My Experiences with Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Experiences with Writing - Essay Example Writing is how I express myself best. It is through writing that I can reveal the information or knowledge that I have to a reader or my audience. For example, upon reading my notes in preparation for examinations, I write to establish how best I have memorized the main points. In this regard, I rest assured that when the day of examinations approaches, I will respond to the set questions without much of a problem. There are also instances where I write to free myself from distressing thoughts, such as pressing issues. I always feel relieved when I scribble my painful feelings away. I believe writing is one of the best ways to communicate. One of my writing successes has been taking part in essay writing competitions and winning several awards. This makes me happy knowing that I conveyed my points and ideas successfully. Also, it feels good to learn that you have an audience who can appreciate your writing skills or your written pieces of work. This gives me the strength to write even better. However, I have encountered disheartening experiences where I learnt that, as an international student, I cannot get employment in the U.S. I have always admired living and working in America when I complete my education. However, this destroys my morale and further chips away at my abilities. Words, language, and written communication form distinctive parts of my life. Particularly, I use words to express my ideas and views by constructing sentences and expressions.

Training Cycles For A Basketball Player

Training Cycles For A Basketball Player I am designing a years training program for a basketball player who is at an academy level. I will be providing four cycles, a macrocycle, mesocycle and two detailed microcycle Key components of fitness for the player to improve are: Position: small forward 6ft 4 age 18- They are generally the most versatile player in the team. Should be an explosive player because they have to rebound the ball and have the strength to be able to guard the bigger players in the post. Muscular Endurance Basketball is a continuous game that goes on for 40minutes. It requires a high level of muscular endurance for continues jumping throughout the game e.g. for rebounds through out the game, for shooting the ball or for doing lay ups for the legs, the arms they need to constantly dribble, catch the ball, shoot the ball and pass. Importance: Muscular endurance allows the player to give continuous maximum effort through out the game with out fatigue affecting performance. The higher the level of endurance the better the performance as the sports requires constant jumping and sprinting (Muzawazi 2010). It is important that he has this because the athletes on an international level play a more intense game and it requires more energy to be exerted than on a national level that he is used to. Muscular Strength it is important that he has strength, as the description I put of his position above that he would have to guard bigger opponents. He would also need to help him when rebounding the ball to able to hold opponents off and also when he is being fouled while in the act of shooting, he would be able to have the strength to then attempt scoring. Power: the ability of a muscle to exert maximum force instantly in an explosive burst of movements in one muscular contraction. The two components of power are strength and speed (Neate, 1996). I will be focusing on improving his vertical leap ability in the preseason. It is important for him to have a greater leaping ability because then he can shoot jumper higher to shoot over taller players, contest for the rebounds with the taller players by being able to get off the ground quicker by being more explosive. Agility- A high level of agility is important at getting past agile defenders. Importance: having the ability to change direction without loosing speed and staying in control is a very important at being a good basketball player. Whether it is a tall who is not as agile as the smaller players but is more agile than his big opponents gives him an advantage. What are the goals? The athletes goals are that they want to perform well enough in the first part of the season at get recommended at to try out for the England U20 team. When are they to be achieved? The national team trials are to be held at the late December early January. They will be identified in the macrocycle. How are they going to be achieved? It has to be a double peak season as they will have to peak end of December early January for the trails then peak again late March for league playoffs and Cup finals and early April for international tournaments. Periodisation model I will be using the Matveyev model of Periodisation which puts the year plan into 3periods of training. There is a preparation, competition then the transition (the off season). The problem I have is with this model is that I need my athlete to peak at two parts of the season that is the middle and at the end of the season. The problem with this type of model of periodisation is that it doesnt allow for two peaks that I want my player to have so I have to try and achieve that by varying the intensity of training with my athlete. I didnt use models that allowed two peaks because they were not fitting to the basketball seasons. Cycles A microcycle lasts for five to 10 days for my program it will be a week cycle. It takes a week in from the mesocycle and shows it in as much detail as possible. A mesocycle usually covers four to 12 weeks it takes a part of a year cycle and shows a more detailed. A macrocycle can last from 10months to 4 years. This is can be used to plan season after season until a major event e.g. Olympics or can be planning for a major event that occurs each year e.g. playoffs. Programs Month Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Pre-season Season Offseason Strength training Basic Maximum Maintain Recovery Power Plyometrics Maintain Agility Drills Maintain Endurance Continuous Anaerobic Maintain Maintain Events T P/I.T Intensity Medium High High Medium High Medium High low low Key T- England trails P-Playoffs I.T International Tournament Strength Training As my athlete has not done much strength training I chose to start basic because it means that it gives them time to build a foundation for them to then start lifting heavier weights. It is important to prepare the body by targeting all of the major muscle groups, tendons, ligaments and joints helping to prevent injury (Bompa 1999). Maximal Strength part of the off season is not to build muscle or bulk up the player but is to increase the amount of maximum force he can produce from his muscles. Increase maximal muscle has to be specific to the sport and the movements involved. A more appropriate exercise however is a barbell squat, which closely matches the movement pattern of the vertical jump. Taken a step further, jump squats are even more specific to jumping and its not surprising that they increase vertical jump performance to the greatest extent (Wilson, Newton, Murphy, Humphries 1993). Though the athlete may undergo some hypertrophy because of the neuromuscular adaptations to the chronic stress of lifting heavier weights. The fast twitch fibres become thicker and increase their efficiency of the glycolysis. There will also be the conversion of the Type 11a fibres known as fast oxidative glycolytic fibres; they have the ability to adapt themselves depending on the athletes training. This is because basketb all is a game that relies on the anaerobic energy systems more than the aerobic system. I will be using free weights because the athlete will have to control the bar which means not only will they be recruiting monitor units for muscles being worked but also those which help gain control of the bar, stabilise it and maintain body balance (Wilmore, Costill 2004). Power Plyometrics-I included Plyometrics because it is perfect for increasing my athletes vertical leaping ability. It helps make the covert the maximal strength into power so that it is more specific to the sport. Strength is not useful unless it is can either be exerted when needed in a specific movement in the sport. Plyometrics is known as the jumping training, it is proposed to bridge the gap between speed and strength training. Plyometrics uses the stretch reflex to facilitate recruitment of motor units (Wilmore, Costill 2004). Muscular endurance I chose to start with aerobic training even though the game of basketball focuses on using the anaerobic systems. I chose to do this because Bompa (2005) suggest that starting with aerobic endurance first then secondly anaerobic is important because increasing the aerobic endurance allows for physiological improvements such as cardiovascular efficiency, biochemical improvements of increased mitochondria and capillary density and thus resulting in the greater diffusion and use of oxygen and the breakdown of fat and the removal of lactic acid. Agility I included agility to make sure that the athlete doesnt lose it because of hypertrophy that might occur from the strength training. He might increase in mass which might make it harder for him to move around swiftly. So putting agility drills in the preseason is to bring his agility back up to what it was in the previous season because he would have lost some in the off-season and then maintain it over the strength training period. Mesocycle Month Late March April May Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Strength training x x x Power x x Agility x x x Endurance x x x Skill and Strategies x x x x x x x Intensity H L M L L L L Matches 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 International Matches 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 I took this mesocycle from the most important part of the season. The playoffs and the international tournaments happen after each other. The play offs occur during the week before a half term and then the international tournament happens in the first week of the half term and allows for a rest week during the second week of the half term. Training in the weeks before the season ends is high because I want him to push the boundary he has been playing at mid season so that in the weeks of the playoffs and tournaments his strength and explosive ability has peaked as he might decrease in strength from doing medium intensity after peaking in December/January. I want his skill to peak because once he has the physical attributes to compete he will need his skill level to be at its highest all season so that he may dominate opponents and make an impact on his first appearance on the international stage. During the play off week and the international tournament week training will be low intensity consist of mostly skill and strategy based sessions because there will be no time in the week with 3 or 4 matches to have set up sessions to improve the components of fitness. The aim is to get as much rest as possible and spent time working on set plays and refining skills to win the tournament as physical preparation has already taken place. Microcycle Power phase (August-September) goal is to increase muscular power. Rest muscles for 2-3 minutes between sets and exercises. Do low reps at a high intensity which means doing it as fast as possible. 1-3 sets of 2-4 reps., 3 times a week. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Crunches, twist crunches Crunches Russian Twist Crunches, REST REST Legs: DB jump squat, jump lunges, Calf raisers Sideline touch and elbow shot 410 Total body: Clean and jerk Baseline the top of the key shot. 4x 10 Total Body: DB hang snatch, hang cleans Plyometrics Squat Depth Jump (410) 5 shuttle suicides Upper Body: Bench Press, Incline press Legs: stiff leg dead lifts, leg press. Calf raisers T-Test agility drill 3 attempts Skill work Arms: Biceps curls, triceps extensions Skill work Upper Body: DB incline, DB military 5 shuttle suicides Lane agility drill 3attempts Plyometrics Box Jump As I has stated above the table those are the number of reps and sets targeted to be done for each exercise unless stated otherwise in the table. At this point of the pre season I have started including basketball specific endurance drills so that athletes are preparing start preparing a shooting when they are tired mentality which is needed many times in basketball. Players that can shoot the ball well late into a game, stand out and also become the go to guys on their team because that attribute allows them to win games for their teams e.g. Kobe Bryant scores a lot of his points in they last quarter because the defence is tired as he has the endurance to keep going at them while everyone in his team becomes tired which means he gets the ball more. Having him practise drills after doing endurance work, helps him refine his technique even more because when he can do the skills and perfect the correct technique when he is tired it not only allows him to perform better when he isnt tired but also helps build the mentality required for the late stages of the game. I also introduced the interval training for the endurance drills because basketball is a sport that mainly uses the anaerobic systems. As Bomba, Carrera (2005) stated that basketball is uses the ATP-Pc system 80%of the time. So training this system is important to the athletes performance as he will need to get it to peak condition so that he can perform his at a highest level possible throughout the whole game. The agility drills are to be done between 10-20seconds to keep them specific to the energy system being used and they will also involve stopping starting and changing in directions and running forwards and backwards and sidestepping. This is defiantly specific to the sport of basketball as all these movements occur in the sport so it also improves the ability to move effectively around the court. Microcycle 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Crunches, twist crunches G A M E D A Y R E S T Crunches, R E S T Skill work Sideline touch and elbow shot 410 Legs: stiff leg dead lifts, leg press. Calf raisers 5 shuttle suicides Plyometrics Squat Depth Jump (410) Strategies/plays Upper Body: Bench Press, Incline press Lane agility Drill X3 T-Test agility drill 3 attempts Skill Drills Plyometrics Box Jump Arms: Biceps curls, triceps extensions 5 shuttle suicides Skill drills Maintenance phase/Sport specific exercise goal is to maintain muscular power. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets and exercises, Doing low reps and high intensity which means 1-3 sets of 2-4 reps, 2 times a week The point of this in-season training is to maintain the athletes physical gains they have obtained over the summer (preseason). Its also time for the athlete to improve and refine their dribbling, shooting techniques etc but most importantly to improve on their teamwork so that he can have a successful season as part of the team because that the way most scouts will get attracted, by a winning team. So by reducing the strength training, power and agility training to twice a week high intense session it brings him to a maintenance level and increasing the skill based work makes for time to improve his skill level. How I will be testing for improvements Test will happen at the beginning, middle and end of pre season and 5weeks before an important event. Vertical Jump test Figure 1 For many years, tests such as the standing broad jump and vertical jump have been used as field tests to evaluate an individual explosive anaerobic power. (Powers, Howley 2007) I will use this test at the beginning, middle and end of the preseason. I will do it again at the end of November so that I can establish whether or not he has maintained his gains before the trails. This measures not only the vertical leap of a player but it is also used to find out how much explosive power they have. Wall can be used for this measurement as illustrated in the figure 1 or a vertex machine can be used to measure the vertical leap. Figure 1 shows how the test is performed. Athlete is to stand and reach as far as possible and label the point as M1. The athlete will jump from stationary position and see mark the highest point they reach as M2. The distance between M1 and M2 is recorded and compared to the norms. This test is valid because in basketball there is constant jumping throughout the game so the test applies directly to the match. Strength Although the bench press is not the most sport-specific strength test for basketball, it is a reliable assessment for upper-body strength. Evaluation standards have also been established for the bench press and so I am going to use it as a test. The athlete will perform two warm-up sets of approximately five to ten repetitions. Followed by a three minute rest, I will load the barbell with an amount of weight that I have deemed appropriate for the athlete. The weight selection was chosen in order to fatigue the athlete in less than eight repetitions. So I decided to that 50kg would be enough for a good weight as he is only starting weight lifting. I also decided that this weight would be best as the NBA tests athletes at 90kg and they are elite athletes. This protocol has been used in predicting 1RM and has been shown to be reliable and valid (Brzycki 1993) Lane agility drill Figure 2 The point of this test is to see the ability of an athlete to maintain speed and body control while changing direction. Set up cones as shown in the image. Figure 2 shows how the test is to set up and the movement the player is to take http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/agility-lane.htm Sprint forwards to the baseline. At the cone, change movement to a side shuffle to the right across the baseline. At the next cone back pedal up the lane to the foul line, then side shuffle left back towards the start line. Then do it in reverse back to the start line. Having the ability to change direction without loosing speed and staying in control is a very important at being a good basketball player. Whether it is a tall player who is not as agile as the smaller players but is more agile than his big opponents gives him an advantage. Norms Vertical Jump Test % Rank Females Males 1-10 76.20 81.30 cm 86.35 91.45 cm 11-20 71.11 76.19 cm 81.30 86.34 cm 21-30 66.05 71.10 cm 76.20 81.29 cm 31-40 60.95 66.04 cm 71.10 76.19 cm 41-50 55.90 60.94 cm 66.05 71.09 cm 51-60 50.80 55.89 cm 60.95 66.04 cm 61-70 45.71 50.79 cm 55.90 60.94 cm 71-80 40.65 45.70 cm 50.80 55.89 cm 81-90 35.55 40.64 cm 45.70 50.79 cm 91-100 30.50 35.54 cm 40.65 45.69 cm Table reference: (D.A. Chu 1996) shows elite athlete norms I expect to see my athlete enter the top 40% of athletes for him to compete on an international at the age of 18. As he is not an elite athlete yet but to be on route to I expect him to be in that top 40%. Lane agility test position males females guards 10.2 10.9 13.0 14.5 forwards 11.0 11.4 14.6 15.5 centres 11.5 12.3 14.6 15.5 FIBA Assist Magazine, 17, 2005, p62 Norms I expect to see my athlete increase in strength so that he can is able to maintain body control while colliding with opponents. I expect to see him increase in explosive strength so that he can leap of the ground faster than most opponents so that he can contribute to rebounding for the team and shoot over most opponents. His increase in physical attributes should allow to gain an extra advantage over the players in the league and for him to have a firm base for him to start on for his international team. Referencing Muzawazi A.T Basketball Regime, Training and Testing (2010) Powers S .K, Howley E.T- Exercise Physiology (sixth edition) 2007 Neate D., P.E essentials 1996 Bompa T.O, Haff G.G Periodisation: Theory and Methodology of Training (2009) Bompa T.O, Carrera M Periodisation Training for Sports. Third edition (2005) Wilmore J.H, Costill D.L- Physiology of sport and exercise 3rd edition (2004) Wilson G.J, Newton R.U, Murphy A.J, Humphries B.J The optimal training load for the development of dynamic athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993 Nov; 25(11):1279-86

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Teaching Philosophy After examining all of the different teaching philosophies, I have chosen to side with Rousseau's theory. A theory which I find to be very complete and practical enough to apply to modern day students. Rousseau's theory had three ideas throughout his writings that he used to prove his theory: the nature of students, the purpose of education, and what education should look like (curriculum, methods, disciplines). I will also look at an area in which Rousseau stayed relatively neutral in, that is the nature of knowledge. The Nature of Students: According to Rousseau's thoughts, the environment determines whether a student is good or evil. I totally agree with Rousseau's statement that the environment determines whether kids are good or evil. It has been proven through longitudinal studies that identical twins, which have the same genetic abilities and talents, can be affected by differing environments, either negatively or positively depending upon the individual situation. Rousseau also felt that most students have about the same intelligence. This statement by Rousseau to me is a moto that all teachers must have in order to succeed. All students have the same intelligence; it falls largely onto the teacher to find the way to help the student reach his or her potential for intelligence. Rousseau also mentioned that students should learn from experience and that students are exceptional imitators. I feel that as a teacher one must provide many different learning experiences to learn from. Most importantly, a teacher, by setting a good example can and will greatly influence a student's behavior and overall performance. The purpose of Education: The purpose of education according to Rousseau is to create good people who can live in a free society. Rousseau felt that the following characteristics make a good citizen: self-sufficient, respectful, caring, modest, healthy, etc) so that they will become just what Rousseau wanted, good citizens who are able to live in a free society. What Education should look like: As far as curriculum goes, Rousseau thought that you should teach only what a child wants to know and things that can be learned through experience. To me personally curriculum is indeed very important. I will be teaching K-12 PE/Health, thus the students ages will differ according to the level I am teaching.

Blood Promise Chapter Thirty

Alberta was waiting for me in the front office of the guardians' administrative building. Alberta's role as captain here was remarkable considering the lower numbers of women in our ranks. She was in her fifties and one of the toughest women I'd met. Her sandy hair was showing some gray, and years of working outdoors had weathered her skin. â€Å"Welcome back, Rose,† she said, standing up at my approach. She certainly didn't hug me, and her manner was businesslike, but the fact that she used my first name was a generous gesture for her. That, and I thought I saw a small spark of relief and happiness in her eyes. â€Å"Let's go to my office.† I'd never been there. Any disciplinary issues I had with the guardians were usually addressed in committee. Unsurprisingly, the office was spotless, everything arranged with military efficiency. We sat on opposite sides of her desk, and I braced myself for an interrogation. â€Å"Rose,† she said, leaning toward me. â€Å"I'm going to be blunt with you. I'm not going to give you lectures or demand any explanations. Honestly, since you aren't my student anymore, I don't have the right to ask or tell you anything.† It was like what Adrian had said. â€Å"You can lecture,† I told her. â€Å"I've always respected you and want to hear what you have to say.† The ghost of a smile flashed on her face. â€Å"All right, here it is. You screwed up.† â€Å"Wow. You weren't kidding about bluntness.† â€Å"The reasons don't matter. You shouldn't have left. You shouldn't have dropped out. Your education and training are too valuable-no matter how much you think you know-and you are too talented to risk throwing away your future.† I almost laughed. â€Å"To tell you the truth? I'm not sure what my future is anymore.† â€Å"Which is why you need to graduate.† â€Å"But I dropped out.† She snorted. â€Å"Then drop back in!† â€Å"I-what? How?† â€Å"With paperwork. Just like everything else in the world.† To be honest, I hadn't known what I'd do once I got back here. My immediate concern was Lissa-to be with her and make sure she was okay. I knew I couldn't officially be her guardian anymore, but I'd figured once we were together, no one could stop her from hanging out with a friend. I'd be her hired bodyguard, so to speak, kind of like what Abe had. And in the meantime, I'd bum around campus like Adrian. But to enroll again? â€Å"I†¦ I missed a month. Maybe more.† My days were scattered. It was the first week of May, and I'd left near the end of March, on my birthday. What was that? Five weeks? Almost six? â€Å"You missed two years and managed to catch up. I have faith in you. And even if you have trouble, graduating with low grades is better than not graduating at all.† I tried to imagine myself back in this world. Had it really only been a little over a month? Classes†¦ day-to-day intrigue†¦ how could I just go back to that? How could I return to that life after seeing the way Dimitri's family lived, after being with Dimitri and losing him-again. Would he have said he loved me? â€Å"I don't know what to say,† I told Alberta. â€Å"This is kind of a lot to take in.† â€Å"Well, you should decide quickly. The sooner you're back in class, the better.† â€Å"They'll really let me?† That was the part I found a little unbelievable. â€Å"I'll let you,† she said. â€Å"No way am I letting someone like you get away. And now that Lazar is gone†¦ well, things are crazy around here. No one's going to give me much trouble in filing the paperwork.† Her wry smile slipped a little. â€Å"And if they do give us any trouble†¦ I've been made to understand that you have a benefactor who can pull a few favors to smooth everything over.† â€Å"A benefactor,† I repeated flatly. â€Å"A benefactor who wears flashy scarves and gold jewelry?† She shrugged. â€Å"No one I know. Don't even know his name-only that he'll threaten to withhold a considerable donation to the school if you aren't let back in. If you want in.† Yeah. Deals and blackmail. I was pretty sure I knew who my benefactor was. â€Å"Give me some time to think about it. I'll decide soon-I promise.† She frowned, thoughtful, and then gave a sharp nod. â€Å"All right.† We both stood up, and she walked me toward the building's entrance. I glanced over at her. â€Å"Hey, if I do graduate†¦ do you think there's ever any way I could be in line to be Lissa's guardian officially again? I know they've already picked out people for her and that I'm in, ah, a bit of disgrace.† We stopped by the outer doors, and Alberta rested a hand on her hip. â€Å"I don't know. We can certainly try. The situation's gotten a lot more complicated.† â€Å"Yeah, I know,† I said sadly, recalling Tatiana's high-handed actions. â€Å"But, like I said, we'll do what we can. What I said about graduating with low grades? You won't. Well, maybe in math and science-but that's out of my control. You'll be the best among the novices, though. I'll work with you myself.† â€Å"Okay,† I said, realizing what a concession that was on her part. â€Å"Thank you.† I had just stepped outside when she called my name. â€Å"Rose?† I caught the door and glanced back. â€Å"Yeah?† Alberta's face was gentle†¦ something I'd never seen before. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Sorry for everything that happened. And that none of us could do anything about it.† I saw in her eyes then that she knew about Dimitri and me. I wasn't sure how. Maybe she'd heard it after the battle; maybe she'd guessed beforehand. Regardless, there was no chastisement in her face, only sincere sorrow and empathy. I gave her a brief nod of acknowledgment and went outside. I found Christian the next day, but our conversation was brief. He was on his way to meet with some of his trainees and was running late. But he hugged me and seemed genuinely happy to have me back. It showed how far we'd come, considering the antagonistic relationship we'd had when we first met. â€Å"About time,† he said. â€Å"Lissa and Adrian get the market share on worrying about you, but they're not the only ones. And someone needs to put Adrian in his place, you know. I can't do it all the time.† â€Å"Thanks. It kills me to say this, but I missed you too. No one's sarcasm compares to yours in Russia.† My amusement faded. â€Å"But since you mentioned Lissa-â€Å" â€Å"No, no.† He held up his hand by way of protest, face hardening. â€Å"I knew you were going to go there.† â€Å"Christian! She loves you. You know that what happened wasn't her fault-â€Å" â€Å"I know that,† he interrupted. â€Å"But it doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Rose, I know it's in your nature to rush in and say what everyone else is afraid to, but please†¦ not this time. I need time to figure things out.† I had to bite back a lot of comments. Lissa had mentioned Christian in our talk yesterday. What had happened between them was one of her biggest regrets-probably the thing she hated Avery the most for. Lissa wanted to approach him and make up, but he'd kept his distance. And yes, he was right. It wasn't my place to rush in-yet. But I did need them to fix this. So I respected his wishes and simply nodded. â€Å"Okay. For now.† My last words made his smile twist a little. â€Å"Thanks. Look, I've got to head off. If you ever want to show these kids how to kick ass the old-fashioned way, come by sometime. Jill would pass out if she saw you again.† I told him I would and let him go on his way, seeing as I had places to be. No way was I finished with him, though. I had a dinner date with Adrian and Lissa, up in one of the lounges in guest housing. Talking to Christian had made me late, and I hurried through the building's lobby, barely taking note of my surroundings. â€Å"Always in a rush,† a voice said. â€Å"It's a wonder anyone can get you to stop moving.† I came to a halt and turned, my eyes wide. â€Å"Mom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with her cropped auburn hair as curly and messy as ever. Her face, weathered like Alberta's from being out in the elements, was filled with relief and-love. There was no anger, no condemnation. I had never been so happy to see her in my life. I was in her arms in an instant, resting my head on her chest even though she was shorter than me. â€Å"Rose, Rose,† she said into my hair. â€Å"Don't ever do this again. Please.† I pulled back and looked at her face, astonished to see tears spilling from her eyes. I had seen my mother tear up in the wake of the attack on the school, but never, never had I seen her outright cry. Certainly not over me. It made me want to cry too, and I uselessly tried to dry her face with Abe's scarf. â€Å"No, no, it's okay. Don't cry,† I said, taking on an odd role reversal. â€Å"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I missed you so much.† It was true. I loved Olena Belikova. I thought she was kind and wonderful and would cherish the memories of her comforting me about Dimitri and always going out of her way to feed me. In another life, she could have been my mother-in-law. In this one, I would always regard her as a kind of foster mother. But she wasn't my real mother. Janine Hathaway was. And standing there with her, I was happy-so, so happy-that I was her daughter. She wasn't perfect, but no one was, as I was learning. She was, however, good and brave and fierce and compassionate-and I think she understood me more than I realized sometimes. If I could be half the woman she was, my life would be well spent. â€Å"I was so worried,† she told me, recovering herself. â€Å"Where did you go-I mean, I know now you were in Russia†¦ but why?† â€Å"I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed and again saw Dimitri with my stake in his chest. â€Å"Well, there was something I had to do. I thought I had to do it on my own.† I wasn't sure about that last part now. True, I had accomplished my goal on my own, but I was realizing now how many people loved me and were with me. Who knew how differently things might have turned out if I'd asked for help? Maybe it would have been easier. â€Å"I have a lot of questions,† she warned. Her voice had toughened, and I smiled in spite of myself. Now she was back to the Janine Hathaway I knew. And I loved her for it. Her eyes flitted to my face and then to my neck, and I saw her stiffen. For a panicked moment, I wondered if Oksana had missed healing one of the bite marks. The thought of my mother seeing what I'd lowered myself to in Siberia made my heart stop. Instead, she reached out and touched the bright colors of the cashmere scarf, her face filled with wonder as much as shock. â€Å"This†¦ this is Ibrahim's scarf†¦ it's a family heirloom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, it belongs to this mobster guy named Abe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped as soon as the name crossed my lips. Abe. Ibrahim. Hearing them both out loud made me realize how similar they were. Abe†¦ Abe was short for Abraham in English. Abraham, Ibrahim. There was only a slight variation in the vowels. Abraham was a common enough name in the U.S., but I'd heard Ibrahim only once before, spoken in scorn by Queen Tatiana when referring to someone my mother had been involved with†¦ â€Å"Mom,† I said disbelievingly. â€Å"You know Abe.† She was still touching the scarf, eyes filled with emotion once more-but a different kind than she'd had for me. â€Å"Yes, Rose. I know him.† â€Å"Please don't tell me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh, man. Why couldn't I have been an illegitimate half-royal like Robert Doru? Or even the mail-man's daughter? â€Å"Please don't tell me Abe is my father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She didn't have to tell me. It was all over her face, her expression dreamily recalling some other time and place-some time and place that had undoubtedly involved my conception. Ugh. â€Å"Oh God,† I said. â€Å"I'm Zmey's daughter. Zmey Junior. Zmeyette, even.† That got her attention. She looked up at me. â€Å"What on earth are you talking about?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said. I was stunned, trying desperately to assimilate this new piece of data into my worldview. I summoned a picture of that sly, bearded face, trying to hunt down family resemblance. Everyone said my facial features were like my mom's when she was younger†¦ but my coloring, the dark hair and eyes†¦ yes, that was the same as Abe's. I'd always known my father was Turkish. That was Abe's mystery accent, the one not Russian but still foreign to my ears. Ibrahim must be the Turkish version of Abraham. â€Å"How?† I asked. â€Å"How in the world did you get involved with someone like that?† She looked offended. â€Å"Ibrahim is a wonderful man. You don't know him like I do.† â€Å"Obviously.† I hesitated. â€Å"Mom†¦ you must know. What is it that Abe does for a living?† â€Å"He's a businessman. And he knows and does favors for a lot of people, which is why he has the influence he does.† â€Å"But what kind of business? I've heard it's illegal. It's not†¦ oh God. Please tell me he isn't selling blood whores or something.† â€Å"What?† She looked shocked. â€Å"No. Of course not.† â€Å"But he is doing illegal things.† â€Å"Who's to say? He's never actually been caught for anything illegal.† â€Å"I swear, you almost sounded like you were trying to make a joke.† I never would have expected her to defend a criminal, but I knew better than most how love could drive us to crazy acts. â€Å"If he wants to tell you, he'll tell you. End of story, Rose. Besides, you certainly keep your share of secrets too. You two have a lot in common.† â€Å"Are you kidding? He's arrogant, sarcastic, likes to intimidate people, and-oh.† Okay. Maybe she had a point. A small half-smile played upon her lips. â€Å"I never really expected you to meet this way. I never expected you to meet, period. We both thought it'd be best if he wasn't in your life.† A new thought occurred to me. â€Å"It was you, wasn't it? You hired him to find me.† â€Å"What? I contacted him when you went missing†¦ but I certainly didn't hire him.† â€Å"Then who did?† I wondered. â€Å"He said he was working for someone.† Her lovestruck, reminiscent smile turned wry. â€Å"Rose, Ibrahim Mazur doesn't work for anyone. He's not the kind of person you can hire.† â€Å"But he said†¦ wait. Why was he following me? Are you saying he was lying?† â€Å"Well,† she admitted, â€Å"it wouldn't be the first time. If he was following you, it wasn't because anyone was making him or paying him. He did it because he wanted to. He wanted to find you and make sure you were okay. He made sure all his contacts knew to look out for you.† I replayed my brief history with Abe. Shadowy, taunting, infuriating. But he'd driven out into the night to get me when I'd been attacked, been adamant in his goal to get me back to school and safety, and had apparently gifted me with an heirloom because he thought I'd get cold on my way home. He's a wonderful man, my mother had said. I supposed there were worse fathers to have. â€Å"Rose, there you are. What's taking so long?† My mom and I turned as Lissa entered the lobby, her face lighting up when she saw me. â€Å"Come on both of you. The food's going to get cold. And you won't believe what Adrian got.† My mom and I exchanged a quick look, neither of us needing to speak. We had a long conversation ahead of us, but it would have to wait. I have no idea how Adrian had arranged it, but when we got to the lounge, there was Chinese food set up. The Academy almost never served it, and even then, it just never tasted†¦ right. But this was the good stuff. Bowls and bowls of sweet-and-sour chicken and egg foo young. In a corner garbage can, I saw some restaurant takeout cartons with an address in Missoula printed on the side. â€Å"How the hell did you get that here?† I demanded. Not only that, it was still warm. â€Å"Don't question these things, Rose,† said Adrian, loading up his plate with pork fried rice. He seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"Just roll with it. Once Alberta gets your paperwork settled, we'll eat like this every day.† I stopped mid-bite. â€Å"How do you know about that?† He merely winked. â€Å"When you have nothing to do but hang out on campus all the time, you kind of pick things up.† Lissa glanced between the two of us. She'd been in class all day, and we hadn't had much time to talk. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Alberta wants me to enroll again and graduate,† I explained. Lissa nearly dropped her plate. â€Å"Then do it!† My mother looked equally startled. â€Å"She'll let you?† â€Å"That's what she told me,† I said. â€Å"Then do it!† my mother exclaimed. â€Å"You know,† mused Adrian, â€Å"I kind of liked the idea of us going on the road together.† â€Å"Whatever,† I shot back. â€Å"You probably wouldn't let me drive.† â€Å"Stop this.† My mother was firmly back to her old self, no grief over her daughter's departure or wistfulness for a lost lover. â€Å"You need to take this seriously. Your future's at stake.† She nodded toward Lissa. â€Å"Her future's at stake. Finishing your education here and going on to be a guardian is the-â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Yes?† she asked, puzzled. I smiled. â€Å"Yes, I agree.† â€Å"You agree†¦ with me?† I don't think my mom could ever recall that happening. Neither could I, for that matter. â€Å"Yup. I'll take the trials, graduate, and become as respectable a member of society as I can. Not that it sounds like much fun,† I teased. I kept my tone light, but inside, I knew I needed this. I needed to be back with people who loved me. I needed a new purpose, or else I would never get over Dimitri. I would never stop seeing his face or hearing his voice. Beside me, Lissa gasped and clasped her hands together. Her joy flooded into me. Adrian didn't wear his emotions as openly, but I could see he too was pleased at having me around. My mom still looked kind of stunned. I think she was used to me being unreasonable-which, usually, I was. â€Å"You'll really stay?† she asked. â€Å"Good God.† I laughed. â€Å"How many times do I have to say it? Yes, I'll go back to school.† â€Å"And stay?† she prompted. â€Å"The full two and a half months?† â€Å"Isn't that implied?† Her face was hard-and very mom like. â€Å"I want to know for sure you aren't going to up and run away again. You'll stay and finish school no matter what? Stay until you graduate? Do you promise?† I met her eyes, surprised at her intensity. â€Å"Yes, yes. I promise.† â€Å"Excellent,† she said. â€Å"You'll be glad you did this down the road.† Her words were guardian-formal, but in her eyes, I saw love and joy. We finished dinner and helped stack dishes for the building's cleaning service. While scraping uneaten food into a trash can, I felt Adrian beside me. â€Å"This is very domestic of you,† he said. â€Å"It's kind of hot, really. Giving me all sorts of fantasies about you in an apron vacuuming my house.† â€Å"Oh, Adrian, how I've missed you,† I said with an eye roll. â€Å"I don't suppose you're helping?† â€Å"Nah. I helped when I ate everything on my plate. No mess that way.† He paused. â€Å"And yes, you're welcome.† I laughed. â€Å"You know, it's a good thing you didn't say much when I promised Mom I'd stay here. I might have decided otherwise.† â€Å"Not sure if you could have stood up to her. Your mom seems like someone who gets her way a lot.† He cast a covert look to where Lissa and my mom stood talking across the room. He lowered his voice. â€Å"It must run in the family. In fact, maybe I should get her help on something.† â€Å"Getting a hold of illegal cigarettes?† â€Å"Asking her daughter out.† I nearly dropped the plate I held. â€Å"You've asked me out tons of times.† â€Å"Not really. I've made inappropriate suggestions and frequently pushed for nudity. But I've never asked you out on a real date. And, if memory serves, you did say you'd give me a fair chance once I let you clean out my trust fund.† â€Å"I didn't clean it out,† I scoffed. But standing there, looking at him, I remembered that I had said that if I survived my quest for Dimitri, I'd give Adrian a shot. I would have said anything to get the money I needed then, but now, I saw Adrian through new eyes. I wasn't ready to marry him by any stretch of the imagination, nor did I fully consider him reliable boyfriend material. I didn't even know if I wanted a boyfriend ever. But he had been a good friend to me and everyone else throughout all of this chaos. He'd been kind and steady, and yeah, I couldn't deny it†¦ even with a fading black eye, he was still extraordinarily handsome. And while it shouldn't have mattered, Lissa had gotten it out from him that a lot of his infatuation with Avery had been compulsion-induced. He'd liked her and hadn't been ruling out a romantic attachment, but her powers had cranked up the intensity more than he actually felt. Or so he claimed. If I were a guy and all that had happened to me, I'd probably say I'd been under the influence of magic too. Yet from the way he looked at me now, I found it hard to believe anyone had taken my place for him in this last month or so. â€Å"Make me an offer,† I said at last. â€Å"Write it up, and give me a point-by-point outline of why you're a good would-be suitor.† He started to laugh, then saw my face. â€Å"Seriously? That's like homework. There's a reason I'm not in college.† I snapped my fingers. â€Å"Get to it, Ivashkov. I want to see you put in a good day's work.† I expected a joke or a brush-off until later, but instead, he said, â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Okay?† Now I felt like my mom had earlier, when I'd quickly agreed with her. â€Å"Yep. I'm going to go back to my room right now to start drafting my assignment.† I stared incredulously as he reached for his coat. I had never seen Adrian move that fast when any kind of labor was involved. Oh no. What had I gotten myself into? He suddenly paused and reached into his coat pocket with an exasperated smile. â€Å"Actually, I already practically wrote you an essay. Nearly forgot.† He produced a piece of folded paper and waved it in the air. â€Å"You have got to get your own phone. I'm not going to be your secretary anymore.† â€Å"What is that?† â€Å"Some foreign guy called me earlier†¦ said my number was in his phone's memory.† Again, Adrian eyed Lissa and my mom. They were still deep in conversation. â€Å"He said he had a message for you and didn't want me to tell anyone else. He made me write it out and read it back to him. You're the only person I'd do that for, you know. I think I'm going to mention it when I write up my dating proposal.† â€Å"Will you just hand it over?† He gave me the note with a wink, sketched me a bow, and then said goodbye to Lissa and my mom. I kind of wondered if he really was going to go write up a dating proposal. Mostly, my attention was on the note. I had no doubt who had called him. I'd used Abe's phone to dial Adrian in Novosibirsk and had later told Abe about Adrian's financial involvement in my trip. Apparently, my father-ugh, that was still an unreal thought-had decided that made Adrian trustworthy, though I wondered why my mom couldn't have been used as a messenger. I unfolded the note, and it took me a few seconds to decipher Adrian's writing. If he did write me a dating proposal, I really hoped he would type it. The note read: Sent a message to Robert's brother. He told me there was nothing I could offer that would make him reveal Robert's location-and believe me, I have much to offer. But he said as long as he had to spend the rest of his life in there, then the information would die with him. Thought you'd like to know. It was hardly the essay Adrian had made it out to be. It was also a bit cryptic, but then, Abe wouldn't want its contents easily understandable to Adrian. To me, the meaning was clear. Robert's brother was Victor Dashkov. Abe had somehow gotten a message to Victor in whatever horrible, remote prison he was locked away in. (Somehow, it didn't surprise me that Abe could pull that off.) Abe had no doubt attempted one of his trades with Victor in order to find out where Robert was, but Victor had refused. No surprise there either. Victor wasn't the most helpful of people, and I couldn't entirely blame him now. The guy was locked up for life â€Å"in there†-in prison. What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a difference in his life? I sighed and put the note away, somehow touched that Abe had done this for me, as futile as it was. And again, the same argument came to mind. Even if Victor had given up Robert's location, what did it matter? The farther I got from the events in Russia, the more ridiculous it became to even consider turning a Strigoi back to his original form. Only true death could free them, only death†¦ My mom's voice saved me before I could begin reliving the bridge scene once more in my head. She told me she had to leave but promised we'd talk later. As soon as she was gone, Lissa and I made sure everything was set in the lounge before heading off to my room. She and I still had a lot of talking to do too. We went upstairs, and I wondered when they'd move me out of guest housing and back to the dorm. Probably whenever Alberta finished with the red tape. It still seemed impossible to accept that I was going to be able to return to my old life and move on from all that had happened in the last month or so. â€Å"Did Adrian give you a love note?† Lissa asked me. Her voice was teasing, but through the bond, I knew she still worried about me grieving for Dimitri. â€Å"Not yet,† I said. â€Å"I'll explain later.† Outside my room, one of the building attendants was just about to knock on the door. When she saw me, she held out a thick padded envelope. â€Å"I was just bringing this to you. It arrived in today's mail.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I took it from her and looked at it. My name and St. Vladimir's address were printed in neat writing, which I found odd, since my arrival here had been sudden. There was no return address, but it bore Russian postmarks and delivery through global overnight mail. â€Å"Do you know who it's from?† Lissa asked once the woman was gone. â€Å"I don't know. I met a lot of people in Russia.† It could have been from Olena, Mark, or Sydney. Yet†¦ something I couldn't quite explain set my senses on high alert. I tore open one side and reached in. My hand closed around something cold and metallic. I knew before I even pulled it out what it was. It was a silver stake. â€Å"Oh God,† I said I rolled the stake around, running my finger over the engraved geometric pattern at its base. There was no question. One-of-a-kind. This was the stake I'd taken from the vault in Galina's house. The one I'd â€Å"Why would someone send you a stake?† asked Lissa. I didn't answer and instead pulled out the envelope's next item: a small note card. There, in handwriting I knew all too well, was: You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon. Love, D. â€Å"Oh,† I said, nearly dropping the card. â€Å"This is not good.† The world spun for a moment, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. For the hundredth time, I ran through the events of the night I'd escaped from Dimitri. Every other time, my emotions and attention were always on the look on his face when I stabbed him, the sight of his body falling into that black water. Now my mind summoned up the details of the struggle. I recalled how his last-minute dodge had interfered with my shot at his heart. For a moment out there, I hadn't thought I'd gotten the stake in hard enough-until I'd seen his face go slack and watched him fall. But I really hadn't gotten the stake in hard enough. My first instinct had been right, but things had happened too fast. He'd fallen†¦ and then what? Had the stake been loose enough to fall out on its own? Had he been able to pull it out? Had the river's impact knocked it out? â€Å"All those practice dummies, all for nothing,† I muttered, recalling how Dimitri had drilled me over and over to plunge a stake into the chest so it would get past the ribs and into the heart. â€Å"Rose,† exclaimed Lissa. I had a feeling this wasn't the first time she'd said my name. â€Å"What's going on?† The most important staking of my life†¦ and I had messed it up. What would happen now? Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon. I didn't know what to feel. Despair that I hadn't released Dimitri's soul and fulfilled the promise I'd secretly made to him? Relief that I hadn't killed the man I loved? And always, always that question: Would he have said he loved me if we'd had a few moments more? I still had no answers. My emotions were running crazy, and I needed to put them on hold and analyze what I knew here. First: two and a half months. I'd promised my mom two and a half months. No action until then. Meanwhile, Dimitri was still out there, still a Strigoi. As long as he was loose in the world, there would be no peace for me. No closure. Looking at that card again, I realized I would have no peace even if I tried to ignore him. I understood the card's message. Dimitri was coming for me this time. And something told me that I had blown my chance at being turned Strigoi. He was coming to kill me. What had he said when I escaped the manor? That there was no way we could both be alive in the world? And yet, maybe we could†¦ When I didn't answer her right away, Lissa's worry grew. â€Å"Your face is freaking me out a little. What are you thinking?† â€Å"Do you believe in fairy tales?† I asked, looking up into her eyes. Even as I said the words, I could imagine Mark's disapproval. â€Å"What†¦ what kind of fairy tales?† â€Å"The kind you aren't supposed to waste your life on.† â€Å"I don't understand,† she said. â€Å"I'm totally lost. Tell me what's going on. What can I do?† Two and a half months. I had to stay here for two and a half months-it seemed like forever. But I'd promised my mom that I would, and I refused to be rash again-particularly with the stakes so high now. Promises. I was drowning in promises. I'd even promised Lissa something. â€Å"Did you mean it before? You want to go with me on my next crazy quest? No matter what?† â€Å"Yes.† There was no uncertainty or hesitation in the word, no wavering in her steady green eyes. Of course, I wondered if she'd feel the same way later when she found out what it was we were going to do. What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a difference in his life? I'd pondered that earlier, trying to figure out what could get Victor Dashkov to talk. Victor had told Abe there was nothing anyone could offer that would make him give up the information about his brother's alleged ability to restore Strigoi. Victor was serving a life sentence; no bribe could matter to him anymore. But one thing could, I realized. Freedom. And there was only one way to achieve that. We were going to have to break Victor Dashkov out of prison. But I decided not to mention that to Lissa quite yet. All I knew for now was that I had a fleeting shot at saving Dimitri. Mark had said it was a fairy tale, but I had to take the chance. The question was: how long did I have until Dimitri came to kill me? How long did I have to figure out if the impossible was actually possible? That was the real issue. Because if Dimitri showed up before I had a chance to find the dragon in this story-Victor-things were going to get ugly. Maybe this whole Robert thing was one big lie, but even if it wasn't†¦ well, the clock was ticking. If Dimitri came for me before I could get to Victor and Robert, I'd have to fight him again. No question. I couldn't wait for this magical cure. I'd have to kill Dimitri for real this time and lose any chance I might have to bring back my prince. Damn. It's a good thing I work well under pressure.

India’s Transformation

Summary India adopted a democratic system of government and a mixed economy after gaining independence in 1947. However, a large part of their economy was still comprised of state-owned entities. Because of this, the private sector was stifled and any growth came only with hard-won government permission. This was especially true in the auto, chemical, and steel industries. Compounding the issue of strict government control was the fact that various laws made it difficult for businesses in the private sector to flourish. If a business grew to over 100 employees, then it was very difficult to fire a worker.In turn, business owners kept the size of their firm under the threshold. Unfortunately, those businesses did not grow to their full potential and could not reach the size necessary to be competitive in the international market. At this time, due to the rules and regulations, India was not taking advantage of foreign direct investments. Thankfully, the lack of progress and growth led the government to reform the economic system. In 1991, many industries once closed to the private sector, including electricity generation, oil industry, steel production, air transport and telecommunications, were opened.Foreign investments were given automatic approval up to a 51 percent stake in an Indian enterprise and, in some cases, 100 percent investment was granted. Tariffs on imports were dramatically reduced as were income tax rates and corporate tax rates. Each of these measures led to an increased rate of economic progress and tremendous growth within India’s private sector. India’s economy is still in a transition phase. While they have seen growth in private sector enterprise and increased foreign investment, they still have to navigate political barriers and help mitigate risks.Some import tariffs are still in place because the government fears a flood of inexpensive Chinese products. In addition, even though the private sector has proven more efficient than state-owned enterprises, there are still barriers to privatization. For instance, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that the government could not privatize two state-owned oil companies without the consent of parliament. India also continues to work towards a market economy to keep the country attractive to potential investors.There are many benefits to investing early in India: the country has a large market population with the potential for continued high growth that can offer first-mover advantages. However, investors do need to take the risks into consideration: adhering to the local laws could be an unwanted cost as well as working within a legal system that may not provide the necessary protection for contract and property rights violations. As India continues to move toward a free market economy, they will continue to see growth in their private sector enterprises and foreign investment.The government will need to support this growth and continue to reform regulations so b usinesses can grow and become competitive on a greater scale. This will also make the country more attractive to foreign direct investment where investors can take advantage of India’s growing economy. Questions 1. From 1947 to 1990, India operated under a mixed economy system. This economic system is a blend of private ownership and free market enterprise with state ownership and government planning. During this time, the mixed economy in India was dominated by state-owned enterprises, centralized planning and subsidies.This prevented the private sector in India from growing, especially in the auto, chemical and steel production industries which were specifically state-owned enterprises. Today, India is moving toward a market economy where productive activities are primarily privately owned. However, state-owned firms still account for 38 percent of national output in the nonfarm sector. There are several impediments to completing a full transformation to a market economy in India. For example, a reduction in import tariffs has stalled due to political pressure.Politicians fear a flood of inexpensive products from China if the barriers are taken away. Also, it is still very difficult for privatization within the oil industry. The Indian Supreme Court ruled that the government could not privatize two state-owned oil companies without explicit approval from parliament. In addition, there is a disincentive for business owners to grow their firms more than 100 employees. Labor laws make it almost impossible for firms to fire an employee if the business is greater than 100 employees.This does not allow the firm to attain the scale necessary to compete internationally. 2. The economic system constrained the growth of the private sector. Private companies needed permission from the government to expand. It could take years to receive permission and several heavy industry products were reserved for state-owned enterprises. Even though private firms are 30 â₠¬â€œ 40 percent more efficient than state-owned firms, the extensive government regulations prevent the growth of private businesses and creation of new businesses.These factors negatively affected the rate of economic growth in India. While other Southeast Asian nations were enjoying economic growth and progress, India was still struggling with a small economy despite having a population of 950 million. The GDP was $310 and only 2. 3 percent of the population had a household income greater than $2,484. At the time, the World Bank estimated that 40 percent of the world’s desperately poor lived in India. Compounding these issues was the fact that less than half the population could read and very few had access to clean sanitation.Without basic necessities, a population will find it difficult to survive much less grow and flourish. 3. Privatization, deregulation and increased foreign direct investment have positively impacted India’s economy during the post-1990 time per iod. For example, the economy has expanded at an annual rate of 6. 3 percent from 1994 to 2004 and increased to 9 percent from 2005 to 2008. Proving that the Indian market is attractive, foreign investment increased from $150 million in 1991 to $36. 7 billion in 2008. 4.India is strengthening in the areas of technology and pharmaceutical products in part of their attractiveness to foreign investments and the fact that the government was now welcoming foreign investment. Foreign equity stakes in an Indian enterprise up to 51 percent are automatic; 100 percent ownership is allowable under certain circumstances. Industry goods are seeing a freedom of importation and the maximum tariffs have fallen to 35 percent as of 1997. India’s success in these industries will continue to prove the efficiency and growth potential of privatizing business. 5.I believe that India represents an attractive market for foreign multinationals selling consumer products. International firms have the op portunity to engage early in India’s economy. In turn, this will lead to building brand loyalty and gaining experience navigating the country’s business practices. Of course, the international firms must be aware of the risks surrounding unprotected property rights and other political and legal matters. With due diligence, investment into India’s economy could provide high dividends to foreign multinationals as the economy continues to grow.

The Scandal at Abu Ghrab essays

The Scandal at Abu Ghrab essays So how does the world feel about the prison abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison? The world has a lot of emotions: ashamed, reluctant to trust, and furious of the way the Iraqi prisoners were treated. They were tortured with electrical devices; several naked photos were taken of them with masks on their heads; and one prisoner was beaten almost to the brink of death. It has been the most talked about topic in the world recently has been the prison abuse scandal at Abu Ghraibs prison. The world has mixed emotions, and the topic has certainly put a damper on all Americans. The American people feel less than perfect right now. Everyone is pointing fingers, but no one wants to take the blame. The secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, decided to take responsibility and resign, but the support for him was too strong to let that happen. Recently, Donald Rumsfeld admitted to holding a prisoner and not reporting it to the Red Cross to get assigned a number. This act breaks the Geneva Convention. Most Americans are ashamed that such a disgrace to our reputation could happen like this. American soldiers are in Iraqi trying to regain trust with the Iraqi people to savor the little respect thats left. A big gloomy cloud has formed over our armed forces, and it will take some time for the storm to clear. This scandal has not only affected the United States - but internationally too. N.A.T.O., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has decided to train the new Iraqi interim governments army and security forces, but reluctant to send any of their own troops to help support the new government. N.A.T.O. has not trusted the United States from the beginning. By providing training for the new army, its a way to keep the United States in one place - out of Iraqs new government. America has some allies, but the majority of countries dont want to have anything to do with the entire scandal. Our relati...

Vitamins May Hurt Your Health

Vitamins May Hurt Your Health MSN ran a feature about ConsumerLab.coms investigation into the purity of multivitamins. The lab looked at 21 brands of multivitamins for sale in the U.S. and Canada and found only 10 of these brands met the labeled claims or otherwise met quality standards. That doesnt have to mean anything earth-shattering. It could have been the other brands were close to meeting standards or had minor problems. However, the quality issues were ones that could actually hurt your health. The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women were found to be contaminated with lead. Now, lets put this in perspective. Several calcium supplements run the risk of lead contamination, because lead and calcium participate in many of the same chemical reactions and are difficult to separate. That trace amounts of lead would be present might be expected. However, ConsumerLab.com reported a daily dose of this mulitvitamin contained a whopping 15.3 micrograms of lead (more than ten times the amount permitted without a warning in California). To make matters worse, though you got some bonus lead for your bucks, you only got 54% of the stated levels of calcium. Another vitamin posed a different risk. Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a kids multivitamin, contained 216% of the labeled amount of vitamin A in the retinol form [5,400 International Units (IU)], which is considerably higher than the upper limit set by the Institute of Medicine of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1 to 3 and 3,000 IU for kids ages 4 to 8. Vitamin A is one of the vitamins where more is not better. Instead, too much vitamin A can weaken bones and cause liver damage. Are these quality control issues? Yes, but I would have been surprised if the lab had found the vitamins met their stated claims. Why? For two reasons. First, vitamins arent regulated by the same standards as medicine. They are considered supplements and not drugs. Your best defense against this is to buy a product from nationally-recognized reputable source with an interest in protecting its good name. The other reason I wouldnt expect vitamins to contain exactly what is listed on the label is simple chemistry. Vitamins, by their very nature, are reactive. The quantities listed in a product will change over the course of its shelf life. Your main protection here is to not take vitamins past their expiration date. Should you take a multivitamin? Ask yourself whether the potential benefit outweighs the risk. If you are taking a major name brand multivitamin, you are probably getting approximately what is listed. Even then, expect some variation within the product and some degree of heavy-metal contamination with products that include minerals. These vitamins generally are safe, but dont take them automatically assuming they will help you.

This Is How Small Brands With Small Budgets Achieve Colossal Results With Andie Coupland From Totara Learning [AMP 146] - CoSchedule Blog

This Is How Small Brands With Small Budgets Achieve Colossal Results With Andie Coupland From Totara Learning [AMP 146] Blog Marketing is sometimes sensationalized, especially when media publications feature huge brands with huge budgets. In reality, most marketers come from small brands with small budgets. They need to be scrappy to get noticed, but with fewer resources. Today’s guest is Andie Coupland, product marketing manager at Totara Learning. She describes how small brands with small budgets can achieve colossal results by avoiding makeshift marketing.    Game Plan: Strategies for marketing goals, product fit, and brand messaging  Ã‚   Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) vs. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs): Different approaches for deliverables to measure results of goals and objectives Stop Fighting Fires: Stay agile to remain focused on your quarterly priorities Keep on Track: Processes in place to stay organized and meet deadlines Productivity Pressure: Marketing is getting more done with fewer resources Shift in Mindset: Always ask why you’re doing something as a leader/manager Andie’s Advice: Find the right tool(s) and learn how to use them to meet your company’s marketing needs right now Links:   Andie Coupland on Twitter   Totara Learning Adweek Asana Trello Jira Google Ads Start With Why by Simon Sinek 10X Marketing Formula by Garrett Moon New Marketing Suite If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Andie Coupland:   â€Å"You need to have the key bits of information that you can refer back to when you’re making all your decisions for all the smaller things that come up.†Ã‚   â€Å"If you’re going to be successful, you need to have that shared overview of what’s going on, so everyone knows what they’re doing.†Ã‚   â€Å"You can have all the tools in the world, but if you’re not talking and communicating across the team regularly, it doesn’t mean anything.†Ã‚   â€Å"We kind of like that challenge of being creative and pragmatic and coming up with novel ways to do more with less.†

Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and Term Paper

Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and controlling implemented in the workplace - Term Paper Example After noting the vital aspects of each management staff, the stakeholders find it appropriate to engage the qualified personnel in running a firm. Similarly, the selected employees to manage the organization have to be experienced, motivated and focused individuals (Hannagan and Bennett, 2008). If this is not done, the stakeholders may run into losses, as the coordination of all the management processes may not be functional. In many instances, the stakeholders engage both external and internal training to equip the management with vital knowledge. Through the training, the managers also acquire ample skills to help in coordinating the management practices. In essence, the Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and controlling in an organization are vital, as they have direct effect on the [performance of the organization. To begin with, the first management practice that has an effect on the performance of an organization is planning. Planning involves forecasting on various aspects that may affect the sustainability of the firm. First, the planning process involves forecasting on the intended expenditure of the form. Firms have to make allocations in concern to their expenditure, probably for a whole year. As such, they have to involve all the accountants and financial managers who reiterate the proposed expenditure for the firm. Secondly, the firm has to plan for the proposed expansion plans in ensuring the firm is improving its market niche (Leonard, 2013). For instance, in my previous work place, planning for investments in new markets was an approach that enhanced the market niche of the company. This is especially due to the nature of the products, which are highly needed in new markets. Since the company deals in technological appliances, finding new markets is appropriate for business sustain ability. Thirdly, the management should involve planners, especially in concern to unforeseen circumstances. At times, the unforeseen

University fees should not be abolished Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

University fees should not be abolished - Essay Example Before getting into the issue itself it is necessary to provide some discussion on the reasons why in some cases universities took on the initiative to abolish fees.The actions of the university are more or less the same in almost all developed countriesIn recent times some ideas have become redundant and politically incorrect. Most incoming students in the universities stand in long queue to get admission into the universities for the courses that have been closed for hours before they arrived. In such cases it is discouraging to ask students to pay for wasting time. The universities of the developed nations could not compete with the American economic system as they failed to bridge the gap in actual learning created by the public universities. Arguments There has been a long standing concern that pupils from lower socio economic backgrounds are forced to stay out from attaining higher education especially from attending universities. The social mobility is constraint due to high i nter generational correlation in attainment of education. Even if the concerns regarding the equity are left out then also efficiency is lost for the society as a whole. Two sets of actions can be undertaken to analyze the reason for the situation to arise. The first action can be directed towards intensive studies while the second action can be directed towards the policies necessary to address the issue. ... If en economic policy aims to eliminate a monopoly while the market becomes competitive as well as efficient the monopolist will be in a worse off situation. A competitive economy will result in Pareto optimal allocation when there is presence of full information in the economy and there is absence of externalities. Increasing returns to scale in technology is absent. The government can intervene into the market to facilitate the flow of information, manage the existing externalities, provide public goods and manage the income distribution within the society. The university or the college staffs can shift the resources effectively for more efficient allocation so as to ensure maximum outputs given inputs. As there inefficiencies in technical and allocation exist a significant portion of available resources go wasted. The state and university college is confronted with the Production Possibility Frontier. A tool can be designed for the purpose which will embody the resource constraint s and simplified assumptions on the college and university’s production possibilities. The assumptions as are follows: Two goods are produced while resources are fully utilized and budget is endowed as resources. The feasible and the non feasible mixes of output are depicted in the PPF. A Pareto efficient situation is possible only in cases where there are feasible mixes of output. Technical efficiency reflects the ability of a firm to avoid waste and attain maximum output level from a given set of inputs. The firm can attain such type of situation by mainly two ways. The firm produce as much output as possible by using the technology and inputs or by using just optimal amount

Desire satisfaction theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Desire satisfaction theory - Essay Example It gives weight on the present action time and can cause tension with previous desires and cause regrets in the long run (Shafer-Landau, The ethical life, 2014). It is important to note that pleasure and pain are often inside people’s heads. Thus, the well being of individuals consists in the satisfaction of the people’s preferences and desires. The most important part of desire satisfaction is the overall level of desire achieved in the entire life of an individual. The more desire satisfaction an individual has in his life, the better for them. It is important to note, however, that we desire things because they have independent good on us and not that they are good because they will ultimately satisfy our desire for them. Objective theory of human life suggests things that has items that are neither useful in pleasurable experience or in satisfaction of our desires. For instance, we can consider either knowledge or even friendship. This theory suggests that we take what is self sufficient according to us, as what makes life worthy of any choice and lacking nothing. If, for instance, an individual views that well-being is only existent in friendship and pleasure, another individual can dispute this by showing that knowledge is also something that enables the well-being of individuals. To determine what goes into this list, it is important to rely on reflective judgment or intuition. This makes the theory less satisfactory compared to the other two theories. It is clear from this theory that intuition does not rule out argument. Argument brings individuals to see the truth. Intuitions can also be mistaken thus proving to be a strong defense line for hedonists. The most convincing theories of the three is the hedonism theory. It state that individuals always acts in pursuit of what their minds think will give them the greatest pleasure over pain. Human beings, in this theory, have been given two choices

Ancient Greek political thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ancient Greek political thought - Essay Example Through the said goal to achieve goodness and happiness, one of the main concerns is the subjectivity of the views of the people. One’s goal can be another human beings greatest fear. An achievement can be good for a person but not a source of happiness for another (Aristotle Book 1 Chapter 1). Due to the said view and the attempt to explore ethical issues, Aristotle found it fitting to search for the way by which human beings can achieve common happiness thus the need for synchronization and harmony in their actions and activities. To be able to achieve such goal, Aristotle expressed the need for politics. According to him, if every person is aiming for the happiness based on his own perspective, there will come a point wherein his happiness would be hindered by the fact that another person’s goals are prohibiting such occurrence. In such scenario, conflict can be considered inevitable. This can then be considered as the end to one’s happiness despite of the fact that the person is continuously working for it. For that matter, it can be considered that in the quest for one’s happiness, it is important to consider needs of other people. This can then define the chief goodness or the happiness of the people (Aristotle Book 1 Chapter 2). Based on the view of Aristotle then, it is important to aim for common happiness of the people. This according to him can be undertaken through politics which he defined to apply the different fields of sciences. Due to the said fact, it can then be considered to target the good of man and inevitable the achievement of happiness. He then expressed that consequently, the application of political thoughts can lead to happiness. Socrates on the other hand expressed that the way to achieve happiness is through a virtuous life. A life of contemplation and wisdom to live beyond material issues can be considered as the main

Philosophy essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy - Essay Example For instance, in the case of drug possession, long prison sentences are justified by deterrence theory to the extent that such sentences actually do prevent people from using drugs who otherwise would not use those drugs. That last part is important because deterrence is undermined unless it prevents what would happen if the deterrence was not implemented. Deterrence is, by definition, the removal of a cause to prevent an effect. So, considering these long prison sentences for drug possession, it is certainly possible some people are deterred simply because of the potential cost of being caught with illegal substances. In most cases, however, when someone refuses to take illegal drugs, it is not because they were deterred by drug laws and long prison sentences. Rather, it is because of other reasons not related to being caught. Being caught is not necessarily a big concern for most users of illegal drugs anyway. Therefore, it seems it is once again up to the utilitarian to decide whe ther US drug laws and long prison sentences are justified by their effects (the results of strict controls on drugs) in reality. 2. John Rawls’ so-called end-state (or distributive justice) theory of justice stands in contrast to Robert Nozick’s entitlement (or process) theory of justice. The former proposes that all persons in the â€Å"original position† (the state of nature) should agree that all social primary goods, like opportunity and income, are to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any or all these goods is to the advantage of the least favored. For Rawls and the end-state theory, justice is â€Å"fairness†, especially when the proposed redistribution would improve social inequality. Nozick’s entitlement theory proposes that a distribution is just if it comes about by ethical acquisition from the state of nature or through fair allocation.

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 14

Research Paper Example f Palestine refugee problem, the core issue remains about the â€Å"right of return† for these refugee to their land, which is now part of Israel, recognized by many countries around the globe. The return of these refugees to present Israeli territory would mean giving up the claim of having an exclusive Jewish state by Israel. In addition, there is the religious angle that has significance, when discussing the Palestinian refugee issue. As both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, mostly Muslims, have diverse religious beliefs; neither can digest the idea of Palestinians return to Israeli land, at present. While Israel accepted Jews from Russia and other countries, in huge numbers, the country is averse to accepting Palestinian refugees back. The struggle of refugees thus takes the shape of Holy war for Palestinians, as they ask for returning to their land, which is now Israel. The complex problem can find solution, only after the Palestinians refugees soften their adamant stand on the issue of â€Å"return back† to their homeland, which is now Israel. The age-old concept of Holy war between Muslim Arabs and Jewish Israelis will never solve this problem. After the failure of Arab world war against the establishment of Israeli state, UN took the responsibility of looking after the displaced Arabs, as a result of this war. Accordingly, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in 1949 for this purpose. However, it is a fact now that the number of such displaced persons, now Palestinian refugees, has gone up many times. While many refugees in the world would like to seek asylum and settlement in prosperous lands across the globe, the case seems to be different here. Therefore, the problem of Palestinians as refugees needs investigating from different angles. However, the solution can become visible only after considering that humanitarian issues should not be dictated by man-made dogmas like religion and

Philosophy essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy - Essay Example For instance, in the case of drug possession, long prison sentences are justified by deterrence theory to the extent that such sentences actually do prevent people from using drugs who otherwise would not use those drugs. That last part is important because deterrence is undermined unless it prevents what would happen if the deterrence was not implemented. Deterrence is, by definition, the removal of a cause to prevent an effect. So, considering these long prison sentences for drug possession, it is certainly possible some people are deterred simply because of the potential cost of being caught with illegal substances. In most cases, however, when someone refuses to take illegal drugs, it is not because they were deterred by drug laws and long prison sentences. Rather, it is because of other reasons not related to being caught. Being caught is not necessarily a big concern for most users of illegal drugs anyway. Therefore, it seems it is once again up to the utilitarian to decide whe ther US drug laws and long prison sentences are justified by their effects (the results of strict controls on drugs) in reality. 2. John Rawls’ so-called end-state (or distributive justice) theory of justice stands in contrast to Robert Nozick’s entitlement (or process) theory of justice. The former proposes that all persons in the â€Å"original position† (the state of nature) should agree that all social primary goods, like opportunity and income, are to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any or all these goods is to the advantage of the least favored. For Rawls and the end-state theory, justice is â€Å"fairness†, especially when the proposed redistribution would improve social inequality. Nozick’s entitlement theory proposes that a distribution is just if it comes about by ethical acquisition from the state of nature or through fair allocation.

Brand mangament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand mangament - Essay Example Latigo-S produced by Company XYZ is a dietary supplement that helps cleanse and detoxify the body from the adverse impact of internal parasites in the human body. Company XYZ does not want to compete with other renowned companies trying to promote dietary supplements even though the product it is promoting belongs to the same category. The reason is that Latigo-S is a product that is labelled dietary supplement, but unlike any other products of the same category, its main function is not to directly boost the immune system but to kill internal parasites of the human body. Company XYZ continuously conducts significant market trials for their product offering as they continue with their research strategy for ensuring a sustainable market for Latigo-S. Currently, the company is busy innovating possibility on how they could create a remarkable market for their products and they are now on the go disseminating the real knowledge concerning human internal parasites. Unlike any other compan ies that promote dietary supplements and educate people concerning pollutants and human nutrition, Company ZYZ together with its Latigo-S is trying to initiate educational campaign on the truth behind human internal parasites and their probable impacts on the human health. ... While contemplating on the most essential factors that could affect the human health, Company XYZ finally embraced the fact that the human health is affected by pollutants and parasites (Spooner, 2012, p.239). It was upon the realization of this point that the company started to produce deworming products, until it came up with its very latest breakthrough, the Latigo-S. Company XYZ seeks to offer optimum health to its target customers by providing dietary supplements that could help enhance the human immune system, as its original approach. However, knowing the fact that there are other various opportunities in the same market and other relevant needs to address, the company eventually is now focusing on mass production of Latigo-S, together with its aggressive promotional strategies. This is a vital form of extending Company XYZ’s brand expertise together with the identification of brand values or position (Keller, 2003). Brand Latigo-S is a deworming product but its general label belongs to dietary supplement. Although various studies were already conducted concerning on the effectiveness of this product, Latigo-S remains to be a product labelled with â€Å"no approved therapeutic claims.† Major clients and customers who were convinced about the general therapeutic capacity of this product are continuously bringing in the word of mouth in the market, creating a positive response among other prospective customers and eventually high earning opportunity. Latigo-S is one of a kind in the market and a pioneering brand for deworming products that is labelled non-synthetic, but as a dietary supplement made of natural finest ingredients. Introduction to brand and designing a branding strategy Latigo-S as a dietary supplement is unlike any other product offerings

Integrated Treatment for Substance Use and Depression

Integrated Treatment for Substance Use and Depression Mental Health: Simone Case Scenario Dual diagnosis, co morbidity and co-occurring disorders are terms often used interchangeably to describe mental ill health and substance abuse (drugs and/or alcohol) in various combinations. These disorders may occur at the same time or one may follow the other. Even though the diseases of mental illness and drug abuse are comorbid, causality is not implied and either condition may precede the other (Fortinash and Holoday Worret, 2012). The symptoms of one condition may mask or conceal the symptoms of the other, with either condition assuming priority at any given time. Alcohol is the most widely used drug. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) estimated in 2011 over 24% of people in England consume alcohol levels that are potentially or actually detrimental to health. The co morbidity of depression and alcohol dependence are two of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders affecting the general population. Evidence suggests that alcohol use disorders are linked to depressive symptoms and that alcohol dependence and depressive disorders co-occur to a larger degree than expected by chance. However, it is not clear whether the depression causes alcohol problems, whether the alcohol consumption or alcohol problems caused depression, or whether both could be attributed to a third cause (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2015). This assignment will consider the case scenario of Simone part time social worker, aged 43 with depression and alcohol abuse. Simone lives with her three children and the intervention of choice is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This section will define CBT and its uses and adopt the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) toolkit (2013) to critically evaluate and discuss two CBT research articles in treating depression and alcohol abuse to evidence why this is an appropriate intervention for Simone. CBT is defined as a talking therapy that can help individuals manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave (Frances and Robson, 1997). Commonly used to treat a range of mental health issues including depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, but also deemed valuable in treating alcohol misuse, especially as part of an overall programme of recovery. The goal of cognitive behavioural therapy is to teach the person to become aware of incidences and situations which trigger the need to drink, to learn to avoid putting themselves in these situations and to develop coping strategies to deal with other problems and behaviours which may lead to drinking. Until recently the effectiveness of CBT for comorbid alcohol had not been studied, however, the first of two research articles will now be critically evaluated and discussed below. Developing an Integrated Treatment for Substance Use and Depression Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Osilla et al, 2009) is an American qualitative research article. The research goal was to design and develop a treatment programme for delivery by substance abuse counsellors in outpatient mental health settings. This was thought to be important because earlier research had indicated the effectiveness of CBT in depression and alcoholism separately. The research developed a group based integrated 18 session treatment plan involving 3 modules (thoughts, activities and people interactions) linking mood and alcohol use and provided strategies for identifying and modifying harmful thoughts and activities. Drawing on previous studies (Hepner, Watkins, Woo and Wiseman, 2006) they involved a treatment development team including researchers, clinicians, stakeholders and CBT experts. Recruited participants (N=7; 4 male, 3 female) were already enrolled in outpatient substance misuse treatmen t who had met the criteria for mild depression using the 9 item Patient Health Questionnaire with scores of 5 or > (no indication given whether other people had chosen not to take part as this sample is small). Client focus groups were conducted following the group treatment sessions led by two clinical psychologists who had observed the group sessions from behind a one way mirror, thus the methodology used is entirely appropriate for addressing the research goal. The article states that the clients provided informed consent but there is no information regarding how the research was explained to participants, whether ethical approval was sought or whether ethical standards were maintained. The data analyses consisted of the researchers reviewing notes and transcripts independently from the client focus groups to select, group and label salient issues that point to the acceptability of integrated CBT. Notable points with similar concepts were categorised if different participants had said the same things on a number of occasions over a given time frame e.g. comments which stated that alcohol and mood influenced each other. Underlying themes were generated from the data and quotes were analysed and identified that fitted each of the relevant themes. Each researcher independently sorted quotes by theme and together they reached a consensus on any discrepancies. Findings indicated that treatment was widely accepted by clients and counsellors. Clients stated that applying CBT skills help to treat both their depression and alcohol misuse whilst positively affecting other areas in their lives. Clients felt the treatment had built their confidence and the group process was helpful in learning from each other. The article produced no evidence of triangulation but stated that there were limitations to the study that affect the generalization of the results. The study evaluated a single case implementation, so future studies would be necessary to examine client views in several clinics over time with different treatment sessions in order to judge whether integrated treatment is truly acceptable and feasible given funding constraints. Clearly, integrated CBT for depression and alcohol misuse evaluated as being useful and beneficial but the research concluded that there is a need to develop more web based training or other innovative ways that effect ively train substance abuse counsellors to a reasonable standard with minimal costs to provide a unified CBT approach to manage comorbid depression and alcohol misuse. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for Depression versus Relaxation Training for Alcohol – Dependent Individuals with Elevated Depressive Symptoms (Brown et al, 2011). The goal of this Rhode Island trial was to evaluate the efficacy of adding CBT versus relaxing training to partial hospital treatment for individuals misusing alcohol with elevated levels of depressive symptoms. This was deemed important because it was expected that the addition of CBT would result in reduced levels of depressive symptoms and in decreased quantity and regularity of alcohol use.166 men and women were recruited (aged 16 65 years) from an alcohol and drug treatment unit provided they met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders, Fourth Edition (2000) criteria for alcohol dependence and had a Beck Depression Inventory of 15 or more. Participants were informed about the study, consent was obtained and they were randomly assigned to receive 8 individual session s of CBT (n = 81) or relaxation training (n = 84). The article didnt mention whether the personnel were blinded. Treatment conditions did not differ on demographics, individual alcohol consumption or depression related variables. Results indicated significant improvement in depressive and alcohol use over time for all participants. Compared with the relaxation training, the CBT group had significantly reduced levels of depressive symptoms at the 6 week follow up as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory. This effect was found to be inconsistent because there was no difference in the Modified Hamilton Rating Scale (MHRD) for Depression between conditions at that point in time or at any subsequent follow up. There was no significant in alcohol use between groups. The researchers were clearly disappointed that this study did not replicate the results of an earlier pilot study in 2007. However, plausible reasons given included the average length of hospital stay had reduced from 21.2 days to 3.9 resulting in treatment sessions being conducted in an outpatient setting making it difficult to compare results. The setting for this study was a private hospital with educated Caucasian patients and caution should be used in generalizing findings to populations with different characteristics. Interview data and treatment adherence had not been subject to reliability ratings. The need for the trial was clearly documented and further studies evaluating the efficacy of CBT in individuals with alcohol misuse and elevated depressive symptoms is required. Overall, the benefits outweighed the harm. Depressed people with alcohol misuse like Simone have complex needs which pervade every aspect of daily life including psychiatric, psychological, education, employment and social care. Supporting someone with depression and alcohol misuse is one of the biggest challenges facing mental health services (DH, 2006).Traditionally, substance misuse and mental health services developed separately but a national drug and alcohol dependence strategy was published in December 2010 (HMG, 2010), and a mental health strategy a few months later (HMG, 2011). Both strategies acknowledge the association between mental health problems and drug and alcohol problems. Successful outcomes for both problems need early intervention and effective joint working between drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services in integrated, recovery-oriented local systems. Furthermore, a NICE guideline (2011) includes principles of care, identification and assessment in all assessment areas and principles for in terventions, underpinned by best available evidence (due for review in 2015). Regarding impact on future practice, co morbidity requires nurses to adapt multiple roles in order to achieve a comprehensive level of care. A primary diagnosis isnt necessary as both depression and alcohol misuse can be treated simultaneously. A non judgemental, person centred approach recognising that treatment will be long term is required. Good communication skills with multiple professionals and services are essential. Clinical skills include specialist alcohol misuse assessments, mental health and risk assessments, the provision of specialist advice on reduction and harm minimisation, appropriate interventions, treatment advice to other care professionals and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. In practice, it is not possible for nurses to be an expert in all of the skills required, however they should have a working knowledge of some. Training is required to deliver comprehensive alcohol programmes through developing skills particularly in cognitive behavioural th erapy which seems to produce beneficial effects on both depression and alcohol outcomes. Bibliography Brown, A.B., Ramsey, S.E., Kahler, C.W., Palm, K.M., Monti, P.M., Abrams, D., Dubreuli,.M., Gordon,.A. and Miller.I.W. (2011) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for Depression versus Relaxation Training for Alcohol – Dependent Individuals with Elevated Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 72(2): 286-296 Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2013) Qualitative Research Check List. Oxford UK. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2013) Randomised Control Trial Check List. Oxford UK. Department of Health (2006) The Dual Diagnosis Good Practice. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders (2000), 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). American Psychiatric Association.Washington DC. Fortinash, K.M and Holoday Worret,P.A (2012) Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 5th edition. Australia, Mosby. Frances, R. and Robson, M (1997) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Primary Care. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. London. Hepner, K.A, Watkins, K.E., Woo, S. and Wiseman, S. (2006) Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression in Substance Abusers: Substance Abuse and your Mood. Treatment Manual for non traditional providers. HM Government (2010). Drug Strategy 2010 Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting People to live a Drug Free life. HM Government (2011). No Health without Mental Health: A Cross-Government Mental Health Outcomes Strategy for People of all Ages. National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2011) Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence. London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Osilla, K.C., Hepner, K.A, Munoz, R.F, Woos. S and Watkins, K. (2009) Developing and Integrated Treatment for Substance Use and Depressing Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 37(4);412-420 Royal College of Psychiatrists (2015) Improving the Lives of People with Mental Illness (online) available from:  http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/alcoholdepression.aspx  (Accessed 13th April 2015) Lynskey,M.T.(1998 ) The comorbidity of alcohol dependence and affective disorders: treatment implications. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 52:201- 209 Miller, I.W.,Bishop,S.,Norman,W.H. and Maddever,H.(1995) The Modified Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression;reliability and validity. Psychiatry Research 14: 131-142 Mitcheson, L., Maslin, J., Meynen, T., Morrison, T., Hill, R. and Wanigaratne, S. (2010). Applied Cognitive and Behavioural Approaches to the Treatment of Addiction: A Practical Treatment Guide. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (2011), Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011. The Health and Social Care Information Centre. NICE (2007). NICE clinical guideline 51. Drug Misuse: Psychosocial Interventions. London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Raistrick, D.,Heather, N and Godfrey. ,C (2006) Review of the effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Weaver, T., Madden, P., Charles, V., Stimson, G., Renton, A., Tyrer, P., Barnes, T., Bench, C., Middleton, H., Wright, N., Paterson, S., Shanahan, W., Seivewright, N and Ford, C. (2003). Comorbidity of substance misuse and mental illness in community mental health and substance misuse services. British Journal of Psychiatry, 183, 304-313.