she could tell her thoughts to. Even though Anne had a rich social life, she felt as if people didn’t know the real her. She began writing about daily events, school, boys, etc. Within a month, her entire life changed. More and more Jewish people were getting captured and receiving call ups. Call ups mean to surrender now and go to concentration camp. The family decided to go into hiding. They moved into a little section of Anne’s father’s office building that was walled off and hidden behind a singing bookcase. It was called â€Å"the Secret Annex†. For two years, the Frank family lived in â€Å"the Secret Annex†. Mr. and Mrs. van Daan and their son Peter (a little older than Anne) were also hiding with them. Later, Mr. Dussel, an elderly dentist, moved in and Anne had to share a room with him. Anne’s whole life now revolved around getting used to hearing gunshots and bombs. She started drifting away from her family because she spent more time studying and ready instead of spending time with them. Anne started to change as she began to spend time with Peter van Daan. Around that time, she started having dreams about a bout she was in love with, another Peter, Peter Schiff. She always came to see Peter (of the Annex) more than she used to. Before, Anne thought he was an obnoxious, hypersensitive and a lazy guy, but he turned out to be sensitive and caring. Eventually their relationship changed, and they became more than friends. Another big change for Anne happened, when the war was beginning to end. She heard on the radio that â€Å"personal accounts such as her diary will be in demand after the war ends†. She than started editing her diary with excitement! Unfortunately that didn’t last long. Anne started becoming more sensitive to the world around her. She felt completely alone. She felt constantly criticized and there was no escape. At one point, Anne thought it might’ve been better if she and her family had all died instead of hiding in the Annex. Things got a lot harder on Anne. The secret Annex was raided. On the morning of August 4th, 1994, they arrested all of the people in hiding. They were first brought to a prison in Amsterdam and then transferred to Westerbork, the transit camp for Jewish people in north of Holland. They were deported on September 3rd, 1944, in the last transport to leave Westerbork, and they arrived three days later in Auschwitz (Poland). Mr. van Daan (Hermann van Pels) was gassed to death in Auschwitz in October or November 1944. Mrs. van Daan (Auguste van Pels) died at and unknown concentration camp. Peter van Daan (Peter van Pels) was forced to take part in the â€Å"death march† from Auschwitz to Mauthausen (Austria), where he died on May 5th, 1945, right before the camp started. Albert Dussel (Fritz Pfeffer) died on December 20th, 1944, in the Neuengamme concentration camp. Edith Frank died in Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 6th, 1945, from hunger and exhaustion. Margot and Anne Frank had gotten typhus, caused by one of two types of bacteria: Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia prowazekii, and their bodies were dumped in the Bergen-Belsen’s (concentration camp) mass graves. The only sole survivor was Otto Frank. He was the one who published Anne’s diary. The thing is, to this day, no one knows who exposed them. Every time I read this book, it gets better every single time. It also leaves me crying about ten minutes. It also makes me realize how lucky and blessed I am. Anne was such a brave girl, I could never imagine being in her position. I give this book ten out of then, it was one the best books I’ve ever read. I definitely recommend everyone to read The Diary of a Young Girl.

Economic Problems Solved By Various Societies Economics Essay

Economic Problems Solved By Various Societies Economics Essay The recent turbulence in financial markets in most developed economies has shown that market forces are no better at solving societys economics than any other mechanism This question relates to how economic problems are solved by various societies. An economics system is a countrys plan to answer the economic problems of what should be produced, how and for whom; it is an Organized  way in which a state or  nation  allocates  it resources  and apportions  goods  and  services  in the society. There are three major types of economy, a free market economy, a planned economy and a mixed economy. A free market economy  is a system for  allocating goods within a society which is mainly driven by  supply and demand; purchasing power within the market determines who gets what is produced, rather than the state. Examples of these economies are US, France. In this type of economic system, speculation, assumptions, and market forces are significant in determining economic growth. The aim of a market economy is to reduce or be completely devoid of all pre-determined prices for some products, and the level of regulation is minimal. 2The role of the  government in a market economy is to ensure that the market is stable enough to carry out its economic activities properly. Free-market economics is closely associated with laissez fair economic philosophy, which limits government involvement in economic matters to regulating This system has the biggest advantage of rewarding hard work and consumers getting what they can afford rather than giving everyone the same thing. It leads to growth through individual prosperity but monopolies arise and distort the market The next economic system is the planned economy, in this kind of economy the major decisions such as the goods, production method, distribution and the prices of the goods, all these important decisions are made by the government. Countries such as the old USSR and North Korea have a totalitarian government with socialist economies, where the government fix prices from the procurement of raw materials to the price its sold to the consumer. It is usually stable; it aims to meet a collective objective rather than individual needs, under such a system, rewards, whether wages or perquisites, are to be distributed according to the value that the state ascribes to the service performance. And finally a Mixed Economy, it is an Economic system in which resources are more equally divided between private and government ownership. This system integrates both elements of the market and planned economies in one organized system seeking to reach a balance between them. The business sector and the government play an important role in decision making as regards to the economy but a mixed economy results in neither business entities nor the government controlling the  economic  activities of that country. In a mixed economy, there is a lot of flexibility in certain sectors and in other sectors government control exists. Free market economy compared to a planned economy or a mixed economy has it its various advantages and disadvantages; A planned economy in theory appears more stable than the other two because it is not subject to various economic crises that the market economy and a mixed economy face, i.e. the business cycles such as the housing market bubble and the recession with high rate of unemployment There is also a question of efficiency, free markets and mixed economies contrast sharply with  controlled markets  , in which governments directly or indirectly regulate prices or supplies, which according to free-market theory causes markets to be less efficient. ; It  also lacks innovation that the other two systems possess, free market and mixed economies encourage specialization of labour, eliminate costly and complex bureaucracy. However, a planned economy has some advantages over the free market system in regard to efficiency; a planned economy  aims to use all existing resources for manufacturing public goods rather than directing some of those resources to advertising or marketing. It appears that a free market system could lead to more inequality due to the uneven distribution of power and wealth; property owner, big business shareholders will have access or gain more power compared to the less well off. A disadvantage of a market economic system is that, though competing firms try to be efficient to keep costs and prices low, it sometimes creates a monopoly, a few large firms may hike prices, sometimes pricing a certain part of the society out of various products. A planned economy on the other hand , national income could be distributed more equally in accordance with needs; public goods that would be described as necessities such as health care, In a planned economy, state planners would allocate state resources toward public goods and state projects, this might not necessarily be available in a market economy, or might require precise government provision (which then makes it a mixed economy), in a mixed economy, the government would have to achieve this goal through taxation or inflation. Mixed and free market economies are flexible, production reacts almost immediately to the movement of demand; a planned economy lacks the kind of flexibility and because of this, it reacts slower to changes in consumer needs and variable patterns of demand and supply. A planned economy eliminates the individual profit motives as the driving force of production and places it in the hands of the state planners to determine what is the appropriate production of different sets of goods; on the other hand because a market economy is profit oriented, it leads to innovation and creativity which a planned economy lacks. In a mixed or market economy, there is a plethora of choices, it lets the consumer choose according to their preferences which is evident through the interaction between supply and demand but a planned economy more often than not cannot detect consumer preferences. A free market system might not be better than a planned economy or a mixed one, it all lies in the balance, and no one system can guarantee absolute success. The market economy is clearly the system of choice in todays global marketplace but mixed economies should be encouraged which is largely what countries like France, U.K and the US practice, there is a considerable amount of government interventions to ensure stability although they could be classified as practicing a free market system because they allow market forces drive their economic activities. What the financial meltdown of 2007-2010 showed was that a totally free market doesnt necessarily make the best system. With some of the developed countries manufacturing less and relying more on financial services as the basis for their economic growth, for examples the UK, leaving the various financial institutions with little or no regulations has left the consumers exposed and the world economy in tatters. In conclusion, having a system where the government step in with regulations is imperative to prevent this sort of melt down in the near future. There ought to be directives and regulatory bodies to police the activities of private business enough to protect the end user and the economy but not too much, so as not to stifle growth. Free market system has shown it is not fail proof just as much as a command economy is not. A market economy combined with some degree of regulation, and special directives to stabilize prices by the government to protect people with low income can provide idyllic circumstances for developing countries like India, Brazil, China and other South East Asian countries to attain growth and prosperity.

Behavior :: essays research papers

EDUCATING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR: ARISTOTLE’S VIEWS ON AKRASIA â€Å"Can the teaching of ethics really help cleanse the business world of shady dealings?† Asked by Newsweek magazine during the height of the recent Wall-Street scandals,1 this query resonates with perennial concerns about whether or not virtue can be taught and how such instruction might best be effected. The problem, Newsweek declares, is not that students lack ethical standards or are incapable of distinguishing wrong from right. The challenge for educators rather lies in helping students act on the virtues they espouse. â€Å"Even in today’s complex world, knowing what’s right is comparatively easy,† Newsweek concludes. â€Å"It’s doing what’s right that’s hard.† Why do people act wrongly, when they know full well what right conduct demands? This phenomenon, known to philosophers as incontinence or akrasia, receives extensive treatment in Book Seven of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.2 Like Newsweek, Aristotle holds that akrasia presents a special challenge for moral education. How does Aristotle conceive this challenge, and what might contemporary educators learn from Aristotle’s analysis? To appreciate Aristotle’s insights into akrasia and moral instruction, it is helpful to begin by looking at popular views of the akratic’s dilemma. Popular beliefs about incontinence are varied and often contradictory, Aristotle contends.3 Two, however, bear scrutiny. Aristotle summarizes them as follows: (1) The continent person seems to be the same as one who abides by his rational calculation; and the incontinent person seems to be the same as one who abandons it. (2) The incontinent person knows that his actions are base, but does them because of his feelings, while the continent person knows that his appetites are base, but because of reason does not follow them.4 In short, popular opinion concludes that with respect to akrasia, feeling overpowers reason; the individual, as a consequence, is seduced into acting irrationally. This conclusion, in turn, is marked by two deeper suppositions: a) feeling (or appetite) is distinct from reason; b) reason can be disciplined, but feelings cannot. Although voiced in ancient Greece, these common beliefs about akrasia are held no less widely today. Like Aristotle’s compatriots, we tend to divorce reason from desires and appetites. The latter we regard as urges we cannot help but feel; reason, by contrast, bespeaks a capacity for considered control. When we act against our better judgment, it is because we cannot hold our feelings at bay. We lose control and behave irrationally.

Summary of The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay -- Toni Cade Bambara

The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara The Lesson, by Toni Cade Bambara, portrays a group of children living in the slums of New York City around 1972. They seem to be content living in poverty in some very unsanitary conditions. One character, Miss Moore, the children’s self appointed mentor, takes it upon herself to further their education during the summer months. She feels this is her civic duty because she is educated. She used F.A.O. Schwarz, a very expensive toystore, to teach them a lesson and inspire them to strive for success and attempt to better themselves and their situations. At the beginning of the story, the author gives us the feeling that a child is narrating this story. She also shows that the child, Sylvia, is at that age where she feels that adults are silly and she knows everything. â€Å"Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish and me and Sugar were the only ones just right, this lady moved on our block with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup.† (Bambara 470) Sylvia also tells us about her environment while referencing Miss Moore. â€Å"And we kidna hated her too, hated the way we did the winos who cluttered up our parks and pissed on our handball walls and stank up our hallways and stairs so you couldn’t halfway play hide-and-seek without a damn gas mask. Miss Moore was her name. The only woman on the block without a first name.† (Bambara 470) This is our introduction to Miss Moore. She is an educated, well groomed person and the children resent her because she is different and their parents force them to spend time with her in the interest of education. On the day the story takes place, Miss Moore has rounded up the neighborhood kids and is going to bring them to F.A... ...t. â€Å"We all start reciting the pricetag like we’re in assembly. â€Å"Handcrafted sailboat made of fiberglass at one thousand one hundred ninety-five dollars.† â€Å"Unbelieveable, â€Å" I hear myself say and am really stunned.† (Bambara 472) The prices of the previous two items stunned the children, but the sailboat really brought home the idea. At the end of the story is when Miss Moore’s motive was revealed. She did not want to bring the kids on a field trip. She was interested in giving them a drive to succeed by showing them that some people are very successful and can afford such things. She hopes that they will want to be one of those people instead of a person that, like so many others, are just content with what they have. Works Cited Roberts, Edgar V., Jacobs, Henry E. â€Å"Literature.† The Lesson. 470-475. Toni Cade Bambara. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 2001

Antigone :: essays research papers

In our society today, movies and television shows are being broadcast all over the world to many genders, races, and ages. Some of these shows involve many violent topics and situations. For example, the news qualifies as a violent shows because three fourths of every broadcast involves a violent situation. The next generation of adults is exposed to this violence everyday, thinking it’s cool or acceptable. I think that if teenagers witness the violent actions in person they would react differently than seeing them on TV. The violent scenes in Antigone are much like crimes that occur everyday. For example, a gang related crime can be compared to one of the many deaths in Antigone. The public views these crimes as normal. Most often violence in the news is ignored or called normal. If more people witnessed violence then maybe more actions would be taken to stop it from happening. I think the violence told in Antigone was very low-key compared to the things we see today on the news. Today, our society likes to take time off to relax and watch a movie. Do you think it’s relaxing to watch people die and constantly be injured? Well most of the movies out today are violent. Even thought here are strict rating rules put on these movies, children are still seeing them. For example, The Power Rangers Movie. In this movie, five teenagers take on the roles of fighters. When kids view this PG rated movie they see how cool it is to kill other creatures and human beings. About three weeks after this movie was released in Chicago, two kids were playing power rangers; they decided to take the game a step further by involving pencils used as swords. This game ended with one of the two kids with serious incisions from the pencil. This situation could have easily been avoided if some of these movies were not so violently oriented.

Rhetorical Analysis: Pre-writing Essay

Learning how to identify and analyze rhetorical tools is an important part of the collegiate experience. This handout emphasizes several tools which can aid in the analysis of rhetoric in an effective, well-organized paper. Questions to Ask Speakers use rhetorical tools in order to appeal to logic (logos), emotion (pathos), or authority (ethos). Asking yourself specific questions regarding the effect of rhetorical tools you encounter is a good place to begin expanding and improving the analysis within your paper. The following are some suggestions to get you started. If the tool has an ethical effect, ask: What authority does the speaker hope his audience will trust? Is the authority of the speaker himself/herself in question, or is it the authority an outside source? Why does the speaker choose that particular kind of authority? What connections is the speaker trying to make in the minds of the audience? Is it likely that the audience will accept this authority? Why or why not? How does establishing trust in this authority help persuade people to trust the speaker? If the tool has a logical effect, ask: Why does the speaker use a logical argument instead of a pathetic or ethical one? What is the audience’s likely reaction to this sort of logical reasoning? How selective or particular is the logic? Is there any evidence of logical fallacy? If so, why? Does the fallacy undermine the argument, or strengthen it? Note: For more information on logical fallacies, see the handout â€Å"Logical Fallacies.† Is the speaker using logic to persuade his audience about a highly emotional issue? If so, why? If the tool has a pathetic (emotional) effect, ask: What emotion is the speaker highlighting? Why is that particular emotion highlighted? Why would this emotion would be more powerful for the audience the speaker is addressing? What particular tool is the speaker using to  manipulate or arouse these emotions? Does it work? Why or why not? Once the speaker has created an emotion in his listeners, how does he connect that emotion with the purpose of his speech? Is this effective? Why or why not? In other words, how does establishing an emotional connection help persuade people to follow the speaker? Note: Silva Rhetoricae, an online resource developed by Dr. Gideon Burton, describes many specific rhetorical tools and their functions and provides examples of rhetorical analyses of these tools. It can be found at http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/silva.htm. For a more basic commentary on rhetorical tools and how to analyze them, check the Writers at Work workbook, pages 99-104. The Analytical Process: A Sample In rhetorical analysis, writers must first show the connection between each rhetorical tool identified and the way the speaker uses those tools to create a reaction in his or her audience, and then show why each tool was effective for that particular audience. The following example demonstrates an effective analytical process, taking a samplefrom the speech â€Å"Against the Spanish Armada† by Queen Elizabeth I: I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realms: to which, rather than any dishonor should grow by me, I myself will take up arms. Upon reading this segment, the student has a powerful, postive reaction. The student decides his stance: he will argue that the speech is effective. Next, the student needs to determine the rhetorical tools that Elizabeth uses to make her argument. Looking at the segment critically, the student notices that Elizabeth manages to logically connect the fact that she is a Queen with the responsibility to defend her realm. He sees that Queen Elizabeth ironically juxtaposes the fact that she is a â€Å"feeble woman† against the invading European â€Å"princes.† He also sees that Elizabeth references herself many times in the segment. The student decides to focus on one tool: Elizabeth’s repetitive references to herself. Looking carefully at the passage, he discovers that Elizabeth refers to herself seven times, and that five of those references show Elizabeth as the subject of the clause. The student then asks himself, Why would Elizabeth refer to herself so often? He then lists the possibilities: Elizabeth was reminding her troops how important she was Elizabeth wanted to have her troops remember her when they were in battle Elizabeth wanted to appear confident Elizabeth was egomanical Elizabeth was emphasizing her role as a Queen Elizabeth was using repetition of a subject to create a dramatic feeling in her audience Reviewing the list, the student decides that the most likely possibility is that Elizabeth wished to establish her authority in the eyes of her subjects. This is only one possible analysis of many possibilities; however, he feels that she can explore this aspect in depth. The student then asks: How does referring to herself so often help Elizabeth’s troops accept her as their leader? Looking at each specific reference, he notices that in every instance Elizabeth portrays herself as active and powerful. By attaching herself to verbs commonly associated with power and ruling, he reasons, Elizabeth is able to repetitively emphasize her position as the ruler of the English people. The student is now ready to write a paragraph of rhetorical analysis: Example: In the passage, Elizabeth refers to herself no fewer than seven times. In each instance, Elizabeth connects herself to active verbs which emphasize her dynamic and powerful status: I have, I know, I think foul scorn, I will take up arms. This repetition of her autonomous identity is a powerful way of reminding her troops that she is, in fact, their queen and military leader. By demonstrating her own personal power, Elizabeth shows that she is just as capable as â€Å"any prince of Europe† of defending her lands and people; the repetition of that idea with her carefully chosen verbs  connects her power as a person (and as a â€Å"kingly† woman) with her power as a queen. Even at this point, the student can analyze more deeply: Why was it so important for Elizabeth to establish herself as a â€Å"king?† What elements of the verbs Elizabeth chose communicate power and monarchy to the audience? Is there any aspect of her word choice that would be more stirring to a military audience than a civilian one? After exploring the issues, the student discovers many other aspects of the repetitive word choice that he can analyze and write about. Danny Nelson, Summer 2005 Effective Communication Used by Benevolent Leader, Queen Elizabeth I Persuasion is a difficult skill to master. One has to take into account the ideologies held by the audience and how those relate to one’s own intentions of changing minds. In order to encourage her troops to fight courageously in defense of England, Queen Elizabeth I utilizes Aristotle’s principles of effective communicationthat include logos, pathos and ethos in her Speech to the English Troops at Tilbury, Facing the Spanish Armada. The first principle that Queen Elizabeth I introduces into her speech is logos, as she uses reason and inference to assure her soldiers of her faith in their resolve to fight for the good of England. She warns her soldiers that she has been told to â€Å"take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery.† This warning is from a source that is concerned with not only her safety, but also the safety of her subjects and, despite that concern, she claims that it is the tyrants who should be fearful. Since she has â€Å"placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects,† she has no reason to worry because she is not a tyrant like her enemies. As a result of investing and drawing her strength from the people of her kingdom, Queen Elizabeth I has little to fear unlike the tyrants who cannot trust their own armies. The trust that she has placed in her armies to protect the kingdom leads to the use of the second of Aristotle’s principles of effective communication. Queen Elizabeth I uses pathos to appeal to soldiers through their emotions by reminding them that she is on the field with them to die for her subjects (them), just as she is asking them to die for her. She is not on the battlefield with them for her own amusement; the Queen is determined to â€Å"live or die amongst you all, to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom† and this appeals to the soldiers’ sense of duty. If their own Queen is willing to die fighting, then they also have a duty to do the same. Queen Elizabeth I appeals to the soldiers’ religious zeal by claiming that she is willing to die primarily for her God and, secondarily, for her country. This order of priorities makes it seem as though her soldiers are not just fighting to prevent the Spanish from invading England, but that, perhaps, they are fighting for a higher cause. Soldiers will fight to defend worldly things, but the fact that she introduces God as something they are protecting gives their cause an added sense of emergency and import. From her appeals to the hearts of her soldiers, Queen Elizabeth I turns to the third and final principle of Aristotle’s guide to effective communication. Ethos is the final tool that Queen Elizabeth I utilizes to cement her own authority as the Queen of England and her credibility as a benevolent leader who will, in due time, reward the soldiers for their valor. Despite admitting that she has â€Å"the body of a weak and feeble woman,† she reminds them that she has â€Å"the heart and stomach of a king,† which is more important because without those vital organs the body is rendered useless. By claiming that the energy and will that is used to power her movements are derived from her position as â€Å"a king of England,† Queen Elizabeth I reinforces her authority to command her soldiers to sacrifice their lives for the good of the kingdom. The Queen goes on to introduce her reputation as supreme leader who will â€Å"be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.† Not only will she command her army, she will judge their performance and she will reward the deserved. Queen Elizabeth I provides not only the motivation of heroism as its own reward, but she also promises â€Å"rewards and crowns†¦shall be duly paid† to those who have fought and will fight with courage. Ethos is used by Queen Elizabeth I to assert her own authority as their motivation to fight for glory and for reward. The principles of logos, pathos and ethos are used to put faith in the minds of the soldiers that they are fighting for a noble cause and are being commanded by a valiant leader.

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay

SUMMARY The book begins with at brief selection as it addresses the importance of the counselor utilizing the Christian faith in counseling in addition to focusing on the relationship between psychology and theology. It addresses the issues and concerns that religion may bring into counseling sessions and how the counselor should address and handle these challenges. McMinn addresses the facts that spiritual development must take place with the client as well as the counselor. The counselor must personally address the regulation of prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption these formulations are a necessity for smooth sessions for the client and counselor. The objective of the sessions is to create a healthy sense of self for the client. Once this objective is achieved, the client can move from being broken, and begin a self-motivated and fulfilling relationship with God and others. In the section, Toward Psychological and Spiritual Health, McMinn focuses his main position to the varied individuality of an individual’s life. He proposes that Christian counseling strengthens three areas of a person’s life: sense of self, awareness of human need, limitations, and confiding interpersonal relationships with God and others. The book appears to be focused on the many important attributes of a Christian’s life i.e. prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption all which should be the foundational make-up of the Christian counselor’s method of treating client’s. Dr. McMinn (1996) believes prayer should be used in and outside of the counseling session, however; with caution. According to McMinn (1996) Christian counselors should depend upon Scripture for truth by determining how to use it appropriately. The use of scripture should be utilized as a therapeutic intervention in the counseling setting. In addition, it would solely depend upon the client’s emotional, mental and spiritual health and how it is perceived. The chapters are formatted in a very straightforward layout. The chapters have sections to address the challenges counselors face, psychological and spiritual health focus points, and also expected results by each foundational element of counseling – psychological, theological, and spiritual. McMinn further discusses the topics of sin, redemption and forgiveness. From the text, it is apparent that the discussion of sin must be handled with care at all times. This subject should be approached with caution and only be discussed if there is a healthy client counselor relationship. Forgiveness is one of the other attributes discussed. Forgiveness has the ability to lead an individual to a healthy and fulfilling life with others and self. It can produce spiritual, mental and emotional reprieve for a client. Redemption is the sole objective for counseling and the counselor must first recognize his redemption before he is urged to be a vessel to redeem someone else. (Ephesians 1:7-8) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV) Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being â€Å"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus† (Romans 3:24). To be redeemed we first have to be lost, separated, and captive, be in slavery, and so on. In the case of the Christian redemption definition, we are separated from God and need redemption to be able to be reconcile back to God. CONCRETE RESPONSE This book is a very good outline of spiritual and psychological health and functioning. It gives a very detailed outline of what a Christian counselor should be. Having had some counseling sessions with my pastor in regards to debating on divorce, I was able to relate to McMinns outlines. My pastor was firm and consistent and did not waiver from the word of God as it related to my personal issue at the time. Before the sessions begin, one of the major items my pastor discussed with me was prayer. He asked before the sessions started if I would like for him to pray and before the end of each session. He advised me that through prayer I would be able to feel the presence of God in which I did. As I became more acclimated with my relationship with God, I was able to feel his presence. However; at some points during the sessions I felt as if he was forcing his personal beliefs on me as it related to divorce. I was at a point in my life that divorce appeared to be the only option I felt I had. With prayer and the act of forgiveness and continued efforts, I was able to forgive my spouse and move forward. After my sessions, I was able to find my healthy sense of self again which lead to a more positive, healthy and productive life with my spouse. REFLECTION The proficiency of counseling must be carefully implemented in order for the counselor and client to eventually envision and reap the benefits. This action may not happen in two or three sessions or may not happen at all depending upon the counselor and client’s relationship. We as Christian counselors must equip ourselves with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13). The Holy Spirit should be in the midst of each counseling session in order for the sessions to be productive and prosperous. McMinn (1996) intra disciplinary approach to healing the emotional, mental, and spiritual life of man must be taken in small steps. One question that comes to mind is the section which related to counseling adolescents. According to the book, a teenager appears to be the most difficult to communicate with. In view of the fact that teenagers are faced with an array of complex situations on a daily basis, how would one effectively bring across information for a teenager to perceive who is currently going through a dilemma? Would the same outline be used in treating adults? ACTION As I read Mark McMinn’s book I began to feel a hunger and thirst for the Word of God which became more prevalent as I continued to read. My spirit began to search for more of God . It is apparent that I must fast, pray and read my bible on a daily basis so that I can focus on God and build a closer relationship with him. This book is an excellent resource for counseling for those who need guidance in incorporating spiritual disciplines in a secularly dominated society. The only way this will be instrumental in counseling is to refer to its teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to make it conducive and acceptable in the counseling session. Many Christian counselors can use this resource to reach a level of maturity that will translate into true healing and redemption. As a Christian Counselor, I must first recognize the fact that each person is different mentally, physically and emotionally. Therefore, different methods must be utilized. There is not an outline written in stone; each session evolves into a different method according to the client and the positive or negative response of the previous sessions. The information given by McMinn has truly broadened my outlook in respects to counseling and the relationship I should have with God in reference to becoming a counselor. I would truly recommend this book to any existing counselors or those perusing a counseling career. REFERENCE McMinn, Mark R. Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality In Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996.