Evaluation Of A Business World Customer - 874 Words

1.) Diligence has two behaviors that are services which are responsiveness and reliability. In our competitive business world our salespeople provide service in timely manner. Services that show responsiveness and reliability a salesperson has follow-up commitments by returning phone calls, getting customers’ requests done properly on time and being available for customers. A trend that customers rely on needs, concerns and plans for the future. 2.) Information communication is getting the information to the customer in a clear and decent manner. Using communication is a huge part of the sales process. Making comparisons of your product and your competitor with the customer making the decision of what product is best for them. 3.) Inducements would be a service that is prà ©cised with having a personal relationship with the customer. 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The Vaccine Of Autism Connection - 1614 Words

The Vaccine to Autism Connection It is amazing how much Americans trust doctors and more shocking, vaccines. Vaccines are injections we receive from the moment we are born and throughout our lives that are meant to keep our bodies from contracting various. A baby born in a hospital today can be given up to six shots before the mother is even in a place where she can conciously tell the doctor whether she is okay with that or not. It can take years to become aware of, but the early exposure to the unnatural substances that make up vaccines can lead to a disorder called autism. While many Americans view vaccines positively for their adequate ability to prevent illness, the rise of autism in the nation and its link to vaccines is reason enough to try to change our tactics for trying to stay healthy. Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms including defects in coordination and motor skills, visual disturbances, and immune suppression. 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Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Occupational health and safety in agriculture. Answer: Introduction: Close to 42.22% of the total land of New Zealand can be attributed to agricultural land; hence inevitably, a large considerable workforce of the nation can be attributed to the farmers. However, it has to be mentioned that the importance of the agricultural workforce contribute a significant to the total GDP of the nation and hence there is need for this workforce to be safe and functional. It has to be mentioned in this context that there are various occupational health and safety risks that are prevalent in the agricultural sector, and a vast majority of them are fatal accidents leading to various critical and life threatening injuries (Van den Broucke Colmont, 2011). Hence, it has to be mentioned in this context that agriculture has significant risks to health and safety of the workforce employed in this field. Now, occupational health and safety has acknowledged the agricultural industry to be one of the most hazardous occupational sectors. According to the recent report, a large number of agricultural workers have to suffer from different occupational accidents and ill health every year. It has to be mentioned that agricultural sectors provides the most of the basic necessities of life, hence the demands of the agriculture industry is also extremely high as well (Asfaw, Pana-Cryan Rosa, 2011). Hence close to a billion workers are employed in the agricultural sector worldwide, contributing to more than one third of the entire labour force of the world. Although, it has to be mentioned in this context as well, that this occupational sector also accounts for more than 70% of the entire child labour of the world. With the agricultural sector being one of the most hazardous one, the risk for fatal accidents are even higher for the children associated with this workforce (Fathallah, 2010). This assignment will attempt to research and explore the risk of fatal accidents in the agricultural sectors and the occupational health and safety risk of the agricultural workforce, and would like to conclude with a set of occupational health and safety recommendations to minimize the accident risks with respect to the New Zealand demographics. Identify OHS: Accidents in agricultural industry: Among all the economic sectors, agriculture is one of the most hazardous of all. With the higher rates of injuries, accidental deaths, and work-related diseases or illness, the agriculture sector is the most unsafe sector to work in. The sector places the workers at potential risks of work-related accidents and musculoskeletal disorders. Working with trunk bendings, lifting and carrying heavy loads, risking from trips or falls at uneven walkways, vibrations from farm vehicles and chainsaws are some of the main hazards that result in higher risks of accidents in the agricultural sector (Botha et al., 2014).The importance of agriculture is immense due to its contribution to the social, political, cultural and economic sector of the world. Hence, improving health and safety at the agricultural workplace is essential. According to the occupational health and safety act, each and every worker in the workplace is subject to mental, social and physical wellbeing. The safety and health of Ag ricultural convention 2001(No. 184) and ILO recommendation provides further guidance on appropriate strategies to improve and meet the OSH accidental risks that are common in the agriculture sector (Neal, 2017).Some of the major forms of accidents in the agricultural sectors of New Zealand are Tracker accidents, Quad bike accidents and accidents by All-terrain vehicles. The below figure explains the rate of accidents in different sectors of employment in New Zealand from 2011 to 2017.The indigo blue line explains the highest rate of workplace-related accidents in the agricultural sector due to Quad bikes. Figure: 1 Source: (Klingelschmidt et al., 2018) According to the WorkSafe data, the deadliest industry of New Zealand is the agricultural industry (Schweder et al.,2015).With a high number of death rates in the past six years, the agricultural industry of New Zealand is the most threatening and risky industry. The causes of the fatalities have been increasing throughout and questioning the OSH norms in the agricultural sector. Figure: 2 Source: (Anderson Tipples, 2014) The above figure is an example of the increased number of death caused due to quad bike accidents on various agricultural farms of New Zealand. Exposure to hazardous chemicals and heavy machineries constitute one of the main risk in the occupation at this sector. Accidents in this sector affects the working environment and the personal lives of the victims. The cost of accidents in the agriculture sector are associated with high rates of injuries and workplace related ill health (Lilley,Lower Davie, 2017).The accidents have negative effects on the workplace environment and on the production of the agricultural farms. Some of the major hazards in agricultural farm of New Zealand are transmissible animal disease, exposure to toxic and hazardous chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and ergonomic hazards in the agricultural farm. The OSH problem of workplace accidents in the agricultural farms of New Zealand has been chosen in this paper since it is one of the most neglected sectors of employment in the nation. Most of the agricultural farm employ people from rural areas, child, and old aged people are more prone to fatal accidents in the farm due to higher working hours, exposure to hazardous and dangerous conditions and risky work levels. Illiteracy and poverty are the main causes people join agricultural farms. Besides, this sector of New Zealand is the largest sector for female employment. The OSH standards that have been affecting the women employers have been neglected and underestimated throughout these years (Anderson Tipples, 2014). This paper thus takes into consideration all the valid factors and dimensions of OSH in agriculture that needs to be improved for the wellbeing of the workers. Review of literature: A review of literature can be defined as the potent tool that helps in conducting a systematic and scientific exploration of the ideas and concepts already published in authentic and relevant journals to arrive at a clear understanding of the different external and internal factors associated with the scenario. For this study, the chosen occupational health issue had been the fatal accidents in the agricultural sectors, hence the literature review will attempt to discover the different fatal accident rates of the agricultural sector, the contributing factors behind the fatal accidents, and the general idea in the sector behind the impact of fatal accidents and need for a occupational health and safety policy or program among the different stakeholders. Fatal accidents of the agricultural sector: Farmers are considered to be a relatively small proportion of the total labour force in many nations however, it has to be mentioned that agricultural still ranks fairly high in the list of occupational injury rates among the other occupational sectors. The health hazard of this occupational sector is not limited to the accidents or injuries only; there are other health and disease risks for the agricultural workers as well. According to Jadhav et al. (2015), the injury rates among this sector are extremely high, and the injuries due to the accidents are the most important cause behind the mortality risk among the farmers across the world as well. As mentioned by Jadhav et al. (2015), considering the global rates, it can be mentioned in this context that fatal injury rates in the agricultural sector varied from 11.5 to 30.6 per 100000 agricultural workers across different nations and similarly non fatal injury rates in the agricultural rates ranges from 3.5 to 16 injuries per 100 wor kers annually. Hence it can be mentioned that the risk for the fatal injuries are far higher in case of the agricultural injuries as well (Akdur et al., 2010). Exploring the different types of injuries that are associated with the agricultural health and safety, it can be mentioned that the most notable injuries are associated with vehicle operations and heavy machinery. According to Shulruf Balemi (2010), the most of the agricultural accidents are associated with the all terrain vehicle operations. As per the data identified in the article, the use of all terrain vehicles has been very prominent in agriculture since the last few decades. Undoubtedly, the contribution of the all terrain vehicles is extreme in case of the agricultural productivity and performance undoubtedly, however, the fact cannot be ignored that the use of these vehicles are the cause of the majority of the agricultural accidents. The article has discussed that this particular vehicle accidents are the case of a high percentage of fatality and mortality among the agricultural workers. As highlighted in the article, ever since the introduction of the all terrain vehicles in the agricultural sector is extremely high in case of the New Zealand demographics. The incidence rate of the all terrain vehicle related incidents have been very high at 8% to 19% of the total number of agricultural fatal accidents. Along with those ATV injuries, driving Quad bikes have also been discovered as one of the greatest reasons behind the fatal accident rates among the agricultural workforce as well (Leigh, Du McCurdy, 2014). Quad bikes or the all terrain vehicles have been discovered as one of the greatest contributing factors in several other research studies as well. It has to be mentioned that according to Milosavljevic et al. (2011), the quad bikes or the all terrain vehicles are the most widely used agricultural equipment used in the agricultural industry of the New Zealand as well. This particular equipment is highly advantageous for livestock farming and many other essential farming operations as well. According to Nilsson, Pinzke and Lundqvist (2010), the use of this particular equipment is in checking stock, mustering, feeding out, personal transport and for carriage and towing activities. However, as defined by Milosavljevic et al. (2011), quad bike loss of control events can be considered for the most frequent and most major cause of fatality and death in agricultural context. Comparison of the data on quad bike accidents reveal that while Australia had 51 deaths recorded within the last few c ouples of years due to quad bike loss of control, New Zealand had 45 deaths. Along with that, according to the survey reports, there had been close to 1500 new accident cases being reported in the New Zealand territory due to all terrain vehicle accidents (Milosavljevic et al., 2011). Another source of fatal accidents in the agricultural sector had been the operation of the heavy machinery. According to Kolstrup, 2012, many lower back injuries have been reported by the agricultural workforce have been due to heavy machinery lifting and livestock bearing with any personal protection. Although, as per the research, the frequency or magnitude of the fatal accidents is far more severe in case of the all terrain vehicle accidents (Canton Williams, 2012) Contributing factors behind the fatal accidents: In order to identify the occupational health and safety risks in the agricultural sector, especially for the fatal accidents, the contributing factors leading of the occurrence of the fatal accidents is required to be explored. First and foremost, it has to be mentioned here that the most of the fatal accidents that occur in the agricultural fields are contributed by the vehicles like the all terrain vehicles or quad bikes. The contributing factor behind the quad bikes accidents is many. According to Milosavljevic et al. (2011), quad bikes can be considered very inherently unstable equipment in general and the agronomical design of the equipment is the main reason behind the high rates of fatal accidents that it is associated with. As per Karttunen and Rautiainen (2013), the narrow wheel base of the vehicle and high centre of gravity makes the equipment very easy to be tipped over on steep, rough or even uneven terrains. High velocity and vibration exposure have also been discovered as the contributing factor behind the high rate of the accidents associated with the quad bike accidents. However, Robert, Elisabeth and Josef (2015), have argued that steep terrain and striking with another object has been discovered as highly relevant causes behind the high rates of all terrain vehicle accidents, however the agronomical design of the vehicle and the combination of increased speed and vibration while driving the vehicle has also been discovered as the important reasons behind the incidence rate of the injuries. One the other hand, the article by the Tangermann (2011), in their research have discovered another impactful contributing factor behind the occupational health and safety risk associated with operating this agricultural equipments. In this article lack of training of operating these vehicles has been discussed. On a more elaborative note, it has to be mentioned that al terrain vehicles are undoubtedly an innovative introduction to the agricultural fields fo r the benefit of easing the procedure of different agricultural tasks; it has to be acknowledged that operation of this complex vehicles successful and safely can be a challenge for the rural farmers. The technological challenges of the older farmers belonging to the rural areas have been acknowledged in the literature before and the technological inadequacy leads to not being able to operate the al terrain vehicles as well to some extent. According to the Hosseini et al. (2011), however, all terrain vehicle sellers issue a free of cost training for the farmers to attend to learn to operate the vehicle with safety. Although, it has to be mentioned that the likelihood of the individuals to enrol themselves into the training program is less than even 4% . It can be concluded from this context that the lack of willingness of the agricultural workforce of the concerned demographics to attend the training programs are indicating of the alarming lack of literacy and awareness regarding the occupational health and safety risk among the agricultural workforce. Awareness among the agricultural workforce: As discussed above, the agricultural workforce has a few different health risks and among them the fatal accidents are the most impactful. As per the research conducted it has been discovered that the fatal accidents in case of the New Zealand demographics, the most notable accident cause has been discovered the all terrain vehicles or the quad bikes. Now as discovered in the article by Hosseini et al. (2011), the authors had discussed that the level of awareness among the agricultural workforce regarding the occupational health safety can be associated with the alarming lack of willingness to attend the al terrain vehicle terrain. There is a significant lack of awareness and understanding among the farmers regarding the occupational health and safety. Along with that there is a significant lack of awareness and understanding regarding the occupational health and safety risks in the agriculture and the requirements of protective measures regarding the risky vehicles like the quad bik es. According to the Wood, Duijff and Christey (2013), it had to be mentioned that the highest lack of awareness of literacy regarding the occupational health and safety is most frequently observed in the older framers. Along with that, the child labour associated with the agriculture in these regions is also associated with the lack of awareness and understanding. This leads directly to the increased number of accidents and fatal injuries in the agricultural sectors, in both developing and developed nations. According to the study by Tipples et al. (2013), it can be mentioned that in the New Zealand demographics there is a highly strict and rigid stance of the farmers regarding the occupational health and safety issues and guidelines. There can be a few contributing factor behind this; first and foremost, it has to be mentioned that the farmers are disadvantaged by the socio-economic isolation and their occupational status from the rest of the mainstream society. Along with that, their remoteness from the enforcement of labour standards contributes effectively to the generation of a rather reluctantly compliant agricultural workforce in New Zealand. Along with that, it has to be mentioned that the lack of knowledge regarding the mainstream technologies and safety benefits of the OHS protocols can also be a cause to their apparent noncompliance as well. Although the data from the articles point at the attitude of the farmers and agricultural work force of New Zealand and the surrounding areas, the scenario is very similar in the rest of the globe as well (Pawlak Nowakowicz-D?bek, 2015). Overall, the extensive research discovered many key factors behind the fatal injuries in the agricultural sector. The articles selected in the literature review had been effective in discovering the key fatal accident issue in the agricultural issue, the all terrain vehicle accidents that caused a large chunk of the injuries and hospitalization episodes among the agricultural workforce of New Zealand. The articles have provided relevant information regarding the risks to occupational health and safety due to the agronomic design of the vehicle, physical factors pertaining to the terrain and the farmer, and the awareness and knowledge among the farmers. This helped us identify the challenges behind the health and safety risk behind the accidents caused by the quad bikes. However, it also has to be mentioned in this context that there are a few research gaps left behind that is needed to be addressed by further studies in this sector. First and foremost, there is lack of information av ailable on the literature previously published regarding the impact of heavy weight lifting o the physiology of the farmers and whether it enhances the risk of fatal injuries among the farmers. Along with that, the impact of age and physiology on the accident proneness has also not been discussed in the articles. Although, there is information available regarding the lack of awareness the information is limited and lacks in depth research of different confounders. Lastly, the impact of educational literacy and health literacy in general on the occupational health and safety awareness and compliance of the agricultural workforce also have not been researched in the past either. Hence, there is need for further studies focusing on the above mentioned sectors to gain a better understanding of the root cause of quad bike related fatal accidents in the farming and how it can be reduced with awareness and compliance to targeted occupational health and safety guidelines (Pollock, Fragar G riffith, 2014). Recommendations Agricultural workers are exposed to various physical hazards in the farming jobs. Agriculture sector ranks among the most threatening industries in the employment sector of New Zealand. The use of All-Terrain vehicles in the industry has been one of the major cause of the fatal accidents in the agricultural industry of New Zealand. Researchers have found that most of the employers in the agricultural sector do not have basic knowledge on how to operate all-terrain vehicles (Lilley,Lower Davie, 2017).The quad bikes are the most commonly used vehicles in the sector. These bikes are unstable, narrow wheel based and are more likely to trip over and cause accidents. Hence, it is recommended that the quad bikes are developed with safety norms since the light weight of the bikes causes the rider to fall down during the ride. Besides, the employers of the agricultural farm should be given prior training to ride these all-terrain vehicles before they use in work purpose to avoid further acci dental injuries and deaths (Hunt et al., 2014). Some of the other safety interventions that need to be considered and implemented in the agricultural sector of New Zealand are awareness programs and system, governmental interventions to make the workers aware about the importance of wellness in the workplace. Using riding equipment like helmets and proper seat belts are the main factors of the awareness program (Botha et al., 2014).Since most of the employer in the sector comes from the rural background and are illiterate; they have little or zero knowledge about the working procedure and operations of the sector. Measures should be taken to train and impart essential knowledge to them so that they can work effectively in the workplace (Olsen Hasle, 2015).The agricultural sector of New Zealand has been one of the most neglected sectors of employment till decade. Occupational safety and health hazard regulations should be implemented effectively in the sector for the wellness of the workers. The government of New Zealand should also introduce the distribution of aids for the affected personnel and his or her family in case of extreme health hazard or death (Hunt et al., 2014). Rising awareness, assessing compliance and the enforcement of minimum standards of OSH is very costly in the agriculture sector due to the economic downturn in New Zealand. The employers in the agricultural sector deserve a quality of life where they face long working hours, exposure to high risks and pressure. Hence considerable efforts should be taken and effective measures should be implemented for addressing the increased level of accidents in the agricultural sector of New Zealand. Conclusion: On a concluding note, it can be mentioned that among all the other occupational health and safety risks associated with agricultural sector, Quad bikes pose the maximum risk; especially in the New Zealand demographics. Among the other contributing factors, the lack of occupational health and safety understanding is the most important factor behind the high incidence rate of the vehicle accidents. Hence, there is need for more emphasis on enhancing the occupational health and safety understanding of the agricultural workforce to reducing the frequency of the accidents. References: Akdur, O., Ozkan, S., Durukan, P., Avsarogullari, L., Koyuncu, M., Ikizceli, I. (2010). Machine-related farm injuries in Turkey.Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine,17(1), 59-63. Anderson, D., Tipples, R. (2014). Are vulnerable workers really protected in New Zealand?.New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations (Online),39(1), 52. Asfaw, A., Pana-Cryan, R., Rosa, R. (2011). The business cycle and the incidence of workplace injuries: Evidence from the USA.Journal of safety research,42(1), 1-8. Botha, N., Klerkx, L., Small, B., Turner, J. A. (2014). Lessons on transdisciplinary research in a co-innovation programme in the New Zealand agricultural sector.Outlook on AGRICULTURE,43(3), 219-223. Canton, K., Williams, W. (2012). The consequences of noise-induced hearing loss on dairy farm communities in New Zealand.Journal of agromedicine,17(4), 354-363. Fathallah, F. A. (2010). Musculoskeletal disorders in labor-intensive agriculture.Applied ergonomics,41(6), 738-743. Hosseini, M. H., Ramazani, A. A., Tavasolian, H., Mohsenzadeh, M. A., Maleki, S., Samimi, K. (2011). Survey of knowledge and attitude of farmers of Southern Khorasan province regarding agriculture related OHS issues in 2008.Iran Occupational Health,8(1), 24-29. Hunt, W., Birch, C., Vanclay, F., Coutts, J. (2014). Recommendations arising from an analysis of changes to the Australian agricultural research, development and extension system.Food Policy,44, 129-141. Jadhav, R., Achutan, C., Haynatzki, G., Rajaram, S., Rautiainen, R. (2015). Risk factors for agricultural injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of agromedicine,20(4), 434-449. Karttunen, J. P., Rautiainen, R. H. (2013). Occupational injury and disease incidence and risk factors in Finnish agriculture based on 5-year insurance records.Journal of agromedicine,18(1), 50-64. Klingelschmidt, J., Milner, A., Khireddine-Medouni, I., Witt, K., Alexopoulos, E. C., Toivanen, S., ... Niedhammer, I. (2018). Suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.Scandinavian journal of work, environment health,44(1), 3-15. Kolstrup, C. L. (2012). Work-related musculoskeletal discomfort of dairy farmers and employed workers.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology,7(1), 23. Leigh, J. P., Du, J., McCurdy, S. A. (2014). An estimate of the US government's undercount of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in agriculture.Annals of epidemiology,24(4), 254-259. Lilley, R., Lower, T., Davie, G. (2017). Towards a harmonised approach to reducing quad?related fatal injuries in Australia and New Zealand: a cross?sectional comparative analysis.Australian and New Zealand journal of public health,41(5), 524-529. Milosavljevic, S., McBride, D. I., Bagheri, N., Vasiljev, R. M., Carman, A. B., Rehn, B., Moore, D. (2011). Factors associated with quad bike loss of control events in agriculture.International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics,41(3), 317-321. Neal, B. (2017). Health and safety at work act 2015: Intention, implementation and outcomes in the hill country livestock farming industry. Nilsson, K., Pinzke, S., Lundqvist, P. (2010). Occupational injuries to senior farmers in Sweden.Journal of agricultural safety and health,16(1), 19-29. Olsen, K. B., Hasle, P. (2015). The role of intermediaries in delivering an occupational health and safety programme designed for small businessesA case study of an insurance incentive programme in the agriculture sector.Safety science,71, 242-252. Olsen, K. B., Hasle, P. (2015). The role of intermediaries in delivering an occupational health and safety programme designed for small businessesA case study of an insurance incentive programme in the agriculture sector.Safety science,71, 242-252. Pawlak, H., Nowakowicz-D?bek, B. (2015). Agriculture: accident-prone working environment.Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia,7, 209-214. Pollock, K. S., Fragar, L. J., Griffith, G. R. (2014). Occupational health and safety on australian farms: 2. Improved management and the driving forces for practice change.Australian Farm Business Management Journal,11, 47. Robert, K., Elisabeth, Q., Josef, B. (2015). Analysis of occupational accidents with agricultural machinery in the period 20082010 in Austria.Safety science,72, 319-328. Schweder, P., Quinlan, M., Bohle, P., Lamm, F., Ang, A. H. B. (2015). Injury rates and psychological wellbeing in temporary work: A study of seasonal workers in the New Zealand food processing industry.New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations,40(2), Shulruf, B., Balemi, A. (2010). Risk and preventive factors for fatalities in all-terrain vehicle accidents in New Zealand.Accident Analysis Prevention,42(2), 612-618. Tangermann, S. (2011). Risk management in agriculture and the future of the EUs Common Agricultural Policy.International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development. Issue Paper,34, 34. Tipples, R. S., Hill, R., Wilson, K., Greenhalgh, I. J. (2013). 'Decent dairying'-Findings from a Change Laboratory process to reduce fatigue on New Zealand dairy farms. Van den Broucke, S., Colmont, A. (2011). Behavioral and nonbehavioral risk factors for occupational injuries and health problems among Belgian farmers.Journal of agromedicine,16(4), 299-310. Wood, A., Duijff, J. W., Christey, G. R. (2013). Quad bike injuries in Waikato, New Zealand: an institutional review from 20072011.ANZ journal of surgery,83(4), 206-210.

Sport in Nigeria Essay Example

Sport in Nigeria Essay At the tenth Nigerian University Games in 1984, 257 athletes from 17 of the 24 Nigerian universities were interviewed to determine their perception and rating of the problems influencing the development of sport at Nigerian universities. Thus, many problems of university athletes, especially concerning the administration, academic education, training programs and the lack of material and human resources, were reported. As a result of this study 14 recommendations are listed to improve university athletics and, by doing so, sport in general in Nigeria. Thus, they demand an improvement of physical education in secondary schools, the establishment of departments of physical education at all universities and better facilities and more frequent competitions for university athletes. †¢ CiteULike †¢ Complore †¢ Connotea †¢ Del. icio. us †¢ Digg †¢ Reddit †¢ Technorati †¢ Twitter Whats this? Introduction/Rationale Sport is made for the people and vice versa. In fact sport has been described as the opium of the people, as it can make them forget their worries, problems and sorrows as well as forgive their enemies. No wonder then that many governments all over the world have usually utilized sport as a means of unifying the populace during times of strive, rebellion or uprising. Sport can also be used to galvanize the populace to support policies and legislations that would have ordinarily been rejected. Multi-ethnic societies where their constituent ethnic groups are always at daggers drawn with each other can also employ sport, as a means of inculcating cooperation, friendship and good neighbourliness in their citizens. We will write a custom essay sample on Sport in Nigeria specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sport in Nigeria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sport in Nigeria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer All the abovementioned, are possible because sport is perhaps the most potent social integration force available to individuals, institutions, governments etc. ‘Citus, Altius, Fortius’, meaning ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ – the motto of the Olympic Games ably describes why sportsmen/women from most nations of the world gather every leap year to contest in various sports of the Games. The contest is usually very dramatic and keen, and it is the wish of every nation to win some laurels during the Games. Towards this end, no stone is usually left unturned because, sports, especially on the international competitive front has gone beyond mere competition between individuals or groups of individuals representing their nations. The nations now take part in competitions to win and, a lot of money, energy and strategy go in to ensure victory. This is because sport has become a powerful and veritable political tool. It is therefore not surprising that nowadays one of the greatest and fastest springboards by which nations or individuals can achieve world eminence is through active, purposeful and result-oriented participation in sport at the international level. Developing nations of the world without the pecuniary, manpower and armaments’ prowess of super powers have always managed to use sport to raise their ‘tiny’ voices when important points are made or sought in the intricate and ever becoming sophisticated political arena. Take for example Nigeria; she spearheaded the dismantling of apartheid in Zimbabwe and South-Africa. Probably the most powerful weapon used by Nigeria and her allies, was sport. The boycott of International Games like the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton and the 1976 Olympic Games in Canada championed by Nigeria, went a long way in breaking the backbone of ‘apartheid’ policies as well as ‘unilateral declaration of independence’. Individuals have also used sport to limelight societal problems or gain political despotism. The â€Å"Black power Salute† of the Mexico 1968 Olympics readily comes o mind. On the local scene in Nigeria, the likes of Late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, Chief Jim Nwobodo (former Team Manager of the Rangers International Football Club of Enugu), Chief Samuel Ogbemudia (the sporting-Governor of the Old Midwest State), Senator Osakwe (proprietor of the former Flash Flamengoes Football Club of Benin City) etc. are examples of individual s who have successfully utilize sport to gain political prominence and, power. Political voice aside, sports is now big business, a multi-billion â€Å"U. S. A. dollar† one, especially the professional sports. Individuals get rich and become comfortable for life through sports’ participation. Industries now churn out memorabilia (tee-shirts, face caps and other sportswear) in thousands for sale to fans. We must also not forget the manufacture of sports equipment and supplies, which on their own are money-spinners for their manufacturers. Sport also provides means of livelihood to the following categories of individuals: coaches, managers, grounds-men, administrators and secretarial workers, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists, factory workers, journalists etc. Sport, therefore, supports quite a numerous numbers of individuals all over the world. Suffice it to mention that some nations especially in the third world realize a substantial part of their GNP from a few sport practitioners! In Nigeria today, the economic gains that our ‘sport exports’ (Nigerians playing professional sport abroad) have brought into the country cannot be easily quantified. Apart from these professionals directly supporting their parents/siblings/extended families/friends financially, some of them have set up businesses, which employ some Nigerians. Professional sports in Nigeria though in its rudimentary stage, can also boast of contributing to Nigeria’s economy through the employment of both athletes, coaches and, support staffs. Other related commercial/business concerns include tourism industry, hospitality industry, soft-drinks manufacture etc. Sports could also be seen as entertainment; in this regard, it is also a big money earner, with spectators, the media, and sales of memorabilia being major sources of income. A healthy mind they say, resides in a healthy body. This saying aptly captures the relationship between active participation in sports (even for leisure sake only) and, staying healthy. Any Nation, whose citizens engage in sporting activities to stay fit, can always be sure that her citizens will generally be healthy. This translates into less governmental expenditure on health care, especially prevention and treatment of behavioural pathogen induced illnesses such as Cardiovascular Heart Diseases of all types (CHD). Also, productivity across all spheres of human endeavours will be enhanced, with less and less individuals staying off work due to illness. Another benefit derivable from participation in sport is education of the mind. Sports build character. It is therefore not surprising that sports inculcate in practitioners such qualities as cooperativeness, resilience, nationalism, discipline, friendship, fair-play etc: usually, sports are played with strict guiding rules and OGRP Main Report 17-3 Health regulations; with other individuals either as co-actors or adversaries; and also, sport is an avenue to burn off excess energy and keep youths away from mischief. From the above brief description of some benefits derivable from sports, one can easily see that sports is big, it is borderless and therefore, should not be taken lightly. Where Are We Now? The problems associated with sports in our State (as well as other states of Nigeria) will serve to highlight our present position with regards to sport and sport development. The following are those problems: (i) Sport is currently separated from other areas without seeing the relationship or link between these other areas and sport. These areas include Health, Education, Tourism and the Hospitality Industry etc. Sport can complement all the areas, it can also stimulate and generate development and so doing, move these areas forward faster and further. (ii) There is a lack of appreciation of what sport can concretely contribute to the society. It is therefore perceived as recreation (which is just a part of sport). This has resulted in the lack of specific programmes/policies to guide sports development/promotion. Serious attention is usually not paid to sport, thereby relegating it to mere mentioning when policies on the Economy, Education, Health etc. are formulated. iii) Lack of adequate funds to promote sports and recreation. The little funds available are usually not judiciously spent because of lack of specific policy on sport. The state has very little funds to spend on many ministries and parastatals (and some of these institutions occupy higher positions than sports in the pecking order). This paucity of funds means that there are no adequate facilities, equipments and infrastructure s in both the society at large and in our schools too. (iv) It can be said that sport has been de-emphasized in schools. Perhaps this neglect of sports in schools has led or contributed to (a) a decline in the state’s performance at National and International competitions: (b) moral decadence in schools. No education is complete without sports. In fact we short-change ourselves when our children go to school and do not have the opportunity to take part in sports thereby being denied of all the abovementioned character-building benefits from sports’ participation. Where Do We Go From Here? There is the need for a policy on sport and recreation. Such a policy must take care of the following: 1. Ensuring first and foremost that sport is not isolated. Its link with other significant vital areas such as Health, Education, Hospitality Industry, Tourism, Culture etc. must be emphasized. 2. Popularizing sport and recreation at the grass root level. Schools (both primary and secondary) must be seen as existing vehicles for such a development and therefore, must be concentrated upon. 3. Provision of playing grounds and other not-too-expensive sports’ equipment in each school (or, where this is impossible, jointly-owned and used facilities, can be put in place) 4. Provision of equipment for training at the grassroots. This can be supported with the help of artisans (welders, fabricators, architects etc) who will put in place creative and ingenious projects to provide basic training equipment, fabricated from local materials (sometimes disused objects like tyres, engine parts etc. ) This can even generate self-employment for these artisans. 5. Motivating individuals at different tiers of the society to participate in sport by enticing them with incentives in the first place. A classical example is the provision of footballs (an incentive) to each school: one can bet that such balls will be kicked around. If the kicking around requires clearing a space and using it as a pitch, it will most likely be done etc.!!! 6. Creating an event(s) within the State and getting everybody within the state to participate. If necessary inter-primary school sports in all Local Government Areas (LGAs) can be started, inter- LGA games also etc. LGAs can even be zoned into a manageable number (4–8 say) and, such competition therefore becomes inter-zonal. Such a sporting event will generate activities across the state, as mentioned above under facilities, infrastructures etc. 7. Bidding to host National and International Sporting Competitions. The bigger the event, the more the prospect of feasible rewards. For example, hosting the National Sports Festival and, linking it with other development areas such as Health, Utilities, Facilities, Tourism etc. OGRP Main Report 17-5 Health 8. Bringing in consultants where applicable to plan, source and ensure adequate corporate sponsorship for sport projects because the government cannot do it alone. Such consultancy projects will also include ensuring that the state government gets adequate publicity and mileage derivable from such etc. 9. Creating employment opportunities for youths coming out of school: e. . in the conceptualization/design of training equipment (cheap and functional items for training at grass root level). Also, employment as training officers/ administrators grounds men etc. 10. Looking at the possibility of sports as an industry e. g. – creating sport/tourism centers (currently the Obasanjo Farms Complex is used as a camping site for many National teams) . Such centers could be developed to include cheap and comfortable accommodation facilities (boarding and lodging). The manufacturing of non-technical equipment from local raw materials e. g. batons, bats, clothing etc. 11. Concentrating on sports where the state has the talent, interest and could also be started and are inexpensive to operate. The fun and joy that comes with participation will entice many and from there, some talents can be discovered and later groomed for stardom. Conclusion The state has produced notable personalities in sports both athletes and administrators. Natural talents waiting to be harnessed and developed abound. It is only the incentive to participate that is needed and this can be ensured by spending the meagre resources allocated to sports judiciously in providing facilities and amenities at the grassroots. Sports is too big a motivator and energizer of development to be ignored. Abstract Facilities are very central to meaningful sports participation whether in School sports, amateur, recreational or competitive status. They are as important to the athletes as the laboratories are to the scientists. Without facilities sports cannot take place. This does not however imply that sports facility is the only variable that is necessary for sports participation; others such as equipment, supplies, finance to mention a few are indispensable complements to sports facilities. Having said this, the availability, adequacy, standard, funding, maintenance, supervision, safety, location and accessibility of sports facilities deserve adequate attention for sports facilities to contribute to excellence in sports participation. The thrust of this paper therefore is to discuss the problems sports facilities pose to school sports in Nigeria with the aim of drawing attention of the government to finding solutions to the identified lapses of sports facilities in school sports. It should be obvious to everyone who recognizes sports as a vital instrument of nation building that sports in Nigeria today is running on low current with declining fortunes. This was a high voltage sector whose contributions to nation building through sterling performances of our youths, made everyone proud, but not any more. In recent times, the downturn of sports in Nigeria has been signposted by our poor showing in Berlin-World Athletics championship and poor run in Football World Cup qualifiers, among others. Nigerian sports should fall no more. It is now time to pull our sports in the upward direction. To achieve this goal, all institutions connected to Sports must work towards eliciting quality performances at the world stage. Quality performances at the world stage can be achieved by a reinforcement of the domestic input of institutions that impact on sports. It is the low interface of these institutions that has largely brought sports in Nigeria to its knees. The institutions under reference are: 1. Government at all levels (Executive arm) 2. Sports Agencies 3. Educational Institutions 4. Legislative arms of government . Private sector Institutions 6. Mass Media. It is my belief that the hisses and tears we experience at home and abroad due to poor performances of our athletes and the consequent unfulfilled expectations can disappear if these institutions complimentarily pull together in the productive management of sports in Nigeria. Are we looking sincerely for the solutions to the problems of low and unbefitting perfo rmances of Nigerian athletes? We should not look into the sky in despair. The solution is domiciled in the listed institutions. So, what do we now do? First, it has to be well understood that Governments at all levels constitute the guarantor for sports development as in the other sectors of nation building. Introspectively therefore, are Nigerian Governments at all levels squaring up combatively to lift up sports? Are government agencies established for Sports development, coping effectively? Do Governments at all levels make the kind of budgetary provisions that a giant of Africa would need to lift and inspire youths to go for Gold in World competitions? Have governments at all levels professionalized Sports management? In some government sports agencies you still find officers without sports professional education and training serving as Heads of Sports departments. So how do such people effectively run programmes and make decisions that can productively impact sports in terms of performance. The legislative arm of Government is also a source of problem. For example, the bill for the establishment of the National Sports Commission may not have been passed into law since 2007 after rigorous debates and public hearings. If there is an act of the National Assembly on Sports, it raises the momentum of Sports activities at the National level. It details out roles and responsibilities of Government Sports Agencies and infact specify the role of Government in Sports development. It will also energize and give teeth to the implementation of Sports polices. As many of these enabling instruments remain hanging you can begin to appreciate why sports is the way it is in the land. At the State and Local Council levels, Sports is largely tied to the onset of the national Sports festival. Developmental sports programmes are anaemic. A strong developmental sports framework is the bedrock of sports prowess at the national and in turn international levels. To worsen matters, some of the athletes who trickle to national sports federations are not usually prepared effectively by the federations to represent Nigeria due to budgetary constraints. Infact, many sports federations are unable to effectively represent Nigeria in international competitions. Boxing Federation had to reduce selected boxers to three for a Milan-based competition, recently. Our story therefore, is lack of functional and effective linkage between the bottom layer of sports activities and the top and the incapacitation of federations to run their programmes and effectively participate in high profile competitions. Yet, we will be required to take national contingents to big time tournaments and championships. Unlike other counties of the world where Sports has taken its rightful place, educational institutions in Nigeria are known to be lukewarm about Sports from primary to tertiary levels. These institutions which constitute the source of socio-cultural development of Youths have not been able to be an effective source of supply of skilled athletes for Nigeria. The chronic severance of Educational Institutions from the Sporting grid of Nigeria is a major setback for the actualization of our desired Sports performance standard at the World Stage. There are many Usain Bolts in our educational system waiting to be discovered and nurtured. This is possible with the teaching of physical education and sports through a Sports designed curriculum and competitive sports programmes. It also means that basic sports facilities must be provided in Primary and Secondary Schools. It further means that Universities and other higher institutions must shape up to develop athletes emerging from the lower levels of schooling. This is not happening to any meaningful extent at the moment. This illustration of the impotence of educational institutions is a poor link in the production chain of competent athletes in Nigeria. It has often been argued that Governments do not have enough capacity in terms of resources to develop sports. A quick reference is made to funding. I believe that the Governments at all levels, first of all must demonstrate absolute will power to develop Sports. I am personally not so sure if this is happening in Nigeria. But if Nigeria is going to show to the World in future that it has become a member of the Club of twenty richest nations, sports remains a potent factor. Korea and China have hosted the Olympic Games when they did, partly to show the World their new status in the comity of nations, using sports as instrument. Conversely the continuing poor performance of our athletes, in Global Sports events, believe it or not, tells our story beyond the sports field. A prosperous nation is also s sporting nation. Don’t you think so? If our athletes prove their mettle on the global stage, it says something about Nigeria, beyond the shining medals with which they are decorated. It says something about our competitiveness, good governance and productivity of our nation. The benefits of superior athleticism to a nation are inestimable. The private sector institutions must rise up and make their impact felt. I have heard of the worn-out argument about lack of trust. They often say, they are not sure of proper utilization of inputs if and when given. Government has now provided tax incentives for companies who support sports. This can be helpful. Most big companies only want to do football. This is not right. Companies can adopt athletes, boxers etc and develop them. They can build sports infrastructure in schools and Local Council areas in the same way that they build philanthropic social amenities. A company like Glo, MTN or Shell or even a Bank can volunteer to help Nigeria win an Olympic gold Medal in a particular Sport and partner with respective federations to achieve this goal. It is the duty of the media to continue to set the agenda and help Nigerian sports find its bearing through its informative, educative and watchdog roles.

Taking another Pass at Passed

Taking another Pass at Passed Taking another Pass at â€Å"Passed† Taking another Pass at â€Å"Passed† By Maeve Maddox In my early days as a classroom teacher, I would occasionally finish giving a lesson on some aspect of English grammar or punctuation with the feeling that it had been so clear and so filled with wonderful examples that my students would never commit a related error again. It didn’t take me long to learn that common errors are common for a reason. Minds differ. Not everyone perceives things in quite the same way. A case in point is the problem that many writers have with the words past and passed. So far we’ve had two DWT posts on the past/passed usage: Alis Passed vs Past and my Confusing Passed with Past A recent e-mail question sent me back to read the comments and questions prompted by these posts. The comments indicate the extent and nature of the confusion that exists concerning the use of passed and past. Even some of the commentators who felt they understood the usage gave incorrect information in the explanations they offered. Some remarks suggest that the writer is trying to read more into the choice between passed and past than is warranted by a choice between a verb form and an adverb or a preposition. Dr. Babosar, the founder of GHB BioMedical Inc. who dedicates his life in the XXX industry for the Passed/Past 20 years. (the fact is he is still in this industry and still running the company) It doesn’t matter if the man is still in the industry or not. The word needed is an adjective: the past 20 years. It was the sound of horses being ridden past.†¨It was the sound of horses being ridden passed. The latter makes sense [says the commentator]. The horses pass the person, so they passed the person, therefore it is the sound they make as they approach and then pass the person. It more correctly describes the sounds. Again, too much ratiocination is going into this writer’s choice between past and passed. The function of the word in the sentence determines which form is called for. Ridden is a verb form. The word that follows it is an adverb. Passed cannot be used as an adverb. Past can. Precise Edit made this observation in one of the comments: In my experience, second-language learners are less likely to make this mistake [between passed and past] than native English speakers, perhaps because language learners write and speak from a background of training and not natural language use. I’m speculating, of course, but I wonder if direct training in usage and grammar affects this. It’s not speculation. From what I can tell, not much â€Å"direct training in usage and grammar† is going on in U.S. English classes these days. The teaching of formal grammar and rules of spelling and punctuation is perhaps seen as too much akin to that dreaded concept â€Å"rote learning.† Rules of standard usage are often arbitrary and confusing to an individual’s way of looking at things. For that reason they must be taught in the English classroom. Taught, not merely mentioned. The complicated efforts to determine whether to use past or passed in a sentence is a symptom of the way U.S. children are taught to approach all learning. What do you think? How do you feel? Such appeals to the individual have their place, but not when it comes to basic information. Some things need to be memorized and drilled. The parts of speech and the parts of the sentence fall into this category. One more time: passed is the past tense form of the verb to pass: to pass: transitive verb meaning â€Å"to go beyond a point or place† The principal parts are pass, passed, (have) passed, passing Examples: I pass my evenings alone. Please pass the potatoes. I am passing my days in the garden. I am passing all my courses in college. The truck passed the house. His uncle passed away. I have passed my driving test. Charlie has passed out the papers. The cat had passed beyond the fence before we noticed she was out. The word past can be used as more than one part of speech, but never as a verb. past: noun meaning â€Å"that which has happened in past time.† Ex. That’s all in the past. It’s usually preceded by the word â€Å"the.† past: adjective meaning â€Å"gone by in time; elapsed.† Ex. I haven’t seen him for the past month. past: adverb meaning â€Å"beyond.† Usually the point of reference is supplied by the context. Ex. I cowered as the bullets whizzed past. past: preposition meaning â€Å"beyond.† It differs from an adverb because it is followed by an object. Ex. The bullet whizzed past my head. Two more handy tips: The only verb that belongs in front of passed is some form of have: The days have passed quickly. He had passed his exams before his father lost his job. The horse has passed the finish line. If the verb is is, don’t use passed: For, lo, the winter is past. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should KnowIn Search of a 4-Dot EllipsisPunctuation Is Powerful

Butterbox Babies essays

Butterbox Babies essays Lovely Babies For Adoption is what the advertisement for the Ideal Maternity Home and Sanitarium versed to many couples unable to bear children beginning in the late 1920's. Although the ad held true as to the children, the operation of this business was far from lovely. Originally designed as a sanitarium for the sick, the hospital soon became a birthing facility. Operating without any supervision, the facility was a place of joy for couples adopting an infant, but a place of shame and despair for unwed mothers. Lila Gladys Coolen met and married William Peach Young in 1925. William was an unordained seventh-day Adventist minister and Lila, also of the same faith, was a teacher in Fox Point, Nova Scotia. After being married, the couple left Nova Scotia to return to school in Chicago. William attended the National College of Chiropractic, while Lila pursued a degree at the National School of Obstetrics and Midwifery. In February of 1928, the Youngs opened The Life and Health Sanitarium out of their four bedroom cottage. Lila began delivering babies and within a year, the facility had been renamed The Ideal Maternity Home and Sanitarium and its sole purpose became a birthing facility and adoption center for unwed mothers. During this time, Canadian and US laws were similar in banning the use of birth control or the performance of abortions. This left many women banished and shamed from their homes and communities because of illegitiment pregnancies. With the creation of this facility, many unwed mothers saw an opportunity to keep their secret from society. A newspaper advertisement placed by the Youngs, was carefully written and geared to lure women in. It read: Dame gossip has sent many young lives to perdition after ruining them socially, that might have been BRIGHT STARS in society and a POWER in the world of ...

Sport, Fitness and Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sport, Fitness and Management - Coursework Example I have also been involved in the planning and preparing of coaching sessions and coaching children at FA Learning in Liverpool County. I have attained a number of sports certifications such as the Level1Certificate Club Coach and Football Club Administration from FA Learning. Question 2: Categorization The first activity, planning and preparing coaching sessions is a sporting activity. This is because it requires sports skills to accomplish. These include knowledge of sports fitness, sports management activities and professional skills relating to sporting in general. Planning coaching sessions requires practical skills. There is also need for knowledge relating to issues such as the intensity of training, the right diet, the time that training will take, breaks in between training and the need to achieve the overall training objectives. Essentially, the planner has to take into consideration knowledge and understanding of the sport, have cognitive skills and generally approach coach ing sessions from a professional perspective (Garland, Malcolm, & Rowe 2000). The second activity, actual coaching of children, is a physical activity. This is because coaching in today’s society demands the physical input and practical participation of the coach. Giving a player the instructions to conduct an activity for instance is not as effective as actually showing them what requires to be done. As such, the coach participates as much as the players in the activities scheduled for a coaching session. This fact can be explained through the transformation of the sports arena from the early 1900 when a swimming instructor, for instance, would guide a swimming session from the sidelines of a pool and would assist a troubled swimmer, without necessary getting into the water, with a long pole. In contrast, today’s swimming instructor is always in a swim suit ready to dive into the water should the need arise. In addition to this, swimming instructors get into the water themselves during training sessions, practically illustrating the body movements necessary (Study Guide 2008). People hold different views towards such activities however. One may view the planning and preparing of coaching sessions as a recreational activity for instance. Coaching of children may be viewed as a sporting or recreational activity. The difference in perception and variance in views relating to these activities can only be explained by the fact that people go through different experiences and posses different interests in life. As such, it is unlikely to achieve a convergence of opinion on sporting issues. Some people for instance believe that the use of technology in refereeing football matches will increase accuracy, reduce disputes and generally enhance the football game. On the other hand, others think that it will deny the game the rawness that makes it so exiting (BBC News 2005). Question 3: Perpectives Scientific perspective Scientific developments have indeed improved planning and preparations of coaching sessions. Technology is significantly employed in football coaching in today’s environment. As such, a coaching planer has to take into consideration the impact that technology will have on coaching sessions and its use in delivering the actual coaching. In football coaching sessions, technology is used in producing simulations of player positions and play strategies and producing statistics on a given play (BBC News 2005).

Japanese cinema Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japanese cinema - Movie Review Example The present essay is dedicated to the discussion of the cultural shift from the comprehension of the warrior code among yakuza to realizing their criminal nature. At first, a large amount of attention is devoted to the discussion of the Battles without Honor and Humanity. Then, the history of common perception of yakuza through folklore is unfolded. The difference between older yakuza representation and the newer one is analysed next. Finally, global prerequisites of the cultural shift, described in Battles without Honor and Humanity, are given one by one: post-war political situation, nuclear threat, American occupation, and the corruption of the police forces. Most of the Japanese films about yakuza made before Kinji Fukasaku's Battles without Honor and Humanity were concentrated on the confrontation of the good yakuza and the bad yakuza. While being outlaws they were divided by 'jingi' - the code of honor. That is, good yakuza always acted in accordance with jingi, while their opposites showed treachery, dishonor, and other signs of falling from yakuza's grace with their actions. Moreover, jingi was respected so greatly among yakuza that even evil characters had to hide their true nature from other gang members. Once the disrespect to jingi was discovered, antagonists were quickly and violently dealt with. Obviously, the real life was far from the ideal picture drawn by th... Indeed, Fukasaku's life has made him to be able to judge about the authenticity of yakuza image in the Japanese cinema. Kenji Fukasaku was born in 1930 in hard times for Japan. At first the Japanese invasion into China, then the Second World War ending with nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - constant wars have transformed the everyday life into the battle for survival. With his youth spent at that times, no wonder that Fukasaku's view of a post-war Hiroshima in his Battles without Honor and Humanity is filled with cynicism and fatalism. His work as a director at the Toei studio began in 1961. At that time the studio was focused on the production of historical 'jidaigeki' films, and with the studio policy, obliging directors to simply carry out instructions rather than be creative, the film made by Fukasaku in 1973 can be perceived almost as a revolution. Battles without Honor and Humanity offer a realistic view of yakuza gangs emerging in radioactive dust of post-war Hiroshima, and at the same time Fukasaku's film is very personal - it is almost like the director himself talks to us. At the beginning of the film the main character Hirono Shozo performed by Bunta Sugawara comes out of the prison where he was put for dispatching some American soldier. Hirono has no plans for new peaceful life; instead he is instantly taken under the wing of the Yamamori yakuza group. Traditionally to yakuza genre, Hirono represents a hero fallen behind the new life, which has changed seriously while he was in prison. The second difference between Shozo and other yakuza is that he still believes in 'jingi', offering loyalty to his boss, while the other

Addressing Employee Motivation Essay Example for Free

Addressing Employee Motivation Essay Executive Summary Tom was seen to have a loss of motivation at work which was investigated. An analysis showed the main cause to be a lack of communication from his manager, a need for role definition, and a lack of publicity for the success of his project initiative. Recommendation is for Tom’s manager to be informed so they are hopefully able to address these issues and retain and develop Tom’s skills. A problematic work situation relating to a HRM concept in Book 2 1.1 A description of the work problem Tom has a well paid job as a project manager. He created an idea and initiated a project to design and implement a website. After setting up the design and defining the stakeholders, without discussion, another person was brought in to chair the project meetings and keep track of actions for the software team. He felt a lack of clarity in his role and without clear guidance and credit did not feel motivated to push the project as hard as before. Weekly work hours fell back to a normal 40 hours from 50 or 60, and his other ideas were not pushed to management with the same enthusiasm. Motivation was clearly falling. This example relates to motivation and Session 1 of Book 2 can be used to analyse what motivates Tom to go to work. See more:  First Poem for You Essay 1.2 Analysis of my experience using my chosen concepts To understand Tom’s motivation level’s I have analysed his situation using Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (1954) from session 1 (The Open University, B120 Book 2). According to Maslow, â€Å"a satisfied need is not a motivator†. Matching which needs are met on the pyramid of five categories will give an indication of which unmet need should be a motivator. Figure [ 1 ] Maslows Hierarchy of needs pyramid, and summary of Toms status within it. Figure 1 Maslows Hierarchy of needs pyramid, and summary of Toms status within it. According to Maslow’s theory, Tom has reached the 3rd level, but the lack of communication and feedback has stopped him achieving ‘Esteem’. Maslow states that â€Å"Not meeting these needs has a negative effect on our mental health† and this could explain the low motivation that Tom’s behaviour indicates. Tom was also under the impression that his idea and the quick success of the project would be publicised by his manager and would open up opportunities to be involved in other senior projects within the business. This did not materialise, and the senior management was not made aware of any plans to utilise Tom’s skills. In fact Tom’s manager was based in another country and was often not reachable for consultation either by phone or email. This expectation and its failure to materialise also causes low motivation, as explained in the concept of a ‘psychological contract’ from The Open University (2012). By applying this concept, we can understand that Tom had reason to believe that a successful project would lead to acknowledgement and higher esteem within the company, and even though this was not part of a formal employment contract. When this did not occur Tom felt his psychological contract had been violated, and that his hard work was inconsequential, leading to his low motivation to keep working hard. 1.3 Proposed solutions to the problem The analysis above has identified possible causes of Tom’s low motivation. With this understanding of these reasons, each can be addressed with the right actions. . * Problem : Low motivation, * caused by : Perceived low likelihood of achieving Esteem (on Maslow’s hierarchy) * caused by : lack of communication about tasks. * Classified as : Broken psychological contract If we can determine the cause for the broken contract, we may be able to restore Tom’s motivation to work hard. Also relevant is the Job Characteristic Model from Hackman and Oldham cited by The Open University (2012) which lists five core job characteristics that contribute to satisfying work. If Tom’s work is missing any of the core characteristics his attitude to his job could be affected. Figure [ 2 ]. Hackman Oldham JCM The lack of regular communication between Tom and his manager suggests that there is insufficient â€Å"Feedback from the Job†. B120, Book 2, Study session 4, highlights the importance of â€Å"Constructive feedback†, which â€Å"involves praising strengths and achievements†. Arranging another person to chair project meetings could also mean that â€Å"Task Identity† was not clear. To solve these items, Tom’s manager should take the following actions: * clarify Tom’s role and tasks within the project * Provide regular opportunities for feedback and communication, including praise of achievements when applicable. * Publicise Tom’s contributions to raise his profile in the senior management team and allow development of his career. Relevant Web sites http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/motivational-theory-in-practice-at-tesco/maslow-and-herzberg.html (accessed 28-Nov-2012) This shows how a successful company has used Maslow’s hierarchy and Herzbergs two factor theory to try to keep employee motivation high. Herzberg could be summarised as â€Å"If you want people to do a good job for you, then you must give them a good job to do.† The Times is a reputable publisher which lends credence to this site, but this is a case study utilising the theories in this report, and not and original source. http://gmx.xmu.edu.cn/ews/business/management/chapter16.htm#what (accessed 28-Nov-2012) This site was chosen because it contains some interesting definitions of motivation factors, and summarises a collection of different theories on analysing motivation in employees. The information is not verified but some theories corroborate with other sources. References The Open University (2012) B120 An introduction to business studies, Book 2 ‘An introduction to human resource management in business’, Milton Keynes. Web source 1: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/motivational-theory-in-practice-at-tesco/maslow-and-herzberg.html dated unknown (accessed 28-Nov-2012) Web source 2: http://gmx.xmu.edu.cn/ews/business/management/chapter16.htm#what dated unknown (accessed 28-Nov-2012)

Negative Music and the Effects on Human Behavior :: essays research papers

I have chosen to write about negative music and its effect on human behavior. I will trace the history of this type of music and discuss some studies which point out effects of listening to it. What is negative music? Negative music is music that has a negative effect. One form of negative music is music that is used to express or to stimulate negative emotions. A Viennese classical composer named Arnold Schonberg was the first person to openly create negative music early in the twentieth century. His music was rejected by European concert attendees of the time and sometimes caused near riots. Based on discords, Schoenberg's music caused listeners to feel uncomfortable and irritated. However, he became the pivotal composer of the early twentieth century and today he is considered one of the greatest composers of that century. The music ushered in an era of negative music in Western classical music that lasted for over fifty years. His theory was eventually accepted by composers throughout the Western world and was taught in the finest music schools. The result of all this was the incorporation of negative music into TV programs and movies. Negative music is used to create e motions of suspense, terror, anxiety, and fear. It is the music that accompanies crime programs and horror films. The same kind of music that concert audiences rejected because of the feelings that the music invoked became standard TV fare, and for the very same reasons (5). I never thought about the idea that scary and suspenseful music was a break from the norm. It is obvious though that it changes behavior in people. Just watch a horror flick with a friend. You will both know when something horrible is going to happen. The learned behavior from the music stimulus ranges from sliding back in your seat, to covering and closing your eyes. The music tells you something bad is coming and you know how to respond to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Western classical music was the first style of music to incorporate negativity. The next step in the evolution of negative music was its introduction into rock music in the late 1960s. The first hard rock and heavy metal music was produced by the rock group called Blue Cheer somewhere around 1967. Their music was angry and had a noticeably heavy beat.. At this time, the music of the Rolling Stones, too, became harder and angry, with a negative accent.

Best practices when offshoring business intelligence Essay

Ted Kempf in his article in VarBusiness credits Gartner Dataquest with the following definition for Business Intelligence; â€Å"a user-centered process for of exploring data, data relationships and trends, thereby helping improve overall decision making† (Kempf, 2001). US companies today are setting up business-intelligence technology for the purpose of processing the incessant flow of information they receive. These companies gather this information so they can maintain and build customer relationships and make sound business decisions in a timely manner. A Gartner Dataquest study revealed that the primary reason for companies investing in business-intelligence applications is to ensure they have available the information to assist them in making real-time business decisions. Even though the current trend is to outsource IT initiatives overseas to save costs, the rationale in doing the same for business intelligence is questionable. This is because business intelligence (like data ware housing) is not a technical exercise and requires business knowledge. It is iterative and business-focused in nature (Consilvio, 2003). She insists that offshoring BI presents the biggest risk for ETL (extract, transform and load) because it is grossly underestimated. For this reason, Robert Mitchell, in his article in Computerword, even goes as far as saying that the threat for offshoring is overstated (Mitchell, 2006). In her article for Computerworld, Maria Consilvio lists some of the best practices for offshoring business intelligence. They include: ? Set up tight specifications ? Start with an approach similar to staff-augmentation Define service levels which are appropriate for your expectations. ? Keep an onshore presence as representation for the business knowledge. This enables the life cycle to be quick turn. ? Ensure that the development team is reactive to feedback so that business feedback can be translated to technical specifications. ? Offshore the long term projects with more stable requirements. ? Ensure requirements are defined to such a level that the technical resource does not necessarily have to have the business knowledge. Determine beforehand the restrictions placed on exiting the contractas such contracts may not have defined end or start dates as a result of the fluid nature of BI. ? Audit offshore tools and, as much as possible, insist on scalable tools. ? Equip the onshore team with systems integration, project management and deliver management skills In support of the best practice procedures above, William McKnight of McKnight Associates suggests the following as excerpted from his 2003 article in Computerworld: ON-SITE * Set up benchmarking and service-level criteria * Establish business rules * Maintain (create/translate) business knowledge * Involve users in data warehouse decisions * Ensure application support after development OFF-SITE * Set up an enforcement mechanism for business rules * Establish expertise in tools, such as data cleansing, automated extractors, dashboards and real-time delivery * Application development * Application support and project maintenance REFERENCES Consilvio, Jean. (2003). BI: Last to Leave. Computerworld, December 12. Kempf, Ted. (2001). Business-Intelligence Apps: Companies want them, but are emerging integrators prepared to deliver? VarBusiness, November 6. McGee, Marianne Kolbasuk. (2006). You Vs. Offshoring — U. S. tech pros are surprisingly upbeat, and pay is on the rise. But the job outlook is anything but warm and fuzzy. InformationWeek, April 24. Mitchell, Robert L. (2006). Why Good Technologists Are Hard to Find. Computerworld, March 20.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 9

Damon dropped his hand. He simply couldn't make himself do it. Bonnie was weak, light-headed, a liability in combat, easy to confuse – That's it, he thought. I'l use that! She's so naive – â€Å"Let go for a second,†he coaxed. â€Å"So I can get the stave – â€Å" â€Å"No! You'l jump if I do! What's a stave?†Bonnie said, al in one breath. – and stubborn, and impractical – Was the bril iant light beginning to flicker? â€Å"Bonnie,†he said in a low voice, â€Å"I am deadly serious here. If you don't let go, I'l make you – and you won't like that, I promise.† â€Å"Do what he says,†Meredith pleaded from somewhere quite close. â€Å"Bonnie, he's going into the Dark Dimension! But you're going to end up going with him – and you'l both be human slaves this time! Take my hand!† â€Å"Take her hand!†Damon roared, as the light definitely flickered, for an instant becoming less blinding. He could feel Bonnie shifting and trying to see where Meredith was, and then he heard her say, â€Å"I can't – â€Å" And then they were fal ing. The last time they had traveled through a Gate they had been total y enclosed in an elevator-like box. This time they were simply flying. There was the light, and there were the two of them, and they were so blinded that somehow speaking didn't seem possible. There was only the bril iant, fluctuating, beautiful light – And then they were standing in an al ey, so narrow that it just barely al owed the two of them to face each other, and between buildings so high that there was almost no light down where they were. No – that wasn't the reason, Damon thought. He remembered that blood-red perpetual light. It wasn't coming directly from either side of the narrow slit of al ey, which meant that they were basical y in deep burgundy twilight. â€Å"Do you realize where we are?†Damon demanded in a furious whisper. Bonnie nodded, seeming happy about having figured that out already. â€Å"We're basical y in deep burgundy – â€Å" â€Å"Crap!† Bonnie looked around. â€Å"I don't smel anything,†she offered cautiously, and examined the soles of her feet. â€Å"We are,†Damon said slowly and quietly, as if he needed to calm himself between every word, â€Å"in a world where we can be flogged, flayed, and decapitated just for stepping on the ground.† Bonnie tried a little hop and then a jump in place, as if diminishing her ground-interaction time might help them in some manner. She looked at him for further instructions. Quite suddenly, Damon picked her up and stared at her hard, as revelation dawned. â€Å"You're drunk!†he final y whispered. â€Å"You're not even awake! Al this while I've been trying to get you to see sense, and you're a drunken sleepwalker!† â€Å"I am not!†Bonnie said. â€Å"And†¦just in case I am, you ought to be nicer to me. You made me this way.† Some distant part of Damon agreed that this was true. He was the one who'd gotten the girl drunk and then drugged her with truth serum and sleeping medicine. But that was simply a fact, and had nothing to do with how he felt about it. How he felt was that there was no possible way for him to proceed with this al -too-gentle creature along. Of course, the sensible thing would be to get away from her very quickly, and let the city, this huge metropolis of evil, swal ow her in its great, black-fanged maw, as it would most certainly do if she walked a dozen steps on its streets without him. But, as before, something inside him simply wouldn't let him do it. And, he realized, the sooner he admitted that, the sooner he could find a place to put her and begin taking care of his own affairs. â€Å"What's that?†he said, taking one of her hands. â€Å"My opal ring,†Bonnie said proudly. â€Å"See, it goes with everything, because it's al colors. I always wear it; it's casual or dress-up.†She happily let Damon take it off and examine it. â€Å"These are real diamonds on the sides?† â€Å"Flawless, pure white,†Bonnie said, stil proudly. â€Å"Lady Ulma's fianceLucen made it so that if we ever needed to take the stones out and sel them – â€Å"She came up short. â€Å"You're going to take the stones out and sel them! No! No no no no no!† â€Å"Yes! I have to, if you're going to have any chance of surviving,†Damon said. â€Å"And if you say one more word or fail to do exactly as I tel you, I am going to leave you alone here. And then you wil die. â€Å"He turned narrowed, menacing eyes on her. Bonnie abruptly turned into a frightened bird. â€Å"Al right,†she whispered, tears gathering on her eyelashes. â€Å"What's it for?† Thirty minutes later, she was in prison; or as good as. Damon had instal ed her in a second-story apartment with one window covered by rol er blinds, and strict instructions about keeping them down. He had pawned the opal and a diamond successful y, and paid a sour, humorless-looking landlady to bring Bonnie two meals a day, escort her to the toilet when necessary, and otherwise forget about her existence. â€Å"Listen,†he said to Bonnie, who was stil crying silently after the landlady had left them, â€Å"I'l try to get back to see you within three days. If I don't come within a week it'l mean I'm dead. Then you – don't cry! Listen! – then you need to use these jewels and this money to try to get al the way from here to here; where Lady Ulma wil stil be – we hope.† He gave her a map and a little moneybag ful of coins and gems left over from the cost of her bread and board. â€Å"If that happens – and I can pretty wel promise it won't, your best chance is to try walking in the daytime when things are busy; keep your eyes down, your aura smal , and don't talk to anyone. Wear this sacking smock, and carry this bag of food. Pray that nobody asks you anything, but try to look as if you're on an errand for your master. Oh, yes.†Damon reached into his jacket pocket and pul ed out two smal iron slave bracelets, bought when he had gotten the map. â€Å"Never take them off, not when you're sleeping, not when you're eating – never.† He looked at her darkly, but Bonnie was already on the threshold of a panic attack. She was trembling and crying, but too frightened to say a word. Ever since entering the Dark Dimension she'd been keeping her aura as smal as possible, her psychic defenses high; she didn't need to be told to do that. She was in danger. She knew it. Damon finished somewhat more leniently. â€Å"I know it sounds difficult, but I can tel you that I personal y have no intention whatsoever of dying. I'l try to visit you, but getting across the borders of the various sectors is dangerous, and that's what I may have to do to come here. Just be patient, and you'l be al right. Remember, time passes differently here than back on Earth. We can be here for weeks and we'l get back practical y the instant we set out. And, look† – Damon gestured around the room – â€Å"dozens of star bal s! You can watch al of them.† These were the more common kind of star bal , the kind that had, not Power in them, but memories, stories, or lessons. When you held one to your temple, you were immersed in whatever material had been imprinted on the bal . â€Å"Better than TV,†Damon said. â€Å"Much.† Bonnie nodded slightly. She was stil crushed, and she was so smal , so slight, her skin so pale and fine, her hair such a flame of bril iance in the dim crimson light that seeped through the blinds, that as always Damon found himself melting slightly. â€Å"Do you have any questions?†he asked her final y. Bonnie said slowly, â€Å"And – you're going to be†¦?† â€Å"Out getting the vampire versions of Who's Who and the Book of Peers,†Damon said. â€Å"I'm looking for a lady of quality.† After Damon had left, Bonnie looked around the room. It was horrible. Dark brown and just horrible! She had been trying to save Damon from going back into the Dark Dimension because she remembered the terrible way that slaves – who were mostly humans – were treated. But did he appreciate that? Did he? Not in the slightest! And then when she'd been fal ing through the light with him, she'd thought that at least they would be going to Lady Ulma's, the Cinderel a-story woman whom Elena had rescued and who had then regained her wealth and status and had designed beautiful dresses so that the girls could go to fancy parties. There would have been big beds with satin sheets and maids who brought strawberries and clotted cream for breakfast. There would have been sweet Lakshmi to talk to, and gruff Dr. Meggar, and†¦ Bonnie looked around the brown room and the plain rush-fil ed pal et with its single blanket. She picked up a star bal listlessly, and then let it drop from her fingers. Suddenly, a great sleepiness fil ed her, making her head swim. It was like a fog rol ing in. There was absolutely no question of fighting it. Bonnie stumbled toward the bed, fel onto it, and was asleep almost before she had settled under the blanket. â€Å"It's my fault far more than yours,†Stefan was saying to Meredith. â€Å"Elena and I were – deeply asleep – or he'd never have managed any part of it. I'd have noticed him talking with Bonnie. I'd have realized he was taking you hostage. Please don't blame yourself, Meredith.† â€Å"I should have tried to warn you. I just never expected Bonnie to come running out and grab him,†Meredith said. Her dark gray eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Elena squeezed her hand, sick in the pit of her stomach herself. â€Å"You certainly couldn't be expected to fight off Damon,†Stefan said flatly. â€Å"Human or vampire – he's trained; he knows moves that you could never counter. You can't blame yourself.† Elena was thinking the same thing. She was worried about Damon's disappearance – and terrified for Bonnie. Yet at another level of her mind she was wondering at the lacerations on Meredith's palm that she was trying to warm. The strangest thing was that the wounds appeared to have been treated – rubbed slick with lotion. But she wasn't going to bother Meredith about it at a time like this. Especial y when it was real y Elena's own fault. She was the one who had enticed Stefan the night before. Oh, they had been deep, al right – deep in each other's minds. â€Å"Anyway, it's Bonnie's fault if it's anyone's,†Stefan said regretful y. â€Å"But now I'm worried about her. Damon's not going to be inclined to watch out for her if he didn't want her to come.† Meredith bowed her head. â€Å"It's my fault if she gets hurt.† Elena chewed her lower lip. There was something wrong. Something about Meredith, that Meredith wasn't tel ing her. Her hands were real y damaged, and Elena couldn't figure out how they could have gotten that way. Almost as if she knew what Elena was thinking, Meredith slipped her hand out of Elena's and looked at it. Looked at both her palms, side by side. They were equal y scratched and torn. Meredith bent her dark head farther, almost doubling over where she sat. Then she straightened, throwing back her head like someone who had made a decision. She said, â€Å"There's something I have to tel you – â€Å" â€Å"Wait,†Stefan whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder. â€Å"Listen. There's a car coming.† Elena listened. In a moment she heard it too. â€Å"They're coming to the boardinghouse,†she said, puzzled. â€Å"It's so early,†Meredith said. â€Å"Which means – â€Å" â€Å"It has to be the police after Matt,†Stefan finished. â€Å"I'd better go in and wake him up. I'l put him in the root cel ar.† Elena quickly corked the star bal with its meager ounces of fluid. â€Å"He can take this with him,†she was beginning, when Meredith suddenly ran to the opposite side of the Gate. She picked up a long, slender object that Elena couldn't recognize, even with Power channeled to her eyes. She saw Stefan blink and stare at it. â€Å"This needs to go in the root cel ar too,†Meredith said. â€Å"And there are probably earth tracks coming out of the cel ar, and blood in the kitchen. Two places.† â€Å"Blood?†Elena began, furious with Damon, but then she shook her head and refocused. In the light of dawn, she could see a police car, cruising like some great white shark toward the house. â€Å"Let's go,†Elena said. â€Å"Go, go, go!† They al dashed back to the boardinghouse, crouching to stay low to the ground as they did it. As they went, Elena hissed, â€Å"Stefan, you've got to Influence them if you can. Meredith, you try to clean up the soil and blood. I'l get Matt; he's less likely to punch me when I tel him he has to hide.† They hastened to their appointed duties. In the middle of it al , Mrs. Flowers appeared, dressed in a flannel nightgown with a fuzzy pink robe over it, and slippers with bunny heads on them. As the first hammering knock on the door sounded, she had her hand on the door handle, and the police officer, who was beginning to shout, â€Å"POLICE! OPEN THE – â€Å"found himself bawling this directly over the head of a little old lady who could not have looked more frail or harmless. He ended almost in a whisper, † – door?† â€Å"It is open,†Mrs. Flowers said sweetly. She opened it to its widest, so that Elena could see two officers, and the officers could see Elena, Stefan, and Meredith, al of whom had just arrived from the kitchen area. â€Å"We want to speak to Matt Honeycutt,†the female officer said. Elena noted that the squad car was from the Ridgemont Sheriff's Department. â€Å"His mother informed us that he was here – after serious questioning.† They were coming inside, shouldering their way past Mrs. Flowers. Elena glanced at Stefan, who was pale, with tiny beads of sweat visible on his forehead. He was looking intently at the female officer, but she just kept talking. â€Å"His mother says he's been virtual y living at this boardinghouse recently,†she said, while the male officer held up some kind of paperwork. â€Å"We have a warrant to search the premises,†he said flatly. Mrs. Flowers seemed uncertain. She glanced back toward Stefan, but then let her gaze move on to the other teenagers. â€Å"Perhaps it would be best if I made everyone a nice cup of tea?† Stefan was stil looking at the woman, his face looking paler and more drawn than ever. Elena felt a sudden panic clutch at her stomach. Oh, God, even with the gift of her blood tonight, Stefan was weak – far too weak to even use Influence. â€Å"May I ask a question?†Meredith said in her low, calm voice. â€Å"Not about the warrant,†she added, waving the paper away. â€Å"How is it out there in Fel ‘s Church? Do you know what's going on?† She was buying time, Elena thought, and yet everyone stopped to hear the answer. â€Å"Mayhem,†the female sheriff replied after a moment's pause. â€Å"It's like a war zone out there. Worse than that because it's the kids who are – â€Å"She broke off and shook her head. â€Å"That's not our business. Our business is finding a fugitive from justice. But first, as we were driving toward your hotel we saw a very bright column of light. It wasn't from a helicopter. I don't suppose you know anything about what it was?† Just a door through space and time, Elena was thinking, as Meredith answered, stil calmly, â€Å"Maybe a power transmitter blowing up? Or a freak shaft of lightning? Or are you talking about†¦a UFO?†She lowered her already soft voice. â€Å"We don't have time for this,†the male sheriff said, looking disgusted. â€Å"We're here to find this Honeycutt man.† â€Å"You're welcome to look,†Mrs. Flowers said. They were already doing so. Elena felt shocked and nauseated on two fronts. â€Å"This Honeycutt man.†Man, not boy. Matt was over eighteen. Was he stil a juvenile? If not, what would they do to him when they eventual y caught up to him? And then there was Stefan. Stefan had been so certain, so†¦ convincing†¦in his announcements about being wel again. Al that talk about going back to hunting animals – but the truth was that he needed much more blood to recover. Now her mind spun into planning mode, faster and faster. Stefan obviously wasn't going to be able to Influence both of those officers without a very large donation of human blood. And if Elena gave it†¦the sick feeling in her stomach increased and she felt the smal hairs on her body stand up†¦if she gave it, what were the chances that she would become a vampire herself? High, a cool, rational voice in her mind answered. Very high, considering that less than a week ago, she had been exchanging blood with Damon. Frequently. Uninhibitedly. Which left her with the only plan she could think of. These sheriffs wouldn't find Matt, but Meredith and Bonnie had told her the whole story of how another Ridgemont sheriff had come, asking about Matt – and about Stefan's girlfriend. The problem was that she, Elena Gilbert, had â€Å"died†nine months ago. She shouldn't be here – and she had a feeling that these officers would be inquisitive. They needed Stefan's Power. Right now. There was no other way, no other choice. Stefan. Power. Human blood. She moved to Meredith, who had her dark head down and cocked to one side as if listening to the two sheriffs clomping above on the stairs. â€Å"Meredith – â€Å" Meredith turned toward her and Elena almost took a step back in shock. Meredith's normal y olive complexion was gray, and her breath was coming fast and shal owly. Meredith, calm and composed Meredith, already knew what Elena was going to ask of her. Enough blood to leave her out of control as it was being taken. And fast. That terrified her. More than terrified. She can't do it, Elena thought. We're lost.