Business Research Essay

In today’s society we have found that the best way to find what works for individuals and businesses alike is done through business research. This is not always done in ethical manners though. Some companies tend to ask questions that are inappropriate while others changed the information they have been given to make their product look more appealing. This paper will focus on skewing the research results in the service of selling the drug Neurontin. Neurontin is a brand name for the drug gabapentin and it is manufactured by Pfizer and Parke-Davis (Ramirez de Arellano, 2009). The drug has been approved by the FDA to use in treating neurological conditions such as epilepsy. There have been a large number of off-label uses added to the list that have not been approved by the FDA which has increased the company’s sales. In 2004, Pfizer was found guilty in urging physicians to prescribe Neurontin to patients for off-label uses such as treatment of migraines, bipolar disorder, insomnia, and hot-flashes (Ramirez de Arellano, 2009). This act was an illegal one that cost the company millions of dollars in fines and penalties. That was not the last of the case on Neurontin. Since so many people had used Neurontin for various treatments not approved by the FDA, a large number of companies decided to show an interest in getting some of the off-label uses approved. In order to do this the companies began conducting research to see if the drug really worked for the ailments. If it did indeed work, it could be approved through the FDA. This would in turn help the company make more money selling Neurontin. After the legal case was started in 2004 it opened another door that provided information showing strategies that Pfizer and Parke-Davis used to offset the publication of unfavorable findings. In 2008 reports were released to the public that showed Pfizer and Parke-Davis had delayed reports if no evidence was found in the efficacy of the drug, reinterpreting negative data, and fusing negative data with positive studies to cancel the results, and some researchers saw their work being rewritten by the company’s own medical write to make it sound better than the graph showed it (Ramirez de Arellano, 2009). During the studies done on Neurontin 20 clinical trials were identified and only 12 of those reported in publications, in which 8 of those published trials had different primary outcomes reported than was in the original research protocol (Ramirez de Arellano, 2009). These differences included changing the primary outcome, not distinguishing between the primary and the secondary outcomes, and not reporting all of the primary outcomes. There was 21 primary outcomes for the research and out of those 21 protocols there was 6 not reported and 4 were put as secondary outcomes instead of primary. The changes made in the published reports were done to make Neurontin look favorable for the unapproved indications. In the Neurontin situation of skewing the research done for the medication, affects the people that use the drug along with others that take any medication. It makes the doctors look as if they do not know what they are doing when they prescribe the medication and leaves individuals in an untrusting state to try something new to treat their ailments. It also makes the scientists that develop the drug look bad. Another thing this does is undermines individuals’ trust in published studies and the entire decision-making process. The organization is affected by this unethical behavior in many ways as well. First off the company was faced with a hefty criminal fine for coaxing the doctors to prescribe the drug to the public for off-label purposes. Secondly the company lost accreditation with the public for skewing the research being done to make the drug more appealing in what it could treat. Skewing the research affected society by losing the trust of individuals when it was made public that the research published had been tainted. It is hard to trust again when you find out the information you are being give is all but the truth. Unethical business research could be avoided if companies that do business research would publish all of the truth without changing any of it or doctoring it up to look better than it really is. If the punishment for using unethical business research were harsher it may deter companies from using unethical practices to conduct their business research. Companies that continue to be found guilty of using unethical business research should be humiliated to the point nobody would want to do business with them, forcing them to close their doors. In conclusion it can be noted that the most important part of finding the right treatments today in medicine is through clinical research data and that data has to be 100% undistorted to know whether or not the treatment is one that will do good or one that will do harm. This goes for any type of business research and should be followed with all companies.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 8

â€Å"Georgina?† I looked up from a baffling return Tammi had asked me to help her with. A customer without a receipt was attempting a refund on a stack of books with dog-eared pages and broken spines, claiming all of them were duplicates someone had just given him for his birthday. â€Å"Just a sec,† I told her. â€Å"I've got to finish this.† â€Å"Okay,† Beth said. â€Å"I just thought you should check out Casey.† â€Å"Casey?† â€Å"Yeah. She's up in the cafe.† That snagged my attention. I finished up with the customer, telling him nicely that we couldn't accept books in this condition. Maybe if the alleged other books were in better shape, he could bring those in. He pouted and argued a bit before finally skulking off. I rolled my eyes once he was gone. One thing that never changed among humans: there were always those who wanted to get something for nothing. It was what kept hell in business. I found Casey sitting in the cafe, drinking a glass of water. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she didn't display her usual care in makeup and hairstyling. She stared bleakly at the table, eyes dull and glazed over. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently, pulling up a chair across from her. â€Å"How's it going?† After a moment's delay, she looked up, not really focusing on me. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You sure? You don't look so okay.† â€Å"Dunno.† Her tone was flat, distracted. â€Å"I just had a late night, that's all. Sorry. Sorry I came in like this.† â€Å"No problem. I've had my share of crazy nights.† The thing was, Casey didn't exactly look hung over. I mean, she definitely looked like she was recovering from something†¦but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was weird. â€Å"What'd you get into? A party?† â€Å"Yeah. Doug's band had another one.† â€Å"Really.† News to me. â€Å"Must have been pretty good.† â€Å"Dunno.† â€Å"What do you mean? You were there.† Her brow furrowed, confusion glinting in her brown eyes. â€Å"I don't†¦really remember. Stupid, huh? I must have really been trashed. I remember†¦being with Alec. Then we left. We went somewhere. â€Å" â€Å"You don't know?† She looked upset and closed her eyes. â€Å"There was this big house, and†¦I don't know. I just†¦I just can't remember. I'm sorry, Georgina. I shouldn't have come in today, okay? Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. So you have no idea what you did with him? Nothing at all?† She shook her head. I shouldn't have kept pushing for details of an employee's personal life, but something here bothered me. It was more than my bias against Alec too. I remembered him pushing alcohol on women, his invitation to go somewhere â€Å"more intense.† Casey's inability to remember what had happened with him smacked of date-rape drugs. â€Å"Did Alec give you anything?† For the first time in this conversation, her dull expression sharpened and looked alert. â€Å"I†¦no. No.† But she was lying. I could tell. Why? Fear of him? Embarrassment? I couldn't bring myself to question her anymore. She looked too miserable. I told her she should go home and get some rest; she didn't need much convincing. I took her place at the registers, silently fuming at that jerk Alec. My anger was furthered by the fact that I could do nothing. Casey's life wasn't really my business, and without her admitting to anything, Alec stood blameless. With Casey now gone, Paige out sick again, and Warren golfing in Florida, I felt relieved when Doug showed up. He looked as energetic as ever, so I hoped he could counter my plunging mood. â€Å"I heard you had a party.† â€Å"Yup.† He grinned, working the register next to mine. â€Å"I tried calling you, but you weren't home.† â€Å"Had a party of my own. Hey, did you notice anything weird with Casey and Alec last night?† â€Å"Weird how? I mean, they seemed to be hitting it off.† â€Å"Nothing else?† â€Å"Nope. Not that I saw. Why? Are you interested? He's a little young for you, but if you're into that, I can give you his phone number.† â€Å"Hardly.† â€Å"Whoa,† he suddenly exclaimed. â€Å"Check this action out.† He picked up one of the books his customer was paying for. It was a romance novel, emblazoned with a big chested man holding an equally big chested woman. Her neck was arched back, her lips open in a moan. And her dress was falling off. â€Å"Bet there's some good shit in here. Nothing like some throbbing members and private time to get you off, eh?† He winked at the customer, who turned crimson and didn't say anything. She handed over some cash and hurried away as fast as she could. Aghast, I ignored the customers standing there and grabbed Doug's arm, jerking him away from the counter. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I asked in a low, angry whisper. He laughed loudly. â€Å"Oh come on, Kincaid. I was just having a little fun. Those romance novels always crack me up.† â€Å"You do not comment on customer purchases. Furthermore, you certainly don't swear in front of them.† â€Å"Basic training. I know all this.† â€Å"Yeah? Then act like it.† We stood there, both of us shocked at my tone. I didn't think I'd ever talked to Doug in such a reprimanding way. Certainly not here. We were both assistant managers, partners in crime. Our entire working relationship was one of lightheartedness and messing around. â€Å"Fine,† he said after a moment. â€Å"Whatever.† We went back to the registers, both of us pointedly ignoring the other. We worked without incident a while longer until I heard him say, â€Å"Man, this has to be rough. Hope it all works out.† Looking over, I saw his customer buying a book about STDs. Doug returned my gaze with a challenging look. I finished my own purchase and then put up a â€Å"register closed† sign. Finding Andy at the information desk, I told him to ask Doug to swap spots. â€Å"Don't tell him I told you to.† Doug seemed safer helping customers find books, yet no matter where I was in the store, I could hear him. He spoke and laughed too loudly. Whenever I caught sight of him, he was always in motion – like he couldn't stay still. Once, he was – literally – juggling books for a customer. Another time, I saw him actually skipping as he led a customer over to the cooking section. I frowned, unsure what to do. His lively nature had been fun this last week, but he was pushing it now, and I wasn't entirely sure what my role should be in all of this. â€Å"That redheaded girl said you're the manager here,† a middle-aged woman suddenly said, approaching me as I rearranged a display. â€Å"I'm an assistant manager,† I told her. â€Å"What can I help you with?† She pointed to the information desk. â€Å"That man was so rude to me. He helped me find some books, and then†¦he said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She couldn't finish, oscillating between anger and distress. I looked at what she held. Books on clinical depression. Lovely. At least it wasn't called Going Postal in an Insensitive Bookstore. I took a deep breath to steady myself and apologized profusely, promising I'd deal with it. I then walked her over to the head of the check-out line and told Andy to ring her books up for free. Warren never approved of that, but I didn't care at the moment. I waited for Doug to finish with his customer and then pulled him aside once more. â€Å"We need to talk in the office.† He gave me a lopsided grin. Studying him, I saw his eyes glittering with a distracted fervor. â€Å"What for? Let's talk here. I've got customers to help, you know. Can't let this goddamned place go unattended.† I blanched at this, still forcing calm. We had a line of about four customers listening. â€Å"No. Let's go in the back.† He rolled his eyes and threw a friendly arm around me. â€Å"Christ, you're uptight. What's this about?† â€Å"You know what it's about,† I returned, wiggling out from under the arm. â€Å"You're out of line today.† His smile fell. â€Å"No, you're out of line. What's with the attitude anyway? You can't talk to me like this.† He was still too loud. More people were stopping. â€Å"I can talk to you like this when you're acting like a jerk. You're upsetting customers. You're doing stuff that's completely inappropriate, and you know it.† â€Å"‘Inappropriate?' Jesus Fucking Christ, Kincaid! You sound like Paige now. I'm having fun. Remember that? Remember when you and I used to do that around here back before you got this stick up your ass?† We had a bona fide audience now. Customers and staff alike. Dead silence, save for the faint sounds of Vivaldi playing through the store's sound system. â€Å"I mean,† he continued, thriving on the attention, â€Å"where do you get off acting like this? Who put you in charge? You and I are the same rank, remember? It's like you get ten seconds of fame in Mortensen's story, and now you think you can put on airs. Why don't you go find him? Maybe if you got laid again, you'd stop being such a bitch.† â€Å"Doug,† I said, astonished at how firm and strong my voice was. It was like someone else was using my body to confront him, and I only watched. â€Å"You need to go home. Now. If you don't leave, I'll have you removed.† Of course, I had no clue how I was going to pull that off. As it was, I felt almost terrified to be facing off against him like this. My heart raced. We were standing close, thrusting our wills at one another, and he had half a head's height on me and a bigger build. I didn't really fear violence from him, but the physical intimidation was as scary as the psychological. Still, I held my ground, keeping my expression commanding and decisive. At last, he backed down, breaking eye contact. He shrugged and gave his goofy grin to those watching, like they were in on some joke with him. â€Å"Sure. Whatever you want. I don't care. I could use a day off anyway.† He looked around again, face smug and defiant, like he'd won. After another survey of the crowd, he laughed and stalked out. Nobody spoke or breathed after that. I drew myself up, like none of this had bothered me either. I strode purposefully away, saying to Beth as I passed: â€Å"Will you cover the desk now?† I went upstairs to the caf? ¦ and had the barista make me a mocha. I took it with shaking hands and turned around to find Seth standing there. He wore a Ratt shirt today. â€Å"Thetis,† he said softly. I walked over to one of the windows, and he followed. Outside, cars and people moved throughout Queen Anne. I watched them without seeing them. Seth moved behind me, his presence steady and reassuring. Waiting to catch me, even though I refused to fall just yet. This, I realized, was why I chose to stay with him, sexual mishaps or no. â€Å"I suppose you witnessed all that.† â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"You handled it well.† â€Å"I didn't want to handle it at all.† â€Å"Someone had to.† He touched my arm gently. â€Å"You can be pretty fierce sometimes.† I shook my head, still numb. â€Å"I don't want to be fierce either.† â€Å"Georgina. Look at me.† I turned and looked. Those lovely eyes were soft and full of love, yet underscored with strength. â€Å"You did the right thing.† He rested his hands on my arms, thumbs stroking the bare skin. â€Å"You did the right thing.† â€Å"He's my friend.† â€Å"That doesn't matter.† â€Å"What's wrong with him, Seth? What's gotten into him?† â€Å"Isn't it obvious?† â€Å"Not to me.† He smiled ruefully. â€Å"The same thing that made you eat a bag of Taco Bell food last night.† â€Å"What? Pot doesn't do that. Make him behave like he did, I mean. Not the Taco Bell thing.† â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"Pot won't do that, but he was obviously on something. â€Å" I turned back to my view, thinking. I recalled Doug's nonstop vigor, that feverish look in his eyes. Yes, it made sense, and it was saddening. I'd never known him to mess around with anything much harder than alcohol and marijuana. Yet†¦there was more to his exuberance lately. A drug couldn't make you good at Tetrisor churn out an album's worth of songs in under a month. â€Å"I don't know what it could be then. I've tried almost everything once,† I admitted sheepishly. Immortality allowed experimentation without the dangerous consequences mortals faced. â€Å"But I haven't made enough of a study to really ID anything. What do you think? Some kind of amphetamine?† â€Å"I don't really know either.† I rubbed my temples, sensing a nasty headache coming on. I wanted nothing more just then than to go home and veg on the couch with Seth on one side, Aubrey on the other, and a plate of brownies on my lap. It wasn't going to happen. â€Å"I've got to get back down there. We're short two people now. I'm going to be here until closing again.† â€Å"You want me to come over after work? I'm supposed to paint at Terry's, but I can bail on it.† I assured Seth he didn't need to change his plans for me and then returned downstairs. Functionality had resumed as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The only thing noteworthy was the way the other staff watched me now. Not with mockery or amusement, but something else. If I hadn't known better, I would have said my respect rating had just shot up. I got home after work, drained. Weak with exhaustion, mental and physical. When I absorbed life from victims, it was usually to sustain my immortal existence and shape-shifting. But life was full of other things that required energy. Breaking and entering. Working two twelve-hours shifts in a row. Staying virtuous around the man of your dreams. Reprimanding one of your best friends and discovering he was probably addicted to something nasty. The need for vitality itched within me, making me irritable and anxious despite my worn-out feeling. For me, that energy-longing translated into lust, a sudden need to be touched and consumed by someone I could consume in return. I called Bastien. â€Å"What is it now?† he asked sarcastically. â€Å"I suppose you're just going to cut to the chase and call Dana. That way you can get it over with and tell her how her neighbor has a plan to seduce her and bring down her organization. Maybe while you're at it, you can mention the break-in and get me arrested. You could even key my car if you wanted. It would be a perfect ending to my already ruined career.† â€Å"Oh shut up,† I snapped, not having the patience for this. Apparently I still had some fury left in me from earlier. â€Å"First, you were not going to bed Dana last night, so get that out of your system. Second, you probably deterred her by answering the door in the first place, as stoned as you were. Third, if you'd really wanted to endear yourself to her, you would have shown more concern for me rather than coming off as an uncaring asshole.† â€Å"How is your ankle?† he asked reluctantly. â€Å"Fine. You know how it goes.† A sprain was barely a day's concern for an immortal. â€Å"Good enough to go dancing on.† â€Å"Dancing?† â€Å"Yes. I want you to take me out. Now. I just had the worst day ever. â€Å" â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Sorry? Are you turning me down? Since when have you been such a grudge-holder?† â€Å"It's not just that†¦well, okay, maybe a little. But Bill invited me over to watch a football game.† â€Å"You hate football.† â€Å"Yeah, but I might see Dana. Sorry, Fleur . You're on your own tonight. â€Å" Annoyed, I hung up and dialed the next best dancer I knew. â€Å"Cody,† I said, â€Å"we're going clubbing.† â€Å"Okay,† he returned agreeably, â€Å"but I'll have to bring Hugh and Peter.† â€Å"Ack. They dance almost as badly as Seth.† â€Å"Yeah. But I promised I'd hang out with them tonight. Unless you want to come over here? We're playing D&D right now. Do you know how many hit points a succubus has?† â€Å"All right, all right. Bring them along.† I hung up. It didn't really matter who came anyway. I mostly just wanted people to go out with. Companionship gave the outing some semblance of normality, though it wasn't like I needed any of them for what I was going to do. â€Å"Jesus, woman,† breathed Hugh when I answered my door an hour later. â€Å"You're kind of screwing with my sisterly feelings for you.† I had on a pleated black skirt that covered less than half my thighs. My top was off the shoulder with three-quarter sleeves, and it stopped just above my belly button, leaving my midriff bare. It was made of clinging, stretchy black lace that looked opaque in dim lighting and showed everything – and I do mean everything – in full light. The only decision left was what body to go out in. I didn't like to do succubus work in my usual shape – the one that worked at Emerald City and slept with Seth. I wanted an anonymous face, one that could forget and be forgotten. Staring at my bathroom mirror, I considered a number of features and ethnicities. Finally, I opted for a pretty Latina look, sultry with long dark hair. We went to the same club Bastien and I had danced at before. It played varying genres of music, but all of it was fast and heavy. It thrummed in the blood. Hugh immediately parked himself at the bar, looking exactly like the creepy guy who ogled younger women that he was. Peter seemed torn between joining him and hitting the floor. He was homebody enough to want to stay with Hugh, but I knew places like this were fertile hunting grounds for vampires and succubi alike. Reluctantly, the frumpy vampire bought a drink and then made his way to the dancers, looking hopelessly out of place. I knew he'd survive, though; he'd been doing what he did almost as long as I had. I walked up to the bar and ordered a shot of Rumple Minze, which I downed immediately. It was funny – part of me thought that I could scorn Doug for getting mixed up with some drug when I turned so readily to alcohol to ease my own tension. â€Å"Dance with me,† I told Cody, grabbing his hand. He looked good tonight, wearing a button-up shirt untucked and loose. It had a neat printed pattern on it, one of those that only confident guys with real fashion sense could actually wear. With his agile dancing and golden blond looks, he made a good partner. â€Å"What am I, your warm-up?† he asked me a few songs later. I laughed. We were dancing awfully close, and I had been moving my body more provocatively than I normally would with a friend. Unconscious motion. My succubus hunger surfacing. â€Å"Does it bother you?† â€Å"Nope. Well, other than giving me that weird incest feeling Hugh was talking about. But I don't think you're going to get what you need off me.† â€Å"True,† I said scanning the crowd. The place was packed with mortals, all warm and energetic and burning with life in a way my friends and I did not. Again, the itch of longing seized me. I wanted to touch them all and knew I'd have to break from Cody soon. â€Å"What's got you all fired up anyway? We don't usually see you like this.† That was true. Mostly he and the others just heard me bitching and moaning about my infernal job and how I hated seducing nice guys. â€Å"Need to burn off some Seth lust. That, and I got majorly run down today,† I explained, proceeding to tell him the rest. Cody felt as sad as I did about Doug, whom he knew and liked. The young vampire agreed that Doug's erratic behavior sounded amphetamine based, and he threw out a few suggestions for me. I made a mental note to look them up later. Cody and I finally split up, each to take care of our own business. I started working the room, much as I had the other night, only this time my motivation was legitimate. I had my pick of partners and no end of free drinks. Each time I got someone to buy me one, Hugh – still at the bar – would shake his head with wry amusement. In about two hours, I had my mark. He was young and muscular, made extra gorgeous by sexy Mediterranean features. Italian descent, I suspected. He was also sweet and shy, clearly astonished that I kept dancing with him. His friends, watching from afar, apparently felt the same way. We had moved to a crowded part of the dance floor, jam-packed with other sweating, frenzied bodies. I rubbed mine against his in a more intimate way than the crowd quite required, my hands sliding over his body as we swayed. When our lips brushed against each other's, he pulled back. He told me then – awkwardly and reluctantly – that he had a girlfriend. That didn't come as a surprise to me. We stopped dancing, getting jostled by the crowd, and I feigned modest embarrassment for my boldness while pretending not to notice how he hadn't seemed to want to make the girlfriend admission. â€Å"Er, wait,† he said as I started to turn and leave. Hesitation hung heavy in his voice. The voice of someone trying to rationalize something he knew he shouldn't be doing†¦but wanted to anyway. True consternation churned on his face. â€Å"I mean, we can still†¦we can still†¦keep dancing. Can't we?† Five dances later, I'd sweet-talked – and bribed – one of the waiters into letting us into a storage room in the club's basement. It was dark and small and filled with extra tables, but it sufficed for what we needed. I could still hear the music from above, though none of the song's specifics. The whole building vibrated with the beat. My guy still appeared nervous, but alcohol and opportunity were clearly winning out over his better judgment. I didn't tell him my name. I didn't ask for his. I pulled him to me, and we kissed – the kind of hard, furious kissing that makes your lips feel swollen afterward. His hands started on my hips and then moved upward, peeling the lace shirt up as they went, exposing my breasts. His hands fondled them wonderingly, feeling their shape and size, making my nipples harden and stand out. He leaned down and put his lips to one, sucking hard. When I felt his teeth bite gently, I grunted in approval and shifted my hands down to loosen his belt. He straightened back up, and this time I was the one who went down – literally. On my knees, I tugged on his boxers and released the erection that had been straining at the fabric. I ran my tongue along its tip, tasting the few salty drops that had already seeped out. Then, without further hesitation, I took the whole thing into my mouth, letting my tongue roll over it as my lips moved back and forth along the length of the shaft. He groaned and laced his fingers across the back of my neck, trying to push more of him inside. The first tendrils of his energy began flowing into me, sweet and delicious. He was a good one, full of strength. I sucked harder, teasing him for a couple more minutes, then broke away and stood up. The look on his face when I stopped became almost comically desperate. Like he couldn't believe I had just done that to him. Like I had just gone and hit his shins with a baseball bat. I licked my lips and smiled. â€Å"You want more? You're going to have to come and get it. â€Å" This was the clincher. If I was going to go to the trouble of bagging a guy with a strong life force, I might as well hit my quota with Jerome and do some corrupting as well. A guy with a serious girlfriend might feel guilty about fooling around with another woman, but he'd feel guiltier still if he was the one who took serious steps toward initiating it. It was too easy to say she made me do it. My part was done; he had to take over now. This guy might not have realized my ulterior motives here, but he seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. He stood on the edge now, the edge of a decision that could affect his eternal soul. Did he or didn't he? Did he give in to his lust and betray a woman he cared about? Did he take a chance with me he might never get again? Or did he reject me and walk away? Did he stay faithful? My smile grew, slow and languid, as he debated. I paced around the room like I had all the time in the world, like I didn't care what he decided to do. The click of my heels sounded loudly on the hard floor. I turned away from him, trying to make out some old framed picture on the wall. It was mostly a dark blur in the dim lighting. Then, I felt him behind me. His hands slid from my waist down to my hips, then lower to cradle my ass. He pushed up what little of the skirt there was and pulled down the strappy black thong I had underneath. Slowly, his hands traced every curve, feeling and exploring. One hand moved around the outside of my leg toward the front, between my thighs. The movement forced him to move closer to me, and I could feel him – still hard, still ready – press against my flesh. The exploring hand pushed farther between my thighs, and his breath was hard and hot on my neck. His fingers brushed the small, neatly trimmed patch of hair between my legs, then moved lower, dancing at the edges of my lips, teasing them. A small, urgent moan left my mouth, and I ground against him, hoping to get a response. He slid his fingers in a smooth rhythm, stoking my already raging desire. A minute later, those urgent fingers moved into me, probing and exploring. I was wet and slippery, but it still caught me by surprise, and I exclaimed loudly. He wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulling me even closer, and continued driving those fingers in and out. His life poured into me again. A purely physical burning welled inside of me too, growing stronger each time he moved in. But before that feeling could reach completion, he pulled his fingers out and left them out. My turn to feel unfulfilled. Gripping my shoulders, he turned me around, and I braced myself to be shoved on top of the table or up against the wall. To my astonishment, he pushed me onto my knees instead, his breathing frantic now, his eyes burning with hunger and lust. â€Å"Your mouth,† he gasped out. â€Å"I want your mouth again.† Unexpected – and perhaps a little disappointing – but it all worked the same for me. Before I could even act, he thrust himself back between my lips. A surprised sound lodged in my throat, and it seemed to turn him on even more. I no longer had to worry about who was taking the initiative here; it was all him. His hands held my head and neck in place as he pumped away, pushing into me over and over. The life-force transfer started in earnest, his energy flooding into me with his thoughts and feelings. Finally, finally, finally, he thought, aching desire crackling through him. Feeling his mind and soul, I realized then he might not have been so easy a tag as I originally thought. He loved his girlfriend. Loved her passionately. But she didn't like oral sex, and one of the biggest fantasies of this guy's life was to – bluntly – fuck her face. Had I started foreplay in some other way tonight, he might very well have been strong enough to decline. But I had given him the one thing he couldn't refuse. It overpowered the guilt lurking in the back of his mind. I'll never get this chance again. Allison doesn't have to know. I knew that rationalization well. It was just about the oldest in the book. He thrust more urgently, that long shaft filling my mouth as his eyes watched me eagerly, and unintelligible, primal noises sounded in his throat. And for me, who had been denied an orgasm, pleasure was building in a different way. Life-force transfer doesn't occur at the point of a physical contact or even orgasm. It's bigger than that, more holistic. Soul to soul. His energy washed over me now in waves, and it was pure ecstasy as I rode that ocean higher and higher. My body burned with it, nearly to the breaking point. Before that crest crashed over, before our connection broke, I caught one more thought from him, plain and simple: mouth or face} Ah, men. He chose mouth, moaning loudly as he came. Warm, bitter liquid flooded over my tongue as his body spasmed and his nails dug into my neck and scalp. I waited until he finished, then swallowed because I knew it was what he wanted me to do. It was what every guy wanted. And really, it was the least I could do for him, because with his orgasm came a climax of my own. The full force of his energy hit me like a bolt of lightning at the same time he felt its loss. I broke from him, gasping at the feel of that power, swimming in that bliss, invigorated and alive. He, however, stiffened and paled, suddenly weak and confused at losing something he hadn't even known he had. He groped blindly for support and caught the edge of a table as his legs gave out underneath him. The table saved him from completely falling over, and I caught his other arm, balancing him. Carefully, I eased him down so he could sit and lean his body against a chair. His eyes struggled to stay open as the shock of his energy loss pulled him toward unconsciousness. Another cardinal succubus rule: the stronger the guy, the stronger his loss would be. â€Å"Oh my God†¦what's wrong with me?† Pushing aside whatever kindly feelings or sympathy I might have, reminding myself he'd – eventually – recover, I stared down at him coolly and rearranged my clothes. â€Å"I think you drank too much.† I leaned over and tugged up his pants. â€Å"I'll go get help.† He started to protest, but I was already out the door. I strode back to the dance floor, haloed in his energy. I felt like a goddess entering a temple of worshippers, and many sets of eyes seemed to regard me as exactly that. A few quick searches, and I found his friends from earlier. I told them he'd passed out downstairs and left them to deal with it. â€Å"This one's on me,† I heard Hugh say when I walked back up to the bar. My post-sex glamour would be especially obvious to him. I ordered a shot of Jagermeister and chased it with another shot of Goldschlager. Nothing like funny-named liquor to top off an evening. â€Å"Does it make you feel better?† the imp asked. He inclined his head toward the two empty glasses. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"But sometimes it helps me not remember as much.† I went home after that and cooked myself in a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the feel of sex. My buzz soon yielded to my second headache of the day and a slightly nauseous feeling. I had just settled down on the couch for mindless TV watching, back in my normal shape, when Seth showed up. â€Å"I wanted to see how you were doing,† he explained, sitting down next to me. â€Å"Better,† I told him uneasily. â€Å"Sort of. I went out with the gang.† â€Å"Ah. Sounds fun.† He didn't sound entirely sincere. I think â€Å"the gang† still kind of weirded him out a little. He leaned his head on the couch and stared at me for a long time, not saying anything. I laughed in spite of myself. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I don't know,† he said, face serious. He reminded me of a child staring at the tree on Christmas morning. â€Å"It's weird. It's just you're so†¦so beautiful tonight. I mean, you're always pretty, of course, but tonight, I don't know – I can't take my eyes off of you. I want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't give voice to the urge. â€Å"Must be the wet hair and pajamas,† I said lightly. â€Å"Always a turn-on.† But I knew what was bedazzling him. The guy from the club. Or rather, that guy's stolen life. Humans couldn't resist it. Immortals couldn't resist it. Racking my brain, I realized Seth had never seen me so soon after a fix. He'd seen me the same day sometimes – and also commented on my attractiveness then – but this was the first time he'd received its full effect. It made me feel guilty to see him looking at me like this. His hand reached for mine, and I tried not to flinch as he took it. Even after the shower, I felt dirty and cheap. I didn't want him to touch me after what I'd done, even if it had been in a different body. I didn't deserve such love. Seth sighed, still enchanted. His long fingers traced warm, whirling patterns on my skin. I felt my breathing grow heavier. â€Å"I wish I could put your beauty into words. But I'm not that good of a writer. Guess I need some work.† I stood up hastily and tugged at his hand. â€Å"Now you're just being silly. I think you're the one that needs to go home and rest.† He blinked. â€Å"Oh. So no more, uh, attempts at sleeping?† I hesitated. I wanted to do it again but still didn't trust myself. Or Seth actually, not with the way he kept watching me with such rapt admiration, that heat burning in his eyes. One would have thought a backroom fling might have sated my lust for the night, but I wanted Seth just as much as ever. Of course, in retrospect, maybe that wasn't a surprise after all. Said fling hadn't exactly addressed my physical needs. â€Å"No,† I told Seth. â€Å"Not yet. Too soon.† He looked like being separated from me would hurt him physically, but he finally conceded when I let him kiss my cheek. It was long and lingering, more sensuous than one would expect, making me inhale and then exhale a long, shuddering breath. I wouldn't return the gesture, however. Not with these lips. He waxed on about my beauty a few more times before finally leaving, and I went to bed shortly thereafter. Lying there, I told myself over and over that I had done the right thing at the club. I had done what I needed to do to keep myself strong and capable. After all, Seth had said he loved my â€Å"whirlwind.† Sex was the means of keeping it strong. I had done the right thing. And I had done the right thing with Doug too. Everything I'd done today had been for the best. And yet†¦if that was true, then why did I feel so terrible about it all?

Autism

Not every child with autism will have a language problem. A childs ability to communicate will vary, depending upon his or her intellectual and social development. Some children with autism may be unable to speak while others may have rich vocabularies and be able to talk about specific subjects in great detail. Most children with autism have little or no problem pronouncing words. The majority, however, have difficulty using language effectively, especially when they talk to other people.Many have problems with the meaning and withy of words and sentences. There are some patterns of language use and behaviors that are often found in children with autism. Firstly, they use repetitive or rigid language. Children with autism who can speak will say things that have no meaning or that seem out of context in conversations with others. For example, a child may continuously repeat words he or she has heard or keep asking the same question. In addition, some children with autism may also speak In a high-pitched tone or use robot-like voice.Secondly, children with autism usually have narrow interests and exceptional abilities. Some children may be able to deliver an In-depth monologue about a topic that holds their Interest, even though they may not be able to carry on a two-way conversation about the same topic. Some have musical talents or an advanced ability to count and do math calculations. Approximately 10 percent of children with autism show extremely high abilities In specific areas, such as calendar calculation, music, or math.Thirdly, they normally have uneven language development. Many children with autism develop some speech and language skills, UT not to a normal level of ability, and their progress are usually uneven. For example, they may develop a strong vocabulary In a particular area of Interest very quickly. Many children have good memories for Information Just heard or seen. Some children may be able to read words before 5 years of age, but they may not comprehend what they have read.They often do not respond to the speech of others and may not respond to their own names. As a result, children with autism sometimes are mistakenly thought to have a hearing problem. Lastly, they have poor nonverbal conversation skills. Children with autism are often unable to use gestures In their speech. They often avoid eye contact, which can make them seem rude, uninterested, or Inattentive. Without meaningful gestures or the language to communicate, many children with autism become frustrated In their attempts to make their feelings and needs known.They may act out their frustrations through vocal outbursts or other Inappropriate behaviors. Autism By focuses question. In addition, some children with autism may also speak in a high-pitched interests and exceptional abilities. Some children may be able to deliver an in-depth monologue about a topic that holds their interest, even though they may not be able of children with autism show extremely high abilities in specific areas, such as example, they may develop a strong vocabulary in a particular area of interest very quickly.Many children have good memories for information Just heard or seen. Some in their speech. They often avoid eye contact, which can make them seem rude, uninterested, or inattentive. Without meaningful gestures or the language to communicate, many children with autism become frustrated in their attempts to vocal outbursts or other inappropriate behaviors.

Ethical Issues in Women's Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Issues in Women's Health - Essay Example The problems are known to originate from societal influences associated with cultural beliefs and implications with regard to ethics (Smith, 2009). The greatest influence is the well-known traditional power imbalance in women. Women are expected to provide care, love and respect to the society without questioning the behavior and the decisions made by men. Gender imbalance is known to be the main cause of domestic violence, sexual assault women have also faced reproductive problem issues and women living in apt poverty giving birth to, many children and lack financial support from men (Smith, 2009). Majority of women who are victims of gender imbalance in fear of reporting their problems to the right authority. Medical practitioners and nurses have had difficulties handling the problem of domestic violence (Grace, 2009). Another challenge experienced by women is the expectations women are required to deliver to the society. For instance, the society expects women to be mothers, careg ivers, professionals, wives and friends all at once. As women strive to balance these roles, they experience health difficulties thus jeopardizing with ethical expectations of the society. Sara’s case Sara is a 19-year-old pregnant girl who is in a dilemma about where to live to protect her fetus. Sara went to the healthcare for a checkup, and the nurse in charge noted some bruises. When Sara asked, confessed that her boyfriend who is responsible for the pregnancy abused her. Sara is currently living with her father and two siblings. Sara’s family suggested that she relocates to her mother’s place. In the past, Sara had a unhealthy relationship with her mother, and she is not comfortable living with her, in addition her boyfriend claimed that, if she relocates he will no longer be responsible for the her and the baby (Smith, 2009). Sara does not want to lose her boyfriend and the father of her child therefore, she is afraid of making the decision of relocation. Sara’s case is similar to many other cases facing a number of women globally. Ethical and legal considerations have to be taken into account, to help people like Sara. Many are times, when abused, pregnant women are unable to decide appropriately. The nurse in charge of Sara’s situation has to help Sara make the decision with regard to her situation (Smith, 2009). Sara can be practically considered to be a teenager and not capable of making a reasonable decision. Sara ought to be empowered first, because the abuse inflicted by her boyfriend are as a result of powerlessness, therefore; through empowerment she is going to be more informed and can make the decision that protects her and the fetus. The nurse in charge has to ensure the decision made must favor both Sara and the fetus. The decision to relocate may be suitable for the fetus but not for Sara emotionally (Smith, 2009). Nonetheless, the decision to remain may put the fetus at risk due to constant abuse from Sar a’s boyfriend. In addition, the boyfriend must also be involved in this case. He is responsible for putting Sara and the fetus at risk, talking to him and knowing what disturbs him will be crucial in taking care of the situation. If the boyfriend is reluctant change, his abusive ways the law can also be factored in the case (Grace, 2009). Even though, Sara may be reluctant about involving the law,

Desertation questionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Desertation questionaire - Essay Example Additional faculty would be required to cope with the changes and new curriculum would be added in Chinese language. The school has applied for grant from the state and is hopeful of receiving it. In the meantime the administrators would like a report incorporating the evaluation of the expansion process. The main expansion would be in the area of incorporating technology which would enhance the education system. Apart from this, the sports facilities and the gymnasium area were considered inadequate as the number of students has gone up. The question of expansion arose because it has been felt that students need to balance between studies and sports. To enhance the quality of the students, to make them capable of competing with others schools in the region, to improve the efficiency of the staff, to enhance teaching facilities for the faculty, expansion has been considered necessary. 2. Any decision is based on a body of knowledge. This body of knowledge is produced through research. By applying the appropriate methodologies and the research method, the body of knowledge can be established and advanced with confidence. Any research is valuable because research adds to the existing knowledge. Research helps to take decisions; research synthesizes information. Research methodology is the procedural framework within which the research is conducted. The methodology depends upon the topic to be researched and the specific research questions are the primary drivers. The research would attempt to find how the faculty and staff respond to the changes as a result of expansion. Any change brings resistance from the employees. Employees in an academic institution comprise of the teaching and non-teaching staff. The change could affect the educational system or the administration of the school. It is essential to evaluate the implications of change because it affects the

Promoting Team Effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Promoting Team Effectiveness - Essay Example Individual conflicts tend to be about personality differences in terms of preference, likes and dislikes, background and so on. These differences are natural and can be a double edged sword. If not managed properly the individual differences lead to team conflicts. Team conflict is characterized by constant disagreements, mistrust among team members, and formation of cliques which act against each other and so on. A case of individual conflict is a situation at the workplace whereby two ladies in a team fail to get along because they share affections for a fellow male colleague. In such a case this problem is purely individual. An example of team conflict is whereby members disagree about the sharing of responsibilities and work in the team. In such a case the problems emanate from the issues that are team related Decision making in a team can be difficult because it may be hard to reach a compromise whereby everyone in the team feels satisfied and like a winner. Additionally, selfish interests among team members may inhibit smooth decision making. However, in contrast, a team leader may experience problem of indifference or disinterest among team members in the area of decision making so that the leader feels disserted when making decisions. Further, a decision affecting team affairs may need to be discussed among team members and welcome their input on the matter which in turn complicates decision making. More often than not these problems of decision making stem from unclear team goals and vision, confusion over who has the final say, unwillingness to take responsibility, selfish interests among other reasons. As a leader, it is important to ensure that these issues do not extend to the point of breaking team spirit which takes so long to build. For example the problem of team members purs ing individual interests first may be resolved by elevating the team's common goal and urging members to realize that the team is bigger than their individual goals. The problem of disinterest or indifferentness in the process of decision making can be conquered by delegating duties more to team members such that they feel more competent to contribute ideas. Perhaps the problem may be that members do not feel valued in the team in which case the atmosphere within the team should change to be accommodating. Question 4 Participation is a strong aspect that attributes to effective teams. Some of the benefits of participation include greater performance/output, efficiency and effectiveness, cohesiveness, growth, innovation and so on. Given the crucial benefits of participation team leaders can devise various methods in order to stimulate/enhance participation, for instance at the workplace a manager may use delegation as a way of promoting participation. Where delegation is made part of the work culture then individuals are forced to step up beyond their comfort zones and participate in team activities. A manager may also reward system to members who show active participation in team activities so that others are enticed to participate too. Importantly, a warm atmosphere and trust in the workplace needs to be nurtured so that team members feel free and uninhibited to participate in activities. Criticisms, gossip and self centeredness should be kept at bay. Communication is also key in fostering parti cipation in the workplace. A team leader should be able to communicate to

Discuss the view that globalisation has generated conditions (in poor Essay

Discuss the view that globalisation has generated conditions (in poor countries) that are conducive to instability, conflict and the emergence of extremist m - Essay Example Globalisation has become an all pervading, all monopolising phenomenon. â€Å"Globalisation can be defined as a set of economic, social, technological, political and cultural structures and processes arising from the changing character of the production, consumption and trade of goods and assets that comprise the base of the international political economy,† â€Å"Globalization is by no means a new phenomenon: idea systems such as Islam or Marxism have had transnational appeal for centuries, and commodities and personnel have long been mobile (for example, there was greater demographic mobility in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries than today),† Kinnwall (2002, p.21). If that is the case, instead of making people and nations comfortable, why has the larger version of globalisation been generating a backlash today, in almost all the societies, other than most of the West? Definitely large forces are up and against it in the most negative way possible. It has been disliked even for its positive qualities. There is no denying that a kind of highly materialistic society is emerging out of globalisation, at the cost of ethics, values, and civilisations, while other issues like poverty, environment, international issues, labour and mainly Human Rights are being either sidelined or ignored. Blind forces of globalisation have continuously threatened the freedom of people in far-flung regions. Globalisation has been blamed as the Western tool of imposing their culture and ways of living. It has also ushered in an alien Western Democracy that has become unpopular in a hurry. People are more concerned with their independence, freedom, religion, customs and most of all, national economies. One main idea that is a hindrance is that economic and political systems that are in conflict with the western systems should either be modified or should

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organizational Culture - Essay Example Once an employee finds his work and organization meaningful, he goes for the extra mile as a token of appreciation to the company. This rubs down on the customer service exemplified by the crew which customers can’t help notice. If an organization would look closely and find ways to boost employee’s morale without spending so much, it only needs t o create a good and positive culture.Google.com illustrates the Google Culture by illustrating that : Our commitment to innovation depends on everyone being comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. Every employee is a hands-on contributor, and everyone wears several hats. Because we believe that each Googler is an equally important part of our success, no one hesitates to pose questions directly to Larry or Sergey in our weekly all-hands ("TGIF") meetings – or spike a volleyball across the net at a corporate officer.( www.google.com/corporate/culture.html) Although Google Inc. is was established for just less than a decade ago, this technology service provider based in Mountain View, California has gone a long way in terms of employee motivation. For two consecutive year, it s employees voted it as â€Å"Best Company to Work for in America† which is quite a feat for an online company. Indeed, ever since it was founded, Google company has long prided itself as an untraditional workplace, almost devoid of middle management, which is obvious in the relationship and work environment in the organization. According to Gupta (2009), Google is the largest brand in the whole world today; a brand name which is set up upon a culture that is low on politics, great at sharing resources and sharing wealth, and full of meaning and significance, and high on trust. On the other hand, ther is mor e to Google aside from plush offices and much publicized payment package, more thoughtful set and deeper factors have been acknowledged

Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Analysis - Assignment Example Even though there are other rivals offering similar products in the global market, Cartier’s performance has continued to grow tremendously for a long period. Alfred, Cartier’s took over the management of the business in 1874. In 1904 the company started designing and producing watches for different companies. Cartier entered into an agreement 1907 with Edmond Jaeger as supplier of the company’s watches. By 1912 the company introduced two new brands of watches Baignoire and Tortue followed by Tank model introduced in 1917. Cartier ownership changed in 1972 when a group of investors bought the Paris business from the initial owners. Also, the same group bought Cartier London in 1972 and Cartier New York in 1976 (Coleno 69). The company engaged in mergers and changed its management with an aim of strengthening its operations. Also, the company has been involved in different exhibitions held in different parts of the world with an aim of increasing its market across the globe. Cartier has several branches in different parts of the world and deals with different brands of jewelry and watches that are marketed and distributed across the globe. Carter has over two hundred branches located in more than 125 countries across the globe and over ten thousand employees. The company has shops in Middle East, America, Japan, Asia and Europe. The company deals with different products such as watches, leather goods and accessories. The carter products are marketed to affluent individuals who have great concern for personal status in the society (Coleno 87). Some of their products are designed to bring together individual’s celebrity, drive and lifestyle in order to establish a distinguishable market section. The gross margin is impressive and depicts an increase from the year 2009 across 2011. This implies that the business profitability is increasing as a result increasing sales.

Plants physiology exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Plants physiology exam - Assignment Example The aforementioned function of root to shoot N signaling implies that any element that will accelerate the mechanism will be important for the growth functions of the plants. The elevation of CO2 levels in the arid areas forms one of the most important factors which usually affects the xylem flow rates. This happens because of the reliant of xylem flow rates on stomatal opening and closure. In which case, the carbon iv oxide elevation causes stomatal closure, which in turn slow down the flow rate in the xylem (Easlon & Bloom, 2013). C4 plants are likely adapted to survive in arid type of environments because of their special ts mechanism which resists elevated levels of carbon iv oxide. The mechanism is called Kranz anatomy of the leaf whereby the bundle sheath cells helps tin decarboxylation of the CO2. These bundle sheath are found within the periphery of the vascular bundles found in the C4 plants, whereby they decarboxylate the carbon iv oxide coming from the mesophyll cells. This is different to the C3 plants which do not have the bundle sheath cells in accompaniment with the enzyme called PEP carboxylase, to help in regulating the high amounts of CO2 in the arid areas. The C3 plants only survive on the C3 carbon fixation pathway for the purpose of converting the CO2 to a compatible organic compound. A mixture of both plants will lead to a faster growth of the C3 plants as compared to the C4 plants. When one plant community containing both plants, C3 plants are likely to utilize more of the carbon iv oxide obtained for photosynthesis as compared to the C4. This happens because the C4 plants have two pathways whereby bundle sheath pathway functions in converting CO2 to organic compounds thereby leaving less for photosynthetic process. Intuitively, this is an efficient prototype for explaining the potential of stronger competition from the C4 plants (Easlon & Bloom,

Incident of National Significance Essay Example for Free

Incident of National Significance Essay Whenever an event of disastrous impact threatens any place in the country, various emergency responses from different government units are mobilized. The National Response Plan (NRP) was designed so that the way in which these kind of events are addressed are done effectively and in an organized manner. As an extensive response plan, it also provides ample support mechanisms that would aid in preventing further damage and facilitate recovery. The NRP is applicable to all real and possible â€Å"Incidents of National Significance. † These incidents, according to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-5), are those situations which have potentially deep and far-reaching effects that necessitate a â€Å"coordinated and effective response† from these resources. All calamitous situations under the Stafford Act are considered Incidents of National Significance. Aside from this, the NRP could be utilized for any event that requires federal intervention. The aforementioned criteria also distinguish Incidents of National Significance from other events being handled by other agencies or are under a different response program. These criteria are qualitative in nature, and it usually applies when division authorities are overwhelmed with a particular situation. For example when the state, local, or tribal authorities need more resources or could not cope with the existing demand in services, they would request assistance from the   Department of Homeland Security. This is also applicable whenever an incident concerns a number of federal agencies or departments. In addition, the countrys President can request this program anytime when it is deemed necessary. Discuss the term, â€Å"ESF† as described in the National Response Plan. In your discussion, be sure to address the basic composition of each ESF. The Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) is a system of coordinating and facilitating response whenever situations of Federal authority arise. It defines the â€Å"mission, policies, concepts of operation, and responsibilities of primary and support agencies† participating in the execution of the National Response Plan (NRP). Basically, the ESF defines the responsibilities and roles of these Federal agencies and   departments. It can be activated due to Incidents of National Significance and other similar situations under the Stafford Act. However, it is possible that these Incidents of National Significance, can already be addressed by other Federal agencies and may not necessarily require the aid of ESFs. The current ESF design framework includes â€Å" economic stabilization, community recovery, and mitigation. â€Å"   It provides the staffing and necessary resources for emergency situations. The NRP includes 12 core ESFs,   each of which is comprised of primary and support agencies. Thes e agencies have their own scopes and obligations. The ESFs come from different management areas that includes emergency management, police and law enforcement, public works, fire, rescue, and medical and health services. Each ESF is assigned support agencies depending on their capabilities and resources in a particular field or area. Though each ESF provide these services based on their given scope or responsibility, they are also expected to assist other ESFs in accomplishing their goals. How does the ESF relate to an â€Å"Incident of National Significance? † Incidents of National Significance are those situations which have potentially deep and far-reaching effects that necessitate a â€Å"coordinated and effective response† from â€Å"Federal, State, local, tribal, private-sector, and nongovernmental entities. † Each day there are situations that require special and emergency response from the authorities. When a local jurisdiction feel that Federal Intervention is needed because of insufficient resources or if a greater expertise is required to address a certain event, they will call on help from the National Response plan (NRP). This is done in order to â€Å"save lives, minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term community recovery and mitigation activities. † The NRP uses a functional approach to define the roles that each ESF plays in response to emergency situations, each agency or department being assigned to an ESF based on their capabilities or the services they are able to provide whenever this emergency happens. It takes into account those practices that each department does best. The appropriate assignment of services and responsibilities to any situation, such as those Incidents of National Significance, is crucial so that different agencies can work together effectively, whether they are local or Federal agencies. This ensures that the communications between them are facilitated accordingly and that they can effectively help each other when the time arises.

Native Americans in the United States and African Americans Essay Example for Free

Native Americans in the United States and African Americans Essay Introduction Joel Spring’s Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality examines the educational policies in the United States that have resulted in intentional patterns of oppression by Protestant, European Americans against racial and ethnic groups. The historical context of the European American oppressor is helpful in understanding how the dominant group has manipulated the minority groups. These minority groups include Americans who are Native, African, Latin/Hispanic, and Asian. Techniques for deculturalization were applied in attempts to erase the oppressed groups’ previous identities and to assimilate them into society at a level where they could be of use to the oppressors. Techniques include isolation from family, replacement of language, denial of education, inclusion of dominant group world view, and provision of inferior teachers and poor facilities. Relationships between educational policy and instances of racism and patterns of oppression are explored in the following. A section will also compare my prior education to the one presented in Spring’s book. Formatting Understanding how European Americans have been able to perceive themselves as superior in psychological, spiritual, racial, and cultural terms is integral to seeing how cultural genocide has occurred in the United States. The basic program is taken from the Roman Imperium which delegates the authority to civilize others by erasing their laws and culture and simultaneously or subsequently installing new laws and mores from the dominant group into the minority group. This plan has been applied by U. S. educators and politicians in an attempt to carry out a perceived upgrade from an inferior cultural program to the superior Anglo-Saxon mixed with Protestantism point of view. This civilized versus uncivilized and Christian versus Pagan viewpoints reveal themselves throughout the history of U. S. education. Native Americans In the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, Native Americans were granted citizenship by the descendants of European immigrants who invaded their territory over 400 years ago. In the years before and after 1924, Native Americans have experienced cultural genocide, deculturalization, and denial of education (Spring, 2010, pp. 8-9). For example, the Naturalization Act of 1790 excluded Native Americans from citizenship, thus preventing them from having a political voice in their rapidly changing world. In 1867, the Indian Peace Commission made 2 requirements for U. S. citizenship: 1) rejection of native religions and 2) acceptance of middle-class American Christianity. The bases of a philosophy that uses superiority and inferiority include racial, linguistic and cultural differences. For European American educators, the â€Å"civilizing† of Native Americans included the installing of a work ethic, the creation of desire to accumulate property; the repression of pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure; the establishment of a nuclear family structure with the father in control; the implementation of authoritarian child-rearing practices; and conversion to Christianity (p. 14). The U. S. government’s program of Native American deculturalization was developed in part because it was less costly than fighting and killing them. Thomas Jefferson’s civilization program called for government agents to establish schools to teach women to spin and sew and men farming and husbandry (p. 18). Educational policies such as this set the stage for purchasing land and avoiding costly wars. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act authorized the President to set aside lands west of the Mississippi for exchange of Indian Land east of the Mississippi (p. 28). Cultural-ecological theory puts Native Americans in the category of involuntary minorities. They were conquered and forced into European American customs and beliefs. Replacing the use of native languages with English, destroying Indian customs and teaching allegiance to the U. S. government became major educational policies of the U. S. government toward Indians in the latter part of the 19th century. An important part of these educational policies was the boarding school designed to remove children from their families at an early age and thereby isolate them from the language and customs of their parents and tribes (p. 32). The Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, PA became the first boarding school for Native American children in 1879. Here deculturalization methods were employed. From this methodology and perspective, the patronizing term cultural deprivation has come to imply that a group is without culture altogether (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 176). One of the perceived deficiencies of Native Americans was their propensity to share which caused the European Americans to label them as socialists which was anathema to the dominant group’s philosophy. Richard Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle School, sought to instill individualism and self responsibility in order to break Indians from a socialist style of sharing. All boarding and reservation schools taught in English with exceptions including some Choctaw and Cherokee schools that utilized bilingual education. In 1928, the Meriam Report reversed the philosophy that isolation of children was required. The new view was that education should occur in one’s family and community. Several decades later, from 1968 to 1990, a number of legislative acts addressed the mistakes of deculturalization. It was not until 1974 that Indian students were granted freedom of religion and culture by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Later, in 1978, Congress granted all Native Americans religious freedom. The Native American Languages Act of 1990 commits the U. S. government to reverse its historic position which was to erase and replace Native American culture. However, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reverses attempts to preserve usage of minority languages (Spring, 2010, p. 135). The destruction of cultural self determination for Native American Indians is saddening. By breaking their connection to their native culture through reeducation camps, European Americans justified a world view that saw color of skin and dogma as beacons of superiority. African Americans. Historically, Africans have been involuntary immigrants who were brought to the U. S. to be slaves. They have faced numerous forms of educational oppression based upon perceived racial differences. For example, from 1800 to 1835, education of enslaved Africans was banned. Spring notes that plantation owners were in constant fear of slave revolts and consequently denied their workers any form of education (p. 43). Furthermore, because of the need for children as farm laborers, planters resisted most attempts to expand educational opportunities for black children (p. 57). Schools for African Americans were underfunded after the Civil War (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 44). Segregation of blacks and whites was the order of the day for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This resulted in a racial divide, unequal school funding, and inferior facilities. An exception to segregated schooling occurred in 1855 in Massachusetts when it became a requirement to integrate schools. In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment included a clause that appeared to disallow segregation. However this clause has been used to implement segregation in schools also. African Americans from northern states helped those in the transition from slavery to freedom. However there was a division between the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Washington negotiated for segregated schools while Du Bois, in 1909, formed the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) which worked for desegregation (Spring, 2010, p. 52). Washington established the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 after attending the Hampton Institute which was founded by General Samuel Armstrong. The Hampton Institute was an educational model designed to keep blacks subordinate. The primary purpose of the Tuskegee Institute was to prepare freed slaves to be teachers who could instill work values in other freed slaves (p. 33). The Tuskegee Institute received support from Industrialist Andrew Carnegie who saw the apartheid model in South Africa as a format for educating black southerners. Conversely, Du Bois and the NAACP fought against the status quo of a permanent African American underclass in education and the economy (p. 62). It was not until 1954 that the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education. The court ruled that separate but equal has no place in education. The separate but equal legislation was from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, established the precedent for using disbursement of government money as a means of controlling educational policies (p. 117). Additionally, much credit is given to Martin Luther King Jr. for helping move forward civil rights legislation of 1964. The Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, in the 1950s and 1960s respectively, gave African Americans political equality as well as the right to vote. African Americans have made significant gains in the past 100 years; however, the pace of change has been painfully slow. The election of a part African American President is a strong indication that we as a country have come a long way. Hispanic/Latino Americans After the conquest of Mexican and Puerto Rican lands, the U. S. government instituted deculturalization programs to ensure that these new populations would not rise up against their new government (p. 84). As with other groups, the Naturalization Act of 1790 blocked them from attaining citizenship because they were not white. Despite the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1948, Mexican Americans were not given actual citizenship. Citizenship rights were abridged throughout the Southwest through limitations placed on voting rights and segregation in public accommodations and schooling (p. 89). Moreover, in many instances, U. S. farmers did not want the children of Mexicans to go to school, because they wanted them to work longer hours. Mexican students were forced to speak English in schools. In the last half of the nineteenth century, Mexican Americans tried to escape the anti-Mexican attitudes by attending Catholic schools. Here linguistic diversity was respected. Puerto Rico became a colony of the United States in 1898. Again, as with Native American Indians, government policy concluded that it was less costly to instill and replace culture in Puerto Rican schools than it was to employ force with the military. Teachers who only spoke English came from the U. S. to teach students who mainly spoke Spanish. U. S. educational policy in Puerto Rico attempted to replace Spanish with English as the majority language and to introduce children to the dominant U. S. culture (p. 100). Examples of deculturalization methods included U. S. flag ceremonies and studies focusing on the traditions of the dominant white culture of the United States. In 1912, the Puerto Rican Teachers Association resisted the educational policies of the U. S. and defended the use of Spanish in school. One’s native language is the foundation for future learning (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 235). In 1951, after 50 years of struggle, Puerto Rico became a commonwealth. Subsequently, Spanish was once again used in the schools without the dogma of English only laws. Additionally, in 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed. It was not until 1974 that the Equal Educational Opportunities Act gave protection to the language rights of students for whom English is not their native language (p. 243). Presently, there are many voluntary immigrants from Latin America. These students are often faced with an assimilation policy which is aimed at Americanizing them. Frequently hybridity is the order of the day for these students. Only blind arrogance could make a dominant group believe that they could go to an island of Spanish-speaking people and teach them a new culture in a new language. As with other groups, the denial of schooling or segregation was maintained in order to continue subordinating the minority. Asian Americans Asian Americans, many of whom were voluntary immigrants, include persons from China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, India, Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand and other counties. The combination of racism and economic exploitation resulted in educational policies designed to deny Asians schooling or to provide segregated schools (Spring, 2010, p. 68). In 1872 the California school code provided no public education for Asian Americans while in 1906, the San Francisco School Board created segregated schools for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students. Finally, in 1974, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chinese American parents in Lau v. Nichols. The decision required public schools to provide special assistance to non-English-speaking students to learn English so that they could equally participate in the educational process (p. 124). Each group of minority Americans has pushed for improvements in the educational system. By persevering, they have been able to move toward a more equitable educational system. However, there is still the dominant European American paradigm in place. As the percentage of minority Americans rises in the coming decades, I believe we will see a movement toward a more multicultural paradigm. Personal Comparisons My early education took place in an environment of white teachers and students. The furthest my exposure to different cultures went was going to school and growing up with my Catholic and Jewish neighbors. My elementary school and middle school were 100% white and my high school had 2 Hispanic students. For me, this was normal; I knew little of other cultures. When I reflect on my American History and Social Studies classes, I recall a sanitized story presented with many stories about honorable white men. Although I finished my high school education in 1977, I do not believe that Martin Luther King Jr. or Civil Rights was mentioned once. Moreover, a great deal of social upheaval obviously was occurring; however, the only topic related to the turmoil of the era that made it to my awareness was the war in Viet Nam. After high school, I attended a small private college in Pennsylvania where approximately 30 African Americans and 10 Hispanic students attended. I was acquainted with one of the Hispanic students who had a poster of Che Guevara in his room. All of my professors were apparently European Americans and I continued to study mostly dominant culture stories. Recognizing my own lack of personal direction, I dropped out of school and entered into my own version of home schooling. I purchased a bus ticket for Tucson, Arizona; however, I first stopped in Washington D. C. to visit my Aunt. She took me to a book store where I bought some philosophy books. I explored different philosophies and literature. I travelled, worked, read and explored my values and beliefs. I returned to my home town, Lancaster, PA, and decided to return to formal University life at Millersville State University. From 1984-1987, I again had European American professors. In 1991, I reentered Millersville University to take some graduate courses. I looked into getting a graduate assistantship and found an opening in a program called Upward Bound. I interviewed with the director, whom I knew from earlier years, and with a Filipino and African American student. I got the position and subsequently was working in a multicultural enterprise. I prepared lessons for high school children from multiple ethnic groups. The reason Spring’s history of minority Americans was not part of my education was because I was raised in a racially homogenous region. I think that I could have driven east 20 miles, south 15 miles or north 5 miles and everybody would have been white. Going west 2 miles would take me into the middle of Lancaster city where many African Americans and Puerto Rican Americans live. However, I lived a provincial life and did not interact much with people from other cultures in my youth. Furthermore, it was standard policy at that time to teach from a Eurocentric point of views. The effect on White Americans of an Anglocentric and Eurocentric perspective, which does not include minority Americans, is an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of self and world. The effects on minority Americans also leads to an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of self and world include, as well as increased dropout rates and resistance to education. Additionally, cultural discontinuities may contribute to negative academic outcomes (Nieto and Bode, 2008, pp 181-182). Another effect on minority Americans is clearly a net feeling of not being included in the past and possibly being excluded from present and future events. Exclusion’s result is well described in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. In this book, the narrator is unable to be seen or recognized because he is black. From Spring’s book I learned about the many minority groups that were mistreated and intentionally harmed at personal and cultural levels. Furthermore, I was ignorant about the attempts at deculturalization of Puerto Ricans. Additionally, I knew little about the detailed history of denying education to Asian and Mexican Americans. While I knew about reeducation and denial of education of Native and African Americans, I did not know the extent to which political, economic, and social forces combined to prevent these groups from experiencing their historical culture or from participating in the dominant, European American culture. Conclusion European Americans have quashed cultures in the United States through education. Native American, African, Hispanic, and Asian minorities have witnessed a persistent attack on their beliefs, values, and languages by those who either 1) thought that they were better or 2) wanted to deprive others of their pursuit of happiness in order to support economic and political position. Consistent deculturalization efforts were made toward Native Americans by government agents establishing schools for Native Americans and by boarding schools. By controlling the content and context in which education took place, U. S. educators suffocated Native American Culture and resuscitated it with the European mores. The multiple cultures of Americans from African descent were hollowed through denial of education, physical intimidation, segregation, and inferior facilities. Persistent attempts to correct the status quo by the NAACP, Martin Luther King Jr. , and several other organizations and individuals have moved the U. S. government to redress some inequities in the educational system. Mexican Americans were also placed in English-only schools or no school at all. During the twentieth century, Puerto Rican students faced the same threats of deculturalization as did Asian Americans in nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Legislation in the latter part of the twentieth century has also redressed some inequities in educational opportunities for these groups while, the No Child Left Behind Act has reduced some of the multicultural gains in education which disappoints many in the teaching profession. References Nieto, Sonia and Bode, Patty (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Boston. Pearson Education Inc. Spring, Joel (2010). Deculturalization and the struggle for equality. New York. McGraw-Hill.

The Theories Of Motivation Psychology Essay

The Theories Of Motivation Psychology Essay Motivation can be defined as giving a reason, incentive, enthusiasm or interest that causes a person to adopt a specific action or behavior. A simple example could be that our act of eating is motivated by hunger. We can classify motivation into two main types: Intrinsic motivation: when people do something for pleasure, importance or desire (internal) Extrinsic motivation: when external factors motivate a person to adopt a certain act or behavior(external) (Lionel, 1994) Theories of motivation: Incentive theory: A tangible or an intangible reward is given after the occurrence of an action/behavior with the intention of causing the behavior/action to occur again. Some studies show that if the reward is given quickly, the effect is greater than if the incentive is given after increased passage of time. This repetitive action-reward combination makes the specific behavior a habit.(Robert, 1995) This theory is promoted by many famous behavioral psychologists such as B.F.Skinner and emphasizes that if actions are positively received, people are more likely to carry them on again and again while if they are negatively received, people avoid carrying out those acts/behaviors again. Incentive theory differentiates itself from other theories such as drive theory in terms of behaviorism in such a way that it involves positive reinforcement i.e the act is reinforced to make the person happy and encourage him to carry it on again for example a person knows that eating food or drinking water will make him satisfied and happy, while in the drive theory, use of negative reinforcement is made i.e the stimulus has been associated with the removal of the punishment for example a person knows that when he will consume food if he is hungry, it will eliminate the negative feeling of hunger.(Wilson,1992) In simpler words, incentive theory suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. Behavioral concepts such as association and reinforcement play an important role in this theory of motivation.(Wilson, 1992) Drive reduction theory: This theory emphasizes that people have certain biological needs or drives (example hunger, sleep and sex) and as the time passes, the strength of the desire increases if it is not fulfilled or satisfied. Upon satisfying the drive, the strength is reduced and the organism returns to a state of homeostasis. In simpler words, people are motivated to carry out some actions in order to reduce the internal tension caused by unmet needs. An example of application of this theory is that when you drink a glass of water to reduce the internal state of thirst. Another example is if we were hot, we would seek for a shade, this seeking for shade and drinking glass of water is an example of drive reducing behavior. The problem however, faced with this theory is that the drives are not always, purely motivated by physiological needs. For example, a person may smell freshly baked bread and want to eat it although he has already done his breakfast little time ago. In this case the drive hunger is not motivating him to do this action but he is just eating the bread because he is attracted to the smell and he knows that a freshly baked bread tastes very good.(Lepper, 1995) Maslows theory of hierarchy of motives: Maslow emphasized that once our basic needs, which ensure our survival are met, our attention is diverted to our relationship with others, self esteem and fulfilling personal potential. (Maslow, 1970) Physiological needs are the first needs (hunger, sex etc) that need to be satisfied. Safety needs are listed as second needs and these mainly mean the feelings of security that the world is a safe placefor an individual to live. Belongingness and love needs are listed as third most important need which refer to being loved by others and accepted so that the individual can also give love to others. Esteem need is the fourth most important need. This means that a person has feelings of his self esteem which can be achieved through receiving respect from other people and recognition. Self actualization refers to reaching ones own unique potential. The final need is to find a meaning in the world beyond ones self or self transcendence.(Whyte, 1980) This hierarchy of needs is drawn in a shape of pyramid with the most important need starting from the bottom: Arousal theory of motivation: This theory suggests that people carry out some specific actions in order to increase or decrease their levels of arousal. More clearly we can say, that this theory motivates us in order to maintain our arousal level at an optimum point, not below it, not higher. A clear example of application of this theory could be when the arousal levels gets below the optimum point, the person may go to watch a movie or go for a jog. This is likely to boost up his arousal level. Similarly, if the arousal level gets high, the person is likely to seek ways in which he can bring it down, i.e ways that make him relax such as meditating or reading a book.in monkeys, curiosity motivates them how to open a latch door or a window. (butler, 1954). This theory is very popular both in the field of psychology or physiology. It was originated by Lindsley. According to him, too little stimulation can cause a person to get bored while too high level of stimulation can cause anxiety, which results in sensation seeking. Such sensation seekers are more impulsive and likely to participate in risky behavior. Impulsivity refers to inability of a person to judge the consequences of a risky action he is going to perform. Such impulsive people might not be able to correctly process cognitive information.(lynam and miller, 2004) Instinct theory of motivation: In accordance with this theory, people behave in specific way because they are evolutionarily programmed to. People do not actually learn to behave like that, it is an inborn behavior. A clear example of such a behavior is the migrations that occur in animals world.(forbes,2011) William james created a list of instincts which included: Modesty love Attatchement Play Fear Anger Shyness However, the main problems faced by this theory were that it did not explain behavior, but just described. It described the effect of genetics and heresity on human behavior. Most of our behaviors are not unlearned and thus, these instincts are not likely to motivate us. According to Sigmund freud, human behavior is driven by two biological instincts: eros and thenatos, the life instinct and the death instinct respectively. The life instinct includes sexual motivation, the death instinct includes aggression motivation. He suggested that people should handle these aggressive instincts carefully and non-violently by engaging in competitive activities.(steven,2002) William mcdougal also pioneered an instinct theory, in his theory, instincts compose of three parts; perception, behavior and emotion. Humans have perceptual predisposition to focus on stimuli that are important to his goals. Humans have the drive and energy called the emotional core between perception of the goal and the movement towards it. Mcdougal listed 17 instincts including: Hunger Rejection of particular substances Curiosity Escape Pugnacity Sex Maternal/paternal instinct Gregariousness Self-assertion Submission Construction Acquisition Crying Laughter Comfort Rest Migration (steven,2002) Cognitive evaluation theory: This theory suggests that there are actually two types of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic which correspond to two types of motivators: Intrinsic motivators; that come from actual performance of the task e.g achievement, responsibility and competence Extrinsic motivators; that come from a persons environment or controlled by others e.g pay, promotion, feedback and working conditions. Any of these could be a more power motivator for an individual.(Lepper,1995) Intrinsically motivated people perform mainly for their own satisfaction and achievement.if they start to believe that they are working for pay or work conditions or for any other extrinsic reason, they begin to lose motivation. It emphasizes that powerful extrinsic motivators can decrease a persons intrinsic motivation, especially if the extrinsic motivators are believed to be controlled by others by the individual.(Lepper, 1995) Hezbergs two factor theory: According to hezberg, two kinds of factors are likely to affect motivation, and they do it in different ways: Hygiene factors: if these are absent, an individual is motivated. However, their presence has no perceived effect. These are the things that when u take away from a person, he gets dissatisfied and tries to take them back. Examples include decent working conditions, pay, security, company policies and interpersonal relationships. Motivators: these are factors whose presence motivates. Their absence does not cause dissatisfaction but just fails to motivate people. We can say that hygiene factors cause dissatisfaction while motivators cause satisfaction. The two scales are independent and one can be high on either or both.(Piers, 2007) MEASUREMENT OF MOTIVATION Measurement of motivation can be classified into two types: Measurement of social drives Measurement of biological drives (Chavajay, 2002) Measurement of social drives can be done through the following ways: Personality questionnaire Projective techniques Situational tests Observation Interviews 1-personaity questionnaire: in these questionnares, subjects are asked as to how will they respond to certain situations or conditions. Various tests are used in these questionnares such as interest inventory, Minnesota multiphase personality inventory and California psychological inventory. (Chavajay,2002) 2-projective techniques: these present simple and ambiguous stimuli that allow the subject to respond with projection of both sexes in their personality. These tests are conducted by showing abstract pictures, writing stories to subjects and include other tests like Rorschach inkblot test and Thematic Apperception Test. Psychologists have experienced that these tests can provide valuable insight into ones personality. However, it is easy to misinterpret the responses and an inexperienced tester can misuse the information that is collected. Projective tests are also known as objective tests. 3-situational tests: social drive or affiliation can be measured by giving a person choice between waiting in a need to achieve or the need to affiliate with others such as drives for works, compliance drives, social approval drives, self actualization drives. 4-observation: observation can be defined as watching an individuals behavior over a period of time. It can be done in natural environment or in clinical settings. Through observation, psychologists also try to know about behavioral problems. 5-interviews: its a way to gather information face to face from the person who is being evaluated. A successive interview is that in which the interviewee is made to talk openly about his feelings, drives and experiences.(Chavajay,2002) Measurement of biological drives can be done through following ways: Speed of learning of individual Preferences shown by an individual when given choices between more than one goal Rate of response of an individual Amount of obstruction required to prevent the animal from reaching a goal Action of nervous system Amplitude of a response Gross motor activity of an individual The stimuli presented can be varied and can be internal or external. (Chavajay, 2002) LISTS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MOTIVES Primary motives are also known as biological moitves have a definite physiological basis and are biologically important for an individuals survival. These arouse the behavior of an organism in directions that lead to a change in the internal environment. Sources of biological motivational needs include increase/decrease simulation, activate senses, decrease hunger, thirst, discomfort and maintaining homeostasis, balance. (Harter, 2011) The primary motives consist of: Hunger Thirst Pain Sexual drive Air or need for respiration Fatigue Sleep Maternal drive Secondary motives are individualistic in nature as they are related to self esteem, self exhibition, self security, self freedom and self assertion. These are also known as psychological motives and are very important in the development of an individuals behavior and personality.(Harter, 2011) The secondary motives include: Need for affiliation Need for approval Need for achievement Need for security Curiosity motive Competence motive Power motive Aggression motive Self actualization (Harter, 2011)

Ulysses S. Grant :: Biography Biographies Essays

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses Simpson Grant, (1822-1885), American general and 18th President of the United States. Grant, the most capable of the Union generals during the Civil War, was a master strategist. He won the first major Union victories. President Abraham Lincoln staunchly defended him against critics and promoted him to command all Union forces. Grant accepted Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. However, Grant had no disposition for political leadership, and as president (1869-1877) he scarcely attempted to control events. He made injudicious appointments to public office, and official corruption tainted his administration, although Grant himself was not involved in the peculations. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, and baptized Hiram Ulysses. The eldest son of Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant, he came from a family that, he proudly declared, had been American "for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral." In 1823 his father moved his tanning business to Georgetown, Ohio, where "Lyss" spent his boyhood. His education at a grammar school in Georgetown, at Maysville Seminary in Maysville, Ky., and at the Presbyterian Academy of Ripley, Ohio, was superficial and repetitious, and the boy showed no scholarly bent. He became noted, however, for his sturdy self-reliance and for his ability to ride and control even the wildest horses. MILITARY LIFE In 1839, Jesse Grant secured for his son an appointment to the U. S. Military Academy. When he arrived at West Point he learned that he was on the muster roll as Ulysses Simpson Grant, through an error of the congressman who had nominated him. Finding it impossible to change this official listing, Grant accepted the inevitable and dropped Hiram from his name. "A military life had no charms for me," Grant said later, and his only purpose at the academy was "to get through the course, secure a detail for a few years as assistant professor of mathematics at the Academy, and afterwards obtain a permanent position as professor at some respectable college." Understandably, his West Point record was not spectacular. In 1843 he graduated in the middle of his class (21st in a class of 39), was commissioned brevet 2d lieutenant, assigned to the 4th U. S. Infantry, and sent to Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Mo. There he began to learn his army duties and, even more important, met his future wife, Julia Dent, sister of a West Point classmate. Ulysses S. Grant :: Biography Biographies Essays Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses Simpson Grant, (1822-1885), American general and 18th President of the United States. Grant, the most capable of the Union generals during the Civil War, was a master strategist. He won the first major Union victories. President Abraham Lincoln staunchly defended him against critics and promoted him to command all Union forces. Grant accepted Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. However, Grant had no disposition for political leadership, and as president (1869-1877) he scarcely attempted to control events. He made injudicious appointments to public office, and official corruption tainted his administration, although Grant himself was not involved in the peculations. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, and baptized Hiram Ulysses. The eldest son of Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant, he came from a family that, he proudly declared, had been American "for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral." In 1823 his father moved his tanning business to Georgetown, Ohio, where "Lyss" spent his boyhood. His education at a grammar school in Georgetown, at Maysville Seminary in Maysville, Ky., and at the Presbyterian Academy of Ripley, Ohio, was superficial and repetitious, and the boy showed no scholarly bent. He became noted, however, for his sturdy self-reliance and for his ability to ride and control even the wildest horses. MILITARY LIFE In 1839, Jesse Grant secured for his son an appointment to the U. S. Military Academy. When he arrived at West Point he learned that he was on the muster roll as Ulysses Simpson Grant, through an error of the congressman who had nominated him. Finding it impossible to change this official listing, Grant accepted the inevitable and dropped Hiram from his name. "A military life had no charms for me," Grant said later, and his only purpose at the academy was "to get through the course, secure a detail for a few years as assistant professor of mathematics at the Academy, and afterwards obtain a permanent position as professor at some respectable college." Understandably, his West Point record was not spectacular. In 1843 he graduated in the middle of his class (21st in a class of 39), was commissioned brevet 2d lieutenant, assigned to the 4th U. S. Infantry, and sent to Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Mo. There he began to learn his army duties and, even more important, met his future wife, Julia Dent, sister of a West Point classmate.